[Archived] Vs. Portsmouth Preview

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I agree that our best football this season is when Tugay has played, but it has also been when we've played with three central midfielders. The other two, which has usually included Andrews, have done Tugay's running for him. A diamond foramtion with Tugay at the bottom and Carlos at the tip may work but width would be an issue but at present Rovers are struggling out wide. My formation would be:-

.........................Robinson

Emerton....Ooijer/Nelson..Zurab/Samba..Warnock

............................Tugay

..............Andrews.............MGP

.............................Carlos

...........Santa Cruz.................McCarthy

With this formation you'd need both full backs to provide the width but both are capable. The other option is Simpson at RB and Emerton into central midfield but I think we need our two best full backs playing at full back.

Thank God for that - someone else who feels confident about this one!!

So thats four of us then!

[trs]

Thank God for that - someone else who feels confident about this one!!

For some reason I have felt all week we are gonna get something today.

A point will do me today and move on from there.

A win will be BLOODY MARVELOUS!

[dingles staying down 4ever]

For some reason I have felt all week we are gonna get something today.

A point will do me today and move on from there.

A win will be BLOODY MARVELOUS!

5 and counting.....anymore takers of happy pills?

[daveoftherovers]

5 and half then...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Put in a performance today lads, for christ's sake!!!!

They are for the taking and we need to throw our usual charitable nature in the bin, so much doom and gloom at the moment we could just do with a little good news.

(Start with a clean sheet, so Warnock at LB and Bert at RB please)

Also, I'd for one like to see Vogel and Tugay in the middle, Vogel deserves a chance IMHO, I do not want to see Johnny X starting or Robbie F***ing Fowler anywhere near the bench (FFS, this is getting embarrasing Mr Ince)

Not going to predict because I'm pants at it, hoping that everyone who is writing us off for this is doing us a favour.

[47er]

Might well be finished, still the best we've got...and that's the reality.

Plus, the best results we've got this season have coincided with his inclusion.

I'm hardly enamoured with hoping for the inclusion of a 38 year old to try to win us a game but he's in my best 11 (and most others according to this thread) at the minute, would you rather have Andrews in?

Yeah,I was going to say that. When we had what was the nearest to a "winning streak" in this miserable season, Tugay was at the heart of it. Didn't he play several games consecutively? Everybody was raving and wondering what Ince was feeding him on and we've never seen him since! No rhyme nor reason.

[tony gale's mic]

EH ! you what, you what you what.

Tugays finished...... another marvelous Hughes decision to leave us with.

Fully appreciate that 'Coco the clown' may not know what hes doing or his team but thats life.

I don't think it was Hughes' decision to make Tugay age...

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Yeah,I was going to say that. When we had what was the nearest to a "winning streak" in this miserable season, Tugay was at the heart of it. Didn't he play several games consecutively? Everybody was raving and wondering what Ince was feeding him on and we've never seen him since! No rhyme nor reason.

then we played Man Utd and he was bypassed easily after twenty minutes of the game. He wasn't the only one but he seems to have been Ince's scapegoat for that poor performance

[47er]

Our team according to The Guardian.

Robinson

Ooijer

Nelsen

Samba

Warnock

Simpson

Andrews

Mokoena

Pedersen

Santa Cruz

Roberts

Would a worse mid-field ever have "graced " the Premiership?

Say it aint so Rovers !

[bobsterbrfc]

Just out of curiosity, how many Rovers on here wouldn't be too devestated in the short-term if we lost 5-0....? I reckon more than would actually let on.

[47er]

Our team according to The Guardian.

Robinson

Ooijer

Nelsen

Samba

Warnock

Simpson

Andrews

Mokoena

Pedersen

Sant

Say it aint so Rovers !

Would a worse mid-field ever have "graced " the Premiership? Beaten before we start

[47er]

I'd go:

Robbo

Emo Samba Oojier Warnock

Andrews Tugay Mokoena Pedersen

Villanueva

Santa

Looks harder to beat than usual and gives us just a sniff of goal with Carlos and Santa Cruz. Sorry about the right-wing------------cannot think of anyone else!

[Roost]

Just out of curiosity, how many Rovers on here wouldn't be too devestated in the short-term if we lost 5-0....? I reckon more than would actually let on.

WHAT?

Get yourself to turd moor and dont come back!

[Majiball]

I'd go:

Looks harder to beat than usual and gives us just a sniff of goal with Carlos and Santa Cruz. Sorry about the right-wing------------cannot think of anyone else!

Simpson according to the guardian WTF, at least we'll be able to say we've tried everything at this rate, literally.

Tugay must play today and not in the holding role, central midfield so he can put his passing to good use.

Benni and RSC up top as well.

[Sysagent]

According to the Beeb Defoe is a possible starter for todays match as is Kranky, but Kanu is out with a groin injury and big Sols hurt his toe.

