Although going two weeks without a game might have been detrimental, Stevenage has made the most of their downtime, and manager Alex Revell feels it has paid off.
Due to international call-ups, primarily from the Latics, Boro’s away match against Wigan Athletic was rescheduled. However, Stevenage was without Dan Phillips and Eli King, who were away with Trinidad & Tobago and Wales U21, respectively.
For those who remained, though, it was a chance to smooth out the rough spots and prepare for Barnsley’s Saturday trip to the Lamex.
“These past two weeks have been really positive,” Revell remarked. Dan Phillips and Eli King weren’t with us because they were away for the most of it.
“They both practiced and performed while away; they weren’t on vacation, and it’s fantastic for us that they both played abroad.
“However, the group that trained here and stayed put in a lot of effort.
We didn’t have those overseas breaks last year, so I believe this was an opportunity to refocus and work on the things that needed to be done.
“We’ve been thinking about it a lot every day for the past two weeks, and we all know what they are and where we need to improve.
As a team, we’ve really made good use of the time to ensure that we’ll be stronger on Saturday.
“It’s not too far from us. Finding that killer instinct, the last pass, or the last cross is all that’s required. That’s what we’ve been lacking, and we must get better at it.”
There was also absolutely no game throughout the two weeks, which prevented a match to be played behind closed doors due to a lack of attendance.
However, it gave the club’s two deadline-day additions, Ken Aboh and Jake Young, extra time to become adjusted.
“They’re both settling in well,” stated Revell. Ken will continue to learn new things about his trade every day.
He’ll make mistakes, but he’s in a group that won’t let them happen too frequently, which is fantastic for him.
“Jake had to catch up to the group’s level when he arrived. In terms of where he was earlier and the intensity of his training, he has fluctuated.
“He’s had to adapt so that he’s prepared to play the way we want to play when he does get the chance.
“So this two weeks has been great for him because he’s now got that into his legs and he’s got to know the group.”
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