James Belshaw's Bristol Rovers future hangs in the balance..ByJames Piercy, Sports Editor.
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James Belshaw in action v SwanseaShould we really be surprised? As far back as December, Joey B***** was publicly revealing - largely unprompted, as well - his own misgivings about James Belshaw's performances.
A sacred cow among supporters, seemingly untouchable within the starting XI, based on emotional as well as sporting reasons, the reality quickly became very different to previous perceptions of the Bristol Rovers No1's place.
“Ultimately the buck has to stop somewhere and if you’re trying to fix a problem, if there’s a puncture you’ve got to take a tyre off,” B***** said, after the 4-3 home defeat to Exeter in which he held his goalkeeper culpable.
“Belly has been fantastic but we’re in the business of getting better and improving. Some people just reach the ceiling of what they’re capable of and they’re not capable of going any further.
“I’m here to get the club to the Championship, there are going to be lads in there that are fan favourites. They’re going to get moved on because if they don’t don’t produce and perform for me. I want to win and winners, you have got to be ruthless. It’s not about sentiment. I’m here to win games of football and to be an effective and efficient unit.”
The subtext of that was only enhanced by the loan arrival of Ellery Balcombe from Brentford which simultaneously emphasised Belshaw’s shaky position in the team but also his standing at the club - based on the audible disquiet and unease from some sections of the fanbase towards the new man.
Just a few weeks later he was being dropped from the matchday 18 altogether with B***** then warning, “Belly’s a really good citizen and a great goalkeeper for us but nobody is bigger than our team and the football club.”
As we know, Belshaw eventually rose to the challenge with the gallery on his side and had soon reclaimed his place but perhaps not the full trust of his manager as, once again, we were all told - when not even having to read between the lines with any great focus - about the intentions for the summer window.
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In comes Matt Cox from Brentford, a goalkeeper who spent 24 matches last season as David Raya’s back-up in the Premier League, and the 20-year-old is surely here to play consistently over the course of the season. It’s hard to see how the Gas could negotiate the transfer for the England Under-20 international ahead of a number of EFL rivals without such assurances.
i2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/incoming/article8629118.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/0_JMP-Swansea-City-v-Bristol-Rovers_ac_072JPG.jpgMatt Cox in action v SwanseaThat being said, the idea of Cox and Belshaw as colleagues and competitors makes a degree of sense, or at least it did, as the new man knows he has an established figure in front of him to displace and, based on Balcombe’s experience, it will take more than just winning over his manager. That alone, can be viewed as a unique challenge in the development of a young footballer.
Likewise, Belshaw has very clear and present danger of losing his place in the team should his aberration at Braga be replicated in a competitive setting. As the theory goes, each man therefore makes the other one better and Rovers are the main beneficiaries.
A major caveat arrived just under 24 hours later with Matt Hall arriving on a free transfer. The 20-year-old largely unknown outside of academy circles who can justifiably be regarded as a “project”, and who, as a side point, it’ll be interesting to discover exactly how he was scouted and recruited.
Rovers have temporarily waved farewell to their primary long-term vision for the position with Jed Ward securing a National League loan to Wealdstone, something that can very much be considered a successful part of his process as the 20-year-old can hopefully play 40+ games at a higher level than he’s experienced before, returning next season ready to make the next step up. That may well be another loan, this time at League Two level, or it could be for the No1 jersey at the Gas.
But while his future appears straightforward in how it’s mapped out over the next year, the Cox-Belshaw-Hall dynamic looks a slightly awkward one. There is a case that given the latter’s age, why not have him as a third-choice to get a proper look over the course of the season. It appears to have been viewed as a low-risk, potential high reward acquisition, if everything falls into place.
The concept of him even becoming a No2 is a sizeable leap based on his previous senior experience - he’s only ever an injury or suspension away from making a first-team debut and even if he proves to be the second coming of Nigel Martyn, those initial first steps are liable to be inconsistent ones. It seems, at the very least, a risk by B*****.
i2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/incoming/article8631758.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_JMP-Swansea-City-v-Bristol-Rovers_ac_015JPG.jpgThe present incumbent at BRFCThen again, he could point to the fact that since Belshaw has been at the club, Rovers’ back-ups (Balcombe, Ward and Jaakkola) over the last two seasons, in terms of league appearances where it’s been necessary for them to play as opposed cup fixtures where you can pick and choose, have played nine and four games between them, so maybe you can afford to take the gamble.
There is also a curious contradiction in all of this as well because part of Rovers’ transfer strategy this summer was informed by needing to add greater experience, particularly in defence.
And yet, here we are discussing the potential of Rovers going into a League One campaign, in which the objective is to get promoted, with two 20-year-old goalkeepers, neither of which having made a senior first-team appearance in a competitive setting.
But we’re perhaps getting ahead of ourselves a little, because perhaps the real point is that Rovers have manoeuvred themselves into a position whereby they can move Belshaw on, if that is their true desire.
It’s all well and good not wanting a player or considering them for a transfer out of the club, but to do it you need an interested party, or parties, and also a situation whereby should they leave, it doesn’t adversely impact your squad and options available to you. That thought-process is more profound in the goalkeeper department which is a delicate and unique area of the field in how specialised it is.