Brentford (A) - 12:30pm KO (Sat 22nd Feb 2020)

[Herbie6590]

37 minutes ago, USABlue said:

Gut tells me this is where we trip up.  Early game, on telly, hope building, playoff position in reach.  All the indicators for a definite loss.

One thing’s for certain, there’ll be a high degree of caution if we’re two up after 10 minutes...?

[Admiral Nelsen]

More I think about it, the more this week coming looks quite a lot like the one a fortnight ago. A 3 game week, starting with a very tough fixture before a very winnable mid-week home game, before a tricky game to round it off.

Like last time, 6 points from 9 represents a successful week as I see it. Brentford away is as hard a game on paper as we have left, so not a must win by any stretch in my view. It does mean that the pressure is heaped on the Stoke & especially Swansea games though.

If we do win, then I'll believe for the first time that we're actually going to get in there this year and not fall just short.

[Sparks Rover]

If we set up full strength at the back then I think we win.  If any of Del or Ell start in the back 4 we lose.

[4000Holes]

59 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

More I think about it, the more this week coming looks quite a lot like the one a fortnight ago. A 3 game week, starting with a very tough fixture before a very winnable mid-week home game, before a tricky game to round it off.

Like last time, 6 points from 9 represents a successful week as I see it. Brentford away is as hard a game on paper as we have left, so not a must win by any stretch in my view. It does mean that the pressure is heaped on the Stoke & especially Swansea games though.

If we do win, then I'll believe for the first time that we're actually going to get in there this year and not fall just short.

If we do win, then it will be great, as I believe that Brentford are by far the best footballing side (for want of a better description) in this division.  Sure they come unstuck from time to time but who doesn’t.  Win this and play offs are actually on. In fact draw this and and we can dream.

set up needs to be right, Brentford can be bullied.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

8 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

If we set up full strength at the back then I think we win.  If any of Del or Ell start in the back 4 we lose.

Neither of which have started in the back 4 in nearly a month and we’ve just kept back to back clean sheets....? 
The benching of Bennett does seem to have flown under the radar for some. He wasn’t involved at all against Charlton. Seems firmly out of the picture for now.

[Inglorious basturk]

37 minutes ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

Neither of which have started in the back 4 in nearly a month and we’ve just kept back to back clean sheets....? 
The benching of Bennett does seem to have flown under the radar for some. He wasn’t involved at all against Charlton. Seems firmly out of the picture for now.

It took a while but I’ll give tony credit for admitting bennett offers nothing at all

[Paul Mani]

14 hours ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

We need 2 points per game to achieve our target.

So I rephrase.... 6 points from the next 3 games is the MINIMUM

 

I would say 4pts from those three games as a minimum. 6pts would be very good. 7pts amazing and 9pts =  Me booking my accommodation and train for May! ??

Edited February 19, 2020 by Paul Mani

[Paul Mani]

1 hour ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

Neither of which have started in the back 4 in nearly a month and we’ve just kept back to back clean sheets....? 
The benching of Bennett does seem to have flown under the radar for some. He wasn’t involved at all against Charlton. Seems firmly out of the picture for now.

I think Bennett’s legs have gone you know. For what it’s worth I often advocated his inclusion last season. He worked the hardest and gave the most.

BUT this season I think there’s been a notable drop in his physical attributes. He looks tired more and has lost a yard of pace when he didn’t have a yard in the first place.

Nyambe has finished him and I expect him to be used sparingly for the rest of the season. Him starting vs Hull and then being dragged with Graham at 60 mins in a game where the subs came on and changed the course, for me signalled the end for both.

Cant see DG being here next season. SG is his natural successor. I’d be tempted to see how Samuel does and offer him a year to fight for a spot. I think Bennett will stay but be used VERY sparingly next season.

[SBlue]

2 hours ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

Neither of which have started in the back 4 in nearly a month and we’ve just kept back to back clean sheets....? 
The benching of Bennett does seem to have flown under the radar for some. He wasn’t involved at all against Charlton. Seems firmly out of the picture for now.

He came off the bench?

[47er]

4 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

He came off the bench?

SH! Don't spoil a good narrative!

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Paul Mani said:

I would say 4pts from those three games as a minimum. 6pts would be very good. 7pts amazing and 9pts =  Me booking my accommodation and train for May! ??

We are trying to get into the top 6 whereby competition is fierce and we have a 3 points and 2 place deficit already, margin for error isnt very high. We cant be going into a 3 game week, where we play a top 6 team away, a relegation struggler at home and then another home game v a team in and around us and be content with 4 points, even as a minimum. We shouldnt be anything other than very frustrated if we were to lose more points in the week than we were to gain, especially with 2 games at home.

[Paul Mani]

23 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

We are trying to get into the top 6 whereby competition is fierce and we have a 3 points and 2 place deficit already, margin for error isnt very high. We cant be going into a 3 game week, where we play a top 6 team away, a relegation struggler at home and then another home game v a team in and around us and be content with 4 points, even as a minimum. We shouldnt be anything other than very frustrated if we were to lose more points in the week than we were to gain, especially with 2 games at home.

I understand what you are saying but ultimately 6/7 wins and a 2/3 draws out of the last 13 games will do it. 
 

73 points is the average needed to get in the playoffs. We need 1.8pts a game so technically 5pts every three games is enough. So the margin for error is bigger than you think.

It would be ideal to pick up 3 of those wins this week but statistically we could lose three on the bounce, draw the next three (so no win in 6) and then win five on the bounce and still be in with a shot of the playoffs going into the last two games.

