v Portsmouth (a) - 29/3/2025

[Herbie6590]

2 hours ago, dallydally said:

Why look forward to the Summer? Nothing will improve until the owners and senior Management change

What improves in the summer is I don’t have to watch that dross every fortnight…some blessed relief…

[Exiled_Rover]

I think we'll go winless the rest of the season.

Make no mistake about it, Portsmouth were abysmal today - one chance, one goal (Pears tried to gift them a second, but Buckley managed to get back and clear the ball).

If we can't even beat the likes of Portsmouth and Cardiff we've got no chance. 

[philipl]

With 7 first team regulars out, Pompey were there to be beaten.

All Ismael had to do was pick the regular stand in right back and regular centre forward.

Instead Carter and Woodrow gave season worst performances.

Huge shame for Beck. Before he went off it had looked like he and Ribeiro were going to prosper on the left flank.

Somehow we are still only 5 points of 6th with a current form which is by far the worst in the Championship. 

With the bottom clubs winning regularly it is a good job we have got to 52 points.

[Torgeir]

8 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Hedges should have scored and Carter should have done better with both of his chances. I appreciate he's a CB being played at RB, but the one in the second half was particularly wasteful - nobody around him in the area and he crosses it out of play (I think he was shooting).

Carter has been poor after his injury. Loses important challenges defensively and if it wasn’t for his offensive contribution he’d be on the bench a long time ago. JRC should’ve started after he showed some heart in our previous match. 
 

 

[onlyonejackwalker]

First we blamed Travis missing.

And Hedges and Dolan and Pears plus Gueye upfront.

Then Tronstad Missing.

And Hedges and Dolan and Pears. 

Then the  recruitment team in the January window.

But Gueye improved.

And Hedges and Dolan and Pears.

Then Ohashi missing.

And Hedges and Dolan and Pears.

And Eustace leaving.

Then Adam Forshaw.

And Beck and Batth missing.

And Hedges and Dolan and Pears.

Forshaw still with a little bit of Sanderson.

Brittain losing form.

Then Hyam collapsing.

Then Carter miles off.

And Dolan and Pears.

Then why don't you fuck off home Valerie.

And now Travis and Tronstad, Hyam and Carter, little bit of Hedges, lots of Pears, Woodrow new to proceedings, Dolan whatever he does and the donkey turned racehorse is now a pony who can't get a start.

And it all began just before Xmas. Whilst in the top six. With the chance to re-inforce in January. We were two judicious player signings away from enjoying the end of the season. We were one, stop gap, managerial signing away from being competitive all year. And despite everything, we are still only five points off the play offs.

We spent some money in January but on what? Forshaw was on 12k a week at Plymouth, rumours of 20k a week for the lame duck from Forest. How much are Woodrow and Sanderson costing? In fact, thinking it through, maybe only Ribeiro can hold his head up high.

This is up there with the most chronic mis-management of all our assets in all my time watching the Rovers. Typically when there was a little light at the end of our very dark tunnel.

3.5 years of Ismael? Holy fuck. We were always one bad appointment away from disaster. No wonder the Venkys have spunked millions on the club. They are absolutely thick as pig shit.

I'm not renewing next season. Its not just the ticket, its the travel, parking, refreshments, loss of earnings, loss of time and mental energy all adding up to significant personal investment. 

I was so much happier with 6k or 7k attending playing Shrewsbury in the late 70's and early 80's. This Venkys induced mind fuck isnt healthy for me.

[arbitro]

I have been watching football a long time and like to think I have some grasp on the game but yesterday confused me like never before. If anybody (I'm sure somebody will try) to explain what positions Woodrow and Ohashi were then you are a better man than me. The shape of the team in forward positions was so disjointed. At times players were making the same runs, going for the same balls and generally not where they should have been to cause Portsmouth problems.

So much for two weeks on the training ground.

Rovers right now was summed up by a farcical situation when Beck got injured. Although it was at the other end of the ground it looked serious and the doctor and physio were treating him. A stretcher was summoned and got half way on the pitch when Beck got up really gingerly and didn't look right. He was helped around the perimeter of the pitch clearly distressed and went down the tunnel.

