v Derby County (h) - 09/08/2024

[Upside Down]

First game of what could well be our last season in the Championship for a long time.

Will Super Sammie play or will he be flogged by then?

Venkys Out.

[lraC]

Can Eustace get his first win here and get us off to a much needed flying start.

A weeks a long time in football and this coming one could be big, by way of who else comes in and who goes.

My gut feeling is a Derby win and the scene is set for a season of struggles. 

[Mattyblue]

We’ve started seasons well for a while now, indeed last season’s early points on the board came in very handy by the end… if we don’t, then it could be a very long campaign, especially as I imagine there will be a farce of some description in January.

[Ossydave]

Need Eustace to have a Brum style start really and pick early points up, obviously without getting sacked this time.

Derby have been dealing mainly in freebies like ourselves, whether theirs are ahead of us in terms of fitness, not sure. 

A scrappy 1 nil win I reckon, and I'd settle for that.

[KentExile]

7 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

Need Eustace to have a Brum style start really and pick early points up, obviously without getting sacked this time.

I wouldn't put it past Venkys to somehow win their court case and decide to start taking an interest again, and then with Eustace having us in or around the top 6, to sack him and bring in Frank Lampard to "push Rovers on to another level"

Edited August 2 by KentExile

[Bronzed A Donis]

...more, agents to take an interest again once they think there is commission and deals to be made. Venkys have never had any interest. We could be 20 points adrift and they wouldn't give a hoot.

Edited August 2 by Bronzed A Donis
Fat fingers

[Bronzed A Donis]

New promoted team bounce, Sky on a Friday, not easy 2-2.

[Mike E]

Spare ticket back up for grabs! Who wants to join me? JWL Central, towards DE.

First to PM me gets it (the ticket, I mean).

[MarkBRFC]

Rovers 0 Derby 2

The realisation will finally set in for a lot, and it will be the start of a long, dull season.

[roversfan99]

These 2 first home games are really important because they are against 2 promoted sides who should be right in the relegation scrap.

Eustace has yet to win a single home game and that has to change soon.

Derby dont look too strong. They have had a terrible pre season and whilst they have made a few reasonable additions, bringing in Champipnship experience in Osborn, Yates and Jackson as well as a couple of other interesting signings, their side isnt too strong on paper. 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

1-1

12,500 bored to death.

[Mattyblue]

Think Derby are expecting to bring c4k, so probably looking at a gate around 17k.

[arbitro]

I might be in the minority but I'm looking forward to the season starting. After the summer we have had with so much going on, usually adverse it will be good to focus on some actual competitive football and watching the a game gives me a chance to forget about Waggott, the Punekars and all the other things wrong at our club. 

Disclaimer:

The above doesn't negate my option to moan like mad if we lose 😄.

[Mattyblue]

Of course, if you don’t have a spring in your step walking to Ewood next Friday, then why bother. 

The usual ‘sooo negative’, ‘give ‘em a chance FFS’ brigade are out (who doesn’t get behind new players BTW?) But at the end of the day if you sell £30million+ of players and then spend a fraction of that on replacements for a team that was already struggling last season, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see we’ll likely struggle again.

Just the way it is, bottom end spend, bottom end wage bill = bottom end league position. We will drop if this ownership continues in this manner, let’s just hope the recruitment has been canny enough to put it off another year and then who knows this shower may have finally fucked off by then and we can start to rebuild this fantastic club of ours (they won’t have, but we can dream).

Edited August 2 by Mattyblue

[BRFC4EVA]

This will be the first example of many over the next 9 months of sky ruining a potentially good crowd with their ko changes.

A sat 3pm game, first game of the season could have been close to 20,000 (Derby newly promoted might have bought 5k +).

Instead we're in for a drab fri night affair.

[Mattyblue]

I still think we’ll get a decent number of walk ons, spoke to a few that will be heading down that only see a few games a season (obviously not the numbers of a 3pm, but we’ll never see a 3pm opening day again).

[MarkBRFC]

4 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I still think we’ll get a decent number of walk ons, spoke to a few that will be heading down that only see a few games a season (obviously not the numbers of a 3pm, but we’ll never see a 3pm opening day again).

Might do when we're in league 2.

[Mattyblue]

Even if it’s a big derby against Stanley?

[M_B]

I'll leave the hand wringing of last season to others, it's a new season and a new start for me. That said,being in charge for that period should leave Eustace in no doubt as to what we do or don't need,it should be a big advantage compared to coming into a new job in pre season. 

I'm still hoping Szmodics may line up for us, if he's still here he has to play. 

 

Edited August 2 by M_B

[Mattyblue]

Nevermind, had enough back and forth on the Euros thread.

Edited August 2 by Mattyblue

[davulsukur]

I reckon of the new signings, only Weimann will get a start.

---------------------Pears

Brittain----Carter---Hyam---Pickering

-----------Tronstad----Travis

JRC-----------Weimann-------Hedges

---------------------Dolan

Could swap Weimann and Dolan around but essentially I think it'll be that starting 11.

 

[philipl]

Newly promoted team with a big away following live on Sky.

Nightmare opening evening fixture.

Obviously hoping for a Rovers win but rationally this is a Derby win and they might romp it.

[Salgados Hair]

Our record against newly promoted teams, for the last three seasons.

p18 w4 d3 l11 f21 a29 🤪

Derby win. 

[sharpysharps86]

Anyone's guess who starts for Rovers in this game. If Szmodics is still here then he should start IMO. Tonight's friendly may be quite telling as to who gets the nod, particularly in the attacking positions given we've brought in 3 that definitely go into contention.

I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw. Derby look like they've done some respectable business for a newly promoted side, but they do have a manager who's an expert in getting relegated from the Championship.

I don't think this is the team that starts, but it's the one I'd like to see providing there are no new incomings before the game:

                    Pears (no other options)

Brittain     Carter     Hyam    Pickering

                Travis    Tronstad

    Wiemann    Szmodics      JRC

                       Gueye

If there's no Szmodics then either Markanday or Ohashi to come into that role. Take Wiemann off for Hedges after an hour.

[roversfan99]

31 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

I reckon of the new signings, only Weimann will get a start.

---------------------Pears

Brittain----Carter---Hyam---Pickering

-----------Tronstad----Travis

JRC-----------Weimann-------Hedges

---------------------Dolan

Could swap Weimann and Dolan around but essentially I think it'll be that starting 11.

 

Surely one of the new strikers (probably Gueye) will start even if it means Ohashi replacing him.

23 minutes ago, philipl said:

Newly promoted team with a big away following live on Sky.

Nightmare opening evening fixture.

Obviously hoping for a Rovers win but rationally this is a Derby win and they might romp it.

Nightmare? If we fear a romping at home to a promoted Derby side full of journeymen, then we may aswell pack it in now.

I know they are friendlies but pissing goals to the likes of Shrewsbury and Barnsley in pre season may evaporate some of their momentum.