v Derby County (a) - 8/3/2025, 15:00

[chaddyrovers]

25 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I’m not picking on Dolan but how he can expect to get picked again after Saturday’s awful performance says a lot about our current squad. Nobody up front really stood out but he was beyond poor. He was more likely to set up a goal for Norwich as he was for Rovers. How many times did he get caught in possession and lose the ball ? I like the lad usually but there has to be consequences for performances like that.

if Dennis had been available then I would have picked him instead of Hedges. 

Dolan was awful on Saturday which was very disappointed to see

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

2 hours ago, JHRover said:

 The thought of 3000 Rovers fans spending 90 minutes obsessing over and abusing Eustace rather than the real scumbags sat in the directors box doesn't appeal either. 

This.

Waghail sat there laughing their bollox off has me fuming even now.Use your Common sense fans attending!

[BlackburnEnd75]

                      Pears 

Brittain.  Carter  Hyam. Ribeiro

                Travis.   Tronstad

Dolan.           Ohashi.        Kargbo 

                     Gueye

Subs: Toth, Sanderson, JRC, Buckley, Hedges, ACD, Cantwell, Weimann, woodrow, 

I think you need one of dolan or Hedges for their work-rate at least for an hour anyway.  Hedges has been poor for a while but I thought did quite well off the bench on Saturday. Dolan was really poor on Saturday but I think he's been decent before that. Weimann should be coming off the bench not starting. 

[sharpysharps86]

56 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I’m not picking on Dolan but how he can expect to get picked again after Saturday’s awful performance says a lot about our current squad. Nobody up front really stood out but he was beyond poor. He was more likely to set up a goal for Norwich as he was for Rovers. How many times did he get caught in possession and lose the ball ? I like the lad usually but there has to be consequences for performances like that.

I agree, but looking at our other options for wide right I don't see anyone standing out as a better choice than him. ACD hasn't really done enough to warrant starting, and Hedges is having an awful season. Weimann wide right perhaps? Doesn't have the legs for it IMO. You could bring Brittain further forward and move JRC into right back as one option, but can JRC be trusted at right back these days?

 

 

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Weimann had no problems at WBA away did he? 

Its not difficult at all is it to pick a starting 11 to win the game. Hedges was better than Dolan and did well when he came on. 

No consideration for Gueye and Karbgo at all? 

Tell to change this then

I will be spending my time supporting the players on the pitch and Ismael. Not interested Eustace one bit

very similar to a number of people I speak to whether friends, family, people at Ewood that they are unhappy at Eustace saying one thing after Wolves game, then a different comment when at Derby, Plus other comments he during his spell here about being a family and being together as one. 

If Hedges is even a consideration to start then yes, it is a difficult decision. 

Derby are not only crap but their confidence is on the floor. We should be going to attack them. Is Hedges going to do that? Scoring, assisting, beating players, speed, dribbling, creating, youve repeatedly admitted that hes "not that type of player."

If you are in favour of leaving Ohashi out for if and when Gueye tires (in his last 8 games, he has played 90 minutes 6 times and 88 minutes twice so im unsure why) then it really highlights our January "attempts" to sign the striker we need. We signed a player more suited out wide who hadnt played for ages and is also suspended, and Cauley Woodrow who seemingly doesnt come into your thinking as a potential sub.

Little wonder that Eustace got so pissed off. Although you seemingly have gone from brief outrage that we had messed him around as he left, to constantly picking apart his media comments.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

17 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

I agree, but looking at our other options for wide right I don't see anyone standing out as a better choice than him. ACD hasn't really done enough to warrant starting, and Hedges is having an awful season. Weimann wide right perhaps? Doesn't have the legs for it IMO. You could bring Brittain further forward and move JRC into right back as one option, but can JRC be trusted at right back these days?

 

 

Yeah, we’re back to scraping the barrel.

[only2garners]

3 hours ago, JHRover said:

Every single ingredient is in place for a recipe for disaster here. Hope to god I am wrong because nothing less than a win will be enough for our fading play-off ambitions.

