Matt Taylor’s post-match interviews have sparked much debate since his arrival at Bristol Rovers in early December, but the one on Saturday following a 5-0 hammering at Lincoln City stands out the most.
The 42-year-old used synonyms like “diabolical” and “embarrassing” to make the point that if players don’t show that they’re 100% devoted to the cause, he’ll start removing them from his plans entirely, as the Gas’ season appears to be closing with a whimper.
“I’ve never been a manager to banish players from the training ground,” he said. “I’ve obviously inherited guys that aren’t at the training site, which is a strange scenario, but it provides me some insight into what happened before. If the players aren’t entirely committed, it’s pointless to have them around.” That is the strongest statement he has conveyed in the three and a half months he has been with the Gas.
Saturday was certainly one of the best times this season to be a fly on the wall in a Rovers changing room. The Gas boss has been fairly punctual for post-match media duties since his arrival, but it was a long wait before the 42-year-old emerged from the tunnel at the LNER Stadium, raising the possibility that some heated words were exchanged behind closed doors for a longer period of time than usual.
Regardless of the gravity of the outcome or the issue posed, the Rovers manager is known for offering lengthy comments, and that was no exception on Saturday, although you got the impression that this corresponded with some heavy biting of the tongue. It’s all speculation, of course, but it appeared that Taylor was making an effort to hold back certain remarks that would be inappropriate for broadcast or print.
A schism appears to be forming among supporters about their attitude toward the manager, but many remain convinced that he, at the absolute least, deserves the opportunity to assemble a squad in his own image this summer. You would expect that, barring an apocalyptic last run of results, that time will still be supplied by the hierarchy, who shown its devotion to the 42-year-old by offering him a three-and-a-half-year contract. Regardless of the reasons, it appears like the next final stretch of fixtures may contribute to the campaign ending in a whimper, which is concerning.
The fact that Rovers must play their final eight games in 30 days is cause for concern given the squad’s injury history this season, but more importantly, all of those encounters have the potential to be, at the very least, a genuine banana peel based on recent troubles.
Four more points will see the Gas surpass their points total from last season, which was the absolute minimum for this season, and you would have hoped that total was reached sooner. Fifty points had always appeared to be more than enough to assure survival, but gaps are quickly forming above Rovers, making it difficult for them to clinch an acceptable league finish.
Taylor’s side is in 13th, eight points behind 10th-placed Leyton Orient, but level on points with Wigan Athletic in 11th and Wycombe Wanderers in 12th. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury Town are in 17th place, six points behind after playing one more game, and will visit the Mem on Easter Monday (April 1). More lackluster afternoons like Saturday might lead Rovers to mediocrity at a time when moderate success is still within reach.
Ultimately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue that the Gas still have a lot to play for this season as a whole. Individuals, of course, still have a lot to play for, with personal pride perhaps being the most important factor of all, while the lingering uncertainty over the futures of a large chunk of the squad does not help.
That word ‘uncertainty’ was used frequently earlier in the season when it seemed like it would take forever to make a decision on selecting Joey Barton’s successor, with Andy Mangan taking interim control of what turned out to be seven matches while also being a candidate for the job full-time. Now, its use has increased once more as we approach a summer that will undoubtedly be frenetic, but how many of the existing fold will be present is the standout question.
Perhaps you might refer to it as the elephant in the room, but that implies it is not being discussed. If anything, we’re talking about what comes next as much as we are about the current situation, because Rovers’ struggles to maintain consistency have now extended into the latter stages of the season, leaving them smack in the middle of the table, a significant distance from both ends of the spectrum.
Anyone who believes there is a slim chance of a playoff push today is delusional, which is definitely one of Taylor’s most significant disappointments. When the Gas manager took over, they were 11th in the league, nine points behind Derby County in sixth. At the time, that advantage was considered significant, but there were still 28 league matches left to close the gap. The play-off positions are now 13 points distant with eight games remaining. Furthermore, Leyton Orient and Lincoln City were some distance away in December but are now within touching distance of sneaking in, implying that Rovers had a good chance.
Taylor stated that the quality of the squad he was inheriting was one of the most important factors in his decision to take the position, although it is unclear how many of them will be here next season.
As Sam Finley pointed out after the Lincoln game, these players are competing for their livelihoods, which I believe some people overlook, particularly those in League One or lower down the pyramid. Everyone can claim to be well-paid, but a paycheck only comes in if you’re contracted, and if a player becomes a free agent, they’re unemployed with expenses to pay and families to support.
The captain was also asked in that interview if his teammates had psychologically checked out for the season, as that was the prevailing consensus among the Gasheads. “No” was the response but the word uncertainty was used again and it’s a subject that will reportedly be faced again internally with Taylor’s answer to the same question being that he’ll be asking that himself.
Over the last three-and-a-half months, the manager has attempted to drip feed his philosophy in small chunks to avoid information overload, but there are still players who clearly do not get it, and his patience is running thin. As nasty as it is, they are the people you would expect to be at the club next season or to play less frequently.
The term ‘consistency’ has been used often during the season, but it is ultimately why teams that would have been classified as Rovers, if not lower, now find themselves in the position the Gas would have snapped your hand off to be in at this time. If any team was currently showcasing the credentials that Rovers anticipated to see with eight games remaining, it would undoubtedly be the one that recently thrashed them 5-0.
Lincoln were 11th coming into 2024, while the Gas were ninth, having beaten Bolton Wanderers, Portsmouth, and Charlton in four matches. Since then, the Imps have gone 13 games unbeaten since losing to Blackpool on New Year’s Day, while Rovers have lost nine of their 15 league games this season.
There are various reasons why the Gas haven’t been able to achieve similar consistency, and injuries certainly top the list, but they have also been a major cause of his frustrations, as evidenced by his use of strong language on several occasions. You’d have to say late December to early January was probably their best run of fitness in terms of key players being available, and it’s no coincidence that they picked up wins against some of the division’s top dogs, as well as a draw in the FA Cup at Championship Norwich City.
During that 15-match stretch, there were several standout performances and results, with the win at Leyton Orient and draw at Fleetwood Town being particularly pleasing due to the defensive showing, which have been difficult to come by this season. No doubt, with the level of players, there will be another handful of enjoyable games, but the period as a whole feels like it will be a bit of a grind.
It’s unfortunate that for the better part of two months, fans will have been looking forward to the end of the season, but you can’t blame them. They’ve longed for a run of exciting games, but that streak has yet to arrive.
Individual days out have been good, with many who were in the away end at Brisbane Road earlier this month agreeing that it was a standout away day, and home wins over Oxford United and Carlisle United have also lifted emotions. However, they have not promoted optimism or hope, which reflects the reality of the current situation.
Now, the best-case scenario that remains realistic is to have more of these days while players fighting for their futures consistently deliver good performances. Ultimately, everything points to the summer, but that period must be approached with the club putting any worries to rest. Realistically, there are far too many to deal with in the short time between now and the transfer window opening, which is possibly the most damning feature of all.
Individually, there are a few of matches to look forward to in terms of occasion, with home games against promotion-chasing Bolton and Peterborough, while a trip to face Gas icon Darrell Clarke’s Cheltenham Town might be seismic for the relegation-battling Robins. Even the last day journey to Wigan could have an impact on where both teams finish.
However, as a whole, the remaining run is one that fans will undoubtedly be more excited to see end than the actual matches themselves, which tells the whole tale.
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