Last season had a Hollywood ending; the start of this one had a sting in the tail for Bristol Rovers, who face a scrappy opening to the campaign as Joey Barton waits for reinforcements.
A Gas team considerably weaker than the one that snatched points at the death time and time again last term were the victims of late drama on this occasion as Regan Hendry's inspired finish in the final minute of normal time gave Forest Green Rovers a 2-1 win at the Mem on Saturday.
The launchpad of last season has sent Elliot Anderson and Connor Taylor on a course for bigger and better things and their return to parent clubs Newcastle United and Stoke City was compounded by the absence of midfield generals Paul Coutts and Sam Finley, and the result was a starting XI that is unlikely to be seen again this season.
So, perhaps predictably, there was a lack of cohesion and composure for some of those in blue and white on Saturday and – save for a 30-minute burst at the start when Barton's Gas were powered by the roars of the Mem – Forest Green posed a more dangerous and consistent threat.
Plan B yielded some reward for Barton, but the lads he had in the dugout a few months ago made him stand an inch or two taller than they do at the moment. A bench filled with three regulation options in Alfie Kilgour, Harvey Saunders and Ryan Loft, plus some youngsters and emergency inclusion Glenn Whelan was symptomatic of a summer of slow going.
Four solid signings have been made, and Rovers showed on Saturday they can be spirited and competitive with bursts of quality in this current guise, but the pain of the waiting game is going to feel more acute until Barton can get his squad up to the desired standard. Until then, it's going to be a grind and Rovers are going to have to battle hard for their points.
But after the devastating news from The Quarters this week, there are bigger things in life to think about...
Thinking of you, Nick
Around 1,800 words of trivial football chat will follow, but first, the focus must be on the plight of Rovers defender Nick Anderton after he revealed his cancer diagnosis this week.
Naturally, the squad has been left devastated by the news that Anderton has bone cancer, which was discovered after he complained of pain in his leg that he presumed was a routine injury. He was not only an influential player in the promotion but also a huge character in the dressing room. He is universally popular at the Mem.
The pain that would eventually result in heartbreaking news was something Anderton played through in the latter stages of last season, showing the man's warrior spirit. He had hoped to attend the Mem for Saturday's game but ended up staying home with his young family, who are in all of our thoughts right now.
There were tributes aplenty throughout the afternoon. First, both sides wore T-shirts bearing his image and number 16. A moment of applause in the 16th minute was touching, and chants of "Anderton, Anderton" followed.
Then when Collins equalised, he held Anderton's jersey aloft in celebration and solidarity. These are emotional times for the Gas, but if they can channel Anderton's fighting spirit they'll be just fine.
We wish the 26-year-old nothing but best wishes for his recovery with an operation scheduled in the coming weeks. He has been a pleasure and consummate professional to deal with, fronting up for questions on the bad days and heaping praise on his teammates on the good ones.
Thinking of you, Nick.
Route one Rovers, but Plan A needs to work better
Rovers had periods of control in the opening hour of the game, but rarely were Forest Green made to feel uncomfortable. Their back three was compact and protected Luke McGee from genuine danger. It meant the Gas felt like they were in control but had very little to show for it, evidenced by just seven shots despite having more than half the ball.
FGR were much more efficient, creating the better openings and they hit the front shortly after half time, although Jordan Moore-Taylor's goal was on the scruffy side from a corner. Regardless, Barton was forced to react.
Enter the star of pre-season, Saunders, and targetman Loft as Plan B. The patient yet impotent approach play was traded for a more direct approach, which led to the equaliser.
Throughout his time at Rovers, Saunders just makes things happen. His involvement in the leveller was reminiscent in his briefest of cameos last season against Walsall, haring after a ball that really belonged to someone else and making a nuisance of himself to create a chance that won the game.
The 24-year-old's supreme speed made Bailey Cargill nervous and he headed the ball straight against Saunders, who duly pounced and produced the chance for Collins to equalise.
Saunders won't like me saying it, but that is the value he adds to this squad. He is a game-changing sub for Barton and that is a strong Plan B to have in his arsenal. Loft played his part in that, too, with his physicality causing some concern in the defence but he fell victim to the big man tax in the eyes of the referee, being harshly punished when using his strength throughout his 22 minutes on the park.
But there is no escaping the fact that Rovers need to be more probing and incisive from the start than they were on Saturday. Key absentees and holes yet to be filled by signings of course played their part in that, but the 11 players that started the game can muster more than what they showed on Saturday.
Things will naturally improve with time. Collins and John Marquis will blend as a partnership and the latter will start to get on the end of more service as his teammates learn his game. But the fact neither Marquis or Antony Evans took a shot against Forest Green speaks to how disjointed Rovers were.
