'What we aspire to be' - Bristol Rovers boss full of praise for Peterborough model ahead of trip

-Credit: (Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
-Credit: (Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)


Matt Taylor has insisted that Peterborough United's model of buying and buying young players and selling them on for profit while becoming one of League One's strongest sides is something Bristol Rovers aspire to achieve ahead of the two sides facing off this weekend.

Rovers haven't hid their ambitions to climb up the rankings in the third tier and push on to becoming a team that can embed themselves into the promotion conversation, over time of course. They also signed 16 players over the course of the summer transfer window, 12 of which are 23 or younger with their recruitment model transitioning towards making profit on high-potential assets.

It's something that Peterborough have done effectively for years with Ivan Toney one their most recent success stories, whose £40million move to Al-Ahli from Brentford is thought to have pocketed Posh around £4million.

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Discussing Peterborough's model ahead of Rovers' trip to London Road on Saturday, Taylor said: "They invest a lot in maybe a little bit unknown but they also invest in some outstanding players. I sold them a player for over £1million from a League Two team to a Championship team at the time so they do get it right more often than not and they publicise that really well and full credit to them. That’s a model that attracts young players to go there.

"If I was a young player picking a team in this league then you think go play at Peterborough because if I perform to any level then I’m in the shop window and I think the whole footballing world knows to watch Peterborough before any other team at our level.

"They’re where we want to be to the next step but there is a model there of bringing young players to the football club to develop and they work in a certain way which runs their football club which turns them into assets and then selling them on.

"Something we aspire to be, to a certain extent, but they’ve also backed it up with results and promotion and relegation and being really close to the top end of League One. Something else we aspire to get to. Maybe a little bit ahead of us but a lot to learn from them."

Like the Gas, Peterborough were busy in the transfer market over the summer bringing in 12 players while seeing a couple of stars depart in Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), Harrison Burrows (Sheffield United), Ephron Mason-Clark (Coventry City) and Josh Knight (Hannover 96).

However, there will still likely be a number of familiar names on the teamsheet this weekend with players such as Ricky-Jade Jones, Kwame Poku, Joel Randall and Archie Collins with Taylor warning that, although they're a new-look side in some aspects, there are still numerous areas of the pitch where they can hurt Rovers.

"New-look team in certain positions," the Gas manager added. "But I know three of their players better than anyone and they’re not the young players I had in that development stage. Joel Randall, Archie Collins and Jack Sparkes, they’re not young players now. Some have played in the Championship, some have played 300 games, some have been promoted from League One.

"Peterborough will understand what we’re going through to a certain extent but the outside world never really takes notice of that.

"Typical, strong League One team. It feels like every week we’re saying that. A play-off team of the last few seasons. They’ve still got their identity of that front-six of outstanding players for the level. Two of the best centre-midfielders and a front-four that would get into any team in the league.

"But there’s probably been a bit of a change around in their backline. They’ve obviously lost their captain and sold a very good player to Southampton so some real quality has departed their backline. They’ve added to it and improved it but in terms of just settling into a rhythm, there’s certain areas on that pitch where we want to get the ball and we want to target.

"They’ve not won at home as yet but in each and every game I’ve watched them play this season they’ve still been impressive pressing team with pace and power in abundance in certain areas of the pitch."

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