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Our pitch is as much a hindrance to ourselves as it is for the opposition, says Bristol Rovers boss Paul Trollope

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Betfair caught up with Bristol Rovers' boss Paul Trollope to ask him about their preparations for their FA Cup clash with West Brom on Sunday and how he rates their chances to progress

The FA Cup still has its magic as Bristol Rovers are finding out this season. After putting out Fulham and Southampton they are now in touching distance of a Wembley semi-final if they can make it a hat-trick of giant kills against West Bromwich Albion in Sunday's live TV game. Betfair caught up with manager Paul Trollope to see how preparations were going.

So have you been doing anything special to get ready for this?

I know it sounds boring, but no. We didn't alter anything about our preparation from a normal League game. We've had quite a few big games over the last 12 months really, starting with Derby county in the fourth round last yeat, and then we played Bristol City twice to get to the Johnstone's Paint final, and then went to Wembley for the play-off final. We've always kept it exactly the same. I'm not into gimmicks and changing things for the sake of it. We know what methods work for this group of players and we stick to it and that's what's right.

But weren't you tempted to go away for the week?

Sometimes as a player I did that and to be honest it didn't suit me. I can remember when I was at Torquay - we had a few sessions on the beach before FA Cup ties, and usually we got beat so it didn't really work. If you think a formula is right you stick to it. We didn't want to make the Southampton game any bigger than it was and that worked so this is the same. We know we are on telly again with a national audience, and a big prize, but we make sure players stay focused and produce a level that proves us right.

People have talked about your pitch and it doesn't look the best. Will that be an advantage?

To be honest it's as much a hindrance to us as it is to the opposition. We try and pass the ball so it's not the best for us either. We are not going to say we love it but we would never use it as an excuse not to pass it. The opposition make a big thing of it and sometimes that doesn't help them. Maybe some are beaten when they see it but it is not that bad. The worst it has been was when we played Fulham in the third round replay, and that was actually one of the best games you could see. People make excuses too readily in football.

What's your best FA Cup achievement?

As a player I got to the quarter-final with Derby and we lost to Middlesbrough, the year they went on to play Chesterfield in the semi-final. We looked on that as an opportunity missed. That was a disappointing day and to lead Bristol Rovers into that stage is as big as it comes.

You've had a good run since Christmas?

It's just because we've started to convert chances. Ricky Lambert and Andy Williams have done really well for us. Early in the season we started the first five or six games well and were unbeaten and then we went on a spell where we didn't pick up a win in the league or cup. In that time we were producing performances just not taking chances. Now we still have that level of performance but are putting chances away and gradually the confidence is starting to return. That's why we've progressed a bit.

You are only 35. How easy or difficult has it been going into management?

Stepping up was an interesting time, that's for sure. I'd been a player here and then suddenly you are in charge. If you are not the right character it is difficult, but it was something I'd wanted to do since my late 20s and I had been preparing myself. It came as a shock as it always does when managers change and I had to adapt quickly but I got over to the players quickly what I wanted from them and they have responded from day one. Along the way we have added and changed around. The response has been good. When the players give you that response and you are organised and they know what you expect then they want to be part of what you are doing.

What was the biggest learning curve?

I think handling the players day in and day out, and getting their attention and keeping their spirit, sometimes through hard times. It's opened my eyes how important that is. You can be the best coach in the world or the most clever tactically, but if the players don't want to play for you then you have got problems.

Your dad John was a bit of a local legend who played a record number of games for Swindon. How big an influence has he been?

Massive, as you'd expect. My dad was very strict and very old school in the way he did things back then. I think everybody appreciated it. Some appreciated it at the time, others take ten years to realise how valuable it was but he did it in the right way. As a young manager I think I do take some of the old school stuff into what I do. I think you have got to embrace new ideas and have an open mind to everything. Technology moves on, sports science moves on, and if you don't embrace them then you get left behind but that doesn't mean to say all the old school things are wrong. A lot of the old ways are the right ways, the fundamentals of discipline, organisation, and a team ethic. None of those change.

So how do you see your chances against West Brom?

We know they are a good quality side. We played them the last two pre-seasons and I think we beat them the year before and drew with them 3-3 this pre-season. You can't tell much but we saw on those occasions they are a quality side. They like to pass it and play in the right way and they have been up there all year. They've had a couple of disappointments and not picked up all the away wins they would have wanted, so that gives us hope but as always we will give them a lot of respect but won't fear them. For a club in our division this doesn't come round too often so we want to make the most of it.

Do you know Tony Mowbray?

Not too well myself, but my director of football Lennie Lawrence had him as a player at Middlesbrough, and we've been to watch their reserves and met him a few times. He's done a good job, there's a lot of expectation there and he's assembled a good squad. It will be tight as to who gets promotion but they will be in the mix. I just hope they won't have a Cup semi-final to be a distraction to them!

Thanks for your time. We always give Betfair interview subjects a free £50 bet for their favourite charity.

The charity will be research into breast cancer which for various family reasons I support, and as for the bet - well I know we knocked Fulham out of the Cup but I have got the highest respect for Roy Hodgson and I still believe he can keep them up. So I'll have my £50 to lay them for relegation at [1.45]