‘This year is totally different’ - Andy Mangan is convinced Bristol Rovers can avoid another FA Cup upset

Bristol Rovers interim manager Andy Mangan promises Gasheads that, “this year is totally different” as his team welcome seventh-tier side Whiby Town to the Memorial Stadium in the FA Cup first-round this weekend.

Rovers will be hoping there isn’t a repeat of last season’s FA Cup shock exit, at home to Boreham Wood in the second-round.

“This a really exciting period of time for the club and hopefully we can get another really good result,” said Mangan.

The Gas will be hoping for a good cup run, following their EFL Cup exit to Ipswich Town in August.

“It will be a tough test, there’s a reason that there’s something called an FA Cup upset.

“As always, when you play teams who are a few leagues down the pyramid, you just have to make sure that you as professional as ever.”

Rovers knows the dangers non-league sides can pose and they will need to be positive and start on the front foot this weekend.

“Whitby are a good side, they have got a couple of games in hand in their league and they’ve scored in every game this season,” said Mangan.

Gasheads will be delighted to hear some positive team news, as recent injuries have decimated the Rovers squad.

James Wilson and Jack Hunt could both be back in the match-day squad and in contention for this weekend, following spells on the sideline.

“There’ll be a few back this weekend, I don’t think we’re too far away in terms of the injuries.

“There is real good signs in terms of the squad, we’ve got a really good squad and I’m assuming they’ll probably be all fit by the end of this week.”

The injury list seems to have finally shortened, in what has been a tough few months for the Gas and Managan is hopeful that he will have some tough personel decisions to make ahead of the weekend.

“The lads have done really well, some of them are ahead of schedule and then it’s just on us to manage them correctly so that they come back in and they don’t get injured again.”