v Millwall (h) - 18/4/2025

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, Hasta said:

Stoke was a back 3. In his 2nd and 3rd game in charge he switched to an unfamiliar shape. 

I said a couple of exceptions.

How many others are there?

[M_B]

9 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

 Think you’re overplaying the ‘massive blow’ of losing Ohashi. It’s not like we lost Szmodics! 

I was on about Weimann.

[Forever Blue]

1 minute ago, M_B said:

I was on about Weimann.

Yeah, so you keep saying 😉

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, Forever Blue said:

If you’ve not seen it then it’s probably not worth discussing it. It’s been very obvious what has changed. And the boys in the playground comment is exactly how we’ve played - lots of running round like headless chickens without any organisation. Thats exactly how his first 5 or 6 matches played out. And then subs on 60 mins when the players are gassed. You must be one of the few who missed it. 

Thankfully he’s managed to impose some structure back on the team. Sadly too little too late. 

if it's obvious then tell me.

But you're right - it's probably not worth discussing as you must have seen it completely different to me.

[Forever Blue]

2 minutes ago, arbitro said:

if it's obvious then tell me.

But you're right - it's probably not worth discussing as you must have seen it completely different to me.

I’ve explained it. The lack of structure. 
 

Today was how he wants to play, and how Barnsley fans described his approach - hung ho, all action. It’s taken him 10 games to get there. A more measured approach was needed, not implementing his rather unique style at a critical point of the season. The players had no idea what they were doing. That’s on the manager.

Edited April 18 by Forever Blue

[Hasta]

18 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I said a couple of exceptions.

How many others are there?

The main point being everyone said before we got a new manager when we were 5th that we needed someone to motivate the existing group and not change it too much. But he changed it within 115 minutes for the next two games (and defeats). That (and dropping Tronstadt in some games and Gueye for Woodrow) just stick in the mind. I can’t recall other details.

But presuming his job was to try and keep us in the top 6, he couldn’t have failed any more. Now the pressure is off it feels like pointless irrelevance.

 

Edited April 18 by Hasta

[...]

1 hour ago, bazza said:

Such negativity on this topic. I was delighted we won 4-1. After reading the last 7 or so pages I feel positively suicidal. The phrase "too little, too late" has been typed far too many times. I think most of you wanted Rovers to lose today.

And who was it that wants us to lose to Sheff Utd if it means stopping Burnley going up? Disgraceful. I couldn't give a flying fuck about Burnley or anyone else. I'm just delighted when Rovers win.

 

Wouldn't say people are being negative. Think most are stating that from the position we were in to when  Val came in we squandered games and only NOW we play like this with 3 games remaining... just a tough pill to swallow happens every season. We should of been up there in the mix don't you agree?

And yea I'd happily tank against Sheffield so they don't go up lol 

[arbitro]

5 minutes ago, Hasta said:

The main point being everyone said before we got a new manager in whilst 5th that we needed someone to motivate the existing group and not change it too much. But he changed it within 115 minutes for the next two games (and defeats). That (and dropping Tronstadt in some games and Gueye for Woodrow) just stick in the mind. I can’t recall other details.

But presuming his job was to try and keep us in the top 6, he couldn’t have failed any more. Now the pressure is off it feels like pointless irrelevance.

 

Managers are responsible for results, the buck stops with them and ours clearly haven't been good enough which I think everyone agrees on.

However there is sometimes some context which is what I was saying.

 

[simongarnerisgod]

22 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

I’ve explained it. The lack of structure. 
 

Today was how he wants to play, and how Barnsley fans described his approach - hung ho, all action. It’s taken him 10 games to get there. A more measured approach was needed, not implementing his rather unique style at a critical point of the season. The players had no idea what they were doing. That’s on the manager.

when he loses his key players in the summer valerian is going to have to come up with another system,though with the buttons he`ll be given it will be based upon how to get the best out of journeymen players and young lads

[SuperBrfc]

In isolation, a fantastic performance and enjoyable game. We genuinely could have scored 8 or 9 with the chances we created.

Brittain, superb today. JRC, Carter, any other stand in at right back, aren't a patch on him. The absymal thing under this regime is that, just when a player starts to play well and you like what he brings to the team...that feeling is cut short as that player is about to leave the building. It has been happening for years under this regime.

Why? Not due to a "natural" move up the football food chain, but because this lot don't bother tying up the better players in good time. They see pound notes where we see footballers. All talk of "building", "projects" and "re-builds" is total bollocks for this reason.

