Gill On The Way Out

Experienced midfielder Matt Gill looks like being the first high profile casualty of John Ward's squad sculpting this season. He has been made available to loan and is thought to have attracted interest from former club Exeter City.

Lifted from: westerndailypress.co.uk

Gasheads have been surprised that Gill has not been given a chance in central midfield after recovering from his knee surgery and his absence from the starting XI has led to many speculating that he had fallen out with Ward. The loan signing of midfielder Andy Bond may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. While this may have been the case, it is understood that a further appearance from Gill in the Rovers first team would lead to an automatic extension to his contract, something the club do not want.

Ward informed the press this week that he has told the player that his opportunities will be numbered with the abundance of central midfielders the club now boast and that it may be in his interests to go out on loan. As yet there has been no confirmed interest and Rovers will be hoping that whoever takes him will be prepared to pay a portion of his wages, freeing funds for us to make another signing ourselves.

Southend United 1-1 Bristol Rovers (League Two)

Matt Harrold's header was cancelled out by Kevan Hurst's 20 yard effort in an entertaining game at Roots Hall on Friday evening. Searching for their first points on the road, Rovers defended well to weather the Southend storm and created enough chances to feel disappointed not to have won the game.

Lifted from: itv.com

It was a tight affair given the poor form both sides had heading into the clash but the game burst to life in an exciting second half. The first 45 minutes saw half-hearted efforts to break the deadlock although there were two big penalty appeals, one for both sides. The Rovers claim came first. A cross from the right hand side of the box was blocked by the arm of a Shrimpers defender and bounced out for a corner. John-Joe O'Toole led the demonstrations to the referee but he was clearly of the opinion that it was unintentional. From my point of view, both at the time and having seen the replay, the position of the defender's arm was not natural and he blocked a threatening ball into the penalty box - it should have been a penalty. The second shout came after midfielder Tom Lockyer stupidly tripped Hurst as he skipped into the penalty area from the right but the referee, perhaps realising he had made a mistake in not awarding Rovers a spot-kick, signalled simply for a goal-kick as the ball rolled out of play.

The second period was a lot more lively and Rovers came out of the blocks quickly in a bid to score early. It was a plan that worked as a former Shrimper came back to haunt his former club. The ever-impressive Michael Smith made an overlapping run down the right and lifted a good ball into the danger zone where Harrold was on hand to head beyond Daniel Bentley. The celebrations were tremendous in front of the travelling Rovers supporters and there was a real sense that we could go on to stamp our authority on the match.

Our hosts made an immediate attempt to claw their way back into proceedings but found it difficult to create any clear openings due to the stubbornness of both Tom Parkes and Mark McChrystal in the heart of the defence. Substitute Josh Payne was a constant threat though and a couple of marauding runs from the left touchline saw him find shooting opportunities but thankfully they flew well wide on each occasion. Despite Rovers defending well, Southend did break our rearguard midway through the half courtesy of Hurst. The midfielder was given the time to turn 20 yards out and fire a good shot past Steve Mildenhall into the bottom left hand corner.

At this point the game could have gone either way. Southend continued to press forward but Rovers created a few very good chances to steal the points. The first fell to Parkes following a free-kick that was delivered by Lee Brown. The ball was worked back across the 18 yard line and Parkes had time to take the ball on a couple of paces but he was immediately closed down and his effort was blocked by a lunging home centre half. He was just a little too slow to react initially and we had to settle for a corner. Barry Corr struck wide when well placed for our hosts before Harrold saw a right footed effort trickle into the arms of a grateful Bentley.

The game looked to be heading for a draw but there was still one glorious chance left and it fell the way of the usually reliable O'Toole. A counter attack saw Harrold play a lifted square pass across the box to an unmarked O'Toole who brought the ball down with his chest and fired towards goal from 8 yards out, only to see a desperate sliding block send the ball behind for a corner. Gasheads fell to the floor in disappointment as it seemed for all the world like JJ would be able to rifle home but it just wasn't to be.

The final whistle sounded and it marked a positive step forward in the progress that this young Rovers team are making at the moment. It was a much improved performance from some of the ones we've witnessed recently away from home and it means that we are now two games unbeaten heading into a tricky home clash with Fleetwood Town. 3 points at the Mem on Saturday would be very welcome although it won't be an easy task to defeat a Cod Army that boast the likes of Jeff Hughes and Jon Parkin in their ranks.

