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

[tomphil]

3 minutes ago, M_B said:

If it's  so obvious that Pears should be dropped, why are you so convinced that Eustace will play him next week? 

The stock answer will be because hes been away with Hungary.

Which kind of contradicts the notion that he's here to immediately take over the keeper jersey.

[tomphil]

12 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He has already put in more than enough stinking performances to not still have the shirt to lose.

He played better at Burnley away than Kaminsky did last time.

[Upside Down]

As much shit as I've given Pears for his absolutely disastrous performances I can't see him being dropped straight away. Not until Tòth has been here a few weeks anyway.

Pears does have quick reactions and is reasonably athletic and can make good saves. His decision making and positioning are his weaknesses. He is very poor at both and that's why he concedes soft goals easily.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

19 minutes ago, tomphil said:

He played better at Burnley away than Kaminsky did last time.

So did everybody else.

[rigger]

36 minutes ago, tomphil said:

He's better than Jake Kean was and about the same as Walton was here i'd say and very similar to Steele when he was at a similar stage of his career.

Although slightly higher on the goals gifted chart but he's not really unusual for a keeper in only his second full season as first choice.  Raya was gaff prone even when he went to Brentford but inbetween he was safe and often spectacular so someone without that level of ability is average at best and a liability at worst but he's still on a learning curve whether we like it or not.

Never mind all the flannel. Are you happy with Pears in goal for us ?

[simongarnerisgod]

29 minutes ago, tomphil said:

He played better at Burnley away than Kaminsky did last time.

hardly a high standard to top is it.everyone played better than  that day

[tomphil]

20 minutes ago, rigger said:

Never mind all the flannel. Are you happy with Pears in goal for us ?

I want a good number 1 and hope the new lad turns out to be that but if we carry on with Pears because it's the gaffers call or the other lad turns out to be not as good then i'll support him.

He ain't great he makes me nervous but by and large he's nowhere near as bad as some make him out to be on here, he's a modern era Vince O'Keefe for those who remember him.

In keeper terms he's still in the development stage, blame those who turned us into that club. Brittain and Hyam have cost us as many goals but it always shows up worse when it's the keeper at fault.

Edited September 5 by tomphil

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, tomphil said:

I want a good number 1 and hope the new lad turns out to be that but if we carry on with Pears because it's the gaffers call or the other lad turns out to be not as good then i'll support him.

He ain't great he makes me nervous but by and large he's nowhere near as bad as some make him out to be on here, he's a modern era Vince O'Keefe for those who remember him.

In keeper terms he's still in the development stage, blame those who turned us into that club. Brittain and Hyam have cost us as many goals but it always shows up worse when it's the keeper at fault.

Yes or no would have been enough !

[tomphil]

6 minutes ago, rigger said:

Yes or no would have been enough !

I always give value for money.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, M_B said:

If it's  so obvious that Pears should be dropped, why are you so convinced that Eustace will play him next week? 

Because Toth is on international duty with the stock reason that he will also need to settle etc. 

57 minutes ago, tomphil said:

He played better at Burnley away than Kaminsky did last time.

Kaminski like the team was poor that day. Pears made one howler that luckily went unpunished but was barely tested. But crucially, over the course of a season, Kaminski saved more points than he cost us. 

[Neal]

On Toth...

 

For those thinking the manager isn't ruthless enough to drop Pears need to think again. After the Oxford game, Eustace was singing JRC's praises about his general play (goal aside I thought he was awful personally), next game against Blackpool, made a shocker of a mistake and was out of the team for Burnley. 

 

I can totally see Eustace saying something like... "Listen Aynsley, you've been good but I need clean sheets and I need us to be better defensively so I'm giving the new lad a go, it's nothing personal, I need you to be ready to go straight back in the team if he's not up to your standards". 

 

Professional football at this level is cut throat and having played at a decent standard personally, conversations like this are just part and parcel of it and you have to accept the competition like a man else things can turn to shit. 

