Can Darrell Clarke Save Cheltenham Town?

Cheltenham Town were the talk of the EFL in the first quarter of this season. However, the Robins being such a hot topic for conversation in the football pyramid was for all the wrong reasons. That was because the club was enduring a difficult time in front of goal, but difficult is the wrong word to use. It was tumultuous. A 2-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town meant that the side equalled the English record of 11 games without a goal. However, the longest record is held by dissolved Russian side FC Tom Tomsk, who in 2011 went 1,115 minutes without a goal in the Russian Premier League.

 This past weekend, they ended a run of 11 games without a goal, with Rob Street’s first goal for the club coming against Derby County in their 12th game, ensuring they did not make history for all the wrong reasons. That 1-1 draw with the Rams was the second game in charge for new boss Darrell Clarke, who took over from Wade Elliott, who was sacked after just one point from their opening ten games. The one goal the side had scored came outside the league in the EFL Trophy, and that was an own goal against Bristol Rovers.

Clarke has been out of management since April of this year after two years with Port Vale came to an end. During his tenure with the fellow League One club, he guided the side to the third tier, winning promotion from League Two via the playoffs. However, after a run of seven games without a win saw the side fall into the relegation zone last season, Clarke was sacked by the club.

The former Bristol Rovers boss faces the difficult task of steadying the ship at Cheltenham Town and stopping it from going down. The progress has looked promising, with a goal now to their name, it will be momentum they hope to take forward. The draw with Derby County was the first point they had taken from the Rams in their history, something that does not speak much for the sides, given they have been in different divisions throughout most of their existence.

Given the departure of talismanic forward Alfie May, who joined Charlton Athletic in the summer, goalscoring was bound to drop for Cheltenham. But no one could have predicted this plummet in efficiency in front of goal for the Robins. If there was ever a time for Aidan Keena and Rob Street to step up, it is now, and hopefully, Street can continue after getting off the mark this past weekend.

Clarke will be without some key squad members following their EFL Trophy fixture with Newport County yesterday evening. With the international break approaching, their next game will be in less than two weeks when they meet Cambridge United. One player who has received a call-up is 38-year-old Curtis Davies, who will pick up his first international cap after being called up by Sierra Leone.

Davies will be a player that Clarke looks to lean upon in what could be his most difficult season as a manager, and the manager will be hoping that that international experience could be beneficial for him upon his return to the club. However, despite the experience of the former Derby County man, in my opinion, it is hard to see Cheltenham Town surviving this season, and I fully expect them to be in League Two this time next year.