• Sell out relatively large away following travelling in confidence/expectation - rarely bodes well
• Eustace factor / added spice
• Our struggles in recent weeks and unconvincing performances
• Most of the season we have struggled away against struggling sides - Plymouth, Oxford, Millwall, Swansea
• They have a couple of monkeys on their back that will have to end soon - no goals in ages, no wins in ages, no points or wins for Eustace, risk of getting cut adrift
• They need a result to keep in touch with the teams just outside the bottom 3 - if they don't they will be adrift very soon with the likes of Hull and Stoke still collecting points
• As others have pointed out their defensive record isn't bad for a team in their position and given our troubles putting the ball in the net and Eustace/Ismael caution expect a low scoring affair decided by an odd goal

So yeah, I'm worried. The thought of 3000 Rovers fans spending 90 minutes obsessing over and abusing Eustace rather than the real scumbags sat in the directors box doesn't appeal either. 

But the real crunch question is - is Jim going?

[chaddyrovers]

14 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

If Hedges is even a consideration to start then yes, it is a difficult decision. 

Derby are not only crap but their confidence is on the floor. We should be going to attack them. Is Hedges going to do that? Scoring, assisting, beating players, speed, dribbling, creating, youve repeatedly admitted that hes "not that type of player."

No,it's easy decision to make on the late game performance but your hatred for Hedges clouds your decision making process. 

Yes Hedges can attacking team from wide right and moved into allowing Brittain to cross the ball for our players in the box. 

You yet again expecting things from Hedges he isnt. It was long ago you thought ACD was the best thing since sliced bread and always wanted him in the team cos of Pace without looking at everything and has very little impact. Its his first loan spell and people expectations were too high. Now you changed your tune. You form an opinion on Kargbo based on the league he played in, not on the qualities you seen in clips and show the type of player he is. Also since we signed him he has been good and show his pace and skill to see and gives us something we need but also can be improved by our coaching staff and game time he gets. 

14 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

If you are in favour of leaving Ohashi out for if and when Gueye tires (in his last 8 games, he has played 90 minutes 6 times and 88 minutes twice so im unsure why) then it really highlights our January "attempts" to sign the striker we need. We signed a player more suited out wide who hadnt played for ages and is also suspended, and Cauley Woodrow who seemingly doesnt come into your thinking as a potential sub.

Gueye and Kargbo are fasting due to their religion and can't take fluids on board during the game. I take it you didn't know this then RF99. 

Also Ohashi has just come back from injury so let's it easy with him. We need for rest of the season. 

I know we have Woodrow, thanks I who we signed and in the squad. 

Dennis can play anywhere across the attacking position and no way am I dropping Gueye for Dennis in the 9 role

14 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Little wonder that Eustace got so pissed off. Although you seemingly have gone from brief outrage that we had messed him around as he left, to constantly picking apart his media comments.

I've moved on from Eustace to be honest. His comments cos he was saying one thing to fans through the media and doing the other. You seemingly have no problem with him lying to the Rovers fanbase, well I do. I'm not going over Eustace time here every week with yourself who seems more upset and bitter with our management for not giving what he wanted than anyone I know including me. He made his decision and he has to live with it but I would say majority of the fanbase feel let down by him given his comments and actions pre Derby move. 

[wilba23]

I'd go:

                      Pears

Brittain  Carter   Hyam (if not banned)    Ribeiro

                 Travis   Sonny

  JRC           Cantwell        Kargbo 

                       Gueye

Subs - Toth, Weiman, Sanderson, Forshaw, Dolan, Hedges, Woodrow, ACD, Ohashi

 

I do think Weiman is better off the bench and I want to see us attack Derby and pin them back, much like we should have done with Swansea 

[lraC]

9 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

No,it's easy decision to make on the late game performance but your hatred for Hedges clouds your decision making process. 

Yes Hedges can attacking team from wide right and moved into allowing Brittain to cross the ball for our players in the box. 