The cohesion will come as players return and new signings are made, but in the interim Rovers face having to grind out their points.
Coutts and Finley's absence felt all through the pitch
With Coutts out suspended for this game and the two that follow, Finley would have been high on the list of players that Barton could not have done without on the opening day, perhaps second only to James Connolly given the lack of centre-back depth.
But a groin injury picked up in the final week of pre-season meant Barton was without two of his most trusted players, leaving a new crew in charge of the engine room and the Rovers machine just did not function with the same efficiency. Zain Westbrooke struggled to make his mark and Jordan Rossiter faded, showing signs of rustiness that you'd expect from a player who has had injury troubles of lately.
In the middle third, Rovers may have had control but they were unable to move the ball in a way that stretched the defence. Finley's ability to join the attack was also sorely missed, but it was at the back where Coutts' absence was felt.
Forest Green had plenty of joy with quick counters and slick one-touch moves that opened up Rovers' defences, but the presence of Coutts would have gone some way to stymying those avenues of attack. Barton felt his defence lost composure after a couple of hairy moments before half time, suffering from the lack of senior players to calm things down.
And Coutts is such a machine in his own right, policing the space in front of the back four with mind and body that he is hard to replace. His return on August 13 cannot come soon enough for Barton.
Finley, meanwhile, will have been pained by missing the game on Saturday and the defeat in his absence will irk him further. He will be desperate to return at Burton on Saturday. Should he be passed fit, it will be a big boost for the Gas.
Stating the obvious
We all know by now that Rovers need to make some signings, six or seven of them according to Barton, but what exactly Rovers need requires spelling out.
Centre-back and the wings have to be atop the agenda. There is a stark lack of depth in the heart of the defence with just three senior options, one of them – Luca Hoole – making his first appearance as a centre-back in a competitive game on Saturday. That must be addressed by the end of the window. Not only does Connor Taylor need to be replaced, but the cover role vacated by the released Cian Harries also needs filling.
With the move to five substations, an arsenal of attacking options has never been more valuable and Rovers. The return of Luke Thomas would be a nice start, but Rovers need more. A comeback for another Luke, McCormick, would be welcome, too, as he could affect the team in attacking midfield or a deeper role.
Barton's comments about Trevor Clarke at full time make it abundantly clear that area is also of focus for Barton, who will want another striker to call on, too. It's going to a busy month for Barton and right-hand man Eddy Jennings.
Barton's harsh words
"With the greatest respect to the starting XI today," Barton said. "If you had said to me at the end of last season Zain Westbrooke and Trevor Clarke were going to be in our starting XI on the opening day of the season, I would have said ‘My god, we must have had a bad summer’."
Stinging words for the first day of the season that certainly got Gasheads talking, with some questioning what that kind of assessment does for a player. That is an understandable thought as the manager dished out some trademark brutal honesty.
But covering him for 18 months has been long enough to learn that he, like most managers, is calculated with what he says about his players. Yes, sometimes his ability to speak freely and in great depth can catch him out, but when it comes to his players, he uses a press conference as another medium for sharing his message. It may not be what a player wants to hear, but at least they know where they stand.
That's how he got through to Luke Thomas last season. I remember squirming when he ripped into the 23-year-old's professionalism pitchside after that draw against nine-man Salford, but the manager thought a public message was the last chance of getting through, and it worked. Thomas found some form and got his career back on track, and now Barton wants him to return on a permanent deal.
Fast-forward to the present day and in the case of Westbrooke, we really are in the last-chance saloon. "Everyone at the football club wants Zain to do really well, but at some point, he's got to do well and do the job," Barton added. "He had an opportunity today and you've got to keep asking how many opportunities are you going to get?"
Westbrooke has had a solid pre-season since returning from an unsuccessful loan at Stevenage, but the reality is he started on Saturday due to need rather than merit. He may only have one or two more chances to prove his worth.
Clarke's name being mentioned in the same way was a bit more surprising after a good pre-season that excited fans that he could be like a new signing after an injury-hit first year with the club, but Barton said earlier in the summer left-back was an area of interest in the market and his comments on Saturday will certainly keep the Irishman on his toes.
One down, 45 to go
So, it's not the start Rovers wanted. Like last season, they were beaten with a late, late goal on the opening day, and look how that turned out in the end. Now, no one should be predicting a promotion charge this year. The league is so, so much better than League Two with big money floating around in the top half.
But last season was validation for the cliche that it's not how you start, but how you finish. Barton, of course, will want his team to hit their stride much earlier and he will have learned little from Saturday's game.
Players will return and players will be signed and then we will have an idea of what the season ahead will look like. Rovers will have to maximise their points haul in the meantime.
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