[Archived] Birmingham Big Club v Rovers......7.45pm Tuesday 14th April

[T J Hooker]

I genuinely didn't even know that we'd had a game tonight until about 10 minutes ago, that's how much interest I have in the rest of this season(and football in general these days)

8 unbeaten away. Delighted for Bowyer. Augars well for next season. In Bowyer we trust.

Keep on till the end of the Rhodes...

jesus wept, you're taking the pish aren't you?

[thenodrog]

9th in the table TJ. Not great maybe but given the situation, the squad and recent history pretty respectable and not worthy of ridicule either. You have some big lessons to learn in the near future I feel.

[mustard]

Just as close to 18th as we are to 8th.

[thenodrog]

Indeed. Very observent mustard. You will therefore have to agree agree that significantly bigger clubs along the lines of Forest, LUFC, Sheff Wed, Cardiff, Brum, Brighton as well as similar clubs like Bolton, Fulham, Reading, Charlton, Wigan etc would just love to swap places with us.

Some perspective required I suggest.

[mustard]

Indeed. Very observent mustard. You will therefore have to agree agree that significantly bigger clubs along the lines of Forest, LUFC, Sheff Wed, Cardiff, Brum, Brighton as well as similar clubs like Bolton, Fulham, Reading, Charlton, Wigan etc would just love to swap places with us.

Some perspective required I suggest.

I can't be bothered getting into the "bigger club" argument. Have a look at Bournemouth, Ipswich, Brentford, Burnley and other historically "smaller" clubs than us. Perhaps I'm not alone in needing some perspective?

Ps. aren't we something like the 12th most successful club in English football history? Doesn't that suggest our "rightful place" is not mid-table in the Championship? I know some of you would have us believe we belong in League One or below since we spent some time there many a year ago. Ahh remember the good old days?

[Parsonblue]

What a cracking game of football for an end of season affair. Rovers edged the first half, Birmingham had the better of the first part of the second and the last twenty minutes were simply end to end as both sides attacked one after the other. Both sides had numerous chances to win it and Rovers were denied a penalty right at the end with a blatant handball that the referee couldn't spot. Nonetheless, a tremendous night's entertainment.

[thenodrog]

I can't be bothered getting into the "bigger club" argument. Have a look at Bournemouth, Ipswich, Brentford, Burnley and other historically "smaller" clubs than us. Perhaps I'm not alone in needing some perspective?

Ps. aren't we something like the 12th most successful club in English football history? Doesn't that suggest our "rightful place" is not mid-table in the Championship? I know some of you would have us believe we belong in League One or below since we spent some time there many a year ago. Ahh remember the good old days?

We were a yo yo club betyween the 2nd and 3rd Div for two decades until a multi millionaire fan stepped in to fund our revival and have us punch way way above our weight. Do I really have to tell you that thats not allowed anymore or are yoiu going to persist with your head in the sand forever?

What a cracking game of football for an end of season affair. Rovers edged the first half, Birmingham had the better of the first part of the second and the last twenty minutes were simply end to end as both sides attacked one after the other. Both sides had numerous chances to win it and Rovers were denied a penalty right at the end with a blatant handball that the referee couldn't spot. Nonetheless, a tremendous night's entertainment.

I get the feeling that few are bothered about the game Parson. So much more fun to be had in contributing to destroy the club that Jack built.

[mustard]

We were a yo yo club betyween the 2nd and 3rd Div for two decades until a multi millionaire fan stepped in to fund our revival and have us punch way way above our weight. Do I really have to tell you that thats not allowed anymore or are yoiu going to persist with your head in the sand forever?

I get the feeling that few are bothered about the game Parson. So much more fun to be had in contributing to destroy the club that Jack built.

We won two trophies whilst said millionaire funded the club. We won plenty more before that.

Oh yes I know we upset a lot of people during our most recent period of success and I'm aware FFP is another means of ensuring a Jack Walker never happens again, but crikey wouldn't we all love to at least have a go at upsetting the apple cart again? I just don't think winning promotion to the Premier League is truly out of our bounds (yet) and considering the likely impending doom of our club if we don't go up soon I'd at least like to see us have a "right good go".

[thenodrog]

Plenty before that??? We last won the cup 5 years before the 3rd Reich was formed ... and apart from a League title won before WW1 almost everything else we won the year began with 18! Oh apart from the much sought after Full Members Cup that is.

An unlikley promotion to the Prem would just see us embroiled in a desperate relegation scrap (Never in a million years would we ever win it again until something changes drastically... in fact top half would represent an absolute miracle season) So whoopy doo... is that the new limit of our ambitions?

