“I like working with Kyle and I'm really pleased for him” – Forest Green Rovers boss Steve Cotterill ahead of Maidenhead United trip

Forest Green Rovers boss Steve Cotterill has highly praised Kyle McAllister after winning the league’s player of the month award ahead of a trip to Maidenhead United this weekend.

The winger won this month's Vanarama National League player of the month award having scored three goals and got one assist on top of already impressive performances.

“I am really pleased for him, I think he is a good lad,” Cotterill said on McAllister. “I like working with him and the fact that he has got that, I'm really pleased for him. So, I am delighted and it is well deserved.”

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Cotterill narrowly missed out on the manager of the month award, which went to York City boss, Adam Hinshelwood, despite having the same points record in October.

Rovers were impressive away at Stockport County in their 2-1 defeat after extra-time last weekend. On how to replicate a similar performance, Cotterill said: “You always want to replicate the same performance if you have had a good result. Sometimes, you don’t have a good result, but you want the same performance.

"So, we will prepare to do well in every game and this week has been no different. We know it will be a difficult game; it has proved that already for teams that have gone there this year.”

The Magpies currently sit 19th in the table having picked up 16 points from as many games. However, they have only lost one of their last six in league action.

“I think you probably know my answer to that,” Cotterill said on whether their league position was slightly false at this stage of the season. “Alan (Devonshire) has done a really good job down there and has been there for a while now, we are full of respect and admiration for what they do there.”

Emmanuel Osadebe missed out on last weekend’s FA Cup tie due to an injury, whilst Ben Tozer was forced off in the second-half also. On the progress of those two players, Cotterill said: “One better than the other, I suppose a 50% success rate on that we will probably have to settle for.”

Both Joe Quigley and Harvey Bunker started against Stockport in their first starts for a little while and were both particularly impressive and received plaudits from Cotterill after the game.

“It is funny, one week we are seemingly stretched and the next minute we are flush,” Cotterill said on the options available. “I think what has happened to us a couple of times this season when we have picked up injuries, we have had a couple together, two or three that have been together.

"Then what happens is those two or three come back and we are flush again, it is part of the season that you have to navigate yourself around it. It takes up a lot of your thought process and a lot of your worrying. I will always try and pick what I think is the best team at that moment in time. It is not always seemingly what people think are your best players, but sometimes it is about picking the best team for those certain games.”

Rovers’ players this season have largely had to be quite versatile. Notably, Osadebe has played on both wings, central midfield and right-back already this season at some stage. On the importance of having that versatility and using it correctly, Cotterill said: “Manny (Osadebe) would say he would go in goal, you have to take it with a pinch of salt sometimes what Manny says. He is like the rest of them, they are good lads and always want to play.

“I have had players in the past that have said ‘I can play there’ or ‘I have played there before’, they don’t actually tell you what their performances have been like when they have played there.

"Sometimes, it is to get themselves in the team because we have a squad of lads here this year that they want to play and the hardest part is trying to keep them all happy and fit. We do a fair bit of work on it and spend a lot of time on those lads that are not in the team because they are quite important, at any moment they could be in the team.”

Forest Green fans will be familiar with former striker, Shawn McCoulsky in this weekend’s game, who played under Mark Cooper, he signed in the 2018/19 season and left the club in the summer of 2021.

Rovers have not played Maidenhead since the 2010/11 season in which they won 1-0 in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup thanks to a goal from Reece Styche on the stroke of half-time.