v Portsmouth (h) - 15/1/2025

[TruRover]

Pears

Britain Bath Hyam Beck

JRC Tronstad

ACD Cantwell Dolan

Weimann

^ only correct team IMO. Buckley isn’t good enough and JRC has proven to be more than competent at CM (I actually think it’s his best position). Weimann seems the only one who can finish so I’d say whack him up top, although I’m not opposed to Gueye. 
 

Huge game. Win this and we are set up really nicely for a very winnable fixture run. Alongside some attacking additions and we could gain some momentum. 

[philipl]

Pompey have two very different but very effective wingers but the rest of the team is ordinary and the defence can be got at.

I am less concerned than I was at the time of the original fixture because Pompey were in the run lifting themselves out of relegation places then but have stuttered since including a couple of humiliations.

That said, our record of blowing the opportunity presented by playing our game in hand at home is horrendous.

[jim mk2]

The Rovers front 6 don't have the skill to press and open up defences at home. We need to treat home games as away games - sit back, invite them to attack, then hit them on the break.  And anything other than a win after the super Cup result at Middlesbrough would be a big disappointment 

[Eddie]

This is very much a must-win. Things have been a bit shakey in the league recently and this is our ideal chance to get back on track. Anything other than a win here and we can probably write off the playoffs as I doubt we will outperform 4/5 of the other clubs in the mix in the second half of the season. 

[Rover down South]

3 hours ago, TruRover said:

Pears

Britain Bath Hyam Beck

JRC Tronstad

ACD Cantwell Dolan

Weimann

^ only correct team IMO. Buckley isn’t good enough and JRC has proven to be more than competent at CM (I actually think it’s his best position). Weimann seems the only one who can finish so I’d say whack him up top, although I’m not opposed to Gueye. 
 

Huge game. Win this and we are set up really nicely for a very winnable fixture run. Alongside some attacking additions and we could gain some momentum. 

I like this lineup and agree with your comments, in particular about Weimann. I think he’s the only natural finisher we have.

[Mattyblue]

Training on the Ewood pitch again, just what you want before a load of home games through January and February.

Brockhall pitches frozen again, presumably. Shame we don’t have any indoor facilities down there or anything…

[Ghost7]

A January 15th fixture, mid way through the transfer window. A game I still expect will be played predominately without the help of any new signings. Not one player signed yet to improve the starting 11. No one must have told our billionaire owners we are just outside the playoffs or perhaps they are largely still uncontactable.

[Waggy76]

6 minutes ago, Ghost7 said:

A January 15th fixture, mid way through the transfer window. A game I still expect will be played predominately without the help of any new signings. Not one player signed yet to improve the starting 11. No one must have told our billionaire owners we are just outside the playoffs or perhaps they are largely still uncontactable.

Who actually rearranged the fixture after a busy and difficult Xmas / New Year period for any date in January??? 

It is more than a bit odd! 

 

Edited January 13 by Waggy76

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

7 hours ago, TruRover said:

Pears

Britain Bath Hyam Beck

JRC Tronstad

ACD Cantwell Dolan

Weimann

^ only correct team IMO. Buckley isn’t good enough and JRC has proven to be more than competent at CM (I actually think it’s his best position). Weimann seems the only one who can finish so I’d say whack him up top, although I’m not opposed to Gueye. 
 

Huge game. Win this and we are set up really nicely for a very winnable fixture run. Alongside some attacking additions and we could gain some momentum. 

Let’s hope they don’t get too many corners and free kicks. That’s a very short line up

[...]

Pears

Brittain - Batth - Hyam - Owen Owen Beck

JRC - Tronsadt ole ole ole

Hedges - Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh Todd Cantwell, Dolan

Who put the ball in the bastards net Andi Andi Weimann

 

Thats my squad.

Thankyou please.

 

[M_B]

5 minutes ago, ... said:

Pears

Brittain - Batth - Hyam - Owen Owen Beck

JRC - Tronsadt ole ole ole

Hedges - Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh Todd Cantwell, Dolan

Who put the ball in the bastards net Andi Andi Weimann

 

Thats my squad.

Thankyou please.

 

All duhs present and correct.

[...]

4 minutes ago, M_B said:

All duhs present and correct.

Hahaha glad you read it, did you read it out loud duh for duh? 🤣

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Training on the Ewood pitch again, just what you want before a load of home games through January and February.

Brockhall pitches frozen again, presumably. Shame we don’t have any indoor facilities down there or anything…

The last time we did that they were trying to stay out of the way of the surveyors measuring up Brockhall .

