Daniel Wales looks at the inconsistencies in Bristol Rovers’ performances.
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00:00Now the games are running out for Bristol Rovers.
00:04Obviously, it's not been the greatest of seasons for Calderon's men.
00:10And obviously, the output we've mentioned before,
00:12the output has not been anywhere near good enough.
00:14Goals scored, too many goals conceded, not enough runs anymore.
00:20Their last league win coming all the way back at the start of March.
00:24There's been so many losses in a row.
00:25So, you know, 1-1 draw away at Wrexham has been unbelievable for their confidence.
00:30But they do sit just above the relegation zone, you know,
00:35just like in the Championship as well.
00:37The battle to avoid relegation is massive.
00:40And what comes with the relegation to League 2,
00:43the golfing class between League 1 and League 2 is absolutely, you know,
00:46cannot be understated.
00:48Bristol Rovers just have not been good enough this season.
00:51And especially in this running as well, you know,
00:54they are just on the brink of survival.
00:57They need Burton Albion to also tail off.
00:59There's two games to go.
01:00It's a massive, massive occasion.
01:02You know, hosting Reading at home, 12.30 kickoff,
01:05and then they go to Blackpool on the final day.
01:08You do feel it's going to go down to the wire.
01:12It just hasn't been good enough.
01:13There's been those spells where they had a couple of wins on the bounce, etc.
01:16But if you look throughout their season, I mean, it's just a sea of red in terms of the losses.
01:22So many of them, you know, 25 losses in the league, only, you know,
01:28bottom place relegated Shrewsbury with the worst.
01:32So a mammoth task.
01:33Two games to go.
01:35It's looking likely that really, you know, obviously six points up for grabs,
01:39but it's between them and Burton Albion to be relegated to League 2.
01:43Daniel Wales has his thoughts.
01:45Dan, do you feel that Bristol Rovers have enough to survive in this season?
01:50And sort of where has it gone wrong?
01:51Because, you know, it's certainly not been a good outfit in terms of their entire campaign.
01:57Well, certainly, Charles, in recent weeks, it's been their inconsistency in terms of performance.
02:03They've picked up some OK results.
02:05For example, recently against Wrexham, a 1-1 draw,
02:08which is a, you know, a good point against the side challenging for promotion.
02:11But overall, they've just not shown that level in games, perhaps, against opposition
02:16who aren't as glamorous even or as even as good as Wrexham.
02:22I mean, against teams that are actually a bit closer to them in the table,
02:25they've really struggled.
02:26And that's a bit of a surprise because earlier on in the season,
02:28you know, they were picking up some good points.
02:30They've always had inconsistency this season,
02:32but certainly not to this extent in terms of their performance.
02:35And ultimately, it's led to the situation where they just haven't won in several,
02:39or several weeks now, and it's got them sat just inside the relegation zone.
02:43They are level with Burton Albion, having played a game more.
02:46So really, they have to win their final two or three games
02:49to have any chance of staying up.
02:54Whether they do that still remains to be seen.
02:56And you just have to think, where is that, even that one win coming from?
02:59Because, of course, they haven't shown enough at all of late
03:02to show that they have got it in the tank to get a win.
03:06So you do have to worry for Bristol Rovers
03:08because just where is that win coming from?
03:11It's a real shame because, of course, when Inigo Calderon first came in,
03:14yes, they had been struggling under Matt Taylor previously,
03:16but Calderon seemed to get them into shape a little bit
03:19towards the start of his tenure and some important wins.
03:23Bolton, for example, a 3-2 win at the Memorial Stadium
03:26was perhaps a highlight.
03:27But then it's just really, really tailed off
03:30and now he just can't seem to get a tune out of them.
03:34And it's perhaps a bit perplexing to him.
03:36And the players, you know, in their interviews,
03:38they say it's not good enough and we all need to show accountability.
03:41And I think they all understand that,
03:42and yet it's just not happening on the pitch.
03:44So whether it's the effort levels,
03:46whether it's just a lack of quality completely,
03:48although you could argue that the quality was there
03:50at certain points throughout the season.
03:53So where has it gone now?
03:54So therefore, is it effort levels?
03:55But then if it's effort levels,
03:58then, well, they wouldn't surely be saying these things
04:01because they know exactly that it is the effort
04:03that they're not showing.
04:04So it's a really hard one to fathom
04:05and Calderon just doesn't seem to have the answers at present
04:08and neither do the players on the pitch.
04:10So you have to worry for Bristol Rovers
04:13as to where this even just one win is coming from
04:16in these last few games that remain.
04:19They need something because the way it stands,
04:22they are behind Burton Albion on goal difference,
04:25having played the game more.
04:26So they will go down as things stand.
04:29So they need to find something.
04:30Where that comes from remains to be seen, as I say.
04:34Something just needs to give for them,
04:36perhaps even just a lucky goal.
04:38But it's not looking good for Bristol Rovers at present.