Please read my post. Mercer would be delighted if Rovers were doing great, in spite of the manager, who he wrote off months ago. I said it is killing him that EUSTACE is doing well. Rovers are doing great because of the manager and it’s excruciating. The fact that he’s now decided, the ONLY way JE can ever be seen as a decent manager is to get us in the playoffs this season is the best evidence yet of this theory.

So, you’re arguing Ipswich do NOT represent the exception to the rule before naming just 5 ‘other’ teams in 32yrs that have done ‘an Ipswich’ 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for proving my point pal. Much appreciated. You’ve only decided to ‘judge’ Eustace on his ability to get us promoted this season because a) he pissed all over your drunken ramblings and kept us up, and b) has started well this season which deep down, is killing you, because you wrote him off months ago. If he did, by a pure miracle (on our budget) get us promoted, you’d probably suggest he could only actually earn his stripes if he got us in the Champions League! Right? 🤣

I think Eustace’s plan for JRC was to play the way he did with Baker yesterday. For Joe to tuck in that advanced right side position and create havoc whilst Brittain creates the width. The problem is that JRC has been crap throughout preseason and into the season. I think he will come back. He’s a cracking player, though it’s clear that the manager doesn’t see him as a RB in this team.

Haha, backpedaling much!? No one said we want to stand still. But let’s get a couple of things straight. Firstly - Ipswich are the exception to the rule. You quoting them, implying that they are the standard is laughable. The straightest line to promotion out of the championship is to have the highest budget. In truth, we all hope that Rovers can pull off ‘an Ipswich’, but that wasn’t your point. You said that you were judging Eustace’s ability as a manager on whether or not he could get us into the playoffs THIS season. Which is honestly laughable bearing in mind we were basically dead certs for relegation in June and haven’t spent more than a million quid on any player and sold Szmodics for £10m!? Would I love Rovers to go up? YES! Has JE more than excelled in his job if we finish in the top half having sold his best player and spent bugger all on a team who were one of the worst performing in the league last season? YES.

I saw that, worth watch back just to see it again…made me feel all fuzzy! Love it!

Agreed - I think the good old “Brummie John” has had us all fooled. He’s tactically astute, drives the highest professional standards and importantly has the full backing of the lads. I reckon there’s a strong chance that by next summer, the hottest property at Ewood, and the person we most want to retain at all costs, might just be our manager.

🤣🤣🤣…we were “nailed on relegation fodder” a few weeks ago, now following a few hundred thousand pounds of spend on deadline day, Eustace has to get us in the top 6 to get your blessing? Please. 99.9% of us believed we were relegation certs at the start of the Euros. The fact that those fans now no longer expect us to go down, most believe we can finish mid table and hope we can Nick a top 6 spot is testament to Eustace, the coaches and recruitment team.

Sorry mate, only just saw this. It was the pre match Radio Lancashire interview.

This is brilliant observation mate. Absolutely nailed it there. JRC is going through an identity crisis under Eustace. He can’t play RB for the reasons you stated, he has played RM and CM in games this season and looked off but I think he can do what Baker did today, from the right and be effective in games, allowing space for Brittain on the overlap. My feeling is that he will get more opportunities at RM and CM this season. Hope he comes back to form. Cracking player.

A solid, workman like performance, lit up by two of the best finishes I’ve seen at Ewood. Beat what’s in front of you, and we did. I still can’t work out if we played that well, or they were that bad. It matters not. A team of 7/10 performances, with no dips and a couple of 8 or 9’s as follows; Owen Beck is Andy Robertson in disguise, and Pickering is done. Dolan played the best I’ve seen for a while and was excellent for the 2nd goal. The two goals from Yuki were PL class and his constant threat and running in behind causes mayhem. FWIW - I don’t think this team has hit its straps at any point this season. The best praise I can give to Eustace is, In our worst moments, we’re a well coached, functioning team. In our best moments, we’re a brilliantly coached, highly functioning team. A team anyone would hate to play against. The crazy thing is, I think this team can and will get much better! I don’t feel like we’re “overachieving” like I did under that purple patch with JDT and at some point we might have Gueye, Ohashi, Cantwell and ACD on the same pitch and firing…wow. Special praise to the manager who’s dour media output confuses you into thinking he’s Clark Kent…only for him to turn around, rip his shirt open and… Come on Rovers!!

