It's one of those games where we know the opposition can pick us off, and that they will come with a clear game plan and the flexibility to change things up if it isn't quite going the way they want. At the same time, Rovers have to believe they can beat any other side in the division, with a bit of luck and a shed load of hard work. What will be interesting will be whether the players can perform in a more coordinated and purposeful way than in recent games, although perhaps we might struggle to play any worse as a unit than we did at Plymouth... Stiff test. A midweek barometer of our potential and appetite. Bring it on! Head - Rovers 1 Baggies 2 Heart - Rovers 2 Baggies 1 Boing Boing - Rovers 3 Baggies 2 with a last gasp in off the arse of Big Mak, after a sublime strike from Cantwell and another Japanese Banger from Yuki... COYB!!

This!

9 pages on a matchday thread AFTER winning... says it all really 😞 It was as dull as ditch water to watch, and we had about as much spark as a wet match at an underwater barbecue. Thank goodness we contrived to score. A clean sheet is a bonus too. Let's keep grinding out points towards safety though. Everything counts, in small amounts... Yuki looks a shadow of his previous self, Cantwell is like one of those flash teenager cars (all go faster stripes and a hifi more powerful than its engine) Big Mak neither fish nor (yet) fowl (or foul either). With Big Mak, I think we need to learn how to profit from his hold up and flick on play, and certainly not count on him in front of goal. Cantwell I think will come good, once he knows more clearly who he is playing with. Yuki needs another sight of goal, and I think he will roar back as a nemesis in this (bang average) division. Swansea looked even more laboured than we did at times, and contrived to give us more chances than we deserved. Not one for the scrap books, but not one for the scrap heap either. Onwards!

Swansea looking very tired just now. But there is no killer instinct from Rovers - typified by a couple of very weak efforts from Cantwell and JRC to reach or use the ball when in a good position..

Wednesday have equalised against the Dingles 🙂 Oops, my bad. Dingles have doubled their lead... sorry. 😞

Still very even and Swansea grinding out chances. We need someone from Rovers to stamp their mark on this game, in a positive sense, of course.

It is pretty meh, but Rovers have their noses in front, and that is always preferable to having them rubbed in the dirt. Long way to go, and Swansea are getting a lot of success down their right, and winning a lot of fouls when in possession. Let's hope there is more in the tank from our boys.

Dolan or Guey - but either way, its a GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!

Once again, the real depth of unfeeling about our current prospects is demonstrated by the 3 page paltry sum of contributions on this thread, one hour before kick off! 😞 Whatever happens, I hope we win! COYB! Thump them Swans!

Not too bothered about this one, other than hoping for some kind of bounce back from the recent kicks in the teeth on our travels. Hopefully JE and the team will have focused in on the obvious failings from those two games, and agreed what the solution should be in terms of changes to the shape of the side. I know absolutely nothing about Swansea this season, other than they are in the same division and probably have players who can hurt us if we let them play. So, presuming JE and the backroom boys have done some homework and now know what to expect, I'd anticipate an attacking game plan and some cocaine soaked oranges on the sidelines to switch things up into complete go mental mode if the wheels are coming off. Either that or we just park the bus, have a nice cup of tea and wait for the inevitable boos from toothless Jimbo on the Riverside when we get to 67 minutes without a single shot on their goal. There will be the added incentive of having dropped a few places due to early kick offs, of which there are plenty today, so the players will actually have something to play for. Games like today are a good barometer of the backbone of the squad. If they have acknowledged the faults that let Cathedral Bombshell Kickaball and Sir Francis Drake's Armada plunder the spoils, then perhaps there is a chance we might turn up clad in a little more resolve. If not, expect there to be more angst, anger, angle grinders and asti-spumante vomit stains around Ewood this evening. Going for a scrappy 1-0 win, with yet another bit part player chipping in with a goal from nowhere. It has the potential for another reverse though, so don't be surprised if we ship a couple of goals and only score one in return 1-2 We could, of course, storm home 4-0 with Yuk and Mak bagging a brace apiece. Dreaming on... COYB!

I note the Blue and White halves were reversed from those of the modern shirt (see in particular the shots of the players coming out of the tunnel at the start). When did we settle on Blue on the right and White on the left, I wonder - I'm sure this has been debated on here ad nauseam before...?