 

 

[damo100]

3 hours ago, J*B said:

There is no way Pears gets dropped without some stinking performances. It’s his shirt to lose on the pitch. 

We'll see, let's readdress this following the next couple of games...

[damo100]

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

He played better at Burnley away than Kaminsky did last time.

Hardly the same, they had no shots on target from the 25th min.

He almost cost us a 2nd when he came for a ball which Foster should have scored from.

When TK played in the 3-0 they were all over us  

[Paul Mani]

6 hours ago, Neal said:

On Toth...

 

For those thinking the manager isn't ruthless enough to drop Pears need to think again. After the Oxford game, Eustace was singing JRC's praises about his general play (goal aside I thought he was awful personally), next game against Blackpool, made a shocker of a mistake and was out of the team for Burnley. 

 

I can totally see Eustace saying something like... "Listen Aynsley, you've been good but I need clean sheets and I need us to be better defensively so I'm giving the new lad a go, it's nothing personal, I need you to be ready to go straight back in the team if he's not up to your standards". 

 

Professional football at this level is cut throat and having played at a decent standard personally, conversations like this are just part and parcel of it and you have to accept the competition like a man else things can turn to shit. 

 

 

I’ve had this feeling on JE for a while. The smiling assassin I reckon.

Comes in, straight talker, nice guy and true to his word. Very clear internally about what he wants but if you fall below those standards, you’re out.

I don’t know what’s wrong with JRC. Started the season poorly in all the games. Right side, attacking mid was his main position coming through the ranks so he’s not out of position. It appears that’s where JE sees him. The problem now is that, ACD and Weimann will likely occupy that position, he was terrible in his one game in CM and the manager chose to bring 19yr old Duru on in the Derby to cover the injured Brittain. So, 3rd choice RM, 5th choice CM and 3rd choice  RB…Looks like you’re set for a long spell on the bench, Joe. Ouch!

[Paul Mani]

On 03/09/2024 at 10:20, sharpysharps86 said:

Bristol City always a tricky one for Rovers. They got thumped at the weekend to Derby, so this is a more than winnable game, especially at home.

Obviously Gueye will be out so a change will be needed there. Think Cantwell will start on the bench given his lack of game time recently. Drop Pears.

Predicted line-up:

                    Toth

Brittain    Carter    Hyam    Beck

            Travis    Tronstad

Weimann     Dolan      Hedges

                   Ohashi

Rovers 2-1 win. Ohashi and Weimann with the goals.

 

 

Don’t think you’ll be far off there. Pickering will probably play if he’s fit.

 

**** Edit - the below XI is once everyone is fit / available, not for Bristol City

Rovers best XI post summer

                      Toth

Brittain   Carter.  Hyam.    Beck

              Trav.     Sonny

    ACD.     Cantwell.    Dolan

                   Gueye

Subs - Pears, Duru, Batth/Mcfadz, Pickering, Baker, Buckley, JRC, Weimann, Siggy, Ohashi (appreciate I have one too many)

Dolan forces his way in on the left because I think he’s started the season well. Could easily be Weimann but I think he’d be the perfect foil for ACD.

Edited September 6 by Paul Mani

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Paul Mani said:

I’ve had this feeling on JE for a while. The smiling assassin I reckon.

Comes in, straight talker, nice guy and true to his word. Very clear internally about what he wants but if you fall below those standards, you’re out.

I don’t know what’s wrong with JRC. Started the season poorly in all the games. Right side, attacking mid was his main position coming through the ranks so he’s not out of position. It appears that’s where JE sees him. The problem now is that, ACD and Weimann will likely occupy that position, he was terrible in his one game in CM and the manager chose to bring 19yr old Duru on in the Derby to cover the injured Brittain. So, 3rd choice RM, 5th choice CM and 3rd choice  RB…Looks like you’re set for a long spell on the bench, Joe. Ouch!

