v Cardiff City (h) - 15/3/2025

[Forever Blue]

2 hours ago, Andy said:

If, as it sounds, VI is writing this season off and planning for next season, we might as well play some of the kids and get rid of the shite.

Unless VI is blind, he'll have already seen enough of Pears to know that he'll never be good enough to be a number 1.
In fact, he is figuratively and literally a number 2.

Michalski

Brittain Hyam Carter Ribiero

Travis Tronstad

Dunn

Gueye Tyjon (if he's fit)

If the likes of Dolan isn't sticking around, then he's played his last game for me.

I haven’t read his comments so no idea if he’s writing this season off, but if he is it’s an excuse for not being good enough. He was in a fantastic position to go for the play offs and he’s already been found wanting. 

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

With Brittain out, that's probably how i'd go as well.

Not a lot of confidence that it will get a result but not really much else we can do

Exactly

28 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Tyrone mentioned it here

Elliott Jackson and Ryan on the Arte Et Labore mentioned as I said previously. 

Eustace gone, get over it. Ismael been here 3 games and you were saying similar last season when Eustace came in. Things haven't gone well for Ismael in the last 2 games and he got to start making more changes. We have to create more chances and get more crosses into the box. 

thanks for answering the question

so drop Pears and play Toth? make that decision then

don't get the hatred towards Forshaw and Sanderson from yourself. Forshaw and Sanderson is just steady player, nothing special. 

You used to think ACD was great and the best thing since slice bread,  cos he had some pace and you were slamming everyone for not picking him. change your mind not? 

Cantwell hasn't performed like I expected. 

We came into the window needing players to help us maintain a promotion push. We decided to sign players unwanted by Plymouth and Birmingham. I dont hate them, they just arent good enough. They wouldnt get in many if any other Championship teams and they shouldnt have been signed for ours.

I certainly never thought that ACD was great. At a time when he was barely playing if at all, and having grown long since sick of seeing Hedges and Dolan trudge up and down doing nothing, I wanted him to be given a chance. He didnt get a sustained one but I think hes just as ineffective.

Lets hope Ismael similarly to Eustace improves massively as time goes on. Even if he does, it wont be sustainable because of the owners but I was not impressed by his appointment nor have I been by the tactics and the setup from his first 3 games which have already knocked us away from having any lingering top 6 hopes. Hes still contracted as Rovers manager so you will defend every thing he does until that changes.

[simongarnerisgod]

good luck to ismael trying to rebuild a side that was in 5th position before he rocked up and lost the last two games vs terrible opposition😃,if he proceeds to rebuild then  im`e looking forwards to see how he does it with no money and no budget for wages,next season is going to be right laugh😩

[Waggy76]

2 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Jesus, is he really?

I've not followed us closely since he was appointed. Has he really started talking about the summer rebuild after being handed a club in 5th with just 13 games to go that had made 'significant investment' in the January window?

Three games later and suddenly it's all about the summer?

This lad is going to be here for the full three and a half years of his contract, isn't he?

I doubt he will be here in 12 months time , there must be some get out clause somewhere in the small print .

Managers , rarely last 18 months at Rovers nowadays , only Mowbray in the last 14 years .

Rebuilding this poor squad will be more than difficult , who will get fed up first ? Fans ,manager or the owners ?

 

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

We came into the window needing players to help us maintain a promotion push. We decided to sign players unwanted by Plymouth and Birmingham. I dont hate them, they just arent good enough. They wouldnt get in many if any other Championship teams and they shouldnt have been signed for ours.

Both steady championship players. Not bothered by that they weren't be previously. Why is that such a big thing for you? Also you wanted to back Eustace and would you accept that Sanderson was his signing? 

I accept that Dennis signing hasn't worked out so far. Woodrow, I don't get. 

The January window given what we know seems to be a disagreement between Eustace and Rovers management. One of the reasons why Eustace left. In the summer, this can't happened again. 

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

I certainly never thought that ACD was great. At a time when he was barely playing if at all, and having grown long since sick of seeing Hedges and Dolan trudge up and down doing nothing, I wanted him to be given a chance. He didnt get a sustained one but I think hes just as ineffective.

I think he was overhyped and he has struggled in his first pro season at competitive season. Its not a criticism of him personally. I hope he makes it for himself. 

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Lets hope Ismael similarly to Eustace improves massively as time goes on. Even if he does, it wont be sustainable because of the owners but I was not impressed by his appointment nor have I been by the tactics and the setup from his first 3 games which have already knocked us away from having any lingering top 6 hopes.

