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

[lraC]

38 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

4 wins and a draw would see us home as things currently stand, as worst case scenario. After tonight it still could remain the same but could only require 3 wins and a draw.

I can't see Shrewsbury winning their remaining 6 in any event if truth be known.

The worry has been more of the performances of late rather than the results: we've looked distinctly jaded and lacking in tempo and ideas.

It doesn't call for us to press the panic button but to remain calm and refocus, with perhaps a couple of changes in personnel and positions to the starting line up.

I'd much rather be in our position than Shrewsburys!

COYB!!

If Shrewsbury draw or lose tonight, the momentum switches massively to us and should give us the boost we might need to go and get the victory on Saturday. For those who managed to place a bet the other week, to jinx them, tonight is another opportunity. Shrews around 6/5 so anyone who has a few quid they are prepared throw at it, lump on and hopefully lose your brass.

[darrenrover]

Just now, lraC said:

If Shrewsbury draw or lose tonight, the momentum switches massively to us and should give us the boost we might need to go and get the victory on Saturday. For those who managed to place a bet the other week, to jinx them, tonight is another opportunity. Shrews around 6/5 so anyone who has a few quid they are prepared throw at it, lump on and hopefully lose your brass.

What's a Bradford and Rovers (us btw) double to both win IraC, if you don't mind me asking? I fancy it and will probably trot down to the bookies and risk a tenner!

[lraC]

12 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

What's a Bradford and Rovers (us btw) double to both win IraC, if you don't mind me asking? I fancy it and will probably trot down to the bookies and risk a tenner!

Hi Darren, I only use Sky Bet on line and just checked with them. The double is 5.49/1 so a tenner would give you £64.90 back.

[Tom]

I know people say its unlikely Shrews win all their games but I wouldn’t want to take that gamble if we slipped behind them at any point.

We have to ensure that after every game week it’s them chasing us 

Still in our hands going into weekend no matter what but Interesting that the next few fixtures are at different times to each other 

[HowieFive0]

1 hour ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Ultimately you are always going to drop points over the course of a season, particularly in a league with 46 games + 3 cup competitions. You aren't afforded the rest Premier league teams get and even the gap between games in that league is questioned.

My point lies in that once the dust has settled from the league whichever club doesn't get automatic promotion is going to rue those spells that they lost games. The frustrating thing for Rovers is that our bad form happened very early on in the season where tiredness can't really be blamed. The rigours of the league seem to be catching up on us now but we are still not losing. I don't buy this excuse that players were getting used to the league - out of the starting 11 that played the opening game against Southend the majority of them had played at this level of the Championship for periods of their careers. I think Mulgrew and Raya were the only two which hadn't, from the top of my head. If we had come close to either Wigan or Shrewsbury's opening form we'd be well ahead on points now.

In conclusion though it's fair to say that the finish will be an exciting one for the neutral. A few twists and turns to come but I believe it will be the next team to lose that finishes 3rd.

 

I do agree  in a round about way Dreams ..but we  lost ours at the start of the season and  not over the course of a season which Shrews /Wigan have  so  in my eyes  that evens things up.

No team was ever going to go through the season unbeaten.Its a marathon not a sp ......he says with fingers crossed!

I mean some could  get really analytical and say Antonnsons missed penalty ..charlies short back pass ..Samuels misses  ..Rayas corner flaps x three ..but thats harsh very harsh ..where does one stop ?.Or if we d  have been  more gung ho ..or  Wigan more cautious in certain games ? the outcome would be so  different ..or would it ..? ....thats footie ..if the outcome was written in stone we d all be  quids in at the bookies every week .

We can all pick points in a season that has cost us ..but with five games to go we re still in it and as i say its over a collective 46 game season .

[darrenrover]

36 minutes ago, lraC said:

Hi Darren, I only use Sky Bet on line and just checked with them. The double is 5.49/1 so a tenner would give you £64.90 back.

Gone for an e/w 'trixie'(?) tied in with Who Dares Wins in the first tomorrow at Aintree!

Fingers crossed and come on Bantams!

[lraC]

4 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Gone for an e/w 'trixie'(?) tied in with Who Dares Wins in the first tomorrow at Aintree!

Fingers crossed and come on Bantams!

Good luck mate.

[arbitro]

2 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

I think the point is though that any side can look back over the course of 46 games and point to something that could have been better. In our case, it was the start we made. That in itself is far from unusual as a side adjusts to life in a new division, and I would much rather start poorly then finish strongly than vice versa. If I were a Shrewsbury fan I would see Rovers as relentless just now and they have two absolute must-win games coming up, just to keep on our coat tails going into the final 4 matches. Bloody football eh? 

I think though Andy that losing the first two games was largely down to the systems that Mowbray played in which the players were clearly uncomfortable. In fairness I believe that Mowbray accepted it was the wrong thing to do by virtue of the fact he has hardly done it since and only losing 3 games in 36 bears testimony to this. You could argue that he has gained points for us with some of his decisions but that is his job.

In the final analysis if we are promoted there was no harm done. If we miss out then I believe that questions should be asked.

[den]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

I know people say its unlikely Shrews win all their games but I wouldn’t want to take that gamble if we slipped behind them at any point.

We have to ensure that after every game week it’s them chasing us 

Still in our hands going into weekend no matter what but Interesting that the next few fixtures are at different times to each other 

13 points Tom, 13 points.

