v Coventry (h) 19/4/23 @ 19:45

[TheRevAshton]

As per the ticket map, just over 12k tickets have been taken for tonight's match (in the JW, BBE Lower, and Riverside stands).

Bad, given the importance of this game... but we might still get a reasonably good turnout with a fair number of walk-ins and away fans.

If we add around 2k walk-ins and 3k Coventry fans, we could reach around 17k. Could easily have been 20k+ if this was the £10 game, as mentioned by others!

Edited April 19, 2023 by TheRevAshton

[Mattyblue]

To be fair, it’s standard midweek pricing, we have 9.3k season ticket holders.

So a 15k crowd would be fine for a red button Wednesday game considering the glut of home games we are in the midst of.

[bluebruce]

Haven't we done worse in front of big crowds anyway?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

To be fair, it’s standard midweek pricing, we have 9.3k season ticket holders.

So a 15k crowd would be fine for a red button Wednesday game considering the glut of home games we are in the midst of.

Exactly. Games are coming really thick and fast at the moment. Not everybody can afford the financial costs involved.

[Crozzy]

1 hour ago, K-Hod said:

Is making your feelings known about a poor performance any more embarrassing than saying it’s embarrassing on an internet message board?

The fans get behind the players, that’s a given. The players also need to give the fans something to get behind. 
I swear down, we must have the largest self-hating fan base in the world….

If we’d been pumped 4-1 like against Preston fair enough but not booing at half time 0-0 when we are 6th in the league this late in the season. 
 

I understand that people want to let their feelings known but I’m sorry booing when we are level at half time is embarrassing. 
 

It’s alright saying we should win this game and win that game etc etc but that’s not how sport works. 
 

I am as frustrated as everyone else but I won’t boo our own players. 

If we’d said we’d be in  This situation at the start of the year we would have all taken it.

Never slated our fans at all, said they were shit etc, just talking about those booing the other day.  I’ve been to every game since Stoke apart from Birmingham game and can say the fans have been class 

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, Crozzy said:

If we’d been pumped 4-1 like against Preston fair enough but not booing at half time 0-0 when we are 6th in the league this late in the season. 
 

I understand that people want to let their feelings known but I’m sorry booing when we are level at half time is embarrassing. 
 

It’s alright saying we should win this game and win that game etc etc but that’s not how sport works. 
 

I am as frustrated as everyone else but I won’t boo our own players. 

If we’d said we’d be in  This situation at the start of the year we would have all taken it.

Never slated our fans at all, said they were shit etc, just talking about those booing the other day.  I’ve been to every game since Stoke apart from Birmingham game and can say the fans have been class 

I'm not sure there was any booing (for context there was some but completely disproportionate to the attendance) about it being nil apiece. I thought it was frustration at the pedantic way we were playing. If we played that way but we're one up I don't think there would have been a murmur.

 

 

[Sparks Rover]

Can this bunch of players do something they've not done this season?  Win under pressure, real pressure.  This is a shit or bust match in my opinion.

I know where my money is going., Cov double chance win or draw.  Hope to lose my coin.

[Dreams of 1995]

Tonight is a huge game. Win and we go 5th, with a game in hand over those around us. Lose and it starts to look like an uphill battle, even with that game in hand. Coventry would leapfrog us and you would expect PNE and Norwich to win tonight. We could end the night in 10th place...

Win and we would still be minimum 5 points from 4th. It is so close for those final 2 play off places. We cannot afford to lose too much momentum. No win in 4 is a tragic run after what was a promising 8 games beforehand

I find myself quite nervous for tonight. Rovers in recent years simply have not shown up for the big games. In the 4 games before there was a 'margin for error' but we have used all of that up now. Lose and we go to the back of the pack. We don't handle them situations well

In reality, I have long thought promotion to be a step too far for this squad. We are missing that goal scorer; we are missing a big game midfielder. But to be so close is still an enormous achievement. It would be heart breaking to let it slip yet again

I would go for the below team:

Pears

JRC Carter Hyam Pickering

Morton Travis Wharton

Thomas Brereton Szmodics

Nervous but excited for it in equal measure. I am a lot more invested in this squad than I have been over the last couple of seasons. Imo they have an appetite to succeed, and regardless of our finishing position this season I will be entering next in a much better frame of mind than I entered this season. Providing we keep JDT and co that is.

