It’s still early October but already it feels as though we’ve experienced a good chunk of a season’s worth of occurrences with Bristol Rovers’ start to the season far from straightforward.
The Gas have now headed into a 10-day break from action after Blackpool, who were set to visit the Mem this weekend, met the threshold for international call-ups and therefore the game set for Saturday was postponed with a new date still yet to be confirmed.
So far, Rovers have taken 13 points from 10 games in League One, experienced what now feels like a staple of a season with elimination from the Carabao Cup in round one while it also looks as though Matt Taylor’s side won’t be progressing to the knockout stages of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy after taking one point from their first two group games.
The campaign began with plenty of positivity as a new-look Gas side took seven points from their opening four league matches while keeping three clean sheets. If there was one area of the pitch that particularly had to be improved during a hectic summer recruitment process, it was the defence after last season saw Rovers rank fifth for most goals conceded in the third tier with 68.
Meanwhile, although there was still plenty of room for improvement in the connectivity between players in attacking sequences, club-record signing Promise Omochere looked, and has largely looked, an exciting purchase with raw talent while there’s something to like about each of Ruel Sotiriou, Gatlin O’Donkor and Shaq Forde too.
Since a 2-0 win over Cambridge United at the end of August though, the mood has shifted closer and closer to despair as each week has gone by before last week saw some restoration of positivity.
Four consecutive defeats is a poor streak for any team at any level and as the mood shifted, pressure on Taylor’s shoulders built until it got to crisis point. Had Rovers lost to Charlton Athletic and made it five defeats on the bounce, the Gas manager likely wouldn’t have made it to the weekend’s trip to Burton Albion. However, in his biggest week in the dugout in BS7, Taylor oversaw back-to-back victories as his players fought for him, quietening any doubters…for now at least.
The biggest concern though going into this break is when said doubters will be heard voicing discontent again. As a manager you’re always treading on a slippery surface if the general conversation suggests you’re only a couple of defeats away from the sack.
The mood was undeniably toxic after the Wycombe defeat, especially considering the manner in which it came about. After a bright first half display in which Rovers took a 1-0 lead, they seemed to step off their visitors in the second period who continued to grow into the game before scoring in the 77th and 96th minutes to snatch the points.
At that moment, it felt as though for the first time since Taylor was pictured holding up a blue-and-white quartered shirt outside of the Quarters that more supporters wanted him out of the building than in it.
Football fans are tremendously fickle. That’s a notion that will outlive us all and will only grow in extremity as time goes on. A week on from the Wycombe loss and fans were largely more enthused about the state Rovers were in after one-and-a-half strong performances (the first half at Burton being the anomaly) and two good wins.
However, after a shambolic 4-0 defeat to a second-string Swindon Town side, in which all four goals were conceded within the first half, some negativity started to creep back in as it became apparent that, although the Gas have bodies available, the quality of their depth isn’t quite as strong as it may have previously seemed.
The Bristol Street Motors Trophy as a competition is never going to be seen as a priority and no one batted an eyelid prior to kick-off towards the fact that nine changes were made. But that was a concern in the sense that the vast majority of those players supposedly fighting for shirts in the league didn’t even show an ounce of combativeness.
As Taylor himself said though, maybe it gives him a better understanding of his best 11 or the pool of players he sees as capable of putting on the shirt week in, week out in League One. Agendas aside, hopefully most supporters can see that that one was on the players as opposed to the manager.
What will be interesting to see is which players aren’t seen in action again until the FA Cup first round tie at the start of November or either possibly beyond that.
Now though, when the Gas return to action they face a particularly significant chunk of matches in which they have the opportunity to take points from those expected to be in and around them or below in the table while also causing upsets that receive the notice of the rest of the league.
Starting with a trip to Huddersfield Town is certainly one of those chances to make some waves, although it also isn’t a game that Rovers’ season should be evaluated on regardless of what the ambition this season is.
Three days later though and the visit of Shrewsbury Town is of utmost importance and it’s these sorts of fixtures where you feel a negative result could trigger a decision from the boardroom.
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It’s all if’s, but’s and maybe’s of course, but should Rovers not beat Shrewsbury after a trip to Huddersfield in which naturally the opponent will be strong favourites, you get the sense that the mood could well return to how it was heading into October on the back of a brutal September; going back to square one if you like. If there’s one thing that such a notion screams it’s instability.
Meanwhile, three points or more from those two fixtures and we’re talking about a run of at least three wins in four and, based on how congested midtable is at the moment, the Gas could realistically catapult themselves up the table.
With a trip to Reading the other league game in October it’s possible we could see the month end with Taylor either receiving a nomination for manager of the month or, hopefully not, losing his job. That’s how uncertain the situation at the moment is.
It feels as though a lot hangs in the balance at this moment in time and therefore the break comes at a good time in order for everyone associated with the club to just step away for a period of time and reflect and recharge.
Only those in the hierarchy truly know the extent of how much pressure Taylor might still be under but, if there is a significant amount upon his shoulders, there’s only one obvious way that that will be eased – by winning football matches. Very much easier said than done though.
Hopefully this break has come at a good time and offers the opportunity for some degree of a reset before the two victories last week are used as a platform for further good form as opposed to an anomaly.