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by Paul Mani

[JHRover]

8 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

I understand what you are saying but ultimately 6/7 wins and a 2/3 draws out of the last 13 games will do it. 
 

73 points is the average needed to get in the playoffs. We need 1.8pts a game so technically 5pts every three games is enough. So the margin for error is bigger than you think.

 

Highly unlikely IMO. Let's suppose we get these 4 points from the next 3. That puts us on 54 from 36 matches. Likely needing at least 20 points from the last 10.  

In those last 10 we play Bristol City, Leeds and West Brom at home and have to travel to relegation threatened Wigan, Barnsley and Luton and tough sides Cardiff, Millwall and Derby. You reckon we'd get through those without dropping more than 10 points? 

Even then 74 might not be enough. 

[Paul Mani]

20 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Highly unlikely IMO. Let's suppose we get these 4 points from the next 3. That puts us on 54 from 36 matches. Likely needing at least 20 points from the last 10.  

In those last 10 we play Bristol City, Leeds and West Brom at home and have to travel to relegation threatened Wigan, Barnsley and Luton and tough sides Cardiff, Millwall and Derby. You reckon we'd get through those without dropping more than 10 points? 

Even then 74 might not be enough. 

I don’t know how we’ll get the points between now and then. In all honesty I’d prefer to us to get them ASAP as I expect Lenihan to be suspended for two games. Which will effect us. 

73 points is just the average but either way we Still need to win at least 6 games out of the 13 we’ve got left so we have to get wins against those teams you mentioned. For what it’s worth I wouldn’t be surprised if we beat Leeds, West Brom and Bristol and then struggle to beat Stoke and or Swansea at Ewood.

The game on Saturday Vs Brentford won’t make or break the promotion push.

[Mattyblue]

Only 100 tickets left (1650 allocation).

Another cracking following, especially as it’s on Sky and back to back with another well attended London game

Edited February 19, 2020 by Mattyblue

[JHRover]

10 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Only 100 tickets left (1650 allocation).

Another cracking following, especially as it’s on Sky and back to back with another well attended London game

Is the allocation usually only 1650? I seem to recall it usually being over 2000? 

[Mattyblue]

Yeah around this figure, from memory that’s what I remember it being for that mad scramble for relegation day tickets...

Edited February 19, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Hasta]

5 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

I would say 4pts from those three games as a minimum. 6pts would be very good. 7pts amazing and 9pts =  Me booking my accommodation and train for May! ??

9 points and then beat Leeds and you won't be needing that train or accommodation.

[Gary C]

Brentford for me is the hardest game with the next two being at home where our record is fairly good. A draw at Brentford and two home wins would be what you would expect from a team challenging in the top six

[Oldgregg86]

Come on this is rovers. You all know we are going to go and beat Brentford 5-0 followed by stoke boring 3 points out of us and the dullest 0-0 against swansea. 

Keeps the Mowbray debate ticking over if nothing else. 

Edited February 19, 2020 by Oldgregg86

[garnersfags]

7 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Cant see DG being here next season. SG is his natural successor. 

In who's eyes, beyond TM's? 

That would mean SG scoring or creating around 30 goals, compared to a full and firing DG season.

Anyone believe that will happen? 

We are more effective without him in the team, a truly crying shame.

I thought he played well in a couple of recent games, but the moment he collected the ball in the Darwen End box (against Fulham?) with no-one between him and the keeper, and decided to take the ball away from goal and out of the box, showed once and for all that he's not a natural footballer, like his millstone-mate BB, he is simply a magnificent athlete.  

13 million anyone......?????

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, garnersfags said:

In who's eyes, beyond TM's? 

That would mean SG scoring or creating around 30 goals, compared to a full and firing DG season.

Anyone believe that will happen? 

We are more effective without him in the team, a truly crying shame.

I thought he played well in a couple of recent games, but the moment he collected the ball in the Darwen End box (against Fulham?) with no-one between him and the keeper, and decided to take the ball away from goal and out of the box, showed once and for all that he's not a natural footballer, like his millstone-mate BB, he is simply a magnificent athlete.  

13 million anyone......?????

Honest question, when did Graham ever contribute a combination of 30 goals and assists? I can't remember that. 

[Paul Mani]

35 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Honest question, when did Graham ever contribute a combination of 30 goals and assists? I can't remember that. 

Never.

[Paul Mani]

40 minutes ago, garnersfags said:

In who's eyes, beyond TM's? 

That would mean SG scoring or creating around 30 goals, compared to a full and firing DG season.

Anyone believe that will happen? 

We are more effective without him in the team, a truly crying shame.

I thought he played well in a couple of recent games, but the moment he collected the ball in the Darwen End box (against Fulham?) with no-one between him and the keeper, and decided to take the ball away from goal and out of the box, showed once and for all that he's not a natural footballer, like his millstone-mate BB, he is simply a magnificent athlete.  

13 million anyone......?????

He hasn’t played regularly up top yet.

[garnersfags]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Honest question, when did Graham ever contribute a combination of 30 goals and assists? I can't remember that. 

I knew that would flush out a couple of responses.

16 goals (more?) last season, 5 assists, but he was instrumental in 50% of our goals.  He has scored 51 goals in 123 appearances.  

If you go to a couple of games, or watch on the tele, you'll see how naturally comfortable SG is with the ball at his feet. He often finds himself in the centre forward position, but I genuinely haven't seen him show the potential to be a 20 goal a season striker. 

Exactly the same as his 1st spell, he scores a good goal every seven or eught games. 

What have you seen to indicate that he will be consistently successful up front at play-offs level? 

Speed & hard work aren't enough.

Edited February 19, 2020 by garnersfags
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