Sam Finley has stated that he and his Bristol Rovers teammates haven’t given up on the season with eight games left after a 5-0 hammering at Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon.
The Gas were 3-0 down at the LNER Stadium after just 23 minutes, but Chris Martin and Jevani Brown had a flurry of first-half chances, with Martin’s first coming at 1-0. On another day, the outcome could have been quite different, but the Pirates quickly set themselves a mountain to climb heading into the second half, when another two goals were allowed and Antony Evans missed a penalty.
Following the Gas’ biggest loss of the season by some margin, many fans began to voice their concerns online, with many claiming that they believed the players were psychologically on vacation with such a short amount of the season remaining and a lot of futures hanging in the balance. Rovers are presently 13th with 50 points with eight games remaining, 13 points behind the top six and 15 points behind the relegation zone, implying that they are destined for a midtable finish with little to play for in terms of the league table.
Matt Taylor admitted in a strongly worded post-match interview that he will be asking his players if they have mentally checked out, and that any players who aren’t completely committed to the cause will no longer be involved in his plans for the final weeks of the campaign.
However, a major section of the squad, including Finley, will be out of contract in the summer, creating an environment of uncertainty.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty at the football club in regards to contracts,” Finley told reporters. “A lot of lads are out of contract at the end of the season, but I’ve been with this squad for a long time. There have been a few additions under the new management, but I’ve been with this group for a long time; no one is checking out, and I, as football club captain, am not checking out.
“Whether I’m out of contract, which I clearly am, or whether I’m here, no one will question my integrity. My livelihood is at stake, therefore I can confidently state that I am not checking out, and I know the other guys in there are not either.”
As the midfielder agreed, inconsistency has been the story of the season for the Gas, who haven’t been able to string more than two consecutive wins together, and the Lincoln thrashing was especially frustrating given how well Taylor’s side defended and battled away at Fleetwood Town last Tuesday, earning a goalless draw. Rovers competed admirably in the last away game, keeping another clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient, making the fact that they conceded three goals in 23 minutes before finally shipping five a hair-raising situation.
Admittedly, the Imps came into the game in excellent form, having gone 12 games unbeaten and scoring 11 goals in their previous two outings, but the Gas had anticipated this ahead of time.
“Never started well,” Finley explained. “I never really understood the game. We never won our particular battles. Was bullied. Never acted quickly enough. Wasn’t organized enough. I was immediately put on the defensive. It’s all downhill from there.
“I felt we still had chances in the first half. We mentioned in there that we may have had three ourselves. There were several beautiful little movements and slick balls in behind, as well as one-on-one opportunities that Chrissy and JB typically take for us, but they didn’t today.
“It’s always difficult to say come out and keep a clean sheet in the second half and give ourselves every chance, but they’ve got their tails up, and as you know, they were already flying before the game. The disadvantage we have at half-time, we’re trying to be resilient and stay in the game, but they’re always going to have chances because they’re a talented team, so it’s difficult.
“This is challenging. As I already stated, I am the one who must come out and do press and face the music, and while some may criticize my game and what I did in it, that is the responsibility I must accept. It is what it is, and it is on my shoulders. It is up to me, the gaffer, the staff, and the other experienced boys in the changing room to get the younger lads through it and go again.”
With six loanees and 12 permanently contracted players whose contracts expire in the summer, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club and its roster, which is likely to look very different next season. However, Taylor has consistently stated that there is still more personal pride to play for than any other reason, even winning a contract. The way Rovers finish the season will most likely determine how many of the current crop of players remain in August.
Finley is one of those players who, as the captain himself stated, is playing for a living and will have eight more chances to demonstrate his abilities to his management in in-game settings before the final choice is made.
The Gas manager termed the pressure of having eight games in 30 days to finish the season as “madness,” but it is now being viewed as a final trial period or audition for players such as Finley and his colleagues who are striving to stay at the club.
However, before that begins with a trip to relegation-battling Port Vale, there will be an international break, which will provide players and staff with some time apart before a period of work behind closed doors on the training pitch without the distraction of a match. Typically, players remark that going into a break after a setback is most stressful because they don’t have an immediate opportunity to remedy wrongs, but for Finley, the approaching time off is timely following a crushing defeat.
“You’d normally say you want a game straight away on Tuesday to bounce back but I think the international break is perfect for us to be honest with you,” the captain was quoted as saying. “Our inconsistency, especially after the Derby result, is what frustrates me the most. After we battled, albeit it was a 0-0 draw, I believed we were miles the better side on Tuesday night away at Fleetwood. Defensively, we battled admirably and dealt with everything they threw at us, and then we came here and did the same in the first half. “It’s just so frustrating.”
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