Tronstad, outstanding performance. It is no coincidence that our best performances and runs this season came when Tronstad was at the top of his game. He brings out the best in Travis too.

I usually agree with most of Rev's views on Rovers, but not on Tronstad. Corry Evans was a crab of a player for us. Tronstad isn't just a bit better than him, he's in a different league entirely. Evans never performed like this in a Rovers shirt.

It's not about goals from Tronstad, they are a nice bonus. However, he has spent most of the season turning up in the right place at the right time, making key interceptions and then moving the ball forward. That's his role. An important player for us, who, will probably be moving on soon due to his contract situation.

Massive feeling of frustration, as others have said. Are there some positive signs for next season? Based on that, yes. But when you take into account the upheaval that is to come with a mass of players leaving and coming in, it's difficult to say.

The words "too little, too late" might not be pleasant reading, but that is exactly what this is, sadly.

Win, lose or draw...the message should never change and it won't ever change from my point of view:

Suhail Pasha...get out of our club.

Waggott...piss off.

Venky's...let's just leave it at Venky's out.

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, Tugayisgod said:

One thing today that really stood out for me was the work rate of Cantwell, something he's not renowned for.

May not have been his best game overall but he didn't half put a shift in today

Same here iv'e not been his biggest fan in terms of his pound for pound contribution here but i had to compliment him today he played like he should and put a shift in.

 

[Parsonblue]

Really enjoyed the game today and further evidence that maybe the players and Ismael are starting to get on the same page.  Certainly the reaction of the players to Ismael after the game suggests that they are certainly playing for him.  It's still early days but the second half against Wednesday and the performances at Luton and today suggest we may have turned a corner.

There were so many excellent performances today - Brittain, Dolan, Tronstad to name but three.  I've been far from impressed by Cantwell thus far but these last two games he's looked a different player and far more involved with increased work rate.  

Another impressive performance from Ribeiro who looks a real find.  Gestede and co. deserve some praise for finding him.  Hopefully, Gestede will find a few more on his searches abroad during the summer.

After a couple of difficult months it was a great feeling to come away from Ewood after watching that performance and is a reminder of why we all love this club.

[neophox]

Both Coventry and Bristol City can still fock it up if you see their last three games....

[jim mk2]

Tronstad's 2nd goal and Rovers' 4th was technically brilliant. Anyone's who played the game will tell you it's very difficult to get a good first-time connection on the ball with the right foot to a pass or cross coming in from the right (same applies to the left). Tronstad did it perfectly with an excellent strike

Totally unexpected performance and win today, especially by that margin against a form team.  Has Ismael finally got to grips with this team (and vice versa)? Let's hope so.  

[neophox]

We need to give Brittain and Tronstad new deals asap along with Dolan.

[47er]

1 hour ago, martonrover said:

Win, lose or draw, it’s all just an academic exercise until the end of the season.

Then it’ll be the usual shenanigans in the Summer, no doubt.

It’ll be the team that takes the field in August that matters.

Best case scenario - another pretend play off push.

Worst case scenario - relegation.

The point is that once again we are bemoaning our failure to capitalise on a strong position and get in the play-offs for the first time since we were relegated more than a decade ago. How many times is this?

I've no confidence that will ever change with the current owners.

A win is a win but doesn't change that fundamental situation.

[neophox]

We all knew Eustace had problems in the beginning and was here being called Useless and was then hailed as Messias when he kept us up.... Ismael still needs to convince me but if he wins the last three games hell he will give us a chance...

[47er]

Just now, neophox said:

We all knew Eustace had problems in the beginning and was here being called Useless and was then hailed as Messias when he kept us up.... Ismael still needs to convince me but if he wins the last three games hell he will give us a chance...

It won't happen.

[NeilInBristol]

Good win for the fans 

Way too little too late in reality. The previous 8 games drew barely enough points and is relegation form. 

Glad we won but I'm not overly celebrating as this is meaningless with the direction of travel our beloved club is heading in.

Glad the players are putting in some effort but our top 6 chances ended a couple of months ago now. 

 

Edited April 18 by NeilInBristol
Typo

[Tom]

3 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I think there is obviously a bit of confirmation bias in the analysis of Toth, with us having such little confidence in Pears.

Because defensively we have been far stronger in the last 2 games, we are microanalysing the very little that Toth has had to do, I don't think that Pears would have conceded more than 1 either.

