Claim made on new Bristol Rovers boss Inigo Calderon's impact amid toxicity | OneFootball

FLW's Bristol Rovers fan pundit shares his thoughts on new manager Inigo Calderon.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Bristol Rovers found themselves hurtling towards the relegation zone before the turn of the year, as the Gas struggled to pick up results under former manager, Matt Taylor. This resulted in the club parting ways with the former Rotherham United boss, bringing his interesting stint in charge to a close.

Rovers took a gamble by appointing former Brighton defender Inigo Calderon as their new manager, which was his first full-time managerial gig. Since the Spaniard took over, the League One outfit has scored ten points from nine matches, giving them a bit more breathing space between the relegation zone.

The Gas were busy in the transfer market, bringing across experienced names such as Matt Butcher, and complimenting their squad with exciting young talent such as Sil Swinkels. This has lead to an upturn in the Bristol club's fortunes since the window shut.

A massive victory over relegation rivals Peterborough United, and a draw at home to Stockport County on Tuesday evening were two big steps in the right direction, as Calderon battles hard to keep his side in the third tier.

Bristol Rovers oozing with positivity following Inigo Calderon appointment

After just over a month into Calderon's reign as head coach, Football League World spoke to our Bristol Rovers fan pundit, Ziggy, questioning him on how he'd describe his club's new boss in one word.

The Rovers fan told us: "The word that I'd pick is charismatic.

"He [Calderon] has come into the club where it was quite toxic and there was a lot of animosity towards our previous manager, the board, the owners, the players.

"He's got the players performing, but also I'm not as worried as I would've been had it not been him [appointed].

"The way he talks in his interviews, the way he acts, and his mannerisms means a lot of the fans are drawn to him. A lot of the fans think he is the man to take us forward."

Calderon can build on foundations set from survival

Now we're well over halfway through the 2024-25 season, there's a clear picture of who will be heading and footing the table come May. Unfortunately, Bristol Rovers find themselves towards the bottom of the league table.

Whilst they still have a healthy five point buffer to the relegation zone with a game in hand, the Gas will certainly be looking over their shoulder nervously for the final three months of the season.

However, Calderon will be keen to ensure survival in League One, which will give him an excellent platform to build from for next season. If Rovers do stay in the division, the 43-year-old will have the summer to assemble his squad and try to propel his side to a higher finish in League One next season.

As Ziggy stated, the new boss has eliminated that feeling of toxicity and animosity surrounding the Bristol-based club, and it seems like the change of leadership has been felt as a breath of fresh air around the Memorial Stadium.