v Bournemouth (h) - 30/4/22

[bluebruce]

15 minutes ago, LeftWinger said:

Just had a look on transfermarket - and we've got the 8th youngest squad in the football league.

Wycombe have the oldest at 29.3, Burnley the second oldest at 28.9.

Liverpool are 6th oldest at 27.7 and Man City 18th oldest at 27 (I've listed those two as by far the best sides)

Barnsley are the youngest side at 23.1 and we're 8th youngest at 24.1.

Only Barnsley (bottom of the Championship), AFC Wimbledon (22nd in league one), Scunthorpe United (bottom of league two), Lincoln City (18th in league one), Swindon (8th in league two), MK Dons (3rd in league one) and Doncaster (23rd in league one) have younger squads than us.

Swindon and MK Dons aside - all those with sides younger than Rovers are struggling.

I'm not Mowbray's biggest fan - but this is a young side.

There are definitely times this season when we could have done with an experienced head at centre half (that wasn't hospital bound) or in midfield (that wasn't Johnson). 

 

Fair enough when you break it down to numbers like that, but they're still not so young it should be a problem. For one thing youthfulness also brings better legs to the table - pace and energy, enthusiasm. But really the majority of the squad has enough experience that they should be able to cope, and being old doesn't make you better overall (see Johnson, who apart from his physical limits also does really stupid things at times at 33/34). Lots of experienced players lack the fitness, pace or motivation, and they cost wage amounts we can't really afford anyway.

We did have an experienced head at CB in Lenihan, arguably another in Wharton who may be young but has 3 promotions. Even Ayala when he is fit. The CBs have been excellent for most of the season so that's a non-issue for me.

The nous we have been missing isn't experience on the pitch, it's managerial acumen and guidance.

[tomphil]

The younger they are the fitter they are and the more they should be able to keep up a high tempo.

That stopped happening months ago, returned Monday night and briefly 2 nd half v Derby.  Where has that been ?

Well it was altered because of tactics and multiple changes, that isn't down to age neither is Bradley Dack missing a penalty.

It's just a convenient excuse.

[Mattyblue]

Using average ages is a bit disingenuous for me. We have very few old heads, but hardly any lads under 21 either, the vast majority of the side between 23 and 29, not kids.

Another side could have a load of 19/20/21 year olds, but a handful of old pros and come out at pretty much the same average.

This lot have little experience of promotion campaigns, granted, but they still have plenty of Championship games under their belts…

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Mattyblue

[MarkBRFC]

Wonder when we will close the Darwen End lower to home fans for this game due to lack of interest? About 7 seats sold in there for Saturday looking at the online planner...

[Mattyblue]

I sort of understand why they’ve opened it this time as the Blackburn End and Jack Walker lowers are pretty much sold out, so it’s another option. But surely it would have made more sense to try and pack out the standard home areas first before opening up new stands (like they did for Oxford)?  But what do I know…

Edited April 27, 2022 by Mattyblue

[tomphil]

If they get 500/1000 in there fair enough, i suppose they are thinking a lot might pitch up on the day depending on Friday night.

[TimmyJimmy]

2 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

No, they were 2nd in January they've well and truly bottled it.  I'm surprised you are asking. Oh, and they aren't young anymore.

I said :

"Can the young guys take the pressure and the expectation? Not so sure they can". So it was really rhetorical wasn't it.

I'm not buying into Mowbray's latest excuse that's just my description of the team ... they are 'young' guys, it's all relative and more accurate than saying "old guys".

Stop being prickly, we're on the same side.

[rigger]

2 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Sorry but that's bizarre logic unless you think we are going to have a nice kitty to spend in the summer to replace them. You know we won't though, as you say.

Not good enough for promotion they may well prove themselves to be. But with the sheer loss of personnel and lack of funds to fix up the squad, the question isn't going to be promotion, it's going to be relegation. And those departing players definitely have proven themselves good enough to avoid that.

The potential Brereton money we may receive will likely be used to service debt again, maybe with a mill or two left. Any sales on top of that from the contract rebels probably could have seen a portion to reinvest, even if only in better wages or cheap lower league punts. And if any weren't sold that would be one less signing needed. I dread to think what our summer replacement work is going to look like as it stands. Think we may end up mostly hoping we get a bumper crop from the u23s who until recently looked like getting relegated from PL2.

I would rather have a squad of triers, who want to be at our club, than players who want to leave. If that means using the reserve players to patch up the squad, so be it. Let's try them and see where we are, not speculate, on how good or bad they may be.

[bluebruce]

42 minutes ago, rigger said:

I would rather have a squad of triers, who want to be at our club, than players who want to leave. If that means using the reserve players to patch up the squad, so be it. Let's try them and see where we are, not speculate, on how good or bad they may be.

Cool ideology, see you in League One 2023/24.

Rather recruit some proper players, myself. Who presumably would want to be here, because we had only just recruited them.

Edited April 27, 2022 by bluebruce

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Cool ideology, see you in League One 2023/24.

Rather recruit some proper players, myself. Who presumably would want to be here, because we had only just recruited them.

