Matt Taylor addresses reasons for Luke Thomas' recent exclusions from Bristol Rovers line ups
Matt Taylor has confessed he feels there is more to come from Luke Thomas with the Bristol Rovers forward seriously struggling for minutes in recent weeks.
Last season the 25-year-old ranked third for goal contributions within the Gas squad behind Antony Evans (19), who departed for Huddersfield Town in the summer, and Chris Martin (17) with seven goals and eight assists across all competitions.
Although the player himself admitted at that point that he still felt he could have achieved better numbers, it was his best campaign in front of goal yet in his professional career and there was no doubt that he was potentially Rovers most creative of playmakers going into this term.
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Admittedly, the winger started the season playing at right wing-back, a position that he was first deployed in at times last campaign and exceeded expectations in.
Having started seven of the first eight League One games of the season, Thomas has since made two brief appearances from the bench in the league alongside two starts in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy and another substitute cameo in the FA Cup win over Weston-super-Mare.
Asked what the winger has to do to get himself back in the starting line up, Taylor told Bristol Live: "I think we all feel there's more from LT. Look, he started the season, played a lot of minutes. Probably came out of the team because, not that he lost his confidence, but didn't go forward enough and didn't take people on often enough.
"We just felt he came in, came backwards or sideways a little bit too often. But, you know, that's the confidence part of it and understanding of what's needed in those moments.
"But he's our, before Shaq [Forde], was our player, who would take players on and create and be a little bit off the cuff in terms of that and then you're looking at the real end product on top of that."
As the Rovers manager referred to, the Gas currently have Shaq Forde playing out on the right in a new set up as a result of the decision to play with a back-four as opposed to a back-three with wing-backs. It is, you would think, a shape that suits Thomas to a tee.
Admittedly, the forward has struggled to make any notable impact in the EFL Trophy games he's started in defeats to Swindon Town and Exeter City, albeit in much-changed 11s. Meanwhile, he picked up the assist for Grant Ward's goal against Weston and almost scored in a particularly short cameo against Shrewsbury Town, rattling the crossbar.
The 25-year-old's quality is familiar to all those who have watched him play beyond this campaign and, even this season, with game time limited he's still ranks highest in the Rovers squad for chances created (15) and big chances created (three) in League One.
Although he's expected to once again be back on the bench this weekend when the Gas travel to Mansfield Town, the hope for Thomas will be that an opportunity to get longer periods on the pitch will arise before eventually making it back into the starting lineup.
After this Saturday's game with the Stags, there will be another eight matches to look forward to before the end of the calendar year, offering opportunity to not only Thomas but other players who currently find themselves out of the starting line up.
"I just thought LT last season and the start of this season just worked and worked and worked and ran first and then played on top of that," Taylor declared. "And naturally, maybe when you lose a little bit of confidence in your own game and attacking aspect of it, then it can lessen other areas.
"But he's got his chance to come on and affect the game and so forth. So I think there's a lot, like we spoke about, who maybe have a little dip and then come back in a better version. I certainly expect LT to be the same. I hope he is."
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