[Archived] THE BATTLE FOR PROMOTION....WON.

[47er]

1 hour ago, Gav said:

You're not bright enough to understand context so I'll not bother explaining.

Im actually flattered you're spending the evening trawling through my old posts, because it's been clear since you joined this site that you can write your entire footballing knowledge on the back of a postage stamp.

Happy trawling 

I think I remember you advocating not "playing the man" some time back Gav! Not going to bother trawling back but I think that's correct.

[grizfoot]

12 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Scunthorpe have been in the top 6 all season. Only the top 3 have lost less games than they have. They got in the play-offs last season and probably will do again this season. So they are a tough opponent. They've lost the winning touch recently but haven't lost many.

Bradford are bottom of the form charts but despite that are still in there fighting for the play-offs. Got to the play-offs last season, been there abouts all this season, but perhaps most importantly haven't played for ages and was their first home game under their new manager. No sign of fatigue affecting Wigan against fresher opponents.

When I get time I'll analyse how many points Rovers, Wigan and Shrewsbury have picked up/lost in the last 10 minutes of games this season. Certainly feels like they've collected loads in the dying minutes whereas we rarely seem to do so.

That's because we are usually two or three goals to the good at that point in the game and don't need to rely on late winners. 

To be fair I can remember Smallwood's winner at Fleetwood and Armstrong's at Portsmouth both being late on that have gave us four extra point that we might not have otherwise had. Shrewsbury seem to get a late winning goal every week so I imagine they are top of the points won in last ten minutes of games table.

[den]

That’s it, play offs then?

[Lihamylly]

Forget Wigan, at least for a while :).

I believe Scunny will get at least a draw against Shrews next weekend.

If so, and we win our game, we will get the straight promotion to our own hands.

For the first time this season if I remember correctly.

 

[OJRovers]

Powell went off injured, so maybe could miss a game or two.

Long way to go, none of the 3 teams are going to win every game.

[philipl]

In head to heads, Rovers were the better side against both Shrewsbury and Wigan over 180 minutes home and away.

We have what it takes to win this race irrespective of 91st minutes in Bradford.

Pity that rhubarb and custard served up such a bitter dessert but we just have to make sure we keep going and bag our three points off them and the other eight we face before the season end.

Oh and here's to Wigan beating Southampton in the 119th minute.... 

 

[Gav]

8 hours ago, 47er said:

I think I remember you advocating not "playing the man" some time back Gav! Not going to bother trawling back but I think that's correct.

Even I sometimes fall below the standard required when provoked 47er, I'm not perfect, I must do better.

What about the battle for promotion then? Still very much on despite Wigan grabbing that late winner wouldn't you say?

Plenty of twists and turns still to go until the end of the season, but I think we'll see it through. 

 

[47er]

Indeed Gav! Me too!

Yes, I think its probable we will finish 1st or 2nd.Heart attack or two along the way though!

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, 47er said:

Indeed Gav! Me too!

Yes, I think its probable we will finish 1st or 2nd.Heart attack or two along the way though!

That's the joy of being a Rovers fan. Plenty of ups and downs !

[Dreams of 1995]

What a sickening end to the game. For all the world I thought Bradford were going to hold on. It was a siege by all accounts. All we can do is win our games and keep piling the points on. I'd rather have points on the board than games to play.

Still, in Mowbray we trust.......eh Gav 

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

In head to heads, Rovers were the better side against both Shrewsbury and Wigan over 180 minutes home and away.

 

Not so sure I'd agree with this.

Home v Shrewsbury fair enough - we were the better side by some distance and deservedly beat them.

Away v Shrewsbury - a drab affair - don't think either side deserved to win although we showed character to salvage a late point when we had barely threatened before that.

Away v Wigan - we were as good as them and comfortable with 10 men, got a deserved point and maybe had we kept 11 on the pitch we'd have gone on to win - but we didn't

Home v Wigan - excellent in the opening 45 minutes but then they were the better side in the second half - perhaps unfortunate/disappointing not to hold on for the win but don't think a point a piece was a particularly unfair result given the whole 90 minutes.

[Bigdoggsteel]

2 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Not so sure I'd agree with this.

Home v Shrewsbury fair enough - we were the better side by some distance and deservedly beat them.

Away v Shrewsbury - a drab affair - don't think either side deserved to win although we showed character to salvage a late point when we had barely threatened before that.

