2025-26 Relegation thread

[JHRover]

21 minutes ago, John said:

Looks like Sheffield Wednesday are heading for administration - that’s one relegation spot gone if it happens. Could be a big help to us in relation to staying up. 

Just need another two places to be taken now. Any ideas on who might fill those other two slots ahead of us because I can't think of anyone!

 

[Penwortham Blue]

2 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Just need another two places to be taken now. Any ideas on who might fill those other two slots ahead of us because I can't think of anyone!

 

Must admit, it is a struggle to think of another two we might finish ahead of ☹️

[RevidgeBlue]

8 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

On PaddyPower right now, we're 5/1 to go down.

That's incredibly generous.

Im sure chaddy will be jumping on at those odds to win back the money he frittered away on the Wharton scorecast.

[roverblue]

Feels a nailed on relegation this season unless there is a change in manager. Even then it’s a nightmare task for even a world class manager with our squad.

Gestede and Ismael should be fired tomorrow if the owners took any interest in the club.

[Herbie6590]

3 hours ago, JHRover said:

Just need another two places to be taken now. Any ideas on who might fill those other two slots ahead of us because I can't think of anyone!

 

Harchester United & Melchester Rovers ? 

[alcd]

On 05/10/2025 at 17:09, rigger said:

I don't think we will be relegated.

Just keep taking the tablets.... 

[Ghost7]

2 hours ago, roverblue said:

Feels a nailed on relegation this season unless there is a change in manager. Even then it’s a nightmare task for even a world class manager with our squad.

Gestede and Ismael should be fired tomorrow if the owners took any interest in the club.

 

Agree but the people in charge appointed Ismael when we were in one of the most desirable positions you can be in mid season, with plenty of good managers available who they chose to not pay for, they probably didn't even speak to them, he was the best they could do - who do you think they'll find now in the hands of Pasha and Gestede? The current "board" is incapable of landing the right manager at the best of times.

[Commondore]

It’s becoming harder and harder to find three teams that might end up behind us when the season’s finished. I can see Derby and Birmingham continue to struggle, but more than us? It’s a stretch.  Don’t think sacking Ismael will make much difference barring some miraculous new manager bounce, he’s doing about as much as he can with the players at his disposal. Switching to a 5-3-2 against Coventry was the right call for example, there’s just not enough firepower in the squad to make the formation or tactics matter.

[booth]

44 minutes ago, Commondore said:

It’s becoming harder and harder to find three teams that might end up behind us when the season’s finished. I can see Derby and Birmingham continue to struggle, but more than us? It’s a stretch.  Don’t think sacking Ismael will make much difference barring some miraculous new manager bounce, he’s doing about as much as he can with the players at his disposal. Switching to a 5-3-2 against Coventry was the right call for example, there’s just not enough firepower in the squad to make the formation or tactics matter.

Sacking him may not help with this squad but his 60th minute 3 player psycho subfest every match doesn't help.

He also seems insistent on them tapping the ball around more than they should when some players clearly aren't able.

[Bronzed A Donis]

9 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

Harchester United & Melchester Rovers ? 

If it gets down to the last minute of the last day, I can see Roy pulling them out of it. If only we had someone of that calibre 😞

[Waggy76]

2 minutes ago, Bronzed A Donis said:

If it gets down to the last minute of the last day, I can see Roy pulling them out of it. If only we had someone of that calibre 😞

Unfortunately the cupboard is bare !

[Herbie6590]

17 minutes ago, Bronzed A Donis said:

If it gets down to the last minute of the last day, I can see Roy pulling them out of it. If only we had someone of that calibre 😞

Blackie Gray’s cruciate injury might prove to be pivotal…

[rigger]

10 hours ago, alcd said:

Just keep taking the tablets.... 

Thank-you, doctor.

[Wheelton Blue]

The biggest problem is the quality of player we have, who individually and collectively aren't of a sufficient standard. Yesterday as an example, there was no lack of effort, and the organisation was fine. The game was lost simply because we're not good enough. 

Bar the winter transfer window, which we all know will likely be another disaster, there is no scope to change the players for the better, meaning that realistically the only thing we can change is the manager. Poor manager that he is, I'm not sure that a change, though, will have much of an impact. Silk purse and all that...

I think that we're knackered already.

[Mattyblue]

End of the day doomed Sheff Wed aside the other relegation threatened clubs will look to rectify it in January as they don’t want to see their passion, their investment, end up in League 1 for both sporting and financial reasons.

Here? Well, we all know the answer to that.