You yet again expecting things from Hedges he isnt. It was long ago you thought ACD was the best thing since sliced bread and always wanted him in the team cos of Pace without looking at everything and has very little impact. Its his first loan spell and people expectations were too high. Now you changed your tune. You form an opinion on Kargbo based on the league he played in, not on the qualities you seen in clips and show the type of player he is. Also since we signed him he has been good and show his pace and skill to see and gives us something we need but also can be improved by our coaching staff and game time he gets. 

Gueye and Kargbo are fasting due to their religion and can't take fluids on board during the game. I take it you didn't know this then RF99. 

Also Ohashi has just come back from injury so let's it easy with him. We need for rest of the season. 

I know we have Woodrow, thanks I who we signed and in the squad. 

Dennis can play anywhere across the attacking position and no way am I dropping Gueye for Dennis in the 9 role

I've moved on from Eustace to be honest. His comments cos he was saying one thing to fans through the media and doing the other. You seemingly have no problem with him lying to the Rovers fanbase, well I do. I'm not going over Eustace time here every week with yourself who seems more upset and bitter with our management for not giving what he wanted than anyone I know including me. He made his decision and he has to live with it but I would say majority of the fanbase feel let down by him given his comments and actions pre Derby move. 

I have moved on from Eustace too and to be honest, I never really took to him and didn’t listen to a single pre or post match interview, in all the time, he was with us.

I think it stemmed from how Waggott seemed to have him already lined up, prior to JDT leaving. To be fair despite failing to win a home game last season (Stoke can still be debated I guess) he did well this season, but for me, I had already decided he wasn’t for me.

The big problem is, I am feeling the same way about the new guy and feel a bit sickened with his letter and how he has been rolled out, by the club so far.

Its feeling to me, a bit like the manager, Suhail and Waggott, are all buffoons, taking the fans for a ride, along with the owners. I am hoping we can get some wins in the next 3 games and it turns me around, as I don’t think I have felt as bad about Rovers as I currently do, in the 52 years, I have been a fan. 

[joey_big_nose]

Looking at how we played against Norwich I am a bit concerned that we are abandoning our tight compact game for more direct style. We had a great big hole in midfield for much of the game on Saturday and our pressing was really bad as we could get picked off very easily. We couldn't really string much together. If we are going to play with that distance between our forwards and our defenders we are going to need to reconfigure a bit.

I think maybe the way to address it is to drop the number 10 role, get another body into the middle with Travis and Tronstad, and let the wide players really push up. This is what I would be tempted to go for, with an expectation on Ohashi and Kargbo to drop in and do the defensive work also when needed. I like also that it could get all of Ohashi, Gueye and Kargbo into the same XI.

                        Pears

Brittain      Carter     Hyam    Riberio

       Travis    Tronstad   Cantwell

      Ohashi    Gueye    Kargbo

[USABlue]

I think Eustace and the Rams will bave out number.  I can imagine JE, knowing Pears as well as he does, will tell his players shoot on site and someone always follow the shot.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

No,it's easy decision to make on the late game performance but your hatred for Hedges clouds your decision making process. 

Yes Hedges can attacking team from wide right and moved into allowing Brittain to cross the ball for our players in the box. 

You yet again expecting things from Hedges he isnt. It was long ago you thought ACD was the best thing since sliced bread and always wanted him in the team cos of Pace without looking at everything and has very little impact. Its his first loan spell and people expectations were too high. Now you changed your tune. You form an opinion on Kargbo based on the league he played in, not on the qualities you seen in clips and show the type of player he is. Also since we signed him he has been good and show his pace and skill to see and gives us something we need but also can be improved by our coaching staff and game time he gets. 

Gueye and Kargbo are fasting due to their religion and can't take fluids on board during the game. I take it you didn't know this then RF99. 

Also Ohashi has just come back from injury so let's it easy with him. We need for rest of the season. 

I know we have Woodrow, thanks I who we signed and in the squad. 