[RevidgeBlue]

9 hours ago, TruRover said:

Pears

Britain Bath Hyam Beck

JRC Tronstad

ACD Cantwell Dolan

Weimann

That side but Leonard up top.

Edited January 13 by RevidgeBlue

[Paul Mani]

Defence, keeper and Sonny pick themselves. Buckley makes sense and he’s a more attacking option at home. I expect Hedges and ACD to start on the bench after illness. Weimann the most likely to score a goal and hoping the penny drops for Leonard. Gueye, ACD and Hedges on at 70 mins. Forshaw for Sonny if we’re comfortable late on.

Rovers 2 - 0 Pompey (Leonard brace..)
 

                    Pears

Brittain.  Batth.  Hyam.   Beck

              Bucko.  Sonny

    Dolan.    Cantwell.   Weimann

                    Leonard

Subs - Toth, Sanderson, Litherland, OG Macken, Forshaw, JRC, Hedges, ACD, Gueye

[Ossydave]

I think we need to persevere with Leonard, it's not going to do him much good if we keep chopping and changing. It's a shame it didn't go in on Saturday when he rattled the bar, I can't help but thinking with a decent run of starts the goals will come though.

[jim mk2]

30 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

I think we need to persevere with Leonard, it's not going to do him much good if we keep chopping and changing. It's a shame it didn't go in on Saturday when he rattled the bar, I can't help but thinking with a decent run of starts the goals will come though.

He needs 10 chances to score one and this Rovers team creates very few chances. No better than Jack Vale in my opinion, another lad who always struggled at this level. 

[Mattyblue]

Better all round footballer than Vale, better attitude too, alas just like him, he can’t put the ball in the net, which is kind of important for a striker (or maybe it isn’t these days as he can just miss kick it for a ‘goal involvement’ instead).

[Paul Mani]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

I think we need to persevere with Leonard, it's not going to do him much good if we keep chopping and changing. It's a shame it didn't go in on Saturday when he rattled the bar, I can't help but thinking with a decent run of starts the goals will come though.

Leonard has a real chance.

The last time I spoke to any of the senior / Academy coaching staff in depth was a week after JDT was brought in. At the end of our meeting (about other stuff) I asked specifically who were the jewels In the crown coming through…he was glowing in general but clear that Rovers had three, potentially generational talents who they expected to play in the PL and for England. Ash Phillips, Adam Wharton and Harry Leonard. I did come on here and pass on the info at the time.

I hadn’t seen any of them play and he described Leonard as the most natural finisher they’d seen. “He always gets himself in the right place and he’s deadly”.

Let’s hope it clicks for Harry. I certainly hope so.

[Mattyblue]

‘Generational talent’, Leonard? Like the lad, but a tad hyperbolic there…

[roversfan99]

Yep, certainly not generational. 

Not deadly either or seeming like a natural finisher but does have good movement.

[Paul Mani]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

‘Generational talent’, Leonard? Like the lad, but a tad hyperbolic there…

To be clear, not my opinion. The opinion of the coach / coaches who watch them train and play everyday. 🤷🏽‍♂️

fwiw - by generational, I think the context was ‘generational’ for the academy in terms of there being very few players ever expected to play in the Prem and for England. These three were expected to make that cut.

We needn’t say anymore about Wharton, and Phillips could potentially go back to Spurs and kick on, but injuries have probably held Leonard back so far. I hope he stays injury free and gets lots of games and goals before the end of the season.

Edit - To those saying he can’t finish, I haven’t checked but didn’t HL break quite a few Goalscoring records in the academy and get a raft in the 23’s prior to his injury? I’m sure I remember reading something. 

Edited January 14 by Paul Mani

[roversfan99]

Its a hell of a statement to think that Leonard is expected to play in the Premier League and for England.

Either way, if he gets lots of game time here before the end of the season, it doesnt suggest a club taking a top 6 push seriously.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

He needs 10 chances to score one and this Rovers team creates very few chances. No better than Jack Vale in my opinion, another lad who always struggled at this level. 

He hasn’t got any “ presence “ on the pitch. He doesn’t impose himself on the opposing defence. He’d have been OK 30 years ago playing off a big centre forward but those days have gone. 

[chaddyrovers]

8 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Yep, certainly not generational. 

Not deadly either or seeming like a natural finisher but does have good movement.

Give him a chance RF99. You seems to serious don't rate him at all don't you?.

Just now, roversfan99 said:

 if he gets lots of game time here before the end of the season, it doesnt suggest a club taking a top 6 push seriously.

Why? Cos you don't rate Leonard like some of us do?