Shrewsbury Town defender Elliott Bennett spoke to the media ahead of Saturday's game at home to Fleetwood Town.
Salop's first game in February sees them welcome Fleetwood Town to Montgomery Waters Meadow on Saturday.
Bennett has been a regular in Steve Cotterill's team in recent weeks and has been part of the side that has only lost one game in eight league fixtures.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's clash, Bennett said he was looking forward to the game and also touched on the January transfer window.
On the fixture:
“I’m looking forward to the game; it’s always good to be back at home. Our home form this season has been really good and we’ve got to try and bounce back from our last home game that was a 1-0, narrow, late defeat so yeah, we’re looking forward to it, preparing as we always do for each game and hopefully on Saturday we can win the game.
“Every footballer wants to play games but the travel is hard, you get back late, you’re in training and there’s not much preparation time for the manager and for us lot. We’ve had a good week this week and we’ve got another day tomorrow to prepare even more and, hopefully, we’ll be ready for Saturday. The preparation has been going really well. The gaffer gave us an extra day off this week to recover and to recharge the batteries which has been really good and everyone came in Tuesday raring to go and we started the work today, talking about how we can impose ourselves on Fleetwood and the dangers they pose to us.
“It’s important to pick up points all the time really, especially at home. As I said, our home form has been really good and we want to keep that going. When you get three points against someone who is in and around you in the table then it’s directly stopping the opposition from gaining ground on yourself or you can catch them up so yeah, it’s just another game we’re looking forward to and hoping to get the three points from – like every game.”
On the recent form:
“It’s always good when you’re not getting beaten back-to-back. I think we could’ve had a few more points from that run. We’ve lost one in eight which is good but that’s something we’ve got to take great care of and make sure we extend that. I think there’s a lot to be positive about, the performance levels have, for the most part, been good. We’ve got this run of form pieced together so if we continue to perform, the results will keep coming in.”
On the deadline day arrivals:
“This is a really easy group to come into, obviously I only joined in the summer but it didn’t take me long to be part of the group and obviously with any new signings, we try to integrate them into the group and the dressing room as fast as we can. Tom’s [Flanagan] an older player who’s used to being in different dressing rooms and for Matty [Bondswell], he’s a young lad, he’s quiet but he’ll be fine as well and hopefully, bonding is something we’ll see on the pitch too.”
On Nathanael Ogbeta’s move:
“It’s football, Nat’s been here for the time I’ve been here. He’s obviously a very talented young man, very focused and driven but you know, these things happen. When you’ve got the opportunity to go play at a higher level, it’s something people want to explore. It’s really good business for the club but also for Nat as well who gets to test himself at the next level and everyone here wishes him well. He thanked everyone for how we’ve been with him but football moves on, people come in and out, you have to just get on with it. Of course [the message to Sam Cosgrove, Khanya Leshabela and Rekeil Pyke is the same]! Sometimes it works out for you at a club, sometimes it doesn’t but I’m sure they all wish the club well.”
