Bristol Rovers sacked manager Joey Barton in 2016.th At that time, they had only recorded 4 wins and were expected to improve on their performance from last season, but they moved up the rankings. However, it is debatable whether this decision paid dividends and whether they feel better under the new management.
Rovers appointed Matt Taylor in early December after a month-long search for a new boss. His resume is certainly impressive for a relatively new EFL manager. He achieved promotion from League Two with Exeter City and most recently kept Rotherham United in the Championship for successive seasons. He was sacked in November when the Millers were 22nd in England’s second division.
Taylor’s start at Memorial Stadium couldn’t have gone better for him, earning him a nomination for the league’s January Manager of the Month award in December. The former professional led the club to four wins in his first four weeks in charge, including wins over title challengers Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers.
Pirates currently sit in 12th place, closer to the relegation zone than the top six. Inconsistency has been their weakness, and 2024 has not been kind to them so far. With just two wins since the start of January, Bristol remain roughly in the same position, but their distance to the top six has increased to double digits. This weekend’s home defeat to lowly Burton Albion summed up this unusual season and the missed opportunity to progress and challenge for a play-off spot.
The recent January transfer window has been quite busy for the new manager at the helm, with the signing of four new players. Elkan Baggot, Harry Vaughan and Brandon Aguilera all joined on loan until the end of the season, while midfielder Camil Conte joined on a permanent transfer from Grimsby Town in a deal worth £300,000.
Significantly, their star man and League One Player of the Year for 2022/23, Aaron Collins, was sold to high-flyers Bolton for £750,000, which is no doubt It will be a heartbreaking event for the club’s fans. Collins has contributed to the club’s success in recent years with three goals and nine assists so far this season.
After finishing 17th last year, there was little promise this season, so Pirates fans will have been hoping for a top-half finish, which they are well on their way to achieving. But having missed out on the chance to make a proper challenge for a play-off spot, the club will be disappointed that, at least for the time being, there isn’t much to look forward to.
Realistically, the same inconsistency has continued for Rovers this season since Barton left, but the club no longer have to deal with the erratic views of a new manager. You’ll be happy. With 15 games remaining, there is no danger of relegation, but hopes of promotion are slim. So from now until May, there is little to lose and Rovers’ ambition should be simply to maintain as much consistency as possible and cause a bit of disruption for teams at both ends of the table.
However, the club has a better chance of promotion to the Championship under Taylor, and if they can iron out their inconsistencies ahead of the 2024-25 season, they could be a team to watch for a top-six spot next year. .
At least they now have stability as a League One side, and Chorley’s achievements in both League Two and the Championship should put him in a good position to succeed at Bristol Rovers over the next few years.
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