Joey Barton likes to break seasons down into 10-game blocks and the first one is in the books for Bristol Rovers, who – like last season – have started sluggishly.
Last time around, Barton's Gas were able to overcome a chastening start – 10 points after 10 games – and he will hope to repeat that trick, albeit expectations are much lower than last season's quest for promotion. In 10 games so far this season, Rovers have won just twice and accrued eight points to occupy 21st place in League One.
With little more than 20 per cent of the season complete, it is no time to panic for Rovers, particularly with several contenders for the starting XI due back from injury soon, but there is cause for concern.
The strength of schedule must be noted, with Rovers failing to capitalise on a relatively friendly fixture list to open the campaign. The current mean average position of their first 10 opponents is 13.2, with Rovers already playing the three teams that join them in the bottom four – Morecambe, Forest Green Rovers and Burton Albion.
The average league position of the opposition for the upcoming 10 games rises to 9.9, with trips to Pride Park and Hillsborough among the assignments for Barton and his players in the not-too-distant future.
That means Rovers not only need to up their game to climb the table, but they need to do it against the backdrop of increased fixture difficulty. Of course, League One is competitive and anyone can win on their day, as Barton referenced in his most recent press conference, but the fact is Rovers have tougher challenges ahead and ground to make up in their pursuit of 52 points and a place above the dotted line.
Exeter City (a) - 10th
Next up for the Gas is a trip to St James' Park, the scene of a pair of horrible first halves last season. Rovers were 4-0 and 5-0 down in their trips to Devon last season and Barton will be emphasising the importance of a solid start on Saturday.
Of the four sides promoted from League Two last season, Matt Taylor's Exeter have made the best start, with 14 points from 10 games earning 10th place in the table. Taylor has benefitted from continuity, with the core of last season's promotion-winning side still in place.
A positive start appeared to be losing momentum with back-to-back defeats, but a 4-0 win over Forest Green Rovers last time out is a reminder of their quality.
Cambridge United (h) - 7th
Cambridge are another of the smaller sides in the league to have made a strong start, with 16 points on the board as they sit in seventh place.
Manager Mark Bonner has overseen an impressive start for the Us, although it looks increasingly likely that he has already taken charge of his final game at the Abbey Stadium. The 36-year-old is heavily linked with the vacancy at Rotherham United after Paul Warne took the Derby County job.
Harvey Knibbs, Joe Ironside and Sam Smith are all strong performers for Cambridge, but Rovers' will look to profit from any instability that could be caused if Bonner does move to the New York Stadium.
MK Dons (a) - 18th
Two sides who like to control the battle for possession will meet at Stadium MK on October 11 in a game that was rearranged after the death of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this month.
After coming so close to winning promotion to the Championship last season, MK expected a much better start to this season, sitting 18th in the standings after 10 games, but they are a different team now Scott Twine and Harry Darling have earned Championship moves. They are comparable to Rovers' loss of loan stars Elliot Anderson and Connor Taylor.
Manager Liam Manning is in a similar position to Barton, sat beneath where they want to be in the table and both sides will fancy taking the three points from this game that promises to be really open on the big pitch at Stadium MK.
Cheltenham Town (a) - 20th
October is no time to talk about six-pointers, but 10 games into this season, Rovers and Cheltenham's ambitions are aligned: they are focused on securing survival, and the clash at Whaddon Road is a chance for either side to deal some damage to the other.
Both Barton's Gas and Wade Elliott's Robins have eight points from the opening 10 games and it will be a fixture both sides have circled on the calendar as they vie to add to their respective tallies.
Plymouth Argyle (h) - 1st
Rovers' fixture list takes a leap in difficult at the end of October, starting a run of five meetings with club's that have promotion ambitions in the space of six games. First up in that run are the current league leaders, Plymouth Argyle at the Mem.
Steven Schumacher's side signalled their intent with a come-from-behind victory over fellow promotion-hopefuls Ipswich Town in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Sunday, with Finn Azaz, Bali Mumba and Morgan Whittaker among the players to catch the eye in the opening 10 games.
By the time this game comes around on October 22, Rovers ought to have several men back from injury, and the Mem atmosphere can be a real asset in their favour, so despite Plymouth's strong start Rovers will fancy their chances.
Sheffield Wednesday (a) - 4th
Rovers' five-year wait to play a league game on Sky Sports will end on October 26 when they travel to Hillsborough to face Darren Moore's Owls.
Wednesday fell short in the play-offs last season and they are desperate to return to get the job done this term. They have made a strong start, taking 20 points from their opening 10 games, and scoring more goals than anyone else in the process.
A front three of Michael Smith, Lee Gregory and Josh Windass gives the fourth-placed Owls a big threat in attack, and Barry Bannan is a top-class midfielder for the level.
Derby County (a) - 11th
Back-to-back fixtures in League One do not get much tougher than successive trips to Hillsborough and Pride Park, particularly considering Derby will have an extra 24 hours rest going into the game. They host Exeter City at home on October 25 before Rovers visit on the following Saturday.
The Gas, meanwhile, play Sheffield Wednesday a day later. With travelling included, the disparity in recovery time seems a big advantage for the Rams.
New manager Warne will have his feet under the table by then and he has been tasked with getting 11th-placed Derby – possibly a false position having played a game less than the rest – into automatic promotion contention.
Although Derby have started slow enough to force the demotion of Liam Rosenior from the top job back to a coaching role, they have amassed a strong squad and will pose a very tough test at home.
Fleetwood Town (h) - 14th
This could be considered the eye of the storm. Fleetwood are no mugs, but Barton's former club have similar ambitions to Rovers this season after narrowly avoiding relegation last term.
Rather quietly, with four draws in their past five, rookie manager Scott Brown has got Fleetwood into a decent position, sitting 14th with 12 points from their nine games, with their start to the season built on an impressive defensive record of just eight goals conceded.
But amid some more challenging assignments on paper, this could be a particularly important fixture to boost their points total. But as this season has proved, winning any game in League One is not straightforward.
Peterborough United (h) - 8th
Returning to League One after a one-year stay in the Championship, Peterborough have made a mixed start in their quest to get back to the second tier. Grant McCann's Posh have five wins and five defeats on the board, but they are looking up after ending a four-match losing streak at the weekend.
Peterborough's biggest threat needs no introduction, with Jonson Clarke-Harris moving ahead of Aaron Collins as League One's top scorer with a brace in the win over Port Vale on Saturday, and the Jamaica international is backed by a strong supporting cast.
However, with a full complement of players due back from injury by then, Rovers will be viewing anything on home soil as a winnable game.
Bolton Wanderers (a) - 6th
Bolton are one of several sides in League One that have Premier League pedigree and after years in the abyss and a season spent in League Two, the club appears to be heading in the right direction from afar.
Ian Evatt's side claimed an impressive 73 points on their return to the third tier last season, although that was 10 points adrift of the play-offs in an unusually high point-gathering season.
This time around, a place in the top six has to be the target and the Trotters have 17 points from their opening nine games. A trip to Greater Manchester on a December Friday night appears challenging for Rovers, but that's League One for you; there are lots of good teams and tough places to go and Rovers have to find a way of getting the points they need.
The next 10-game block should not be defining for Rovers' fortunes, but it will shape the narrative going into the festive period and the second half of the season when the campaign will be decided.
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