This incident lasted several minutes and the game restarts with us having only ten men as Hedges wasn't ready to come on. Even at the next stoppage he didn't come on as he was still doing his laces.

It would be embarrassing if it happened this morning at Pleasington.

The lack of confidence in the vast majority of players is apparent. A few months ago some of these players were playing arguably the best football of their Rovers careers and now they look awful. Eustace squeezed every drop out of this squad but Ismael seems to have done the opposite. 

Set pieces have become embarrassing offering not even the merest hint of a threat. The passing and movement has dissipated and we are so easy to play against. Yesterday we were so deep and disjointed at times we invited Portsmouth to exploit the gaps. As soon As we went one down the majority of Rovers fans feared the worst.

I honestly don't know where we go from here now. The manager has a long contract but honestly does seem to be struggling with even the most basic aspects of football management.

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I have been watching football a long time and like to think I have some grasp on the game but yesterday confused me like never before. If anybody (I'm sure somebody will try) to explain what positions Woodrow and Ohashi were then you are a better man than me. The shape of the team in forward positions was so disjointed. At times players were making the same runs, going for the same balls and generally not where they should have been to cause Portsmouth problems.

So much for two weeks on the training ground.

Rovers right now was summed up by a farcical situation when Beck got injured. Although it was at the other end of the ground it looked serious and the doctor and physio were treating him. A stretcher was summoned and got half way on the pitch when Beck got up really gingerly and didn't look right. He was helped around the perimeter of the pitch clearly distressed and went down the tunnel.

This incident lasted several minutes and the game restarts with us having only ten men as Hedges wasn't ready to come on. Even at the next stoppage he didn't come on as he was still doing his laces.

It would be embarrassing if it happened this morning at Pleasington.

The lack of confidence in the vast majority of players is apparent. A few months ago some of these players were playing arguably the best football of their Rovers careers and now they look awful. Eustace squeezed every drop out of this squad but Ismael seems to have done the opposite. 

Set pieces have become embarrassing offering not even the merest hint of a threat. The passing and movement has dissipated and we are so easy to play against. Yesterday we were so deep and disjointed at times we invited Portsmouth to exploit the gaps. As soon As we went one down the majority of Rovers fans feared the worst.

I honestly don't know where we go from here now. The manager has a long contract but honestly does seem to be struggling with even the most basic aspects of football management.

I have come to the conclusion that Ismael is a pioneer, and the new non descript, gelatinous blob tactics and formation will become all the rage in a year or two

I have inside information about Fridays tactical set up if anyone is interested

Edited Sunday at 07:32 by KentExile

[chaddyrovers]

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

So I am guessing that you are still 100% behind Ismael and think he is still the right man for the job.

Its only been 5 games, so yes I am willing to give the summer and shape the squad in his own way. 

Am I disappointed by the start under Ismael? Yes I am apart from the Norwich, Derby bullied our back line and keeper flapping hasn't help Ismael, but these players confidence is low and we need to score first for once, cos at the minute, we aren't doing good enough. Yesterday, we should be winning that game and I was disappointed by that but its another team we conceded first and we don't come back and this symptom has been happening for too long now and it got to stop. 

 

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

He might want us to have more possession to create more chances, we arent creating more and even after 2 weeks on the training pitch we looked just as bad if not worse. Do you really think this set of players is technically capable of dominating the ball successfully and winning games doing it? And have you found any positives in Ismael's first 5 games to cling on to? The players dont seem to have a clue what they are doing. 

So is that not down to the players and them not created that chance or delivering that quality final pass or confidence dropping as soon as we conceded? 

Ismael wants us to created more chances, more crosses into the box and have more shots at goal, is that really a wrong approach? no cos we haven't created loads of chances but if we ever conceded the first goal under Eustace we tended to always lose, similar to JDT time here. We don't come back into games and pick that point or win that game like other teams do. 

The Norwich game, picking up a point there was positive with a last minute equaliser. 

 

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Yes, Cauley Woodrow starting and as the main striker was bizarre. Its not the first time hes picked a weird team. Its also certainly not the first time we have failed to get any points against struggling sides under him, in fact thats 4 times in a row. Unacceptable, indefensible, a crap manager who we are now stuck with. And also an arrogant tosser who cant be arsed to face fans who have paid hard earned money and wasted their Saturday travelling so far. Eustace won 45 points from 31 games, Lowe 6 from 3 games, Ismael 1 from 5.