But the whole point is that we may not have the finances to recruit replacements. As Souness reportedly said : You have to piss with the willie you have got.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Looking like a good 20k+ crowd...put the effort in Rovers!

[superniko]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Looking like a good 20k+ crowd...put the effort in Rovers!

18k home fans would be some effort considering we only have 9k season tickets / half season tickets / final 5 tickets holders. 

 

[RoversTilliDie]

On 26/04/2022 at 14:08, Gav said:

The club have reduced ticket prices to £10 in all areas I believe, we should get a bumper crowd on after smashing PNE Herbie.

The effort and energy across the park last night was tremendous, if we can show that on Saturday we'll beat Bournemouth.

Rover 2 Bournemouth 0 - Feelings of jubilation and trepidation at the prospect of those bleedin playoffs (I hate them)

Preston have been having a miserable spell lately, Bournemouth leak goals but score goals.Lets not get to confident and let our guard down. Lets go same formation same result.

 

[Upside Down]

So thanks to that dick head of a manager, what should have been a game to determine second place and automatic promotion is now a game where if we win and other results go our way then we maybe might pretty please with sugar on top be able to sneak into sixth place.

Even if we got into the playoffs and won this shit manager we have needs to be disposed of.

[Sparks Rover]

2 hours ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Looking like a good 20k+ crowd...put the effort in Rovers!

Someone said we had sold 12k by today...be tough to sell another 7k by Saturday.

[superniko]

10 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Someone said we had sold 12k by today...be tough to sell another 7k by Saturday.

3.5k sold as of yesterday +9k already signed up to a deal and 1.9k Bournemouth if they sell all theirs means we’re at about 14.5k (+ whatever we sold today)

I think 18k total could be possible….we shouldn’t have opened the Darwen End lower though. 

[the original david brent]

5 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Wonder when we will close the Darwen End lower to home fans for this game due to lack of interest? About 7 seats sold in there for Saturday looking at the online planner...

I’ve just had a quick look and looks about 300. I’m reckon there will be 1500 in there come Saturday 3pm 

[AllRoverAsia]

6 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

Just had a look on transfermarket - and we've got the 8th youngest squad in the football league.

Wycombe have the oldest at 29.3, Burnley the second oldest at 28.9.

Liverpool are 6th oldest at 27.7 and Man City 18th oldest at 27 (I've listed those two as by far the best sides)

Barnsley are the youngest side at 23.1 and we're 8th youngest at 24.1.

Only Barnsley (bottom of the Championship), AFC Wimbledon (22nd in league one), Scunthorpe United (bottom of league two), Lincoln City (18th in league one), Swindon (8th in league two), MK Dons (3rd in league one) and Doncaster (23rd in league one) have younger squads than us.

Swindon and MK Dons aside - all those with sides younger than Rovers are struggling.

I'm not Mowbray's biggest fan - but this is a young side.

There are definitely times this season when we could have done with an experienced head at centre half (that wasn't hospital bound) or in midfield (that wasn't Johnson). 

 

Squad not a starting team.

Non played Academy and kids on loan will distort  our  figures.

If an average age of 25 years old for a staring team is 'young' then Mowbrays brainwashing works on some, not me.

Not aimed at you but those claiming 'young' need a reality check as does Mowbray who constructed the squad/team  and desperately searches for any excuse to deflect from himself. He does my fucking head in, shallow craven tosser.                                        

Edited April 27, 2022 by AllRoverAsia

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

36 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Someone said we had sold 12k by today...be tough to sell another 7k by Saturday.

Sold a lot more than that looking at seat booker!

[Gordon Gekko]

Apparently Keith Stroud from Bournemouth is the referee on Saturday FFS 

[simongarnerisgod]

15 minutes ago, Gordon Gekko said:

Apparently Keith Stroud from Bournemouth is the referee on Saturday FFS 

more portsmouth and southampton fans in bournemouth than the local club🤣,they can`t even fill their tiny little non league ground,stroud probably thinks they are a non entity

[Hasta]

22 minutes ago, Gordon Gekko said:

Apparently Keith Stroud from Bournemouth is the referee on Saturday FFS 

This doesn’t look good. 
 

https://www.worldfootball.net/referee_summary/keith-stroud/afc-bournemouth/4/

[Mattyblue]

He’s a Luton fan according to Wiki. Which seems about right to me as they are the only club he hasn’t reffed looking at that website above…

Edited April 27, 2022 by Mattyblue

[superniko]

9 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

He’s a Luton fan according to Wiki. Which seems about right to me as they are the only club he hasn’t reffed looking at that website above…

Fuck me - surely we have grounds to change this (ignoring the fact he’s absolutely useless)

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Squad not a starting team.

Non played Academy and kids on loan will distort  our  figures.

If an average age of 25 years old for a staring team is 'young' then Mowbrays brainwashing works on some, not me.

Not aimed at you but those claiming 'young' need a reality check as does Mowbray who constructed the squad/team  and desperately searches for any excuse to deflect from himself. He does my fucking head in, shallow craven tosser.                                        

Johnny Byrom was 17 when he made his debut for Rovers in the old First Division. That’s what I call a young player.