v Stoke City (a) - 12/3/2025, k/o 20.00

[M_B]

Once Batth is fit, our best chance of a decent run in, is to try to regain the form of the back 7 players,now Tronstad is back, and that includes Pears in goal.

We're also largely dependent on Beck and Pickering recovering quickly and getting up to speed.

If we can regain anything like the defensive solidity of earlier in the season, and with Gueye now looking like a proper centre forward, it's the only way I see us having even half a chance.

 

[DE.]

If we lose to both Derby and Stoke in Ismael's first three games then the outlook is going to be very bleak indeed. As other teams begin pulling away the pressure piles on, and we know how these lads deal with playoff expectations.

Fully expecting another miserable defeat as the force of nature that is our second half season collapse continues on unabated. Desperately hoping I'll be eating my words at full time.

[RTM08]

You know the score, another few weeks of shocking results and then once we're just far away enough for it not to matter, we'll string some results together against teams we shouldn't. 

Regardless of how poor I think Ismael will turn out to be, Rovers have been mentally pathetic and predictable in this regard for at least a decade now, and until the owners change this will forever be the same. Can't expect the players to give a damn when the owners actively sabotage us on a seasonal basis and won't give them any future guarantees.

 

 

[J*B]

How long until Batth and Beck are back?

[JCRovers]

Quite telling how a lack of leadership at the back are costing us at the moment. Defence was all over the place in the first half vs Derby. Pears not commanding his box by punching the ball for the first goal, Carter/Hyam unable to clear the ball for the second, and Sanderson almost gifting them a third. Batth provided that leadership and made both Pears and Hyam look better when he came into the side for injured Carter. Don't expect much from Pears but Hyam is a real disappointment in this regard.

Wouldn't surprise me if Ismaël starts with a back three against Stoke after seeing that mess yesterday.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

Play offs are gone and I fully expect this game to confirm it. We're just existing now like a bog standard mid level championship team that havent been run properly, Venkys Rovers. 

[TheRevAshton]

Not a chance our bunch of bottle jobs get anything here. Playoffs are 100% gone.

2-0 Stoke, Gallagher and Moran to score.

[Mercer]

Think we all know what's coming from this mid week fixture.

Play off hopes already gone and the spineless Derby performance suggests there is no new manager bounce, in fact quite the contrary.

Stoke desperate for points after only 1 point from last 4 games.

Robins is smart and Pears will be physically targeted and even Gallagher will be salivating at the thought and opportunity!

Stoke by 3 or 4 goals to 1 with Gallagher and Moran being made to look like Isak and Messi and bagging 2 or 3 goals between them.

Stoke win at 7/4 is very good value.

Edited March 10 by Mercer

[philipl]

This and Cardiff are absolute must win to stay in play-off contention.

[Mercer]

7 minutes ago, philipl said:

This and Cardiff are absolute must win to stay in play-off contention.

They are but think our season is done already.

Lose at Stoke, and not many are giving us a chance, then goodness knows what will happen on Saturday - lose again and I suspect the fans will turn.  Yet to meet anyone not underwhelmed by Ismael's appointment.

[chaddyrovers]

2 nil Rovers win. Gueye with both

[roversfan99]

Thats our 36th win of the season putting on us 109 points after drawing away at Leeds. On track for an unbeaten record breaking season.

[rigger]

I think we will beat Stoke.

[Mattyblue]

Prediction = what I want to happen.

[roverblue]

I think we will drop down the league, we have been poor for a couple of months other than the odd game.

We seem to have lost our defensive solidity and robustness in that time under Eustace and now Ismael.

Also not been impressed by the start under Ismael, seem to have dropped off the intensity for some reason when I thought it would go the other way.

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Prediction = what I want to happen.

Most people on here seem to be predicting a Stoke win. I doubt that is what they want to happen.

[Hasta]

Just now, rigger said:

Most people on here seem to be predicting a Stoke win. I doubt that is what they want to happen.

