v Barnsley (h) - 29/12/21

[bazza]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Rovers and Middlesbrough got the top two spots at season's end.

[Ulrich]

25 minutes ago, Bethnal said:

 

Anyone fancy a trip to Wembley end of May?!

Screw Wembley, I Want an automatic place now 🤔😉

22 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Felt Bucko had a good game..👍

Did you have a Half time humble pie tonight? Hehe

[Norn Iron Rover]

Potential banana skin avoided but those last 10/15mins were seriously squeaky bum time!

Must say, Lenihan was outstanding with notable mentions for Pickering, Wharton and Bucko.

Still a long way to go but if we can continue to grind out results when we aren't necessarily at our best then I think we have a chance.

Christ, I think I'm actually starting to believe!!!!

Edited December 29, 2021 by Norn Iron Rover
Typo

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

14 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Got to get rid of the gloves though...🤔

He might be wearing them so he can be picked out quicker when you can’t get your head up. One team I played for the playmaker always had to wear his shirt outside his shorts for the same reason.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

13,500 Rovers fans tonight,good vocal support but we can and must pull more through the turnstiles.

Slightly embarrassed by the round of applause as the attendance was given out??😟

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[joey_big_nose]

19 minutes ago, CambridgeRover said:

Wow Buckley is a turning into the key man , two assists tonight.

Especially given he is playing in that odd false striker role. 

Questionable decision to pass rather than shoot but aside from that another great game

If he can start scoring he will be some player. With a better strike on him he could have had two today. Think it will come though, he has the technique - just needs a bit of confidence in front of goal. 

His control and movement on and off the ball is exceptional (his turns are particularly sublime), as is his passing. Destined to play in the Premier League one way or another.

What I particularly like about him is he wins the ball more than a defensive midfielder too. When Dack's back I can see him moving to central mid or even right wing back and being amazingly effective there also in defence and attack.

[oldjamfan1]

5 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He might be wearing them so he can be picked out quicker when you can’t get your head up. One team I played for the playmaker always had to wear his shirt outside his shorts for the same reason.

He might be but I would stake my house on the fact that he isn’t 😂😉

[only2garners]

22 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Got to get rid of the gloves though...🤔

He can wear a scarf and a balaclava for me if he keeps playing like he did tonight.

[oldjamfan1]

23 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Fairs fair Mike....did well tonight..

Fair play to you Sparks. I’m having to make similar humble pie noises about the manager at the minute but that’s fine because it means that the Rovers are doing well 💙🤍🍻

Edited December 29, 2021 by oldjamfan1

[simongarnerisgod]

very pleasing result,always a good sign if you don`t play well and still get a result,******* hell for the first time in a decade im`e optimistic😅

[Paul Mellelieu]

I hope we don't get done by 'Boro in the play-off final.

[simongarnerisgod]

2 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

I hope we don't get done by 'Boro in the play-off final.

we`ll leave the play offs to the also rans,we the rovers ,going straight up😉,3 points at preston will do it

[tomphil]

9 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

13,500 Rovers fans tonight,good vocal support but we can and must pull more through the turnstiles.

Slightly embarrassed by the round of applause as the attendance was given out??😟

 

Doesn't sound much but when you consider about 6k have bought tickets it's a fair old effort.

Waggot is the one who should be in the center circle applauding the fans.

[lraC]

I posted earlier that this was not going to be a cake walk and that’s how it turned out.

It looked like things were going against us, as we were the far better side in the first half. The Khadra goal being chalked off early on, in strange circumstances  and then the Rothwell shot that came back off the post, were the two big signs of it maybe not being our night. The timing of the equaliser, made it feel even more like that.

Fair play though, as despite a fairly poor second half, we managed to dig in and it was fitting that Big Ben’s 20th and heart breaking for the bookies goal, should win it for us.

I am becoming a real big Buckley fan and think he could be key for us. Two quality balls set both goals up and he was also almost too selfless, when trying to tee Brereton up, rather than shouting himself, when clean through.

Its very exciting being a Rovers fan, for the first time in over a decade, so let’s enjoy it, as this team, look like the real deal.

 

 

[1864roverite]

The Rovers bandwagon is gaining some serious momentum and long may it continue👍 Points in the bag, rest up and go again for what is now an even bigger game on Sunday. It’s time to back this team and believe 

[joey_big_nose]

28 minutes ago, El Tombro said:

By ditching the obsession with possession and 'domination', and just being ruthless when we need to be, i.e., on the counter attack.

