The feeling felt as the full-time whistle blew at the Mem on Saturday afternoon is one that has become uncomfortably familiar in recent weeks. However, it’s been a good while since a defeat left a taste in the mouth as bitter as Bristol Rovers‘ 2-1 loss to Wycombe Wanderers.
Four consecutive losses is poor for any side at any level but the manner in which Rovers fell to the sword yet again in League One was the most damaging of the quartet. Having led for 60 minutes of the match, the Gas handed over the points to their opponents with just a minute remaining.
Admittedly, it always felt as though Wycombe would find a way back into the game as Rovers seemed to back off their visitors for large parts of the second half, having gone into the break ahead thanks to Scott Sinclair. They eventually found an equaliser through Daniel Harvie after 77 minutes and the fact that most players in red immediately headed back towards the centre-spot with ball in hand demonstrated their belief that they could go and win the match.
As soon as the ball went behind for a corner in the penultimate minute of the six added on, the football script writers had already penned out the following sequence. Just as he did last season in a 2-1 win for Wycombe at the Mem, former Bristol City defender Joe Low, son of Josh Low who came through at Rovers, scored having taken a load of stick from the terraces due to his connections with BS3.
For the first time this season, there was audible chanting directed at Matt Taylor with pressure on the Gas manager undoubtedly growing, more on that later. Had Rovers held onto a point, or even clinched the victory with Jamie Lindsay having a good chance late on to make it 2-1 the other way, there would have largely been a feeling of ‘we got away with one there’ which is a problem considering how long the hosts led for.
It’s tough writing these pieces at the moment and the most damning part is the fact that it’s starting to become a familiar feeling which undoubtedly has to change soon.
There’s plenty to take from Saturday’s defeat. However, an early warning, most of it isn’t pretty. Here are some of the talking points after Bristol Rovers 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers…
Formation change comes in attempt to make game as simple as possible
Although something had to be tinkered after poor displays against Peterborough and Wigan, it was a slight surprise to see a change in formation as Taylor opted for what looked to be a 4-4-2, ditching the three-at-the-back.
For the first half certainly it seemed to work. Scott Sinclair and Luke Thomas were out in more comfortable positions on the flanks while Clinton Mola is a left-back by trade so there was no awkwardness there. Both wingers saw a great deal of the ball and looked to make things happen with Sinclair of course getting the goal.
Meanwhile, the centre-back pairing of Connor Taylor and James Wilson worked throughout the game with the pair both having solid games which feels so strange to say on the back of a defeat. Both were strong in their duels and clearances while making some important blocks.
There was enough there in the first half, considering that the performances going into this game had been largely well off the mark, to suggest that it could well be worth using again against Charlton on Tuesday night. Taylor certainly seemed to think it initially worked, explaining: “It just settled us down. We looked more solid as a team than we did last week and then the Wigan game. I tried to make it this week as simple as I could for the players in terms of almost a match up type game and we came out on top in that first half.
“We knew that Wycombe would come strong. They’ve been on a fantastic run and that showed. They just kind of overpowered us a little bit too often in that second half. But we still had moments where we got the ball. We just didn’t sustain it or sustain enough field pressure for long enough.
“It felt he was coming at us as opposed to it was at them in that second half. But then it’s still a couple of individual moments for both goals. That’s been a constant theme in recent weeks hence the scorelines and the goals against.”
Same issues arise from corners yet again
Had Wycombe sealed the points with an outrageous goal that was virtually unstoppable, although it would still be a sickening blow it would be easier to take than the manner in which Rovers fell behind. Once again corners are proving to be this side’s kryptonite.
There had been two flirtations from the Chairboys in the first half in and around the penalty area when David Wheeler headed over the bar from a corner before Richard Kone should have really scored when Josh Griffiths got a punch on the ball wrong.
Low’s goal, regardless of the fact it was a 96th minute winner, is the third goal Rovers have conceded in the past two home games from a corner. It’s become a habit now and has to be broken.
Taylor has made the point before that he tends to keep the majority if not all of his players back for a corner as it’s still a weakness yet it’s still an major area for improvement. Deal with that delivery and we’re talking about an entirely different narrative.
Scott Sinclair and Ruel Sotiriou come away with high marks
It’s not all doom and gloom as I’ve been able to wedge in a positive. Both Sinclair and Sotiriou were outstanding with the former making his first league start since the opening day having not even come off the bench against Peterborough last weekend.
Out on the left wing, the Rovers captain always looked a threat on the ball, driving forward and frequently beating his man. There have admittedly been games this campaign where the veteran has offered little impact from the bench but he looked back to his best against Wycombe and took his goal well with a seasoned finish.
Meanwhile Sotiriou, who got the assist for Sinclair’s goal, was a menace for the visitors’ defence, constantly harrowing men in red and trying to close down the space and force errors. According to his manager, the summer recruit from Leyton Orient is only getting better.
“He did, he was excellent,” Taylor said. “I was really pleased with Ruel. He’s been getting better.
“He missed too much of pre-season on the back of that calf injury, that was a blow for him. You’re always chasing sharpness, fitness, but he’s got some real class about him. He relies on service and cleaner service probably from back to front or midfield service but also in certain moments of game, he needs a platform and physicality around it. I was generally pleased with that partnership and we’ll assess it again going into Tuesday.
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Pressure growing on Matt Taylor with next week seemingly vital
You never want to be overly reactionary when discussing the job a manager is doing but there’s is no doubt that pressure on Taylor is growing as it would on any manager after not only a run of four consecutive defeats but also with the way in which Rovers ended last season.
The 42-year-old needed a strong start to this campaign to silence any doubters because there were a fair few at the end of last term with the 2-0 defeat to Reading a clear indicator of that. Rightly so, the board stuck with their man having handed him a three-and-a-half year contract last December and allowed him to be the man in the dugout while they funded a reassemblement of the squad.
However, supporters will never be pleased to see their team in the relegation zone regardless of how many games have been played. We’re still not even a quarter into the campaign but this run of four consecutive defeats has completely shifted the mood and narrative that had been in place less than a month ago when Cambridge United were beaten 2-0 at the Mem.
Listening to boos and other rumblings of discontent at full-time while also monitoring what’s being said online, there’s no doubt that there are a number of fans who seem to have turned. Others will still be patient but it’s no secret that for many of those who sit in that camp, said patience is starting to wear thin.
There’s no glossing over the fact that Taylor’s overall record as Rovers manager is underwhelming with 20 defeats in 36 league games in charge but there is plenty of context in there too. We’re all aware of how many issues and problems the 42-year-old inherited that might not have been visible at the surface initially. He was then backed over the summer with largely a brand new squad and sooner or later those above are going to want to see evidence of this group gelling into a well-functioning outfit.
It was always going to take time and eight games still feels like too small a sample size to make a well-backed judgement but you certainly feel as though if the Gas lose to Charlton and Burton in the next two games, there could well be a decision to be made. It’s not a nice thing to have to write but ultimately pressure is growing and there’s no denying that. It’s up to him and his team to come through it.