What was wrong the tactics against Norwich? nothing much changed from the Plymouth game, agree? 

Have you read and listened to Travis saying that not much has changed under Ismael and that the previous 2 results are down to the players not Ismael? 

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Hes still contracted as Rovers manager so you will defend every thing he does until that changes.

Another utter and baseless comment. Said plenty of previous head coaches whilst in the job, so your point is wrong and unnecessary.  I just don't go into to criticism mode like yourself every day and go on and on about the same points each and every week like we have all forget 

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 16:54 by chaddyrovers

[booth]

1 hour ago, Forever Blue said:

As said in my original post, you don’t  have a successful season (relatively speaking) if the ‘mentality is shot’, whatever that means.

They now look a disorganised rabble. That’s not a mentality thing, that’s a shit manager thing. 

And results nosediving since Travis got injured isn’t a mentality thing either, which you’ve just acknowledged. 
 

Genuinely no idea what you’re arguing. 

Simply, it's way beyond the managers fault.

We were shit under Eustace, we're just a different shade of shit under Ismael.

[simongarnerisgod]

4 minutes ago, booth said:

Simply, it's way beyond the managers fault.

We were shit under Eustace, we're just a different shade of shit under Ismael.

the said eustace that had us in the play offs,if we were s***t then he must have been a good coach to us there

 

[Old Codger]

11 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

 

 

Why would you try to change the way they play, when that alone is the reason for their (then) lofty league position. Something doesn't add up.

[booth]

1 minute ago, simongarnerisgod said:

the said eustace that had us in the play offs,if we were s***t then he must have been a good coach to us there

 

This is the problem with making it simple. In my previous post I said since Travis got injured.

[MarkBRFC]

Travis interview stinks of "season is going to shit and nobody likes the new manager, quick get the captain out there to say a few hollow words".

And as for VI, he's spent the last two weeks saying he's not going to change anything because of how well the players have done, now he's saying his style will take time to implement as it's a completely different way of playing.

Playing us for fools, every single one of them, and i include the players in that.

Edited yesterday at 18:04 by MarkBRFC

[roversfan99]

17 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Both steady championship players. Not bothered by that they weren't be previously. Why is that such a big thing for you? Also you wanted to back Eustace and would you accept that Sanderson was his signing? 

I accept that Dennis signing hasn't worked out so far. Woodrow, I don't get. 

The January window given what we know seems to be a disagreement between Eustace and Rovers management. One of the reasons why Eustace left. In the summer, this can't happened again. 

I think he was overhyped and he has struggled in his first pro season at competitive season. Its not a criticism of him personally. I hope he makes it for himself. 

What was wrong the tactics against Norwich? nothing much changed from the Plymouth game, agree? 

Have you read and listened to Travis saying that not much has changed under Ismael and that the previous 2 results are down to the players not Ismael? 

Another utter and baseless comment. Said plenty of previous head coaches whilst in the job, so your point is wrong and unnecessary.  I just don't go into to criticism mode like yourself every day and go on and on about the same points each and every week like we have all forget 

Hes not going to say this new manager is shit is he? You have incredible naivety towards the standard interview claptrap everyone comes out with.

Dont expect anything to change in the summer, its been happening for ages. Lots of cheap dross brought in during the January window. Sanderson and Forshaw are not players you sign if you have ambitions at the top end of the Championship.

 

[onlyonejackwalker]

9 hours ago, Forever Blue said:

The players aren’t the issue. Apart from a disastrous 2 month spell under JDT, when relationships crumbled, these players have consistently batted above their average for a few seasons. 
 

The issue is that the new manager is utter wank. 

Of course the players are culpable. We gifted Derby two pathetic goals within ten minutes. We then gifted Stoke a goal. We have gifted three goals to the opposition, aginst two poor teams struggling to score / win. 

You may well be right about the manager. He certainly wasn't my preference.

But you cant blame him for those defensive errors. Pretty sure his team talk won't have included the 'gift goals to the opposition then go from there' instruction.

[Forever Blue]

45 minutes ago, booth said:

Simply, it's way beyond the managers fault.

We were shit under Eustace, we're just a different shade of shit under Ismael.

So nothing to do with ‘mentality’ then. 

We were 5th under Eustace with a below average squad in terms of outlay and wage structure. He was an excellent manager. 

We lost key players and lost form.

We’re now much worse under, it seems, a really poor manager. 

