Joey Barton banned his players from their annual trip to Cheltenham this year with the 2-0 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers essentially sealing their fate and any squad or staff members caught celebrating in that corner of Gloucestershire over the next three days face a heavy fine.
Barton has set his team a points target for a 10-game block which would have coincided with the Wednesday of the festival, but they fell three points short and instead will spend their day off watching the racing in front of the television rather than trackside.
Last season’s pilgrimage up the M5 famously helped spark their stunning conclusion to the League Two campaign but, as Tuesday night emphasised against a Chairboys team knocking on the door of the top six, the Gas are still some way short in being considered a credible play-off challenger.
That assessment can be further tested, and challenged, over the final 10 games of the season as Rovers face eight teams above them in the table, seven of which are currently competing for automatic promotion or for a top six finish.
Therefore any thoughts of this campaign petering out can be eradicated for now, because very evidently the manager is always watching - and not just to check if anyone sneaks in at Cheltenham - as he intends to go into the summer with a strong idea of who will be up to the task for next season and who won’t be, and this new block of games will unquestionably shape that.
Here are the talking points from Tuesday night’s defeat at the Mem as the Gas’ wait for a home win continues with four draws and two defeats in BS7 since the victory over Cheltenham Town on New Year’s Day…
Several lessons to be had
This was Wycombe but not quite as we know it. Of course, they were physical and direct, organised, undoubtedly, and, yes, there was some gamesmanship in there over injuries and clock management but Matt Bloomfield is working with the same group of players that Gareth Ainsworth had so expertly moulded into an efficient machine on a limited budget.
They didn’t go quite as long, aerially, at least and some of the patterns they played to quickly unleash the eternally threatening Garath McClearly were impressive; like the best counter-attacking sides, they were able to transition attack in defence with ruthless speed, exploiting space, especially in the second half as Grant Ward was a little overmatched and outnumbered in midfield due to Rovers pushing forward in a very attack-focused system.
Barton wasn’t impressed, talking down their promotion chances and indicating their identity won’t be as strong as it was under his former QPR teammate but he did concede his side needed to be more “streetwise”.
There are quite a few conclusions to be drawn from that around perhaps not diving in and fouling when very deliberately tempted to by the opposition, marking at set-pieces and maintaining composure and their structure when faced with spoilering tactics, but the other is a little more simple and a football tale as old as time - take your chances when you’re on top.
The expected goals for this contest was a very even 1.93-1.85, and for the first 15 minutes of both halves, the Gas were the better side: Josh Coburn was denied by a fine Max Stryjek save in the opening exchanges after being set clear by Aaron Collins and then fired wide after bringing down a fine diagonal by Lewis Gibson.
In the second period as Barton pushed three, sometimes four forwards into attacking positions, Ryan Loft flicked a header wide and then struck the face of the post with John Marquis and Coburn unable to profit from the rebound.
Antony Evans also found some joy down the right but his cutback to Coburn was bundled away at close range. Goalkeeper Stryjek was perhaps the underrated player of the game as he fully earned his clean sheet with some fine handling and one or two excellent saves but it also ensured Rovers never properly built up a sense of momentum.
Had they scored first, that would have been a very different game as the Gas could then seek to control proceedings rather than chasing the contest, and naturally leaving themselves vulnerable. Likewise, had an equaliser been secured in those moments of second half pressure, Wycombe would have suddenly found themselves on the back foot and with a pumped-up Thatchers End, more goals would have likely followed.
Just as they ensured that dynamic never surfaced, they also successfully kept the crowd under control, emphasised that when the board went up for six minutes of added time, the loudest noise was the sound of collective incredulity over the perceived short length of time calculated by the officials rather than any genuine hope that a goal would be forthcoming.
Collins criticism
It was one of those nights where a lot didn’t quite work out for a Gas side who, in the main, played okay, with a smattering of bright individual performances - Grant Ward, in particular, Lamare Bogarde (error/bobble aside), Coburn is looking dangerous again - but Aaron Collins, unfortunately can’t fit into that category as it was a bit of a forgettable 90 minutes by the Welshman.
