2021/22 Pre-Season

[phili]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:34, rigger said:

Do you think todays starting line-up, will be the team that starts against Swansea ?

Quite possibly yes.

I don't see new players arriving and Travis, Brereton and Gallagher have not had a pre season so will be short of fitness. So as things stand that was our strongest squad.

[alex l]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:30, Bigdoggsteel said:

How would it be any different to last season though? Mowbray said the performances were great, so why would he change things? 

I'm not saying he would, although in balance he did change us from the more direct style reliant on Graham to what we have now. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:34, rigger said:

Do you think todays starting line-up, will be the team that starts against Swansea ?

The defence and midfield is probably first choice at the minute, right? Armstrong might be gone, if not ,he will. Brereton will probably start, so you could have 9/10 of them start, you would imagine? 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:40, alex l said:

I'm not saying he would, although in balance he did change us from the more direct style reliant on Graham to what we have now. 

What he has changed it to is shite. Once teams figured us out last year, we were absolutely toothless. 

The more direct style was a no brainer for league 1. I still give him credit for getting us up though..

I don't even think a change of style would save us now. He's currently a manager who neither him nor the players can believe is still in the job. It's a pathetic situation and it's going to lead to an horrendous start. Calling it now. It'll just depend how long they leave him as to whether we get in serious trouble or not. 

Edited July 24, 2021 by Bigdoggsteel

[DE.]

I don't think any of us need pre-season results or performances to inform us on how next season is likely to go. If we finish 21st that will exceed my expectations. 

[phili]

I bet Mowbray is starting to wish he blooded some of the youngsters in the last 4 games of the season when the pressure was off, instead of saying he already knew enough about them.

[riverholmes]

On 24/07/2021 at 17:35, Crimpshrine said:

Rovers: Kaminski (Stergiakis, 75), Nyambe (Magloire, 75), Lenihan (c) (Carter, 46), Ayala (Annesley, 75), Pickering (Cirino, 75), Davenport (Garrett, 62), Buckley (Nolan, 75), Rothwell (Weston, 75), Chapman (Gilsenan, 75), Butterworth (McBride, 62), Armstrong (Vale, 62).

Assuming Armstrong is going, then even with Travis, Dack , Gallagher and Wharton added to that squad it looks paper thin to me.

It's good to see the younger players involved after a good season last year, especially. McBride, Garrett and Gilsenan. I can only hope that more of them will be involved this season, after being overlooked a lot of the time by Mowbray. For me, these young players are the only glimmer of hope for this season because we know that the management team don't know how to field a 4-3-3 formation team that works.

The team is physically deficient and Davenport as the holding midfielder, despite his technical ability and tenacity, doesn't fill me with confidence, if he doesn't have support. I really think serious consideration should be given to trying Isaac Whitehall in our central midfield to give some height and physical strength. 

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by riverholmes

[RevidgeBlue]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:34, rigger said:

Do you think todays starting line-up, will be the team that starts against Swansea ?

No, but........ 

How often during the course of the season do you think we'll be able to rely upon no injuries whatsoever?

At any one time we'll always be likely to be carrying a fee injuries like now I'd have thought.

A poster above had it right, we've managed to shed a lot of dross but we need around five players of better quality than those that have left badly.

[Wheelton Blue]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:34, rigger said:

Do you think todays starting line-up, will be the team that starts against Swansea ?

At some point in the season, it conceivably could be. They'd get mullered by a half decent side.

[Dreams of 1995]

On 24/07/2021 at 18:54, RevidgeBlue said:

No, but........ 

How often during the course of the season do you think we'll be able to rely upon no injuries whatsoever?

At any one time we'll always be likely to be carrying a fee injuries like now I'd have thought.

A poster above had it right, we've managed to shed a lot of dross but we need around five players of better quality than those that have left badly.

It’s all well and good shedding people like Holtby but if you can’t get a better player, why not give him a contract? A two year one at most 

We just appear to be very thin on the ground. Out of that squad that started today there’s a few injury cases. Ayala, Chapman, Davenport and Rothwell will pick up knocks. Maybe Lenihan too. Then the back up to them is pretty untested. 
 

Wondering if we ever will make a signing this summer. Very strange. The club has gone into hibernation. There’s not much of a commercial structure and the football side seems to be skating by. 
 

I am starting to believe that this season is all about hoping we aren’t the worst team. It could be a long year 

[unsall]

On 24/07/2021 at 17:46, tomphil said:

Give over before you even start.

