Every word Matt Taylor said on Melksham win, new Bristol Rovers faces and Antony Evans’ exit

It’s fantastic to see you again, Matt, after the gap. Was the main goal of the evening clearing the cobwebs?

Yes, the focus of tonight was fitness.After putting in a lot of work over the first four days, we wanted to give most players a 45-minute blast to cap off the week.

Only one of the under-18 players participated in the first twenty minutes of the second half; the other player did not play. For forty-five minutes, it was all about fitness, and I felt like they embraced that and went after the game. For the majority of the more than ninety minutes, there was a nice tempo.

Preseason games can occasionally be slow and boring, but thanks to the facilities and pitch conditions here, the games are usually brisk and competitive all the way to the finish.

How has your training gone so far this week?

I’m happy with it. As usual, things move a little slowly on the first day because there is a lot to get done, people to meet, and testing to do.

Our first double on Tuesday was enjoyable, with working football in the morning and running in the afternoon—a little bit of an old school mindset. That’s mostly S&C and medical guided. Though, to be fair, they came to the game tonight and I was happy with both teams’ movement after we had done that yesterday, so I didn’t anticipate them to be lumbering.

In contrast to the second half, which was somewhat more chaotic and perhaps to be expected from a younger profile of group, the first half had more control without the execution of the finish. On one end of the pitch, there are some really good areas, and on the other, there are some extremely bad points. However, we usually escape unharmed, so that was a pleasant evening for us.

How do you handle having so many new employees when you have seven signings before Friday?

Since the players have been away for a few weeks, the staff members have been together and have been working. Football is a very easy sport. After shaking hands and introducing themselves, the participants enter the room and gradually get to know one another. Some will create incredibly solid bonds with others.

However, their football relationships are the most important thing to me as a manager and to the football team. Throughout the evening, you were likely able to witness that at various points, particularly in the first part when they were getting to know one another’s roles. We must first teach them about one other’s expectations of one another, as well as their talents and shortcomings, before providing a solid framework upon which to build.

This is a pleasant evening. I’m really happy because, while we come here yearly, the facilities are still excellent, especially considering that we are, in a sense, a lower league football team, and they take great care of us. Thus, hopefully, it was useful to our fans.

I hope some of the fresh faces present were visible to them. To begin with, all they see are names on papers, but seeing them in person would have offered them a better idea of what to anticipate. All we need to do now is increase the group’s size and caliber of players.

How much of the names from the academy can we anticipate to see, considering that some of them are new to us?

They’re unknown to me as well! However, we must strengthen that bond. That was one of my goals when I joined this football team: to strengthen the relationship with the academy and bring in more young players to the first team or close to it. Although we do not currently have a development squad, this week we will be training with six of them.

Max Edwards, who has trained with us every day, played in the second half. Ollie Dewsbury is a player we’re very enthused about at the top of the pitch. At 16 years old, his objective was evident in the opening minute of the second half, as he was always moving. Charlie White making his very first business acquaintance.

Therefore, Bristol Rovers’ future is filled with promise and a lot of positive indicators. For the majority of that group, however, the first team is still very far away. A few of them will require a borrowing period. A few of them, including the goalie as well, need to go out and play more senior football games and obtain game time. As you can undoubtedly see, there was a period of time when we weren’t exactly settled.

Only experience will be able to teach them that. Being a part of that environment and training with the first team on a daily basis will help them acquire it. However, these preseason games are precious for them, so after they are over, we only need to make sure that their development continues—possibly apart from us—for a very long time.

Regarding the newcomers, I felt that Isaac Hutchinson had a very impressive appearance.

Indeed, he is a talented player.He has good movement and ball reception. He is likely among those who will feel a little let down by the way our attacking play transpired in the first half.

However, I thought the first half team’s intention was outstanding; the execution of the last minute was a little off. As you’ve already seen from his highlights, Isaac is one of those attacking players that plays in the higher midfield position. He can receive the ball, run in behind, and perform well in set pieces.

Consequently, he has been running a lot this week and is one of the few players that can run nearly as fast as Scotty Sinclair. It demonstrates the fit youngster he is and his ability to improve with time.

Antony has obviously left for Huddersfield. Is Isaac a ready-made substitute, in your opinion?

Yes, that is how we interpret it.We were presumably aware of what Antony Evans would provide, and we are likely still looking for people who can fill comparable roles but not exactly the same duties because no two football players are alike. Ten, the offensive midfielder, slashes eight. Someone who will score points, provide assists, and produce moments during the game.

Thus, it’s critical that we were able to recognize Isaac at an early age, show him, discuss the goal and his career path, and acknowledge that he has only actually participated in two whole senior football seasons.

He will therefore require some time, but it’s exciting because he has already demonstrated that he is a good man. He has genuine quality and is incredibly humble.

When did you realize that Antony was most likely not going to be involved in this season’s plans?

I believe it’s reasonable to say that the player and I had open discussions as the player approached the final year of his contract at the end of the previous campaign. You can pretty much predict what will happen if a player doesn’t sign a contract before the end of the previous season.

To be honest with you, we were quite honest with each other right from the start. Thus, such degrees of deference persisted throughout. He returned for a few days of preseason play, but we anticipated that he would go eventually, and the football team will benefit financially from the deal.

Like the way Aaron Collins departed, perhaps?

Without a doubt. Absolutely, without a question. We must recognize that our players are assets, and in situations where there isn’t a sustainable future for us to build upon, we must look for ways to give back to the football team.

At times, timing plays a significant role in that.Aaron Collins agreed with us that the time had come for him to move on. We felt that Anthony Evans was ready, and he agreed, which played a significant role in our decision-making.

Naturally, others in positions of authority above me will make the ultimate decision, but we were informed of it and, as I mentioned before, the money is back in the bank, which we can hopefully use to reinvest in this team.

Since you previously stated in an interview that you anticipated receiving loans later in the summer, obtaining Michael Forbes at this time must have occurred earlier than anticipated.

To be honest, we are thrilled about that.We are appreciative of West Ham.A few weeks prior, George and I gave Michael a presentation, and we anticipated that he would join us in Portugal. Thus, having him here during the first week or towards the end merely buys us a few extra weeks so he can get to know the players and experience a little more senior football.

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