Expectations for the season

[DE.]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

I have one or two concerns about how long we can maintain our efforts. We've seen injuries begin to appear through the team and whilst we've so far coped ok with losses, it might not continue.

It's inevitable that we'll go on a poor run of form eventually and eat a few defeats along the way. The overall attitude and determination across the squad gives me confidence that we'll come out the other side of that okay though. We battled back last season after a very disappointing start, with huge pressure as favourites to get promoted, and got to where we needed to be. No reason to think based on our start this season that we should be worried about being dragged into a relegation fight - it would take some really bad luck in the form of injuries or Venky's being Venky's and nuking the club with another stupid decision. 

[47er]

I thought we might struggle early till we got to grips with the step-up, then improve and end up finishing halfway. But we have exceeded expectations and I'm revising my view. I think we have a chance of top 6 but might miss out. 

[Neal]

Start of the season when fixture list was released i couldn't see us winning many. Now though, we have strength in depth and a decent amount of points on the board without particularly playing that well. We are very diffucult side to beat and that will take you far in this league. I've seen many teams and not one of them has particularly stood out to me. I can see maybe Derby, Norwich, WBA, Aston Villa and Leeds being up there leaving at least one play off spot looking well up for grabs. I don't think this being our first season back should make a difference, we have some good players now and with a bit of luck on our side we could have easily been top of the league. I don't expect us to reach the playoffs but it's certainly a realistic goal for these players in my view, we have quality, grit, determination, leaders and players who hate to get beat. The teams that get out of this league merely take every game as it comes and i think the lack of expectation of our club could play into our hands. There are bigger clubs carrying the weight of expectation into every game, we just turn up every game without burden and give teams a real hard game. 8th without playing well? I'd say that's a team capable of a playoff push. To summarise my thoughts...

 

I expect mid table but we can very realistically have a good playoff push.

 

 

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

I think that this year could be our best bet to get into the play offs, at least. There looks to be no standout teams, let alone 2 who will definitely make the automatic places. We have carried over our doggedness and never give up approach from last year, and the team appear to be tighter than ever. Then you have guys like Evans, Graham and Lenihan having great seasons. We have strenght in depth too. If we get a striker and centre half in January, we could be in for a very exciting end to the season. 

[Ewood Ace]

I thought that we would be bottom half somewhere between 15th and 19th probably. Rovers have performed how I thought they would (plenty of hard work and endeavour, with some quality from Dack) however I have been shocked at how poor a standard the league is the only team that have impressed me have been Sheffield United everyone else has either been bang average or poor. If we can keep keys players fit, strengthen in January and be a little bit more positive at home then I think we can be in the hunt for the play offs. 

[LDRover]

There's nothing much in this league to be honest. People continue to look at Sheffield United as the standout team but it should never be forgotten how utterly abject we were that day - if anything we were more outplayed at Bristol City.

If we are to get back to the Premiership there will never be a better season to do so than this one.

[JHRover]

After we dropped points at Ipswich and then followed that up with draws against Millwall and Reading at home I was concerned that despite playing reasonably well and showing good fighting spirit in those games that we were in for a long hard season where we would struggle against the better sides and that we might rue not beating those poorer ones. In hindsight having now played all the top sides apart from Boro and Norwich it has become clear that actually reputations mean very little, and that the distance between top 6 and bottom 3 is very little.

Positives and negatives in that. There's no reason why we can't push hard for a play-off spot this season, yet the flip side is that some bad luck or a bad run of form (see Sheffield Wednesday or Wigan) could easily see us drop quickly and end up looking over the shoulders. It's about maintaining this consistency of not losing games and provided we do that we won't go far wrong.

[CP Company Lad]

A top 10 finish for Rovers would be a good start. You bossed us in the 1st half the other week. The only team that has really gone toe 2 toe with us. Off day by us ? Maybe.  I can see you in and around the top 8 all season.

[Dreams of 1995]

12 minutes ago, CP Company Lad said:

A top 10 finish for Rovers would be a good start. You bossed us in the 1st half the other week. The only team that has really gone toe 2 toe with us. Off day by us ? Maybe.  I can see you in and around the top 8 all season.

Nope. Mowbray is just better than Bielsa. 

[CP Company Lad]

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

Nope. Mowbray is just better than Bielsa. 

You reckon ? Don't mind TM. He got a trick out of you 1st half at Ewood mate. Leeds are a top team currently. Hernandez is like a magician. He is a joy to watch live. Great player.

 

[CP Company Lad]

Also Kalvin Phillips.  What a transformation from a raw kid to a proper unit. I'd have Harrison Reed off you and KP would look after him.

[Neal]

23 minutes ago, CP Company Lad said:

Also Kalvin Phillips.  What a transformation from a raw kid to a proper unit. I'd have Harrison Reed off you and KP would look after him.

 

Unfortunately Reed isn't ours and the way Southampton are at the moment he could be on first train home. He'd be a massive signing for us, arguably the biggest signing we could make since TM took over. I never forsee us playing badly with him in the side just because he sets such a high standard to the rest to raise their game. I think we all just hope he loves it enough to want to stay here but he's an ambitious lad and will want to make a name for himself at Southampton.