Bristol Rovers 2-2 Hartlepool United (League Two)

John-Joe O'Toole netted a late equaliser to rescue a point for Rovers against Hartlepool United. The midfielder fired home from the edge of the box to cancel out a Luke James brace in a much better second half performance.

JJ rescues point - Lifted from: bristolrovers.co.uk

It was an awful first half showing from Rovers. The ball was hoofed forward at every opportunity, our defending was panicky and there was no attacking intent. It was inevitable that we would pay the price, even against poor opposition such as Hartlepool, although nobody would have anticipated that this would be the case once we had, unbelievably, opened the scoring. Striker Matt Harrold swivelled in the penalty area and fired a terrific effort beyond Scott Flinders into the bottom corner. There was a collective sigh of relief from around the Mem - surely we could now raise our game and build on the lead?

Well, no. Almost before celebrations had died down the Monkey Hangers equalised through the lively James. The teenage forward received the ball outside the penalty area and manoeuvred space to drill a low strike into the bottom corner for 1-1. They say that you are at your most vulnerable after scoring but our defending was shambolic as James waltzed away from every Gas shirt.

Inexplicably, Rovers offered no response to the goal and Hartelpool doubled their tally just before half-time. Poor defending from a set-piece saw the ball bounce around the box towards James, who scrambled the ball home past a stranded Steve Mildenhall. Groans emerged from the Blackthorn End as they nobody could believe how woefully we were playing. There needed to be a big revival at half-time if we were to bring the game back from what looked like defeat. Hartlepool hadn't played particularly well for their lead and that was the most disappointing aspect - we were losing to a poor outfit.

Thankfully there was a massive improvement in the second half and the boys came out fighting. Immediate pressure was exerted on a stretched Pools back-line and a number of corners were forced from right wing crosses. There were near misses and desperate late blocks from their defence but it looked for all the world that an equaliser was arriving from striker Eliot Richards. The Welshman nudged a shot on goal that took a deflection and bounced agonisingly off the crossbar and behind for a corner. Then, Harrold headed inches wide when well placed before an Andy Bond effort cannoned off a diving defender.

The Gas have not won from a losing position in 70-odd matches and it seemed like that was set to continue with time elapsing. We deserved to get at least an equaliser for our second half exploits but even that didn't look like it was going to come. Thankfully, however, substitute David Clarkson got the ball out left, a low ball eventually found O'Toole, who drilled home through the legs of a distraught Flinders.

We didn't have enough nous to go on and get a winner but it is a point gained considering the fact we were trailing going into the final seconds. The second half was much better than the first but it still wasn't good enough to warrant 3 points and that's the most frustrating thing. We simply are not performing well enough and that's a major concern because it isn't good enough.

We now face a difficult trip to Southend United next Friday looking for our first points away from home.

Dagenham 2-0 Bristol Rovers (League Two)

It was a second consecutive poor away performance from Rovers at the LBBD stadium on Saturday and it ended with Gasheads letting the squad know exactly what they thought of the display.

Every team can have an off-day and in League Two these will be more frequent than at other levels but this wasn't a case of hard luck, we were just lifeless from start to finish. There was no spark, no conviction and the team looked disjointed. I can't go as far as to say certain individuals weren't bothered because it simply wasn't the case but I am very concerned by the sleepy start we've made to the season. Although we are unbeaten at home we have been very poor away from the Mem, scoring just 1 league goal and accruing 0 points. It puzzles me - we have near enough the same squad as last year but can't seem to create any goalscoring opportunities, something we were quite good at in the new year. What's the problem?

Well, our key players are not performing or leading by example, we don't have enough quality in wide areas and tactically we're lumping the ball forward and not utilising our midfield. These are three contributing factors. To me it seems obvious that with the personnel we have available playing route one football is not a good idea. Our goals in the second half of last season came through incisive attacking play when the ball had been kept on the deck and passed from midfield to our strikers. For some reason we seem incapable of producing that this time around and it's incredibly frustrating to watch because we all know that the team are able to do it. So, is it the manager's orders to get the ball forward with quick punts upfield or are the players panicking when in possession?