Wherever he played in the youth team, and im sure I have read that he played as a wing back a lot of the time, I might be wrong. But as a first team player, he showed over a decent period of time that he is a good right back at this level. He has been shunted around especially since Eustace joined and has been poor in both positions that he has been tried in. He struggles at times in central midfield with being aware of what is around him, and he isnt athletic enough to pose a threat wide. He should go back to being considered as a right back. Duru isnt ready at this level yet and Brittain is not a very good defender.

[tomphil]

7 hours ago, damo100 said:

Hardly the same, they had no shots on target from the 25th min.

He almost cost us a 2nd when he came for a ball which Foster should have scored from.

When TK played in the 3-0 they were all over us  

A lot of revisionism going on here to form the narrative, not aimed soley at you by the way but...

Burnley were all over us last Saturday early on and went a goal up which seems to have been erased from the memory and Pears didn't wilt, didn't cost us a goal and stood firm for the rest of the game doing his job when called upon.

Which obviously is the minimum you'd expect from a keeper but that's not always been the case with him so it's a positive he came through it. Whatever he nearly might have done is immaterial because he didn't throw any goals away and there is nothing but conjecture to say anyone else, Toth or otherwise would have performed any different.

I could understand the fierce arguments if we'd signed a proven Champ keeper, old Prem keeper or up and coming lge 1 keeper with 100 games under his belt in England.

We haven't, therefore it's just people clamouring for a look at the new lad a situation we were in last season.

His time will come.

[roversfan99]

35 minutes ago, tomphil said:

A lot of revisionism going on here to form the narrative, not aimed soley at you by the way but...

Burnley were all over us last Saturday early on and went a goal up which seems to have been erased from the memory and Pears didn't wilt, didn't cost us a goal and stood firm for the rest of the game doing his job when called upon.

Which obviously is the minimum you'd expect from a keeper but that's not always been the case with him so it's a positive he came through it. Whatever he nearly might have done is immaterial because he didn't throw any goals away and there is nothing but conjecture to say anyone else, Toth or otherwise would have performed any different.

I could understand the fierce arguments if we'd signed a proven Champ keeper, old Prem keeper or up and coming lge 1 keeper with 100 games under his belt in England.

We haven't, therefore it's just people clamouring for a look at the new lad a situation we were in last season.

His time will come.

They did start strong, but how many saves or even difficult catches etc did he have to deal with? Even in that 20 minutes he wasnt be forced to make many saves, if any. He did have the one moment where he totally misjudged the flight of the ball and thankfully Foster headed just wide. Put that next to charging out against Derby with Mendez Laing messing up a lob over him and Pears passing it to a Norwich player 6 yards out and being saved by an incredible Tronstad block as big errors and lucky escapes.

Its not just people clamouring for a look at the new lad. Its people realising that we have a keeper in Pears that is not Championship standard, that made so many errors last season and knowing that it was and is an area that has to be fixed for us to progress 

[Paul Mani]

47 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Wherever he played in the youth team, and im sure I have read that he played as a wing back a lot of the time, I might be wrong. But as a first team player, he showed over a decent period of time that he is a good right back at this level. He has been shunted around especially since Eustace joined and has been poor in both positions that he has been tried in. He struggles at times in central midfield with being aware of what is around him, and he isnt athletic enough to pose a threat wide. He should go back to being considered as a right back. Duru isnt ready at this level yet and Brittain is not a very good defender.

I agree that he should be cover right back, but I don’t think that’s how JE sees it.

So yeah, could be a bit of time sat on the bench.

[London blue]

51 minutes ago, tomphil said:

A lot of revisionism going on here to form the narrative, not aimed soley at you by the way but...

Burnley were all over us last Saturday early on and went a goal up which seems to have been erased from the memory and Pears didn't wilt, didn't cost us a goal and stood firm for the rest of the game doing his job when called upon.