Well, we say 90 minutes but, in fact, in that first 15 minutes or so he looked a threat; finding space in between the lines, rolling off defenders and working alongside Coburn who was winning flick-ons, with Marquis also bright and inventive. Wycombe’s backline at times appeared very one-paced and ponderous and with that trio buzzing around them - Marquis and Collins occasionally swapping positions - and looking fluid on the ball, as they cut them open several times, that opening goal looked on the horizon.
One fantastic move built from the back as Jarell Quansah and Ward exchanged passes, drawing Wycombe players in like a tractor beam, before a ball over the top foundMarquis and a quick touch and a Collins through-ball later, Coburn was away.
Sadly, that was as good as it got for the 25-year-old who struggled to maintain his influence for the remainder of the half and then after the break with the three-pronged trident of Coburn, Marquis and Ryan Loft occupying the forward roles, was either too deep or a little starved of space. Rovers also naturally went a little more direct with their passing, particularly out to Evans on the right so it left Collins a little bit of a spare part, which then subsequently exposed his apparent weaknesses out of possession, drawing the ire of Barton post-match.
It was a largely innocent question around his disappointment of not being called by Wales that led to Barton’s very deliberate public dressing down, clearly indicating the whole international narrative may have proved an unwelcome distraction for his star man.
Collins’ season is in danger of being easily split into two very defined halves (and for the benefit of the point we’ll oblige): across his first 23 games of 2022/23, he scored 11 goals and added eight assists at a rate of a goal involvement every 106.8 minutes; in his following 13 matches, he’s found the target four times and set up a goal for a teammate on three occasions, that goal involvement number rising to 191.3 minutes.
It’s worth noting at this point it’s easy to construct such an argument because he’s played so many games, and there’s every reason to suggest he’ll make 46 starts this term which for a forward player would be an impressive achievement.
No Rovers player has got anywhere near his 3,179 minutes, with James Belshaw second on 2,790 and the next outfield player being Antony Evans on 2,443. He also ranks third among all outfield players in League One, behind Shrewsbury Town duo Cheyenne Dunkley (3,243) and Luke Leahy (3,219).
Collins’ ubiquity on the teamsheet is taken for granted to an extent, and considering the volume of kicks he takes, his durability, as much as what he does in the final third, is a tremendous (and underrated) attribute. But there are growing indications that the No10 is losing some of his magic powers as the workload shows little sign of abating plus the fact his versatility means he’s often changing roles for the benefit of others.
No player wants to admit they need a rest, but a game or two on the bench could do him the power of good, especially with Coburn and Marquis now returning to form. And, as a side point, who knows, that could also allow Luke McCormick a road to redemption.
As for what Barton said about his star man. On the one hand there will be concern and no doubt some conspiracies about the manager’s conduct, but while some of it was said with very dark humour, he chose his words very carefully - he was furious inside but it wasn’t said in anger.
We can’t speak of the incident the manager specified - as Barton highlighted a header in which he ducked - because we didn’t see it, or at least isn’t recollected with any significance but it does tap into the idea of the striker losing a little bit of his bite.
Collins has spoken previously that he’s a player who can take such criticism as a driving force and he can thrive when either his coaches or teammates are “getting into him”, whether or not he appreciates it being made in such a public forum is another thing but guess we’ll find out if it’s work in the coming weeks.
Lack of depth but Loft threat revisited
Until around 3pm Rovers were set to line up in the same starting XI as had taken to the field with success against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. That was until Luca Hoole turned up white as a sheet with the Wales Under-21 defender too ill to be selected and instead joined Sam Finley as a victim of the virus that has gone around the Gas camp.
With Paul Coutts’ knee keeping him sidelined, Harry Anderson having recently undergone ground surgery and Jordan Rossiter’s out for potentially the rest of the season, with James Gibbons long-awaited two-match suspension confirmed also on Tuesday, Barton’s resources were significantly depleted.
That meant the manager could only select six of the allocated seven substitutes, although had the Development Squad not played against Cheltenham Town on Monday in the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup semi-final, then Jerry Lawrence’s name might have come into consideration.
