Matt Taylor has insisted that his Bristol Rovers team “needs help” after the Gas fell to a fourth consecutive defeat in League One at home to Wycombe Wanderers, conceding in the 96th minute.
Rovers had taken the lead through Scott Sinclair upon his return to the side after 17 minutes and there was plenty to like about their first half display, operating in a changed formation that saw the return of a back-four as opposed to a defence made up of three centre-backs and two wing-backs on either flank.
However, the Gas invited pressure in the second half and eventually conceded an equaliser from Daniel Harvie before former Bristol City defender Joe Low rose highest to score from a corner deep into added time for the second season running at the Mem.
Boos rang out around the Mem at full-time while some sections of the Thatcher’s End could be heard chanting discontent with the manager.
No doubt pressure has built on Taylor on the back of four losses in a row, especially the manner in which the Gas were beaten on Saturday afternoon, but when asked about said rumblings of frustration from supporters, he responded: “I’m different. I’m on the touchline, but I think everyone can see at the moment this team needs help. I’m the first port of call in relation to that. Yeah, they need help.
“I can’t hide away from that fact that I picked a certain team to deal with a certain atmosphere today. If it stayed 0-0 or we’d be behind early on in the game, you need a certain type of profile out there who can probably handle it more.
“The word soft underbelly is used in a physical capacity sometimes, in a set piece capacity sometimes, but also a mental one as well and some of our players mentally now aren’t in a particularly good place.
“You lose four games and it quickly changes. But that’s the makeup of what we are at the moment. Not enough have enough experience or knowhow or strength in with themselves to fall back on.”
Rovers’ positive start to the season now seems like a distant memory as they ended August with seven points from their opening four matches while keeping three clean sheets. However, defeats to Barnsley, Wigan, Peterborough and now Wycombe have seen the Gas drop into the relegation zone. After eight games the table shouldn’t be of any concern but for those who do look at it, even at this stage of the campaign, it doesn’t make for pretty reading.
The most significant frustration on the back of Saturday’s defeat will be the context of it. Taylor’s men were good value for their lead and were forcing Wycombe into errors high up the pitch but couldn’t quite convert that into meaningful opportunities.
Although the Chairboys dominated the majority of the second half, Rovers had an excellent chance to make it 2-0 as Luke Thomas fired just wide while Jamie Lindsay could have regained the hosts’ lead when meeting a cutback from Jack Hunt with the midfielder’s effort going past the goal.
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They now have two games in quick succession at home to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night before going to Burton Albion next weekend with the Brewers still winless in the league so far this campaign.
“The biggest pressure on me is to win games of football,” Taylor responded when asked if he feels the pressure. “The outside extras is a natural pressure that comes if you don’t win a game of football, that comes if you don’t defend a set-piece in the last minute, if you don’t go with your runner. That’s the pressure which builds on a manager if you keep on making those moments not going your way.
“We tried our ultimate hardest to put out a different type of team out there right from the start and if we’d have left at half-time we’d be in a different position to what we are right now. Even towards the latter parts we didn’t quite have it in us to get up the pitch often enough to get the game going in our direction.
“Pressure is pressure. No manager can say that they don’t feel pressure because it’s a natural thing. We’re all human in relation to that but my prime concern, my only concern is the players and what sort of shape they turn up in tomorrow, Monday and then obviously Tuesday.”