v Coventry City (h) - 27/4/24

[rigger]

10 hours ago, Silas said:

Because we're better on the counter attack. 

Have been for a while. But I think a stat was put up during the Wednesday game on Sky for just Eustace's reign. And over 50% possession had less points result than under.

Even though we're at home, a relegation battle makes teams more cagey. Cov now have nothing to lose, all guns blazing, come at us hard.

We sit back, low possession stats, then pick them off on the break with Sammie and Dolan's pace. 

Easy peasy right. 

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm ?

[rigger]

24 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

No other keeper is as as bad as our two clowns.

Probably the next one we buy will be !

[pick32]

3-0 Coventry will be drained and wouldn’t be surprised if they made 5/6 changes, our lads should be up for it a lot more. Hopefully Leicester do the business this weekend and have nothing left either, 1 point will do it 

[AllRoverAsia]

10 hours ago, Silas said:

Because we're better on the counter attack. 

Have been for a while. But I think a stat was put up during the Wednesday game on Sky for just Eustace's reign. And over 50% possession had less points result than under.

Even though we're at home, a relegation battle makes teams more cagey. Cov now have nothing to lose, all guns blazing, come at us hard.

We sit back, low possession stats, then pick them off on the break with Sammie and Dolan's pace. 

Easy peasy right. 

You had me until Dolan and pace were in the same sentence.

[rovers11]

Robins saying he may have to play the youngsters on Saturday due to injuries and fitness issues. I don't believe a word of that. 

 

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, rovers11 said:

Robins saying he may have to play the youngsters on Saturday due to injuries and fitness issues. I don't believe a word of that. 

 

Fingers crossed - they owe us after last year.

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Cov sold out their allocation yesterday (4,339) and have been told they can’t have more.

Yet, for the previous relegation six pointer they rolled the red carpet out, 7k, then a few hundred more as if that wasn’t enough.

They make it up as they go along down there 🤷‍♂️

Bonkers, isn't it?

I'd let every single away team have as much of the Darwen End as they can sell. We clearly need every penny we can get. 

[Silas]

51 minutes ago, rigger said:

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm ?

Always when it comes to this club, particularly this squad of players.

So unreliable. 

I'd love to think they'll scrap tooth and nail Saturday, a final battle for redemption.

But I have that same sense of dread as many others- that a pathetic capitulation may be on the cards. 

27 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

You had me until Dolan and pace were in the same sentence.

He's not that bad on speed on the break into open space surely. 

Does occasionally look like there's a hidden treadmill under the grass though, I admit. Feel like that's more with the ball at his feet.

[joey_big_nose]

It such a strange feeling.... feels like we are definitely going down. But somehow bookies have us at 10/1 - I guess just due to all the permutations. So we will probably survive unless the bookies have all lost their minds.

But - our form second half of the season is absolutely unbelievable. I don't think I have ever seen anything so bad over as   sustained a period as half a season in all my time following Rovers.

A month or two bad form you can put down to the ups and downs of the league, but something as sustained as this does suggest we are going straight down next season. 

I think ultimately if you look at the common denominator it's not really the players or the manager (although they could both be better) - it's the instability at the top of the club which is killing us. As important as finding good players in the summer is going to be finding some firm footing for the clubs future we can build on. I think if we can get a secure financial basis for the club that will be a huge psychological uplift and enable some sensible planning whatever budget we have. But another summer of uncertainty and I really think we are fooked.

[MarkBRFC]

39 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

It such a strange feeling.... feels like we are definitely going down. But somehow bookies have us at 10/1 - I guess just due to all the permutations. So we will probably survive unless the bookies have all lost their minds.

Said on this thread a few times that I have never thought we were going down this season, just the sheer amount of sides in and around us will keep us up.

[G Somerset Rover]

Wharton won’t be fit (no shock). Out for the majority of next season already. Onwards and upwards eh.

