Christian Fuchs insists Newport County will hide from no one as they prepare for the final 15 matches of the Sky Bet League Two season, starting with Saturday’s visit of automatic promotion contenders Cambridge United to Rodney Parade at 3pm.
The Exiles head into the fixture full of confidence following a morale boosting 3-1 victory away at Salford City on Tuesday night. With momentum building, Fuchs believes his side is ready to take on one of the division’s form teams.
“We don’t have to hide from anybody and are very much alive,” said Fuchs.
“We can play good football and put our stamp on any game. If we play our game, keep it simple, put the balls into the right areas, the result will take care of itself.
“They are a decent side with good individual players. But we must discourage their game. The boys have done well defensively of late, especially without the ball, pressing from the front or defending our box. We have very much improved in these areas.
“It’s down to us how we deal with the first and second balls and catch them on the break.”
County produced a resolute and disciplined performance at the Peninsula Stadium, with goals from Ryan Delaney, Ben Lloyd and Nathaniel Opoku securing an important three points on the road.
Reflecting on that display, Fuchs said:
“The pitch at Salford wasn’t the best to play on, but we showed a lot of resilience and character. We put in the extra yards.
“They were out there for each other. Not everything was perfect, but the way we fought for the ball is what I want to see from them. I think a bar has been raised in the way we approached the game.
“We knew it would be scrappy, but we needed to take the game to Salford. It wasn’t necessarily the best football to watch, but they stuck at it and ran for each other. We got into their faces. This was all about getting into their box and supporting each other.”
The return of Courtney Baker-Richardson provided a focal point in attack, and Fuchs was full of praise for the striker’s impact.
“He was definitely good for us in attack. The ball stuck to him. He got us throws and encouraged the boys to get around him.
“He is a big player to deal with and has a great mentality. His enthusiasm is infectious. He jumps on everybody and carries players with him and infects players positively. He is a fun character too.”
Ben Lloyd also caught the eye with an excellent individual goal, his first in the Football League, and the County boss highlighted the winger’s attitude.
“Ben is a team player. He shows up every day, giving his very best. A very good player for us as a team.
“He knows what I think of him. He had to wait for his opportunity. When it came, he took it, and that’s really good.”
With Cambridge next up and a busy run of fixtures ahead, Fuchs remains focused solely on continued progress.
“It doesn’t mean we’ll play with this shape. We play in the way each game requires.
“We were happy with the Salford result and we must build on this. It’s Cambridge up next now.”
County will be looking to carry their momentum into Saturday’s clash at Rodney Parade as the run-in gathers pace.
