Matt Taylor has admitted he believes that Bristol Rovers should have picked up three more points than their current total of 16 in League One so far this season based on goals they shouldn’t have conceded and ones they should have scored.
The Gas travel to Reading on Saturday for the lunchtime kick-off with this their final league outing for a fortnight ahead of home clashes against Exeter City and Weston-super-Mare in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy and FA Cup first round respectively.
Rovers made it three wins in their last four matches in League One on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory at home to Shrewsbury Town and, although they sit in 15th place in the third tier table, its current congested state means that the Gas are only three points off of the play-offs as well as Saturday’s hosts.
Taylor’s side are now over a quarter of the way through the campaign having played 12 league games and, asked how much he looks at the table at this stage of the season, he told Bristol Live: “I don’t really.
“You start to look at patterns and form guides as much as anything else but in terms of where we are, it’s interesting because I think we’re probably three points away from where we should be in terms of points we should have picked up this season. That’s with goals against us or balls not going in the back of the net. I think we’re three points away from where we should be and then I think people would class that as a really good start for this group of players which sounds strange.
“We can’t always be a little way away from where we want to be or where we should be. We’ve got to break through that barrier pretty quickly and that’s why this weekend is a massive game for us and one we can’t wait for.”
Amid recent pressure on the manager’s position, there has been the argument from sections of the fanbase that Rovers’ five wins this season have come against sides they would be expected to beat with criticism directed at some performances too.
The display against Shrewsbury was certainly cagey in moments, particularly when Salop thought they had equalised with a minute remaining only to see it ruled out for an offside call following a conversation between the referee and the linesman. However, in that match the Gas created some outstanding chances, as did the visitors in fairness, and should have scored more than just the one goal.
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With Saturday one of two early kick-offs in League One, Rovers have the opportunity to catapult themselves up the table and go level on points with Reading who are currently seventh and outside of the play-off positions on goal difference. However, Taylor knows that said feat would require a stand-out display and most likely their best of the campaign so far.
“I think it’s time, and it’s no disrespect to Burton and that Burton game, where we put in a performance against a big opposition of a team in the league who are performing well,” the Rovers manager declared to BBC Radio Bristol. “In a position that we want to try and get to at some stage this season and put down a bit of a marker.
“It’s live on Sky, it’s an early kick-off, there will be more watching eyes for more motivation but the biggest motivation is that they’re three points ahead of us just outside the play-off positions. So there’s no more motivation needed than we can get to where Reading are right now with a hell of a performance.
“We’ll look forward to those cup games when they come but this is the last of a big week. We weren’t happy with our start of it at Huddersfield. Really pleased on Tuesday in terms of middle. We’d love to finish this week really well with points and a performance and something more for the confidence and belief aspect of what three wins out of four gives you as a group of players.”