Must’ve forgotten his goal in the cup and 3 assists, but don’t let the truth get in the way of a negative narrative, eh? Whats evidentially visible from Eustace’s tenure is that he inherited a team hurtling towards relegation. He was able to implement a tactical strategy with that group that his predecessor could not. He oversaw and upturn in form, was not remarkable to watch but did stem the flow. What’s also clear is that, regardless of his public support of the squad, he didn’t rate a lot of them (he references only feeling able to use 15 players in total). This season he has shown himself able to evolve those tactics and the early signs, including his use of the bench are encouraging. I don’t think he suffers fools but it’s obvious from the multiple player accounts and interviews is that he is fair and the players want to play for him. The jury has not cast its verdict yet, but it’s not far away.

The manager stated there were still a couple of areas we were short of options in during his pre match interview for The Bristol City match. Striker is one and then I reckon it’s a toss up between more pace out wide (We know they wanted Godos), a RB or a CB? I personally think he’s referring to a St and a winger.

Listening to the managers interviews yesterday, my expected team is: Pears Brittain. Carter. Hyam. Beck Travis. Sonny Weimann. Dolan. Hedges Ohashi Subs - Toth, JRC, Batth, Pickering, Baker, Buckley, ACD, Cantwell, Siggy Rationale: Toth only trained once, so not had enough time. Pickering and Batth both just back. The former not risked from the start. Beck to keep his spot. Weimann to keep his spot (Rightly so) and be replaced at 65 mins by ACD to inject some pace and excitement. I fancy these two to dovetail this season. Play tye 90 mins between them. Dolan has started well but now has Cantwell breathing down his neck. Feel like it will be Cantwell for Hedges at 65 mins and Dolan out to the left.

I think that’s about right, with contentious decisions at GK and LB. Does he stick or twist? Expect Baker to make the bench. I personally would bring him in for Duru and have JRC cover RB. I also cannot see Cantwell starting and fully expect Dolan to start with Cantwell coming on for the ever tiring., Hedges at 65 mins for a cameo. Playing in the 10 position and shunting Dolan out left. Any way you cut it, very strong XI and bench, unless we lose Yuki…🤞🏽he plays a full 90!

I agree that he should be cover right back, but I don’t think that’s how JE sees it. So yeah, could be a bit of time sat on the bench.

Don’t think you’ll be far off there. Pickering will probably play if he’s fit. **** Edit - the below XI is once everyone is fit / available, not for Bristol City Rovers best XI post summer Toth Brittain Carter. Hyam. Beck Trav. Sonny ACD. Cantwell. Dolan Gueye Subs - Pears, Duru, Batth/Mcfadz, Pickering, Baker, Buckley, JRC, Weimann, Siggy, Ohashi (appreciate I have one too many) Dolan forces his way in on the left because I think he’s started the season well. Could easily be Weimann but I think he’d be the perfect foil for ACD.

I’ve had this feeling on JE for a while. The smiling assassin I reckon. Comes in, straight talker, nice guy and true to his word. Very clear internally about what he wants but if you fall below those standards, you’re out. I don’t know what’s wrong with JRC. Started the season poorly in all the games. Right side, attacking mid was his main position coming through the ranks so he’s not out of position. It appears that’s where JE sees him. The problem now is that, ACD and Weimann will likely occupy that position, he was terrible in his one game in CM and the manager chose to bring 19yr old Duru on in the Derby to cover the injured Brittain. So, 3rd choice RM, 5th choice CM and 3rd choice RB…Looks like you’re set for a long spell on the bench, Joe. Ouch!

It’s going to be interesting, but I’d suggest they’ll have enough time to work out a) if he’s better than Pears and b) if they want Pears out bad enough. One things for sure, if Toth comes straight in for Bristol, Pears is done and he’ll be looking to move on.

