v Norwich City (h) - 1/3/2025

[joey_big_nose]

I reckon Ismael will get a response out of them. The new manager bounce is a real thing, and he looks the sort of personality to make a big initial impact. And we have a lot of good players coming back from injury. 

We should really be optimistic about this one.

[joey_big_nose]

On 24/02/2025 at 14:41, sharpysharps86 said:

Looks like there will be a new head coach on the touchline for this one. Hopefully it brings some needed changes from the starting 11 against Swansea.

Norwich are quite indifferent away from home by the looks of it, but I think this one might just be a score draw. 1-1. Gueye for Rovers, Sainz for Norwich.

The team I would go with:

                     Pears

Brittain   Carter    Hyam    Ribeiro

             Travis      Buckley

Dolan          Dennis        Kargbo

                    Gueye

If Cantwell is fit then I can see him coming in. Hopefully Ohashi gets some minutes and maybe Tronstad on the bench with a bit of luck. It'll be too soon for him to return to the starting 11 I imagine.

 

I would slightly adapt it...

                     Pears

Brittain   Carter    Hyam    Ribeiro

             Travis      Buckley

      Dolan      Kargbo      Cantwell

                      Gueye

Subs : Toth, Sanderson, JRC, Tronstad, Forshaw, ACD, Hedges, Dennis, Woodrow, Ohashi

2-1 to Rovers.

[MarkBRFC]

We haven't beat Norwich at Ewood since the days of steve kean.

5 defeats and 1 draw in the last 6 at Ewood.

That won't change here.

[philipl]

Got my wish of an appointment in time for Valerien to take at least two training sessions before Saturday.

One huge difference is that neither we nor norwich have the first clue what our side or tactics will be whereas both us and Swansea knew the Rovers side 24 hours before the last match.

If all fit, the Norwich front line can score against anyone but equally anyone can score against their back line. Key is going to be cutting off supply to their forwards so here's hoping Tronstad is good to start and picks up the form he had before his injury and we strangle midfield.    

[Exiled_Rover]

29 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I would slightly adapt it...

                     Pears

Brittain   Carter    Hyam    Ribeiro

             Travis      Buckley

      Dolan      Kargbo      Cantwell

                      Gueye

Subs : Toth, Sanderson, JRC, Tronstad, Forshaw, ACD, Hedges, Dennis, Woodrow, Ohashi

2-1 to Rovers.

I see you're still playing Pears in goal.

May I ask why?

[Exiled_Rover]

On 25/02/2025 at 09:02, sharpysharps86 said:

Toth looks even worse.

It's genuinely impossible for a professional GK to look worse than Pears.

[Exiled_Rover]

18 hours ago, davulsukur said:

He's looking like a significant waste of space, rather than a "significant investment" as the club tried to claim.

The problem was always that he's not played for 9 months.

Why he isn't playing every possible minute with the U21s and making 20+ minute cameos for the first team is beyond me. He has the ability to unlock teams at this level, but we're very rapidly running out of games.

[RoversTilliDie]

35 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I reckon Ismael will get a response out of them. The new manager bounce is a real thing, and he looks the sort of personality to make a big initial impact. And we have a lot of good players coming back from injury. 

We should really be optimistic about this one.

The players will be playing for their places on Saturday, it might kick-start them into action against Norwich.

[JCRovers]

Norwich are ranked top three in league in terms of possession so don't think Cantwell is suited to play against opponents who wants to press high and make it compact/ restrict space in the middle (even though he might get fired up playing against his former club). We need pacey wingers and central midfielders who can make runs into the box in this game to hit them successfully on the counter. 

                           Pears

Brittain     Hyam   Sanderson/Carter   Ribeiro

                          Buckley

                      Travis      JRC

Dolan/Dennis                             Kargbo

                          Gueye

Would like for Pears to get dropped but I honestly haven't seen Toth perform well enough to warrant a change. 

[sharpysharps86]

46 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

It's genuinely impossible for a professional GK to look worse than Pears.

And yet Toth has managed it

[KentExile]

10 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

And yet Toth has managed it

Wahlstedt was worse than both of them

Joe Hilton was behind all 3 of those

[MarkBRFC]

A common theme since this ownership rocked up is that whenever you think "x can't be as bad as y", they usually are and Pears and the other keepers we have had in the last couple of years is solid proof.

Edited February 26 by MarkBRFC

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The problem was always that he's not played for 9 months.

Why he isn't playing every possible minute with the U21s and making 20+ minute cameos for the first team is beyond me. He has the ability to unlock teams at this level, but we're very rapidly running out of games.

A signing that defies logic to me, I'll say no more.

As to the game, this is a season defining game and a MUST WIN for me.

Win and we can all continue to dream, lose and it's very likely season over.

