Luke James has made a total of 23 appearances for Bristol Rovers (including competitions) and has even made two assists. However, he’s failed to score for the League One side. The question we’re all asking is WHEN will he score?
Back to the beginning…
The 22-year-old came to the West Country back in June 2016 on a season-long loan from Peterborough United. Originally, he was Matty Taylor’s replacement as the club was prepared for him to move in the summer transfer window. However, just over a week later did the top striker extend his deal with the Pirates after being linked with Championship clubs.
It wasn’t until the January transfer window where James was given the opportunity to appear in the starting lineup more frequently. He rarely made an appearance in the first half of the season and was mainly used as a substitute. Taylor created quite a lot of attention from the media on deadline day as he made the move to rival club, Bristol City.
What has improved?
From what I have seen this season is that Luke first arrived with a positive attitude to the club and has carried that with him throughout every game he’s played. I think one of his notable attributes is his pace. He likes to put pressure on the opposition and when he has the ball, he plays it well and does his best to outwit any challenging opponents. He has also improved with receiving long passes. However, he needs more time when it comes to finishing.
Using our win against Chesterfield on Saturday as an example, we gave him the opportunity to take the penalty. He fired straight for the middle, meaning it was easy for Stuckmann to save. He lacks some confidence in his shooting which can change through his training sessions.
Do I think he will score before the end of the season?
I do like Luke James. At the beginning of the season, we didn’t see much of him as we had Taylor, Harrison, Gaffney and Easter all in the squad. I want him to get a goal before the end of this season, which ends at the end of April where we play Millwall at home. The only way forward is if he improves on a variety of shots and his target practice. I don’t think it’s impossible for him to score. Every match I see somewhat of an improvement, whether it’s little or big. I see him constantly getting better and better. He’s only 22, and he’s got a lot more to his campaign as a footballer.
Bristol Rovers will travel to the Ricoh Arena where they play Coventry City this upcoming Saturday.
