Leroy Rosenior column: Bristol Rovers players need to show some home-grown determination
IT came as a surprise to me that Bristol Rovers played as poorly as they did in losing at home to Morecambe on Saturday. I, like countless others, was expecting Mark McGhee's side to build on the performance they produced at Wycombe a week earlier to put what would have been their first win of the season on the board.
I think there was certainly something in Mark's musings after the match that the pressure of playing at home may well have had an effect on some of the players.
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Rovers' captain Matt Gill looks dejected after the end of the Wycombe game which saw his side slump to their second home defeat of the season
A lot of people will say that is a poor excuse for losing a game considering the crowd numbered just over 5,000 – but the fact that Rovers had played OK up until the point at which they lost the first goal seems to offer that theory some substance.
How else can you explain that mad eight-minute period after the first goal that, ultimately, cost Rovers any chance of getting back into the game?
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Mark talked of a mental capitulation in his post-match interview and I don't think anybody could disagree with that observation.
It is a worrying issue that needs to be addressed, however, which the manager tried to do by keeping the players behind after the game to review the DVD of the second half.
I'm sure that would have proved uncomfortable viewing as it is something I had to do at times when I was in charge at Torquay.
I've never felt the need to do it straight after the game – but that was mainly because I never had the technology available to get a DVD burned off until Monday morning!
It was a good idea, though, for Mark just as much as the players. When a team suffers a defeat like that it will often play on the manager's mind most of all.
The players can go away on Saturday night and spend time with their families or friends to help them take their minds off what has happened on Saturday afternoon. .
A loss of that nature, however, often means a sleepless couple of nights for a manager whose job is always going to be dependent on results.
I'm sure some frank views were exchanged for the two hours or so before any of the squad was allowed to leave the ground on Saturday – but I also like the way Mark switched it around by making the players watch the Wycombe game on Monday morning to remind them of some of the good things they are capable of.
Maybe that helped because the players put on an improved display on Tuesday evening against Yeovil – even though they suffered another home defeat.
I heard Mark said that he was proud of his players for their reaction, which is all you can ask for on the back of a horrible defeat.
In those sort of games the standard of performance is often more important than the actual result – but you can't go too long without a victory if you want to keep supporters on side so everyone inside the camp will be desperate to get that first win on the board as quickly as possible.
Bristol City, meanwhile, did exactly what I feared they would do by leaving Barnsley with nothing to show for their efforts from a game that you'd have expected them to win.
It was another one of those situations in which City lose in a game you're expecting more from following a fantastic victory over Cardiff the previous weekend.
The likelihood is, however, that City fans will probably be prepared to write that one off and be looking forward to a big game at Ashton Gate against Blackburn next weekend.
To have six points from the games City have played so far is possibly better than some people would have expected.
And I'm sure Derek will be a relatively happy man going into the international break.
No manager likes to go into that two-week period without a game on the back of a defeat – but this fixture-less spell will allow Derek to get everyone together on the training ground and get some really worthwhile work done.
City waited a long time before completing the majority of their transfer business over the summer and some of the new faces – the likes of Sam Baldock and Steven Davies – will benefit from spending a bit of time around the training ground developing partnerships and settling into their new surroundings.
Just because there are no games, however, does not mean there isn't work to be done.
Rest assured that Derek will have been working away feverishly to see what he can do in terms of a possible loan deal in readiness for the re-opening of the window for temporary moves.
A central defender remains on Derek's radar before he will be satisfied that his recent recruitment drive is completed and I wouldn't be surprised to see something develop on that front early next week.
Interview: James McNamara
Comments
by piledriver
Sunday, September 09 2012, 12:14AM
“@ CharlesBridge:
The maximum Clarkson's on is £2kpw, possibly less, circa £1.5kpw without a promotion bonus.The Gas don't have a benefactor that falls in love with little fat cockney managers.
One point though, if Magee's more than capable, why are sides like Morecambe, Oxford & Yeovil with much smaller budgets, outperforming you?
Long way to go but if you're still in the botton 3-4 after ten games then start worrying.”
by CharlesBridge
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:25PM
“The trap door starts to open & Nick Griffin Rovers chairman must wonder if paying a romered 7k per week for clunker Clarkson was such a good move. Blue Sq becons!”
by BCFCfinker
Saturday, September 08 2012, 12:38PM
“As a City fan, the misery BRFC are going through is mildly amusing considering we have to put up with i8.
