There were times in my previous role where I’d be asked by opposition clubs, fans, supporters to answer a series of questions on Rovers.

This would likely be framed as ‘expert insight’ or ‘spy in the camp’ features around how the team would be expected to shape up, style of play, strengths and weaknesses.

I was thinking about this after watching Rovers fall to successive defeats on the road.

My conclusion was, potentially because I’m now on the outside, but I’d find it hard to describe this team, or John Eustace’s approach as a manager.

Yes, they try and play out from the back, but aren’t wedded to that approach in the same way they were in 2020/21 under Tony Mowbray, or Jon Dahl Tomasson’s desired brand of play.

They don’t possess the pace in attack, utilising the wide forwards and the counter-attacking prowess of 2021/22, nor have a talisman to build the side around as done with Bradley Dack, Adam Armstrong or Sam Szmodics.

Rovers have tried most styles and not been able to crack the top six, so this shouldn’t be framed as any criticism of the current set-up, but it is hard to nail down an identity.

What this side have proven to be is a hard-working, committed and enthusiastic bunch, and that can take you a long way (though unlikely all the way) in this division.

This remains a good start to the season, even despite successive defeats heading into the break, and there have been plenty of individuals who have emerged from the opening nine matches with great credit.

What the last two games have confirmed to me are the limitations of the squad, and a harsher critic could say of the manager too.

Chopping and changing doesn’t appear to be Eustace’s style, and cracking the midweek and Saturday away double-header certainly isn’t an issue exclusive to this team.

Not that ringing the changes has always worked either, Mowbray was notoriously for a curveball midweek selection in order to freshen up the side, to limited results.

Eustace talked after the Plymouth defeat of ‘staying in the game’ before turning to options off the bench in the final quarter, and he clearly puts great faith in the players he can trust to carry out his game-plan.

The five-sub rule has undoubtedly been a game-changer on the way manager’s look at the 90 minutes, the ability to change half of your outfield players has put as much emphasis on the team that finishes as the one that starts.

Rovers have used that to their advantage thus far, and have often finished better than they have started, with Joe Rankin-Costello the sixth different player to score off the bench this season.

In all, substitutes have scored, or assisted, nine of Rovers 16 goals this season, a league high.

On that basis, it is hard to criticise, though it does leave a feeling of ‘what if?’ should the tables be turned and those more regularly used off the bench be given more licence to perform.

Rovers’ selection in the forward areas has felt a little safe, with room for at least one more game-changing option to be used from the off.

Eustace’s hand could well be forced when it comes to selection, with the season just halfway towards the first yellow card amnesty and three players (Carter, Travis, Dolan) being only one more indiscretion away from serving a one-match suspension.

Places feel more up for grabs than the selection would suggest, and I am looking forward to the return of Harry Leonard, who I feel has the quality to offer a level of link-up play that we are yet to see from either Makhtar Gueye or Yuki Ohashi, whose attributes look to be in other areas.

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There were some interesting strands to come out of the Fans’ Forum minutes, not least the attendees, with Suhail Pasha among those to be present.

I can’t think of a previous occasion he would have spoken publicly, and would hasten a guess that Rudy Gestede played a part in facilitating his emergence from the shadows.

Even though it should be expected of someone holding the title of Chief Operating Officer, it was a step forward, even if, from reading the minutes at least, there wasn’t much insight gained.

A real concern was the fact adult season ticket sales have dipped below 4,000. There appeared, again at least through the minutes, to be some surprise from the club about that.

I think there should be concern, rather than surprise, and look more at what could’ve been done on their part, than focus outwardly.

Fans signing up for season tickets were doing so on the back of a season to forget, financial uncertainty around the owners, the likely sale of the club’s top scorer and the introduction of a Sky TV deal that was going to rip up the football calendar as we once knew it.

With all that factored in, something with a little more initiative than a price reduction in a small window would surely have been required.

Again, there was the annual promise for season ticket information to be released earlier than the previous year, hopefully this time it’s followed through, and with a level of initiative.