Stoke City v Rovers (a) Sat. 19th Dec. 3pm

[Ossydave]

We'll win this 2-1 chaps, its gonna be another late show though. Based on stats we'll take an early lead, Stoke will equalise in the final quarter of the first half. 

Both teams will cancel each other out most of the second half, but in the 88th minute Dolan will get round the back and square it for Armo to fire into the roof of the net. 

As for the team, I think he'll go similar to last time but swap Buckley for Holtby. Unless he also decides to give Bell a go, he did look brassed off at Douglas the other night when he hooked him for Bell. Personally I'd persevere with Douglas's for at least a few more games. Its easy to forget that Bell has been poor for a few years, Douglas for a few games. I don't think he's gone garbage all of a sudden, but he's started a lot slower than I hoped.

MY team would be:

                     Kaminski 

Nyambe  Lenihan   Ayala  Douglas

               Johnson   Holtby

                      Rothwell

    Dolan                                 Elliott 

                        Armo

I'd like to see Dolan and Elliot supporting and interchanging sides, keeping Stoke guessing. We've become predictable and laboured since Ben unfortunately got injured and we really do need to change things. 

[rigger]

A win tomorrow will move us up at least two places.

COYB. 

[arbitro]

After several years of poor performances at Stoke we have won our last two games there but that counts for nothing today. On paper the two teams look evenly matched so it could come down to whoever the ball runs kindest for or whichever manager is the boldest.

I would take a point now.

[JHRover]

I'm actually looking forward to this match more than other recent games as I think it is going to be two decent sides up against each other and expect a competitive affair. I was surprised to see that their home record isn't as good as I thought it was. Won 4, drawn 2 and lost 3 so quite a mixed bag at their place. Won 4 drawn 4 and lost 2 away from home in comparison so actually picked up a couple more points away than at home. 

Having said that my confidence of a result is quite low. I just think that O'Neill and Stoke will be too organised and astute for us and especially if they get a goal ahead they'll manage the game well and I just can't see us finding a way back into it. My hope is that we've done some serious work since Wednesday's performance and there's been rockets up some backsides and together with the delirium of snatching the win on Wednesday will see us hit the right notes today.

I obviously hope I'm wrong and we can pick up a big win here because the longer this run continues without overcoming these sides above us the more difficult it is going to get to progress in this division. A draw would be ok IF we are able to follow it up with some wins against the lower placed opposition in Wednesday, Huddersfield and Birmingham next but that's an IF.

[TimmyJimmy]

When it comes to Rovers these days I feel like a nervous wreck.

In the '90s I turned up expecting a good exciting performance and a win. If we lost I shrugged, wondered how it happened, speculated on what needed to be fixed and moved on with even greater excitement looking forward to the next match.

These days it's the opposite. I expect to lose. If we win I shrug and wonder how it happened. I go into every match expecting the worse, my weekend is ruined before its started.

We have a good squad now and there should be plenty of cause for optimism yet somehow I still only expect the worse.

I feel so passionate about the club but it just feels there's nothing to look forward to anymore. What's gone wrong? How did this happen?

Stoke today. How do I feel about it? A nailed on loss and more misery over the weekend/week.

Not sure this is what you are supposed to get as a supporter. Let's get it over with. 0-2 and a hard luck sob story.

Come on Barnstoneworth.

 

[Doug]

We're due a good performance and I still believe we have a very good squad when all fit.

Left back is our achilles and we need to sort this in January, Bell is actually looking a better option than Douglas.....did I just type that?

Please don't try Buckley from the start, maybe come on when we're 3-0 up with 10 mins to go!!

Kaminski

Nyambe       Lenihan       Ayala    Downing

Johnson    Trybull

Elliot    Holtby       Rothy

Arma

Gally and Dolan on bench will give us options.

Come on Rovers

 

 

[chaddyrovers]

54 minutes ago, JHRover said:

 My hope is that we've done some serious work since Wednesday's performance 

 

What serious work can be done in a one training session and given our injury list we are just doing light training sessions at the minute. Players are carry knocks and injuries and trying to play through them. 

Championship games quality has dropped and intensity of games has dropped off. 

[JHRover]

5 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

What serious work can be done in a one training session and given our injury list we are just doing light training sessions at the minute. Players are carry knocks and injuries and trying to play through them. 

Championship games quality has dropped and intensity of games has dropped off. 

Work can be done indoors with analysis and these super computers. I sincerely hope it has after Wednesday's performance or we've no hope.

[Blue blood]

19 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

What serious work can be done in a one training session and given our injury list we are just doing light training sessions at the minute. Players are carry knocks and injuries and trying to play through them. 