Of course, it's more complicated than that when you get down to it, I'm sure, but as a layman supporter, that's the basics of what I've seen. We never really had the quality to carry out what we tried to do last season when we could get picked off at the back so easily.

Yes the attempt to ape Leeds last season with the 433 was thoroughly planned out, intensively trained for, and then didn't really work out after a cracking first two months. I do wonder if we'd had a transfer budget we would have tried to continue down the same path, Mowbray was pretty invested in it.... It was only really when we lost Holtby and Elliott over the summer and did not replace we dropped it entirely.

Other things helped - Wharton coming through was fortuitous as he has been an absolute revelation and I wonder if the 343 would work without him. And - again due to lack of numbers - Mowbray was pretty much forced to play Rothwell in midfield which you could really tell he didn't want to do but has turned out to be critical. A lot of factors have helped the manager on his way to where we are. 

But in the end Mowbrays worked with what he's got very well, especially impressive if you consider we don't have a single player in the squad who was a guaranteed performer at this level before they came to Rovers (Ayala and Johnson aside, who have both struggled to get game time). So kudos to him. You play them as they fall I suppose, and he's knocked it out of the park this year.

Edited December 29, 2021 by joey_big_nose

[JPTSwindon]

3 more points! 

Perhaps tougher than we hoped, but also showed we could tough it out after they snatched an equaliser.

Who would have thought this is where we would end the year, especially after the Fulham tonking.

As I’ve posted before, what is exciting is how many of the squad have come through the ranks, are young and firing on all cylinders.

Just need the crowds to creep upwards!

[windymiller7]

Phew! Haven't missed those nervy endings but hey, I said pre-match that I'd take a win of any description, even a scrappy 1-0. As it happens, it was a scruffy 2-1, but I'm certainly not complaining.

Could & should've been comfortable with the amount of missed chances but it didn't cost us thankfully.

DL was a collosus tonight. Bucko great also, just needs to have more confidence in front of goal. I was also thinking,  can we bring back "Scotty, beam us up" for Wharton? (Those who remember Scott Sellars will know what I'm talking about)

Dare I start to believe?

[Exiled_Rover]

37 minutes ago, El Tombro said:

By ditching the obsession with possession and 'domination', and just being ruthless when we need to be, i.e., on the counter attack.

Of course, it's more complicated than that when you get down to it, I'm sure, but as a layman supporter, that's the basics of what I've seen. We never really had the quality to carry out what we tried to do last season when we could get picked off at the back so easily.

We've switched to a system that puts the emphasis on counter attacking (our strength) and more importantly we're putting out an unchanged side most weeks. 

It makes a hell of a difference when you play with the same guys next to you each week - you start to understand their patterns and develop a partnership. 

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

We've switched to a system that puts the emphasis on counter attacking (our strength) and more importantly we're putting out an unchanged side most weeks. 

It makes a hell of a difference when you play with the same guys next to you each week - you start to understand their patterns and develop a partnership. 

No doubt our defence is much stronger this season.

[G Somerset Rover]

38 minutes ago, bazza said:

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Rovers and Middlesbrough got the top two spots at season's end.

Only intrigued, but why? We’ve given them enough £ over the years. I don’t care who comes up with us! 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[CambridgeRover]

Would sign Styles in a heart beat  looks a good player that lad

[tomphil]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

We've switched to a system that puts the emphasis on counter attacking (our strength) and more importantly we're putting out an unchanged side most weeks. 

It makes a hell of a difference when you play with the same guys next to you each week - you start to understand their patterns and develop a partnership. 

Basically what the fans have been screaming for for about 3 years.

Quite why we've had to go around the houses, fields and globe to finally get here god ( or TM) only knows.  Here we are though and it's great.

Everything comes to he who waits i suppose.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

36 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

13,500 Rovers fans tonight,good vocal support but we can and must pull more through the turnstiles.

Slightly embarrassed by the round of applause as the attendance was given out??😟

 

Can’t underestimate the impact of COVID on attendance at the moment. No guarantee that any game is going ahead until the kick off not to mention those who have to isolate. Pleasantly surprised that we had a relatively decent crowd on tonight.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I’d have brought Dolan on for Khadra. Like for like swap. The only way I’d have played Gallagher is if Diaz had to come off.