The 2023/24 campaign gets underway this weekend and the excitement, as ever, is ramping up with the EFL season set to begin on Friday evening as Southampton, of the Premier League last season, go to newly-promoted Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

There are 72 clubs with their own hopes and aspirations of creating some history over the next nine or so months and, as a result, we, at Playmaker Stats, are running through every club with a preview and a prediction... which you cannot hold us to!

BRISTOL ROVERS

Manager: Joey Barton

Last season: 17th in League One

Transfers: see here.

After promotion to League One for the 2022/23 season, the Gas proved to be relatively comfortable in the third tier and never looked like they were candidates for dropping down again. 

Indeed, Joey Barton’s side had some real purple patches that will give them the confidence to improve on their 17th-placed finish last term.

Some promising pre-season performances have highlighted new signings that could send Rovers further up the table. Barton has brought in some experienced heads in defence with the arrivals of George Friend and James Wilson while Luke Thomas returns to the club he spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at and then there’s the signing of Jevani Brown...

There were eyebrows raised when Brown joined considering the player’s off-field legal issues but on the pitch, he could prove to be a game changer: no player in League One had scored and assisted more per 90 minutes than the then Exeter City player. Brown averaged a goal or assist 0.88 times per 90 minutes which coupled with the output of Aaron Collins may make for a deadly duo up front.

Despite obvious improvements, there’s still a way to go for Bristol Rovers to start challenging for promotion but you do feel that they will be even better this year.

Playmaker prediction: Top-half finish.