This is the squad / team I would start for Bristol: Toth Brittain. Carter. Hyam. Beck Travis. Sonny Weimann. Dolan. Hedges Ohashi Pears, JRC, Batth, Pickering, Baker, Buckley, ACD, Cantwell, Tyjon Subs at 60mins: ACD for Weimann and Cantwell for Hedges (Dolan out to left) Rovers to win 3-0 (Ohashi, Weimann, Dolan)

Pears Brittain Carter. Hyam. Pickering Trav. Sonny Weimann. Dolan. Hedges Gueye Subs - Toth, JRC, Batth, Beck, Buckley, Baker, Siggy, ACD, Ohashi I reckon only Cantwell didn’t make the midday cut off. Maybe ACD too. The rest were in time. 1-2 to Rovers. Yuki off the bench to score the winner and send us wild!

Cast your minds back to the season ending, the relief and then immediate feeling of dread, that a) we were going to lose Sammie and b) were already a ‘shoe in’ for relegation. No money, a questionable manager and little hope. The early part of summer dragged on for what seemed like years as the Euros (remember those?) played out…As a self confessed ‘glass half full, guy’ even I couldn’t see any positivity going into the season.. And then the flurry of signings. Mcfadz, Batth and Weimann, with 1000+ championship matches between them, they somehow immediately moved us further away from relegation certainties, in my mind. Real men who would “never let us go down”, right? Closely followed by two wildcards, in Gueye and Ohashi. Surely they would be terrible? Telelovic mk2 and 3? Well 10 minutes into a friendly at Stockport, I knew that Gueye had more about him than Gally had shown in 5yrs. 20 mins into the second half, I was satisfied that Ohashi had ‘potential Rovers legend’ written all over him! During the following transfer lull, our team have picked up 7pts from 9 available and come into todays game at Turf Moor with many of us believing we can get something…the manager, for me has dispelled any lingering worries I had about him. He’s far from a yes man, tactically astute and in stark contrast to the last man, the players actually like him. For the first time in years, we look threatening from corners and his substitutions in general have been brilliant. Cut to this week and the additions probably couldn’t have been much better. Beck had a full season playing men’s football and looks certain to push Pick. Baker covers off the CM spot with experience and championship nous and Toth, at 26 and some of the highest performing stats in Europe looks pretty solid. Let’s hope he’s more Kaminski than Wahlstedt. And then there was magic..Coziol Duberry followed by our new talisman, the enigmatic Todd Cantwell. On TC, it’s clear that we have a slightly troubled superstar. But for this, there’s no doubt he would be playing at the top of the premier league and be considered in and around the Dewberry-Halls and Gibbs-Whites of this world. This experiment could go sadly wrong, but I have the strongest feeling yet, that it won’t. Eustace is no fool. He has gone out on a limb for TC, as he has confirmed when joining us. I think JE will make him our focal point, a big fish in a little pond, and I think Cantwell will LOVE it! Player of the season wild card - Amario Coziol Duberry. I can’t profess to have seen him live, but I have spoken to a couple of friends who coach / manage in the EFL and the rate him HIGHLY! They rate him like we rated Wharton…”He’s Saka but faster”. Huge credit to John Park, Rudy Gestede and Adam Owen for making what appears to be wine out of water. I’ve gone from feeling almost certain we’d be in a relegation battle to now believing we are a comfortably mid table, and if the last lot of signings are as good as the first lot, we could, actually be THAT team that gets promoted, in spite of our absent, £40m pocketing owners. I can only dream! Now, let’s beat ‘that lot’ and get these players bedded in for the next instalment of being a Rovers fan.

Probably best to book hotel rooms near Wembley for next May, just in case we miss out on 1st/2nd place. Purely as a precaution.

Zero will be forthcoming mate…I’ll tell ya that!

Boooom! TC8

Yes, same thought process. Left footer on the left wing and get some crosses in! ACD from the right will cut inside but we have Brittain who pushed in that side and is a great crosser. Got decent depth there, tbf.