Finley and Hoole now have the rest of the week to get better but bearing in mind the impact on the body of such a bug and then having to work their way back to some degree of match fitness, it seems unlikely to expect either of them to start Saturday’s game against Portsmouth.
As the team displayed against Wycombe, the starting XI was largely okay in its performance, with certain individuals impressing over others, but the key for Barton is the lack of flexibility and options should he wish to make changes for the weekend.
One very evident issue is in defence as James Connolly’s struggles continue as he made his first start in three matches and was then hooked at half-time having not quite looked up to the pace of the game and Wycombe’s muscular forward play.
It also allowed the system change to what became a sort of 4-2-1-3, or even at times in possession a 4-1-5 with Ward holding his own in midfield and Evans shifting out to the right wing.
That won’t be a formation to start with against a Pompey side who have shown clear improvements since John Mousinho replaced Danny Cowley and retain a small sense of optimism of gatecrashing the top six.
In effect, barring a Finley-related miracle, Barton may have to roll with largely the same team that took to the field against the Chairboys, with the exception potentially in attack where Ryan Loft gave a few timely reminders of his threat in the second half.
So quickly does a season progress, it’s easy to forget just how devastating the big targetman was for a period in September and October, before injury and then suspension interrupted his development after he had finally started to look the part in this Gas team.
On Tuesday, he was a notable presence in the penalty area and showed all his usual instincts in seizing upon a couple of fine Evans’ centres, the second of which he cleverly directed over Stryjek’s outstretched arm and unfortunately off the face of the post.
The issue for Barton is how can he get Loft, Coburn and Marquis into his team without making other areas more vulnerable, and the answer is he probably can’t, even in light of Collins’ struggles, especially with some of the recent defensive issues resurfacing.
But Loft, at the very least, has shown himself to be a potent option off the bench and performing that role to the maximum of his abilities for the next few games looks his best route back into the starting XI, unless Coburn and Marquis experience a dip.
The good and not-so good of Bogarde
It’s perhaps a little harsh to place too much focus on a 19-year-old making only the eighth senior appearance of his career but Bogarde is a fascinating player and someone who clearly has it .
He plays with a sort of quiet confidence and understated authority; always available and willing to receive a pass and regularly looking to make something happen - even when he plays what appears a simple lateral ball, it’s with a design on then moving himself into an area of greater control and receive the return pass.
He displayed his versatility by shifting into a right-back role after half-time, allowing Barton to switch things up and flood the pitch with forwards. If the Dutchman wasn’t there, that move probably wasn’t possible. And while it may have yielded mixed results, it shows his value because although the Gas lost a bit of his continuity in the middle, he certainly kept his flank locked down - as McCleary ran riot down the right - and kept it simple by getting the ball into Evans whenever he could.
Given his age and inexperience there are going to be moments like last night where his strength becomes a weakness for the Gas, although Barton was quick to absolve him of any blame for the first goal as he miscontrolled a simple short pass into feet, with his first touch uncharacteristically loose and then Hanlan sent clear to score.
Barton blamed a bobble in the pitch with the crux of the issue being he encourages his team to keep possession, even in areas of potential vulnerability, but can’t do so if the turf doesn’t permit a smooth run of the ball.
Having a player as proficient and technically clean as Bogarde allows such a process, but also naturally carries a threat because he simply won’t be as consistent in his actions as what he will be in 3-4 years time where, we’d imagine, he’ll be playing consistently at a higher level.
As greater evidence of such was in the second half when, with the ball at his feet and looking for an opening he aimed to switch the play by intending to drill a crossfield pass into Lewis Gordon to then attack down the left but instead hooked the pass and found the very grateful feet of McCleary and the Gas were forced on the back foot again.
The fouls can also be viewed as a concern, there were four against Wycombe, a team high, and a second successive yellow card but like his passing that is also a likely symptom of his desire to get stuck and under no circumstances is Barton going to start telling him to hold back, just maybe pick his moments a little better.
These are but a few missteps he made across the game - his 83.8 per cent pass completion was the second best in the entire team - and the fact Barton trusts him in two key positions against a team who are essentially high-level League One opposition shows how quickly he’s had an impact in this squad.
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