Chris Agutter is relishing the challenge ahead as his side prepare to face league leaders Rochdale, following an impressive victory last time out.
The U’s will be in high spirits following a 2-0 win over Eastleigh during the week, courtesy of goals from Kai Jennings and Brandon Njoku, and bring confidence into their upcoming clash with the highflying Dale.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity to test ourselves against, as things stand, the best team in the league.”
“It’s a chance to see where we’re at and, like every game, an opportunity to put more points on the board and keep moving in the right direction.”
“We’re very happy after that three points. With the results around us, it means we’re nearly there in terms of our objective for the season.”
“Everyone can feel it, the players, the staff, the whole club. But because we’re so close, we now need to work even harder to get the job done.”
He was especially pleased with the way his players responded to previous setbacks, first losing 5-0 to Morecambe, before falling a 3-0 loss against Truro City, either side of a solid draw at an in-form Gateshead side.
“The response from that disappointment was exactly what we needed,” he said.
“It’s another example of the group’s mentality and their ability to bounce back, which has been brilliant.”
Agutter expressed confidence in his squad depth heading into the final stretch of the season, and he also praised the club’s academy for its role in supporting the first team.
“We’re really happy,” he said. “The board have backed us and we’re now in a much stronger position to deal with injuries and suspensions, which wasn’t the case earlier in the season.”
“The academy deserves huge credit. The young players have stepped up, shown great maturity and have been very effective.”
“They’ve got the right attitude to succeed at this level.”
Looking ahead to the opposition, Agutter was full of praise for Rochdale’s quality and organisation, while also acknowledging the different type of challenge they present compared to most teams in the division.
“They’re a very good side,” he said. “You can see what they’re trying to do.
They’re tactically excellent, well coached and very solid defensively. They’re top of the league for a reason.”
“They’re in that small group that offer a different kind of test,” he said. “It’s something I really look forward to and I know the players do as well.”
“They’ll feel pressure at the top, but we’re still feeling it at our end as well. That gives us motivation. There will be pressure on both teams, and it’ll come down to who handles it better on the day.”
