Bristol Rovers were dealt their heaviest defeat of the season at Lincoln City on Saturday which prompted questions from sections of the fanbase regarding the players’ commitment to the cause
After a 5-0 thumping at Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon, Sam Finley has maintained that he and his Bristol Rovers colleagues haven’t psychologically checked out on the season with eight games left.
At the LNER Stadium, the Gas fell behind 3-0 in just twenty-three minutes; nonetheless, during that first half, Chris Martin and Jevani Brown both had several opportunities, with Martin’s arriving at the 1-0 mark. Perhaps the result would have been very different on an other day, but the Pirates quickly put themselves in a difficult situation heading into the second half, where they handed up two more goals and Antony Evans missed a penalty.
After the Gas suffered their most crushing defeat of the season, many fans took to social media to express their views. Many stated that they thought the players were mentally done for the season, especially with only a few games left and many careers on the line. With eight games remaining, Rovers are now in 13th place on 50 points, 13 points behind the top six and 15 points above the relegation zone. This means that Rovers will finish in the middle of the table and have nothing to gain in the league table.
In a forceful post-match interview, Matt Taylor stated that going forward, he will be questioning his players about whether they have mentally checked out. He also declared that any players who aren’t fully committed to the cause will not be part of his plans during the last few weeks of the season.
But there’s also the matter that a large number of the team, including Finley, have contracts expiring in the summer, which further adds to the uncertainty.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty at the football club in regards to contracts,” Finley stated. “I’ve been with this group for a long time, but a lot of the guys have contracts expiring at the end of the season. Although the new manager has undoubtedly brought in a few new players, I’ve been a part of this group for a long time; nobody is really checking out, and as the football team’s captain, I’m not checking out either.
People won’t be doubting my honesty whether or not I’m here, which I plainly am, or whether I’m out of contract. I can honestly say that I’m not checking out, and I know the boys in there aren’t, because my livelihood is at stake.”
The midfielder concurred that the Gas’s inability to string more than two wins together has been their season’s biggest problem. The Lincoln thrashing infuriated fans especially because of how admirably Taylor’s team battled and defended away at Fleetwood Town last Tuesday, earning them a 0-0 draw. Rovers battled valiantly in the previous away match, winning 1-0 over Leyton Orient to earn another clean sheet. This makes the fact that they had conceded three goals in 23 minutes before eventually shipping five a hair-pulling situation.
While it is true that the Imps entered the game with a 12-game winning streak and had scored 11 goals in their previous two games, the Gas had planned for this ahead of the game.
“It was never a good start,” Finley said. “I was never able to grasp the game. We never prevailed in our own conflicts. suffered bullying. Never responded rapidly enough. Was insufficiently organised. was immediately put on the back foot. From there, it’s all downhill.
“I believe we still had first-half opportunities. We mentioned there that we were able to have three of our own. Some amazing little passes, nifty balls in behind, and one-on-one opportunities that Chrissy and JB typically take for us weren’t to be today.
“It’s always difficult when they’ve got their tails up and it’s always difficult saying 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 before the game they were already flying. The deficit we’ve got at half-time, to try and stay resilient and stay in the game but they’re always going to have chances because they’re a good side and they’re always going to have chances so it’s tough.
“It’s difficult. As I say, I’m the one that has to come out and do press and face the music and people might question my game and what I did in the game but that’s the responsibility I’ve got to take. It is what it is and it’s on my shoulders and it’s down to me as well as the gaffer as well as the staff as well as the other experienced lads in the changing room to pull the younger lads through it and go again.”
With six loanees and 12 permanently contracted players with current deals that expire in the summer, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the club and this squad which is expected to look extremely different come next season. However, the point that Taylor has reiterated repeatedly is that there is still personal pride to play for over anything else as well as earning a contract. The way in which Rovers conclude the campaign will likely correlate with how many of the current crop of players remain come August.
Finley is one of those players who, like the captain himself declared, is playing for his livelihood and will have eight more opportunities to showcase his qualities to his manager in in-game scenarios before the ultimate decision is made.
The Gas manager called the schedule congestion—having eight games in thirty days to finish the season—”madness,” but in the end, it’s being viewed as a last chance for players like Finley and his colleagues who are fighting to stay with the squad.
The international break, which will give players and staff some time apart before a period of work behind closed doors on the training pitch without the distraction of a match, comes before that starts with a trip to relegation-battling Port Vale. Players typically complain that not having a chance to make amends right away after a loss makes them particularly frustrated, but Finley feels that the impending time off is appropriate following a particularly crushing loss.
“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 stated. “What irritates me the most, particularly in light of the Derby outcome, is our inconsistent play. Even though the match ended in a 0-0 draw, I felt that we had the better team on Tuesday night against Fleetwood. We played excellent defence, handling everything they threw at us, and we continued to play that way throughout the opening part of the match. It’s really rather annoying.”
