Matt Taylor

Suspension mystery for Matt Taylor with Bristol Rovers boss set for second game in stands..By Daniel Hargraves.

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Matt Taylor will be absent from the Bristol Rovers dugout once again this weekend against Carlisle

Matt Taylor will once again be absent from the Bristol Rovers dugout this weekend at home to Carlisle United as he serves the second match of his two-game suspension after picking up his sixth yellow card of the season.

Rovers manager Taylor has collected two known yellow cards since arriving at the Mem in December, one for running down the touchline to celebrate Luke Thomas' 94th minute winner against Portsmouth on Boxing Day and another at Stevenage last week, for protesting when a Boro player picked up a Gas player after they went down injured.

However, the 42-year-old only found out that he would be banned from the dugout for two matches last Thursday, claiming he can only remember three yellow cards from his time at Rotherham United earlier this season which saw him serve a one-game suspension for the Millers' Championship match at Cardiff City in September.

"I can remember three," Taylor insisted after the 3-1 loss at Sixfields last weekend. "Some of them are from incredible situations but I can remember three. There must be a fourth in there. I didn’t know I was on five going into Tuesday’s game.

"Would I have reacted the same way as I did when one of the opposition players picks up an injured player on the floor? I probably would do actually. But it’s incredible how I sit in the stands and get a suspension and every time a referee makes a mistake they’re still out there the following week."

The three yellow cards prior to his arrival in BS7 were shown for kicking a water bottle after seeing a player sent off against Blackburn, which was subsequently apologised for by referees group PGMOL, protesting an amount of added time shown at Sunderland and voicing frustrations with decisions at home to Preston North End.

However, the nature of the sixth yellow card, whether that was before his departure from Rotherham in November or while at Rovers, remains a mystery but will mean that, once again, assistant manager Jamie McAllister will have to lead the side from the dugout alongside Individual Player Development Coach Wayne Carlisle, while Taylor watches on from the stands at the Mem as the Pirates host bottom-side Carlisle.

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It sounds as though Taylor has had to endure similar frustrations with officials at both clubs he has been in charge of this season having had two bans while also receiving an apology from PGMOL head Howard Webb.

The Gas boss will always be fair regarding officiating, admitting that he would be speaking with midfielders Antony Evans and Kamil Conteh after they received suspensions for accumulating 10 yellow cards and being sent off, respectively, against Stevenage. He also admitted that he was "rightly" booked for his celebrations against Portsmouth.

Frustratingly though, the 42-year-old once again can't lead his side from the dugout because of some poor decisions and a booking that still remains a mystery.

Speaking after receiving his third yellow card at Rotherham in September which meant a one-game suspension, the former Millers boss told the Rotherham Advertiser: "I'll pay the fine because the club won't pay it and I'll keep on doing that because if I don't then no-one will talk about the issue.

"It's wrong and I have to keep on highlighting that it's wrong. Do I just stand there and let it happen? I can't do that. I have to somehow find a way of highlighting the deficiencies in that (refereeing) department. I have to fight for my players.

"They can't do it themselves. We can't afford another sending-off or a booking for them. We can't have them picking up suspensions and being unavailable."

Matt Taylor hails Bristol Rovers' 'work ethic' as two stunning goals seal victory over Carlisle..by Daniel Hargraves.

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Matt Taylor has hailed his Bristol Rovers side's work ethic as they returned to winning ways on home turf with a 2-1 victory against Carlisle United at the Mem on Saturday afternoon thanks to two cracking goals.

It was another slow start from Rovers and they gave themselves plenty of work to do as Josh Vela fired League One's bottom side into the lead after 16 minutes. However, an eye-catching backheel flick and cross from Jevani Brown set Chris Martin up for a crucial equaliser before the interval.

A double save from Jed Ward and some vital defending prevented the visitors from retaking the lead early in the second half before more good work from Brown set up Scott Sinclair to cut inside and fire in the winning strike off of the crossbar for his first goal since August.
Although the two stunning goals will make the headlines, it was the Gas' work rate and commitment to the cause that particularly pleased Taylor, who exclaimed post-match: "The work ethic. How hard they worked on a heavy pitch for both teams but also coming from a goal down so that character aspect because they’ve done it in two games. I don’t want it to be a habit because I don’t want us to be behind. First goals at this level are so, so important and mean so much but we got back in the game then all of a sudden we just grew as a team.