I think the new man WILL get a response and fancy a Rovers' win by 2 clear goals.  Ploughed on Rovers' win at 8/5.

[Cherry Blue]

Sonny now saying he's ready for the run in. Not saying he'll be starting v Norwich but that news puts us in good shape going forward.

[superniko]

Get Kargbo running flat out at Duffy

[Hasta]

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

Wahlstedt was worse than both of them

Joe Hilton was behind all 3 of those

I wouldn't like to make a call if Toth playing regularly would be better or worse than Pears. We just havent seen enough.

But without doubt Wahlstedt, on a general game by game performance, was worse.

Pears now and again just throws in the more spectacular stinker than Leo did.

Edited February 26 by Hasta

[Plastics]

No such thing as a must win until it becomes mathematically necessary

[Ianrally]

20 hours ago, rigger said:

There are a lot who support the nobbers in Freckleton.

Man Ure fan this lad

[simongarnerisgod]

2 hours ago, Cherry Blue said:

Sonny now saying he's ready for the run in. Not saying he'll be starting v Norwich but that news puts us in good shape going forward.

he`s vital for us imo,gives us another dimension with his excellent reading of the game and lets travis get forward at will,hopefully we can put forshaw in the cupboard and leave him there

[harryhealless1928]

Lets really hope Ohashi & Tronstad especially are near match-fitness. 

Can anyone tell me what Cantwell brings to the team apart from a high wage? Decent penalty taker I grant you(something super Sammi Szmodics struggled with I do concede)!

Like the look of Kargbo and Gueye is improving. But the short-term nature of many players contracts leaves one with a grim sense of foreboding.

There is no Adam Wharton to sell off again this summer.

Wonder if Ismael is good developing academy players?

Really hope we get a positive response against Norwich.

 

[rigger]

27 minutes ago, harryhealless1928 said:

Lets really hope Ohashi & Tronstad especially are near match-fitness. 

Can anyone tell me what Cantwell brings to the team apart from a high wage? Decent penalty taker I grant you(something super Sammi Szmodics struggled with I do concede)!

Like the look of Kargbo and Gueye is improving. But the short-term nature of many players contracts leaves one with a grim sense of foreboding.

There is no Adam Wharton to sell off again this summer.

Wonder if Ismael is good developing academy players?

Really hope we get a positive response against Norwich.

 

Cantwell brings vision and skill. His problem being that he needs a minder.

[Fraserkirky]

Toth

Carter Sanderson Hyam

Brittain Travis Cantwell Ribiero

Dennis Gueye Kargbo

“When you get the ball, just lamp it”

[rigger]

6 minutes ago, Fraserkirky said:

Toth

Carter Sanderson Hyam

Brittain Travis Cantwell Ribiero

Dennis Gueye Kargbo

“When you get the ball, just lamp it”

I remember being given those exact instructions.

[Old Codger]

Hmm.. the new guy has come in with positive statements and an air of the big man in town about him..

Will there be enough of an impact on the team to make a decent run in possible? As has been pointed out, key players on whose effort and team spirit and contribution our earlier form was built are now coming back into contention. The coach won't have enough time to make selection decisions based on potential, and will need to lean heavily on the (depleted) back-room team to put a suitable blend of players out, with a back of of strong options on the bench.

Norwich are more settled perhaps, and although not much better in terms of recent form are still very much in the mix, only 4 points behind us, so they will want to win. Question in my mind is, will our players want it more?

We shall see come 12.30 on Saturday. A partisan crowd to roar us on in French??

Hoping for a Valerian valedictorum Rovers 3 (Kargbo, Gueye, Ohashi) Canaries 0

Canaries lost in a coalmine Rovers 4 (Brittain, Gueye 2, Ohashi) Yellers 0

Rovers no richer - Les Bleu 1 Les Jaunes 2

Allez les Bleu! Allez les Bleu! Un jeu, un jour à la fois

ALLEZ LES BLEU!

[davulsukur]

20 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The problem was always that he's not played for 9 months.

Why he isn't playing every possible minute with the U21s and making 20+ minute cameos for the first team is beyond me. He has the ability to unlock teams at this level, but we're very rapidly running out of games.

Agreed.

Deffo a good player on his day but he must be so far behind in terms of match fitness/sharpness it was always going to take ages to back to his top level. 

Testament to how poor the guys at the top are that not only did they push through this deal when there must have been some red flags raised but they hailed it as a significant investment.

He did get 30mins against Swansea (with 0 impact) but was left on the bench against both WBA and Plymouth.

Like you say, running out of games now, he might be the difference towards the end of the season or, if we get there, in a playoff game. If we fall out of the playoff places and he plays a couple of dead rubbers at the end of the season, it's been a total waste of high wages and he'll back at Forest shortly after.