v Bristol City (h) - 14/9/2024

[DE.]

Probably the most pleasing aspect of yesterday's result is our first clean sheet of the season. It will hopefully give a boost of confidence to the defence.

Edited September 15, 2024 by DE.

[Atko's Engine]

Got to say I thoroughly enjoyed that yesterday. It was a thoroughly organised, composed & professional display with a smattering of Japanese gold dust!!

A couple of individual errors and a 5 minute spell aside, we were dominant throughout and never really looked in any danger. Our pressing was top notch (as illustrated by the first 2 goals) and there seems to be a real sense of collectiveness in the squad, including from the manager down the the coaches, player & academy set up. All down to Eustace and, perhaps, Gestede?

I'm trying not to get carried away, but what a tremendous start to the season, which has made many observers sit up & take notice. Goals from all over the place too; right foot, left foot, headers, screamers & tap ins. A very strong bench with options (and more besides who weren't available today like Gueye, Pickering, Brittain, Wharton & Leonard).

Last word for Yuki, my oh my what a find! 5 goals so far; a cheeky chip, a glancing header, a brave diving header, right foot top bins, left foot top bins, and no shortage of hussling & harrying in between. Soon it'll be Shearer referring to him as Mr Ohashi if he carries on like this, what an impact he's had!!

 

[rock steady]

Surely gonna be a surge now on the Yuki shirts?

[Rochdale Blues]

2 hours ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

A really solid team performance regardless of the opposition.

Yuki stole the show with two quality goals but so many other good individual performances contributed to the result. 
 

When you hear the fans in the Riverside starting the chanting you know we have the start of something special (wasn’t me!).

 

 

It has always been the case with the Riverside. I can remember in Jim Smith's reign, that when the Riverside started singing "Oh when the blues going marching in" we were playing well. (And also the teddy at half time)

 

[ABBEY]

47 minutes ago, rigger said:

Barmcakes, Teacakes. Or does that open up a whole new Tin/can of worms.

barm ..teacakes have currents in

[roversinmyblood]

18 hours ago, booth said:

According to our genetically challenged friends down the road, our good start is down to us not playing anything yet 🤦‍♂️😄

Yes and look where Derby and Oxford are in the table, 7th and 8th.

[Forever Blue]

After the 2nd half of last season when only Sammie was capable of putting the ball in the net, I would never have thought we’d be joint top scorers in the league after 5 games. 
 

 

[bazza]

14 hours ago, Neal said:

Took my 7 year old lad with me today who so far isn't really into football but I keep trying and managed to persuade him to come with me. He wore my shirt and hat from when I was a kid. Just put him to bed and he said "Today was the best" I said "oh yeah, which part was your favourite?" And he said... "When Rovers won". 

 

Absolutely made up.

 

RTID!

 

(He didn't drink it)

Give him another year and he'll be hooked. I speak from personal experience.

[Rileyt82]

A good win yesterday and a good solid performance.

[B16Rover]

4 minutes ago, bazza said:

Give him another year and he'll be hooked. I speak from personal experience.

Hope you mean the rovers and not the ale 

[Herbie6590]

3 hours ago, tomphil said:

 

Great signing and we will now sell a few shirts in Japan !

We’re selling a few shirts on here as well…upgrade the servers…NOW 😁

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

12 minutes ago, bazza said:

Give him another year and he'll be hooked. I speak from personal experience.

It only took me 1 game, which we lost, but I was hooked.

[Forever Blue]

 

[Herbie6590]

47 minutes ago, rock steady said:

Surely gonna be a surge now on the Yuki shirts?

Yup 😉

https://www.brfcs.com/store

[Dan]

51 minutes ago, rock steady said:

Surely gonna be a surge now on the Yuki shirts?

 

5 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

We’re selling a few shirts on here as well…upgrade the servers…NOW 😁

 

2 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Yup 😉

https://www.brfcs.com/store

Bet you’re regretting not using dynamic pricing now? 😉 😂

[SpaceBarSlam]

Anyone spotted Melvyn this season? Riverside isn't the same without him doing the rounds in his array of masks. 

[windymiller7]

3 minutes ago, SpaceBarSlam said:

Anyone spotted Melvyn this season? Riverside isn't the same without him doing the rounds in his array of masks. 

Yeah, he was there yesterday. Somewhat subdued by his standards though. 

Saw him walking by the fan zone in a black & white 'Melvinesque' suit. No hat, mask or flag though.

[roversinmyblood]

14 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

It seems that the performances of Baker and Carter have caused the biggest split. Baker was by far our poorest performer and I really hope that Eustace doesnt see him as a wide man going forward. You could tell he wasnt comfortable there and he also played there v Burnley in totally different circumstances, but he doesnt have the attributes to play there. That being said, even his set pieces and general use of the ball was poor which cant be put down to his position. Carter I thought was very good however, even going forward and Batth slotted in very nicely too.

With Cantwell doing that failed rabona, I am wary of the fact that the game is becoming more sanitised and a lot of individuality is being taken away, especially in this data driven modern game which is to the detriment of entertainment in a lot of ways. But I did feel like it was totally unnecessary and he wasted a good opportunity.