"We’re probably more solid in a certain different formation but the players have got to make it work but I just thought they went forward as opposed to backward and worked harder than maybe they have done previously.

"Not perfect in any way," he added. "I don’t think the pitch at the moment allows you to be perfect for large parts of the game, certainly in terms of how fluid the game is. I thought we were honest with our intent to work hard and get to the ball and put the opposition under pressure."

After another poor start where Rovers conceded the first goal, the timing of the equaliser can't be underestimated as it got the hosts back into the game and provided them with a platform to build from going into the break as opposed to being behind by a goal, or possibly worse, against the division's lowest ranked team and having the pressure of trying to recover a grip on proceedings.

"That equalising goal is a big moment," the Gas boss added. "Jevani’s touch and a bit of skill and the cross for Chrissy who got on the end of it. That is a big moment and can’t go underestimated because we know if we stay behind for longer, the pressure and expectation increases, especially against the team that are bottom of the league at the moment.

"That was a big moment and we were able to build on that because we felt like we were in a good place at half-time but it still needed a bit of quality to be the difference in the second half."

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Although Sinclair was awarded man of the match, Brown's performance quite rightly received plenty of plaudits as the 29-year-old provided two assists and demonstrated more of what Rovers fans hoped to get out of the former Exeter man who has endured a first season with the Gas that has been anything but straightforward.

It wasn't just his quality in the final third though as the forward worked tirelessly for the cause, tracking back and making himself available to create positive actions for his team, something everyone wants to see more of from him on a more consistent basis.

However, after struggling for minutes a month ago, it is worth noting that the playmaker's improvement of late has been outstanding and he is showing more glimpses of the quality he possesses.

Admittedly, when Taylor took the job at the Mem, the improvement of Brown was a hot topic given that the pair had worked together previously at Exeter where the 29-year-old was so effective but now we are starting to see evident improvement.

"It was but it’s got to be the start of more," the Pirates manager insisted. "We can all agree that his career at Bristol Rovers to date hasn’t been enough in terms of that contribution. We all know it’s there but it’s also got to go on top of the foundation of himself and the team today which was the work ethic and doing your job. Understanding your responsibilities in relation to the intent, bravery and competitive aspects of the game. He will have those moments.

"Obviously, the team has got to be in a position to give him the platform to do that close to goal more often than not but he also showed a few signs in the second half as well. Hopefully that’s a big boost in the right direction for Jevani.

"I know him better than anyone so I know he can be fitter. The disjointed nature of his season has probably left him in a position where he’s not quite at his brightest or sharpest so that will come with game and training time at different intensity."

Although being away from the dugout once again as he served the final game of his two-match suspension from the touchline, Taylor did admit that he was in the best position in the stands possible to witness Sinclair's winner but admitted he's particularly looking forward to returning to the dugout for next weekend's trip to Leyton Orient.

"I didn’t enjoy it at all apart from that [Sinclair’s goal] because I was directly behind it," the 42-year-old revealed. "It was the one blessing of being in the stands, I was directly behind Scott’s goal. A good bit of control in the middle of the park from Jevani again and then a one v one situation and because he’s a right-footed player playing on the left, it’s so difficult to defend against.

"It’s brutal, especially when trying to get changes on. You’re trying to communicate messages down so I’m looking forward to being on the touchline. It’s where I should and need to be. I’ve got to try and curb my enthusiasm but I’ll always stand by what’s right for the team."

MT's acquisition of of Conteh has proved shrewd.Will be very interesting to see who else he goes for in the summer.

Home truths from Matt Taylor as Bristol Rovers are thrashed in "diabolical" display at Lincoln..Full Report by Daniel Hargraves.

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Matt Taylor has admitted that he will be asking whether his Bristol Rovers players have mentally checked out for the season after their 5-0 defeat at Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon with their defending labelled by the Gas manager as "diabolical."

It was always going to be a tough test away at League One's form team who came into the game 12 unbeaten and having scored 11 goals in their previous two matches but conceding a goal from a corner within the first 11 minutes to Paudie O'Connor was a far from ideal start.

Rovers should have equalised with Chris Martin played through on goal onside but was denied by Imps goalkeeper Lukas Jensen who had an impressive game before a Joe Taylor hat-trick and a fifth from Reeko Hackett after Antony Evans missed a second-half penalty condemned the Pirates to their heaviest defeat of the season.
With eight games left to go this season and the Gas set to finish somewhere in midtable, supporters have questioned a number of players' commitment to the cause, particularly those set to be out of contract with Rovers currently having six loanees and another handful with deals that expire this summer.