Dennis can play anywhere across the attacking position and no way am I dropping Gueye for Dennis in the 9 role

I've moved on from Eustace to be honest. His comments cos he was saying one thing to fans through the media and doing the other. You seemingly have no problem with him lying to the Rovers fanbase, well I do. I'm not going over Eustace time here every week with yourself who seems more upset and bitter with our management for not giving what he wanted than anyone I know including me. He made his decision and he has to live with it but I would say majority of the fanbase feel let down by him given his comments and actions pre Derby move. 

Its the owners I hate. Their lapdogs Suhail and Waggott are also dragging the club down too.

They have pulled a blinder purposely or otherwise though where now Eustace takes all of the flak and many seem happy to overlook the mess that still remains. You agreed that he had been let down when it emerged that he was going, now hes the villain of the piece. As has been mentioned, and he deserves some stick, but seems a bit wrong that on Saturday 100% of the bile will be chucked towards Eustace and 0% at the root causes of our problems.

If expecting a player playing in an attacking position to offer any sort of attacking threat is expecting too much or expecting things that a player cannot do, then yes I am. I dont hate him by any means, sure he is a nice guy and no doubt that he tries his best. But I dont like seeing players play for my club who clearly arent good enough.

And Gueye managed basically the whole game at the weekend. Ohashi might only be able to do an hour but Weimann or Cantwell can come on for him when he tires. But lets attack them from the start, get 1 up and get their fans on their back.

[Plastics]

As much as points aren't much for Derby these days they need a first shut out to build from under Eustace. For that reason I can see it being 0-0 or 1-0 either side unless we score early and they collapse. I think that's less likely than the other listed potentials, though. I will go 1-0 Rovers and keep some optimism after the late equaliser with ten men

Edited 4 hours ago by Plastics
Typo

[Mercer]

3 hours ago, lraC said:

I have moved on from Eustace too and to be honest, I never really took to him and didn’t listen to a single pre or post match interview, in all the time, he was with us.

I think it stemmed from how Waggott seemed to have him already lined up, prior to JDT leaving. To be fair despite failing to win a home game last season (Stoke can still be debated I guess) he did well this season, but for me, I had already decided he wasn’t for me.

The big problem is, I am feeling the same way about the new guy and feel a bit sickened with his letter and how he has been rolled out, by the club so far.

Its feeling to me, a bit like the manager, Suhail and Waggott, are all buffoons, taking the fans for a ride, along with the owners. I am hoping we can get some wins in the next 3 games and it turns me around, as I don’t think I have felt as bad about Rovers as I currently do, in the 52 years, I have been a fan. 

3 hours ago, lraC said:

I have moved on from Eustace too and to be honest, I never really took to him and didn’t listen to a single pre or post match interview, in all the time, he was with us.

I think it stemmed from how Waggott seemed to have him already lined up, prior to JDT leaving. To be fair despite failing to win a home game last season (Stoke can still be debated I guess) he did well this season, but for me, I had already decided he wasn’t for me.

The big problem is, I am feeling the same way about the new guy and feel a bit sickened with his letter and how he has been rolled out, by the club so far.

Its feeling to me, a bit like the manager, Suhail and Waggott, are all buffoons, taking the fans for a ride, along with the owners. I am hoping we can get some wins in the next 3 games and it turns me around, as I don’t think I have felt as bad about Rovers as I currently do, in the 52 years, I have been a fan. 

I think there are many of our era and beyond who now feel so ambivalent about Rovers.

Pre Venkys, a Rovers' defeat really, really hurt - now it's more of a shrug of the shoulders.

I think it's very much unlikely I will ever see Rovers back in the PL which is so sad.

Think an insolvency scenario within the next 3 years is the most likely and almost inevitable outcome.

[Mattyblue]

Mercer, March 2028:

Think an insolvency scenario within the next 3 years is the most likely and almost inevitable outcome.

[onlyonejackwalker]

8 hours ago, JHRover said:

Every single ingredient is in place for a recipe for disaster here. Hope to god I am wrong because nothing less than a win will be enough for our fading play-off ambitions.

