v WBA (a) - 9/8/2025 - The Big Kick-Off!

[roversfan99]

Toth

Miller/Alebiosu Hyam McLoughlin Pickering

Travis Tronstad

Henriksson Cantwell Kargbo

Ohashi

Not ideal playing Henriksson out of position but what is even less ideal is starting Hedges. He has been playing in Sweden so should be fit enough.

Guessing Miller will not be fit enough, we cant play Montgomery there so Alebiosu it is.

Pickering and Kargbo would be my choices but suspect Ribeiro and De Neve will start.

[joey_big_nose]

I know we won't do this as we haven't tried it in pre-season but with the singings it does feel like we are more setup for a 343. Mainly because we only have Kargbo and Hedges who are "wide forwards", and we have signed what seem more like wing backs (Alebiouso, De Neve) and we have a lot of number 10s to fit in (Cantwell, Henricksson, Tyor)

                            Toth

           Hyam      Wharton    Pickering

Alebiouso     Travis        Tronstad        De Neve

           Cantwell   Ohashi     Kargbo     

Subs : Pears, Riberio, McCloughlin, Montgomery, Henricksson, Tyor, Gueye

 

Not sure Hedges even makes the bench...

 

[KentExile]

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Not sure Hedges even makes the bench...

 

I think you will be disappointed,

 

its 9 subs on the bench these days for a start 🙂 

Edited 6 hours ago by KentExile

[sandstorm]

15 hours ago, Ricky said:

Tickets and train both booked today. Vine pre match is a bit of a ritual so I’m sure that’ll be where I head to. 

Do you know what time they open on match days?

[berkshireblue]

5 minutes ago, sandstorm said:

Do you know what time they open on match days?

11am suspect

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, KentExile said:

I think you will be disappointed,

 

its 9 subs on the bench these days for a start 🙂 

Wow, that is one stat that keeps inflating! I thought it was a mere 7 still...

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Wow, that is one stat that keeps inflating! I thought it was a mere 7 still...

been 9 for a couple of years

from the summer of 2023- https://www.efl.com/news/2023/june/changes-to-championship-substitutions/

Edited 5 hours ago by KentExile

[RoversTilliDie]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Toth

Miller/Alebiosu Hyam McLoughlin Pickering

Travis Tronstad

Henriksson Cantwell Kargbo

Ohashi

Not ideal playing Henriksson out of position but what is even less ideal is starting Hedges. He has been playing in Sweden so should be fit enough.

Guessing Miller will not be fit enough, we cant play Montgomery there so Alebiosu it is.

Pickering and Kargbo would be my choices but suspect Ribeiro and De Neve will start.

Will it be to early for Henriksson, maybe the bench to start with.

[RoversTilliDie]

2 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

I know we won't do this as we haven't tried it in pre-season but with the singings it does feel like we are more setup for a 343. Mainly because we only have Kargbo and Hedges who are "wide forwards", and we have signed what seem more like wing backs (Alebiouso, De Neve) and we have a lot of number 10s to fit in (Cantwell, Henricksson, Tyor)

                            Toth

           Hyam      Wharton    Pickering

Alebiouso     Travis        Tronstad        De Neve

           Cantwell   Ohashi     Kargbo     

Subs : Pears, Riberio, McCloughlin, Montgomery, Henricksson, Tyor, Gueye

 

Not sure Hedges even makes the bench...

 

Hasn't lived up to expectations for me Hedges, I expected more from him.

[RoversTilliDie]

8 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

Hasn't lived up to expectations for me Hedges, I expected more from him.

Kargbos a certain starter for me, is Tavares fit again yet.

[Tomphil2]

2 hours ago, RoversTilliDie said:

Hasn't lived up to expectations for me Hedges, I expected more from him.

Hedges has been a good squad man you need honest grafters like him in this league and i don't think he was signed as anything other than that.

So iv'e never really expected a great deal and he had some good performances when he first established himself but injuries and consistency went against him. In truth hes only been involved so much because of the year on year budget cuts.

He's one who has probably benefited from that.