I said pre match that was suprising selection by Ismael. What other team selections has been weird? 

We struggled under Eustace against bottom 8 teams like We lost to Hull at home when Plymouth with Rooney in charge away or Coventry away being our first lost of the season or Stoke at home?.

All near bottom of the league when we played them, so why that? 

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Hes not the main problem, Venkys are. But hes a poor manager picked in desperation after 2 talented managers decided understandably that they couldnt be arsed working in these conditions anymore.

Im guessing in your head, Ismael is still the right man and we can still make the play offs.

The playoffs have probably gone in all truth sadly but results will decide Ismael's future. The players confidence has gone and has soon as we concede our heads dropped. You could see that at Derby or Stoke. For example, Travis yesterday should be rallying the players yesterday and showing that passion we know he got. 

We need to win the next game and scoring first would massive help the confidence of the players and the fans aswell. 

[chaddyrovers]

10 hours ago, Hasta said:

I know you’re clutching at straws, but you can’t include Ismael’s part of the record when trying to put down previous coaches.

We are now 0 from 5.

Before he came we were 3 from 5 and  8 from 18.

 

Look at the record before Eustace, it was 2 wins in the last 11 games after winning back to back games before that. Lowe and the players got 2 wins from 2 games before we were battered by Swansea, since then our confidence has gone and we were all drawn into a false dawn and the last 6 results have been very poor. Losing key players like didn't help that and our confidence has gone, plus if we don't scored the first goal we almost lose the game and its is rare we ever come back to win games under different head coaches, why that is I don't know. 

10 hours ago, davulsukur said:

I don't think this really panned out today though, did it? Final possession stats were 47% vs 53%, and Pompey were full value for their 1-0 lead at half time.

Not sure we created that much either, only 3 shots on target and I assume 1 of those was Woodrows long range effort?

Pompey had 2 shots and won the game, similar to Derby. 

Our players confidence is very low down to results and I think we got into a false dawn after Lowe's 2 wins and if we score first, we look good and confidence, but soon as we conceded, too many players heads drop and confidence goes. 

Look at our record away to promoted clubs under 4 different head coaches is nothing more than pathetic, why is that, I don't know why that is or what it down to. 

9 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Chadster accusing someone else of avoiding the question 😅

Always willing to answer questions from anyone(if that person is on the ignored list then that question won't be answered cos I don't read their posts) if directed at me. 

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, KentExile said:

I have come to the conclusion that Ismael is a pioneer, and the new non descript, gelatinous blob tactics and formation will become all the rage in a year or two

😂

Playing two false nines or two double pivots is the way to go.

Don't get me started on low blocs neither

[Gamst]

9 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I have been watching football a long time and like to think I have some grasp on the game but yesterday confused me like never before. If anybody (I'm sure somebody will try) to explain what positions Woodrow and Ohashi were then you are a better man than me. The shape of the team in forward positions was so disjointed. At times players were making the same runs, going for the same balls and generally not where they should have been to cause Portsmouth problems.

So much for two weeks on the training ground.

Rovers right now was summed up by a farcical situation when Beck got injured. Although it was at the other end of the ground it looked serious and the doctor and physio were treating him. A stretcher was summoned and got half way on the pitch when Beck got up really gingerly and didn't look right. He was helped around the perimeter of the pitch clearly distressed and went down the tunnel.

This incident lasted several minutes and the game restarts with us having only ten men as Hedges wasn't ready to come on. Even at the next stoppage he didn't come on as he was still doing his laces.

It would be embarrassing if it happened this morning at Pleasington.

The lack of confidence in the vast majority of players is apparent. A few months ago some of these players were playing arguably the best football of their Rovers careers and now they look awful. Eustace squeezed every drop out of this squad but Ismael seems to have done the opposite. 

Set pieces have become embarrassing offering not even the merest hint of a threat. The passing and movement has dissipated and we are so easy to play against. Yesterday we were so deep and disjointed at times we invited Portsmouth to exploit the gaps. As soon As we went one down the majority of Rovers fans feared the worst.

I honestly don't know where we go from here now. The manager has a long contract but honestly does seem to be struggling with even the most basic aspects of football management.

