How Joey Barton is making his mark at Bristol Rovers – tactical analysis

After taking the Bristol Rovers job in February of 2021, Joey Barton has since been relegated to League Two and then Promoted to League One. The former Manchester City midfielder was one of the biggest characters in the Premier League and is now establishing himself as a very solid manager.

Following a dramatic end to the 2021/22 season, where Bristol Rovers required a five-goal swing on the final day of the season, Bartons side went on to thrash Scunthorpe United 7-0. Having just signed a new long-term contract with the club, the Scouser is making the right moves on and off the pitch as he looks to aim for the EFL Championship long term.

This tactical analysis will look at the tactics used by the former Rangers man in the early stages of the 2022/23 campaign. In this analysis, we will delve into the tactics that will be used to guide The Gas to a comfortable finish.

In possession 

When in possession, Bristol Rovers set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation which is very flexible and mobile. This formation allows for the midfield to be comfortable and compact but, at the same time, the attacking players can be expressive.

When playing from the defence, Barton wants his goalkeeper to involved in the build-up heavily. By doing this, it allows The Gas to have an extra man in play whilst building up. The goalkeeper playing high allows for the defenders to use him as an extra option to help relieve pressure.

As well as this, it all means that the gap between the two centre-backs is made more manageable as the goalkeeper is in the middle. Usually in this set-up, a midfield player would drop deep in between the centre-backs, so utilising the goalkeeper gives Rovers an extra man further up the pitch.

Furthermore, the other advantage of this is that the ball-playing midfielder is able to maintain a more progressive and advanced position in the middle of the pitch. This is important in building up as it allows for link-up play to take place.

In the build-up, Rovers want to progress the ball centrally. The set up as seen is very structured to create space in the central area of the pitch. Below is an example of how they like to set up once possession in the opposition half has been established.

The midfielders play on different lines to ensure there are always multiple options to pass to. One player drops deeper to create an option in between the wide, split centre-backs. The split centre-backs encourage the fullbacks to push further forwards into a more attacking role.

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