Drifting off to sleep last night and suddenly the name Micky Speight crossed my mind.. No idea why! Anyway, he was with the Rovers, as I recollect, in the early 1980s and typified the resolute and no-nonsense defenders that players like Keeley and Fazackerley had established as the hallmark of a Rovers side. Previously a stalwart at Sheff Utd, Speight's career somewhat tailed off after his time at Rovers, and ending up in some backwater in Norway. Get him back in and lock him in a room with Dom Hyam for a few hours, to sort out the ridiculous rabbit in the headlights nonsense that he's been peddling instead of defending properly...

I think the Plymouth and Coventry set backs demonstrate clearly the benefits, value and impact of individual players to the overall balance of the team. For me we have been a much more attack minded, defensively coherent and balanced side with Beck playing than without. Not only his defensive capabilities have been missed, and significantly altered our overall quality, but his attacking potential and eye for decisive forward movement has been very much missed since that arsehole bit him for making a mistake at Nob End. As things stand, yes I agree with much of the sentiment above that we have perhaps flattered to deceive in our opening few fixtures, but the fact is we ground out results when better players and greater balance were available. That gives me confidence that perhaps we might return to a more stable and potent shape once those players, especially Beck, come back into the side. Yesterday told us very little that we didn't already know about this squad, but it is the little things that are the difference that makes a difference. I believe we will bounce back, and that back to back defeats will not become the de facto pattern as we move through this season.

Pears keeping Rovers in this...

Why the feck are we not chasing every ball like our lives depend upon it? We seem completely disinterested, and out of ideas, but worse than that we appear to be playing to concede possession at every opportunity.. Maddening 😞

We are losing this by a country mile against.... PLYMOUTH 😞

This short corner nonsense isn't working. And Dolan you plonker. Keep it in yer pants man.

We are making these look like worldies. GET A GRIP ROVERS..

One attack, one goal against. WTF??

Burnley BASTARD

Good play and very nearly a goal for WSeimman

Agreed. Whilst we have enjoyed a relatively prosperous start to the new campaign, there are still big question marks over the quality and backbone of this team, and the ability of JE to get a consistent tune out of the players at his disposal. If we can get Beck back in the side and settled, we are a different prospect and much more difficult to beat. Plymouth will adopt similar tactics to Coventry, without a doubt, as I'm sure Yoda's love child will have noticed we don't cope well with being roughed up a bit. The only hope I have is that Colleen's fat bloke will be too focused on trying to get his warriors playing in the style of the class of 92 to worry too much about what the opposition (us) are capable of doing. Rovers have generally done well when pitched against the Scouse sledgehammer's sides in recent years. I hope, for the sake of the faithful 1000 who are trogging down the M5 this afternoon, that the journey home is one of joyful reflection, bawdy songs and celebration, rather than a sad procession of football induced misery. COYB!!

I'm very happy to support your cause, Lewis, and have signed up on Just Giving accordingly. Do post pictures of your success! All the best! M

I think the mood has changed somewhat, now we aren't unbeaten anymore, which was something of a false indicator of our form and too heavy a burden to carry indefinitely. After last night's toothless display, where we capitulated to a team of sunday league cloggers, I'm not sure what to expect at the weekend. Eustace won't have been happy with the team, or the lack of cohesion that bedogged our play, but then again, he chose the players and the tactics... Having said that, our players appeared to have the expectation that Coventry were good enough to beat us, typified by Hayden Carthorse' petulant shoving of their player to the ground which earned him a well-deserved yellow card - Carter's facial expression as he made the shove was very telling 😉 Home Park is a long way to go, but even further to drive home from after a disappointing no-show by the team. We shall see if there really is something behind the claims of good man management bandied about by ITK, and given our recent struggles to compose ourselves on the long road, I'm fully expecting a reverse. Head - Home Park Homies 2 Reluctant Roving Rovers 1 Heart - Scouser's Last Chance Saloon 0 Brummie's Brilliant Band of Brothers 2 Hold the Bucket, I'm Going To be Sick - Green 2 Blue and White 5 COYB!

Erm, Plymouth beat Sunderland on merit at the weekend...