[London blue]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

Blackie Gray’s cruciate injury might prove to be pivotal…

Seems the lads' trip to Basran has had a knock on effect.

[DE.]

I think our relegation rivals will be Sheff Weds (basically already gone as they will surely be hit with a points deduction at some point, so one slot guaranteed), Oxford and Derby. Sheffield United will get out of it with Wilder there, and I think Wrexham & Birmingham will spend enough to keep them clear. Teams like Watford, Swansea and Southampton look to have too many good players to go down. Portsmouth could get dragged in, but I think Mousinho is a good manager who will keep them safe. QPR and Hull seem to have done well in recruiting their managers. PNE could tumble, as they did last season, but at the moment don't look to be in danger. 

As far as the teams who, at this moment, look to be scrapping it out with us for the foreseeable future in those relegation spots...

Oxford have a canny operator in charge when it comes to Rowett, but are financially weak in comparison with most of the division. They'll struggle but have fight in them, so they won't go down easy.

Norwich will likely sack Manning fairly soon, and their next appointment will be crucial. You feel they have enough talent, particularly with a player like Sargent up front, to avoid going down. 

Derby are looking weak, but you wouldn't bet against Eustace ultimately keeping them up. Worrying start for them this season though, a lot worse than I expected. They've also spent some cash and may spend more in January. 

Then there's us. A poor manager who is highly unlikely to be sacked, and even if by some miracle he is, in typical Venky fashion it will be far too late. We have a desperately poor squad heavily reliant on a single player (Cantwell) for any form of creativity. The majority of Championship experience has been lost. We have as wretched of an attacking unit as I can remember in the famous blue and white halves. Ryan Hedges is a first teamer. Owners offer no hope for salvation, and neither do our senior officials. 

Very difficult to see anything other than relegation for us. 

Edited 8 hours ago by DE.

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, Wheelton Blue said:

The biggest problem is the quality of player we have, who individually and collectively aren't of a sufficient standard. Yesterday as an example, there was no lack of effort, and the organisation was fine. The game was lost simply because we're not good enough. 

Bar the winter transfer window, which we all know will likely be another disaster, there is no scope to change the players for the better, meaning that realistically the only thing we can change is the manager. Poor manager that he is, I'm not sure that a change, though, will have much of an impact. Silk purse and all that...

I think that we're knackered already.

The owners are the biggest problem, everything else is a consequence of their incompetence and indifference.

[Ricky]

I could see Hull having a dodgy spell and dropping in the mix as well. 2 places between us Hull, Derby and Oxford. I’m not sure we’ve got enough to get out of it based on the first 9 games 

[StHelensRover]

Those teams who are probably going to be in the mix with us, Wednesday, Hull, Derby, Oxford, Pompey, Charlton.

Those are going to be the crunch games this season where we have to take 3 points off them home and away, if not, we're toast. Beat Hull away but then got a hiding at Charlton. The next run of games is a nightmare run, I would take a point in any of those upcoming matches before kickoff. Sad to have to say that, but I think that's realistic.

[wilsdenrover]

We’re on our worst points total after 9 Championship games under the Venkys.

[davulsukur]

28 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

We’re on our worst points total after 9 Championship games under the Venkys.

And they still couldn't care less.

(Or they do and it's by design)

[MarkBRFC]

43 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

And they still couldn't care less.

(Or they do and it's by design)

Of course its by design.

The goal here is to be a league one club with 90% academy players as the first team squad with a few cheap foreign punts to compliment them.

Much cheaper to run a nothing league one club that'd even more outnof the spotlight than even a bottom send second tier club.

I thought it would be the season after next we would go (with majority of contracts ending in 2027) but it looks like they will get there wish a year earlier.

Fair play, the one plan they will have hit there target early.

[Mattyblue]

Probably is the goal, but why? What’s the point of any of this?

[jim mk2]

The squad had relegation written all over it from the start but even so results and performances have been shocking and even worse than expected.

You cannot sell experienced Championship players and replace them with young unknowns from abroad and hope it will work out for the best. It just doesn't work - and neither does hiring a manager with a record of failure

Is it by design? Who knows. Gestede and his sidekick need to be quizzed hard if / when they ever deign to meet with fans groups again

On another note how significant are those potentially lost 3 points against Ipswich going to be at the end of the season? You also wonder whether that decision has knocked the stuffing out of the players. It shouldn't but Rovers have been abysmal ever since then

I don't hold out any hope against Sheffield United and think they will beat us easily.