 

[Groundhog]

I get the frustration, but booing at half time is poor, it's not like we weren't creating chances and anyone who's been to more than 1 game will know that in the second half attacking the Blackburn End we have a chance. One lad behind me during the Hull game needed a word - spouting drivel about every player, analysing their poor technique and tactics like an arm chair Pep. Fans like that drive me nuts.

It's not just us, all fans are like this, especially clubs that have success in recent years and have a fanbase with higher or distorted expectations.

I think there's a few defined groups of fans at Rovers now: people in their twenties seem to get behind the team regardless, they've never seen the "glory" years and not experienced the teams of Souness or Hughes, so this season is as good it gets in their recent memories. I've been impressed with the passion and dedication. Then there's miserable gits like me, born in the 80s, accepting our 90s and early 2000s success as the default standard and judging every team to that standard, but trying to remain calm, pragmatic and realistic. Obviously there's a flipside: FIFA playing kids expecting every player to become a world beater, and older fans comparing every player to Bryan Douglas etc. We're a mixed up bunch.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Groundhog

[Polky]

I don’t care how we do it, we just need to win! Come on Rovers!

[JamieUK]

Kaminski

JRC Carter Hyam Brittain

Travis Garrett Wharton

Thomas Leonard Hedges

Won't happen, Morton will be in as will Gallagher and BBD. Wouldn't be surprised to see the same side as Saturday swapping Brittain if Pickering is injured 😕

 

[Mattyblue]

3 minutes ago, Groundhog said:

I get the frustration, but booing at half time is poor, it's not like we weren't creating chances and anyone who's been to more than 1 game will know that in the second half attacking the Blackburn End we have a chance. One lad behind me during the Hull game needed a word - spouting drivel about every player, analysing their poor technique and tactics like an arm chair Pep. Fans like that drive me nuts.

It's not just us, all fans are like this, especially clubs that have success in recent years and have a fanbase with higher or distorted expectations.

I think there's a few defined groups of fans at Rovers now: people in their twenties seem to get behind the team regardless, they've never seen the "glory" years and not experienced the teams of Souness or Hughes, so this season is as good it gets in their recent memories. I've been impressed with the passion and dedication. Then there's miserable gits like me, born in the 80s, accepting our 90s and early 2000s success as the default standard and judging every team to that standard, but trying to remain calm, pragmatic and realistic. Obviously there's a flipside: FIFA playing kids expecting every player to become a world beater, and older fans comparing every player to Bryan Douglas etc. We're a mixed up bunch.

Whenever there is booing, a load of it is from N01… which is full of lads in their twenties.

[Groundhog]

Yeah I want changes and three in midfield tonight. Massive massive game, one of the biggest in recent years.

I hope JDT playing it down in the media is a smokescreen and he's getting them riled up behind the scenes. I want to see some passion and belief from the management down bleeding into the players. All well and good taking the pressure off, but maybe that's why they're playing like there's no pressure, get 'em fired up. 

Said on another thread - Souness in our 2001 promotion season, words to the effect of: "we're going to try and win every game and we don't care what others are doing" etc etc - let's have a bit of that!

[K-Hod]

Working away near Cov this week so will be in a pub full of their fans I expect! Come on Rovers, give them a reason to hate me!

[Miller11]

I’d bring Scott Wharton in at left back if Pickering doesn’t make it. He’s left footed and would be good tucking in to a three allowing JRC to go roaming.

[Groundhog]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

Whenever there is booing, a load of it is from N01… which is full of lads in their twenties.

Fair enough, can't hear it from where I'm sat. Talking shite as usual haha.

[rigger]

32 minutes ago, Crozzy said:

If we’d been pumped 4-1 like against Preston fair enough but not booing at half time 0-0 when we are 6th in the league this late in the season. 
 

