Bristol Rovers remain a conundrum as season gets going

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Daniel Wales analyses Bristol Rovers’ start to the season.

Transcript

00:00Now, as we hit the sort of international break, the first stage of the season,

00:04obviously Bristol Rovers continuing in League Two after their relegation

00:09to the fourth tier of English football.

00:13Obviously, Rovers, they've certainly shown early signs of improvement

00:18under the leadership of the return of Daryl Clark.

00:22Obviously, that was massive news for the Gas fans who wanted to see him come back.

00:27I got a load of nostalgia from his previous spell there, but he came in

00:31and he sort of set that groundwork saying, look, I know what I've done in the past.

00:34I know how much success we've had, but I'm not there to sort of look back at that.

00:40I want to make sure we really galvanize together and start a new, fresh journey together.

00:46You know, one other way at Grimsby Town, their first away vintage January.

00:51I mean, it's little signs like that where you have to look at Rovers now

00:54and you sort of say these things weren't clicking, they weren't going their way at all.

00:59And for it to have been nine months since an away win, obviously you have that period away.

01:04But, you know, six or seven months of playing football without an away win is unbelievable.

01:10So that's something they've already done this season.

01:13You know, they are looking more defensively solid.

01:16They're looking more disciplined tactically as well under Clark.

01:19It seems the fans are on board.

01:21So our correspondent, Dan, what can you tell us about where Bristol Rovers currently are,

01:26how they've sort of managed to get a bit of improvement going throughout the side?

01:30You know, it was hard to get any worse really from the last season or two,

01:35you know, for ending in their relegation.

01:39So Dan, what can you tell us in terms of the gas and where they are

01:42and how much more they have to improve on?

01:45But certainly some positivity to take in to the remainder of the year

01:51and really sort of get rid of those demons that have just been over them

01:55for the past 12 or so months.

01:57You're right, Charles.

01:58And obviously Bristol Rovers, they don't take part in the international break

02:02because League 2 isn't affected by that.

02:05So they'll keep playing this weekend.

02:07But I think you're right.

02:10It's been sort of an up and down time for the club.

02:13Certainly, of course, we've mentioned it so much,

02:16just how much disappointment there was from the relegation from League 1 last season.

02:21But then there was a lot of positivity in pre-season.

02:23A lot of signings came in.

02:25Daryl Clark came in and he brought John Stead.

02:28He brought Rhys Carr as his assistants.

02:30And they won a couple of matches in pre-season as well.

02:33And the feel-good factor was really growing and things at the club seemed good.

02:36In fact, Daryl Clark himself commented that there was positivity at the club

02:42and that the attitude of the players was really quite good.

02:45And yet, when the season started, all of a sudden,

02:47things really just fell off a bit of a cliff

02:49and they just couldn't buy a win at all, whether it be home or a win.

02:53You thought, well, goodness me, how is this season actually going to go?

02:57Are the players just not channelling right?

02:59Was there too many new arrivals?

03:01Which, of course, you perhaps thought was needed initially

03:03because of just how bad things were.

03:04But then it seemed as if they weren't working altogether.

03:08Daryl Clark criticised the players.

03:10He said that they were miles off at a times

03:12and that they needed to be better

03:13and understand more tactically what he wanted.

03:20And then, eventually, a win came against Cambridge United at home in the league

03:24and then followed closely by a win on penalties in the EFL Trophy against Tottenham Hotspurs on the 21s.

03:30And then, another win away at Grimsby Town.

03:33So, it was a bad start of the season, but it's picked up since.

03:37They've had two wins, six points, of course,

03:39plus that win on penalties in the EFL Trophy, which got them two points,

03:43one for the draw, one for the shootout win.

03:46So, you could argue that going into this period,

03:49as the summer starts to end,

03:51things are looking a bit more rosy.

03:52Of course, they've brought in a few more additions

03:55right at the end of the transfer window.

03:57And so, they'll obviously take time to settle in,

04:00but you just hope that Daryl Clark has done enough

04:02to get the players who have been here for quite a while

04:05all bedded in now.

04:07Certainly would appear that way, given the winds have started to flow.

04:10But it's just an interesting time for the club,

04:12because you can't really predict just how about or whereabouts they are

04:16as a club at the moment.

04:18I think that's the worry, that are these wins right?

04:22Are they making some progress?

04:25Or are they just sort of a bit of a stopgap?

04:26And what was felt at the start of the season

04:28might come back to bite them again.

04:30So, hard to know just about where they are,

04:33but you have to say and take the positives

04:36from the two wins they've had in the league.

04:38And hopefully, that can actually be used as a springboard for them

04:41for future successes.

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