WITH no game this afternoon we will be in training as usual –Saturday is the new Friday for us!

It has been good in some ways because the players were able to have some time off earlier in the week and then we could have our usual two-day lead in to the match itself.

We have done our homework as usual, worked hard and prepared properly and by the time we kick-off at midday tomorrow, we will be fully ready to take on Coventry.

It is an opportunity for us to continue our recent good form.

A week ago we travelled all the way up to Sunderland and got a decent point even if I did feel that it should have been more.

I doubt many teams will go to the Stadium of Light and enjoy as much possession as we did.

But we have to learn to put teams to bed when we have them on the rack.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank-you to our supporters as well.

It took us seven hours to get there on Friday so we really appreciate the backing we had there.

To have more than 1,200 Oxford fans making a terrific noise and getting behind us. was fantastic.

There were about the same number at the Kassam on Tuesday night for the Checkatrade Trophy game against Fulham.

We talked about that and told the lads that they needed to show the same intensity and motivation as they had the previous game.

I was very pleased with the response and the way we played.

This time we made sure we killed the game off in a very professional manner.

Most of the headlines, rightly, belonged to Fabio Lopes and Slavi Spasov, our two 16-year-olds who ended playing up front together.

They did great and were far from overawed – both will go on to play plenty more games for us.

We will manage that carefully but one thing it is worth stressing is the huge boost it will have given everyone else in the youth team.

They can see the way that Malachi Napa and Shandon Baptiste have had their opportunity. Owen James and Albie Hopkins were involved at Blackburn, and now two first-year scholars have stepped up.

I imagine the other young players in all age groups will now be looking ahead and working that bit harder to try and get their own chance to shine.

WE have had the added pleasure of the company of our chairman, Tiger, this week and it has been a delight to have him around.

Obviously we communicate all the time when he is back in Thailand, but I know he has enjoyed being here for a longer period and seeing first hand what is happening.

I saw him playing keepy-ups with some of the under 23s at one point, so there have been lighter moments.

But there has also been plenty of hard work, lots of really productive meetings.

I think he plans to watch the under 18s and the women’s games today so he has seen pretty much the whole club.

Hopefully we end his week with a win tomorrow to cap a really productive seven days on and off the pitch.