[HowieFive0]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

I think though Andy that losing the first two games was largely down to the systems that Mowbray played in which the players were clearly uncomfortable. In fairness I believe that Mowbray accepted it was the wrong thing to do by virtue of the fact he has hardly done it since and only losing 3 games in 36 bears testimony to this. You could argue that he has gained points for us with some of his decisions but that is his job.

In the final analysis if we are promoted there was no harm done. If we miss out then I believe that questions should be asked.

And if TM hadnt played those systems and still lost ..??  Easy to pick holes .like i said in a previous post ,could easily blame individual mistakes over a course of the season...but its FOOTBALL..

We re in it to win it ..five games fingers crossed .

[G Somerset Rover]

Come on your Bantams. Grayson owes us one big time after last season’s Ewood fixture against PNE so hopefully he delivers tonight.

As an aside, so much for Shrews ‘injuries and suspensions’. I make that their best team apart from Agogo. 

[USABlue]

Shrewsbury to win this, Wigan relentless, us stumbling, OMG it's classic Rovers stuff this.

[Tom]

Can’t  see anything but a Shrews win tonight but we just have to expect that the other two teams will win their games.

You have to think if we get 6 points from the next two games you’d fancy us to see it through.

[Exiled in Toronto]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

I think though Andy that losing the first two games was largely down to the systems that Mowbray played in which the players were clearly uncomfortable. In fairness I believe that Mowbray accepted it was the wrong thing to do by virtue of the fact he has hardly done it since and only losing 3 games in 36 bears testimony to this. You could argue that he has gained points for us with some of his decisions but that is his job.

In the final analysis if we are promoted there was no harm done. If we miss out then I believe that questions should be asked.

Blimey Tony, I don’t remember you being quite this much of a task master! Surely it’s every manager’s job to gain points for their team through their decisions. The two who gain more points than the other 22 deserve quite a lot of credit surely? Be it from player recruitment, motivation, game planning, team selection, tactics and in-game adjustments, all managers will not be equally good across all of those. I think we can all agree that Tony’s tactics sometimes leave us baffled but the arrivals of Dack and Armstrong to name but two, the turnaround of Graham’s motivation, the transformation of Bennett from modest winger to Paul Madeley-like play anywhere combined with Speedie-like emotional leader to my mind have been examples of an experienced manager at the top of his game.

[arbitro]

31 minutes ago, HowieFive0 said:

And if TM hadnt played those systems and still lost ..??  Easy to pick holes .like i said in a previous post ,could easily blame individual mistakes over a course of the season...but its FOOTBALL..

We re in it to win it ..five games fingers crossed .

But he did and we lost. That is fact not opinion.

[AAK]

The appeal of watching Bradford with their cheap season tickets has obviously been lost, the grounds completely empty. 

[McClarky]

I reckon 3 wins from here on in will be enough for us to go up.  maybe even 2 but with Shrewsbury having a piss easy run in I'd rather have 3. 3 wins gives us a minimum of 95 which would mean they would need to win 4 from 5 if they win tonight or all 5 if they don't  I just can't see them doing that.  

[HowieFive0]

Just now, arbitro said:

But he did and we lost. That is fact not opinion.

Yes we lost.But to be so tunnel visioned that the opening two games in a 46 game season have cost us is a lil absurd. 

[arbitro]

6 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Blimey Tony, I don’t remember you being quite this much of a task master! Surely it’s every manager’s job to gain points for their team through their decisions. The two who gain more points than the other 22 deserve quite a lot of credit surely? Be it from player recruitment, motivation, game planning, team selection, tactics and in-game adjustments, all managers will not be equally good across all of those. I think we can all agree that Tony’s tactics sometimes leave us baffled but the arrivals of Dack and Armstrong to name but two, the turnaround of Graham’s motivation, the transformation of Bennett from modest winger to Paul Madeley-like play anywhere combined with Speedie-like emotional leader to my mind have been examples of an experienced manager at the top of his game.

Undoubtedly he has, for the majority of the season been good at garnering points John. But as I said that is the job of any manager at any level. When points are dropped and almost certainly attributable to his tactics surely questions should be asked.

[Mattyblue]

Just now, AAK said:

The appeal of watching Bradford with their cheap season tickets has obviously been lost, the grounds completely empty. 

I’m sure the crowd will still be given as 17,000 or so.

How many of them renew them next time will be the issue, first season in a while they’ve struggled to compete.  If the product on offer is mid table and below third division tripe it doesn’t matter how cheap you make it...

[arbitro]

Just now, HowieFive0 said:

Yes we lost.But to be so tunnel visioned that the opening two games in a 46 game season have cost us is a lil absurd. 

And if we miss out by a point or two will you not look back and try to understand where and why we dropped points? Hopefully these debates will be academic in a few weeks.

[bluefred]

That beckles chap could be off shortly, already booked and another dodgy tackle there.

[SoldierMo]

Shrews player should have been off joke of a ref

[G Somerset Rover]

Very frustrating that; gave him the old ‘one more and you’re off’ chat rather than giving the second yellow.

Bradford well up for this at least.

[HowieFive0]

Just now, arbitro said:

And if we miss out by a point or two will you not look back and try to understand where and why we dropped points? Hopefully these debates will be academic in a few weeks.

Yeah ..il look back at Raya flapping at crosses ..mulgrews  back pass ..Nyambes failure to clear at the back post ..Ants misses penalty ..Conways miss ..the list is endless ..its footie mate ..and that all sounds absurd i know ..but hey we lost the first two games ..