I did not think we were as bad last night as some people are suggesting, but at the same time we did not really do anything to convince me we can get results at this level.
I don't think we got it wrong tactically and I don't think we were out played in the first half. The 442 with Jennings just off Ferrier was exactly the same as on Saturday, but we were up against a real defence last night and our link play was not imaginative enough when we reached the eighteen yard box to create chances (Ferrier was not isolated in the first half in my view). Our build up through midfield was decent at times in the first half, but moves broke down on the edge of the box because of a reluctance to shoot, poor decision making or a lack of conviction. Bristol were very ponderous and poor in possession but did have some genuine width and put two or three decent balls into the box which created chances, notably for the goal.
The referee's performance did affect the outcome in my view. He allowed Bristol to build up a head of steam by giving them a succession of free kicks around our box after minimal contact from Rovers players: his performance reminded me of the guy at York a few years ago, who seemed desperate not to give us a single decision from around ten minutes in.
I think the players deserve some credit for the display with nine men. There were some exceptional individual performances, both in terms of commitment and quality, from Jennings, Ferrier (who I thought was immense), Morris and Perkins in the second half, even if the overall display was not good enough.
My view is that Mellon has not been sufficiently backed in each of the last two summer transfer windows. Last year the coaching staff brought about a massive improvement in the performances of players like Monthe and Caprice, which to an extent masked the fact that we had been scraping the barrel a bit with our recruitment. We only got genuine quality into the club in January, with the signings of Perkins and co, and Micky performed a minor miracle in achieving promotion with a fairly limited squad.
This summer, finances again appear to be stretched: the better signings (Ferrier, CBT) only arrived at the last minute and none of the 'marquee' deals that were mooted (Maynard, Lang, Woodburn) materialised. Palios has basically said to Mellon, 'work your magic again', but the gulf between Leagues One and Two is enormous, and at present the squad does not look strong enough to compete. To put things in perspective, even Bristol Rovers have a reported wage budget of £4 million plus, which would be roughly double ours.
I am not sure this squad is good enough to survive, and it is going to be a long old season, but all we can do is show patience with the manager and players as they try to adapt. Surely they deserve more than four games ?