Darrell Clarke praises attitude following Bristol Rovers’ start to pre-season

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Daniel Wales assesses Bristol Rovers’ start to pre-season.

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00:00Now for Bristol Rovers, obviously they're going to want to ensure that they continue to bounce back

00:07and make sure that Daryl Clark has that promotion experience and utilises it again.

00:12With Bristol Rovers, the club that he had a great tenure in, you know, 10 years or so ago.

00:19I mean, in terms of the transfer business, it's a big window.

00:22It's a window where they have to make sure they do sort of clear out a few free agents

00:27and they get some real clever signings in to ensure that they are right bouncing back up.

00:33You know, at the end of the day, they don't want to be anywhere nearly to come 12 months from now.

00:38They want to be making sure they're preparing for another League One season

00:41and hopefully it can all go to plan for Daryl Clark and his side.

00:45Now, you know, the transfer window is still ticking on and the contracts are there

00:50and the retain lists are there.

00:53For Bristol Rovers, we're going to our correspondent, Dan.

00:55Dan, what do you think Bristol Rovers need?

00:58What can you sort of tell us about where they are in terms of this window?

01:02How they're viewing it?

01:03How they're going about their business?

01:04Is it sort of continuing from previous windows?

01:07Have they changed any strategies now that they have been relegated?

01:10And then they might need to change a few plans to make sure they go straight back up

01:14because, you know, Daryl Clark has come to a side where, you know,

01:17he could probably punch way above Bristol Rovers' weight, let's be honest.

01:20But surely something's enticed them to come back and there's a bit of a plan

01:24and a project to get them back to League One.

01:27So, Dan, what are your thoughts ahead of this window

01:30and how it's sort of panning out for Bristol Rovers ahead of the new campaign?

01:34Well, Charles, for Bristol Rovers, they've now played their first match of pre-season.

01:38They ran out as 2-1 winners away at Chippenham Town.

01:42Daryl Clark was certainly pleased with the attitude that his players have shown

01:46not only in that game but also in pre-season as a whole so far.

01:49Of course, him and his two new assistant head coaches in Rhys Carton, John Stead,

01:54also joining the club.

01:55And clearly, Clark has been impressed not only with them and their dedication

01:59but also the players too in terms of gelling everything together ahead of the new League Two season.

02:05Obviously, they've also made a host of new signings as well,

02:07with the latest of which just arriving very recently in Luke Southwood.

02:12So, lots to be positive about from a Bristol Rovers perspective.

02:15Clearly, Clark has been happy with the way things have got underway in pre-season.

02:19I think it was always crucial for the club that they did make a good start to pre-season

02:23because given the fact that he's a new head coach

02:26and given the fact that just how poorly things had ended

02:28under the previous management regime, of course, with the relegation,

02:32things had to get off to a good start

02:33and they had to sort of hit the ground running to make sure that the momentum

02:36they had was diverted in the other direction and not a, you know, negative momentum.

02:42They had to be created to make it positive as well

02:45and turn things around at the club

02:47and make sure that they're hitting the ground running ahead of this new season

02:51and go into the season full of momentum itself.

02:54So, certainly, they've made a good start,

02:56the best start they possibly could have done by winning in a pre-season game.

02:59But, of course, Daryl Clark will know this,

03:01that the pre-season games aren't necessarily about the result.

03:04It's about sort of defining their patterns of play,

03:07the way they want to play, their styles of play as well

03:09and making sure that the team is cohesive, it's coherent,

03:13there's good synergy amongst it as well

03:15and they all know exactly how each other want to play.

03:19So, results, yes, it's nice to get a win

03:21and, of course, against a team like Chippenham Town,

03:23and it's not a foregone conclusion that you win, of course,

03:26because sometimes, well, it's not.

03:28But, ultimately, they ran out as 2-1 winners

03:30and, ultimately, Daryl Clark was pleased,

03:32not only with the performance,

03:34but the application and attitude of his players,

03:37not only in the game as well,

03:39but in the training sessions leading up to it.

03:41So, that's certainly a positive for Bristol Rovers in that sense.

03:45Now, it's very much the case of looking ahead to what's next

03:47in terms of their games

03:48and, also, whether they bring in any further signings as well.

03:52Yes, of course, we've had a recent one, as mentioned,

03:55but there'll probably be more, you'd imagine,

03:58in this transfer window.

04:00Of course, as a club who've just been relegated,

04:02they don't want to spend too many seasons down in League 2.

04:06In fact, if anything, they'll want to get out of it straight away.

04:09So, I think they're trying to not only prepare for life in League 2,

04:12but also the potential of returning to League 1 quickly as well

04:16and bringing in players who not only can fit the mould

04:19of their current situation in League 2,

04:21but also who can make that step up to League 1

04:24if and when they get back there.

04:26So, things looking good for Bristol Rovers.

04:29Obviously, the disappointment of last season,

04:31you know, it's not quite perhaps gone out of some people's memories,

04:34but they're trying, as a club, to put it behind them.

04:36And so far in pre-season, Daryl Clark,

04:39certainly as the head coach,

04:40is very happy with the progress that has been made under him.

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