Bristol Rovers predicted team vs Charlton Athletic: Rotation expected to keep things fresh

You would have to go back to the final five games of Bristol Rovers' relegation season of 2020/21 for the last time the Gas lost five league games in a row, a frightening omen ahead of Rovers' home game against Charlton Athletic this evening.

It's tough to call any footballing situation a 'crisis' with any real substance only eight games into a campaign but four consecutive defeats in League One has extinguished any of the optimism or positivity shared amongst Gasheads this time last month on the back of a bright start to the campaign.

After picking up seven points from their opening four league games in August, Rovers endured a brutal September with losses against Barnsley, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers. It was the Wycombe loss on Saturday in particular that hurt and angered supporters as Matt Taylor's side led for the majority of the contest and spent just a minute of the game behind. Crucially though, it was the final 60 seconds as they threw away a result that would have at least stopped the rot.

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There is no doubt that the Rovers manager now finds himself under increased pressure that will only grow if this run prolongs. Boy, could he do with a win tonight.

A change in shape with four alterations in personnel from the Peterborough game had it's moments as the Gas returned to a back-four and could well be deployed again with Taylor admitting post-match on Saturday that he tried to keep things as simple as possible for his players.

Whatever the Rovers manager does, he needs it to work because the longer this side goes without a win, the more scrutiny that will be directed at him and you know what tends to come once a manager officially reaches boiling point. Fingers crossed something changes tonight.

Speaking of changes, Taylor hinted that he has players who started against Wycombe who probably aren't at a fitness level where they can start again three days later and so you would expect at least a few alterations again just to freshen things up. Here's our attempt at predicting the starting line up...

Goalkeeper and defence

You can always find a way to criticise defenders when goals are conceded and maybe Connor Taylor and James Wilson could have made some sort of effort to avoid conceding from a corner on Saturday but the centre-backs were largely solid and didn't deserve to be on the losing side.

They dealt with aerial bombardment well, got their bodies in the way on a number of occasions and looked pretty comfortable alongside one another. Admittedly, back out at left-back Clinton Mola didn't have his best game for Rovers while Lino Sousa also struggled to replicate his impressive performance levels from the two games prior.

Mola has largely been impressive in blue-and-white quarters and should be keeping his place while on the opposite flank there's certainly argument for Jack Hunt to pick up his first start of the season. The right-back made his first appearance of the campaign with a 20-odd minute cameo from the bench and put his body on the line while also producing some outstanding crosses.

If Taylor needs profiles that can step up and face adversity, Hunt is one of the best options in this squad being one of the most senior and experienced figures. The 33-year-old should step in.

Meanwhile, in between the sticks there's no sliver of doubt is there? Josh Griffiths starts after making one or two important saves against Wycombe.

Midfield

When Taylor suggested the idea that he may well have players who won't be able to start a second game in such quick succession, it seemed as though his midfield was the main area of the pitch being referred to. Grant Ward had a decent afternoon on Saturday while there were moments to like from Jamie Lindsay who had strong words to say post-match. I've got a feeling the 28-year-old is going to be an important presence this campaign.

Lindsay managed the full 90 minutes but on the back of only coming back from an injury a few weeks ago, it is currently unseen whether the Scotsman can go again right from the off. Meanwhile, knowing how his body has tended to be managed this term, it would be a surprise to see Ward in the starting line up again.

Therefore, with the assumption that the duo are going to be given a rest, Kamil Conteh seems to be a no-brainer for a return to the starting 11 but who partners him is up for debate. You're likely looking at a more attack-minded profile with Luke McCormick unlucky not to start against Wycombe on the back of his goal against Peterborough while we're still waiting for Isaac Hutchinson to spark into life as a Gas player. There is also a case for Kofi Shaw.

However, if Rovers want to keep it a bit more solid, Jake Garrett could be the solution. The Blackburn Rovers loanee hasn't come off the bench in the last two games on the back of three consecutive starts and is certainly due some game time. There is a bit of guesswork here but if you're arguing who probably deserves to come in, it's McCormick.

Out on the flanks, there's no reason as to why Luke Thomas and Scott Sinclair can't manage again. The former was back in his preferred position and looked to benefit from it while Sinclair was a real livewire and took his goal well. In that department, it seems a no-brainer to stick with the duo.

Strikers

With it looking set that Gatlin O'Donkor would get his first start for Rovers on the back of his goal and assist from the bench against Peterborough, there was for argument dropping both Promise Omochere and Ruel Sotiriou. In the end, it was the former who will certainly be hungry to show that that was the wrong decision from his manager.

O'Donkor did okay against Wycombe but didn't quite cause the problems he would've liked and looked absolutely shattered by around the 50-minute mark. With competition up top stark, you would imagine that Omochere will come back in and reclaim his place.

Taylor was full of praise for Sotiriou post-match on Saturday, admitting that the summer signing from Leyton Orient is constantly improving. The 24-year-old got the assist for Sinclair's goal and was a constant menace for the Wycombe defenders to deal with, harrassing them whenever they were nearby and trying to force them into mistakes. He's evidently still not capable of playing a full 90 minutes while Omochere also isn't without it severely impacting his performance levels but there's doesn't seem to be many reasons as to why the duo shouldn't start alongside one another again.

Bristol Rovers XI (4-4-2): Josh Griffiths; Jack Hunt, Connor Taylor, James Wilson, Clinton Mola; Kamil Conteh, Luke McCormick; Luke Thomas, Scott Sinclair; Ruel Sotiriou, Promise Omochere

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