Hero from Saturday ready for Woking
Cheltenham Town midfielder Billy Waters feels his confidence on the pitch is growing, after a tricky start to the season.
The 20-year-old has struggled to gain a steady run of form in the National League since arriving at the club from Crewe in June.
Fans were waiting in anticipation to see the winger in red and white shirt after an impressive pre-season under Gary Johnson.
However, the attacking midfielder struggled to settle into life in the National League, resulting in Gary Johnson pulling the youngster from the starting line-up.
But after sitting down to chat with the media this week, Waters believes the manager’s tough decisions have helped his development as a Robin’s player.
“The manager took me out of the team which he thought would be wise, and I think the probably helped me. I’m not saying that I lacked the hunger to keep my place but when you’re out of the team and your friends are in the starting lineup you want to be a part of it.”
Waters was an unused substitute during the Robin’s 2-1 loss to Altrincham earlier in the month, a result that forced Johnson to make some drastic changes.
The winger came back into the side and immediately repaid the managers faith, scoring a brace in the 3-2 home victory over Dover last weekend. “I felt like how I played on Saturday was how I was playing over pre-season. I’ve definitely got my confidence back, Saturday was a big game for me and the team, it’s propelled me into the right direction.”
Not only did the performance spur Waters in the right direction, but it also helped the club move into third spot following a comfortable win over Macclesfield.
“I think we went into Tuesday’s game very confident and I think we were keen to have an easier game than it was against Dover. We showed our consistency and it was a comfortable 2-0 win. To be fair to Macclesfield they looked good on the break but there was no point in the game where they posed as a massive threat to us.”
And although the Robins record at the World of Smile Stadium is looking good so far this campaign, Waters knows there’s work to be done on the road.
The Robin’s have picked up just five points from a possible twelve so far this season, which is something he and his teammates are aiming to address.
“They are two big away games coming up, we know what’s at stake because if we win them it can put us right up there. We’ll take one game at a time but both games are winnable, we know that and I think on our day we’re the best team in the league. It’s now whether we can produce that week in, week out.”
Cheltenham take on Woking on Saturday afternoon before heading to league leaders, Forest Green, for their toughest test so far.
But following a change around in formation, Waters feels his new position has allowed plenty of chances to roam in those attacking areas.
“When we’ve got the width to free up space in the middle of the park, it’s a good position and I do like playing the 3-5-2.
“It worked really well for us on Tuesday night, but I don’t know whether the gaffer is going to play that formation again this weekend.”
You can stay up to date with all of the action as Billy and the squad travel to Woking on Saturday afternoon. Follow our social media feeds or have your say on the Robins Wall, you can find the link at the top of the page.