Toth had a few shaky moments last week, and also one today where he ended up getting stick from Forshaw in the second half when their attacker started to run through and he went to come out and strangely decided to move back. Thankfully the shot led to a comfortable save.

He has made a couple of routine saves, has had a couple of jitters and hasn't cost us any goals, but ultimately there is very little to judge either way. We have looked solid like we did earlier in the season when Pears also wasn't exposed. I wouldn't have faith in either if they were tested.

It shows how people see an incident in two different ways. Admittedly I wasn’t at the game and only watched on TV but from the angle it showed Forshaw should have had it covered but his chronic lack of pace let their man in and a well positioned Toth made a good save. Not sure fully committing would have been the right decision so he got that one right. 
 

He looked like he got caught in two minds in the first half but I didn’t see that incident properly. The two saves he made in the first half you would expect any keeper to.

[martonrover]

1 hour ago, 47er said:

The point is that once again we are bemoaning our failure to capitalise on a strong position and get in the play-offs for the first time since we were relegated more than a decade ago. How many times is this?

I've no confidence that will ever change with the current owners.

A win is a win but doesn't change that fundamental situation.

Exactly.

It’s deceitful and is stringing people along under false pretences.

Other than Suhail and Waggott, it’s an ever changing cast, but the end result is always the same. Failure.

My eyes are open, and a couple of dead rubber wins don’t change anything.

 

Edited April 18 by martonrover

[M_B]

15 minutes ago, Tom said:

It shows how people see an incident in two different ways. Admittedly I wasn’t at the game and only watched on TV but from the angle it showed Forshaw should have had it covered but his chronic lack of pace let their man in and a well positioned Toth made a good save. Not sure fully committing would have been the right decision so he got that one right. 
 

He looked like he got caught in two minds in the first half but I didn’t see that incident properly. The two saves he made in the first half you would expect any keeper to.

I've only seen it live, but from our position in the JW stand, we were all saying  Toth should have come out. It clearly looked like his ball.

[islander200]

3 hours ago, Hasta said:

Stoke started a back 3. In his 2nd and 3rd game in charge he switched to an unfamiliar shape.  Ludicrous having take over a team in 5th.
 

Although to be fair to all managers, we needed competent cover for the New Year injuries and we got Forshaw, Woodrow and an unfit Dennis.

We were 2 nil down against Derby and they looked  like scoring every time they came forward. He had to change something in that game and the performance improved when he did(granted not enough).

[Bethnal]

Always pleasing to see us score four in a home win. Credit to the players for finally turning up, after a torrid couple of months.

For what it’s worth - I don’t think it was as comprehensive as the scoreline would suggest. They had two or three “good” chances in the first half that they should have taken one or two of. Complexion of the game is very different if so.

What we look like is a team that is solely confidence-based. There’re maybe three players I’d rely on in the squad to drive a performance on out of adversity - Batth, Travis and Tronstad. The latter two can get caught up in it and lose their heads a bit, leaving Batth as the only reliable leadership voice in the pitch and he’s out of contract and - respectfully - getting on a bit, for a footballer.

I suspect we’ll find some more luck in the final few and wouldn’t be too surprised to see Chris Wilder blowing his top on the final day, telling us we’re shit fans as he’s being heckled from the away end for bottling the automatics.

We barely have a squad for next season. Tackling that conundrum we have: an over-promoted orange juice salesman as the principal decision maker at the football club; a head of football operations that downed tools at two separate clubs, including our own; and Steve Waggott, a man whose name elicits a knowing, wry smile and chuckle from anyone who has worked with him and who Andy Cole suggested swindled him in his Newcastle Utd move.

Take the joy from watching the blue and white halves batter a bunch of racist fans’ play-off hopes (I’m qualified to say that, I’ve lived in Bermondsey) but don’t lose sight of the reality - the clubs being run into the ground and a stopped clock is still right twice a day.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

It shows how people see an incident in two different ways. Admittedly I wasn’t at the game and only watched on TV but from the angle it showed Forshaw should have had it covered but his chronic lack of pace let their man in and a well positioned Toth made a good save. Not sure fully committing would have been the right decision so he got that one right. 
 

He looked like he got caught in two minds in the first half but I didn’t see that incident properly. The two saves he made in the first half you would expect any keeper to.

He initially came off his line and seemed to go back slightly and hesitate. In the end he saved it and they got a corner but it felt totally avoidable.

Unsure whether the TV showed that initial indecisiveness.