Early Gas / Orient Match day Thread

I think for the first time this season (and yes I know it is still very early days), I am genuinely worried. Not worried that we might fail in our lofty aspiration to bounce back at the first attempt, but worried that we might struggle to stay up this season.

We look like a very poor League Two team at the moment. The table does not lie. We are that bad.

Joey said not much in it WTF!!!

6,172 (551 away)

Match Report:

The opening ten minutes of the match were quite cagey, with neither side able to grab a hold of the match or register a telling shot on goal.

The O’s first goal of the match came from a corner kick in the 16th minute. Tom James’ low delivery towards the front post was met by the darting run of Harry Smith, who headed the ball into the ground and past James Belshaw.

Bristol Rovers were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area soon after, but Brett Pitman’s low and powerful strike was blocked by James.

James played his part in Orient’s second too, whipping in yet another corner, though this one was half dealt with by the Gas. The ball was cleared to Darren Pratley, who looked to place the ball in the corner, but his strike was blocked out to Archibald.

The O’s number 11 controlled the bouncing ball before unleashing a dipping half-volley into the bottom corner from 20-yards.

Kenny Jackett’s team were clinical in the final third and added yet another before the half-time whistle. Tom James’ cross from deep found Aaron Drinan in-between two defenders, and the Irishman’s header had enough on it to beat the Rovers ‘keeper.

Frustration grew amongst the home team and home support, and there were some ugly scenes before the break, resulting in bookings for Darren Pratley, Aaron Drinan and Alfie Kilgour.

Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton made a change at the break, introducing Harvey Saunders to the game in place of Nick Anderton.

The sub was quickly involved, racing in behind the Orient backline, however, goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux did brilliantly to race out and win his tackle.

Orient were disciplined in the second-half and allowed Rovers to dominate possession, but limited their attacking threat.

With just 15 minutes left to play, Dan Happe was forced to come off through injury and was replaced by Shad Ogie.

Alex Mitchell displayed his defensive qualities with some superb one-on-one defending to deny Harvey Saunders a shot on goal, after chasing the forward from the half-way line into the area.

Rovers registered a consolation goal from the spot, after Ogie was penalised for a foul on Saunders. Brett Pitman stepped up for Bristol Rovers, and he smashed the ball home.

Gas: Belshaw, Grant, Kilgour, Finley, Collins (Thomas 67’), Anderton (Saunders 46’), Taylor, Evans (Anderson 67’), Whelan, Brown, Pitman

Subs: Ward, Westbrooke, Coutts, Harries

Goals: Pitman 90’

Booked: Finley 28’ Kilgour 44’

The O’s: Vigouroux, James, Wood, Happe (Ogie 74’), Clay, Smith, Archibald, Mitchell, Drinan, Pratley, Beckles

Subs: Byrne, Kemp, Omotoye, Sotiriou, Sweeney, Kyprianou

Goals: Smith 18’ Archibald 34’ Drinan 40’

Booked: Pratley 44’ Drinan 44’ Mitchell 47’ Archibald 68’ Clay 79’ Vigouroux 83’

Ref: David Rock

Rovers 60% Possession to 40% Orient, ATT: 6,172 (551 away)

So disappointing, Kenny Jackett was my choice to replace Tisdale. At the time he was still at Portsmouth but his time there was clearly at an end and we may have had to wait until the end of the season for him. Two or three years with him (with Tommy out the door) and I’m sure we’d have become a decent well run league one side

Why get rid of Tis?

Just get Widdrington out and give Tis' the same scope to structure things that, for some inexplicable reason, Wael has given to Barton.

What will Barton’s excuses be if or when he finally goes?

Injuries? He’s already said the squad game is survival of the most adaptable.

Culture? He has been allowed to remove all people he considered toxic or unproductive from the club. He’s replaced them with his people.

Budget? He has been given a budget similar to most top teams in this division.

Infrastructure? He’s the first manager who’s got a purpose built training ground. His backroom staff is large.

Himself? You must be joking.

The fans? We’re a constant that’s lasted all those failed managers.

Absolutely appalled by this.

If I was in the stadium them Gull’s would never have beaten me to the Pasty. It’s been three long years since I last ate one, and now word will get about and more gull’s will be in attendance next home game, my opportunity is lost.

Will those " extra" be used to increase the crowd attendance figures, 🦢?

I've said before that this has echoes of the Buckle calamity ten years ago.

The clearcut of players, dismissal of all that has gone before, the narcissism... the only thing that is different - for the moment - is that JB has not turned on the fans. Yet.

I predict that it's only a matter of time. We will lose at an improving walsall next week and are highly likely to suffer the same fate at the hands of garner's Swindon in a fortnight. Oh the irony. If that proves to be the case, surely JB will have to go?

Tactically, yesterday was appalling and yet JB promises more of the same tinkering "until he finds the magic formula". Er, isn't part of good management knowing what you're looking to achieve in the first place? (Beyond vacuous statements like "we'll give you a team to be proud of".) Ludicrously, he's still talking about being in the promotion mix! If we are, it certainly won't be with him at the helm.

Last season, JB couldn't and indeed wouldn't work with the players he had (the opposite of a GC approach) and sat on the sidelines, sulking with arms folded.

He's now ripped up the entire squad (why does wael keep allowing this?) but still has no clue about his best 11 or formation.

Even a novice can see starting with a back 3 DOES NOT WORK. Did we not have enough evidence after the exeter debacle? Anderton was all at sea on the right, ergo grant. Pitman, who can barely walk let alone run, was isolated up top. It was only the move to a back 4 and the introduction of Saunders - when we were already 3-0 down- that led to some better passages of play. However, even then, we still failed to test the orient keeper once.

We have scored fewer than 50 league goals in the last 55 league games.

We've lost more home games than we've won since Jan 2018.

We were fourth in league one less than two years ago.

How much more are loyal gasheads expected to put up with? Everything that DC and GC built destroyed in less than two years.