You probably can’t extract too much meaning from manager interviews, but there is a complete lack of any substance in all his interviews. He just uses words like  needing more ‘belief’ or ‘confidence’ and say we need to shoot and defend basically.  You don’t need to be a football genius to work that out! I noticed similar on the behind the scenes training video from his time at Watford. He basically just shouted ‘intensity’ a few times. It surprises me that he outwitted 149 other candidates. 

[KentExile]

6 minutes ago, Gamst said:

You probably can’t extract too much meaning from manager interviews, but there is a complete lack of any substance in all his interviews. He just uses words like  needing more ‘belief’ or ‘confidence’ and say we need to shoot and defend basically.  You don’t need to be a football genius to work that out! I noticed similar on the behind the scenes training video from his time at Watford. He basically just shouted ‘intensity’ a few times. It surprises me that he outwitted 149 other candidates. 

Did he outwit them though? he probably just offered to do the job for less money than the rest of them

[Mattyblue]

11 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

Always willing to answer questions from anyone(if that person is on the ignored list then that question won't be answered cos I don't read their posts) if directed at me. 

Should Ismael have been appointed?

[Gamst]

3 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Did he outwit them though? he probably just offered to do the job for less money than the rest of them

Maybe he wowed Waggott with his knowledge of budget coach rental in the northwest. 

[Ossydave]

As soon as I was sent the team in the morning with Woodrow starting I made the decision to not even watch or even keep tabs on the score. The result is pretty much as expected although I thought Pompey would manage 2 goals. 

We knew this manager would be dog shit, we knew Woodrow would be too, absolutely zero interest in the remainder of this season. As it stands I'm also absolutely dreading next season too, there's no way on this planet that we avoid relegation under this stiff. It'll be a huge ask for even a decent manager given what he'll be working with too. At least get someone remotely likeable in though and get the players playing again. VI has the charisma of a potato, but at least potatoes are versatile. He'll be filed away in the same cunt like folder Steve Kean is when he inevitably departs, let's just hope that's sooner rather than later.

Honestly can't believe over 1k fans went yesterday, hats off to them indeed, they must be insane though! I'd close the curtains if they were playing in my back garden at the moment.

[joey_big_nose]

54 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I have been watching football a long time and like to think I have some grasp on the game but yesterday confused me like never before. If anybody (I'm sure somebody will try) to explain what positions Woodrow and Ohashi were then you are a better man than me. The shape of the team in forward positions was so disjointed. At times players were making the same runs, going for the same balls and generally not where they should have been to cause Portsmouth problems.

So much for two weeks on the training ground.

Rovers right now was summed up by a farcical situation when Beck got injured. Although it was at the other end of the ground it looked serious and the doctor and physio were treating him. A stretcher was summoned and got half way on the pitch when Beck got up really gingerly and didn't look right. He was helped around the perimeter of the pitch clearly distressed and went down the tunnel.

This incident lasted several minutes and the game restarts with us having only ten men as Hedges wasn't ready to come on. Even at the next stoppage he didn't come on as he was still doing his laces.

It would be embarrassing if it happened this morning at Pleasington.

The lack of confidence in the vast majority of players is apparent. A few months ago some of these players were playing arguably the best football of their Rovers careers and now they look awful. Eustace squeezed every drop out of this squad but Ismael seems to have done the opposite. 

Set pieces have become embarrassing offering not even the merest hint of a threat. The passing and movement has dissipated and we are so easy to play against. Yesterday we were so deep and disjointed at times we invited Portsmouth to exploit the gaps. As soon As we went one down the majority of Rovers fans feared the worst.

I honestly don't know where we go from here now. The manager has a long contract but honestly does seem to be struggling with even the most basic aspects of football management.

Yeah this is what worries me... Football is a game of fine margins, you can play well but lose frequently and vice versa. So what's important to peer into what the future looks like is not really individual results, its more does the organisation, patterns of play, level of effort and commitment look like it will be effective at creating chances going forward and stopping chances being conceded defensively.

Ismael looks the most concerning on the above since Coyle. Soft touch for goals, nothing really working in midfield and attack. He also looks personally confused and lost about what to do which is even more damning.

