Bristol Rovers January transfer window verdict as Rovers shrewd in their business

Frustration on Deadline Day but overall Joey Barton should be happy with Bristol Rovers’ business
All smiles for Joey Barton who should be happy with Bristol Rovers’ business. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)All smiles for Joey Barton who should be happy with Bristol Rovers’ business. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
All smiles for Joey Barton who should be happy with Bristol Rovers’ business. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)

January has proved a positive month for Bristol Rovers with there being a feel good factor around the place.

The Gas are League One’s in-form team at the moment with 13 points out of a possible 15 with some fans calling for Joey Barton to be named as the Manager of the Month.

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A recent win over Walsall moved them into the top-half of the table and are now only six points off the playoffs with a game in hand.

Results have come against the struggling teams in the division but ultimately you have to beat what is put in front of you and so far they are doing that.

Rewind back to just a few months ago and there was a doom and gloom feel about the place but appointments off the pitch such as a new CEO as well as an emphasis on improving fan engagement have borne fruits.

After the win against Walsall, Barton continued the theme of speaking about how the relationship with the playing squad and fans have grown.

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“To see the passion and all the fans coming in the stadium and the way they interact with us now compared to the way it was.

“I didn’t think it was going to be possible, at times I was wondering how are we going to turn this around.”

But slowly and surely they have turned a corner and now things are looking up rather than down with a play-off push evident right now.

Rovers were early season promotion favourites but by their own standards after a difficult start hadn’t met those expectations set upon themselves.

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Though the task in hand was quite a big one given a big summer overhaul of the first-team squad meant the transfer windows was important this month, it feels like Rovers got it right.

Whilst it was quieter, January was equally as important as it’s a time of the season that can decide the outcome of the campaign five months later.

Bristol Rovers’ priority signing this transfer window was Ryan Loft. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Bristol Rovers’ priority signing this transfer window was Ryan Loft. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Bristol Rovers’ priority signing this transfer window was Ryan Loft. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

A desire for a forward was stated before the window opened and quickly after they got their man, Ryan Loft from Scunthorpe United.

With the 24-year-old out of contract at the end of the season the struggling club were keen to sell with the player offered to a number of clubs and a vast amount of interest.

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Loft ended up signing for the Gas for an undisclosed fee and has so far played two games but failed to find the net, though he’s not yet completed a full game.

On paper Loft is what Rovers needed, an out-and-out number nine to hold the ball up, get goals and bring the others in to play.

An example of this was on his debut when he partnered up with Aaron Collins against Hartlepool and whilst he didn’t score, Collins did but it was the former Scunny man who tired their centre-backs.

Loft now has competition in his area because Leon Clarke has since returned so the two will either compete to partner Collins or the three will go into a triple threat to compete if Rovers only deploy one striker.

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Either way with the striker signed on a two-and-half-year contract, there is faith in him to come good and so far Barton has been impressed.

It then moves us on to the second addition which is James Connolly from Cardiff City. He was thrown straight in for his debut against Peterborough, announced on the same day of the game.

Connolly played well but was then taken out of the side against Hartlepool but since there have been injuries to Alfie Kilgour and Cian Harries, the 20-year-old has slotted in well alongside Connor Taylor, another young defender.

The centre-back was a target for both Barton and Mangan in the summer but he opted for Under-23’s football but so far Connolly has adapted to senior level football well.

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There was a hiccup against Scunthorpe when he was part of a defence that shipped two quickfire goals but other than that he’s shown the attributes that he can cope at this level.

A few things that stand out for me is how comfortable he is in possession and that he can deal with the press of a striker to play a pass under pressure. He’s also good in a last ditch situation and times his tackle well, so as long as he remains available, he’ll be a good player to have.

Bristol Rovers recruited in defence, midfield and attack after the signing of Elliot Anderson. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Bristol Rovers recruited in defence, midfield and attack after the signing of Elliot Anderson. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Bristol Rovers recruited in defence, midfield and attack after the signing of Elliot Anderson. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

And then that brings us to our third and final addition of the winter window, Elliot Anderson from Newcastle United.

A few plates were spinning on deadline day but ultimately only one came off and that came just an hour before the window shut.

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Anderson is a young player that reportedly had interest from Championship side Luton as well as a couple of League One clubs.

The 19-year-old was captain of Newcastle’s youth team and this season found himself on the bench on two occasions for two Premier League games.

This was a position that Barton wanted to strengthen in and has now got cover for a player in the same mould as Antony Evans and Sam Finley.

One frustration will be that they were unable to get a left-back through the door to provide cover for Josh Grant because he sees deputee Nick Anderton as more of a centre-back.

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Currently there isn’t an out-and-out left-back available because Trevor Clarke is out for the next five to six weeks due to surgery on his groin. Taking the workload off of Grant would have been the icing on the cake of what was a good window.

The signing of Ryan Loft may affect Brett Pitman’s long-term future at the club. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)The signing of Ryan Loft may affect Brett Pitman’s long-term future at the club. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The signing of Ryan Loft may affect Brett Pitman’s long-term future at the club. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Though it does bring us on to our outgoings and one player who didn’t depart was Junior Brown who can play that position.

Brown hasn’t played since October and Barton had discussions about moving him on but as for now he remains a Rovers player.

Given the business wasn’t pulled off in that area there could be a way back for him should he try and keep himself fit.

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It’ll be up to both him and Clarke to persuade Barton to stop playing non-recognised left-backs in the position.

Brett Pitman was another player who didn’t leave despite being told that he could do though there is the possibility of leaving for a National League team, who aren’t bound by a window.

Pitman has never played in the non-league so it would be a drop for a striker who scored double figures in the third tier last season so he may stick around.

His potential route back into the side is harder because the addition of Loft as well as the return of Clarke put him down the pecking order whilst Aaron Collins is in form right now,

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Given he’s out of contract at the end of the season, Rovers may just have to cut their losses and keep him on board.

For the players that did leave they were to be expected as the club looked to trim the squad and make use of the ‘wasted resources’.

Mark Hughes brought an end to his playing career and became a coach at Plymouth Argyle and whilst there wasn’t compensation, he wasn’t in the side enough, though he was part of Barton’s coaching staff whilst injured.

Ollie Hulbert’s loan at Gloucester City was extended and that was to be understood given the signing of a forward. The striker is excelling for Lee Mansell right now and it would be better to keep him there than disrupt his progress.

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Goalkeeper Jed Ward was allowed to leave for Swindon Supermarine following the return of Anssi Jaakkola and that will bring him some vital first-team minutes after only having a look in the EFL Trophy.

Ultimately, the departure of Zain Westbrooke also made sense as he wasn’t part of Barton’s plans and he’s now at Stevenage where he’s playing under former boss Paul Tisdale. Westbrook will have had one of the higher wages out of the departures so his departure freed up a space and some money for a new addition.

Zain Walker also left and this time it was on a permanent deal with Rovers getting some cash from King’s Lynn. He was an academy product and whilst it was sad he didn’t make the grade after a good start last season, it’s good that he took a drop into the non-league to rebuild his career.

With the transfer window now shut, attention will turn to maintaining this promotion bid as well as looking at the long-term futures of their players. Fans were expecting bids for Antony Evans and Sam Nicholson but they didn’t come so with no key departures, the tools are now there for a strong finish to the season.

Transfer window verdict: 7.5/10

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