[chaddyrovers]

Rovers team 

                           Toth 

Montgomery Hyam Wharton Ribeiro 

                   Travis  Tronstad 

Hedges            Cantwell          De Neve

                         Ohashi

Rovers to win 2-1  

[roversfan99]

A Montgomery and Hedges right side makes me feel a bit sick.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Rovers team 

                           Toth 

Montgomery Hyam Wharton Ribeiro 

                   Travis  Tronstad 

Hedges            Cantwell          De Neve

                         Ohashi

Rovers to win 2-1  

Should we keep a track of the chaddy predictions and compare them against reality?

Looks like we're on for another 138 point season. It's great this, I don't know why the opposition keep bothering turning up!

🙂

[JCRovers]

Predicted XI:

                       Toth

Alebiosu   Hyam  McLoughlin   Ribeiro

           Travis      Tronstad

Hedges        Cantwell            De Neve

                     Ohashi

Pros: we have some impact players on the bench who can have an influence on the game (Kargbo, Gueye). Wingers have relatively high work rate and will track back most of the time to help the fullbacks.

Cons: Right hand side looks depressing. Doubt Alebiosu is capable of beating his man (other than using raw pace) and putting in quality crosses into the box. Hedges lacks both pace and technique to provide any end product. Our attacking threat looks bleak overall, offering no bursting pace or technique among the wingers to beat their man in 1 v 1 situations or having any aerial threat inside the box and thus will struggle to break down teams who choose to sit and defend in a low-block. 

Preferred XI:

                       Toth

Alebiosu   Hyam  McLoughlin   De Neve

                Travis      Tronstad

Kargbo          Ohashi           Cantwell

                      Gueye

Pros: Attacking threat increases having a variety of qualities among front four: Ohashi (poacher), Gueye (target man), Cantwell (playmaker), Kargbo (fast-paced winger). Kargbo will be able to cross from the byline on the right hand side using his preferred foot. Gueye can offer link-up play with Ohashi and Cantwell by winning aerial duels. Cantwell can attack the center by carrying the ball from out wide as opposed to trying to find pockets of space centrally and between the lines. Gueye will offer an aerial threat inside the box. De Neve can attack the left hand side from a deeper position while Alebiosu stays behind to form a back three when in possession. 

Cons: not as many impact players on the bench other than perhaps Henriksson. Striker (Gueye) will probably have to play 90 minutes as options will be lacking. Wingers (Cantwell / Kargbo) will probably struggle tracking back at times. 

I'm making the assumption that neither Miller nor Tavares are ready to start having just recovered from injuries. Also, neither any of Montgomery or Tyjon are ready to start in a Championship match from what I've seen.

I would rather go for it and try to score the first goal as opposed to throwing in impact subs in the second half when we potentially have to chase the game.

[wilsdenrover]

47 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Should we keep a track of the chaddy predictions and compare them against reality?

Looks like we're on for another 138 point season. It's great this, I don't know why the opposition keep bothering turning up!

🙂

He’s got us finishing sixth in the other thread so presumably some draws (maybe even a defeat or two)  will be foreseen along the way.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Rovers team 

                           Toth 

Montgomery Hyam Wharton Ribeiro 

                   Travis  Tronstad 

Hedges            Cantwell          De Neve

                         Ohashi

Rovers to win 2-1  

No offence as to your prediction of what the starting line up will be (you're probably right) but there's no attacking impetus there whatsoever. I think that line up gets absolutely battered.

I'll be gentle and go 2-0 West Brom.

[RevidgeBlue]

12 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

He’s got us finishing sixth in the other thread so presumably some draws (maybe even a defeat or two)  will be foreseen along the way.

I bet he forgets about that and gets carried away in his excitement as the season goes on though. Would be the first time a team with 43 wins and 3 draws finished sixth!

[roversfan99]

There is such a lack of goals in our likely attack.

Hedges scored 1 last season, Cantwell 1 from open play and De Neve has never scored more than 2 in a season. And neither of our central midfielders score anything other than occasionally.

Even Ohashi isnt prolific.