That's the local rivalry out of the way.
It's the beginning of the season. I can't see you guys being where you are at the end of the season. Two wins and you'll be in the top 10. If you're bottom two in October and November, then start worrying.”
by Iaintno82er
Saturday, September 08 2012, 8:29AM
“An inadequate underfunded club offered up to loyal more deserving fans, how much more can US the fan's put up with?
Surely Mr Higg's and the board must feel shamed into stopping the rot and making some concrete positive changes, so our more than capable manager can take us in a more upward direction, and that when the promised UWE situation is upon us we are still in the professional Football league and not on the spiral towards non-existence!!!!!!
Or is it we are to find in the near future the failure of the promised UWE stadium at the final hurdle as well?
The last hands in Mr Higg's poker face blag?
I truly and honestly hope not, UTG?”
by Pinkstone
Saturday, September 08 2012, 7:33AM
“Hi Tony,
I can't go back as far as you, but I can remember the players being normal down the pub people,
not prima donna s like we have now.Even the opoosite side of the city s John Atyeo used to koin in the Sunday morning kick around.
The best laugh we used to get was when the Avonmouth dockers used to join us hilarious.
Anyway I wish the GAS well in their search for glory...I suppose the benefactor could be Sainsbury s but lets hope the money is nt wasted THE FANS DESEVE MORE.”
by TonyIreland
Friday, September 07 2012, 11:33PM
“Hi Pinkstone !
Glad there is a fellow sufferer going back that far ! First game seen Dec 26 1950 :2-0 thrashing of Port Vale.....though may have also seen 5-1 thrashing of Norwich the previous season....
Agree with your last sentence but if that's all there is you shouldn't give up.. after watching the boring England game where most of the passes went sideways or backwards and wingmen were all but unknown surely even Rovers are more exciting than that !!
Ancient Pirate”
by Pinkstone
Friday, September 07 2012, 7:44PM
“Well you lot I have been a ardent supporter since Eastville, Bamford Bradford Pitt Bannister etc all the way through Speedway the lot.. Even put up with the smell from the gas tank in the corner..I'm afraid these last two seasons have been the worst to watch and I for one will not be wasting my money this season on the so called football that the gas are serving up.
SHAME REALLY BUT UNTILL WE GET A REAL BENEFACTOR WE ARE NT GOING TO DO ANYTHING.”
by TonyIreland
Friday, September 07 2012, 7:21PM
“I suggest that as it is going to be a beautiful sunny day tomorrow that every Rovers fan worth his salt should get down to the M to cheer the lads on. As much noise as possible might have an Olympic effect and wake the Pirates up so that the score ends up 5-0... but which way ?
Incidentally how many people actually READ this site ? It can't be all that many surely in view of the low response ?
Ancient Pirate”
by piledriver
Friday, September 07 2012, 7:00PM
“I don't want to intrude on private greiving but people can't talk about not splashing cash and budgets when you're up against "big spenders" with huge support like Yeovil (Cup), Barnet & Morecambe.
Be honest chaps, you're in the same boat as the rest of the Division and, in all fairness, a bigger boat than an awful lot of them.”
by Oldfrank
Friday, September 07 2012, 5:45PM
“I don't deny it Steve I've been negative for most of the time since Nick has been Chairman. To see Ron Craig's happiness when we won the play off final was a wonderful sight but it's been down hill all the way since then.
When Lennie Lawrence used to slouch across the pitch at the Mem and Paul Trollope was explaining it was better when we didn't have the ball I knew something was wrong. But Nick Higgs was spouting off about us being an established league 1 side.
Since then he has continued spouting off about championship in 5 years and one of the biggest budgets in league 2 but my scepticism has been borne out and we are now 91st in the league.
The team is terribly unbalanced with too many youngsters who have proven unsuccessful elsewhere supplemented with a few older pro's who are either injury prone, demotivated or both. But worse than that the Mem is a miserable place to be and the club is a laughing stock.
To cap it all they treat the biggest asset the club has, the fans, as idiots.I half expect them to put out a press release saying the reason for our poor form is that Mark McGhee has signed a team capable of playing in league 1 but we have found they can't play in league 2 so the club have written to the football league requesting to be placed in league 1 as we are shortly expecting a windfall from selling the ground and would be prepared to pay for promotion. How many Gasheads would believe it ?”