Away v Wigan - we were as good as them and comfortable with 10 men, got a deserved point and maybe had we kept 11 on the pitch we'd have gone on to win - but we didn't

Home v Wigan - excellent in the opening 45 minutes but then they were the better side in the second half - perhaps unfortunate/disappointing not to hold on for the win but don't think a point a piece was a particularly unfair result given the whole 90 minutes.

Your breakdown would suggest we were better than them both over 180 minutes though  

 

[Kamy100]

Loving Paul Cook's attempts at "mind games"

"That Goal Will Really Hurt Shrewsbury and Blackburn"

It'll probably have the opposite effect on our squad as the impression that I get is that they are very focused bunch of players and certainly talented enough for this level of football.  

I do like Cook though.  He tries just about everything he can to get his team an advantage.  He is not everyone's cup of tea with his in your face attitude.

[Tom]

You have to say whoever the two that go up will fully deserve it, been made to work for it this season.

In a just world all three at the top will go up one way or another.

Whilst we would be nervous you would say on paper we’d be favourites if it did come to the play offs

[Bigdoggsteel]

4 minutes ago, Kamy100 said:

Loving Paul Cook's attempts at "mind games"

"That Goal Will Really Hurt Shrewsbury and Blackburn"

It'll probably have the opposite effect on our squad as the impression that I get is that they are very focused bunch of players and certainly talented enough for this level of football.  

I do like Cook though.  He tries just about everything he can to get his team an advantage.  He is not everyone's cup of tea with his in your face attitude.

He is like the Robbie Savage of management, a dislikable fecker if playing against you, but if he is on your side, very likeable indeed. I think he is a gurning p***k. 

I don't think that goal hurt us at all. The players seem focused on the fact we need to try and win every game. Last night changes nothing. If Shrewsbury fail to win Saturday, well then perhaps they will start looking up and seeing 2 teams who are relentless in their pursuit of promotion, with squads full of quality at this level and start to feel disheartened. 

The table in 5 games time will be interesting 

[K-Hod]

9 minutes ago, Kamy100 said:

Loving Paul Cook's attempts at "mind games"

"That Goal Will Really Hurt Shrewsbury and Blackburn"

It'll probably have the opposite effect on our squad as the impression that I get is that they are very focused bunch of players and certainly talented enough for this level of football.  

I do like Cook though.  He tries just about everything he can to get his team an advantage.  He is not everyone's cup of tea with his in your face attitude.

To be fair, he's right, as much of a goon as he is. We weren't exactly jumping for joy at their late winner....

[OJRovers]

Powell hamstring, don’t think they know how bad it is yet.

Whilst Rovers have the Starman Chapman to come back, keep the faith.

 

[tomphil]

Cook = the new Neil Warnock

[MarkBRFC]

The table will be interesting going into Easter, as Shrewsbury will then be level on games with us and Wigan will only be two behind.

[bazza]

34 minutes ago, Kamy100 said:

Loving Paul Cook's attempts at "mind games"

"That Goal Will Really Hurt Shrewsbury and Blackburn"

 

That statement says more about the relief that Cook felt after that goal was scored.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, bazza said:

That statement says more about the relief that Cook felt after that goal was scored.

There is no way they can keep that level of intensity up with their fixture pile up. The 2 center midfielders are literally been run into the ground. Max Power may have a cool name, but he is only human. 

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

26 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Cook = the new Neil Warnock

I think that's an insult to Warnock tbh, at least he has achieved something. All Cook looks like he has achieved is having to pull a dangerous dog off his Mum at some point in his life, to quote Frankie Boyle. 

[JHRover]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43377730?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_wales_sport&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=wales

Speaking of Warnock, he's not very happy with the fixtures after the international break, with Cardiff playing Burton on the Friday night.

We've a similar issue with Mulgrew potentially involved for Scotland in Hungary on the Tuesday before we play on a Thursday night.

[Kamy100]

Below is an interesting read.

Basically if we manage to win 6 out of 9 and get to 94 points we would be extremely unlucky (almost unprecedented) not finish in top 2:

How Many Points It Really Takes to Gain Promotion from EFL

[Bigdoggsteel]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/16089812.Simon_Smith_column__Rovers_must_be_wary_of_the_international_break/?ref=mac  

Why didn't NI omit Evans too?  Mulgrew for Scotland likewise 

Northern Ireland choose to omit Will Grigg to ‘help concentrate on Wigan’s promotion push’. Not so Corry Evans. Scotland play in Hungary on March 27 and Rovers are at home to Bradford on the 29th.