So pretty much all about the manager and shit investment, not spurious notions of ‘shot mentality’. 

[chaddyrovers]

39 minutes ago, Old Codger said:

Why would you try to change the way they play, when that alone is the reason for their (then) lofty league position. Something doesn't add up.

4 wins in the last 16 games would suggest it not working anymore. 

30 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Hes not going to say this new manager is shit is he? You have incredible naivety towards the standard interview claptrap everyone comes out with.

Its head coach role not a manager and why can't take it at Face value what Travis has said, instead as per unusual incredible naivety and bitterness towards what our club captain is saying. Do you have anything to say that Travis is wrong and wasn't it down to the players why we lost at Derby with Pears flapping and the defenders not defending properly? 

Please could you explained your previous comments over Ismael's tactics and explain, What was wrong the tactics against Norwich? nothing much changed from the Plymouth game, agree? Its a simple question which you can't answer for some question, why is that? 

30 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Dont expect anything to change in the summer, its been happening for ages. Lots of cheap dross brought in during the January window. Sanderson and Forshaw are not players you sign if you have ambitions at the top end of the Championship.

We can still sign good players on low fees like we have done with Gueye, Ohashi, Karbgo plus decent free transfers like Batth and Weimann. We aren't going to spend millions after millions. That not what they have decide to do with the income received. 

Do you accept that Eustace was behind Sanderson signing and you wanted Eustace wanted to sign his targets, so he did, so now you disagree with that? you didn't want Eustace's targets like Wallace, Bamford, McBurnie and Schlupp, so do you stand by your opinion that Eustace should sign his own targets and not the players the club have scouting and research into? 

[onlyonejackwalker]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

I certainly never thought that ACD was great. At a time when he was barely playing if at all, and having grown long since sick of seeing Hedges and Dolan trudge up and down doing nothing, I wanted him to be given a chance. He didnt get a sustained one but I think hes just as ineffective.

Both those lads have contributed fully to our team success all season. They have worked tirelessly all year helping our defence, but you can't see any of that.

Because they play on the wings you class them as attackers and judge them accordingly.

Ask yourself, why did Eustace keep selecting them in a top six side? Because he made clean sheets an absolute priority at all times, all season and they were integral to that cause.

Sensibly. he sacrificed our attacking intent to safeguard our defence. And that included those lads trudging up and down relentlessly to protect the full backs.

Youve seen ACD, Kargbo, JRC and Dennis on the wings. I'd still rather have Hedges and Dolan anyday over those. Our next best two wingers are arguably Beck and Brittain.

 

[roversfan99]

25 minutes ago, onlyonejackwalker said:

Both those lads have contributed fully to our team success all season. They have worked tirelessly all year helping our defence, but you can't see any of that.

Because they play on the wings you class them as attackers and judge them accordingly.

Ask yourself, why did Eustace keep selecting them in a top six side? Because he made clean sheets an absolute priority at all times, all season and they were integral to that cause.

Sensibly. he sacrificed our attacking intent to safeguard our defence. And that included those lads trudging up and down relentlessly to protect the full backs.

Youve seen ACD, Kargbo, JRC and Dennis on the wings. I'd still rather have Hedges and Dolan anyday over those. Our next best two wingers are arguably Beck and Brittain.

 

I already know the main reason why I think he kept playing them. Because a continued lack of investment left him with little alternative. The odd wide man we do bring in tends to be not up to standard. ACD isnt, JRC isnt a wide man, Dennis has been a waste of time and Kargbo looked promising but in his first or second start his hamstring packed in.

I appreciate that they work hard, but you cant (especially Hedges) be wide men offering nothing going forward, no matter how hard you run back. Although I think their defensive work is overstated.

[roversfan99]

39 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

4 wins in the last 16 games would suggest it not working anymore. 

Its head coach role not a manager and why can't take it at Face value what Travis has said, instead as per unusual incredible naivety and bitterness towards what our club captain is saying. Do you have anything to say that Travis is wrong and wasn't it down to the players why we lost at Derby with Pears flapping and the defenders not defending properly? 

Please could you explained your previous comments over Ismael's tactics and explain, What was wrong the tactics against Norwich? nothing much changed from the Plymouth game, agree? Its a simple question which you can't answer for some question, why is that? 

We can still sign good players on low fees like we have done with Gueye, Ohashi, Karbgo plus decent free transfers like Batth and Weimann. We aren't going to spend millions after millions. That not what they have decide to do with the income received. 