Matt Harrold hit a weak penalty - Lifted from: itv.com

The game on Saturday seemed to suggest it was a combination of the two. When any of our back-line have the ball at their feet they tend to play a lofted ball forward - Michael Smith, Tom Parkes and Lee Brown do look to pass it initially but eventually opt to get rid, Mark McChrystal tends to do that as soon as the ball reaches him. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'd rather the defence got rid of the ball instead of dallying on it and giving away cheap chances to the opposition but it's frustrating that the ball goes from back to front and then back again because we don't retain possession. I think John Ward does tell the team to go long a lot of the time but it's pointless when none of our strikers are genuine powerhouses. Ryan Brunt and Matt Harrold are tall forwards but they aren't the strongest and they are often towered over by centre halves. What is the point in giving the ball straight back to our opponents? When we have the ball we need to be able to keep it and force chances in the final third.

It doesn't help that Oliver Norburn attempts 40 yard glory passes every time he is in possession. They never work and the ball just sails out of play. You will notice that a lot of the time if Norburn is facing the right way the opposition won't press too much because they know exactly what he is going to do and they want to encourage him to attempt it because they know they'll be getting the ball back. His team mates can be excused for being reluctant to pass it to him. In fairness this may also apply to our wingers, who have proven to be too inexperienced to influence matches at the moment. They need game time to improve but to be relying on teenagers to provide assists every week is ludicrous and offers us very little quality on the flanks, rendering those areas almost redundant - we can't expect them to produce. If they do it's simply a bonus. I can see why the defence don't like passing it directly to our midfielders as they can't trust them to make use of it but that's a sad indictment of our current situation.

Norburn has been very poor this season but he isn't the only one, his central midfield partner has failed to shine as well. John-Joe O'Toole has yet to get going and games seem to be passing him by at the moment. I doubt he could give you a reason why it isn't going for him so far, it's just one of those things. The entire team are struggling for form and the pressure on his shoulders is massive. While we need him to get back to his best there also has to be other players stepping up to the plate and driving us on to victories, both defensively and up top. Unfortunately they haven't so far.

Dagenham were not a good side, that was clear from the way in which they gave possession away cheaply themselves, but they had a clear idea of how to cause us some damage. They had a game plan and they persevered with it, to their reward. They were determined, gutsy and kept the ball down when they could, passing to their pacey wide men whenever possible. Zavon Hines was a nuisance on one side and striker Rhys Murphy, formerly of Arsenal, was linking up well with both him and Billy Bingham. For their neat touches their opening goal should have been defended with ease by our experienced back four but it wasn't, which just about sums Rovers up at the moment. When the ball was eventually lofted across goal, McChrystal had time to adjust to the bounce and clear the danger. What he did, in fact, was wait for the ball to drop without opening his body up and swung a wild left foot that made little contact. The ball found its way to a Daggers player and the ball was put back into the 6 yard box where unmarked captain Abu Ogogo was on hand to bundle home.

The second half was marginally better from a Gas perspective but it still wasn't good. After a short spell of pressure we were given the opportunity to equalise after a Smith cross was blocked by the hand of a home defender. The ref awarded a spot-kick and Harrold grabbed the ball in hope of netting his first goal of the season. Disappointingly it was a poor strike because it lacked any form of accuracy and Chris Lewington was able to get down slightly to his right and keep it out. I knew from that moment that the game was lost because there wasn't a hope in hell of us creating another chance in front of goal. Our hosts seized the initiative at this point and went on to score a second through Luke Howell after a corner was not defended properly. Defensively I don't think we have a massive problem, as I've stated many times in the past, but we're conceding sloppy goals because we're having to do too much defending during a game. There's no respite during the 90 minutes because the ball keeps coming back and it isn't bringing the best out of our very good group of defenders. Clean sheets will come as and when the rest of the team regain their confidence, something Ward can play his part in by altering the tactics he employs.