He wasn't talking about on planet Earth.

[philipl]

Stoke move the ball crisply and accurately and of course have a fantastic keeper. They are much better now than the side we played off the park in our 2-0 loss at Ewood. 

And of course in Gally, Ennis and Moran have three players with big points to prove against us. Moran is a much better player now than he was for Rovers.

The one hope we have is they tend to switch off in defence.

Edited March 10 by philipl

[roversfan99]

20 minutes ago, philipl said:

Stoke move the ball crisply and accurately and of course have a fantastic keeper. They are much better now than the side we played off the park in our 2-0 loss at Ewood. 

And of course in Gally, Ennis and Moran have three players with big points to prove against us. Moran is a much better player now than he was for Rovers.

The one hope we have is they tend to switch off in defence.

Your analysis seems to be a bit off here.

"Much better" is at best debatable. They have 4 points from their last 6 games.

Ennis joined Blackpool on loan in January.

Moran has also got a lot of stick from Stoke fans from what I have seen.

Its Rovers away midweek at the business end of the season, we have seen this script many times. But you would think we are playing the Galacticos from your post!

[speeeeeeedie]

Slim to no chance of a result here. Gallagher scoring for Stoke too. 

Mods; the game is on Wednesday the 12th. 

[PotterLog]

'Ow do Rovers, thought I'd check in.

I can't be bothered to expand on how chaotically bad we've been this season (and for the last eight years) for all manner of reasons. But we're garbage. Robins has had little to no impact, particularly on results. Much of our fanbase is resigned to relegation - I think we should do just enough to stay ahead of three others but I wouldn't be at all surprised if we went into our last match against Derby needing something.

The one caveat is that we actually looked much better in our last game against Coventry, despite losing at the death. A few players played really well, Gallagher included, and for the first time maybe this whole season we dominated the midfield for decent periods of the game. Could be a corner turned - but more likely it's a false dawn that bodes for a typically wretched home performance in front of an ill-tempered crowd and you'll amble to a routine 2-0 win.

We shall see. It seems you all expect us to win, we all expect you to win. Split the difference and call it a draw maybe.

 

Edited March 10 by PotterLog

[DE.]

If you don't beat us you probably are going down. A club on a poor run of form has no better chance of arresting the slide than playing us. 

[Claytons Left Boot]

10 minutes ago, PotterLog said:

'Ow do Rovers, thought I'd check in.

I can't be bothered to expand on how chaotically bad we've been this season (and for the last eight years) for all manner of reasons. But we're garbage. Robins has had little to no impact, particularly on results. Much of our fanbase is resigned to relegation.

It seems you all expect us to win, we all expect you to win. 

 

Fuck the game mate. Let’s just have a big party in Stoke town centre.

[jim mk2]

12 minutes ago, PotterLog said:

'Ow do Rovers, thought I'd check in.

I can't be bothered to expand on how chaotically bad we've been this season (and for the last eight years) for all manner of reasons. But we're garbage. Robins has had little to no impact, particularly on results. Much of our fanbase is resigned to relegation - I think we should do just enough to stay ahead of three others but I wouldn't be at all surprised if we went into our last match against Derby needing something.

The one caveat is that we actually looked much better in our last game against Coventry, despite losing at the death. A few players played really well, Gallagher included, and for the first time maybe this whole season we dominated the midfield for decent periods of the game. Could be a corner turned - but more likely it's a false dawn that bodes for a typically wretched home performance in front of an ill-tempered crowd and you'll amble to a routine 2-0 win.

We shall see. It seems you all expect us to win, we all expect you to win. Split the difference and call it a draw maybe.

 

 

Sorry, you don't know our Rovers

Our lot have given up for the season and we always lose to struggling teams anyway

This is an absolute 100% certain victory for you.

 

 

[Michael123458]

Stoke 1 2 rovers absolute scrap from the start to finish. At absolute worst and I mean worst 4 points from next 2 or…… you know the rest