A post-match Twitter message from Joey Barton is part of his routine. Usually, four match action images and some words of wisdom are shared, but this time the content was a bit more revealing of the inner workings of Bristol Rovers' dressing room.
This time, there were three pictures of a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday, accompanied by a snap of a flip chart from the away changing room at Hillsborough. Listed are a mix of principles, tactical demands and affirmations of the belief he has in his squad – and it is no wonder he forms such a tight bond with his players when he uses terms like "superstar" and "unique" to describe them.
But there were more meaningful words there which have underpinned Rovers' rapid development as a team in League One this season. A simple reminder that "attack is the best form of defence" scrawled on the A2 piece of paper in green marker pen amidst the rest of the messages sums up this Gas team perfectly.
At their best, they are aggressive, both physically and tactically. Since the start of October, they are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions and the past two games – against league leaders Plymouth Argyle and the third-placed Owls – have shown they can be a match for any team in the third tier.
So with a quickfire turnaround and a trip to Derby County's Pride Park less than 48 hours away, when they will be joined by more than 3,000 Gasheads – what Barton has described as Premier League-level following – the Gas are full of confidence and the manager insists they will not be taking a backwards step.
"We had the lads watch their game and Exeter got a solid point there (on Tuesday), but we must take enormous confidence into it," Barton said. "Derby are a big club, a big side, but we’ve just played first and third in the division and I think anyone at those games would say we stood toe-to-toe and were more than a match for them.
"We’ll go to Derby and we’ll play our way and we’ll attack them because why would we not?
"They’ve had a couple go off, I think James Chester went off on Tuesday and Curtis Davies went off in the game on Friday. They’ve been playing a back three of late and that might be subject to change, I’m not sure.
"But we’ll be focusing on us and we feel if we get us right, we’re more than a match for anybody. We’ll pay Derby the respect they are due by preparing for them the same way we’d prepare for any team, but there will be no fear attached to us and we’ll be looking to put a great performance on again in front of incredible travelling support for League One.
"I’ve seen it is 3,000, they are Premier League numbers so hopefully we can give them a victory and make some more memories."
The Rams are 10th in the standings with Paul Warne now in charge, replacing Liam Rosenior during the international break. They have taken just one point from their past two games, drawing with Exeter City on Tuesday after losing to second-placed Ipswich Town on Friday.
Rovers' season has been transformed in the blink of an eye. After winning just twice in their opening 10 league games, a relegation battle could not be ruled out, but the end of an injury crisis has allowed players to bed in and a youthful team is blossoming.
The average age of Barton's starting XI at Hillsborough on Tuesday was 24.3 years old and they have strung together a six-game unbeaten run in League One with three draws against teams in the top seven and a trio of victories. They have risen to 14th in the table as a result, but the standings are so congested that if their momentum continues they will make further strides.
Despite a chastening start to the season, Barton insists his confidence never wavered and he believes the future is bright for the Gas.
"You grow stage by stage, but I’ve always retained this confidence," he added. "When we won two out of 10, I swear to you I didn’t lose any sleep.
"It was difficult, but because we have a fantastic owner… I said to, maybe it’s time for me to offer my resignation again which was a little bit tongue-in-cheek. But when you know you’ve got an owner’s support in terms of he really believes in what you’re doing as a culture, it allows you to make the right decisions for the short term because we want to be successful, but also medium to long term.
"People are forgetting how young our team is out there. They (Sheffield Wednesday) are a team of men, a group of men who are paid an awful lot more than our players, but our player will come on so much for that experience.
"The future is bright for the Gas and we keep building. When I came here, it was to create special memories and take these fans on an incredible journey and inch by inch, brick by brick, we’re starting to do that.
"Derby on Saturday, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth – they are great occasions and occasions we want to be involved in and long may it continue."
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