[StHelensRover]

10 hours ago, davulsukur said:

👆  abysmal 

Christ that stinks. When you consider the opposition we've played it's laughable. The players need to take some blame for that as well, VI might be picking them and setting them up awkwardly, but they shouldn't have forgotten how to play the game they've played since they were about five. 

[lraC]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

I have been watching football a long time and like to think I have some grasp on the game but yesterday confused me like never before. If anybody (I'm sure somebody will try) to explain what positions Woodrow and Ohashi were then you are a better man than me. The shape of the team in forward positions was so disjointed. At times players were making the same runs, going for the same balls and generally not where they should have been to cause Portsmouth problems.

So much for two weeks on the training ground.

Rovers right now was summed up by a farcical situation when Beck got injured. Although it was at the other end of the ground it looked serious and the doctor and physio were treating him. A stretcher was summoned and got half way on the pitch when Beck got up really gingerly and didn't look right. He was helped around the perimeter of the pitch clearly distressed and went down the tunnel.

This incident lasted several minutes and the game restarts with us having only ten men as Hedges wasn't ready to come on. Even at the next stoppage he didn't come on as he was still doing his laces.

It would be embarrassing if it happened this morning at Pleasington.

The lack of confidence in the vast majority of players is apparent. A few months ago some of these players were playing arguably the best football of their Rovers careers and now they look awful. Eustace squeezed every drop out of this squad but Ismael seems to have done the opposite. 

Set pieces have become embarrassing offering not even the merest hint of a threat. The passing and movement has dissipated and we are so easy to play against. Yesterday we were so deep and disjointed at times we invited Portsmouth to exploit the gaps. As soon As we went one down the majority of Rovers fans feared the worst.

I honestly don't know where we go from here now. The manager has a long contract but honestly does seem to be struggling with even the most basic aspects of football management.

I think we have been watching football for a similar amount of time and like you, I can’t work out, what the hell this guy is trying to do.

Sadly, the people who decided to appoint him, will stick with him, as the compensation is likely to affect them financially. 
There is no shape to the team, no passion, no fluidity and there also seems to be a lack of effort.

I would imagine the players are as baffled by him as the fans and my only hope is, that somehow, he won’t last beyond this season, as it is terrifying to think how bad this will get, if he is allowed to bring in his own players and we start next season with him in charge. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It sounds to me like the players are feeling sorry for themselves since the last manager left.  I can understand that to an extent but they’re professional players. They should have pride in their performances on an individual level if not collectively. I worked for some real wankers in my working life but I never gave less than 100 % once I pulled the overalls on. I couldn’t be any other way.

[JHRover]

The players will have one eye on the summer and being employed elsewhere. 

Who can blame them?

They aren't achieving anything at Rovers and Rovers themselves have their sights set on moving them on.

All sounds great until you realise that we won't get better with no money and no clue.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Its only been 5 games, so yes I am willing to give the summer and shape the squad in his own way. 

Am I disappointed by the start under Ismael? Yes I am apart from the Norwich, Derby bullied our back line and keeper flapping hasn't help Ismael, but these players confidence is low and we need to score first for once, cos at the minute, we aren't doing good enough. Yesterday, we should be winning that game and I was disappointed by that but its another team we conceded first and we don't come back and this symptom has been happening for too long now and it got to stop. 

 

So is that not down to the players and them not created that chance or delivering that quality final pass or confidence dropping as soon as we conceded? 

Ismael wants us to created more chances, more crosses into the box and have more shots at goal, is that really a wrong approach? no cos we haven't created loads of chances but if we ever conceded the first goal under Eustace we tended to always lose, similar to JDT time here. We don't come back into games and pick that point or win that game like other teams do. 

The Norwich game, picking up a point there was positive with a last minute equaliser. 

 

I said pre match that was suprising selection by Ismael. What other team selections has been weird? 

We struggled under Eustace against bottom 8 teams like We lost to Hull at home when Plymouth with Rooney in charge away or Coventry away being our first lost of the season or Stoke at home?.

All near bottom of the league when we played them, so why that? 

The playoffs have probably gone in all truth sadly but results will decide Ismael's future. The players confidence has gone and has soon as we concede our heads dropped. You could see that at Derby or Stoke. For example, Travis yesterday should be rallying the players yesterday and showing that passion we know he got. 