With the players we have available to us at this very time this is the XI I would like to see start against Hartlepool United on Saturday: (4-3-1-2)

----------------------------- Mildenhall --------------------------------
Smith ------------ Parkes ------------ McChrystal -----------Brown
------------------- Gill ------- Bond ------- O'Toole ----------------
------------------------------ Clarkson ---------------------------------
------------------ Richards ------------ Brunt ------------------------

Matt Gill: does he deserve a chance? - Lifted from: thisisbristol.co.uk

There is, obviously, a lack of width in this line-up but that's deliberate on my part as I don't think relying on Alefe Santos and Ellis Harrison is a good idea for either their development or for our chances this season. I admire the way in which Ward wants to stick with his teenage wingers but it simply isn't working and I get the impression they are feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders as a result of their continued appearances. The spine of our team is where our strength lies and we should focus on trying to play through these players. In Matt Gill, Andy Bond and O'Toole we have three experienced, strong midfield players who like to keep the ball moving and offer a desire to get forward as well as defend. The positive feature of this formation and XI is that they aren't the sole support to our strikeforce as the versatile David Clarkson can play in the hole. For many months supporters have been asking for Clarkson to play in this position and it would give him the licence to dictate play from an advanced area instead of having to live off scraps. We would HAVE to keep the ball on the deck with this narrow line-up and that will bring the best out of each player in the team.

I fear this is to adventurous for Ward to try himself as he seems stubbornly insistent on playing 4-4-2 or a defensive 4-5-1. I understand the need to be wary of defensive duties in a game and not to go too gung-ho but the three central midfield players can marshal the back four as well as support attacks. To me this gives us our best chance of winning football matches at the present time.

The other formation and line-up that I think could bring us success is this (but if Ward feels the above is too wild then this will be a non-starter): (3-5-2)

----------------------------- Mildenhall --------------------------------

----------- Parkes -------- McChrystal --------- Kenneth ---------

-- Smith ----------------------------------------------------- Brown --

------------------- Gill ------- Bond ------- O'Toole ----------------

--------------------Clarkson ------------ Brunt ------------------------

Here our width would come courtesy of Smith and Lee Brown who have both shown they are adept at running down the line and whipping in crosses. They don't always trouble the opposition but most of our goals in the opening 7 league games have come from overlapping crosses from our full-backs. In this wing-back role both Smith and Brown offer Ward the defensive protection he cares so much about but offers additional strength in the middle of the park with the 3 central midfielders. Smith and Brown will support the attacks but we now have players playing through the middle of the pitch, something we desperately need to start doing with the abundance of central midfielders we have. Garry Kenneth slotting into the defence is vitally important because I genuinely think he could prove to be a terrific player for us when given the chance. Alongside both Parkes and McChrystal, the trio could easily become the most formidable central defenders in the lower leagues. I know I wouldn't like coming up against them.

Ward will inevitably stick with the same players and the same formation at the weekend which is incredibly frustrating when you consider the other options we could use. He will stick with Norburn, play Bond out of position on the wing and rely on one of our teenage wingers to be the focal point of our attacks. Given this and the undoubted direct tactics that we will use I have a feeling Saturday will be a real scrap against a side who have won just once this season.

Oh dear.

Andy Bond Signs

Colchester United midfielder Andy Bond has today signed a 1 month loan deal with Rovers and will link up with the squad tomorrow ahead of the weekend trip to Dagenham & Redbridge.

Andy Bond in action for Colchester - Lifted from: bbc.co.uk

Bond, a former team-mate of John-Joe O'Toole at the U's, has made predominantly substitute appearances for Joe Dunne's side so far this season. He netted the winner at Gillingham on the opening day after coming off the bench. He joined Colchester as John Ward's first signing in 2010 from non-league Barrow and was deployed in a number of positions across the middle in his first season. Among non-league experts he was likened to Frank Lampard for his goalscoring prowess.

Colchester fans say that Bond is most certainly not a wide man and is best used as an attacking midfield player. It seems a strange signing given the fact that Matt Gill is now fully fit and both Ollie Clarke and Seanan Clucas are just a few weeks away from returning to action but Ward states that the 'experience' will help. Reuniting Bond with O'Toole may prove to be a masterstroke and provide the inventiveness that has been several lacking in the last few weeks.

He has joined on an initial 1 month loan with the option for that to be extended should it prove successful.

Welcome aboard, Andy.