Do you accept that Eustace was behind Sanderson signing and you wanted Eustace wanted to sign his targets, so he did, so now you disagree with that? you didn't want Eustace's targets like Wallace, Bamford, McBurnie and Schlupp, so do you stand by your opinion that Eustace should sign his own targets and not the players the club have scouting and research into? 

You clearly dont understand what the word naivety means so best not to try and copy it. The quotes are meaningless and tell us nothing. Whatever his views on Ismael, and im not saying he thinks he is shit, he would come out with the sort of claptrap he did. Standard club media waffle, not worth anyones time taking any notice of.

Against Norwich we had become much more passive, standing off, but obviously it was the following 2 games where he got things wrong. Especially midweek where all but you could see when the team was announced that it was going to be a long night.

Not sure why you are going down a weird transfer rabbit hole. The head coach should have final say. Doesnt mean he will get it right. But the main issue is budget. Whoever picks will struggle working with the budget we have. No other supposed play off hopefuls would have considered Sanderson and Forshaw.

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

4 wins in the last 16 games would suggest it not working anymore. 

3 wins from last 5 before Ismael turned up.

[chaddyrovers]

26 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I already know the main reason why I think he kept playing them. Because a continued lack of investment left him with little alternative. The odd wide man we do bring in tends to be not up to standard. ACD isnt, JRC isnt a wide man, Dennis has been a waste of time and Kargbo looked promising but in his first or second start his hamstring packed in.

I appreciate that they work hard, but you cant (especially Hedges) be wide men offering nothing going forward, no matter how hard you run back. Although I think their defensive work is overstated.

You seem to think Eustace would play very different if we had loads of money to spend but would he? You don't know that do you? 

Eustace always wanted Dolan in his team and very rarely dropped it, I wonder why RF99? 

Why isn't JRC a wide man and what do you call a wide man? 

Karbgo got injured in his 3rd start for Rovers actually. 

[booth]

1 hour ago, Forever Blue said:

So nothing to do with ‘mentality’ then. 

We were 5th under Eustace with a below average squad in terms of outlay and wage structure. He was an excellent manager. 

We lost key players and lost form.

We’re now much worse under, it seems, a really poor manager. 

So pretty much all about the manager and shit investment, not spurious notions of ‘shot mentality’. 

Bizarre that you don't think the club sabotaging another season, leading to the shock decision of the head coach to leave won't affect the mentality of the team.

It certainly affected Eustace's mentality.

Edited yesterday at 19:11 by booth

[chaddyrovers]

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

You clearly dont understand what the word naivety means so best not to try and copy it. The quotes are meaningless and tell us nothing. Whatever his views on Ismael, and im not saying he thinks he is shit, he would come out with the sort of claptrap he did. Standard club media waffle, not worth anyones time taking any notice of.

If you want to dismiss Travis's comments and the fact he has said the players are responsible for the last 2 results cos it doesn't fit with your opinion and your narrative. 

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Against Norwich we had become much more passive, standing off, but obviously it was the following 2 games where he got things wrong. Especially midweek where all but you could see when the team was announced that it was going to be a long night.

Norwich are well drilled team and clear identity of play, plus their 2 wide players played as 2 number 2 ten's. Passive? We weren't gong to start flying in with tackles were we? 

 the team selection wasn't the problem mid week but without Hyam's pass and our lack of attacking intent and creatively very little given we had Cantwell on the pitch so should be our playmaker. 

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Not sure why you are going down a weird transfer rabbit hole. The head coach should have final say. Doesnt mean he will get it right. But the main issue is budget. Whoever picks will struggle working with the budget we have. No other supposed play off hopefuls would have considered Sanderson and Forshaw.

The questions were simple and straight forward to answer. Instead of clogging this thread of it I will used the appropriate thread 

[aletheia]

Who's leant on Travis?

[Bethnal]

VI interview is a weird car crash to get yourself into but he has fully pranged it.

Pointedly mentioned that this season was about continuing in the same vein, when he came in.

He has radically shifted the way we play and we look shit, but now says he needs time to implement his style of play. He’s taken over a team in the playoffs, as we all know and as we all saw. He cannot get away with this interview, he needs to catch a lot of shit for it.

Disaster appointment, shy of there being millions to spend or a raft of contract renewals and even then, I suspect this guy has one style of playing that has fallen out of fashion.

Too many aspirational Pep Guardiolas out there’s, when the future is about tactical flexibility.

[martonrover]

Do we get a guest host when Chaddy goes on holiday? 😉