by Adam Stubbings

Another game passes without victory and a relegation scrap now seems on the cards as Rovers look to finally end this miserable run at home to Shrewsbury on Saturday.

It was a meek 2-0 defeat at the hands of Swindon which dealt Rovers their latest blow, making it eight games on the trot without victory and a slide to 18th place, above our visitors only on goal difference and an alarming two points clear of the bottom four. Three points from eight games is simply not good enough at any stage of the season and if things can't be turned around very soon, it could be curtains for our League One status.

Shrewsbury by contrast are four games unbeaten in the league, Micky Mellon's side buoyed by a fantastic run in the F.A. Cup that recently ended at the hands of giants Manchester United. Three of those four games have been against sides in the relegation zone, but a 2-0 win over Rochdale in midweek will have boosted the Shropshire side heading into this clash at the Keepmoat.

Darren Ferguson made his debut as Rovers manager in the first meeting with Shrewsbury this season, securing a 2-1 win at Greenhous Meadow thanks to a late goal from Keshi Anderson. That was the start of a revival of fortunes for Rovers, and how dearly they need another one now as the last dozen games of the season loom with increasing significance.

We are unbeaten in four meetings with the Shrews, winning the lot but this is only the fourth meeting of the century after the pair sailed by one another in 2004 as Rovers won promotion from the Conference and were replaced by Shrewsbury. Those four wins have all been by a single goal, doing the double in our 2012/13 title-winning campaign and even beating them 1-0 at Belle Vue the year we dropped out of the league in drastic circumstances.

Things may not be anywhere near as bad as they were back then but there is no doubt that this is a massive game for both teams and one that could set the tone for the rest of the season. Two sides fighting hard to avoid the drop who need to demonstrate passion and grit to get themselves out of trouble.

Richard Chaplow, who scored against Millwall last Saturday, misses the game through suspension, and Paul Keegan may not be fit enough to return to the midfield just yet. James Coppinger is also facing a further couple of weeks out injured, meaning a debut beckons for Aston Villa loanee Riccardo Calder, signed until the end of the season on Thursday.

Rovers stopped the rot against Millwall, but the search for three points continues with a midweek trip to Swindon Town.

Despite failing to secure a winner and once again demonstrating rudimentary defensive failings, there were encouraging signs in the 1-1 draw at the weekend. Rovers improved as the game went on and put a bad start behind them to come on strong and dominate spells of the game when chasing a winner. The performance was a huge improvement on recent defeats to rivals such as Barnsley and Sheffield United, and hopefully a modicum of confidence can be taken from the game ahead of some crucial fixtures as we hit the last dozen or so matches.

Seven games without a win have seen the club mired in the bottom eight with seemingly no way up now – there are seven points between Rovers in 17th and Bury a place higher – but despite sitting just three points clear of relegation Darren Ferguson has cause for optimism. The majority of the first team squad are now fit after a testing period of injuries, and the fixture list opens up a little bit after a string of games against top clubs. More than two-thirds of our victories in League One this season have come against the sides behind, indeed all seven of those teams have tasted defeat at the hands of the Rovers in 2015/16.

Swindon by contrast have been on a good run of late and are up to 12th, registering three straight victories to move up the table. They are not infallible however and will be wary of former talisman Andy Williams returning to haunt them on Tuesday night. Williams netted over 20 goals in a fantastic season for the Robins last year, but was among a group of top players to depart the County Ground last summer.

Fergie needs to address the defensive issues plaguing the team of late, and it is perhaps time to introduce Andy Butler back into the starting line-up after an unconvincing few games for Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and Luke McCullough. Paul Keegan, at fault for the Millwall goal on Saturday, went off injured and may not be fit enough to start but Harry Middleton can ably deputise if this proves the case.

by Adam Stubbings

Rovers are in dire need of a win to arrest an alarming slide towards the bottom four, coming up against a Millwall side in good form and well placed in the League One table.

The 1-0 loss at Barnsley last time out was the fourth defeat in succession, and has seen a gap open up above of six points meaning Rovers head up a cut adrift group of eight relegation battlers. Seven of the team's nine league wins this season have come against the seven sides behind us, and results against the better clubs will have to improve if Darren Ferguson is to avoid a dog fight for survival over the last dozen or so games.

Four defeats in a row, three of those at home and two to local rivals, and no home win in five since the dramatic late comeback against Crewe in December. These facts of the form book suggest that the odds are stacked against us going into the weekend's fixture.

With just one defeat in their last eight league outings, and five away victories on the spin, the Lions represent a stern test of Rovers' resolve and fortitude, with Ferguson mired in his first properly bad spell since taking over. Neil Harris' side have made superb progress up the table to move into 5th, six points shy of automatic promotion and in the mix going into a crucial phase of the season.

