Joey Barton is set to takeover at Bristol Rovers, but can he steer The Pirates to the shores of safety?

Having seen a brief return of fans, two managerial casualties and flirtation with the League One relegation zone, it’s certainly been an eventful season for Bristol Rovers.

Sat in 18th-place, Rovers are just two points clear of the dreaded drop zone, albeit with a game in hand on 21st-place Northampton Town.

After a run of ten games without a win, Paul Tisdale was relieved of his duties just over a week ago, despite being appointed in mid-November. The former Exeter City and MK Dons boss only mustered three league wins from 16 games in charge, hence his dismissal.

Set to play Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Bristolian club will be keen to get a replacement in through the door as soon as possible with their survival bid taking a major blow after a ten-game winless run.

However, caretaker boss Tommy Widdrington oversaw an instant termination of that run, with The Gas impressively beating promotion-chasing Portsmouth 3-1 at the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night.

Widdrington’s role in charge was only temporary, with reports suggesting that the club are set to announce Joey Barton as their new manager.

The former Manchester City, Newcastle and QPR player saw his two-and-a-half-year reign at Fleetwood Town ended in January after a reported controversial fallout with striker Ched Evans, who has since signed for Championship side Preston North End.

His role at Highbury Stadium was his first in management, with the 38-year-old enduring a rather successful spell with The Cod Army, guiding them to last season’s League One play-offs.

Fleetwood also sat tenth in League One, just three points off of the play-off spots at the time of Barton’s sacking; they’ve since dropped to 16th.

Being in the EFL has been a luxury for the Lancashire club, formed in 1997, with promotion to League Two achieved in 2012 and a place in League One achieved two years later. Not only did the Englishman keep Fleetwood in the division, but he also guided them to the brink of promotion to the Championship.

Should Barton be appointed, Bristol Rovers will naturally have the immediate priority of securing a place in next season’s League One. However, after taking his former side to the play-offs last season, there’s no reason why similar aspirations shouldn’t be the target for The Gas.

With the 38-year-old yet to be appointed at the time of writing, it seems unlikely that he’ll take a place in the dugout in Kent on Saturday, when Rovers take on mid table Gillingham.

The Gills have endured mixed fortunes since the turn of the year, opening 2021 with back-to-back 1-0 defeats to  Plymouth Argyle and lowly Burton Albion. However, in the seven games since the Burton defeat, Steve Evans’ side have picked up 11 points, including wins against play-off chasing Accrington and Charlton and a draw at Sunderland. A 4-1 home win over Crewe has been the stand-out result of the year so far.

The hosts will see the encounter as their best opportunity on paper to record a first home win in almost a month after a tricky fixture list with league leaders Lincoln and third-place Peterborough United recording convincing wins in the last two games at Priestfield.

Sat in 15th and ten points ahead of their visitors, relegation shouldn’t be an imminent worry, and, with 12th-place Crewe just three points ahead, a push for a top-half finish is certainly something this Gillingham side is capable of.