v Stoke (h) - Saturday 27th August 3pm

[rebelmswar]

1 minute ago, Gav said:

Maybe he was a crook? Would only work with an agent that feathered his nest, gave him kick backs on every deal, reduced the player pool, robbed fans of seeing better players?

The ironic thing is Venkys then adopted the same policy and the rest is history......

Maybe but I'd still rather be 10th in the Premiership than in the bottom of the Championship. You are quite correct about Venkys (I have never been a fan, bought the Banned By BRFCS shirt instead of the Pune Army one) and perhaps they were worried that they wouldnt be able to pocket as much. Thieves are always suspicious that others are stealing from them - this is not directed toward you. 

Coincidently Sams first game, and victory 3-0, was against Stoke.

[Mercer]

35 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Who the fuck else does he have to play?!

He had to move our best CM to RB today in the second half to solve that problem - and replace him with an 18 year old making his league debut.

Mowbray has left him with a shambles of a squad, it's going to take time to fix.

He could have started with Edun, Carter, Hedges, Wharton and even Markanday which would have given us a more physical presence, skill and pace.  If a couple were struggling after an hour or so following return from injury then you make your substitutions when, hopefully, you have a lead to hold on to. 

Far more difficult making changes at half time when you are losing, have no momentum and been generally p1ss poor. 

JDT got the team selection badly wrong - 99 out of 100 Rovers' fans could have told him that before a ball was kicked.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Mercer

[Exiled_Rover]

40 minutes ago, Gav said:

You didn’t got to Old Trafford a few weeks before he was sacked then? 

Fat Sam was always happy to roll over for the big boys as long as he picked up his 50 points a season. Didn't give a fuck about the fans forking out their hard earned - he wrote games off when the fixture list came out. 

Edited August 27, 2022 by Exiled_Rover

[roversfan99]

5 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Time to gather my thoughts…firstly, there was a plan and I can accept it. It was to unsettle their giant defenders with quick accurate passing through the lines….the manager was BADLY let down in the first half. Buckley, Travis and JRC were horrific. People know I’m Buckley’s biggest fan but his head is somewhere else at the moment and that is the third game in a row that he’s been woeful.

I felt sorry for Dack, Dolan and even Szmodics who were never even allowed to get into the game so bad was the passing around them.

Ayala, Phillips, Pickering and Hedges came out with lots of credit.

Morton (my MOM) and Adam Wharton were very good. The latter completely controlling the game for spells. He’s a special player in the making.

Kaminski at fault for the goal and the ref blew up twice for free kicks on the edge of the box which ran for us and we scored. Just wasn’t our day.

Was it? If that was the plan, it was never evident.

[booth]

2 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

Although I think JDT has been let down by our failure in the transfer market, tactically we have been inept so far. That is down to the manager. 

It's s terrible sign when a manager constantly has to change shape during a game and has to hook players at half time. It suggests the manager is getting wrong time and time again.

Players like Buckley aren't blameless as well. That's the worst performance I've seen from the guy. Wharton showed what a proper midfielder should do.

I don't know how you can possibly blame JDT for the shambles of yesteryear. We're reaping what TM and co have sown, as well as terrible leadership in the boardroom.

Some positives are that Adam Wharton looks a fantastic player, he didn't put a foot wrong. If he'd only been on from the beginning.

Hedges looks as if he's continuing his form from the first few games.

The penny seemed to have finally dropped with JDT that Rankin Costelloe, Buckley and Pickering either aren't pulling their weight or aren't cut out for the team. All three rightly subbed. Also that Dack is better playing behind the front man.

I hope the penny has also dropped now that Wharton is an excellent player. He was everywhere. Supporting the wide players, defending, challenging in midfield and putting some nice balls through for the attackers. More of this please.

 

Sell Brereton asap, spend the money on a good centre forward to replace Armstrong, a good winger to replace BBD, a defender and a fullback. We don't need any more central midfielders.

In the second half I thought Rovers were brilliant. We were just missing a goalscorer in front of Dack.

We need Scott Wharton back. Phillips did well but Ayala was was immense today and at times was covering for both fullbacks.

[rebelmswar]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Fat Sam was always happy to roll over for the big boys as long as he picked him his 50 points a season. Didn't give a fuck about the fans forking out their hard earned - he wrote games off when the fixture list came out. 

Think I'd take those 50 at the moment.

[Doogs]

Shite

[JHRover]

Carbon copy of the Stoke defeat last season.

Then as now we are struggling to turn a game or recover from falling behind. A large part of that is a lack of depth, options and ways to change a game.

I've seen comments about how much improved and how dominant we were in the second half. We were. But some context. We were playing a sorry Stoke side at home who had a lead to protect and a dire away record behind them. Anyone would have dominated in that second half.

