Bristol Rovers will want to avoid any repeat of failed Burnley FC transfer | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers will need to look for lessons from the Bobby Thomas failed transfer

It was a transfer everybody involved would probably rather forget. The season-long loan signing of Bobby Thomas by Bristol Rovers from Burnley would be cut short, and his exit raised questions about how clubs and players manoeuvre in the background as they seek to look after their interests.

Now at Coventry City after signing for the Sky Blues in July 2023, Thomas was among a high number of loanees Bristol Rovers recruited during Joey Barton’s time in charge of the Pirates. Some of those were extremely successful, with the well-documented heroics of Nottingham Forest youngster Elliot Anderson, as well as the likes of Connor Taylor and others, who would return to Rovers on permanent deals.

Bobby Thomas departure plunged Bristol Rovers into a crisis

Bobby Thomas, however, will not go down as one of those successful loans owing to the fact that he would request to return to his parent club in the next transfer window - plunging the Gas into a squad crisis.

Thomas had started the season with some standout performances, managing to bag three goals in 26 appearances, with an overall rating of 7.2 according to FotMob – before the youngster would suddenly ask to leave the Gas, resulting in the Rovers manager scrambling to field a complete matchday squad for their next game against Accrington Stanley. Rovers were only able to field six substitutes amid a shortage of defenders following Alfie Kilgour's move to Mansfield that same week.

Speaking at the time, former Gas boss Joey Barton indicated that some of the explanation for Thomas’ departure may be because he and his representatives were unimpressed with the former Newcastle and Man City midfielder making moves behind the scenes to replace the on-loan defender in his Bristol Rovers back line.

Responding to the departure, Barton told Bristol Live: “Football is a strange-old game and Bobby and his agent will have been aware of us trying to move centre-backs on in the background to replace him, so we can’t sit here and cry that he has done the dirty on us and gone to Barnsley because we were actively looking to recruit and replace him and use a valuable loan spot because we felt we had seen what Bob could do for us, and we felt we could find, certainly in the second half of the season, a bit more of a different structure defensively.”

Joey Barton admits things could have been done differently

Unfortunately for the youngster, he would make some crucial mistakes leading to Rovers conceding goals and this would ultimately become his downfall as the manager attempted to shore up a leaky defence.

Barton didn't hold back in reacting to the departure, continuing: “I’ll level with you, we’ve had enough of him as well. He is a young player and he came in and did well, but virtually a goal a game and he was causing a lot of issues. Bob goes with our thanks for the loan. Could they have done it differently? Yeah, absolutely, but it fits with the characters.”

It seems like an open secret that conversations go on in the background between players, clubs and agents as each constantly seek to look after their respective interests. And here it seems Thomas and his representatives were less than impressed with how Barton conducted his efforts.

With the January window about to open, the Bristol Rovers leadership will need to find lessons in that saga to avoid a repeat of a situation that won't have done anyone’s reputation any favours.