The head-to-head stats don't make for much better reading either, with Millwall unbeaten in the last six. That run includes a 2-0 win at The Den when the sides last clashed back in October and Rovers, struggling mightily to find the back of the net of late, have not managed a single goal in the last four meetings either. Our last victory came in a 2-1 Championship home win in 2010, with fleeting loan star David Healy scoring the winner.

Conor Grant made a welcome return at Barnsley and Lynden Gooch has extended his loan spell at the club, whilst veterans Andy Butler and James Coppinger are pushing for starts after returning on the bench last Saturday. Whatever changes Ferguson does opt to make for this game, he needs to find a way to get the strikers back among the goals, or this loss of form will quickly turn into a late season slump that has become all too familiar from Rovers in recent seasons.

by Adam Stubbings

It may be a short trip down the road, but a game away from the Keepmoat might be the best thing for Rovers as they look to arrest an alarming slide since the turn of the year in another big South Yorkshire derby.

Last Saturday's meek 1-0 loss to Sheffield United was a third successive reverse, all at home, and now leaves Rovers on a five game winless run in the league since a 3-0 win at Southend on January 2nd. That run has seen Darren Ferguson's side slip to 17th in the table, their lowest position since the initial recovery run after his arrival began. Hopes of a push for the top 6 have faded and now, with just 16 games to go, Rovers sit six points clear of the relegation zone with work to do.

Rovers have been far better on the road than at home again this season, and haven't suffered an away defeat in the league since late October when Ferguson's reign was in its infancy. That run is under serious threat at Oakwell as Barnsley have seen a remarkable upturn in fortunes of late, winning seven games on the spin to take them from the bottom six to the top ten. That run was ended with defeat at Gillingham last time out, and manager Lee Johnson has now left the club to join Bristol City, but the Tykes will doubtless be a very tough opponent for Rovers.

More good omens for us come from the head to head record, with Rovers now unbeaten in six matches against Barnsley dating back to 2012, with a late 2-1 win courtesy of Richard Chaplow earlier this season one of the highlights of that run. In addition, it is nine wins in fifteen clashes since the turn of the century, and for a time under Dave Penney we truly were the Reds' bogey team, winning five in a row upon our return to League One in 2004.

This derby clash has plenty of heated history, and fans will demand a better showing than in last week's loss to the Blades, one of the most soulless and turgid derby performances in recent memory. You could be forgiven as a neutral for thinking it was a match between two sides at opposite ends of the country, meeting for the first time. A marked improvement against Barnsley is a must, especially if Rovers truly want to avoid being sucked in to a battle for survival.

Andy Butler and Nathan Tyson both returned last weekend but looked less than fully fit, and Conor Grant remains a huge miss for the midfield. James Coppinger may return to feature in a fixture that he has historically performed very well in, whilst Chris Neal should continue in goal despite the return to fitness of Thorsten Stuckmann.

by Adam Stubbings

Fans will be eager to see some football after the late cancellation of the local derby with Scunthorpe last Saturday, so no better time for a heated South Yorkshire clash with rivals Sheffield United in front of what could be a bumper crowd at the Keepmoat.

Rovers remain in search of a first win in five league outings following the weekend off and will be keen to consign successive home defeats, against Port Vale and Walsall, to distant memory with an improved showing here. That will be no easy task however as Nigel Adkins brings a Sheffield United side that seems to have our number in recent matches. They were superior in a 3-1 victory at Bramall Lane last September, with Rovers not aided by a first half red card for Gary Mackenzie, and they also managed a double over us last season on their way to a Play Off place. In fact they are without loss in the last six meetings dating back to a 2-0 win in front of the live television cameras in 2010. The Blades themselves haven't won in three games mind and the pressure is on as they've now slipped five points adrift of their minimum requirement for the season, a top 6 finish.

The postponement at Scunthorpe last weekend could be a blessing in disguise for Rovers, despite Darren Ferguson's touchline ban now carrying over to this crucial home fixture, with the squad nearing full fitness once more after an extra week with no game and following on from a busy period of games that saw a litany of injuries. The loss of defender Andy Butler and striker Nathan Tyson have particularly affected the performances of the team, and getting these two back to 100% in particular will give everyone in the side a huge boost.

The loan spells of both Lynden Gooch and Eddy Lecygne are up after next week's Barnsley game, and as it stands both will struggle to justify an extended stay if the rest of the squad stays largely in shape between now and then after failing to impressive on loan from Premier League clubs. If Tyson is fit to return against the Blades, Gooch could find himself out of the team as Fergie's preferred attacking line-up will be back in place. Liam Mandeville will still be hoping to be in the manager's thoughts up front also after his superb goal against Walsall, and Thorsten Stuckmann could be back in goal despite the able deputising of loanee Chris Neal in his absence.