v Derby County (a) - 8/3/2025

[...]

1 hour ago, StHelensRover said:

Eustace has absolutely shithoused us today and the icing on the cake is going to be when Sam Gallagher and Lewis Baker score on Wednesday leaving us 6 adrift of top 6 😂 

Two bungled in goals from them. Lucky bounces and no outright goal was saught from them. Atleast ours was built up and didn't rely on players falling over and the ball bouncing off them unawares ugh ...

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Cherry Blue said:

I can accept Toth is no better than Pears but because he's lost us so many games and he doesn't  learn from his errors as many glangers he repeats, give Toth a chance against Stoke. Nothing to lose with playoffs out of our reach..

You have to give another player a chance - in many ways GK is the most important position on the pitch. If you have a bad one it's really, really difficult to recover from.

That said, Pears is a symptom of the Venkys. Similar to how Dolan has racked up 200 games for us (at 23). We're in football purgatory when poor players like those two are run out there week after week with zero repercussions. 

[Exiled_Rover]

36 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I wouldn’t exactly describe that chance as a “ sitter “ . He was in on an angle and he hit the target. On another day that would have slipped in between the keepers legs, which it very nearly did.

He took too long on it and he had to fire it across goal. If it's saved it at least then gives another Rovers a chance (Gueye was sat there waiting to pounce). Instead I feel like he panicked and just tried to get a shot off on target - on another day it goes through the GKs legs, but it wasn't a good shot. 

[Tom]

I think Yuki was slightly unlucky. No doubt he should score but you either lift it or go between the legs and he’s very nearly done the latter.

Good pass back to Pape for his goal and a good finish from the big man as well, hope they can strike a partnership 

[chaddyrovers]

What a shambles of performance to be honest, Before the game started and seeing the team, I expect us to fly out of the blocks, attack them and press them, but we got a very different start. 

The start to the game was nothing more than shit show and how can our centre backs and Pears not deal with such a simple ball into the box and being bullied by Yates and Harkness is utter pathetic. Pears flapping again and tbh, I have had enough of it now and it got to stop. The number 1 priority this summer is new number 1 keeper who can command the box, good reflexes, communicate and quickly distribution the ball. 

Second goal similar. 

After Karbgo went off and we changed shape and we got back into the game and we created 2 very good chances and Ohashi should have scored and Ohashi created Gueye's chance and he took it well. If we had another 10-15 mins to this half I think we would have scored half, You can tell after Gueye scored the Derby defence was shaking. 

Second half, I expect us to put more crosses into the box and caused them more problems but we didn't. We didn't look to get into Gueye more but didn't, apart from Ohashi chance, we created very little, Our wing backs Brittain and Ribeiro far too deep second half and Brittain lack confidence to take his man on and put the ball into the box. 

Apart from Travis and Gueye plus Ohashi, no one else get more than 4/5 

I expect much better today and I witness players lacking passion, desire, confidence. I really hope they are hurting after that performance cos I am for sure. 

Ismael needs to change more than he has done whether its 3 at back or change personnel but it need to happen now. 

The fans today were magnificent and never stop backing their job, Derby fans are very arrogant and cocky. Derby stewards very good and good banter.   

I am hoping for a much better result and performance on Wednesday night. I would make a few changes for this game and I discuss further in the Stoke match thread. 

[chaddyrovers]

29 minutes ago, arbitro said:

That's what really annoyed me with the first goal. I can live with mistakes, they happen but Pears simply bottled that challenge not wanting to get hurt.

And for a keeper that is unforgivable.

Pears was weak as hell and as you said bottled it. You expected much better from him now, given his experience and knowledge of this league. Not good enough

[Penwortham Blue]

4 hours ago, superniko said:

11 straight defeats away from home to promoted L1 teams.

Blackburn Rovers soft touches - life under Venkys

2024: Derby (A) - Lost 2-1

2024: Oxford (A) - Lost 1-0

2023: Plymouth (A) - Lost 3-0

2023: Ipswich (A) - Lost 4-3

2023: Sheffield Wed (A) - Lost 3-1

2022: Wigan (A) - Lost 1-0

2022: Rotherham (A) - Lost 4-0 - christ this was a low point

2022: Sunderland (A) - Lost 2-1

2021: Hull (A) - Lost 2-0

2021: Peterborough (A) - Lost 2-1

2021: Blackpool (A) - Lost 2-1

Absolutely shameful !

[Penwortham Blue]

33 minutes ago, arbitro said:

That's what really annoyed me with the first goal. I can live with mistakes, they happen but Pears simply bottled that challenge not wanting to get hurt.

And for a keeper that is unforgivable.

Enough is enough, I don’t think Pears should ever wear the shirt again .

[DE.]

Ismael may have found out some things about players today, but then he's going to look at the squad and realise there's very little he can do about it. He's going to receive a paltry budget in the summer and realise there's very little he can do about it.

JDT & Eustace saw the writing on the wall very quickly and got out however they could. In JDT's case going off on Suhail and Venky's until they let him go, and in Eustace's case applying for any and all jobs until he found someone - anyone - willing to pay his release clause.

Ismael will find out soon enough exactly why his predecessors were so desperate to escape. The only question is whether he can stomach working in these conditions or not. Three years is a long time, especially in football.

[Exiled_Rover]

8 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Enough is enough, I don’t think Pears should ever wear the shirt again .

As I've repeatedly said, that goal he conceded against Wigan in the FA Cup was enough for me. I'd seen enough then - no professional GK should be beaten from there. 

He'd have been 3rd choice GK until I could quietly ship him out if I was in charge. 

Sadly it's only got worse. 