I understand that people want to let their feelings known but I’m sorry booing when we are level at half time is embarrassing. 
 

It’s alright saying we should win this game and win that game etc etc but that’s not how sport works. 
 

I am as frustrated as everyone else but I won’t boo our own players. 

If we’d said we’d be in  This situation at the start of the year we would have all taken it.

Never slated our fans at all, said they were shit etc, just talking about those booing the other day.  I’ve been to every game since Stoke apart from Birmingham game and can say the fans have been class 

People were booing the bad performance and attitude they had just witnessed, not previous results.

[G Somerset Rover]

I am yet to see the death knell Mercer prediction yet, so we could be in luck for tonight.

[ben_the_beast]

Expectation is a funny thing and comes in different forms. We've shown ourselves to be pretty poor at handling it when facing a team which on paper, we are favorites. 

Our remaining games are of huge importance but it brings a different type of pressure. When put into a scrap with a team that is perceived to be our equal or we are the underdogs, I expect us to fair better. 

I think we're capable of stepping up to a fight, but poor at taking the initiative against a defensive team. The phrase X amount of cup finals doesn't really translate unless both sides are going for the victory.

So I firmly disagree with those saying the playoffs are gone. I don't know if we'll make it, but I'm looking forward to this run of games.

Edited April 19, 2023 by ben_the_beast

[Crozzy]

56 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Can this bunch of players do something they've not done this season?  Win under pressure, real pressure.  This is a shit or bust match in my opinion.

I know where my money is going., Cov double chance win or draw.  Hope to lose my coin.

This is the game we all want to see us come out swinging with a quick tempo. 

[1864roverite]

Tonight's game could be the worst match of the season for all I care, as long as we take 3 points nothing else matters.

Points make prizes and is far more important than any performance.

[NeilInBristol]

1 hour ago, Groundhog said:

Yeah I want changes and three in midfield tonight. Massive massive game, one of the biggest in recent years.

I hope JDT playing it down in the media is a smokescreen and he's getting them riled up behind the scenes. I want to see some passion and belief from the management down bleeding into the players. All well and good taking the pressure off, but maybe that's why they're playing like there's no pressure, get 'em fired up. 

Said on another thread - Souness in our 2001 promotion season, words to the effect of: "we're going to try and win every game and we don't care what others are doing" etc etc - let's have a bit of that!

I agree and get all of that but the other teams are winning and climbing above us and we can't seem to muster a goal let a lone a win. At this rate we will be lucky if we end up in top 10. Can't believe badly we've done since the WC. We were heading for a guarantee play off and facup run until that last minute loss at Sheffield. Downward spiral since. 

I think the players should pay attention to the table and other matches if only to show them what an end of season run can do. Look at west brom and Luton, where were they in Jan? 

[Ossydave]

Quite simple for me.

We simply MUST score a goal within the first 20 mins or so, rather like we did against Sheff Utd.

If we don't we'll no doubt just fade after a decent start, Coventry have plenty of goals in them and they won't mess about.

Stand up and be counted boys, make yourselves heroes.

[NeilInBristol]

7 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

Quite simple for me.

We simply MUST score a goal within the first 20 mins or so, rather like we did against Sheff Utd.

If we don't we'll no doubt just fade after a decent start, Coventry have plenty of goals in them and they won't mess about.

Stand up and be counted boys, make yourselves heroes.

We need to score 1 then defend like crazy or score 2 then defend like crazy. Otherwise we aren't going to win.

 

We are so bad at managing a game it's unbelievable. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Neilbristol

[Danny O.Brien]

As said previous id revert back to a three man midfield. Defend deep with hyam hounding gyorkeres all game. We need to nullify him and keep him out of the game as much as possible. Double up on him if needed with Garret/Travis. Have Wharton turning and spraying the ball out wide. Use pace up top ie Thomas/Dolan and szmodics. Just keep firing that ball in behind over and over. Go direct from the start get the crowd on side. Nice early goal to quieten the away fans. Big huge massive season defining game tonight.