v Norwich City (h) - 30/8/25

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, alcd said:

Having known 6 weeks ago that he has some injury, Ismael says they are going "to assess" this week whether he needs surgery! You couldn't make it up.

 

His agent , won't be bothered one bit !

[DE.]

37 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Hedges set the standard for effort and hunger today, the lad chased down everything and drove forward every time he had the ball. Shame none of the others followed his example!

I don't think we have to worry about effort from the squad - the majority of them will put in a shift. The question mark is over their quality and their ability to gel as a team, particularly when you have so many different nationalities not just coming into the team as new players, but coming into English football in general as new players. It's a lot to ask in the short-term for them to all be on the same wavelength. When the core on-pitch leadership of the squad is pushed out, you lose that central point which new signings can anchor themselves to as they adapt to being part of a team. 

[Goozburger]

2 minutes ago, DE. said:

The question mark is over their quality and their ability to gel as a team

They've had four league games and the window isn't shut. If supporters aren't even going to give them more than that, then that's wholly unfair.

We were rubbish in the first half, but the better team in the second half. A silly mistake cost us, and not for the first time. This head coach hasn't even had a full transfer window and a bit of time to settle thereafter. But it seems like many won't even give him that. That's clearly down to an underlying hatred of the owners, but it doesn't deserve to be laid at this head coach's door, nor the cruel judgment so far being passed on the players.

[Goozburger]

2 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He's a confidence player that needs time on the pitch.

Relegating him to 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there is doing him absolutely no favours. 

Gueye had a 50/50 battle with Ohashi last season. Neither were outstanding, but Gueye has had his chances and ultimately showed poor finishing in front of goal. I don't think Ismael fancies him, so we may as well twist.

[Goozburger]

3 hours ago, booth said:

They've had almost 15 years!

I'm talking about Ismael and what has gone on in this window. It's the biggest upheaval in a squad and he can't be blamed for it.

[47er]

2 hours ago, aletheia said:

It certainly sounds like the Travis situation was dropped on us very quickly, 

Joking aren't you?' Had months if not years to sort out a b new contract for Travis. Wanted him off the list to save money and for him to get the blame.

[47er]

Poor attendance, fans voting with their feet. This season has disaster written all over it.

[ruggles1995]

I’m going to keep the cantwell train going here. I thought he was the standout player today. Worked his nuts off with out the ball and seemed to be everywhere in my opinion. Proper skippers performance. Gets a lot of plaudits with the ball for his technical play, but without it he didn’t shy away with not putting a shift in. Keep it up skip 

[booth]

14 minutes ago, Goozburger said:

I'm talking about Ismael and what has gone on in this window. It's the biggest upheaval in a squad and he can't be blamed for it.

I agree but the patience of fans has been severely tested for much longer than VI's reign so you can't blame anyone for being pissed off. Only recently we've gone from a journey to a project and now we're in a transition.

[DE.]

34 minutes ago, Goozburger said:

They've had four league games and the window isn't shut. If supporters aren't even going to give them more than that, then that's wholly unfair.

That's why my remark was a question and not a judgement. It's quite right to have those questions when we've lost four of our first five games, including to lower league opposition. 

[BRFC.]

24 minutes ago, 47er said:

Joking aren't you?' Had months if not years to sort out a b new contract for Travis. Wanted him off the list to save money and for him to get the blame.

Fact they’ve spun it that Trav wanted to leave. They should have knew when he came back from Ipswich to sort a deal out as he wanted to stay but I’m sure this was intentional to get him off the wage bill 

Edited 14 hours ago by BRFC.

[Tomphil2]

33 minutes ago, Goozburger said:

I'm talking about Ismael and what has gone on in this window. It's the biggest upheaval in a squad and he can't be blamed for it.

Hes been brought in to go along with it, nod at everything they do and play the hand they give him without complaining.

That is why he is here that's why he was selected from the jobless pile by whoever controls things at Ewood.  At best he is a bang average journeyman coach who comes across every since he set foot in the place as someone who is just going through the motions.

Stick is a huge part of the job and he knows this so he'll have to lump it, seven days ago he was praised, today deserves some questions.

[metalrover]

Can fully understand the new signings need time to gel, but even if we can finish this season staying up, in one or two seasons later, the new lads (assuming they are good enough) get used to this league, the same low-ball contracts offers will appear again. We will lose these "contract rebels" and replace them with cheaper new ones. The same shit will repeats itself, and the team will forever be in transition.

This low wage budget, low cost foreign signings at all cost is no way to run a proper Championship club. The last time Venkys did this, we got relegated from the premier league almost instantly.

Low balling contracts to key players causing them to reject contracts and ended up sold or leaving on a free destroy the stability & cohesion within the team. Players come and go, yes, but you simply cant lose that amount of key players within such a short time. It's going to create one hell of a disaster 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by metalrover

[Exiled_Rover]

12 minutes ago, metalrover said:

Can fully understand the new signings need time to gel, but even if we can finish this season staying up, in one or two seasons later, the new lads (assuming they are good enough) get used to this league, the same low-ball contracts offers will appear again. We will lose this "contract rebels" and replace them with cheaper new ones. The same shit will repeats itself, and the team will forever be in transition.

