James Maxwell believes no Rovers player has done enough to guarantee themself a starting berth for the side next season.
Reflecting on the campaign as a whole after making his return from injury in the final game of the season at Walsall, the full back said that all places are up for grabs next term as Rovers look for significant improvement on the pitch.
Maxwell on how the game played out:
“The first half was pretty even and there wasn’t very much in the game. It took us a bit of time to get up to speed. I thought defensively we didn’t look too bothered apart from the first five minutes or so. I thought they dealt with it better. We made the point after the game that a lot of the times when we go up and compete, it’s not clean enough.
“Overall, we were not good enough and we’ve come up short.”
On the season as a whole:
“There’s not much more you can say. We’ve had moments in games, ten or 15 minute spells where we look really good. Towards the end of this one we looked like we could score but for 60 minutes, did we look like we could score? Probably not.
“It’s hard to put a positive spin, especially in the last couple of months where we’ve been below par.”
On the need for greater physicality:
“I think it needs to be a big part of the summer, that the lads that are here go and put on some size. Sometimes it’s not even about size - it’s about personality and that commitment and intensity which I think we can do better. The manager has talked about it and also in the players that we bring in, we need to be more physical.”
On the summer:
“It’s a huge summer. I think no one has done enough to say they’re going to be a starter next year. Places are definitely up for grabs and we need to bring in competition for places. We need to bring in better players than what we’ve got because ultimately that’s what it boils down to. A lot of the time us players feel the gameplan and what we’re being sent out to do is right. We all believe in it 100 per cent but we know as players, that individual moments cost us and it’s been like that all season.”
On the mood in the camp:
“It’s not been negative in any way but to say that the place has been bouncing would be a lie because of where we are. We know this club has been at higher levels and this is a really poor finishing position for us.”
On being back from injury:
“I was hoping to be back a couple of games earlier and I was trying to push but I wasn’t ready. It would have been easy to sit this one out and leave it until the end of the season but the lads have been struggling and myself I was champing at the bit to play and get some minutes.
“I wanted to at least get some good minutes, get some work in and make sure the injury didn’t finish my season because it came at a bad time. It was a good intensity when I go in there.”