Cheltenham Town FC

"It was a really good workout in a competitive game. Bristol Rovers shouldn't be in the position that they are in and they will do all they can to get out of that league. Talking to Darrell (Clarke) before that game we knew he was going to use 14 of the experienced players that he has got and we were going to do the same. We spoke to the young boys that played against Evesham on Saturday and we told them that we need to work on a couple of things with them so they worked really hard with Ian Hutton and Shaun North this morning. We need to concentrate on the 13 or 14 that we have in and around it but their time will come and sooner than they think. We just want to do put in a bit of ground work with them.

"I was pleased. We had one or two knocks we could have done without but they are nothing too serious and it was a really good workout. There are some important players playing 90 minutes for us already.

"Byron Harrison was outstanding. He got better and better. I was probably taking him off after 70 minutes so I gave him a little look and I got the thumbs up to leave him on. He got his rewards. It was a great finish and he could have had a few more but he is a big, strong boy for us at the minute and he's doing ever so well.

"We're putting into place the building blocks for the season. Nothing is certain yet but their work rate, attitude and application is first rate. Some of the football we have been playing is pretty pleasing and I think the supporters will see us playing decent stuff. We are trying but there is more to come in terms of fitness and goal threat. They worked really hard yesterday and they worked their socks off so there was always going to be a little fatigue today but it's what we want because we want them blowing and they were really good today.

"Steve Elliott overstretched so it was just a precautionary one because there's no point in playing on but Jack (Deaman) has come in and done a good job. Stevie is fine to be honest and it was just making sure there was no reaction. Terry (Gornell) is disappointed that he got a boot after the whistle had gone. His ankle came up a little bit but the doctor had a look at half-time and said it wasn't too bad. Paul Black was involved in a wholehearted challenge and he's took a whack but that's all it was.

"I love Lee (Vaughan). He is energetic, enthusiastic and he will be a really good player for us. He did some really good things tonight and I think he is desperate to impress people and that is infectious sometimes but also sometimes he just needs to put his foot on it. We  were talking on the bench in the last ten minutes and he plays at 100mph and he is wholehearted and committed. If he is the captain then he will be the captain but I've also got a couple who I am hopefully bringing in at some stage and the one in particular has captain material written all over him. We'll see if I can get him and whether he wants to wear the armband but I want 11 captains out there and that's what Shaun's sessions have been about. We talked about talking amongst ourselves in a way that we can grow from and talkers on the pitch are massive.

"It was a clean slate with Jason (Taylor) from the first day he was in. We put him on the transfer list but still knew he was a good player and I am more than happy to see where we go with it. I am in no hurry to get rid of Jason Taylor and he has been superb in pre-season. We've got a little bit of inexperience in there so I hope it'll help the boys so long may it continue. His attitude has never been in question. I just think he, like all of us, was disappointed that it didn't work as well as we wanted and maybe he took the brunt of it at times from all quarters. He is an organiser and a talker so he does an effective job for us.

"I didn't want to waste their time any longer (departing trialists).  They gave everything for us but, realistically, we weren't going to take them on. Duncan Culley is raw and there is something there but he's not going to impose himself on the team for me right away. Andre (Streete) was the same but Jermaine Hylton is one we will keep an eye on. Keiran (Wallace) is decent technically but I wasn't sure how he would get into my team and stay there ahead of those three and with Hanksy pushing them."