v Portsmouth (h) - 15/1/2025

[joey_big_nose]

Beck as left winger is an interesting thought. Hes got a great engine and a bit of quality, but he is really a "bomber" who loves running from deep. His starting position in midfield might not really suit him. But he would definitely give us a lot more width and crossing ability than Hedges, and I think he would be able to match Hedges work rate and robustness off the ball.

Id be tempted to give it a go.

What is clear to me is despite Pickerings detractors Harry gives a lot of quality on the ball in the build up. Id hesitate to drop him again.

[rigger]

13 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

I'd be surprised if we dropped Wiemann after he just scored two excellent goals.

I imagine it will be an identical team to against Cardiff, the only player I could see possibly swapped out is Hedges for ACD or maybe Beck. But if I was a betting man I would go for an identical XI. 

I always think you are well set in a game if you can dominate the midfield and I can see Travis, Tronstad and Cantwell being a really really effective trio. They should only improve as they get more and more used to playing with one another.

I agree on the team that will probably be picked, but the team that I posted is the team I would pick.

[Rover down South]

                 Weimann/Leonard

  Cantwell.           Baker.           Ohashi.        

            Tronstad.           Travis.

Beck.         Batth.         Hyam.         Brittain.  

                             Pears.                         

Subs: Toth, Pickering, McFadz, JRC, Buckley, Hedges, Siggy, Weimann/Leonard, Gueye.

If ACD fit, then he goes on the bench for one of either JRC or Hedges. No place for Dolan either, so its him or Siggy I guess.

Would like to see something like the above. Gueye causes defenders issues with his physicality, but with no goals in 14 league games, I'm not sure we can keep persisting with him. No doubt, sooner or later he'll get one, but there is no way if he plays every minute between now and May, he's getting double figure returns.

Ohashi has now gone two months without scoring, and despite those four goals early in the season doesn't look like he is going to be the answer as our main striker either. He does however give his absolute all for the team, displays some good football intelligence and can make some encouraging runs, so maybe, Portsmouth at home would be an ideal opportunity to see if playing him as one of the three behind the striker would benefit both him and the team. If it doesn't work out, there are options on the bench.

Main striker for me has to be either Weimann, who showed on Saturday he can get into the right position to finish those chances or Harry Leonard. With AW unlikely to last 90 minutes and Leonard returning to fitness, it's maybe an ideal opportunity to give them a half each. Just feel more confident of those two scoring than Ohashi or Gueye at the moment, but as soon as the January window opens, this position should be a priority. 

I think Lewis Baker deserves to start so would play him centrally of the three behind the main striker. Would get stuck in a bit more than Dolan or Siggy too and proved Saturday, he has a good eye for goal. 

I think Pears (looks better recently), the back four, Tronstad, Travis and Cantwell pick themselves at the moment.

Just my opinion!!

[Oldgregg86]

                                             Pears

brittain.                 Baath.            Hyam.            Beck

                            Trav.               Tronstad. 
JRC.                          Baker.                 Cantwell 

                                  Weimann 

[wilsdenrover]

                                   Pears

                   Ba’ath      Hyam.    Pickering

Brittain.                                                    Beck

                           Travis.  Tronstad 

                                Cantwell

                       Weinmann.       Ohashi 

 

[RoversTilliDie]

22 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

Beck as left winger is an interesting thought. Hes got a great engine and a bit of quality, but he is really a "bomber" who loves running from deep. His starting position in midfield might not really suit him. But he would definitely give us a lot more width and crossing ability than Hedges, and I think he would be able to match Hedges work rate and robustness off the ball.

Id be tempted to give it a go.

What is clear to me is despite Pickerings detractors Harry gives a lot of quality on the ball in the build up. Id hesitate to drop him again.

It's something Blackburn Rovers are usually short of, decent wingers. A team without wingers is like trying to start a car with no engine. I think it's worth a try, Beck on the wing, he's got pace and a great tackle that wins the ball back.

[Mattyblue]

Wingers? Don’t be a dinosaur! You’ll be asking for front twos next.

[Norbert Rassragr]

A team bottom or near the bottom of the table and having a stinker of a season? 2-0 to Portsmouth.

[rigger]

I think we will win by four goals.

[Upside Down]

10 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Wingers? Don’t be a dinosaur! You’ll be asking for front twos next.

That's not the 'right way' to play the game.

Goals can only be scored by a team passing out from the back....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then the opposition intercepting one of those passes and smashing it into the net.