Which obviously is the minimum you'd expect from a keeper but that's not always been the case with him so it's a positive he came through it. Whatever he nearly might have done is immaterial because he didn't throw any goals away and there is nothing but conjecture to say anyone else, Toth or otherwise would have performed any different.

I could understand the fierce arguments if we'd signed a proven Champ keeper, old Prem keeper or up and coming lge 1 keeper with 100 games under his belt in England.

We haven't, therefore it's just people clamouring for a look at the new lad a situation we were in last season.

His time will come.

It's not that he nearly did something, though. He did make an awful mistake, running into the back of our player and allowing Foster the header at the open net.

Opposition players not taking opportunities handed to them by our keeper isn't reason to excuse him of those errors.

@roversfan99 gave a couple of other examples.

[chaddyrovers]

46 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Wherever he played in the youth team, and im sure I have read that he played as a wing back a lot of the time, I might be wrong. But as a first team player, he showed over a decent period of time that he is a good right back at this level. He has been shunted around especially since Eustace joined and has been poor in both positions that he has been tried in. He struggles at times in central midfield with being aware of what is around him, and he isnt athletic enough to pose a threat wide. He should go back to being considered as a right back.

The right wide player moves inside and play the 8/10 role..

JRC started as winger through his younger days then Johnson and Dunn played him sometimes as right wingback in 3-4-2-1 formation. @arbitroand @Parsonbluewould know more I think..

Is JRC athletic enough to play the right back role under Eustace? 

46 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Duru isnt ready at this level yet 

What is based on?.

[tomphil]

38 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

They did start strong, but how many saves or even difficult catches etc did he have to deal with? Even in that 20 minutes he wasnt be forced to make many saves, if any. He did have the one moment where he totally misjudged the flight of the ball and thankfully Foster headed just wide. Put that next to charging out against Derby with Mendez Laing messing up a lob over him and Pears passing it to a Norwich player 6 yards out and being saved by an incredible Tronstad block as big errors and lucky escapes.

Its not just people clamouring for a look at the new lad. Its people realising that we have a keeper in Pears that is not Championship standard, that made so many errors last season and knowing that it was and is an area that has to be fixed for us to progress 

We know he isn't good but we know nothing of the other lad at this level and as Walsted proved sometimes it's better the devil you know even if the bar isn't high.

We are at the stage on here with a select few were Pears is literally responsible for every goal and the gaffs he DIDN'T make are being handed up as if he did make them, it's horse shit to be honest.

As i pointed out before Brittain, again, went dozing and lost his man, Hyam got caught in two minds and result = goal conceded AGAIN.  Yet it's oh Pears should have done better there, well i'm saying TK or Raya or the England keeper might have got in front of it but the likes of Pears, Steele, Walton etc ain't saving that. 

The blame lies elsewhere so lets have some balance and look at the bigger picture when goals are conceded not just the keeper.

[roversfan99]

51 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

I agree that he should be cover right back, but I don’t think that’s how JE sees it.

So yeah, could be a bit of time sat on the bench.

He is a very good right back at this level. His performances there were of a higher level than Brittain has since displayed.

He seemingly wont be considered there, so he may spend time spent on the bench, but it is a valid point to question why we are not using our best right back in a position where he excelled when he has struggled since being put here there and everywhere.

46 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

The right wide player moves inside and play the 8/10 role..

JRC started as winger through his younger days then Johnson and Dunn played him sometimes as right wingback in 3-4-2-1 formation. @arbitroand @Parsonbluewould know more I think..

Is JRC athletic enough to play the right back role under Eustace? 

What is based on?.

Why did we sign a pacy right winger if we specifically want our right winger to come inside and play as an extra midfielder.

JRC certainly isnt athletic enough to play wide. We have seen him play excellently at right back over a prolonged period.

