v Birmingham City (h) - 16/8/25

[DeeCee]

Just got back from my annual charity fishing competition in deepest, darkest Devon where there is very little internet available but I was surprised to see that we were winning 1-0 at 66 minutes.

Saw the results on TV and knew that was a typical 2025/26 season Rovers performance. I haven't seen (and wont be seeing) the game but if VI doesn't get his shit together and sign some decent players asap we'll be down there in the bottom 3 by the end of September, if not before.

Shameful.

 

Edited Monday at 11:02 by DeeCee

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

That’s what a stand full of away fans buys you.

[Tomphil2]

Takings are more important than points here.

Then we get the happy clappers running around saying lets make Ewood a fortress when the club itself routinely does the opposite.

[RevidgeBlue]

20 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

 

I thought the replays were pretty inconclusive. Would err towards it not being given the significance and stage of the game but if the same thing had happened at the other end everyone would no doubt be saying it was a nailed on penalty.

[aletheia]

I watched the replay over and over and couldn't decide. Ref has an instant call and no VAR.

I thought he defintiely got it wrong in the 1st half -trip on Alebiosu that wasn't (excellent subtle fall by their defender) -but of course Alebiosu didn't score anyway and I think he got his shot off after the ref blew the whistle. All academic now -1-1 would have been fair, but if you can't defend properly...

[Hasta]

4 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I thought the replays were pretty inconclusive. Would err towards it not being given the significance and stage of the game but if the same thing had happened at the other end everyone would no doubt be saying it was a nailed on penalty.

Millers face is the giveaway for me. No arguing. Looks like he knows there has been contact.

[oneandycrawford]

3 hours ago, aletheia said:

I watched the replay over and over and couldn't decide. Ref has an instant call and no VAR.

I thought he defintiely got it wrong in the 1st half -trip on Alebiosu that wasn't (excellent subtle fall by their defender) -but of course Alebiosu didn't score anyway and I think he got his shot off after the ref blew the whistle. All academic now -1-1 would have been fair, but if you can't defend properly...ment 

Great points made here. We have several chances to view an incident and there is still disagreement whereas the ref has one look, from one angle, at real time speed and has to make an instant decision. 

Are they going to get things wrong? Of course they are. We all would in the same circumstances.

I know we all give them grief during a game, including me, but that's the instant emotional reaction.

After the game maybe we should give them a bit of a break, particularly if they are prepared to say when they called something wrong.

With the scrutiny they are now under, plus the outrageous abuse they suffer at the lower levels of football when they are learning, I'm frankly amazed anyone still wants to be a referee.

[DeeCee]

A love of the game at a level they can contribute at?

[oneandycrawford]

1 minute ago, DeeCee said:

A love of the game at a level they can contribute at?

Shame the professional players and managers don't recognise that and stop the constant attempts to con them!

[DeeCee]

Gamesmanship 

[oneandycrawford]

11 hours ago, DeeCee said:

Gamesmanship 

I get that - they just should be grown up enough to own it when it does / doesn't work instead of blaming the ref!

A few years ago I was at a Nat League South game when a player shouted 'our ball' for a throw-in when it clearly wasn't. After he got abuse from the crowd he shouted back with a grin on his face - 'well you've got to try haven't you'. That I can sort of accept 🙂

Edited 3 hours ago by oneandycrawford
addition

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

11 hours ago, DeeCee said:

A love of the game at a level they can contribute at?

An ex-team mate of mine, a very good goalkeeper, had a brain haemorrhage at 21. When he recovered he became a referee as he could no longer play. Incidentally his son played in goal for Rovers youth team when they played the Utd youth team in the Beckham, Scholes, Neville era. He never went much further in the game.

[oneandycrawford]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

An ex-team mate of mine, a very good goalkeeper, had a brain haemorrhage at 21. When he recovered he became a referee as he could no longer play. Incidentally his son played in goal for Rovers youth team when they played the Utd youth team in the Beckham, Scholes, Neville era. He never went much further in the game.

That's a great point Tyrone.

Players whose careers get cut short due to injury could be fast-tracked?