Newport County head coach Christian Fuchs has called on the Amber Army to turn out in force at Rodney Parade this Good Friday as his side prepares for a crucial clash with Crawley Town.
With the battle for League Two survival intensifying, Fuchs is urging supporters to play their part in creating the atmosphere needed to drive the team forward in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.
“The aim is to build up momentum,” said Fuchs. “There are six matches remaining, and the next one is always the most important one. What is required is what the boys have done over the last couple of weeks. Go out there with confidence, be brave and hard to beat.”
Newport County heads into the fixture on the back of improved form, with three wins from their last six matches, and will be targeting a vital three points before travelling to Notts County 48 hours later.
Crawley Town arrives level on points, adding further significance to the contest, but Fuchs is clear on what he expects from his side at Rodney Parade.
“They are on the same points as us, we are aware of that,” he said. “But they are now in our stadium, Rodney Parade. I am sure plenty will come and support to help push us forward.
“We must run hard and fight for every ball. We need to make good decisions, with and without the ball. It’ll be up to us to start on the front foot and dominate the game. Our fans deserve to see us celebrating.”
While the importance of the match is clear, Fuchs insists his squad must approach it with the right mentality.
“This result will not define our season as there are still points to play for,” he added. “But we must approach this game as if it is our final game of the season. There is still a lot of work to do.”
Fuchs also highlighted the key role supporters can play, pointing to recent home performances as proof of the impact the Amber Army can have.
“It’s most important when you play at home to have your 12th man at your back,” he said. “We’ll be brave and be looking to give something back to our supporters.
“This is what they did against Shrewsbury at home, also against Chesterfield and Tranmere. Their positivity made all the difference.”
Since arriving at Rodney Parade, Fuchs has worked to rebuild confidence within the squad, something he believes is now paying off.
“I saw a team that was low on confidence initially, despite being a good team,” he explained. “There were good individual players technically. They just needed a confidence boost.
“The biggest thing for me was the development of the whole team and seeing a new belief that they now all have. We are a very good team who can win against anybody and we dig in deep.”
He also stressed the importance of trust within the group as performances continue to improve.
“The big point is players must feel they are trusted,” said Fuchs. “They might have a game that doesn’t go their way, but it doesn’t mean you change things right away. This is how they start believing in themselves.”
With competition for places increasing and intensity high in training, Fuchs is confident his squad is ready for the challenge ahead.
“We are looking to be hard to beat,” he added. “The boys have taken a lot of things on board, a lot of hard work has gone in. Everybody wants to be in the starting XI, and that is what you want to see as a manager.
“Shrewsbury was a very tight game. We won 1-0 and defensively we did the right things. In previous games, we might have had more points with greater discipline, but the players are learning and improving.”
With everything to play for, the message from Fuchs is clear. Under the lights at Rodney Parade this Good Friday, togetherness, belief and a strong home atmosphere could make all the difference for Newport County.
