Football management is a relentless line of work. Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton has been on his post-season holidays reflecting on the remarkable achievements of his team to win promotion to League One earlier this month.
But the plates do not stop spinning in BS7, with the manager's time for reflection, rest and relaxation interwoven with business calls as plans for next season are put into action.
And with the Gas stepping up to the third tier next season, a busy summer is assured. Here are some of the matters for the manager to address...
Contract clarity
Barton has made clear the priority for the club in the coming days is tying up a deal for out of contract star Antony Evans. Appearing on BBC Radio Bristol last Thursday, the manager said he hoped for clarity on the future of Evans and Sam Nicholson within 10 days.
Both are players worth waiting for. Nicholson has shown before he can thrive in League One and Evans was a crucial contributor to Rovers’ promotion.
With 10 goals and 12 assists in the league, securing the services of Evans for next season would be a statement of intent from the Gas in addition to filling a pivotal role in the squad.
The sales pitch has been made and Rovers are waiting for clarity, but they cannot afford to wait too long, with the departure of 13 players announced in the retained list leaving the manager with plenty of recruiting to do.
The best-case scenario is the Gas strike a deal for both men to stick around in BS7, but if they are to head for the exit then Rovers will have plenty of time to turn to plans B, C and D.
Learn lessons from this season
Soon after his arrival in BS7 in February 2021, Barton discussed his belief in the Kaizen principle of continuous improvement, and that was reflected in Rovers’ season with their peak levels of performance coming at the business end of the campaign.
Continuous improvement, though, is not possible without honest assessments of performance in all areas of the club.
Non-executive director Chris Gibson – a man with a wealth of experience in improving organisations – comes to the fore here, helping to oversee performance reviews within the club to identify successes and areas for improvement.
The manager does not shy away from the fact that four years into his managerial career he is still learning and developing as a coach and he doubtless will embrace the process of confronting what he got right and wrong last season.
Of course, after promotion, there are many more positives than negatives to reflect on, but the step up in standard next season will not be insignificant and it is crucial the Gas strive for improvement and increased efficiency, be it on matchday, the training pitch or plotting from the manager’s office.
Make moves in the market
Barton moved swiftly at the start of his rebuild a year ago, getting the likes of Paul Coutts, Sam Finley, Connor Taylor and Aaron Collins on board quickly. A pre-season disrupted by COVID-19 held some of those players back, but laying the foundations of a squad as early as possible can only be a good thing.
A similar ruthless stream was shown in January when the Gas wrapped up a deal and presented the signing of Ryan Loft to the public within four days of the window opening.
The manager would be wise to try to execute in a similar fashion this summer. Every coach wants to get business done early and there is a need for Rovers to do so with several areas of their squad – particularly in the centre of defence and in attacking midfield – left looking thin after the departures confirmed in the retained list and the expiry of loans.
The signings of late signings Evans and Elliot Anderson in the past two transfer windows respectively have shown there can be bargains found at the 11th hour, and there is the quandary of playing the waiting game for prime targets, but Barton will want the lion's share of his business done as early as possible.
Keep tabs on loan stars
Barton enjoyed huge success in the loan market in 2021/22 and the evidence suggests he will be able to repeat that this summer, with an enhanced reputation for improving young players and strong contacts at big clubs sure to come in handy again.
But many headaches could be soothed this summer if the Gas can lure some of their promotion loan heroes back to the Mem for another year. Barton may be able to find another James Connolly or Connor Taylor, but we already know they are a well-matched pair together at the heart of the defence. And while Luke Thomas took a bit of time getting up to speed, he was a key player by the end of the campaign.
With Elliot Anderson deserving of a chance to impress at Newcastle United in pre-season, it is wishful thinking to hope he will wear the blue and white quarters again next term, but a return for any of Cardiff City's Connolly, Stoke City's Taylor and Barnsley's Thomas would be a fillip ahead of the new campaign.
If loan or even permanent moves come available, the Gas must make sure they are ready to respond.
Integrate youngsters
Last but most certainly not least, pre-season gives Barton the chance to take a closer look at the prospects leaving the production line in match conditions and an intensive training programme.
Pre-season reaped huge rewards last season with the emergence of 19-year-old Luca Hoole, who grasped the opportunity with both hands and went on to cement his place as Rovers' first-choice right-back, saving the Gas a bit of cash in the transfer market in the process.
Striker Harvey Greenslade and defender Jamie Egan are contenders to force their way into Barton's plans this season after signing professional contracts with the Gas, and Sam Heal will be desperate to take his chance this summer after bouncing back from a serious knee injury in 2021.
Winger Ryan Jones, too, will hope to have taken a step forward in his progression after a stint on loan with Bath City at the end of the campaign.
Obviously, the majority of Rovers' squad building will be assembled with external acquisitions, but if the Gas can turn some of their own prospects into first-team regulars that can only be a good thing.
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