John Ward has stepped down as manager of Bristol Rovers, to
be replaced by his assistant, Darrell Clarke, with immediate effect. Ward is
now a Director of Football at the club. He will be helping with
behind-the-scenes matters such as youth development, offering advice, and overseeing
the building of the new UWE stadium.
The change of manager could
be a move that suits all parties. Ward has had two spells as Bristol Rovers
boss, the first beginning back in 1991. Although he did have a brief stint at
Bristol City before he returned to the Memorial Ground, Rovers fans must have respect
for the job he has done. Ward managed to turn around a poor run of results
under Mark McGhee, and guide them to safety last season in style, with a
comfortable fourteenth place finish.
 |
| John Ward |
However, Ward has been criticized
for being somewhat tactically negative. He is a fan of the long ball game, and
has tended to use a 4-5-1 system. Not all Bristol Rovers fans appreciated Ward’s
style of football, particularly away from home. The Pirates have one of the
worst away records in the Football League. In nineteen away games, they have
had an average of less than ten shots per game. Often, they have less possession
than their opponents. On the few occasions that the side has had more of the
ball, the case has either been that they let in an early goal and needed to
attack more, or there was a low number of shots, relative to possession. This
suggests that players do not naturally get forward too much under John Ward.
 |
| Darrell Clarke |
Given how far Bristol is from
most northern towns, and given that the team has a respectable away following,
it is arguable that Pirates fans deserve to see more positive football away
from home, and more than just one away win in nineteen attempts. Darrell Clarke
might shake things up in that sense. Though the 36-year-old was employed by
John Ward as a member of the coaching staff, his appointment will represent a
slight change of regime.
Clarke is a more progressive tactician.
By all accounts, he favours a high-tempo 4-4-2 system, with a more prominent use
of wingers. Saturday’s match against Morecambe saw the team pass the ball out
from the back more often than they might have done under Ward, who generally encouraged
route one football.
It remains to be seen what Clarke’s
plans are for John-Joe O’Toole. The goalscoring midfielder will return from
suspension for the match against Bury on Tuesday night, but there are no guarantees
he will start. O’Toole naturally looks to get into the box, in a Kevin Nolan
type of role, yet his critics point out that he rarely tracks back and tackles.
In a 4-4-2 formation, if you have
two attacking wingers and one midfielder breaking forward, there’s only one
holding midfielder left to cope with opposition counter attacks. The versatile
Tom Lockyer has often played in midfield, when he has not had to cover for
injuries in defence. Ollie Clarke, like Lockyer, came through the Bristol Rovers
academy, and adds a tenacity to the side, having recovered seamlessly from a
long-term injury. Likewise, Seanan Clucas and Danny Woodards have suffered from
injuries since signing, but the latter played and won the man of the match
award on Saturday.
 |
| John-Joe O'Toole |
Darrell Clarke has plenty of
options in midfield, all of whom would offer more of a defensive protection
than John-Joe O’Toole. Part of the reason the midfielder signed for Bristol
Rovers this summer, was to play under John Ward, who he worked with at
Colchester. With Ward no longer manager, you might think O’Toole would be happy
to leave. However, the 25-year-old is reportedly on high wages, and tied down
to his contract until summer 2016. Given the financial problems with most clubs
in League Two, and that O’Toole has not quite proved himself in League One, it
is possible that no-one will want to pay a transfer fee for him. He might
remain at the Memorial Ground next season, but in a more bit-part role.
Bristol Rovers may have Elliot
Richards back in the side next season, if Darrell Clarke favours him up front.
He has already scored ten goals this season, and was bizarrely loaned out to
Exeter in February, until the end of the season. Bristol Rovers have lacked a
clinical striker this season, although perhaps due to a lack of creativity in
midfield, and Richards could be that man.
Individuals aside, Bristol Rovers
have the nucleus of a very talented young side, underlined by the average age
of the squad which faced Morecambe on Saturday being just twenty-four. A lot of
unproven youngsters were put on the bench, which indicates Clarke’s willingness
to continue to introduce youth. If they can keep the core of their team
together in the next few years, brighter days may lie ahead for Bristol Rovers.
No comments:
Post a Comment