• Sell out relatively large away following travelling in confidence/expectation - rarely bodes well
• Eustace factor / added spice
• Our struggles in recent weeks and unconvincing performances
• Most of the season we have struggled away against struggling sides - Plymouth, Oxford, Millwall, Swansea
• They have a couple of monkeys on their back that will have to end soon - no goals in ages, no wins in ages, no points or wins for Eustace, risk of getting cut adrift
• They need a result to keep in touch with the teams just outside the bottom 3 - if they don't they will be adrift very soon with the likes of Hull and Stoke still collecting points
• As others have pointed out their defensive record isn't bad for a team in their position and given our troubles putting the ball in the net and Eustace/Ismael caution expect a low scoring affair decided by an odd goal

So yeah, I'm worried. The thought of 3000 Rovers fans spending 90 minutes obsessing over and abusing Eustace rather than the real scumbags sat in the directors box doesn't appeal either. 

Yeah let's all be really nice to Eustace. 

Can everyone please remember he only left for purely footballing reasons and a longer term project. And the communication and vision of the owner. And to be nearer to somewhere else. And because Rovers are so toxic that no one else in their right mind would come and work here.

Three games, no goals, zero points, from fourth bottom to bottom, please give him a big cheer. He needs every bit of support he can get.

 

[Blue Greyhound]

Il be there, properly up for this one.

The fans are the ones that are always punished for the constant shenanigans of this football club, a win would at least give us those bragging rights over someone who, at least on the surface of things, left us for dead.

[rigger]

5 minutes ago, Blue Greyhound said:

Il be there, properly up for this one.

The fans are the ones that are always punished for the constant shenanigans of this football club, a win would at least give us those bragging rights over someone who, at least on the surface of things, left us for dead.

I wish I was going, more for the Rovers performance, than to slag off an ex-manager.

[simongarnerisgod]

derby and stoke away will shape our season,get nothing from these two games and it`s season over imo

[Ossydave]

Football is that unpredictable at the minute, despite our usual tendency to fuck games like this up, we're probably equally as likely to win 5 nil.

The only constant is Liverpool winning every week, well maybe not in the FA cup like but still. 

I watched the highlights of their game at weekend, they huffed and puffed a lot but looked really shit for the most part. Really, really shit.

Just hope VI has them up for it, JE definitely will have Derby up for it. Doesn't happen often that both home and away teams are exactly the same odds on 365 at 17/10 so the bookies ain't got a damn clue how it's going to go either....

[Gav]

I hate to say this, but how many times have we seen Rovers going away to a side struggling and going down with a whimper? 

I hope I’m wrong, but I think Eustace gets his first win.

Derby 1 Rovers 0 

Edited 50 minutes ago by Gav

[chaddyrovers]

6 hours ago, lraC said:

I have moved on from Eustace too and to be honest, I never really took to him and didn’t listen to a single pre or post match interview, in all the time, he was with us.

I think it stemmed from how Waggott seemed to have him already lined up, prior to JDT leaving. To be fair despite failing to win a home game last season (Stoke can still be debated I guess) he did well this season, but for me, I had already decided he wasn’t for me.

The big problem is, I am feeling the same way about the new guy and feel a bit sickened with his letter and how he has been rolled out, by the club so far.

Its feeling to me, a bit like the manager, Suhail and Waggott, are all buffoons, taking the fans for a ride, along with the owners. I am hoping we can get some wins in the next 3 games and it turns me around, as I don’t think I have felt as bad about Rovers as I currently do, in the 52 years, I have been a fan. 

same here about Eustace, he made his decision and now he has to live with it. 

I wasn't sickened by Ismael's letter pre game and if everything I thought it was good move and he got a good reception pre game from everyone at Ewood Park but he didn't make a big thing of being unveiled to the fans pre game which I think was a good move so far. 

 

[London blue]

Chaddy in backing club decision and deriding former manager shocker.