Bristol Rovers head to Wigan Athletic tomorrow afternoon looking to make it three League One wins in a row which would also see the Gas leapfrog their hosts in the table.

October 2022 was the last time Rovers recorded three consecutive league wins with confidence certainly improved under Inigo Calderon after victories over Cambridge United and Barnsley.

Calderon's side are currently sat just two points and one place behind 17th place Wigan going into the weekend after the Latics were beaten 2-1 on home turf by bottom side Burton Albion on Tuesday night.

The Brick Community Stadium is still a ground that Rovers are yet to win at with their last away win at Wigan dating back almost 35 years; another record there to be broken.

Calderon met with local media earlier in the week to preview Saturday's game. Here's a full transcript of everything the Gas head coach said...

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I’ve always wondered, managers try and be as level as possible, whatever the result and everything else, but when you get a performance and a result at the weekend, does everybody have a spring in their step? Is it more smiles come Monday morning at training?

Well, I don’t think it was a good game for us. I think it was a good result but I think we have to improve a lot of things. But it's always easier to build or to fix the mistakes when you're winning, especially at the moment we were [in], and we are. But we are still in a difficult situation, but obviously we need that.

I'm saying that we were not good. That doesn't mean that we deserve to win. That's a different thing. I think we have to improve a lot of things but I think the boys, they tried everything possible to get the result and sometimes when people talk about lucky or not lucky, I don't trust in lucky. I trust in people wanting more than someone else and I think we did that on Saturday so pleased for them.

And you’ve obviously had a little bit more time but still not a lot of time on the training ground. How much of where you want them to get to are they at at the moment? You can't put a percentage on it but how many of the things you're trying to get over are you starting to see them doing now?

I would say in the sessions more than in the games and that's normal as well. I think the games, everything is, all the time, is exposure a little bit more and that makes you forget about the things you have to do sometimes. And I would say that in the session, maybe we are 50 per cent, if I have to say it like that. In the games, I would say still 30, 40 per cent maximum. So that's really good.

I mean, I knew that was a process. I didn't know the time for that process but in the meantime, if we can get the points, that's even better because I cannot talk about the process and the time and not win at all. We have to find a way to win games.

At the moment we are finding the way but we have to, as I say, prepare a lot of things but we are in a good way. We are doing the steps always forward and so I'm really, really happy with the boys.

And are there things that you would probably, in an ideal world, you'd love to be able to get them to do, but actually, in the middle of the season, it's almost not worth it; you’ve got to take your time with those?

Yeah. I mean today we had to do some runs that are more from pre-season and so for me, as I say at the beginning, we are like in pre-season for me in terms of a lot of things tactically, physically. So that’s not the best because maybe I’m missing some football because we have to get fitter and even concepts that, when you’re in the pre-season, you have more time to work on.

Now we have to prioritise things so that’s not ideal but, at the same time, I knew that when I came here what I had to do and, as I say, try to prioritise things and the most important one obviously is to win games and after if we can play and defend better, it will help.

Are there particular ways that you want them to play that are the keys? It’s like, if you can get one thing right, that’s the top of the list.

Well, I say from the very first day about trying to control the games but that’s not easy when you are not having a great time and the example was the other day, you know, the first 20, 25 minutes we struggled to get the ball and that was not the real level.

But even, I mean the corners, you could see that we are working on corners and all of a sudden it’s like you cannot take a corner. Trust me, they have quality in the corners. But that’s normal. That’s why we are where we are and that’s why I don’t get obsessed with it. I don’t get mad with them because I understand that it’s not easy.

As I say, to be there down in the table, that’s so difficult. I mean, football changes so much. How you feel as a player, how you feel as a coach, how you train when you are down there, it’s like a different sport because of the emotions and that. So as I say, credit to them because it’s not easy.

And for you getting a couple of good early results, how important is that because every player when you come in will try and do what you want but when they see getting results, does that make it easier for them to trust what you’re saying?

Yeah, I think that’s the most important thing. For me, the good coach is the one who can convince the player and to convince the player you can talk and talk and talk but if you don’t see the results, it’s difficult. So, as you say, just try to see when we do things right, we get results. That’s the best thing. After you saw them and say, ‘okay, maybe make sense what they say’ you know?

The first goal I think was probably the best action we have with the ball. If I remember well, against Cambridge the same. The goal we scored was as well. After trying to play good, we are getting a few regains when we press well so that’s the most important thing, to make them believe that that’s the right thing because otherwise it would just be a waste of time.

And we know when clubs get into a bad run, things can sort of spiral quite badly. Hopefully you’re going the other way. The sort of belief that they’re getting makes it easy to play the kind of football you want them to play.

Yeah. At the same time, it’s difficult. It’s like a different sport to be there. It’s a different feeling. So, at the same time, to improve you want to enjoy, you want to stay in the other side, the side that usually you win a game and that’s not easy.

But at the same time, you want to be there and the way we want to play it’s not [an] easy one to believe but it’s a way that they like to play football and a lot of players, I think they will enjoy it. I will see better players. The same players but will be better. So I think it’s easier to convince them but at the same time, you have to do it in the games longer because I don’t think we are still at that level.

But listen, I think I said too many times the progress and process but it’s the way it is.

So next up is Wigan just above you in the table so an opportunity to continue the climb, if you play well.

