Joey Barton gathered his senior staff for a season debrief earlier this week with the overarching theme of the discussions being what Bristol Rovers need to do to get better in 2023/24.
Having successfully navigated their way through a return to League One, while a 17th-placed finish was viewed internally as slightly below-par, ultimately, they were never really in any danger of relegation and after such a tumultuous few years post-Darrell Clarke sometimes there’s nothing wrong with being a bit boring.
But, as you’ve probably guessed, Barton isn't a man for sitting still and often the moment when clubs settle for consolidation is how they are caught cold by their rivals. Subsequently, the bar will need to be set much higher for next season.
