Robbie Savage hints at Forest Green Rovers tactical tweak at Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United host Forest Green Rovers in their final home game of the National League season.
Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage has revealed he is considering a major tactical change in Saturday’s visit to National League rivals Hartlepool United.
Savage’s side have already secured their play-off place after easing to a win against Braintree Town last weekend and the former Blackburn Rovers and Wales midfielder is preparing his squad for a final push to secure a return to the EFL over the coming weeks. With striker Ricardo Rees making his return from a month-long injury absence and former Hartlepool trialist D’Mani Mellor impressing with three goals and assist in his last four games, the Forest Green boss is considering opting for a two-man attack in his side’s final away game of the season.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Savage said: “I knew what D’Mani could do because he was brilliant for me at Macclesfield. The way he led the line, he could play on the right, on the left, as a ten also. But he wants to play as a nine. Ricardo’s injury means it’s been brilliant recruitment once again from the football club (to bring Mellor in) and we are looking to play two up going forward. We have enough centre forwards capable of playing two up top and we are excited about the next three games, definitely three games, hopefully more and we will try something tomorrow at Hartlepool to see if we can come up with a solution to play two up.”
Forest Green changes?
Saturday’s trip to the Prestige Group Stadium will kickstart a hectic final week of the season for Savage and his players. A Gloucestershire FA Senior Challenge Cup final date with Bishops Cleeve follows in midweek before the attention turns towards a home game with already relegated Morecambe on the final day of the National League season. That will be followed by the eliminator round of the play-offs and there is still an opportunity for Forest Green to leapfrog Scunthorpe United in the table and land a home tie. The Iron visit Wealdstone on Saturday before hosting Eastleigh seven days later and Forest Green can secure fifth place in the table if they take maximum points and Scunthorpe are beaten in at least one of their final two fixtures.
With such a hectic run of fixtures lying in wait as his squad challenge for success on two fronts, Savage has confirmed he will look to hand game-time to all of his players during the final week of the regular season to ensure they are ready to attack their play-off eliminator round tie.
“There will be a couple of changes. People need minutes and a lot of the players will play on Tuesday in the County Cup final at home to Bishops Cleeve. So a lot of the players who need 90 minutes will play. There is going to be a good run-out on Saturday against Hartlepool, then Tuesday and Saturday against Morecambe, with a play-off game to come on Tuesday or Wednesday. So a lot of the players will play a minimum of 90 minutes.”
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