It would be interesting to know how Rankin Costello is feeling at the moment. After lots of talk about him V Duru recently for RB cover, it was a surprise to see neither start. He hasnt suited or played well out wide but it feels like he has really dropped down the pecking order when even though Cozier Duberry wasnt considered to start, Weimann wasnt deemed fit enough to start and Sigurdsson was ill, Eustace opted for Baker there and he didnt get on. I cant help but feel like he is a talented player that we may not utilise with him becoming a utility man to his own detriment.

I thought with Baker’s shooting ability he would have been played as a number ten..

[Herbie6590]

1 hour ago, Dan said:

 

 

Bet you’re regretting not using dynamic pricing now? 😉 😂

Couldn’t possibly comment… 😆I know my local post office is going to be busy soon… 😳

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, Forever Blue said:

You’ve still misunderstood Baker’s role. He isn’t playing as a traditional wide player. 

I havent misunderstood anything, it is quite patronising to assume that I simply dont understand what he is being asked to do.

I appreciate that he isnt expected to be an out and out wide player, to be honest the majority of our wingers come inside to varying degrees. But Baker at least started wide left, obviously he isnt going to stay out wide taking the full back on, thats not what I am expecting.

But either way, I thought he was poor and ineffective in the role he was asked to play. He struggled to get involved and I dont think the role he was asked to play suited him. I would hope that with other players we have, that it wont be an experiment that will be repeated. To be honest, he struggled beyond issues through his position, set pieces is usually a strength of his but they were poor yesterday.

[roversinmyblood]

3 hours ago, Forever Blue said:

City are actually really dull to watch. Pass, pass, pass, pass, and then the goal machine does his thing. Really efficient, but absolutely no individuality allowed and very little flair. 
 

The Prem is getting increasingly bland as nearly every team plays the same way. 

Totally agree. I don’t watch premiership games other than on match of the day as they are generally boring. I like to be excited, the top games are more like a game of chess.

[Mercer]

8 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

🤣🤣🤣…we were “nailed on relegation fodder” a few weeks ago, now following a few  hundred thousand pounds of spend on deadline day, Eustace has to get us in the top 6 to get your blessing? Please.

99.9% of us believed we were relegation certs at the start of the Euros. The fact that those fans now no longer expect us to go down, most believe we can finish mid table and hope we can Nick a top 6 spot is testament to Eustace, the coaches and recruitment team. 

Who wants to stand still in life not least in football?

Ipswich went from League 1 to PL in two seasons.  Were their group of players that secured promotion to the PL any better than what we have now?  I don't think so.

Recruitment team seem to have pulled a couple of rabbits out of the hat and I have more than acknowledged this in previous postings - as I posted before, all our new signings might not hit the heights but some imaginative and out the box thinking is so refreshing after the turgid days of Broughton.

Eustace has started the season in great style but lets not forget it seems there were divergent opinions between him and the recruitment team on certain players including Gueye and Ohashi with Waggott seemingly overruling Eustace on these two lads (a number of members have posted about this).

So all in all with Ipswich as a barometer, I think we should be looking for Eustace to at least hit top six.

So lets show some real ambition, and who knows what we can achieve, instead of settling for mid tablish mediocrity with far too many then basking in a false sense of warmth and achievement.  Please.

 

Edited September 15, 2024 by Mercer

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Still buzzing from yesterday win. Yuki Ohashi's goals were totally class and he is cult hero already with the fan base. My dad favourite player already. 

I think Ohashi has to start against PNE on Sunday

I agree there. Hopefully we will look at signing him permanent. 

Baker played wide left cos of injuries and illness. How could you tell he wasn't comfortable playing from the left and moving inside allow Beck to overlap? 

Has JRC ever play right back under Eustace? You are misunderstanding his role from playing from the right cos he is moving inside and let Britain provide the width wide right. JRC has been injured from the week before the season so let him get over that and fully fit. 

Weimann has been injured for the past 2 weeks but told Eustace he could play from the bench. 

Again, you are also being patronising by suggesting that I am simply too thick to understand what the expected role in this case of JRC is.

I am aware that when he has played wide right, he is not expected to run on the outside. The idea is for him to drift in and not hold the width. But even allowing for the specific remit of the role he is given, I think he has played poorly there doing that role and I dont think it suits him. I think he plays better with space in front of him which he has at right back, where he linked with the players in front of him. An example would be his goal at Millwall away last season where he ran forward, played a one two with Brittain and shot. Some players struggle when taking the ball in more advanced areas but thrive with space to move into, I know he isnt as athletic as Emerton was but he was the same.

No, he hasnt played as a right back under Eustace. But he is at risk of being down the pecking order in all positions as he seems to be now, and its a shame to see a talented player in that position.

Baker had a poor game and looked like someone who didnt look comfortable. Hopefully due to the availability issues we had out wide that you touch on, it will be an experiment that goes in the bin.

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

BBD was a “ development signing “ when we were crying out for two or three experienced pros.

It was a terrible signing all this considered although he has developed into a Prem capable player.

Yet compare to the Armstrong signing or Sammie it was a flop and i doubt he'll ever be consistent he's either on a hot steak or shite contributing nothing there's no inbetween with him.

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, ABBEY said:

barm ..teacakes have currents in

Or are covered in chocolate.