Lewis Gordon is well aware of what he needs to do in the remaining matches of the season if he is to earn an extension to his stay at Bristol Rovers
This term, Lewis Gordon’s season in blue-and-white quarters has been, let’s say, disrupted. After making an impression in his first four League One starts for Bristol Rovers, the left-back has started four more league games.
After the 2-0 loss at Cambridge United in August, Gordon was left out of the five league matchday squads as competition heated up due to George Friend’s injury return and Harvey Vale’s emergence at left-back. He was then restricted to playing in the EFL Trophy against West Ham United U21s and Cheltenham Town.
The 23-year-old injured his hamstring in new manager Matt Taylor’s first away game at Crawley Town, adding insult to injury. Taylor had to play catch-up while evaluating the team he had inherited. This happened after the player started former caretaker manager Andy Mangan’s final game in charge against Leyton Orient.
Gordon, who goes by “Flash” at the club, is also one of the ten players at Rovers with permanent contracts; these players’ contracts expire this summer and do not have the chance to be extended. The defence has so been eager to seize any chances that have presented itself.
The 23-year-old has played in the previous seven league games for the Gas, starting three of those games against Burton Albion, Stevenage, and Northampton Town. Despite having to wait patiently all season, he now has something to hold onto as he seeks for an extension.
Gordon said, “Obviously you want to show the gaffer and the owners what you can do,” in response to a question on his future. “Because football is ultimately a cruel game, it just means that much more that you need to work hard and demonstrate your abilities when you’re in your contract year. You might stay in the building for a year and then go, so I need to work hard and the team do as well.
“I participated in the first four or five games of the season in the beginning before leaving the squad. It was challenging because you had to maintain composure and keep your cool under pressure because you were obviously on a different schedule than everyone else. For example, you could have to arrive on a Saturday before the game. You must not allow anything to affect you, and you must demonstrate your abilities to the gaffer when the opportunity arises.”
The left-back, who came from Brentford B in the summer of 2022, is anticipated to start this weekend when the Pirates take on Carlisle United, which is now in last place, in an attempt to win four straight games following another
uneven performance. With 13 games remaining in the campaign, or more than a quarter of the season, Rovers’ season has been marked by three victories and three losses in their previous six games. Despite this, the message remains that there is still a lot of football to be played.
39 points are still there to be earned, despite the feeling that a midtable finish is inevitable. This is the attitude that these players are keeping in mind as they strive to move the Gas up the table while several of them, including Gordon, are fighting for their own futures at the club.
On paper, Rovers should have a great chance to find their home form at the Mem after only one win and four losses in their last five games there as they play a team that has only won once away from home this season and is 13 points from safety. The Pirates have also enjoyed the uncommon benefit of a clear week of practice without a midweek match. But the left-back and his colleagues are well aware of how erratic the league is and that they can’t go into this weekend expecting a straightforward match as they look to immediately bounce back after defeat at Northampton Town last weekend.
We’ve obviously been disappointed following that defeat,” Gordon declared. “We just weren’t at where we should be. As a team we know what we can do so we want to go on to Carlisle, have a good game and show the fans a good result.
“We’ve been able to go over more tactics, how Carlisle play and, more importantly, how we want to iron things that haven’t been going right out. I feel like we’ve got enough talent to be in a better position than where we are now.
“I feel like we know we should be higher in the table but obviously the results haven’t gone our way so we just have to build a consistency because there’s no point winning two games then losing two or winning one and losing two so we have to build a consistency where we can push on for the rest of the season.
“You can’t go into any game doubting anyone because anything can happen in this league as we’ve seen. We’ll go into this game confident that we can win, especially in front of our fans. I feel like they deserve a win.
“Obviously it’ll be a tough game. Carlisle need the points and will come here hungry so we’ve just got to give it all we’ve got.
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