Bristol Rovers vs Stevenage preview, by Stefan Frost.

The Memorial Stadium is the setting for the affair which already holds dramatic implications for Bristol Rovers who are edging closer to a free-fall.

Having found themselves rock bottom of League 1 last season with only ten wins to their name, the Pirates were relegated.

Current manager Joey Barton took over at the club halfway through the season and could do little to prevent what already seemed like an inevitability.

Barton made a name for himself as the bad boy of the premier league, known for his crunching tackles and controversial antics both on and off the field.

His temperament is not often associated with poise but that is what is required of him now as Bristol Rovers find themselves in a tricky situation.

Barton himself has bemoaned how the team are struggling to create chances. This was clear during the side's opening day loss to Mansfield Town, a midtable mainstay of League 2.

Barton would have been jubilant when Cian Harries equalised for the Pirates after half time but the celebrations did not last long.

In the 77th minute captain Paul Coutts get sent off for a reckless challenge and then in the dying minutes of additional time, Mansfield were gifted a penalty. The penalty was then converted, taking the game away from Bristol Rovers.

Then in midweek Bristol were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the first round by Cheltenham, who incidentally were promoted from League 2 last season.

The Pirates had more possession but again struggled to penetrate, clocking only one shot on target all game. Being beat 2-0 by the team which has replaced his side in League 1 will have further stung the ego of Barton, who now faces the challenge of lifting his players for their forthcoming match against Stevenage.

If they are on the receiving end of another poor result, you can't help but feel that Barton's seat as manager is under siege. Added pressure will also be on recent January signing Harvey Saunders who has been struggling for goals since joining the club.

By comparison, Stevenage seem rather stable at the moment.

Having finished 14th last season, the side have begun their league campaign with a comfortable victory over Barrow, who just avoided the drop in June.

More impressively, Alex Revell's side knocked out Championship outfit Luton Town in the Carabao cup in mid-week, following a surprisingly comfortable penalty shootout for the home side.

Stevenage's success is by no means a given as they began the 2020-21 season in dreadful fashion, sitting bottom of the table after 18 games.

However, a post-boxing day revival saw the club climb up the table to safety.

One of the Stevenage players to watch against Bristol Rovers is former Notts County man Jake Reeves who has impressed since joining the club.

Reeves scored the winning goal against Barrow and already looks to offer another attacking dimension in the Stevenage midfield.

Added to this, Stevenage's 2020-21 player of the season Elliot List has seemingly retained his penchant for scoring goals, having hit the net against Luton Town in mid-week.

Heading into the weekend it seems as though Stevenage are the clear favourites. Bristol Rovers are on a slump and desperately need a result to assure their season does not spiral out of control.