It feels as if an awful lot has happened during the first 10 league games of the season. Winning runs, minor slip ups, major defeats and now a spell of positivity to dwell on as we face a fortnight without League One action. It really has been a hectic start and a real mixed bag of performances and results though that should come as no surprise.
Waking up on any given matchday I’ve been struggling to predict which version of Bristol Rovers is likely to turn up. The organised and defensively solid unit from our first few games? Or a side capable of scoring goals but likely to capitulate from every corner they’re asked to defend?
Squads go on bad runs, especially newly assembled ones. But with a good number of games played a lot of questions remain to be answered. The last week has been a refreshingly positive one however.
Even for the most optimistic Gasheads, September was a testing month. It almost felt like an experiment to see just how many ways we could lose a game of football. The crushing defeat in front of a frustrated home crowd? Check. The hopeful but ultimately disappointing 3-2 loss? Check. The last minute sickener with a former Bristol City player scoring? Check. It really was a period to forget.
Very few managers would be able to come through such a run unscathed and even though the board seem to have full faith in Matt Taylor’s abilities, it felt as if a couple more losses could have spelled the end.
Thankfully, something seems to have clicked. There’s no doubt in my mind that even with the late scare last Tuesday’s performance against Charlton was our most complete attacking showing of the season. From the very beginning there was a level of control to the way we played. We weren’t rushing to scramble the ball forward at any opportunity and showed a desire to push for more even when Scott Sinclair scored our opener.
Though things were looking grim at 1-0 down on Saturday too, the comeback shows a similar amount of character. The dressing room seemingly want to do well for Taylor and hopefully he’s starting to trust his players to perform on a consistent basis too.
Across the Charlton and Burton games the leaders within our squad have been performing to their very best. Sinclair has been the obvious standout and James Wilson continues to perform well but Jack Hunt’s reintroduction has made a real difference too. The defender is always vocal when he’s on the pitch and has been as defensively sound as he is dangerous venturing forward.
Nobody quite seems to know what the situation is with him picking up limited game time early in the season but I would be keen to see him given more minutes alternating with Joel Senior on that right side when he’s back fit.
The midfield has been an issue for a chunk of the season as well so it would be unfair not to highlight two outstanding performers from the last week. Jamie Lindsay imposed himself excellently against Charlton by doing the basics right, running non-stop and scoring with a brilliantly placed shot from outside the box.
Grant Ward is of course in direct competition with Lindsay for a place in the side and changed the game against Burton. His creative play and smart movement made us a real threat in that final third of the pitch.
He hasn’t always been the most eye-catching but two assists and a goal during a 40-minute cameo is about as blockbuster as it gets for a player in his position.
Bristol Rovers Live on Whatsapp
Join Bristol Rovers Live’s Whatsapp community for all the biggest Bristol Rovers stories sent straight to your phone
Bristol Rovers Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the Bristol Rovers news, live match coverage, team news, transfers, fixtures, analysis and more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
One who didn’t score across the two games but has to be the unsung hero of the week is Promise Omochere. He may not yet be a clinical finisher, a poacher or a fox in the box but his presence on the pitch benefits our other forward players in so many other ways. By running the channels, taking the ball down on his chest and playing in teammates, Omochere suits the system to a tee and is really growing into his role.
Two assists on Tuesday while playing a key role for Shaq Forde’s goal on Saturday from outmuscling a Burton defender means that Promise has been one of our better performers as of late, even if he isn’t the fabled ‘20 goal-a-season’ striker that his price tag may suggest.
The international break means no league games for two weeks and you have to hope that it isn’t detrimental to any momentum we have built up. Some time on the training pitch full of confidence could be beneficial to a side that lacked any sort of style or clear identity earlier in the season. There’s still a need to put together a run of positive problem-free performances for Taylor to get the entire fanbase onside but the last seven days have definitely been a step in the right direction.