v Cardiff City (a) - 20/02/2024, 19:45

[TheRevAshton]

23 minutes ago, sverrehh said:

Looking at the tight fixture-list I am worried about the depth of this squad. Trondstad is putting in shift after shift. Do we have a player that can step in if he gets injured?

Thought the same thing, we're screwed if he takes a knock. Hell of a player.

I'm already dreading the Summer Window... it's gonna hurt like mad when we let him go to an ambitious Club for absolute peanuts.

[Hasta]

49 minutes ago, sverrehh said:

Looking at the tight fixture-list I am worried about the depth of this squad. Trondstad is putting in shift after shift. Do we have a player that can step in if he gets injured?

To be honest he's not been as good recently. I thought he was poor at Preston, but as you say he probably needs a break as we are reliant on him every minute of every game.

[BlackburnEnd75]

If pears, tronstad, szmodics or Gally goes down I jured and misses even half of the remaining games we are in big trouble as there roles or replacements are not replicable. Lot of games coming up in a short space of time too, in normal circumstances I'd be tempted to start the 3 outfielders mentioned on the bench. 

But if we did that it would be tantamount to accepting defeat now. With that in mind I'd rest Hedges and that's it.

[G Somerset Rover]

Fleck out for a couple of weeks; JRC for a month.

As good a player as the latter is, we simply cannot rely on him as he's made of glass.

[Wheelton Blue]

1 hour ago, Hasta said:

To be honest he's not been as good recently. I thought he was poor at Preston, but as you say he probably needs a break as we are reliant on him every minute of every game.

Tronstad is missing Wharton IMO.

The option of those 15 yard passes he used to make through the line to AW, is no longer there.

[OsloRover]

I hope Buckley is back very soon. He is no A Wharton, but he's the closest thing to a replacement we have in our squad at the moment.

[Tugayisgod]

Just thinking about our options in midfield. May be a bit left- field but wondering if Hedges could play centre mid ?

Needs must and if Garrett is the only other option alongside Tronstad, might be worth a shout and bring Chrisene in at wing back

[Hasta]

15 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Tronstad is missing Wharton IMO.

The option of those 15 yard passes he used to make through the line to AW, is no longer there.

It's not just when he is on on the ball. On Saturday he seemed to come out of tussles very few times with the ball and at times in that second half they drifted past him fairly easily.

I'm not digging him out. He's clearly the first name on the team sheet in midfield and has been the one transfer success of the season. But he's had to play every minute of every game since mid-October apart from when we sacrificed him at Huddersfield and Southampton due to being well behind. 

[cesus]

34 minutes ago, G Somerset Rover said:

Fleck out for a couple of weeks; JRC for a month.

As good a player as the latter is, we simply cannot rely on him as he's made of glass.

Rankin - Costello is starting to become a real concern. He's not even getting up to speed between injuries at the moment, never mind getting a long run of decent performances.

[MarkBRFC]

Never been more certain of a defeat in my life.

Rovers just don't do these long Tuesday night away games well at all.

Cardiff 2 Rovers 0

[chaddyrovers]

Buckley on bench tomorrow

 

Going for Rovers 2 nil away win. Szmodics and Gallagher with the goals 

[roversfan99]

Eustace said "it offers another opportunity to someone or maybe someone playing slightly out of position."

Perhaps he has realised that Garrett is not up to it but I cant think of anyone who could feasibly slot in.

[Tugayisgod]

3 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Eustace said "it offers another opportunity to someone or maybe someone playing slightly out of position."

Perhaps he has realised that Garrett is not up to it but I cant think of anyone who could feasibly slot in.

Maybe he's seen my post above !

[Blow-in]

1 hour ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

If pears, tronstad, szmodics or Gally goes down I jured and misses even half of the remaining games we are in big trouble as there roles or replacements are not replicable. Lot of games coming up in a short space of time too, in normal circumstances I'd be tempted to start the 3 outfielders mentioned on the bench. 

But if we did that it would be tantamount to accepting defeat now. With that in mind I'd rest Hedges and that's it.

Time to start targetting games and points the way Big Sam did?

We have a few games coming up that our best 11 are not likely to get something from, just rest out better players for those ones.

