Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Now it’s time to ‘put up or shut up’, says Barton
OEY Barton believes Bristol Rovers’ excuses have passed their expiry date and it is “put up or shut up time” at Walsall this afternoon.
A miserable opening eight games to the League Two campaign have left the Gas well off the pace, with just seven points on the board in 22nd place.
Frustration, disillusionment and discontent are peaking among the fanbase, with intense pressure from the terraces landing squarely on the manager’s shoulders.
With the season soon to be two months old, Barton is aware that any kind of honeymoon period for this almost entirely overhauled squad where shortcomings were forgiven is long gone.
“You can only use those excuses or whatever you want to call them for a certain amount of time,” the manager told reporters at The Quarters yesterday.
“We’re now getting into the back end of September and we’ve had enough time together as a group to start to show levels of performance, and that is probably the most disappointing thing for me.
“The quality that you know is in the building and see from Monday to Friday on the training ground, but individual mistakes and moments of madness in games are what is costing you that first goal.
“Once you lose that first goal, confidence is at a low ebb at the minute because of the run of results this season and beyond.
“Words and talking from me, unfortunately, that doesn’t get us any results. The lads have got to go out and perform.
“It’s going to be a scrap and we’re going to have to do stuff we haven’t done before, which is score goals and be solid on the road.
“We haven’t done that for a while so we need to turn up and perform and the time for talking has got to stop. It’s put up or shut up time.
“After eight games now, you’ve got to put up or shut up as a group. We can’t talk about wanting to be promoted or promotion with the results profile.
“We’re getting to the point, with 38 games to go, where we’ve got to start showing some consistency in performance, especially on the road.
“We’ve got to be a lot more difficult to beat.”
Barton admits Rovers’ long-running woes have affected not only the players’ confidence but his own.
The Gas will be supported by more than 1,000 travelling fans at Walsall, and Barton recognises the pains they have suffered in recent times.
“The more you get your expectations and hopes up, and it doesn’t follow through, that takes its toll on you,” he said.
“I’m human like everybody else. I know the Gasheads have had a lot longer doing this than me, so if I feel the way I feel, I can’t imagine what the owner feels having spent the money he’s spent.
“I can’t imagine what the players who have been here for the longevity of this poor run for the football club have felt.
“Because I’ve been here since February and I’m affected by it and the lads who have come in over the summer are affected by it.
“The only way it turns is by winning games of football, by knuckling down, battening down the hatches together as a group and going out and putting actions into place on a matchday.”