Daniel Wales and Charles Hague-Jones discuss life in League Two for Bristol Rovers.
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00:00Now, it's been a manic return for Daryl Clark to Bristol Rovers, something in his own words he described it as, but it was a no-brainer for him.
00:10He said Bristol Rovers had a huge pull and he wants to make sure this club aren't really suffering again.
00:15Obviously, relegated around the last few weeks, they really tailed off and Calderon's side were terrible in the last remaining weeks where it all mattered most.
00:26And they were losing games to those relegation rivals as well.
00:31So it wasn't a good end to the season.
00:33But Daryl Clark's appointment in coming back to the side really brings a bit of renewed hope.
00:38It maybe brings a bit of light into the future of what's to come for Bristol Rovers because they are a side who he wants to get straight back up.
00:46Obviously, Daryl Clark himself has said the club has a huge pull and he has a real strong connection with the fan base, the Gats as well.
00:54So, our Bristol Rovers correspondent, Dan, just a few questions on Daryl Clark.
01:01I mean, so much experience.
01:02He looks like he could be the man to really ensure he gets them back straight up into League One.
01:11What's your thoughts on Daryl Clark's appointment?
01:13Because, as I say, a massive connection with the fans as well from his previous spell.
01:18And, you know, what are the hopes for the season?
01:21Because surely a manager who's got so much experience and he has, you know, got teams promoted before, the likes of Port Vale.
01:28He has done it before.
01:29So, surely that's going to be the goal.
01:31But it's going to be a very tight turnaround from now to the start of their season.
01:36And, you know, hopefully can be some positivity for Bristol Rovers.
01:40Well, Charles, the decision from new sporting director Ricky Martin to bring in Daryl Clark as the new head coach of Bristol Rovers is certainly a crowd-pleasing decision.
01:51And I think they know that as well.
01:53They had to get people back on board after what has been a terrifically disappointing end to that season and suffering relegation back to League Two after just having got back into League One only in recent times as well.
02:04So, they had to do something to get people back on board after their disappointment suffered at the end of last season.
02:10And I think they've done that.
02:12They knew exactly what they were doing in hiring Daryl Clark, someone who knows the club and not only knows the club as a former manager, but also someone who's had success with the club before as well.
02:21And that will inspire supporters.
02:23And it's just that general good feeling that they need to recreate around the Memorial Stadium that, of course, had been lost in the last few weeks under Anigo Calderon because, obviously, things hadn't been good.
02:32The way they'd slid down the table, they actually looked at one point as if they were going to be fine.
02:37They just probably needed one or two more wins to secure their survival.
02:41And they just couldn't get them from anywhere and just kept on losing and losing and losing.
02:45And, of course, ultimately, ended up in relegation.
02:48Not what they wanted, but all changed now at the Mem with Ricky Martin coming in as director of sport and football.
02:55And then you've got, of course, Daryl Clark coming in as the new head coach as well.
02:59And, well, obviously, the summer now is important because they need to rebuild.
03:05They need to make sure they get their signings right as well for this level of English football.
03:10They need to make sure that they're signing players who are not only capable in League 2,
03:14but also can probably make that jump back up to League 1 if and when they secure promotion as well.
03:18So they're not just aiming for now, but aiming for the future.
03:21Because, of course, in the modern game of football, with all the financial constraints,
03:25especially at this level of English football, you can't just afford to be spending on players
03:29who you're only going to get short terms out of.
03:32You need to be spending on players who you're going to get a lot of football out of as well,
03:37and not just at one level, but at multiple levels, players who are versatile and capable of taking that step up.
03:42And, of course, in Daryl Clark, they think they've got a head coach who understands the club,
03:46who knows how to win promotion with this club, and they'll hope that he's able to garner some of the magic he had
03:54in his last period as Bristol Rovers' head coach, as you mentioned.
03:59Obviously, things won't be the same this time.
04:02They never are, because football has moved on.
04:05The club has changed, and so Clark will have to find a new way of adapting to life as the head coach at the Mem.
04:12But I'm sure that Bristol Rovers and Ricky Martin think that this is possible,
04:17because otherwise, why would they have hired him?
04:19They clearly think, or they clearly believe, that Clark still has what it takes to inspire confidence
04:25and change at Bristol Rovers, and that, of course, had gone clearly missing at the end of last season
04:31under Inigo Calderon.
04:33Now, you have to say Inigo Calderon was probably unlucky, because he did get some good results
04:37towards the end of last season before the Rovers set in, but after it did set in,
04:41they just never, ever looked like winning whatsoever.