[jim mk2]

I

Ps. aren't we something like the 12th most successful club in English football history? Doesn't that suggest our "rightful place" is not mid-table in the Championship? I know some of you would have us believe we belong in League One or below since we spent some time there many a year ago. Ahh remember the good old days?

Quite right. The concept of our "rightful place" is nonsense and smacks of the class system in this country - ie, know your place, don't rise above your station, bow to your betters and tug your forelock. Rovers and other clubs have showed what is possible with good organisation and good people and in some cases, not alot of money. We'll never win the PL under the present system but a mid-table status like Swansea or West Brom or West Ham is a realistic target and is achieveable.

[thenodrog]

So effectively we can no longer 'dare to dream'. Swansea . WBA and West Ham must know their place too and it's definitely not in the top four! The only aim then for us should we ever scrape up is an annual relegation fight just to get the ever increasing pot of gold that competing in the Prem ensures. How does your anti capitalist, red hot socialist principles cope with that?

[Paul]

The "dare to dream" point is one I was raising years back. I don't agree with the money in the PL but it is the inevitable consequence of the destruction wreaked on the modern game by Sky TV and money in general.

Time was when every fan of every club could start the season with a dream. The reality today is there are no more dreams - for Championship sides the dream is the PL in the knowledge the following season(s) will be a relegation struggle. For established PL teams the goal is simply to stay in that league.

I know people will tell me how "fortunate" we are to have the world's top players here. The price though is extraordinarily high. Fans are priced out of gamesm, match times are at the behest of TV, players are simply remote mercenaries, truly obscene money is paid in salaries, the league is utterly uncompetitive, I could go on and on.

We should be in no doubt TV money has changed the national game for ever. Rovers would not be in their current financial position if the "responsible" authorities ran the game with a shred of care for the longer term. Our demise is a direct result of greedy, immoral and naive individuals being allowed to act in ways which should not be allowed under the governance of any sport. The problem is the PL is self governed by a group which has only self interest at heart.

It really does stink.

[Stuart]

We were a yo yo club betyween the 2nd and 3rd Div for two decades until a multi millionaire fan stepped in to fund our revival and have us punch way way above our weight. Do I really have to tell you that thats not allowed anymore or are yoiu going to persist with your head in the sand forever?

I get the feeling that few are bothered about the game Parson. So much more fun to be had in contributing to destroy the club that Jack built.

Your posting is getting worse and worse.

The "dare to dream" point is one I was raising years back. I don't agree with the money in the PL but it is the inevitable consequence of the destruction wreaked on the modern game by Sky TV and money in general.

Time was when every fan of every club could start the season with a dream. The reality today is there are no more dreams - for Championship sides the dream is the PL in the knowledge the following season(s) will be a relegation struggle. For established PL teams the goal is simply to stay in that league.

I know people will tell me how "fortunate" we are to have the world's top players here. The price though is extraordinarily high. Fans are priced out of gamesm, match times are at the behest of TV, players are simply remote mercenaries, truly obscene money is paid in salaries, the league is utterly uncompetitive, I could go on and on.

We should be in no doubt TV money has changed the national game for ever. Rovers would not be in their current financial position if the "responsible" authorities ran the game with a shred of care for the longer term. Our demise is a direct result of greedy, immoral and naive individuals being allowed to act in ways which should not be allowed under the governance of any sport. The problem is the PL is self governed by a group which has only self interest at heart.

It really does stink.

I would strongly disagree that the worlds top players play in the PL. At best it'd be the world's second string.

Other than that, good post.

[Paul]

You're probably right Stuart I don't know enough to be sure if the world's top players play here. Every time I turn on the radio I'm told they do!!!

What I do know is the worlds greediest players are here. I learnt yesterday Sterling has turned down £100,000 a week with Liverpool.

£100,000 is disgustingly obscene. It's immoral and there is simply no justification for this. I also heard Sterlling is going off the rails but we should all make allowances because he's so young

Stuff that.

[davulsukur]

What a cracking game of football for an end of season affair. Rovers edged the first half, Birmingham had the better of the first part of the second and the last twenty minutes were simply end to end as both sides attacked one after the other. Both sides had numerous chances to win it and Rovers were denied a penalty right at the end with a blatant handball that the referee couldn't spot. Nonetheless, a tremendous night's entertainment.

How did O'Sullivan do, Parson?

[Mattyblue]

We were a yo yo club betyween the 2nd and 3rd Div for two decades until a multi millionaire fan stepped in to fund our revival and have us punch way way above our weight.

