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

[alexanders]

Just now, Waggy76 said:

I have just finished watching the first half .

2 things spring to mind .

I think it was penalty but playing away , you don't get it !

This squad of players have the least amount of footballing talent , that I have seen in a blue n white shirts for many years.

I doubt , we will get more than 30 points this season (a record for a 3 point win ?) , dreadful signings !

Listening to the manager after game , he won't see February 1st 2026 !

It is time to turn the heat up on Pasha ,Gestede and the Venkys !!!

Venkys Out is all that matters !

Another noticeable absence is the lack of We Want Venkys Out from the fans ..

Wasn’t WBA extremely energetic and in our faces? Meant we couldn’t play the way we wanted to? 

[simongarnerisgod]

just got back from the hawthornes

we did`nt plqy badly but if you don`t create any chances despite having most of the ball then you ar`nt going to win many game

abelisua is`nt at this level and far from it,miller looked far better when he came on

de neve will no doubt work his **** off but there is little from him to suggest he`ll make an impact

axel looked like the game was to quick for him,but hopefully he`ll adjust

kargo was nigh on unplayable at times,he drew foul after foul,but they wer`nt fouls according the ref with west midlands connections

kudos to the referee,he`s obviously from the area so no doubt there will be on free drinks tonight,i could see that was foul on yuki and i was at the other end of the ground

[Waggy76]

5 minutes ago, alexanders said:

Wasn’t WBA extremely energetic and in our faces? Meant we couldn’t play the way we wanted to? 

You have to combat the way the  opposition play !

We hardly going to football the opposition off the field , are we ?

Rubber dinghy men !

[alexanders]

5 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

You have to combat the way the  opposition play !

We hardly going to football the opposition off the field , are we ?

Rubber dinghy men !

I agree with that, but it wasn’t as bad as most are making out. We didn’t create enough in the final third, but besides that it was some neat passing and combative match. 
 

Thought Hyam was weak today. Sluggish and lacked creativity on forward passes. 

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, alexanders said:

I agree with that, but it wasn’t as bad as most are making out. We didn’t create enough in the final third, but besides that it was some neat passing and combative match. 
 

Thought Hyam was weak today. Sluggish and lacked creativity on forward passes. 

i thought the back two pretty solid,mcloughlin was excellent and hyam was never troubled

[Waggy76]

7 minutes ago, alexanders said:

I agree with that, but it wasn’t as bad as most are making out. We didn’t create enough in the final third, but besides that it was some neat passing and combative match. 
 

Thought Hyam was weak today. Sluggish and lacked creativity on forward passes. 

Hyam needs to play along side a strong physical leader !

[StHelensRover]

20 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

i thought the back two pretty solid,mcloughlin was excellent and hyam was never troubled

West Brom missed two massive sitters, credit to Toth for making the saves, but they really should have scored at least one of those, one was point blank range with the entire net to aim at. I think the defence looked all over the place myself at times. I think if Albion had really gone for it rather than wasting time and sitting back on their lead they could have caused more problems. We looked more comfortable than we were because we had tons of possession which they were quite happy for us to have, because we didn't have a clue what to do to break them down with it.

 

Edit - thinking about your comment, I did just see these stats, so maybe they do reflect an ok performance from the CBs, though I don't remember who made the individual tackles and clearances 

Total tackles quite even between the sides, their 49 clearances and our one shot on target tells the story I want to tell though, that I think we were shite.

Edited 2 hours ago by StHelensRover

[alexanders]

He wasn’t particularly bad, but his distribution was poor and he gave the ball away too easy. 

[simongarnerisgod]

2 minutes ago, alexanders said:

He wasn’t particularly bad, but his distribution was poor and he gave the ball away too easy. 

thats what i don`t like about the modern game,relying on centre backs to pass the ball out of defence,they are there to head it away and tackle,if we had a centre back who could pass  then he would`nt be here for long,venkys would have sold him

[USABlue]

4 hours ago, aletheia said:

It's a conspiracy- refs hate us, sky hate us, press hates us -every game...

So I am not the only one?

[M_B]

14 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Hyam needs to play along side a strong physical leader !

Becoming a bit of a cliche that one

[StHelensRover]

Almost 60% possession for Rovers and we dominate these stats, but it just didn't pass the eye test, we wouldn't have scored if we were playing now. 

If we don't get a striker (and unfortunately I think he needs to be better than any of our current strikers) then we are in bother.

[Waggy76]

5 minutes ago, M_B said:

Becoming a bit of a cliche that one

Might be but it is a fact ..

[M_B]

8 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Might be but it is a fact ..

It's also a fact then, that Batth struggled today without Hyam. 4/10 on BBC

 

Edited 2 hours ago by M_B

[Waggy76]

Just now, M_B said:

It's also a fact then, that Batth struggled today without Hyam. 

OK ..Get to bed !

[NeilInBristol]

41 minutes ago, alexanders said:

I agree with that, but it wasn’t as bad as most are making out. We didn’t create enough in the final third, but besides that it was some neat passing and combative match. 
 

Thought Hyam was weak today. Sluggish and lacked creativity on forward passes. 

It was not top 10 performance or even top 15

first game of the season the lads should be roaring to go and be fully committed - no excuses, some of them just aren’t championship standards (?? Yet??)

 

keep playing like this against better opposition and we will have a relegation battle by December and not one we can dig out. 
 

[NeilInBristol]

26 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

thats what i don`t like about the modern game,relying on centre backs to pass the ball out of defence,they are there to head it away and tackle,if we had a centre back who could pass  then he would`nt be here for long,venkys would have sold him

So true

 

And we then buy defenders who can’t pass the ball out

rinse and repeat 

 

we know what needs to change here

[alexanders]

I have to say, Sean Mac looked extremely comfortable with the ball in his feet. Was very impressed with him. 

[DackDackGoose]

They physically overpowered us in my opinion, with the refs help got away with it. The sending off being earlier in game would of been apt. Always frustrating to watch. Foul on our player for their goal and for put pen appeal.

We didn't look like scoring, certainly concerning for the season ahead.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, DackDackGoose said:

They physically overpowered us in my opinion, with the refs help got away with it. The sending off being earlier in game would of been apt. Always frustrating to watch. Foul on our player for their goal and for put pen appeal.

We didn't look like scoring, certainly concerning for the season ahead.

I thought they bullied us to a great extent and the ref did next to nothing about it. We need to man up

[alexanders]

5 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I thought they bullied us to a great extent and the ref did next to nothing about it. We need to man up

Axel mainly took the fight, but they actually kicked us down when we had the ball in our feet. This made it impossible to play the passing game we wanted.

[bazza]

1 hour ago, M_B said:

It's also a fact then, that Batth struggled today without Hyam. 4/10 on BBC

 

Cue Derby to come in for Hyam

[Aqualung]

1 hour ago, M_B said:

It's also a fact then, that Batth struggled today without Hyam. 4/10 on BBC

 

Plus he's been slated by Derby fans for his pre season performances. 

[bazza]

I watched our game and afterwards the Sheff Utd v Bristol City game.

City were excellent, playing as a team; no stars, just good team players.

Their keeper could catch crosses and shots. He's on loan from Man Utd.

Of course, Bristol City are a well-run club. I'm envious.

[Polky]

Didn’t see the game as I was in Manchester today, 
 

Games like these will be the story of our season, lacking any genuine quality in the final third and hoping for a miracle.