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

[Ossydave]

I do wonder if the impressive number of fans attending pushes Mowbray to play a stronger team than originally planned?

Should be a decent game depending on how much the teams shuffle their packs and goals at both ends

2-3 win for me

[lraC]

1 hour ago, rog of the rovers said:

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.

During our early premier league years, we had trips to the final of the league cup and won it of course, a two leg semi final another year and two FA Cup semi finals too. All of those achievements, are close to as exciting as the actual winning of the league cup, as it felt great supporting Rovers in such big games at the life of the Millenium stadium and Old Trafford V Chelsea.

Yes the game has changed, but there is no reason why we should give anything but our best in tomorrow's game and go on a decent run in the competition.

[joey_big_nose]

9 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I am reading a lot about players needing rest as a justification to play a weakened side.

We played FOUR games in December and 5 full days since we played Huddersfield.

I don't have to say any more.

Personally I would say it's more about avoiding injuries to the first XI and give our quite strong bench a chance to impress.

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

                       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

Got to be playing Ayala really. Needs a bit of sharpness for when he's called on in the league. Wharton I'd rest, don't want him getting injured. I know that seems ironic when I'm saying play Ayala, but Wharton is part of our winning run and Ayala isn't. He has also been playing whilst Ayala hasn't...Ayala should be fine to play a game at this point.

Brown won't play, I'd put money on it, and I probably wouldn't start him yet if it was up to me either. Apart from that I'd go for something more or less as you've suggested. Maybe swap Dolan and Butterworth around, as Dolan is better at nicking the ball like Buckley has been doing in that role. I do worry the midfield two might be too pedestrian without a Rothwell, but we don't really have a like-for-like and he's probably best rested.

In reality, I think Tony will play 2-3 more of the first team than this though.

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, rog of the rovers said:

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.

That squad was bigger, better. We were actually a fancied side in the promotion chase. What we have now is a thin squad who time will tell but may well be performing a fair bit above themselves at the moment, with a manager prone to an extended death spiral. I feel our momentum is much more vulnerable than it was back then.

[bluebruce]

7 hours ago, Atko's Engine said:

I doubt there's nothing that hits the spirits of a team more than going down 0-7 at home in the league, then 1 nil down in the first two minutes of the next game 3 days later!. They dealt with that OK, so a defeat for a team containing a few fringe players at a top L1 team ought to be water off a duck's back in comparison...

I agree that use of fringe players is the way to go at Wigan, to give them game time & most first teamers a rest. Yes we had less games in December than expected, but 2 of those were leggy affairs on a sodden pitch, & all the prep (training, travel etc) was done for the Hull game, which is now an extra game in January that we will have to deal with.

Cup is great, & let's not throw it away, but the league MUST be prioritised. 

A very good point that I hadn't considered. However I do feel the extreme of that defeat drew something out of the players and manager. It may be that resilience will be easy to tap back into after a drab cup exit, or it may be that it doesn't evoke as much emotion and just lets us wobble back towards mediocrity. Winning is a habit. Hopefully you're right though (or better yet, our fringe players take them to pieces and there's confidence right through the squad).

[dingles staying down 4ever]

3 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

That squad was bigger, better. We were actually a fancied side in the promotion chase. What we have now is a thin squad who time will tell but may well be performing a fair bit above themselves at the moment, with a manager prone to an extended death spiral. I feel our momentum is much more vulnerable than it was back then.

At this stage in that season we were starting to pick up speed but at the beginning of December we were mid table. Generally though the FA cup was held in higher esteem so managers tended to field stronger teams than now.

I agree that this season's momentum is much more vulnerable than then.

[AllRoverAsia]

3 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

Personally I would say it's more about avoiding injuries to the first XI and give our quite strong bench a chance to impress.

I do agree that the bench is looking good these days. Avoiding injuries is legitimate, which also often happen in training.

Edited January 7, 2022 by AllRoverAsia

[neophox]

Some covid cases in the camp..

[neophox]

Just now, neophox said:

Some covid cases in the camp..

Maybe we have to play a stronger team than expected as JRC Will be on bench.

[neophox]

Also Chapman could get straight back in the team tomorrow.

Edited January 7, 2022 by neophox

[MarkBRFC]

11 minutes ago, neophox said:

Also Chapman could get straight back in the team tomorrow.

Chapman is cup tied.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Not sure what is been like at other grounds  but for those going tomorrow  they have only been accepting card payments over the bars in the stadium at both footy and Rugby 

Edited January 7, 2022 by CAPT KAYOS

[chaddyrovers]

looking forward to the game and the fans backing of this game of over 3,500 fans attending. 

Expect 5 or 6 changes but no more than that. 

COYB!

[darrenrover]

Ayala in for Wharton and Gallagher for Khadra tomorrow. Unaware of any other changes.

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, darrenrover said:

Ayala in for Wharton and Gallagher for Khadra tomorrow. Unaware of any other changes.

Edun will be playing.

[chaddyrovers]

13 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Ayala in for Wharton and Gallagher for Khadra tomorrow. Unaware of any other changes.

Surprise Pears is in Kaminski or Davenport for Travis. 

[tomphil]

There'll be 4 changes at least i'd wager.

Unbelievable really not long ago it seemed like that was standard every few games !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Surprise Pears is in Kaminski or Davenport for Travis. 

I’d be surprised if they aren’t.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, tomphil said:

There'll be 4 changes at least i'd wager.

Unbelievable really not long ago it seemed like that was standard every few games !

We’d have that many changes at half time.

[Ulrich]

1 hour ago, neophox said:

Also Chapman could get straight back in the team tomorrow.

If he plays for us, he cannot go back out on loan as you can only play for 2 different teams per season. Or am I wrong.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Ulrich said:

If he plays for us, he cannot go back out on loan as you can only play for 2 different teams per season. Or am I wrong.

He cant play tomorrow as hes cup tied but he has already played for us anyway so he can only play for us or Burton.

[Ulrich]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He cant play tomorrow as hes cup tied but he has already played for us anyway so he can only play for us or Burton.

Oh well a half season on the bench beckons.

[darrenrover]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Surprise Pears is in Kaminski or Davenport for Travis. 

I don't know, the only 2 that I'm aware of are the 2 I mentioned.

I'd be extremely surprised if they were the only 2 though.

[USABlue]

I would wrap our key players in cotton wool, afraid Wigan will be a bit naughty tomorrow to try and show us.  Let's avoid any serious injury to Diaz, Buckley, Rothwell and such and sit them down for this one.  Oears in goal too so we can see if he is as good as he was last time out.