Seven names in the frame to become the next Bristol Rovers manager

With Joey Barton dismissed, Bristol Rovers are looking for a new manager.

EFL pundit Gab Sutton discusses seven candidates for the job…

1. Neil Harris

It’s difficult to ascertain quite how high Neil Harris’ stock is, in the EFL managerial market.

On the one hand, this is the most popular manager of Millwall’s modern history, who led the Lions to two Play-Off Finals in League One immediately after relegation, winning the second, with an unlikely top six charge that just fell short in the Championship the following season.

That shows, in the right circumstances, Harris can fire a team to deliver massively against the odds, and he’s also led Cardiff from 14th to 5th in the Championship in 2019-20, as well as having delivered competitive results at Gillingham, on paper.

However, it needs a certain personality to respond well to his way of working that might be perceived as a little unhinged, and that tends to be older players.

Plus, Harris doesn’t have much clout in the loan market, which is an area the Gas have at times wanted to exploit.

Verdict: Might not quite be right for the strategy Rovers are moving towards.

2. Garry Monk

Garry Monk led Swansea to a ninth-placed Premier League finish in his only full season in charge, he got Leeds to seventh in the Championship in 2016-17 with a points tally that would have got them into the Play-Offs, in their joint-best season at that level in the pre-Bielsa era.

The former defender was sacked at Middlesbrough at a time of promising form, and kept Birmingham up comfortably in adversity, twice in the same season – they had been deducted nine points in 2018-19 and still finished 17th.

The only negative stint in Monk’s CV is the one at Sheffield Wednesday, who remain very badly run on a structural level, so for Bristol Rovers to get a good Championship manager when 15th in League One would be a real coup.

The 44-year-old does, though, have a reputation for acting a little underhandedly, both in how he’s gone about going from one job to another in the past, and how he can sometimes be perceived to prioritize an agent’s agenda over the club’s.

Verdict: Would bring an advanced level of preparation and professionalism to the Gas, but it depends on whether the club is prepared to compromise on more progressive qualities, and gamble that some of the above question marks are either unfair or something he’s moved on from, to gain a manager of his ability. 

3. Andy Mangan

If Bristol Rovers take their time on this appointment, there’s a world in which Andy Mangan does so well as interim Head Coach that it almost becomes impossible to give the job to anyone else.

The former front-man delivered an excellent performance in his first game in charge, a 2-1 win over Northampton, and a dominant FA Cup showing against Whitby Town wouldn’t do his cause any harm.

Mangan is reportedly considered a candidate for the permanent job, and he’s already built up four years of coaching experience.

Verdict: Mangan might be great – but do you bet what is pound-for-pound the best Bristol Rovers squad in at least 15 years trying to find that out?

4. Ian Holloway

Making appointments that are led by sentiment can be dangerous, and that could be the case with Ian Holloway.

The 60-year-old is a legend at the Mem, having been part of the Third Division promotion-winning side in 1989-90 in his first stint as a player, and made 286 appearances for the club by the end of his second, as well as doing great work as a manager.

While ‘Ollie remains a likeably passionate figure with the ability to motivate, he’s now tactically a little behind the curve, and while he did a reasonable job at QPR five years ago, his subsequent stint at Grimsby didn’t go to plan.

Verdict: If Bristol Rovers want an appointment that will enable them to thrive in the modern era, it’s hard to see Holloway being the right choice.

5. Brian Barry-Murphy

After winning the PL2 twice with Man City EDS, Brian Barry-Murphy’s reputation as a coach is massively enhanced.

BBM did a good job in difficult circumstances at Rochdale, keeping them up from a difficult situation in 2018-19 after Keith Hill left with the team nearly cut adrift in March, before evolving the style the following season whilst steering them to safety on a miniscule budget.

The following season, things got harder still as a series of key departures left him with a skeletal squad, and while The Dale did go down in 2020-21, they did so scoring more goals than promoted Blackpool that year.

Barry-Murphy has worked wonders in terms of individual player development, nurturing the likes of Ethan Brierley, Aaron Morley, Luke Matheson and Gavan Bazunu at Spotland, as well as Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, James McAtee, Tommy Doyle and Oscar Bobb at the Academy Stadium.

BBM would have the most clout in the loan market of all the managers Rovers could appoint, which would add to his appeal.

Verdict: Does BBM have the potential to make a great Rovers boss? Absolutely. But is he prepared to give up his well-paid job working with some of the brightest talents in world football to become a number one again? That’s the question.

6. Gareth Ainsworth

Ainsworth is one of the best motivators and positive psychologists in modern football.

The Lancastrian is a beaming force of belief and once he gets buy-in from his players, he can build culture-led teams that achieve far, far above expectation.

In his ill-fated stint at QPR, however, the 50-year-old was unable to quell doubts over tactical limitations, certainly for Championship level, and he’s approaching a stage of his career whereby he’ll need to add more strings to his bow.

At Bristol Rovers, he wouldn’t get the buy-in straight away, because he got a lot of stick from Gasheads when he was Wanderers boss, as there’d been a bit of needle between the two clubs.

Verdict: Would be more suited somewhere like Port Vale or Wimbledon, where he’s already a club legend and would get buy-in from the off. In these parts he may not be thought of as fondly.

7. Dean Holden

In some respects, there’d be less of a political tension for Holden to overcome than there would be for Ainsworth, even though the former was previously Bristol City boss.

Holden didn’t face Rovers with City, for one thing, so it’s not like he’s an ex-rival they’re familiar with, and unlike Steve Cotterill, he didn’t made certain comments about the Gas when he was at Ashton Gate.

It’s likely the vast majority of Gasheads would be happy to get behind Holden, despite his history, especially once they see a level-headed, honest guy who wants to connect with the fans, and with the right off-field support, he’s a capable manager.

The 44-year-old got City level on points with seventh in the Championship by the time he left in January 2021, despite an extensive injury crisis, and he led Charlton from 18th to 11th in 2022-23, before being dismissed five games into the following campaign.

Holden also brings higher-league experience, having served a combined six years working in the Championship, either as an assistant or a number one.

Verdict: Can bring higher-end coaching nous, some operational understanding to a club that doesn’t currently have a DoF or equivalent. Has shown the potential to bring success in the right circumstances.