Worried that Defoe is back he will tear us to bits if he is in-form, like Lennon did last week...

I ain't even bothering to predict a score for today's match, but rest assured I will be in my usual position with the computer and radio close at hand.

Oh go on then!

Portsmouth 2 - Rovers - 2

I am just hoping that we don't see the midfield pairing of Mokoena and Andrews again, but knowing the "Guv'nor" he will do

:S

[dopper69]

Just out of curiosity, how many Rovers on here wouldn't be too devestated in the short-term if we lost 5-0....? I reckon more than would actually let on.

I bloody would be devastated!

Don't give it the old chesnut of it being for the 'greater good' BRFC need points and need them now!

[T4E]

I bloody would be devastated!

Don't give it the old chesnut of it being for the 'greater good' BRFC need points and need them now!

LeChuck phrased it better the other day. Do you believe that another manager coming in could get more points over the rest of the season excluding todays game, than Ince could over the same period but including today? If you're in the camp with the first one, then losing today may be "for the greater good".

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Simpson according to the guardian WTF, at least we'll be able to say we've tried everything at this rate, literally.

Tugay must play today and not in the holding role, central midfield so he can put his passing to good use.

Benni and RSC up top as well.

I've never understood why we don't take a chance and play Tugay more forward than usual. He could do more damage in their half than in ours.

[T4E]

.......particularly in a 5 man midfield. It's where he's at his very best and exactly the same thing Turkey used to do to accomodate him.

[dopper69]

LeChuck phrased it better the other day. Do you believe that another manager coming in could get more points over the rest of the season excluding todays game, than Ince could over the same period but including today? If you're in the camp with the first one, then losing today may be "for the greater good".

Depends on who the manager replacing Ince would be. At the moment I can't see many wanting to take the reigns at Rovers and subsequently think that we are going to be limited to a BFS/Curbishly/Pardew 'rushed' appointment.

That would not be for the greater good IMO. But everyone has opinions and I agree that Inces current tenure is somewhat worrying. Still think he should be supported by the club (and fans) untill January.

[1864roverite]

For those positive fans advocating a place for Andrews in todays team get a reality check.

The midfield for todays game has to be streetwise, gamewise and combatative, it is NOT a place for Andrews.

Lets look at the oppositon midfielders. Diop, Davies, Kranjcar, Belhadj and Traore.

Andrews is lightweight, unable to tackle, unable to create (apart from the odd chance) and most defiantely is non combatative.

Today is for men who are willing to put their foot or head into battle, it calls for composure, skill and guile. Andrews possesses none of these traits and if he is on today, its like Rovers playing with 10 men.

Hope all those fans have had a safe journey South and that your tootsies dont get too cold.

[sanlorenzo]

Just read an online Paragay newspaper that RSC's house was burgularized while he was away for the Portsmouth match. The article says his wife, brother and kids were home. How will this effect Roque?

[67splitscreen]

For those positive fans advocating a place for Andrews in todays team get a reality check.

The midfield for todays game has to be streetwise, gamewise and combatative, it is NOT a place for Andrews.

Lets look at the oppositon midfielders. Diop, Davies, Kranjcar, Belhadj and Traore.

Andrews is lightweight, unable to tackle, unable to create (apart from the odd chance) and most defiantely is non combatative.

Today is for men who are willing to put their foot or head into battle, it calls for composure, skill and guile. Andrews possesses none of these traits and if he is on today, its like Rovers playing with 10 men.

Hope all those fans have had a safe journey South and that your tootsies dont get too cold.

Today is for men who are willing to put their foot or head into battle, it calls for composure, skill and guile. Andrews possesses none of these traits and if he is on today, its like Rovers playing with 10 men.

And your selection is??????. Don't leave us guessing.

[thenodrog]

Oh go on then!

Portsmouth 2 - Rovers - 2

At the risk of sounding disloyal I think a draw might be the worst possible result.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

For those positive fans advocating a place for Andrews in todays team get a reality check.

The midfield for todays game has to be streetwise, gamewise and combatative, it is NOT a place for Andrews.

Lets look at the oppositon midfielders. Diop, Davies, Kranjcar, Belhadj and Traore.

Andrews is lightweight, unable to tackle, unable to create (apart from the odd chance) and most defiantely is non combatative.

Today is for men who are willing to put their foot or head into battle, it calls for composure, skill and guile. Andrews possesses none of these traits and if he is on today, its like Rovers playing with 10 men.

Hope all those fans have had a safe journey South and that your tootsies dont get too cold.

It's called a difference of opinion. Just because they don't agree with you doesn't make them wrong.

[Jan]

It's called a difference of opinion. Just because they don't agree with you doesn't make them wrong.

In this case, it does.