Get out of it gord. We've spent 3 seasons in our 140 year history in the 3rd tier.

In fact, we spent more of the 80s looking for promotion to the top flight than fighting relegation.

There is no doubt that off the field we have fallen way behind clubs that I have never thought were particulary 'bigger' than us, i.e Derby, but to make out our pre Jack history was something akin to Doncaster is rubbish.

[Stuart]

You're probably right Stuart I don't know enough to be sure if the world's top players play here. Every time I turn on the radio I'm told they do!!!

What I do know is the worlds greediest players are here. I learnt yesterday Sterling has turned down £100,000 a week with Liverpool.

£100,000 is disgustingly obscene. It's immoral and there is simply no justification for this. I also heard Sterlling is going off the rails but we should all make allowances because he's so young

Stuff that.

No arguments with that!

[chaddyrovers]

What a cracking game of football for an end of season affair. Rovers edged the first half, Birmingham had the better of the first part of the second and the last twenty minutes were simply end to end as both sides attacked one after the other. Both sides had numerous chances to win it and Rovers were denied a penalty right at the end with a blatant handball that the referee couldn't spot. Nonetheless, a tremendous night's entertainment.

How did Evans and O'Sullivan play?

How did Brown and Rhodes partnership work?

[Rover_Shaun]

Get out of it gord. We've spent 3 seasons in our 140 year history in the 3rd tier.

In fact, we spent more of the 80s looking for promotion to the top flight than fighting relegation.

There is no doubt that off the field we have fallen way behind clubs that I have never thought were particulary 'bigger' than us, i.e Derby, but to make out our pre Jack history was something akin to Doncaster is rubbish.

How dare you burst the bubble on Gordon's latest anger marathon. Facts are strictly taboo

[donnermeat]

Not read what Bowyer has said about the match but I bet at least one of our players played outstanding/phenomenal/unbelievable/tremendous/magnificent.

[DE.]

An unlikley promotion to the Prem would just see us embroiled in a desperate relegation scrap (Never in a million years would we ever win it again until something changes drastically... in fact top half would represent an absolute miracle season) So whoopy doo... is that the new limit of our ambitions?

Erm, there's the small matter of the £80M+ we would receive in TV rights and parachute payments should we go down... have you taken a look at our finances recently? You may not have noticed but we could bloody well do with a little bit of cash right about now.

[Rover_Shaun]

I'd take promotion with zero investment and a season of being backscuttled if it cleared the scum and the debt

[Parsonblue]

How did Evans and O'Sullivan play?

How did Brown and Rhodes partnership work?

I thought Evans had a much better game than of late. However, we missed Williamson's bite in midfield. Brown worked hard but didn't offer a threat and Rhodes was anonymous apart from when their 'keeper very kindly dropped the ball at his feet in front of goal. Rudy caused them problems because he has a presence about him but should have scored with a free header which would have put us 3-1 up. O'Sullivan was steady but it will take a few games for him to find his feet at this level. In truth both sides could have won and both sides could have thrown it away. It was a super game of football.

[chaddyrovers]

I thought Evans had a much better game than of late. However, we missed Williamson's bite in midfield. Brown worked hard but didn't offer a threat and Rhodes was anonymous apart from when their 'keeper very kindly dropped the ball at his feet in front of goal. Rudy caused them problems because he has a presence about him but should have scored with a free header which would have put us 3-1 up. O'Sullivan was steady but it will take a few games for him to find his feet at this level. In truth both sides could have won and both sides could have thrown it away. It was a super game of football.

Thanks ParsonBlue for the reply.

So Gestede played better than Rhodes or Brown?

Do you think that Rovers would be better playing 4-5-1 formation with target man type of striker away from Home?

[Parsonblue]

Thanks ParsonBlue for the reply.

So Gestede played better than Rhodes or Brown?

Do you think that Rovers would be better playing 4-5-1 formation with target man type of striker away from Home?

To be honest chaddy, 4-5-1 works if you have the midfield to support the one up front and that, I would suggest, in our case is questionable. Until we get the embargo lifted we are going to struggle because we need one or two quality additions to the present squad. Gestede will probably leave in the summer and, in truth, we need to shift the wages of Best and Rhodes if we are to get out of the embargo. Whoever is manager, is going to have a very difficult summer juggling limited resources. The key to next season is getting the embargo lifted. If we don't then I would expect another season in mid-table which, under the circumstances, would be no mean achievement as the big danger in this League is slipping out at the wrong end.