‘A year is a short time in football’

Two points from two home games, with one goal scored, doesn’t sound like the kind of week to inspire many declarations of love, even at this most flowers-and-chocolates time of year.

But the two sides that visited the Memorial Stadium over the past seven days are among the cream of the third tier. You don’t need a column to wax lyrical about the quality of Sheffield United and Bradford City: a mere glimpse at the league table will tell you that. But, make no mistake, they’ll be in the mix.

The reason that our return from this week is so impressive is that we may well have lost these games had they been played a month ago. The issues with the back four and goalkeeper, as well as our home form, have been well-documented. But the restructuring of that area of the squad in the transfer window has, up until now at least, been a success.

The groans on social media and its predecessor, the good old-fashioned internet forum, were audible when the replacement for error-prone Kelle Roos was announced. Oh no. Yet another loanee between the sticks. Another inexperienced ‘keeper, arriving with high praise from the manager. Another Roos, another Lee Nicholls, another Fabien Speiss. While the manager’s failure to find one goalkeeper worth sticking with is worthy of criticism, it was disappointing to see some supporters failing to even give young Joe Lumley a chance.

Those supporters will be happiest now, pleasantly surprised at the QPR youngster’s imperious displays against two top sides. A long series of impressive saves, including two from point-blank range against Bradford, were followed up by a man-of-the-match display against Sheffield United.

He’s not alone: Ryan Sweeney, the giant centre-half borrowed from Stoke, doesn’t appear to have lost an aerial duel or missed a header since he arrived from the Midlands, and Joe Partington is well on the way to cementing his place at right-back. I’ve been a big fan of Dan Leadbitter, and he’s a great option if you want an attacking, marauding full-back, but we need our defenders to defend, first and foremost. To these eyes, the new arrival from Eastleigh is the superior defender. Plus, we’ve still to see Jonny Burn or Bob Harris, the other two permanent signings.

As the back line seems like it’s finally sorting itself out, the goals have dried up. Chris Lines’ delightful Cruyff turn and finish in the bottom-left corner on Saturday is Rovers’ only goal all month so far. (though Sheffield United’s ‘keeper made an outstanding save from Cristian Montano on Tuesday, and Rory Gaffney had the ball in the net only for the linesman to spoil the party). Reassuringly, this seems to be down to the calibre of teams we’ve faced of late. All of the last three opponents are above us in the league, after all. 

Still, the opportunity remains for Luke James to start scoring regularly, for Ellis Harrison to keep improving and make a bigger impact in more games, and for Gaffney to shake off the ‘big man who sets chances up’ tag. Opportunity indeed for one of them to become the next in a line of great strikers that have scored hatfuls for Rovers.

Their quest continues away at Port Vale on Saturday. Riding high in the play-offs three short months ago, they’re now outside the relegation zone by one place, with only games in hand to keep them warm, after a run of one win in 13 league games. What started as a season of transition, with a new continental manager and no fewer than 18 new signings in the summer, is turning to one of crisis.

The league position is obviously a concern and their two best players, goalkeeper Jak Alnwick and last season’s player of the year Anthony Grant, left in January. Too few of those many, many new players had sufficient experience of the Football League’s lower reaches and it’s beginning to show. They look a side low on confidence, and judging on highlights of recent games, low on attacking quality too. I fancy us to win this to nil. Not saying how many we’ll score ourselves, though!

Finally, Sunday sees an anniversary. One year to the day since Wael Al-Qadi completed his purchase of our grand old club. I’m loath to make judgements, as a year is a remarkably short time in football, and, of course, he purchased a team that was performing well on the field already, but I think most would agree it’s a good start. The new ownership/management team has endeared itself to the fan-base, the Mem’s been given a lick of paint, a state-of-the-art new training facility is on the way, and good old Wael even finds time to throw a light-hearted jibe or two at our red neighbours in BS3 and our red non-neighbours in Swindon. 

Now, if he can just make sure that the South East corner doesn’t run out of pasties during games as it did not so long ago….

Read more: ‘A great stride forward for professionalism’