It’s going to be trying to find a way and sometimes it’s playing good, sometimes playing not that good but defending good. Sometimes with set-pieces that we haven’t scored too many goals.

So it’s always trying to find a way and it’s like, no I don’t want to play this way, you have to find a way. We try to work in the different aspects of the game too. If that one part doesn’t work, the other one has to work and probably that’s the key.

We try to cover all the areas and try to get as many chances to win games. When you do more things right, you have more chances for the day.

As I say, we didn’t do that many good things right [against Barnsley]. That's why we conceded a lot of chances, for example.

Just in terms of squad news, any injuries picked up? Anybody back that it’s in contention for the weekend that hasn’t been?

I would say we are the same ones from last week. We still have Promise and Kamil out but the rest are all fit so that’s great news for me.

It is January so we’ve got to ask the question until the window closes, anything looking possible either in or out at the moment?

Well there a few things that [are] maybe. But January is so difficult. I would say the last week is really difficult because you cannot get a great deal. Never. It’s a player that hasn’t been playing or it’s a bit of a risky one. So it’s not easy.

I say to the club and they know, we are on the same page, it has to be someone that’s gonna make us better. Just to bring [in] players because it’s the transfer window, that’s not going to be the case. I’m happy with what we have. If someone can help to make us better, it will be more than welcome. If not, we will stay with the same ones.

How close is Kamil? I know we’ve spoken about it a lot but it still seems to be a bit of a mysterious injury. Could you see him coming back in the next few weeks?

No, not in a few weeks. I would say a bit longer but we are closer than last week because it was a difficult one to find out exactly what was the problem. As I say, I'm not a doctor but at least now we know what exactly was the problem and we are, I would say, closer to that.

It was a difficult one. A really difficult one. As I say, the medical staff, they tried everything possible. It was a moment that we didn't know what was going on and finally we know what's the problem. So it will be, depending now how the treatment is going, but at least we know what's happening. So hopefully it's going to be better.

We spoke to Isaac Hutchinson after the game on Saturday and he said one of the key things that you brought in is encouraging the players to be brave and not being afraid of making mistakes. Just how important is that bravery for how you want to play?

No, because for me, confidence is one of the keys to play football better and most of the time, the players have to create that confidence in themselves. But at the same time, I think the coach is a big, big part of that because if you tell them to be brave and as soon as they make a mistake, you start to shout at them or you change them, that does not make sense.

So they know that, for me, a technical mistake is not a problem. For me, it's about if it was the right decision and you try to do your best, that's it.

Isaac was the perfect example because the first 30 minutes was like, what is he doing? He was making mistakes but he was on the pitch because I know how good he is and he nearly scored a screamer five minutes after and in the second half he scored a goal and he was much better.

Another thing, he's a great player and I see him every day so that's why you trust them because, like I said before, I trust all the ones that are here because sometimes what you see on the Saturday is not the reality. They're much better players and that's why if we can climb a bit up the table, you will see us much better and the players will look much better.

Have you seen an improvement in confidence though? Do you physically see it? I know it's only been a month but with two results like that, I'm sure that their confidence is sky high.

100 per cent and, as I say, the coach can give the confidence to the players, but at the same time, the results, because you can give the confidence but if they don't see it's not working or they see that we keep losing, I can tell you that the situation is getting more and more complicated.

We are still in a bad situation because we are still down but you can see that they feel with a little bit more freedom and every single point we get and as we get high up the table, they're going to be much, much better and that's why if, not in the long-term, but in the mid-term, if we can start to be high up the table, we look much better the way we play and everything will be better. But the reality is that we are still there and we’re going to be there for a while so that’s up to us.

How much time is being dedicated to analysis on the teams you’re playing ahead of facing them? Obviously you’re still very much in the process of implementing your own style of football so how much time is being spent on actually looking at the opposition and adapting how you might address the game?

The way I see football is us. Us, us, us and I spoke with the analyst team and usually they spend before a lot of time analysing the opposition but for me it’s more us. All the time us because obviously we are doing things badly so it doesn’t matter how much we know of the opposition if we keep doing the same mistakes.

So I always try to, even in the sessions, I prefer to analyse the session more than the opposition.

Obviously, we know how Wigan play and how Wigan will defend but I am not obsessed about that. I am obsessed about my team. That’s why I think that I am really, really obsessed to make us better.

I think when you look at the table you forget how big a club Wigan are and how many big clubs there are in this league. There’s been so much attention on the division of League One this season with the teams that have come into it, was that something you were aware of outside of this job? The attention that was on League One particularly this season?

Well, for me I think League One has always been a really good league. Maybe because I came here the first one and at that time there was big, big teams. Obviously, Brighton were there, Southampton, Norwich, Leeds. There were massive clubs in League One and now this year, probably you say it’s Wigan, Bolton, Birmingham.

So it’s always five, six, seven clubs that for history should be higher in the division but the reality is they are there.

So that’s why for me League One is a great division because you have the big stadiums, big crowds and at the same time sometimes you have smaller clubs that makes it so difficult sometimes because every game is different to the other one.

But Wigan, as you say, is a big club. I remember not that long ago they were in the Premier League and playing and winning things. So it’s a big club but at the moment, nowadays, they are with us so it’s a game where we try to win.

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