Saturday, Jan 30th- Luton at Ewood

[Bigdoggsteel]

So here we are again. Not quite on "the cusp" of the play offs just yet, but not far off it. Luton have been a bit of a bogeyteam for us of late, but surely this is a game where we stamp our credentials and go on a run that brings us deep into the play off places 🙂 I can feel it 😉 

I would go with the following

                    Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

              Travis  Rothwell

Elliott             Dack           Brereton

                 Armstrong 

 

If 4-3-3

                     Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

          Dack Travis Rothwell

    Elliott    Armstrong  Brereton 

 

[The Mighty Chaffinch]

Can we rise above the dark arts of Nathan Jones? The last two games against Luton have left a sour taste in the mouth and he also frustrated us in the 0-0 with Stoke last season. In true Keegan style I would love it if we beat them, preferably with ease to restore a bit of morality. I have no problem with managers who set up to frustrate but if it crosses the line then it’s unacceptable and we’ve seen this twice from Luton. With a strong referee (not holding my breath) then hopefully we will be allowed to flourish. 

[roversfan99]

Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Branthwaite Douglas

Travis Davenport

Elliott Dack Rothwell

Armstrong

 

[benhben]

                   Kaminski

Nyambe Lenhian Branthwaite Douglas

     Rothwell Travis Davenport

    Elliot       Armstrong        Dack

[joey_big_nose]

54 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

So here we are again. Not quite on "the cusp" of the play offs just yet, but not far off it. Luton have been a bit of a bogeyteam for us of late, but surely this is a game where we stamp our credentials and go on a run that brings us deep into the play off places 🙂 I can feel it 😉 

I would go with the following

                    Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

              Travis  Rothwell

Elliott             Dack           Brereton

                 Armstrong 

 

If 4-3-3

                     Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

          Dack Travis Rothwell

    Elliott    Armstrong  Brereton 

 

Agree with the teams.  I would say we should be looking at switching between 4231 and 433 in game as necessary. 

As an aside I think it would also to have a 352 option also for times we come up against 3 at the back and struggle (eg. Bristol City, Notts Forest)

                               Kaminski

           Nyambe    Lenihan   Branthwate 

    Elliott     Dack      Travis   Rothwell  Douglas

                   Armstrong    Brereton

But probably a while away from being comfortable enough to do that.

                               

[Bigdoggsteel]

39 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Agree with the teams.  I would say we should be looking at switching between 4231 and 433 in game as necessary. 

As an aside I think it would also to have a 352 option also for times we come up against 3 at the back and struggle (eg. Bristol City, Notts Forest)

                               Kaminski

           Nyambe    Lenihan   Branthwate 

    Elliott     Dack      Travis   Rothwell  Douglas

                   Armstrong    Brereton

But probably a while away from being comfortable enough to do that.

                               

I like the look of the team though to be honest. Maybe Travis or Rothwell for Elliott though. Ideally it would be Nyambe there, with Wharton or Ayala one of the 3 CBs. 

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

So here we are again. Not quite on "the cusp" of the play offs just yet, but not far off it. Luton have been a bit of a bogeyteam for us of late, but surely this is a game where we stamp our credentials and go on a run that brings us deep into the play off places 🙂 I can feel it 😉 

I would go with the following

                    Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

              Travis  Rothwell

Elliott             Dack           Brereton

                 Armstrong 

 

If 4-3-3

                     Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

          Dack Travis Rothwell

    Elliott    Armstrong  Brereton 

 

I like the 4-2-3-1 team

[Butty]

As you say, not quite on the cusp of the playoffs yet which means we will more than likely win this game before going on the standard 4 game winless run. Still though I’m not going to go as far as Mercer and call this a home banker, Luton are a solid team and this will be a tough game, one I think we’ll edge though. 

[1864roverite]

Just 3 points will suffice. Luton won’t be afraid to attack Rovers just have to be patient and take their chances!

[Mercer]

Not worth debating.

Win at Middlesbrough will have confidence surging through the veins as though delivered by a minute exocet missile.

A stonking home banker.

At almost evens, a licence to print money - fill yer boots!

 

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Mercer's already on his 2nd bottle of the evening. 

[TheRoversReturn]

In the next seven league games (up until the end of February) we play just one side above us; Watford at home. We then have a horror run of six games in March where we play five of the current top eight teams in the league.

'Why a horror run?', some might opine. 'Isn't that a chance to take points off the other challengers?' Well, considering we have won exactly one game all season against a team currently in the top ten, and that needing a huge slice of fortune with the referee not seeing Branthwhaite's boot in the opposing player's face, then I'm not sure we can be too confident about playing the more competent teams in the league just yet.