Adam Wharton could have been MOTM for me off his 45 minutes.

[arbitro]

Buckley's performance today reminded me of Danny Murphy's I'll fated first half performance against Peterborough. He probably walked more than he ran, passed to Stoke players more often than he did to his teammates and was so lethargic I wondered if he was ill. He needs to go back to basics in the reserves for a while.

[RevidgeBlue]

10 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Must have had his head turned with the £10m bids.🤘

Ouch.

You've had enough stick about Buckley. I think you're entitled to give a bit back.

[booth]

8 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

….the manager was BADLY let down in the first half. Buckley, Travis and JRC were horrific. People know I’m Buckley’s biggest fan but his head is somewhere else at the moment and that is the third game in a row that he’s been woeful.

Buckley was a massive let down. Even off the ball he wasn't moving and looked completely disinterested. His play affected the other players.

Adam Wharton looked like a massive upgrade.

[neophox]

That Tyrese Campbell looked very good...Id say we need a player like him or Ndiaye at Sheff U... pacy and athletic. Dolan is to small and lightweight....and dribbles to much.

 

Wharton showed he's ready...will be nice to see him playing with his brother..

[RevidgeBlue]

7 minutes ago, booth said:

Sell Brereton asap, spend the money on a good centre forward to replace Armstrong, a good winger to replace BBD, a defender and a fullback. We don't need any more central midfielders.

We haven't replaced Armstrong yet.

You trust Waggott/ Broughton to replace BBD in 5 days?

[neophox]

20 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Do we?

Who do you want as manager?

[rebelmswar]

1 minute ago, RevidgeBlue said:

We haven't replaced Armstrong yet.

You trust Waggott/ Broughton to replace BBD in 5 days?

We'll have cold fusion before we have a remotely like for like replacment. 

[simongarnerisgod]

3 minutes ago, booth said:

Buckley was a massive let down. Even off the ball he wasn't moving and looked completely disinterested. His play affected the other players.

Adam Wharton looked like a massive upgrade.

he was even worse last week,he went completely awol

[Waggy76]

2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

We haven't replaced Armstrong yet.

You trust Waggott/ Broughton to replace BBD in 5 days?

If he is sold before Wednesday ,I dont trust Venkys to allow money to be used to sign a replacement..

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Bumped into dad at the match today, says Wednesday too early for Scott but should be back for next weekend, Adam was excellent in the second half.

[booth]

9 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

We haven't replaced Armstrong yet.

You trust Waggott/ Broughton to replace BBD in 5 days?

I didn't say they would do that, I'm saying what needs to be done. The first half was the worst I've seen Rovers play, the second half it was clear to see what we were lacking today.

I wouldn't look to replace BBD, I'd get a good wide man/crosser in that spot and buy a decent strong centre forward to play where Dolan did today. Adebayo or similar.

Edited August 27, 2022 by booth

[Lancs Rover]

1 hour ago, unleaded said:

Dolan is shocking even he can’t know what his legs are going to do next …Replace him with Markanday….

JRC should be no where this team …

if JDT can’t see this then we are up the duff big time ……

Pickering is a big problem totally negative attitude….. 

 

One trick pony who will be doing stepovers forever into his thirties if he's not careful.

Needs to broaden his repertoire, decision making, passing range, tackling etc., or he will end up in National League tout suite.

Not a player we can rely on. My heart sank when I heard.

 

[booth]

2 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Bumped into dad at the match today, says Wednesday too early for Scott but should be back for next weekend, Adam was excellent in the second half.

Superkid, he should replace Buckley for the forseeable.

[Gav]

5 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

We haven't replaced Armstrong yet.

You trust Waggott/ Broughton to replace BBD in 5 days?

They’re hamstrung by the carrier pigeon coming back from Pune.

Is the penny starting to drop yet Simon? 

[Lancs Rover]

1 hour ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Bayes and Gallagher were bemoaning the decision not to send up Kaminski for the last 2 corners in injury time.  

Apparently Trav was waving him up but he didn't go.  Gallagher said that showed a lack of fight on Kaminski's part 

 

Opinions are free.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I guess young players like Buckley will have periods where their form dips, for whatever reason.  We do have replacements, but a worry is that we don't have a hard bastard to call on.

[Andy]

21 minutes ago, rebelmswar said:

Think I'd take those 50 at the moment.

Whether anyone likes Big Sam or not, I don't think anybody can deny his ability to keep a club of our size and resources in the middle of the Premier League.

I absolutely loved us grinding out those 1-0 wins, big Samba causing havoc in the opposition areas.

Couldn't give the slightest shit for one-touch fancy football that gets us nowhere. Football is a competitive sport first, entertainment second.