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, DE. said:

Ismael will find out soon enough exactly why his predecessors were so desperate to escape. The only question is whether he can stomach working in these conditions or not. Three years is a long time, especially in football.

not to mention his key players down to their last year,interest from clubs with ambition for them and all his loan players going back,will be the job from hell,would`nt surprise me if he goes awol,fails to turn up to preseason training and we never see him again😃

[arbitro]

11 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Enough is enough, I don’t think Pears should ever wear the shirt again .

In the next few weeks when mid table obscurity has been sealed I would be tempted to give young Nick Michalski a run of games. He's confident lad and certainly couldn't do worse than Pears. By saying that I have grave doubts about Toth too.

[ageoftherover]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

11 in a row lost to newly promoted sides 🥱

We've beaten all 3 promoted sides this year.

[arbitro]

Our set pieces were abysmal today primarily down to poor delivery but I can't remember one where one of our players got the first contact on the ball. Similarly we didn't win many second balls, something we were good at with the Tronstad/Travis pairing earlier in the season.

[Andy]

20 minutes ago, arbitro said:

In the next few weeks when mid table obscurity has been sealed I would be tempted to give young Nick Michalski a run of games. He's confident lad and certainly couldn't do worse than Pears. By saying that I have grave doubts about Toth too.

I've been saying this for a while - Michalski is an England Youth GK and has impressed me the few times I've watched him.

The alternative is either sticking with Calamity Pears, costing us a goal or two a game, or giving Toth a prelonged run to show what he can do.

It's mind blowing that any manager with functioning eyes would actively put Pears in the first team.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

7 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Our set pieces were abysmal today primarily down to poor delivery but I can't remember one where one of our players got the first contact on the ball. Similarly we didn't win many second balls, something we were good at with the Tronstad/Travis pairing earlier in the season.

Whenever we get a corner or a free kick out wide I never expect us to score. The balls are just floated in and are easy to defend against. Bang them in with some pace on the ball for once !

[jim mk2]

22 minutes ago, DE. said:

Ismael may have found out some things about players today, but then he's going to look at the squad and realise there's very little he can do about it. He's

 

Supporters have perhaps found out things about Ismael too, that he’s had zero impact on the team and the players, that he’s tactically rigid and  that, really, he’s not very good.

What was that second half all about today? Rovers were all over the place, failed to put Derby under any pressure and never at any point looked like saving the game. A large part of that is down to Ismael. My worst fears about him are being realised quicker than I expected

[Ghost7]

Shock... Adam Armstrong is helping West Brom get into the playoffs ahead of us.

Meanwhile our new signings lack fitness, you get what you pay for. Pathetic stuff.

[arbitro]

6 minutes ago, Andy said:

I've been saying this for a while - Michalski is an England Youth GK and has impressed me the few times I've watched him.

The alternative is either sticking with Calamity Pears, costing us a goal or two a game, or giving Toth a prelonged run to show what he can do.

It's mind blowing that any manager with functioning eyes would actively put Pears in the first team.

In respect of the goalkeepers Wednesday's team selection will be interesting. 

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, Waggy76 said:

Our 'significant investment' looks rather  'insignificant ' tonight .

 

Out of all the shit they've spouted over the years I think this is top five of the most insulting.

[G Somerset Rover]

2 minutes ago, Ghost7 said:

Shock... Adam Armstrong is helping West Brom get into the playoffs ahead of us.

Meanwhile our new signings lack fitness, you get what you pay for. Pathetic stuff.

He’s effectively ‘won’ WBA four points already with his goals. 

How’s the lad whose barely played for two years, Dennis, getting on for us, Steve?

Edited 22 hours ago by G Somerset Rover

[jim mk2]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Whenever we get a corner or a free kick out wide I never expect us to score. The balls are just floated in and are easy to defend against. Bang them in with some pace on the ball for once !

Schoolteachers told us to strike the ball like you would use a 3-iron in golf, ie low and flat, and that floated crosses are like using a 9-iron and are defenders’ balls.

Real basic stuff 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

6 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

Supporters have perhaps found out things about Ismael too, that he’s had zero impact on the team and the players, that he’s tactically rigid and  that, really, he’s not very good.

What was that second half all about today? Rovers were all over the place, failed to put Derby under any pressure and never at any point looked like saving the game. A large part of that is down to Ismael. My worst fears about him are being realised quicker than I expected

We came out after half time really early. I thought “ They’ve all been told their fortunes, there’ll be a big improvement now “ . Not a bit of it, no urgency, we were still seconded to nearly every ball, Derby players were stumbling through two or three challenges and still coming out with the ball. We were playing like we were 2-1 up not 2-1 down. Not once did we put them under sustained pressure. All the more galling as they were obviously bottom of the league for a reason.

Edited 22 hours ago by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Waggy76]

1 minute ago, G Somerset Rover said:

He’s effectively ‘won’ WBA four points now with his goals. 

How’s Dennis getting on for us, Steve?

Steve, won't give a shit, he has only played 15 mins in the league! 

Not much appearance money there 👌

[DE.]

5 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

Supporters have perhaps found out things about Ismael too, that he’s had zero impact on the team and the players, that he’s tactically rigid and  that, really, he’s not very good.

What was that second half all about today? Rovers were all over the place, failed to put Derby under any pressure and never at any point looked like saving the game. A large part of that is down to Ismael. My worst fears about him are being realised quicker than I expected

We can't keep bringing in cheap, out of work managers and expecting miracles. It was always going to end in disaster and I imagine there's a good chance next season it will do. This season the hierarchy's aim is already achieved - safety with less money spent.