Forest Green Rovers boss Steve Cotterill believes that the club is moving in the right direction ahead of a trip to Altrincham at the weekend.

Saturday will mark exactly a year since Cotterill was appointed as Forest Green boss and despite relegation last season, there is a confidence that the club is getting back to where it once was.

“Hard work, lots of things to get better at, lots of things to change and lots of help, but better,” Cotterill said on the last 12 months in charge.

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“We are going in the right direction, whether it is going at the speed that I want or not is another thing, but I would be impatient with all of that. There is no reason to not be impatient with it and make everything as good as you can, as quick as you can.”

Having been out since Boxing Day’s game against Tamworth, Cotterill provided an update regarding Charlie McCann, he said on the midfielder: “The only one we are missing this week and hasn’t trained has been Charlie, but he was due back into training this week, but he has picked up that virus that is going around.

"By Monday, I would imagine he would be pretty much all clear, he won’t be ready for this week, but he will be ready for the trophy game (against Oxford City), that is for sure. Hopefully, that sees Charlie through what has been quite an awkward period for him.”

Jordan Moore-Taylor remains out of action this weekend after picking up an injury against Barnet, more is expected to be known on the issue after this weekend.

Forest Green signed both Cian Harries and Luke McCormick last week from Woking and Bristol Rovers respectively. On how much they have been able to train and settle in, Cotterill said: “Very difficult really. The guys had Monday off because I felt as though everybody needed that bit of space.

"Then of course, we had that cup (National League Cup) again in the week, we managed to get through that, but players are still on second day recovery from that game. We managed to get a little bit more in the new guys today (Thursday) and we have still got tomorrow before we travel up. A fair bit in a short space of time.”

McCormick did however make his first start for the club against Blackburn Rovers Under-21s on Tuesday whilst Cian Harries was ineligible. Regarding whether the training programme looked different between the two players, Cotterill said: “Cian would have trained before the game the other night, but he couldn’t play in the game.

"Whereas Macca (McCormick) couldn’t train before the game because he had to play in the game and then this morning, when we are looking at how our team looks, you have got to be a little bit careful with him, it is a juggling situation, but we have done okay with it.”

This weekend’s game will be the first Saturday league away game since Southend at the end of November and the first away game since Tamworth on Boxing Day.

“It is funny how it works, you can moan that you have too many away games at the start and then you can moan that you have got too many home games because I think when you come back home, familiarity breeds contempt and I think everybody thinks then you are playing at home so you are always going to win.

"To have an away game is fine, it is part and parcel of it, we know where we are now. We are sort of even with home and away games, so we are looking forward to it.”

Rovers had been training in very difficult conditions on Thursday morning with heavy outbursts of rain. Ahead of the potential weather issues at the weekend, Cotterill said: “I don’t know whether the weather is meant to be as bad for Saturday as what we have had a little bit of this morning and lo and behold, now we have stopped, it seems everything else has stopped.

"I think it is probably more a little bit tonight and tomorrow (Friday) and meant to die down by Saturday. I don’t know if it is going to be as bad as we are expecting, but I am no weatherman and it pays no attention to criticism.”

The two sides previously met in August when Rovers ran out as 2-1 winners after goals from Christian Doidge and McCann. The Robins sit fifth on the home record table, having only lost once against Eastleigh back in August.

“We had a good game earlier on in the season against them. I think since then, we would have improved so hopefully we will show that.

"I think they have had a good run of late and got themselves up into a top-six position. It is not for me to comment on what they think of their season, but I would imagine they would be pretty pleased with how they have done.

“Their record says that,” Cotterill said on their home performances being good. “Their away record is not bad; you don’t end up in the top-six with having just a good home record or just a good away record.

"You have to marry them up, we are expecting the same sort of game as we expect most weeks against every opposition, which is a tough game, but we are looking forward to it.”