Wigan (a), FA Cup 3rd Round, 8/1/21

[tomphil]

28 minutes ago, Hannoverover said:

It's worth £82 000 to the winner, plus gate receipts. In times like these it could pay for a signing or two...... I'm pretty optimistic that baring a disaster that we will be in the top 6 at the end of the season. The extra money could pay to bring in one of the out of contract players in January instead of waiting til after the play offs.

 

We are on a roll, I wouldn't rest more than 2 players plus the 3/4 that are already out

Promotion is worth 150 million and the play offs are probably worth a few quid so 82 grand is peanuts and it isn't bringing in players.

Rotate the team as much as possible, experiment with the system etc, all the things Mowbray normally likes to do. A chance for him to get that out of his system as well and have a good look at other players. These are the games to do these things in. if we win we win if not for once we can all shrug our shoulders and move on.

If they want to look at everything as a balance sheet then look to the ultimate goal.

[rigger]

6 minutes ago, WIR Second Coming said:

I did take a peek at the Rules of Competition before I wrote that, which do mention replays for ties that end in a draw, so am a little surprised. Having said that, I'd rather we got the job done (one way or another) on the day, so we can avoid fixture congestion when we need to stay fit and focused on the league campaign.

I think the rule was brought in to eleviate fixture congestion due to covid postponements.

[RoverDom]

I would go fringe players for this as well with some good backup on the bench if things aren't going to plan. Not because of fatigue, we've had an easy December but all it takes is a bad challenge on one of our key players to derail the league campaign when imo they don't need to be playing. 

We've been crying out to see Butterworth, so let him start. Carter would benefit from first team game time and league 1 opposition  is a good chance for that. Johnson and Davenport aren't starting in the league but they're players we'd be relying on in the event of injuries and suspensions. Ayala would benefit from some match sharpness as well. It's not like we're fielding the U23s, we need to trust the fringe players against league 1 opposition because if we don't, what does that say about potentially bringing them into the first team when needed in the league? 

People look down on teams fielding a weekend squad in Cup comps but it's how the likes of TAA and Curtis Jones broke through into the Liverpool first team. It's a good opportunity to see youngsters without derailing the league campaign. 

 

[RoverDom]

39 minutes ago, Hannoverover said:

It's worth £82 000 to the winner, plus gate receipts. In times like these it could pay for a signing or two...... I'm pretty optimistic that baring a disaster that we will be in the top 6 at the end of the season. The extra money could pay to bring in one of the out of contract players in January instead of waiting til after the play offs.

 

We are on a roll, I wouldn't rest more than 2 players plus the 3/4 that are already out

Who are we signing for £82k. In todays market I'd fetch a fee of £82k and I haven't played a game of football since 5 aside 9 years ago. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

45 minutes ago, lraC said:

Call me a traditionalist, but I will be pissed right off, if we lose this by fielding a badly weakened team. Granted we are on a great position in the league, but we should be trying our best to make it through and pocket the money and the chance of a lucrative draw in the next round.

 

I agree if badly weakened means players who otherwise wouldn't get anywhere near the first team. I think playing the 5-6 fringe players that are near enough certain to be needed in the league at some point is sensible - gives them game-time and they should still have enough to see off a L1 team. I wouldn't be in favour of playing kids who aren't already knocking down the door.

 

I think the circumstances of our season calls for us to be pragmatic, but I don't think that means we need to throw the game.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Admiral Nelsen

[SBlue]

I understand what everyone is saying but the league is too important for us at the moment. I'd like to protect the likes of Buckley, Rothwell and Diaz from League One cloggers. Play the back ups, let's give them some game time and see what they're all about.

[had.e.nuff]

It would not surprise me if both sides play weakened sides as both going for promotion which is more important in the long term no matter how much you love the FA cup

[rigger]

I am not bothered what side we field, as long as we win. I don't want fielding a weakened side to be a ready made excuse if we do get beaten.

[Admiral Nelsen]

4 minutes ago, had.e.nuff said:

It would not surprise me if both sides play weakened sides as both going for promotion which is more important in the long term no matter how much you love the FA cup

 

Tricky one with Wigan. They obviously are in a similar position to us promotion wise, and with their COVID cancellations their schedule from here onwards is potentially ridiculous, so there's definitely a good case for them to rotate. At the same time they played a strong team in the mickey mouse cup midweek, and even though they spent a few quid in the summer they don't have a particularly big squad. That, coupled with the fact that they didn't play over Christmas makes it really hard to predict how they're going to approach this. 

[TonyM]

50 minutes ago, had.e.nuff said:

It would not surprise me if both sides play weakened sides as both going for promotion which is more important in the long term no matter how much you love the FA cup

Sad, but true. My grandfather was at Wembley in 1928, and my father in 1960 - I'd really love to get to see Rovers play in an FA Cup final in my lifetime, but it is very much a non-priority for most managers these days. Understandable for a club in our current position.

[arealbrfcfan]

No one brave enough to make a prediction? Where is Mercer?