[RoversTilliDie]

11 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Wingers? Don’t be a dinosaur! You’ll be asking for front twos next.

Your probably a dinsaur, with supporters like you, no wonder theyve won fuck all for 200 years, oh i forgot the 95 premiership and a league cup.

[Mattyblue]

Sorry ‘they’, Blackburn Rovers, presumably, are such a disappointment to you.

I best use a🚨SARCASM🚨 disclaimer next time.

 

[KentExile]

Toth injured his ankle during international training

 

[Herbie6590]

Previous meetings & last match…

[sharpysharps86]

With tough games against Boro and Leeds after this, it really feels like a must win to follow up the Cardiff result with another 3 points and maintain a top half spot for now at least.

The team I would be tempted to go with:

                      Pears

Brittain    Batth     Hyam     Beck

             Travis    Tronstad

Weimann    Cantwell    Hedges

                    Ohashi

I was tempted to swap Weimann and Ohashi around but I doubt Weimann has the energy to press in the same way as Yuki.

I'll go for a 2-1 Rovers win. It won't be as easy as it may look on paper given the league table. Ohashi and Cantwell to score.

Edited November 17, 2024 by sharpysharps86

[KentExile]

37 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

With tough games against Boro and Leeds after this, it really feels like a must win to follow up the Cardiff result with another 3 points and maintain a top half spot for now at least.

The team I would be tempted to go with:

                      Pears

Brittain    Batth     Hyam     Beck

             Travis    Tronstad

Weimann    Cantwell    Hedges

                    Ohashi

I was tempted to swap Weimann and Ohashi around but I doubt Weimann has the energy to press in the same way as Yuki.

I'll go for a 2-1 Rovers win. It won't be as easy as it may look on paper given the league table. Ohashi and Cantwell to score.

I find it unlikely that Eustace will change a winning team and shape (fitness permitting), especially one which played as well as they did v Cardiff. 

Rightly or wrongly, Eustace seems to prefer to keep the 11 the same if they performed well, and makes reactive changes to the starting 11 based on defeats/bad performances, rather than making "proactive" changes in advance.

Beck pulled out of the Wales squad with injury, so I cant see him in the first 11 in a weeks time (he may return on the bench if fit enough)  and Pickering had a decent game v Cardiff.  More importantly, Pickering being in the team allowed Rovers to utilise the same team shape in possession that was successful in the early weeks of the season.

Think you are correct that Weimann could not do the pressing role (maybe barring a 20 minute cameo) that Ohashi does.

Edited November 17, 2024 by KentExile

[broadsword]

On 10/11/2024 at 14:12, philipl said:

It would be great to have ACD and Beck back fit.

Hope players getting representative honours come back 100%

Arthur Conan Doyle?

 

Thought he played for Pompey?

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, broadsword said:

Arthur Conan Doyle?

 

Thought he played for Pompey?

ACD see he's electric.

[philipl]

Struggling sides are especially dangerous after having just picked up a big win so strong banana skin alert especially as Pompey have an excellent keeper in Schmidt.

Spent breakfast watching highlights of Pompey games. Murphy and Lang are quick and tricky respectively on the flanks and will pose a real threat. Lang has been winning penalties thinking of our recent track record for giving penalties away.

Beyond that Pompey look purpose made opposition for where we have strengths against their weaknesses. They score goals from presses inducing errors when teams pass it around narrowly at the back but have a hugely error prone defence particularly when their press has left the defenders exposed.

This is a game that calls for high possession football from Rovers and getting in among the Pompey defenders. Zip that ball around and transition quickly back to front and we should be very alright in this one. Dolan, Ohashi, Weimann and Cantwell would all be in my starting team. 

[rigger]

It's going to be cold.

[Hasta]

48 minutes ago, rigger said:

It's going to be cold.

Milder and wet according to the forecast.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Hasta said:

Milder and wet according to the forecast.

Here's hoping.

[Lancaster Rover]

Forecast to lash it down on Saturday with the temp jumping up at around 10 ish. 

[oneandycrawford]

On 16/11/2024 at 08:31, Herbie6590 said:

Previous meetings & last match…

Great night. Remember the Trav sending off - Not a difficult one for the referee to be fair!

[Trinidad Rover]

Siggy injured again according to Eustace.

We are never going to see him again are we - real shame his heart wasn’t in it/it hasn’t worked as he is a good player, looked superb at the start of last season.