Bristol Rovers moving fast to align club ambitions following relegation

Local TV Sport

Daniel Wales looks at how Bristol Rovers have acted to improve the club since their relegation.

Transcript

00:00Now as Bristol Rovers face relegation to League Two,

00:04obviously, Darrell Clark has come back in since their relegation.

00:09He's trying to make sure he can add his promotion experience back to the club

00:14that he built such a great connection with a fair few years ago, 2014, 2016.

00:19Back on a three-year deal, he wants to make sure the project is there

00:23to bounce back immediately.

00:25There will be no waiting around to make sure that this project kicks off

00:29and they're going to want to make sure they do it.

00:32Obviously, a squad overhaul is probably likely a bit of a change in multiple positions,

00:37making sure they have that depth, making sure they can compete down below as well.

00:42The worst-case scenario would be back-to-back relegations

00:44and that's something that Darrell Clark won't even be thinking about,

00:48I'm sure, in terms of Bristol Rovers next season.

00:51This summer's a big one.

00:52They're not waiting around to suspend either.

00:55Ambitions for 2025-26, we're going to go to our Bristol correspondent,

00:59Dan, just your take on where they are, their ambitions for next season.

01:04Darrell Clark has great experience and they aren't waiting around

01:07to do some signings as well, which is really, really good.

01:10So, you know, how positive are things at the club at the moment?

01:14How much work needs to be sort of taking place for Bristol Rovers

01:18to have everything in line to have a good season next campaign?

01:23Dan, what are your thoughts?

01:24And how excited can the fans be?

01:29For Bristol Rovers, certainly, I think, after the fact that they were relegated,

01:33they needed a huge reset at the club and they've acted fast to sort this out as well.

01:38And I think that's really crucial, of course.

01:40The first step was getting in a new manager following the departure of Inigo Calderon.

01:45And Darrell Clark, a fan's favourite with experience of Bristol Rovers,

01:50brought in really quickly as well alongside, of course, their new director,

01:54of course, Ricky Martin.

01:56And them two have spoken together about the fact that they want to work

01:58in tandem with each other to bring about success at the club.

02:02Darrell Clark has took such a good talk so far in terms of how he wants the club to look,

02:09how he wants the players to behave and act,

02:10and ultimately the fact that he wants promotion with Bristol Rovers this season

02:14back from League 2 and back into League 1 to right the wrongs of the relegation

02:18that they've just suffered.

02:19And then they've brought in two new assistant head coaches in Johnstead and Rhys Carr.

02:25So they've acted fast in getting a backroom staff in for Darrell Clark,

02:30and I'm sure that both Darrell Clark and Ricky Martin have acted fast to get them in

02:34and to identify them, to scout them,

02:37and ultimately to put the project to the two of them,

02:40saying, like, look, come, work with us,

02:42and we'll be a success here at the Memorial Stadium.

02:45So lots to be excited about, I think, from a Bristol Rovers perspective.

02:49Of course, they've also brought in a new transfer,

02:51their first of the summer in Jack Sparks 2.

02:53So things are starting to ramp up at the club,

02:57and it just shows us how fast they're wanting to act

02:59to get this reset done as quickly as possible,

03:02because I think that's what the club needed.

03:05It couldn't just rest on its laurels,

03:07and it couldn't just wait about for something to happen.

03:10They had to be proactive, and they had to go and get it done as well,

03:13and that's what they've done by bringing in the new head coach,

03:15bringing in the new director, Ricky Martin,

03:17and then bringing in two assistant head coaches for Darrell Clark

03:20to work alongside at the club in Johnstead and Rhys Carr.

03:24So fast progress, certainly, at Bristol Rovers,

03:27and I think supporters will like that.

03:29Obviously, they like the fact that they've brought Darrell Clark back to the club,

03:31because he's someone who's had success with them before,

03:34and knows the place as well.

03:36And I think just the fact that he's having his influence now,

03:39supporters will start to recognise that and start to think,

03:41yes, he knows what he's doing,

03:43and he understands what is needed at the club after what happened,

03:46and so we can actually start to believe in them as a club once again.

03:50So I think you have to commend them for the swift and quick action they're taking,

03:55and I think that was what was needed at the club just as a whole,

03:58because they were in a bit of a mess at the end of last season

04:01when they couldn't buy a win in League One

04:03and ultimately faced relegation under an eagle called Deron.

04:06Obviously, the board, they had these ambitions of pushing Bristol Rovers up through the table.

04:12That didn't happen in League One, and now they've gone down.

04:14It's very much a case of getting them back to there

04:16and then resuming those ambitions as well.

04:18Daryl Clark's pointed out himself that he wants Bristol Rovers to be a League One club

04:22and a top-end League One club,

04:24and perhaps even pushing towards the Championship one day

04:26where, of course, their city neighbours in Bristol City currently are as well.

04:30So lots going on at Bristol Rovers at the moment,

04:34lots to be perhaps excited about as well.

04:37It's just now a case of continuing this fast progress

04:39to make sure that they are competitive next season.

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