James Maxwell believes the defeat to Lincoln City laid bare the standards Rovers need to meet in order to achieve the goals for the season.
Rovers exited the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 defeat to the Imps and were second best for the majority of the evening against higher league opposition.
Maxwell said the manner of the performance, and different in quality between the two teams on the night, showed how much improvement is needed from Rovers.
Maxwell on the manner of the defeat:
“I think the first ten minutes probably set the tone for us. We waited for them to score before getting going.
“The timing of the goal was crucial for them because it gave them a lift. It was the same with the second at the start of the second half. We didn’t give up but it stuck the knife in a bit.
“Throughout the game we had a few moments but we couldn’t make those moments count.”
On the difference in quality:
“It shows where we need to be in order to reach our aspirations. It needs to be better than it was in this game.
“The standards have to be high. As a collective we weren’t good enough. The standards come from everyone, not just from the gaffer. As players, we all want to be a lot better than what we were.”
On the start to the season:
“It’s been challenging. I’ve enjoyed the last couple of games, without us being our best.
“We’ve found a way so far and now it’s about getting good performances to go with good results.
“Four points from two games can be looked on positively but we all know that we’ve not been at the right level over the three we’ve played so far.
“There’s definitely belief within the group. We believe we’ve got enough quality to put in a lot better performances that we have done.
“We need to bring the fans with us and make them believe as well as us.”