It's now or never to go on a run. We need to be in the play offs, not just near them, by the end of February. Can't say I'm confident, but as Mowbray is going nowhere...this next month will either keep the ember of hope burning or completely extinguish it for what was such a promising 2020-21 campaign.

Life as a Rovers fan since 2010...it's the hope that kills you!

[davulsukur]

5 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Mercer's already on his 2nd bottle of the evening. 

Yer of Absinthe, judging by his post.

[G Somerset Rover]

3 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Yer of Absinthe, judging by his post.

He must drink a fair bit of it!

[HowieFive0]

8 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

He must drink a fair bit of it!

Bathes in it ..

[roversfan99]

All done purely to provoke.

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Not worth debating.

Win at Middlesbrough will have confidence surging through the veins as though delivered by a minute exocet missile.

A stonking home banker.

At almost evens, a licence to print money - fill yer boots!

 

Ya, stonking home banker. Probably at best a scruffy last minute injury time winner after going 1-0 down 😂

Edited January 27, 2021 by Bigdoggsteel

[Fraserkirky]

This is the game where we get our best 11 out there in the correct formation. It’s this:

8 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

 

                    Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Brantwhaite Douglas

              Travis  Rothwell

Elliott             Dack           Brereton

                 Armstrong 

 

 

[Paul Mani]

I quite liked us with 4 across the Midfield when we made the subs so I’ll go with the following:
 

               Kaminski 

Nyambe Lenihan JB Douglas

Elliott Trav Davenport Rothwell 

                 Dack

                 Arma

[WacoRover]

We need to continue our current good form, and keep moving up the table. Guys are getting healthy, and Dacky & Travis are getting their legs back. We’ve got to get a convincing win at Ewood, sooner or later, I pray this weekend is it. 

theROVERSreturn, Has there ever been a better time to be a Rover? 😁 (Rovers fan since 2013, you have me, you actually have those halcyon days of Rovers in the Premier!)

[JHRover]

I hope Mowbray and the coaching staff are drilling our ball boys to go and hide if we are winning. That's what Luton did at their place which wasted minutes of the game, got them 3 points which kept them up and saw David Lowe lose his rag.

If we have a lead and I see balls being thrown on quickly I am going to be very unhappy.

[Sparks Rover]

2 hours ago, JHRover said:

I hope Mowbray and the coaching staff are drilling our ball boys to go and hide if we are winning. That's what Luton did at their place which wasted minutes of the game, got them 3 points which kept them up and saw David Lowe lose his rag.

If we have a lead and I see balls being thrown on quickly I am going to be very unhappy.

I think they put the balls on a plinth now after a clean.. the player normally picks it up from there...no direct handing over of  balls....I might have dreamt that though...

[darrenrover]

I'm having such a good week personally and am a great believer in gut feel, I think we are going to hammer Luton on Saturday!

As has been said previously, they've been a bit of a tough nut to crack for us in recent years.

However, I think Branthwaite's addition at the back is a master stroke, partnered with Darragh, they are a decent pairing. With a defensive mid sat in front of them, whoever it may be, Rhino and Douglas as additional attacking options and Kaminski playing as sweeper/keeper, added to our attacking armoury, I think we will be too strong for most teams from now to seasons end.

5-0 Rovers!

"The Blues are going up, The Blues are going up, and now you're gonna believe us, and now you're gonna believe us, and now you're gonna beelieve uuus, The Blues are going UP!!!"

COYB!!!

WE ARE The Rovers!!!

[TruRover]

No doubt this we’ll be a physical game. Luton will come here to try and break up our play and keep it scrappy, with our pitch working to their advantage. 

As a result of this I personally would want to see us play abit more direct. Get Gally and Brereton on the wings as an out ball and to bring down the ball and feed Arma and Dack, similar to how we finished against Boro. Give Rothwell and Elliot a rest and bring them on if needed. 

Kaminski 

Nymabe Lenihan Brainthwaith Douglas 

Travis Davenport 

Gally Dack BB

Arma

formation: 4 2 3 1

 

 

[JHRover]

9 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

I think they put the balls on a plinth now after a clean.. the player normally picks it up from there...no direct handing over of  balls....I might have dreamt that though...

That was supposed to be the case at their place in the summer but once they had the lead all the staff who put the balls out for the players to collect vanished. 

Suspect we are too nice for such tactics but we need to become nasty. Jones is one of the worst.