Why Joey will need to cut the numbers in Rovers’ squad
WITH 12 signings secured, the bulk of Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers rebuild is done - but he still wants more.
Striker, right-back and a cover goalkeeper are the obvious needs left in his squad, with the manager and his lieutenants zeroing in on targets for the final seven weeks of the transfer window.
A glut of done deals in the past week has given a more complete look to Rovers resources, but in remedying the causes of last season’s relegation, Barton has been met with a new challenge.
Presuming Rovers tick off the back-up goalkeeper for Anssi Jaakkola on their shopping list before the window closes, the Gas are already well in excess of their permitted 20-man squad.
EFL rules voted in last season imposed squad limits of 21 players aged 21 and older for League One and League Two, with squad sizes reduced to 20 for the 2021-22 campaign.
There is also a requirement of at least eight homegrown players, which will not prompt concern given the dominance of British players in the lower reaches of the EFL. But the manager already has three too many outfield players in his squad, and with his desire to make further additions there will need to be multiple departures to comply with league rules.
Players younger than 21 on January 1, 2021, such as loan signings Sion Spence and Connor Taylor, will not count against the squad limit, and youngsters Jed Ward, Pablo Martinez, Zain Walker and several academy graduates will be eligible to play without being named.
For fringe players older than 21 the likes of Josh Barrett, Ben Liddle and Cameron Hargreaves - the rules are less accommodating, and they will know their futures at the club hang in the balance.
In fact, few players involved in last season’s relegation can truly feel secure in their place at the Memorial Stadium.
Barton has added four of the possible nine further signings he spoke of after the friendly at Melksham Town a fortnight ago, and if he is to come close to that number there will be a need for widespread departures in the coming weeks.
Viewers of the NFL and the annual pre-season TV series Hard Knocks will know the challenges of working to a finite limit of players, and Barton has a similar task in effectively cutting players from the group to ensure upgrades in key positions are made, albeit on a smaller scale than the 55-man rosters American football coaches have to assemble.
From here on out, Rovers boss Barton needs to think about who is getting cut before plotting further signings.