Championship games quality has dropped and intensity of games has dropped off. 

We might as well give up then! 

It's the same for all clubs. 

Honestly whilst the owners are our curse and burden, fans standards being so low is depressing to see, and seems as though we are condoning the malaise. 

[davulsukur]

17 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

We’ve got Bradley Johnson, not Adam.

Gavlar swoops, last minute, right at the death for post of the year.

[mick]

A good win and three points moves Rovers back in contention and shows that they are capable of a big points return over the Christmas period. Top six here we come...oh come all ye faithful to Ewood! 
 

1-3 to the Rovers. 

[darrenrover]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

What serious work can be done in a one training session and given our injury list we are just doing light training sessions at the minute. Players are carry knocks and injuries and trying to play through them. 

Championship games quality has dropped and intensity of games has dropped off. 

So they've just sat at home with their feet up since Wednesday chaddy, have they? and if so would you find that acceptable?

They don't have to be running their bollocks off doing laps round the pitches and pull ups on the crossbars, for it to constitute using the word "work"!

"Work" is an all encompassing word, which could include any of the above: like sitting down as a group and discussing what's going wrong recently and how we could improve, to what tactics should we use today based upon Stoke specifically and looking to exploit their weaknesses etc, etc,  etc.

At times, you've a lot to contribute and I enjoy your insights into football generally and statistical analyses etc but on occasions, increasingly so recently, you just want to dismiss anyone else's opinions as if they're stupid and are argumentative for arguings sake. To be frank, you really piss me off on occasions, this being one of them.

Please don't come back with a childish response like "put me on ignore then".

Now I've got that off my chest: COYB!!!👌

[Al]

2 hours ago, Doug said:

We're due a good performance and I still believe we have a very good squad when all fit.

Left back is our achilles and we need to sort this in January, Bell is actually looking a better option than Douglas.....did I just type that?

Please don't try Buckley from the start, maybe come on when we're 3-0 up with 10 mins to go!!

Kaminski

Nyambe       Lenihan       Ayala    Downing

Johnson    Trybull

Elliot    Holtby       Rothy

Arma

Gally and Dolan on bench will give us options.

Come on Rovers

 

 

Best place for Gallagher.

[yoda's brother]

14 hours ago, rigger said:

A win tomorrow will move us up at least two places.

COYB. 

is that assuming those few above us dont win

[simongarnerisgod]

not sure i like tony`s current 4-3-3 formation on a big pitch like the britannia stadium,much prefer him to pack the midfield and try to pick them off on the break,getting rothwell involved further up the pitch is vital for this to happen

[Devon Rover]

5 minutes ago, yoda's brother said:

is that assuming those few above us dont win

We'd go above Stoke and above Bristol C, who lost last night. Big game today.

[Gone to seed]

Saw an Arna doppelganger leaving a (n illegal) house party at 2am this morning. Hope to hello it wasn't him, but reading the Ben Marshall thread has me wondering... after all, everyone under 25 is fecking immortal and entitled, right?? 

[BankEnd Rover]

Predicting a Loss today with A Frustrating starting 11. Gallagher starts on the right & Rothwell either not starting or coming off at half time for being too assertive & attacking minded. 

Mowbray out no matter the result.

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Predicting a Loss today with A Frustrating starting 11. Gallagher starts on the right & Rothwell either not starting or coming off at half time for being too assertive & attacking minded. 

Mowbray out no matter the result.

 

I would hate to have that attitude. Do you even enjoy football? 

[BankEnd Rover]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I would hate to have that attitude. Do you even enjoy football? 

We will not being going anywhere with Tony in charge. There’s nothing more to add.

[Sparks Rover]

4 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I would hate to have that attitude. Do you even enjoy football? 

Do you want him to lie instead, just to make you happy.?

[Bigdoggsteel]

3 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Do you want him to lie instead, just to make you happy.?

I didn't say not to say it. I just don't see how a fan could enjoy the games thinking like that. 

[rigger]

31 minutes ago, yoda's brother said:

is that assuming those few above us dont win

No, Bristol city lost last night, and we would go above Stoke as well.

 

[K-Hod]

40 minutes ago, WIR Second Coming said:

Saw an Arna doppelganger leaving a (n illegal) house party at 2am this morning. Hope to hello it wasn't him, but reading the Ben Marshall thread has me wondering... after all, everyone under 25 is fecking immortal and entitled, right?? 

Don’t be shy, where was this?

[simongarnerisgod]

sources close to the club enlightened me that last night mowbray slept at ewood,he was working out tactics till the early hours,so gawd knows what the line up will be today😖