Why, did we win all our preseason games that season, I know we are short of bodies and if we don’t pull in 3/4 we will struggle.

But it’s pointless making assumptions from preseason games, no one plays with the intensity that comes with league games, no one wants to get injured,let’s hope we can sign some decent players in the next couple of weeks.

[arbitro]

I went to Bradford today and the performance aside the real worry for me was what Armstrong and Rothwell did after being substituted. Neither sat with the other players and staff on the bench but instead walked half the length of the pitch and sat on the steps outside the changing room well away from everybody else connected with Rovers. Now I might be reading too much into it  but it really looked like neither of them wanted to be there.

Anybody championing Chapmans cause will be in for a shock. He was our worst player today, that really is saying something in a sea of mediocrity.

[levi]

Maybe worried about getting pinged?

[bazza]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:03, Dreams of 1995 said:

 

I am starting to believe that this season is all about hoping we aren’t the worst team. It could be a long year 

We will be the worst team by far in the championship this coming season. Mark my words.

[LDRover]

League 1 clubs don't need top class academy and training facilities.

Maybe what is happening on the pitch isn't the most important business for our esteemed management team.

[simongarnerisgod]

i was of the opinion there would be 5 or 6 teams worse than us this season and we`de be boring but safe,now im`e not sure,half the side are unfit,havn`t had any game time and won`t be match fit until the season is a month old,don`t think the side has much fight in it either,if we get sucked into a relegation battle,they`ll not have the spirit to get out of it

[Gav]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:33, bazza said:

We will be the worst team by far in the championship this coming season. Mark my words.

Rubbish bazza.

[rigger]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:33, bazza said:

We will be the worst team by far in the championship this coming season. Mark my words.

I will ask you as I have asked others. If you are so sure we will be the worst team in the championship this season. What odds will you give me on the Rovers staying up ?

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:15, arbitro said:

I went to Bradford today and the performance aside the real worry for me was what Armstrong and Rothwell did after being substituted. Neither sat with the other players and staff on the bench but instead walked half the length of the pitch and sat on the steps outside the changing room well away from everybody else connected with Rovers. Now I might be reading too much into it  but it really looked like neither of them wanted to be there.

Anybody championing Chapmans cause will be in for a shock. He was our worst player today, that really is saying something in a sea of mediocrity.

That is worrying. I think he has lost the players

You can just imagine him being too stubborn to accept any blame for last season and the players losing what respect they had for him. 

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:49, rigger said:

I will ask you as I have asked others. If you are so sure we will be the worst team in the championship this season. What odds will you give me on the Rovers staying up ?

Come back to me after 10 games. Fair enough? 

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:57, Bigdoggsteel said:

That is worrying. I think he has lost the players

You can just imagine him being too stubborn to accept any blame for last season and the players losing what respect they had for him. 

 

He wasn’t there - whether that would have made a difference is open to debate.

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 24/07/2021 at 20:02, DavidMailsTightPerm said:

He wasn’t there - whether that would have made a difference is open to debate.

I mean the general set up, his approach, his "philosophy" ,his man management. Bigger than being there today or not 

[tomphil]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:15, arbitro said:

I went to Bradford today and the performance aside the real worry for me was what Armstrong and Rothwell did after being substituted. Neither sat with the other players and staff on the bench but instead walked half the length of the pitch and sat on the steps outside the changing room well away from everybody else connected with Rovers. Now I might be reading too much into it  but it really looked like neither of them wanted to be there.

Anybody championing Chapmans cause will be in for a shock. He was our worst player today, that really is saying something in a sea of mediocrity.

Cling to the hope they were just exercising their own form of social distancing after mixing on the pitch 🤨

[neophox]

Very poor today by an ok rovers side. The players played today should Ask thenselves some questions... I am really concerned with two weeks to go. Qpr beat Man Utd 4-2. We lost to forth division Bantams we lost.. even with Armstrong we could struggle as long Mowbray. Venus and Lowe is all around.

[bazza]

On 24/07/2021 at 19:44, Gav said:

Rubbish bazza.

I hope you're right, Gav. 

On 24/07/2021 at 19:49, rigger said:

I will ask you as I have asked others. If you are so sure we will be the worst team in the championship this season. What odds will you give me on the Rovers staying up ?

I'm more interested in the odds against us getting relegated.

Coral have us finishing 12th to 14th. 13/2 against us being promoted!!