Rovers still suffering hangover from last season's relegation

Talking points from Bristol Rovers' defeat to Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium, by Dan Hargraves

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IT is becoming increasingly difficult to write these pieces without effectively saying the same thing about Bristol Rovers as we have done for the past five months.

A 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town had squandered chances, poor defensive moments and body language that translated into anything but confidence... as has been the case in the vast majority of Rovers’ last 12 competitive matches. Of that dozen, they have lost 11 and drawn one. These first eight days of the season have well and truly been a hangover from the woes of last season’s relegation.

There is only so much metaphorical greasy food, vitamin tablets and paracetamol Darrell Clarke can provide his squad to ease their queasiness at such an early stage of working with them. Frankly, fans have every right to be concerned that it is going to get worse before it gets better. This mess hasn’t been caused by Clarke, but it is his to clean up. He signed up for that though. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into and very rarely do managers walk into jobs with it already sunshine and roses. It is going to be a process, but how many times have supporters been told that over the past couple of years? Patience has been required and fans have offered it, but now that tolerance is wearing more thin as the weeks go by.