‘Needed’ - Joey Barton hailed for unenviable overhaul of Bristol Rovers

Mark Little has hailed Joey Barton for his overhaul of Bristol Rovers and that it was much-needed for the club to be successful. Barton took over in February 2021 and things have changed drastically since.

Barton was the third manager of that ill-fated relegation season after Ben Garner was sacked and later replaced by Paul Tisdale. The former Manchester City midfielder could not stop the team from being relegated and a large overhaul of the club took place.

Little, who was at the club when Barton arrived, struggled for game time when the 40-year-old replaced Tisdale. He ended up playing just 25 minutes under him, becoming an unused substitute under him five times, as well as being left out of the match-day squad.

Little arrived having represented the red side of Bristol. The 34-year-old didn’t arrive directly from Bristol City and had first played for Bolton Wanderers, before making the move to BS7. He had enjoyed his time in the City and was keen to return.

Judging his experiences at the two clubs, he pointed out that in the early stages of his tenure that there was a considerable difference between the two.

Barton ended up releasing Little in what was a major shake-up of the squad with only several players remaining for the next season. New heroes emerged and Rovers were able to win promotion at the first time of asking, finishing third in League Two last year.

"It was of course a risk but I would have done the same, it was what was needed. I don’t know how it went out, I imagine it was ‘Mr Barton, we’d like to interview you for the job. Joey would have said I am only coming if I get in the say in all these things.

"There is no point coming down here and somebody is running a club in a different way Joey wants to. It was the same as Steve Cotterill, the types of people they are, rightly or wrongly so, they need to be the boss and in charge of the departments. I believe that is what will have been said. Everything came together and got an overhaul which was fantastic."

"The culture was demanded as soon as he got in there. It was the main focus really. Joey at the time and sorted the culture out in how it should be around the place and how we should apply ourselves to train.

"It wasn’t so much being on the training ground and giving us tactics. You should stand here and you should kick it here. We obviously did set plays. He was there as the figure and how you should conduct yourself as a professional footballer going for promotion.

"It is exactly what we needed. It’s not just players as well he had a clear out of staff. He changed what was needed and that is where the club turned a corner. It takes time for Joey to get his players in and buy into that. It’s not going to happen overnight."

In the eyes of the former right-back, now plying his trade in the Welsh top flight with Penybont, he believes that improvements have been made to help the club achieve their goal. The Quarters training ground in Almondsbury has been improved and has backed the investment Wael al-Qadi is making in to the football club.

“There was a cultural difference between the both clubs. I believe Joey’s been in and around it and he understands building a culture. When I left that was being put in to place, it certainly wasn’t there when I arrived. It wasn’t a functional place to be at the time.

"City had absolutely everything and everything was done properly,” he said. “Rovers certainly wasn’t. “It was renting a patch of grass on a road. They obviously want to achieve Championship football. It would have never happened when I first arrived.

“The owner is putting the money where his mouth is and is investing at this moment in time. He was investing with a new training ground. You’ve now got someone in charge who knows what it takes without a shadow of a doubt to get that club where they want to be. They are playing catch-up but they are moving forward which is a brilliant thing for Bristol.”