[MarkBRFC]

I think we'll change most players and go down with a whimper like we usually do in the cup under Mowbray, that and we have a horrible record here.

Wigan 2 Rovers 0

[lraC]

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

Yeah and we draw City at home in the next round and get thumped 6-0 and pick up a couple of injuries along the way.

We have a squad and are playing against league 1 opposition.The squad players need match practice too and imo with our current position in the league and squad size a number of players should be rested for this.Cardiff away, Hull away and Boro home follow this match,the priority is those matches.

Or Burnley at our place and turn them over.

I love the cup and hate how the big bucks of the premier league have ruined it.

[lraC]

1 hour ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Tricky one with Wigan. They obviously are in a similar position to us promotion wise, and with their COVID cancellations their schedule from here onwards is potentially ridiculous, so there's definitely a good case for them to rotate. At the same time they played a strong team in the mickey mouse cup midweek, and even though they spent a few quid in the summer they don't have a particularly big squad. That, coupled with the fact that they didn't play over Christmas makes it really hard to predict how they're going to approach this. 

It's beginning to feel a bit like that Olympic badminton match, when both teams were trying to lose.

What a farce the FA cup is becoming, which is very sad.

[rigger]

I saw, a man, who wore a blue and white bonnet.

He wore a blue and white bonnet in the merry month of May.

I asked ,him why, he wore the blue and white bonnet.

He said it's for the Rovers, cus were going to Wembeley.

 

Wembeley, Wembeley, were the famous Blackburn Rovers , and were going to Wembeley.

Edited January 7, 2022 by rigger

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, RoverDom said:

Who are we signing for £82k. In todays market I'd fetch a fee of £82k and I haven't played a game of football since 5 aside 9 years ago. 

Its £1,500 per week towards a well deserved pay rise offer to Ryan.

[only2garners]

1 hour ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Tricky one with Wigan. They obviously are in a similar position to us promotion wise, and with their COVID cancellations their schedule from here onwards is potentially ridiculous, so there's definitely a good case for them to rotate. At the same time they played a strong team in the mickey mouse cup midweek, and even though they spent a few quid in the summer they don't have a particularly big squad. That, coupled with the fact that they didn't play over Christmas makes it really hard to predict how they're going to approach this. 

I suspect that they will play a pretty strong team. They haven't played a league game for three weeks, hence the strong team they put out on Tuesday night.

[Atko's Engine]

It's only sensible to make a prediction once we've seen the teams, otherwise it's a total lottery!

[joey_big_nose]

13 hours ago, only2garners said:

That’s true but it’s been when he has come on for Buckley when we have been looking to close out the game. I doubt he would start a game there.

Agreed - I just mean I think Mowbray sees him more as an offensive than defensive player, to the original discussion with Chadders..

[JHRover]

40 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Its £1,500 per week towards a well deserved pay rise offer to Ryan.

That needless chartered plane down to Cardiff was £1000 a week towards Ryan or enough to compensate season ticket holders for the games they missed but as ever it's easy come easy go on one side and then skint on the other.

[CambridgeRover]

Any one know how many tickets we have sold at the moment?

[Admiral Nelsen]

1 minute ago, CambridgeRover said:

Any one know how many tickets we have sold at the moment?

Unless I missed something, we sold out the initial 3,500 a day or two ago and the rest are onsale on the day. So I'd expect 4000+

[lraC]

17 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Unless I missed something, we sold out the initial 3,500 a day or two ago and the rest are onsale on the day. So I'd expect 4000+

It shows what it means to the fans still and therefore should be taken seriously.

[Oldgregg86]

                       Pears

    Wharton.  Van hecke.   Carter

brown.                                      Edun

            Davenport.   Johnson

                   Butterworth                                 
           Dolan.           Gallagher.  
 

id have a mix of youth and experience on the bench with Buckley, khadra and lenihan plus ash Phillips and whoever else is close to breaking through

[rog of the rovers]

Back in our promotion campaign of 2000/01 we had a healthy cup run, all the way to the quarter finals, losing to eventual runners up Arsenal, who probably should have won, remember Michael Owen's late brace in Cardiff?

We despatched of Chester City at home in round 3, beat then Premier League Derby County 5-2 at Pride Park in the fourth round replay, before needing a replay at Ewood to see off promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers in the sixth round.

In fact we played Bolton at the Reebok twice in the same week, Saturday in the FA Cup, where it finished 1-1, though Rovers went down to 10 men after Flitcroft was sent off after just 9 minutes! Before famously, thumping our nearest rivals to automatic promotion at the time, on the following Friday night 4-1.

I suspect Souey's teamtalk was simple. If they can't beat 10 of you, what will they be like against 11?

Adding 5 games to our ''busy'' schedule didn't seem to cause any issues to that squad.

Winning is a habit and winning breeds confidence and competition.

A Rovers victory tomorrow with a series of strong performances from fringe 1st XI players like Ayala, Gallagher, Dolan, Butterworth, Edun etc... would send out a message to those currently in possession of the shirts.