 

 

[Hasta]

I'd like to win either here or on Saturday so we can have a go at Newcastle. If the gap to the bottom 3 is down to just 1 win, I think we would ring the changes next Tuesday.

[BlackburnEnd75]

25 minutes ago, Blow-in said:

Time to start targetting games and points the way Big Sam did?

We have a few games coming up that our best 11 are not likely to get something from, just rest out better players for those ones.

 

 

Would you target this one or Saturday for example. 

Newcastle is a bit more of a free hit.

[Blow-in]

2 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

Would you target this one or Saturday for example. 

Newcastle is a bit more of a free hit.

If this policy was being given serious consideration I guess you go hard at Cardiff, rest players for Norwich and then put out a full strength team to save utter embarrassment against Newcastle.

[TheRevAshton]

You don't rest players and throw points away, especially not when you're in a relegation fight...

If players like Szmodics or Tronstad got injured we would be absolutely naffed, that's true... however injuries can't be foreseen or prevented, every game is a risk whether you've played 2 games in the past week or 2 games in the past month.

Fleck is a prime example of that, having picked up an injury in the first 15 minutes of football he's played in a long time.

Rotate the players as normal, sure... but when you're desperate for points, you take the risk and play the best squad you can for every game.

Edited February 19, 2024 by TheRevAshton

[roversfan99]

We cant start writing off games especially considering the fact that you could throw a blanket over the majority of Championship teams in terms of quality and how poor our squad is beyond the first 11.

We just have be cautious with subbing off our better/most important players whenever we can when the game allows.

[paullarrygher]

I'd be writing off the Newcastle game right now. It's a fixture we could do without based on league position, squad depth and number of games coming up. Getting through (however unlikely) would be just another game for a stretched squad.

Call Eddie Howe and tell him we're putting the kids out and they can do the same.

We've got 14 games left and I reckon 51 points needed to stay up (3 wins/5 draws/6 losses or 4 wins/2 draws/8 losses). That would leave QPR needing 5 wins/4 draws and Sheffield Wednesday needing 6 wins/4 draws from their 13 remaining games. 

 

Edited February 19, 2024 by paullarrygher

[DeeCee]

Play the strongest team every game!  As RA says above, they may get injured in training etc etc, 

Sub them off at 70 mins if we're winning 🙏

[tomphil]

39 minutes ago, paullarrygher said:

I'd be writing off the Newcastle game right now. It's a fixture we could do without right now based on league position, squad depth and number of games coming up. Getting through (however unlikely) would be just another game for a stretched squad.

Call Eddie Howe and tell him we're putting the kids out and they can do the same.

We've got 14 games left and I reckon 51 points needed to stay up (3 wins/5 draws/6 losses or 4 wins/2 draws/8 losses). That would leave QPR needing 5 wins/4 draws and Sheffield Wednesday needing 6 wins/4 draws from their 13 remaining games. 

 

Yep iv'e no interest in cup progress if it contributes to relegation.

We should be safely in midtable and looking upwards so we can enjoy the cup but right now it's just a hindrance that will no doubt zap more legs and create more injuries.

 

[Mercer]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Never been more certain of a defeat in my life.

Rovers just don't do these long Tuesday night away games well at all.

Cardiff 2 Rovers 0

Agree.

Think Cardiff win at 7/4 will be a very good little earner.

Our seaon continues to unravel. 

Will we ever get another consistent run of games out of JRC?

Will Fleck ever be fit enough to play more than 20 minutes for Rovers?

Can we risk McFad, Hedges and Gallagher for a 4th game in 11 days given age and recent long absences?

Should Buckley be thrown in after a lengthy absence and very little game time?

What a sad and desperate mess we are in.

[den]

I don’t think there are any red button games this week.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

On 18/02/2024 at 14:56, joey_big_nose said:

I think weve struggled to make the 343 work last two games, we get absolutely slaughtered in central midfield.

Id drop Dolan for another cm, then bring him on for a striker second half. The extra CM should help Hedges and Brittain push on further forward too. I guess will be too early for Buckley so would give Ayeri a go

                                 Pears

               Hyam.    McFadz.  Wharton

Brittain.   Tronstad.  Ayeri.   Garrett.  Hedges. 

                 Gallagher.     Szmodics 

I would have been playing that way whilst we still had Wharton to pull the strings.