[bazza]

1 hour ago, rovers11 said:

Robins saying he may have to play the youngsters on Saturday due to injuries and fitness issues. I don't believe a word of that. 

 

We'll get licked by his youngsters too. Unless the Rovers of Sunderland and Leeds turn up.

[AllRoverAsia]

The bookies are correct.

Huddersfield and Plymouth will not finish above Rovers.

I'm not saying that they will both be relegated.

We are safe on 49 points.

I hope this survives the time test.

[TheRevAshton]

2 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

The bookies are correct.

Huddersfield and Plymouth will not finish above Rovers.

I'm not saying that they will both be relegated.

We are safe on 49 points.

I hope this survives the time test.

Can't see Plymouth losing to Millwall, I think they'll get a point at least which will be enough to overtake us (assuming we lose both games) on GD.

[oldjamfan1]

8 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

Can't see Plymouth losing to Millwall, I think they'll get a point at least which will be enough to overtake us (assuming we lose both games) on GD.

I know its hard to be optimistic but Millwall have won their last three and will want to finish the season with five straight wins if they can.

[MarkBRFC]

Considering the ease at which Stoke dismantled Plymouth last week I don't see Milwall having any problem with them.

Plymouth get 1 point at best for me over the next two games.

Edited April 25, 2024 by MarkBRFC

[AllRoverAsia]

30 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

Can't see Plymouth losing to Millwall, I think they'll get a point at least which will be enough to overtake us (assuming we lose both games) on GD.

The GD is a worry but I just can't see Plymouth getting a point at Millwall, whose home form is good.

[danger19_80]

4 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Cov sold out their allocation yesterday (4,339) and have been told they can’t have more.

Yet, for the previous relegation six pointer they rolled the red carpet out, 7k, then a few hundred more as if that wasn’t enough.

They make it up as they go along down there 🤷‍♂️

You'd like to think they understand what a grave error it was gifting Wednesday the whole away end and this is a reaction to that but who knows.

One thing's for sure, a smaller away allocation and £15 home tickets is coming one game too late.

Edited April 25, 2024 by danger19_80

[TheRevAshton]

25 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

I know its hard to be optimistic but Millwall have won their last three and will want to finish the season with five straight wins if they can.

I know what you mean, but just feel like Plymouth could dig deep and grind something out.

We played them both at Ewood within a week recently, and Plymouth looked like the better of the two sides... though I suppose that could be more down to how "Jekyll and Hyde" we are.

[JHRover]

More likely they only predicted / budgeted Coventry would bring 4000 and have only made arrangements for that number including police, stewarding and catering, and at 2 days' notice and with cheap tickets it isn't worth the hassle of getting more on just so they can sell another 500 or whatever.

[Mattyblue]

That one ⬆️

[oldjamfan1]

12 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

I know what you mean, but just feel like Plymouth could dig deep and grind something out.

We played them both at Ewood within a week recently, and Plymouth looked like the better of the two sides... though I suppose that could be more down to how "Jekyll and Hyde" we are.

But that's the thing with the championship. Apart from perhaps the top 3 or 4 teams and maybe the bottom 1 or 2, we are all completely unpredictable. QPR fans said we were the best team they have played at this level for years after we won at their place, but I doubt that Bristol City fans would recognise that description. 

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, G Somerset Rover said:

Wharton won’t be fit (no shock). Out for the majority of next season already. Onwards and upwards eh.

It really was stupid to keep putting him in when he kept having to be brought off the game before. Pretty obvious his body was about to give in.

[neophox]

Can we beat Leeds we can surely beat Coventry....  just need to be doing our job properly.

[tomphil]

4 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Bonkers, isn't it?

I'd let every single away team have as much of the Darwen End as they can sell. We clearly need every penny we can get. 

I'd limit every team to 4,500 spilt over the two tiers and empty some brain cells finding a way to charge them as much as possible in the process.

That could be worth 6 points a season - to cover for the 6 Pears throws away.

Edited April 25, 2024 by tomphil