Joey Barton had hoped Bristol Rovers would be a bit busier on transfer deadline day last week, but a trio of new signings were acquired to bolster the ranks for the months ahead.
Bobby Thomas, Josh Coburn and Sylvester Jasper all joined on season-long loans from Burnley, Middlesbrough and Fulham respectively, offering the manager added depth and quality at both ends of the pitch.
All aged 21 or younger, Gasheads are unlikely to have seen much of their new signings beyond the debut outings for Thomas and Jasper in the 2-2 draw against Morecambe at the Mem on Saturday, so to get a deeper understanding on the strengths and weaknesses they have brought to BS7, Bristol Live spoke to a range of experts for their insight on Barton's new boys.
Bobby Thomas
The centre-back is on his second loan spell after a stint at Barrow in 2021, and he made a good start in the blue and white quarters on Saturday. He defended confidently and popped up with the second equaliser in Saturday's 2-2 draw against Morecambe.
The 21-year-old has made one appearance for parent club Burnley in the Carabao Cup and he has been pushing for a breakthrough in the first team at Turf Moor.
The first impressions are good, but to get a deeper insight on Rovers' new defender, we spoke to Alex James, the Burnley reporter for Lancs Live.
"Bobby Thomas is perhaps unfortunate not to have featured more often for Burnley," he said.
"He's made just the solitary appearance, in a Carabao Cup tie at Millwall in September 2020, but he didn't look out of place then and has improved since. The 21-year-old has been in the first team picture for the best part of two years, at first in part due to squad shortages but subsequently on talent and attitude.
"He's a strong centre-half, capable in possession and, as Gas fans will already have seen, a threat in the opposition box.
"He coped well on loan at Barrow earlier in his career and, having caught the eye of Vincent Kompany this summer, there had been some who felt he may have been given a chance under the new Clarets chief. But a flurry of signings has seen him slip down the pecking order and the loan move to League One feels the right fit.
"Kompany and the coaching team like what they see in the youngster but believe a season of first-team football will provide the best gauge of where the former Everton youth is at in his career progression.
"He signed a new deal last year, keeping him at Turf Moor until 2024, and could yet make the grade at Burnley but his initial ambition will be to forge a successful spell at Bristol Rovers."
Josh Coburn
While Thomas has made a flying start, Coburn will have to wait for his Rovers bow. The striker is nursing a knee injury suffered on the opening day of the season playing for Middlesbrough's first team.
Barton hopes the 19-year-old, who should be available in around a month, will be worth the wait. The tall forward has made an impressive impact at the Riverside Stadium after coming through the academy and, while there is logic to a loan stay in League One, there is a sense of surprise on Teeside about the move given his contributions to the starting XI.
Dominic Shaw, the football editor at The Gazette, gave us his verdict on the striker's move to BS7.
"A powerful handful with an instinctive eye for goal, Bristol Rovers have pulled off a League One coup with the capture of Josh Coburn," he said.
"Plenty of Boro fans would like to have seen the teenager kept at the club this season, though Chris Wilder's desire to see the striker benefit from regular football is absolutely understandable.
"Coburn burst out of the academy ranks when Neil Warnock was in charge at Boro and announced his arrival on the first team scene with a goal in just his second appearance against Sheffield Wednesday.
"Last season he scored a brilliant winner against Tottenham to further enhance his standing on Teesside. He's only made three league starts for Boro and yet already has five Championship goals to his name. Last season Boro had Andraz Sporar on loan from Sporting Lisbon, Folarin Balogun from Arsenal and Aaron Connolly from Brighton and yet there was a case to be made for Coburn starting ahead of the three.
"In pre-season, he looked like he'd bulked up during the summer and a loan spell with Bristol Rovers should do him the world of good. Last season Elliot Anderson, on loan from Newcastle, was a gem for Rovers. Coburn could turn out to be another North-East masterstroke."
Sylvester Jasper
Sylvester Jasper has arrived at the Mem off the back of two loan spells last season with mixed success. The winger's stint with Colchester United was eye-catching in terms of his exciting style on the ball, and scored three goals and laid on a couple of assists in his 27 appearances in all competitions.
He was recalled by parent club Fulham and sent to Scottish Premiership club Hibernian on loan, this time with an option to buy. Hibs declined that option, and Football Scotland reporter Mark McDougall says the youngsters got caught up in a "mess" at Easter Road.
"A winger who doesn’t score goals or create them is not exactly what you’re looking for at any level," he said.
"Sylvester Jasper registered just two assists in 16 games for Hibs, and both of them came in the same Scottish Cup win over Motherwell so it wasn’t a great time for him in Edinburgh, but in fairness to him, the club were in a mess when he joined and in an even bigger one by the time he left.
"The 20-year-old joined in January under Shaun Maloney and the former Celtic boss had been sacked by the end of the season, and it was Hibs second sacking of the campaign.
"They also had the option to sign him permanently and the fact they didn’t kind of sums up exactly how his loan spell went. At times he looked like he could be the creative spark they needed and he showed good pace and trickery but his final product did let him down.
"That doesn’t mean he won’t be a success in League One but he felt very much like an academy player playing senior football last season. Maybe that will have helped him improve and he’ll be a huge player for Bristol Rovers but I wouldn't expect to see many glowing report cards from his time in Scotland's capital."
Barton has described Jasper's signing as a "spin of the wheel" on a player who is something of a wildcard option, evidenced by his cameo of the bench against Morecambe on Saturday when he showcased his speed and desire to dribble.
The verdict on his time at Colchester is different to his spell in Scotland, particularly in the early days of his loan spell. We asked Jon Waldron of the Daily Gazette for his take on the Bulgaria under-21 international's time in League Two.
"Sylvester Jasper was like a breath of fresh air when he arrived on loan at Colchester United from Fulham last summer," he said.
"The winger immediately hit the ground running for the U’s and made an instant impact with his skill, energy and enthusiasm.
"He quickly established himself in Hayden Mullins’ starting line-up and even though it was his first loan away from Craven Cottage, he certainly did not look out of place.
"Jasper was always willing to run at defenders during his time at Colchester, showing imagination and bravery in his play; he was never afraid to try things out on the pitch.
"He hit the net for the first time for the U’s – and netted his first-ever professional goal – when he scored a late winner for the hosts in a 1-0 triumph over Harrogate Town.
"Jasper scored again a few weeks later in a 4-0 win over AFC Sudbury and continued his scoring streak and then bagged a stunner against high-flying Exeter City, as his stock continued to rise.
"The youngster’s final few weeks of his loan at Colchester were a little less productive, coinciding with the team’s slump in form.
"Indeed, Jasper found himself out of the starting line-up towards the end of his time with the U’s and ended up playing the second half of last season on loan at Hibernian.
"Nevertheless, the young attacker undoubtedly left a positive impression from his time at Colchester."
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