We need to win the next game and scoring first would massive help the confidence of the players and the fans aswell. 

You are still clearly in the honeymoon stage with Ismael where you are deluding yourself into thinking he might be a good appointment. You wont accept at least publically that he may be a dud.

You repeatedly have started to try and criticise former managers in a way you never did during their employment. The squad is undoubtedly limited, as I have said before recruitment has been poor which is unsurprising when the budget is so low and a novice is in charge. But its certainly better than 4 losses to 4 strugglers. Yes Eustace sometimes lost to struggling sides but not every single time like Ismael. We beat Derby this season at home, we beat Portsmouth this season, we won at Hull this season, we beat Oxford this season, we beat Luton this season, all of these were under Eustace. We also beat Plymouth under Lowe. Had we say won 2 and lost 2 of the last 4, people may have still been frustrated, but prior inconsistencies against lower clubs could be raised. To not get a single point goes beyond that, and invalidates that point.

You keep mentioning what he wants to do with his style but thats not a style we are seeing. We arent creating more chances passing it, unsurprising as our team doesnt suit that. A stat I have just read, the lowest shots on target per game this season is Plymouth with 3. Under Ismael, we have had 12 shots on target in 5 games, so 2.4 per game.

He had 2 weeks to work with the squad and we looked just as bad yesterday. The team looks disjointed, lacking an identity, doesnt look like it knows what the manager wants from them. You are the only one who sees any green shoots because you base his management on what he says he wants to do rather than what you see.

And we dont NEED to win the next game. Its meaningless. Ismael has ensured that he obliterated any chance of the play offs, he took over with us in them and after 4 games the chances were over, they definitely are after 5 games. We wont go down as we had enough points before he came in so there is nothing to play for. The atmosphere will likely be toxic, its free reign for people to show their displeasure now there is nothing to play for.

[arbitro]

26 minutes ago, lraC said:

I think we have been watching football for a similar amount of time and like you, I can’t work out, what the hell this guy is trying to do.

Sadly, the people who decided to appoint him, will stick with him, as the compensation is likely to affect them financially. 
There is no shape to the team, no passion, no fluidity and there also seems to be a lack of effort.

I would imagine the players are as baffled by him as the fans and my only hope is, that somehow, he won’t last beyond this season, as it is terrifying to think how bad this will get, if he is allowed to bring in his own players and we start next season with him in charge. 

I never really noticed a lack of effort from the players to be honest, that is probably the only aspect I could except from criticism. They look confused and drained of confidence.

In truth Ismael inherited a squad whose confidence was waning but it has now plummeted to another level.

And he doesn't appear to have the answers.

[Parsonblue]

There was plenty of time of discussion on the long journey back yesterday and none of it was positive.  As arbitro said, they've had two weeks on the training ground with Ismael and the result was a pitiful display.  The players look like they've downed tools and clearly don't seem to understand what they are being asked to do.  Ismael reminds me of Jim Iley, an uninspiring manager who lost the dressing room within weeks of his arrival.  

There was no evidence of any new style of play yesterday, although the Eustace brand of high press, high energy and pragmatic football has clearly been binned.  Yesterday it was hit and hope - and not much of the latter.  

A thousand Rovers fans took the time and trouble - not to mention the expense - to follow the club at Fratton Park yesterday and were served up an insipid display by a team that seems totally devoid of belief or inspiration.  The same players who performed wonders at times under Eustace. 

The head coach set up a tactical plan that seemed to have totally confused the players who were required to implement it.  

I really do fear for us next season.  The 150th celebrations could well be overshadowed by a relegation battle that, on the evidence of recent games, is not one we are likely to win.

[Tomphil2]

Don't think hes lost the dressing room it's more a case of hes never had it and whilst most of the players looked like they'd run through brick walls for Eustace i don't think they'd jog across the road for this fella.

So the excuse he and the club will use is everything will change in summer when he builds his own team.

I doubt in the history of the Championship there's ever been a hierarchy who have blatantly torpedoed a top 6 effort like this lot have.

It's more than sheer incompetence imo.

[Bohinen1983]

Thought Buckley looked good yesterday.. cantwell too.. both should be pushing to start now imo..