Garner urges hesitant Pirates to ‘take the handbrake off’

BRISTOL ROVERS VS IPSWICH TOWN, LEAGUE ONE Talking points from Bristol Rovers’ defeat to Ipswich at the Memorial Stadium, by Sam Frost

BEN Garner’s aim is to create an identity for Bristol Rovers that produces results and entertainment, but Saturday’s defeat to Ipswich Town delivered neither.

The Gas stuttered through an uneventful 80 minutes on Saturday before two late goals from the Tractor Boys condemned Garner’s side to their first League One loss of the season.

The biggest frustration for Garner was his players straying from the possession-based style he was brought in to implement, and his message at full time was to play with freedom.

At one point he exclaimed to his team from the touchline to “take the ****** handbrake off”, and it is abundantly clear the manager’s desired style of play is ineffective if his players are gripped by hesitation and anxiety on the ball.

IF YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE, LOSE PLAYING YOUR WAY

AT no point in the game were Rovers truly the fluent side Garner wants them to be, but for the first hour or so at least the will to move the ball on the deck was present.

As Ipswich started to apply the pressure, however, the Gas froze in possession and resorted to aimless long balls instead of having the bravery to play.

It only succeeded in allowing the opposition to take greater control, and eventually Rovers caved in during the final 10 minutes.

Garner was visibly frustrated his players did not adhere to the principles he values so much.

He told the press at full time the players had a frank conversation in the dressing room after the game, where they accepted they went too direct and lacked bravery in possession.

The message on the training ground this week must be ride or die. They have to live and die by their principles, because going offscript will not get the job done.

ROVERS WERE POOR BUT SHOULD HAVE HELD ON FOR A

POINT

AS the second half wore on, Ipswich claimed the ascendancy and looked, by far, the likeliest winners.

But for all their pressure, Rovers defended pretty well and kept the visitors to very few clear chances. In fact the only openings they found were the product of a Rovers error.

That was true for both of the goals as captain Max Ehmer put through his own net after a miscommunication with Anssi Jaakkola before a defensive slip allowed Jon Nolan to storm through on goal and skew a shot into the bottom corner. It will doubtless be one of the most galling takeaways for Garner that despite Rovers playing poorly, they had a point and a clean sheet in their grasp save for a late defensive collapse.

A GAME THAT TYPIFIED FOOTBALL BEHIND CLOSED

DOORS

IF there was a game that typified football behind closed doors this was it, and only an injection of energy from the stands could have brought life to this limp 90 minutes.

Dull, drab and pretty depressing throughout, as both sides failed to click into gear, the memory of this game will not live in the mind of this reporter much longer than the journey home.

It was a necessary evil. A box ticked and one less game to worry about as football plays catch-up amid the chaos of the pandemic.

But, in truth, it was a marking