Michael Beale has suggested that Nazariy Rusyn will play against the Mags and is ready for an extended run of starts in the team, after finally getting off the mark against Preston North End...
ROTHERHAM TACTICS
“The first half of the Rotherham game was deflating for me, to be honest. I could just see that we were really blunt in the attack. It wasn’t so much an issue with the players that we had on the pitch, it was more an issue with the balance and the blend of those players. We made a conscious decision to change things at half-time in that game, and went with Mason (Burstow) for the second half. Then, through having some conversations and watching and learning more about Naz, I felt it was the right time to give him a go (against Preston)."
INFECTIOUS WORK ETHIC
“In the couple of games before I’d come, he’d hit the bar in one of the games and been unlucky. His work ethic is quite infections, and that was really my focus for him going into the team on New Year’s Day. We knew we were leggy going into it, but we knew he was an infectious player who was going to work hard. It was important he focused on that first, giving the team a real work ethic with his pressing, and I think the goals will come off the back of that. That’s what’s happened for him, and long may that continue. I think the challenge for him this weekend is much greater, but he goes into it in the best possible frame of mind.”
MASSIVE MOMENT
“It was a lovely personal moment for him, but it was a real weight off the backs of the fans and the rest of the squad too. It was important that we had a striker score a goal. The focus has been on Jack’s run, which was a fantastic run, but the movement was Naz was very, very good too. Thar’s maybe something that the team has lacked so far this season."
CONFIDENCE FOR SATURDAY
“I’m sure he will go into the weekend’s game full of confidence. You can see how hard he works at his game, and the fans have taken to that already. If he can continue scoring, then he’ll become a fans’ favourite quite quickly I believe.”
ROBERTS/PRITCH UPDATE
“Patrick has an issue with his calf at the moment, and while we think we’ve caught it at the right time, we certainly won’t rush him. We know that towards the back end of the season, the fixtures all pile upon themselves again. It was nice, in a way, because we hadn’t had Pritchard available for a couple of games. As we lost Paddy, Pritch became available so, in a way, that worked out for us. I thought Pritchard was fantastic at the weekend.”