Im not having this narrative that he was only good there because of Tomasson's very specific tactics, and that there is no way that he can do well there under Eustace. He can attack especially coming from deep, he is good on the ball and he is a better one on one defender IMO than Brittain. Unfortunately Eustace has not got anywhere near the same performance levels from him that Tomasson got and I think the primary reason is moving him into 2 seperate positions, and I fear that his struggles will continue if playing at right back is off the table.

Duru looked very raw against Blackpool as seen when he got past someone, he didnt seem to know what to do next. Whereas we know that JRC is a good Championship standard right back in the here and now.

16 minutes ago, tomphil said:

We know he isn't good but we know nothing of the other lad at this level and as Walsted proved sometimes it's better the devil you know even if the bar isn't high.

We are at the stage on here with a select few were Pears is literally responsible for every goal and the gaffs he DIDN'T make are being handed up as if he did make them, it's horse shit to be honest.

As i pointed out before Brittain, again, went dozing and lost his man, Hyam got caught in two minds and result = goal conceded AGAIN.  Yet it's oh Pears should have done better there, well i'm saying TK or Raya or the England keeper might have got in front of it but the likes of Pears, Steele, Walton etc ain't saving that. 

The blame lies elsewhere so lets have some balance and look at the bigger picture when goals are conceded not just the keeper.

Pears hasnt had criticism for the goal, he has had criticism for errors that he HAS made, but thankfully has just about got away with due to his team mates/poor finishes.

I think its proof that the Wahlstedt has stung people but you cant just assume that every keeper will be as bad, otherwise we would never sign anyone. This better the devil you know idea would make more sense if Pears was a competent Championship keeper. 

[chaddyrovers]

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Why did we sign a pacy right winger if we specifically want our right winger to come inside and play as an extra midfielder.

Will he play right or left? We don't know

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

JRC certainly isnt athletic enough to play wide. We have seen him play excellently at right back over a prolonged period.

Im not having this narrative that he was only good there because of Tomasson's very specific tactics, and that there is no way that he can do well there under Eustace. He can attack especially coming from deep, he is good on the ball and he is a better one on one defender IMO than Brittain. Unfortunately Eustace has not got anywhere near the same performance levels from him that Tomasson got and I think the primary reason is moving him into 2 seperate positions, and I fear that his struggles will continue if playing at right back is off the table.

Yes he played right back but when we attack he moved in centre midfield under JDT. 

I think it's way too early to call whether he can play the right midfield role or not yet. It's been 3 league games and he been carrying an injury aswell 

Does JRC have the game to play right back and provide the width we want from our right back like Brittain does? 

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Duru looked very raw against Blackpool as seen when he got past someone, he didnt seem to know what to do next. Whereas we know that JRC is a good Championship standard right back in the here and now.

So it's base one single game? Is that it? 

 

Edited September 6 by chaddyrovers

[KentExile]

3 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Wherever he played in the youth team, and im sure I have read that he played as a wing back a lot of the time, I might be wrong. But as a first team player, he showed over a decent period of time that he is a good right back at this level. He has been shunted around especially since Eustace joined and has been poor in both positions that he has been tried in. He struggles at times in central midfield with being aware of what is around him, and he isnt athletic enough to pose a threat wide. He should go back to being considered as a right back. Duru isnt ready at this level yet and Brittain is not a very good defender.

JRC spent the majority of his time at U21 level playing wide left cutting inside onto his right foot.  He did also feature in central midfield and wide right,  And I am pretty certain that before he joined Rovers, he was a centre forward and then centre back for Man Utd at academy level

There was part of one season where the U21s played 3 centre backs and he did play at right wing back during that period.

For me, JRC dies his best work centrally, whether that has been as an inverted full back in 22/23, or in the period at the beginning of last season (before the wheels fell off Rovers season) when he played in central midfield, with Hill at right back and Brittain wide right.  He has never had the pace to knock it past his full back and go down the outside to get a cross in, but his movement is excellent, and based on what he did as an inverted full back, there is no reason why he couldn't replicate that from a more advanced position (as Eustace has been trialing) if and when he is fully fit.