We asked our Rovers fans’ jury: How should Rovers approach the FA Cup, and what impact does the current league position have on your view?

 

It’s a dilemma, do you change a settled and winning team for a competition you are unlikely to win?

Do you risk injuries and yellow/red cards in order to keep the current positive momentum going?

A defeat at Wigan, while obviously not affecting Rovers’ league challenge, could have psychological repercussions and inhibit the rhythm of the side

If I was manager I would risk halting the momentum, such is the attraction and financial advantage of Premier League membership, however a long shot that might appear to be at the moment.

The squad though understaffed should be able to adequately fill gaps in the first team when a situation like this arises.

I suspect the manger will put four or five regular team members on the bench and use them only if needed.

Paul Yates

 

I’m not a believer of a good cup run helping the momentum of a league run.

I think it’s a distraction and just adds to unnecessary game time and risks injuries.

Margins are so fine in today’s game and in my opinion we can do without it.

If we were enduring a mediocre season then it would give us something to enjoy and shout about but as things stand, we are serious promotion contenders.

I would play the players on the periphery of the first team and our up-and-coming youngsters and while these players would be good enough to beat Wigan individually, too often quality is expected to overcome consistency and it would be a tall order to expect them to gel.

For these players though, it’ll provide much needed match fitness but also as an opportunity to force selection for the first team.

Wigan, like Preston may see us as local rivals but aside from recent history in League One, I have no resentment towards them.

Kelvin Wilkins

 

In normal circumstances there is no such thing as an unimportant cup tie but these aren’t normal circumstances, i.e being second in the Championship.

I want to win the tie as it brings much needed finances into the club plus a chance of a really big side in the next round home or away, but I don’t want to go through if it means we have to play the big guns to go through such as Brereton-Diaz, Lenihan, Buckley etc.

If any of our standard starting XI were to pick up injuries it could derail the whole season as I see it which could be a disaster.

The game should see the likes of Johnson, Pears, Ayala and Dolan to name but four who should start the game and get much needed game-time.

Andrew Robinson