TICKET INFORMATION: BRAINTREE TOWN VS BROMLEY – TUES 30TH JULY
How far one reads into pre-season friendlies is specific to the individual but, as seems to be repeated every summer, ultimately they are fitness and training exercises that offer players and coaches the opportunity to come up against faces that they don’t see every day and trial new systems, tactics, personnel and whatever else needs to be tinkered with.
Bristol Rovers’ unbeaten start to pre-season was certainly encouraging but, with the upmost respect to these clubs, the level of opposition has largely been notably inferior to the quality that the Gas will face once the real thing starts in less than three weeks. Bar a behind closed doors exercise at Championship side Swansea City’s training ground last Friday that incorporated two 60-minute matches, Rovers had played teams from outside the Football League prior to jetting out to Portugal on Sunday evening.
That undefeated streak was ended on Tuesday afternoon as Matt Taylor’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted League Two side Bromley out in the Algarve, the first of two friendlies scheduled while the Gas are out there this week. Naturally, there were bits to like but, given the result, the match will have also flagged a number of issues for Taylor and his coaching staff that need to be worked on while these games continue to be of friendly status.
It feels bizarre to say because, at the end of the day, no one likes losing but that defeat has probably done Rovers plenty of good as it will have highlighted where they’re still struggling. As said above, these are ultimately rehearsals before the curtain raiser against Northampton Town in 17 days.
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