Asked if he thought some of his players had mentally checked out, Taylor confessed: "I'll be asking that question. I can see what they [supporters] can see.

"Let's be honest, it's a constant battle to get them to where they need to be in terms of being up for a game. That's a damning statement of where some of them are but some of their situations are out of my control. I've inherited it and it's always difficult when you come in mid-season and there's a big expected turnover at the end of the season but has anyone done themselves any favours?

"The biggest slap today is the result and the scoreline and the embarassment of that and there is also the bigger picture where decisions have to be made and those decisions can become easier as opposed to harder. It's a real shame and the supporters are right to ask that question."

As has been a constant theme this season, Rovers once again failed to follow up a decent result with another as the story of the campaign looks set to be a failure to build any sort of consistency, something that, on the flip side, their hosts have done immensely. Tuesday night's goalless draw at Fleetwood Town left Taylor beaming post-match due to the hard-earned clean sheet his team picked up but the fact that Rovers were 3-0 down within the first quarter of the match evidently infuriated the manager.

The 42-year-old has repeatedly stated that there's still so much left to play for this season, regardless of what supporters may think, but strong words and home truths were declared by the Gas boss, who added: "How many games have we got left? Eight games of football still. Our supporters have come a long way and spent a lot of money in relation to today.

"It's clear for me in terms of not only what I'll be asking but I'll take some of those questions out of the equation and if I don't think that some are fully in and 100 per cent in then they won't train with us.

"I've never been a manager to banish players from the training ground. I've obviously inherited players not at the training ground which is such a strange situation but it gives me a bit of an understanding of what happened previously. If the players aren't fully in then there's no point them being around."

Probably the biggest relief after such a damning result is the fact that Rovers aren't in action again for 13 days due to international call-ups leading to the postponement of hosting Reading which was initially scheduled for next weekend.

When they return on Good Friday, March 29, for the trip to relegation-battling Port Vale, which is the first of the final eight games set to be played within 30 days. it will be interesting to see who is involved with it seemingly apparent that Taylor could well be making some major decisions over the next week or so.

Brandon Aguilera (Costa Rica), Elkan Baggott (Indonesia), Matt Cox (England U21) and Jed Ward (England U20) will be away on international duty while the rest have the first part of the week off before reconvening at The Quarters.

"It's probably a positive in terms of where some of the bodies are and the minds are," Taylor admitted when asked if the upcoming break is a positive or a negative. "They might need a bit of time away from myself. I certainly need a bit of time away from them but then when they come back hopefully some of the ones that are stronger with themselves will be avialble and will stay available.

"Great to have Brandon back available albeit in a cameo appearance. Hopefully Grant Ward, Josh Grant, Lewis Gordon but it's all ifs, buts and maybes and you never know on the back of today. Like I say after every game, we might pick up more.

"I think there's four of them going on international duty so we'll be watching how that unfolds from afar."

“I’ve obviously inherited players not at the training ground which is such a strange situation but it gives me a bit of an understanding of what happened previously. If the players aren't fully in then there's no point them being around."

This was the bit that caught my eye. So many ways it could be interpreted. Wondering what it really means……

Why is Barton still being blamed for everything that is wrong with the squad
he brought Martin to the club without whom we would probably be in the relegation zone. Let's hope Taylor is capable of bringing players in with the same impact.

Or more simply put, the team management under Barton was shambolic and a lot players are disaffected with club and have no loyalty and cannot wait to move on.

If so, it's going to take a while to turn this around

Because the squad is mostly what he has assembled and Taylor has had to play the hand he has inherited. Barton did recruit some good players but the squad as a whole is incoherent and unbalanced. Until Taylor has had a couple of windows and time to instil his philosophy then Poundland Pep will rightly be blamed for our shortcomings. Bloke was a mediocre manager at best and more probably a really s**t one

As a mildly entertaining diversion from yesterday's mauling, who do you think these players are?

I'm going to guess Finley, Evans and other members of the 'Scouse mafia'. Whelan also when he was at the club. 

My impression was also that the coaching staff, Eddy Jennings and even 'Poundland Pep' were phoning it in towards the end of their time here, and weren't physically present, let alone mentally engaged. Was this why B***** made such a big thing about being 'in digs' in Bristol, to the point of announcing it to the local newspaper?