James Wilson has bemoaned Bristol Rovers’ slow start in their 3-0 defeat to Premier League side Ipswich Town on Sunday as the Gas were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage.
Rovers never really got going in the opening half hour and by the 37th minute they had conceded three goals without reply with Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor the scorers.
The Gas did improve in the second half having seen their top-flight hosts enjoy almost three-quarters of possession in the opening 45 minutes but already had a mountain to climb against much higher calibre players.
Reflecting on the contest, former Ipswich defender Wilson declared to BBC Radio Bristol: “I think we’re a bit frustrated really. We took too long to work out what to do and by that time it was kind of too late. I think we really need to assess how we start the game because we gave them way too much time on the ball first half and I think that’s the frustrating part of it.
“I mean, it was always going to be tough here, don’t get me wrong, but I think if we had approached it in a different manner then maybe we would have gotten something out of the game.
“I think we weren’t sure on their formation before the game and a few bits like that but I think it showed second half that it doesn’t really matter. I think as long as you’re up for it and you’re game and you get close to people then you can at least have a go.
“First half an hour we were just off the pace. We weren’t really where we wanted to be in the game. That’s the frustrating part of it, definitely.”
After a couple of squandered corners and free-kicks, Ipswich broke the deadlock in the 18th minute as 2020/21 England men’s player of the year Phillips found the bottom corner from distance after being allowed too much time and space to shoot. Clarke added a second following an individual error from Lino Sousa before Taylor netted a goal that should have been ruled out for offside.
Despite the Tractor Boys’ dominance and quality, none of their goals were of Premier League standard which was one of the biggest frustrations from a Rovers point of view as they contributed to their own downfall in the first half.
“The first one is just so easy,” Wilson confessed. “He’s just passed it into the bottom corner. Third one is definitely an offside for me. He flicks it in the middle of the pitch. The boys said they didn’t know there was a flick so they said he was onside but I was positive. So that’s frustrating.
“We looked at the xG after. They’re not quite three, we’re not quite one so it wasn’t a 3-0 game but at the same time we’ve got to be better at the start of the game, definitely.
“It was better [the second half]. Don’t get me wrong, it’s easier when you’re 3-0 down because the shackles are off but we need to start games like that. We need to play like we’re free and we need to play more aggressive in defence.”
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.
The defeat was just new head coach Inigo Calderon’s fourth game in charge of Rovers having overseen one win and two defeats in League One previously.
Conceding goals is clearly something that will have to improve under the Spaniard with the Gas conceding three times in three of those four outings with the only exception being when they were somewhat fortunate to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory at Cambridge United the weekend prior.
The 43-year-old is still very much in the process of implementing his ideas and methods with how swiftly Rovers’ players grasp them set to have a significant say on how the remainder of the campaign plays out for them.
Sat in 20th place in League One and five points clear of the relegation zone, the Gas’ position is still very much a precarious one but they do have plenty of time to steer themselves away of any danger with 22 league fixtures remaining.
Asked about the new boss’ arrival, Wilson insisted: “He just wants to win games. So if that’s not working like it wasn’t in the first half an hour we need to have a solution. We need to work that out ourselves on the pitch, that’s not up to him. Yeah, we definitely need to be better.
“We need to take that second half and take it into next week. We’ve got loads of massive games coming up now. Realistically, where we are in the league that’s a lot more important but it still wasn’t good enough at the start.”