[JHRover]

13 minutes ago, Neal said:

 

Unfortunately Reed isn't ours and the way Southampton are at the moment he could be on first train home. He'd be a massive signing for us, arguably the biggest signing we could make since TM took over. I never forsee us playing badly with him in the side just because he sets such a high standard to the rest to raise their game. I think we all just hope he loves it enough to want to stay here but he's an ambitious lad and will want to make a name for himself at Southampton.

All being well we could be in a higher league than Southampton next season. If they survive they're going to need significant surgery to progress in the Premier League. Can't see Reed getting much of a look in. Seem to recall Mark Hughes saying that Gallagher would be in his plans for this season. Has he featured at all? Don't remember him being mentioned in any of the games I've seen them in.

Still think Gallagher would be a good addition for us in January. The bonus is that he's mates with a lot of the players already here and would fit in quickly.

[BankEnd Rover]

1 hour ago, CP Company Lad said:

Also Kalvin Phillips.  What a transformation from a raw kid to a proper unit. I'd have Harrison Reed off you and KP would look after him.

who do you support? You not a rovers fan?

[CP Company Lad]

Just now, BankEnd Rover said:

who do you support? You not a rovers fan?

Leeds mate. Lot of my family are Rovers. Mum's side from Blackburn. Spent a lot of time in the place as a kid. Lot of time for Rovers. 

 

[AspRover]

Its such a tight league, I recon there's a good chance that there might only be a handful of points between, say, 6th and 15th (where we've spent most of the season so far). Picking up a couple of wins rather than draws, or conceding a last minute equaliser in again literally two or three games might be the difference between the play-offs and a bottom half finish. I'll hedge with just outside the playoffs on the showing up until now, but I wouldn't want to put money on anything.

[BankEnd Rover]

If TM takes full advantage of the talent we have then i say we have a chance around 6th-8th. If we play like we did against QPR and keep playing that sort of team selection,  i think 10th-13th is more likely.

 

 

[Neal]

3 hours ago, JHRover said:

All being well we could be in a higher league than Southampton next season. If they survive they're going to need significant surgery to progress in the Premier League. Can't see Reed getting much of a look in. Seem to recall Mark Hughes saying that Gallagher would be in his plans for this season. Has he featured at all? Don't remember him being mentioned in any of the games I've seen them in.

Still think Gallagher would be a good addition for us in January. The bonus is that he's mates with a lot of the players already here and would fit in quickly.

 

Gallagher and Reed would be great for us... With Dack atttacting so much attention we might do worse than getting those 2 plus cash for him.

 

[Sparks Rover]

I've banged on about a lad at donny on here before. Ben Whiteman centre mid, good passer, can score from outside box, brought up at Man Utd and I know for a fact Pompey have bid....would improve our squad no problem... Pompey will go up and he will be a championship player next season.

Tony should have a look I'm telling you....

[SBlue]

14 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

I've banged on about a lad at donny on here before. Ben Whiteman centre mid, good passer, can score from outside box, brought up at Man Utd and I know for a fact Pompey have bid....would improve our squad no problem... Pompey will go up and he will be a championship player next season.

Tony should have a look I'm telling you....

Another Donny one, wouldn't mind us throwing a bid in for John Marquis. Battling grafter and a very tidy finisher... reminds me of a young street-fightin' Danny Graham.

[philipl]

Surely we have to be thinking about players who can do a job in the Premier League now? Not marginally OK in the Championship and League 1.

[1864roverite]

The questions what does TM have to do to the squad to improve it in January to take us on to the next level, the level that puts us in the top 8?

For me, we need another central defender and we definitely need a left sided midfielder whilst a Premier League lean forward wouldn’t go amiss!

Rovers are up there on merit and if we can get another 10 points on the board pre Christmas it would make for happy reading, even more so if we can beat Rotherham, nobbers and pie eaters before the end of this month! not too much to ask I know??

It’s really up to the players to see just how far we can go, teamwork and the current work ethic has to get us through the winter months and then come spring they can take the final leap to the promised land [and then venkys intervened]??

[Neal]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

Surely we have to be thinking about players who can do a job in the Premier League now? Not marginally OK in the Championship and League 1.

If only it was that simple. Thinking about it, isn't that what TM is attempting to do? Players good enough for them prem usually come with a cost and big wages. If there is some good talent knocking about in the lower leagues then clubs like ours have to take a chance in that market. Look at Andre Gray, Jamie Vardy, many players from the Bournemouth squad. I think once you're up there then you can afford to use the promotion funds to spend on Prem standard players but whilst you're in this league you have to buy accordingly. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

I think he is buying young players who potentially can play in the Premier league; Davenport, Brereton, Armstrong, Dack etc

Rodwell has played there and I think Lenihan will certainly play there at some point. If Evans keeps playing as he is this season, I could see him doing a job there too. Reed the same. 

As a squad we are a fair bit away from where we need to be yet. A few old players need replacing. Anyway, we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves  

[Ewood Ace]

17 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

I've banged on about a lad at donny on here before. Ben Whiteman centre mid, good passer, can score from outside box, brought up at Man Utd and I know for a fact Pompey have bid....would improve our squad no problem... Pompey will go up and he will be a championship player next season.

Tony should have a look I'm telling you....

The last area that we need any new recruitments in is central midfield.