This low wage budget, low cost foreign signings at all cost is no way to run a proper Championship club. The last time Venkys did this, we got relegated from the premier league almost instantly.

Low balling contracts to key players causing them to reject contracts and ended up sold or leaving on a free destroy the stability & cohesion within the team. Players come and go, yes, but you simply cant lose that amount of key players within such a short time. It's going to create one hell of a disaster 

 

They're going to have to cycle through a team every 2 years, yes.

[Waggy76]

40 minutes ago, booth said:

I agree but the patience of fans has been severely tested for much longer than VI's reign so you can't blame anyone for being pissed off. Only recently we've gone from a journey to a project and now we're in a transition.

Transition will soon become relegation, it will be interesting to see what Suhail and RG spin on this window! 

Give them time etc etc 

We are not all gullible and naive! 

Venkys Out that is all that matters! 

 

[riverholmes]

Noted Ben Chrisene's name on Norwich's team sheet. Another loanee who did little to nothing and goes on to be decent (although, not sure how far he'll go). It seems odd that quite a few loanees come to Rovers and barely make a mark only turn into decent players, be it Ayari, Branthwaite, Morton (who, it's true, played a fair few games and I just saw is playing for Lyon).

Part of it will, admittedly, be the nature of short-term loans. It's hard for any player, even the most talented, to have an impact in a short period. Yet, part of it must also be some disconnect in the transfer policy. [Eg. did Eustace really want Ayari and Chrisene (and Koumetio)?] and also, in cases, just poor management.

Edited 13 hours ago by riverholmes

[Tom]

15 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

Noted Ben Chrisene's name on Norwich's team sheet. Another loanee who did little to nothing and goes on to be decent (although, not sure how far he'll go). It seems odd that quite a few loanees come to Rovers and barely make a mark only turn into decent players, be it Ayari, Branthwaite, Morton (who, it's true, played a fair few games and I just saw is playing for Lyon).

Part of it will, admittedly, be the nature of short-term loans. It's hard for any player, even the most talented, to have an impact in a short period. Yet, part of it must also be some disconnect in the transfer policy. [Eg. did Eustace really want Ayari and Chrisene (and Koumetio)?] and also, in cases, just poor management.

He’s not really in a much different position to when he was here though, half decent, steady championship type. 

[DackDackGoose]

Can't judge the season on a few games, but the 'bad luck' and such will need to change. Iv only seen highlights but Kargbo had a guilt edge chance to maybe steal a point. 

100% a sending off.. wasn't fast enough and stupidly pulls back, cost us the game.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, Goozburger said:

They've had four league games and the window isn't shut. If supporters aren't even going to give them more than that, then that's wholly unfair.

We were rubbish in the first half, but the better team in the second half. A silly mistake cost us, and not for the first time. This head coach hasn't even had a full transfer window and a bit of time to settle thereafter. But it seems like many won't even give him that. That's clearly down to an underlying hatred of the owners, but it doesn't deserve to be laid at this head coach's door, nor the cruel judgment so far being passed on the players.

He's had 16 games.

Not four games.

Neither the twelve games last season nor the four games this have been impressive.

They've been really poor.

[...]

7 hours ago, roverblue said:

Hedges set the standard for effort and hunger today, the lad chased down everything and drove forward every time he had the ball. Shame none of the others followed his example!

Seemed to have turned a bit of a corner Hedges, that sprint going after the ball and the nicking past the defendercwas superb

[MarkBRFC]

Sides will be licking there lips playing against a midfield with Sidnei Tavares in it this season.

Funniest thing I have read/heard in ages that he's an upgrade on Travis.

 

[Mattyblue]

8 hours ago, 47er said:

Poor attendance, fans voting with their feet. This season has disaster written all over it.

Home fan turnout c1,000 down on what we had for the second home game of last season.

[M_B]

6 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

He's had 16 games.

Not four games.

Neither the twelve games last season nor the four games this have been impressive.

They've been really poor.

Really poor last week ? 

[Frederick]

6 hours ago, DackDackGoose said:

Can't judge the season on a few games, but the 'bad luck' and such will need to change. Iv only seen highlights but Kargbo had a guilt edge chance to maybe steal a point. 

100% a sending off.. wasn't fast enough and stupidly pulls back, cost us the game.

the fans can’t keep blaming the referees aswell, the refs can’t put the ball in the net for us… Even with a good ref we lose that game. 

Edited 5 hours ago by Frederick

[Mike Graham]

I totally agree that we need to give the team more time to gel.  What worries me is the quality of players in front of me bar Cantwell, Tronstad, Toft and Alebiosu.

We are lacking depth and a couple of injuries to key players will create serous problems.  We appear to be following the Poundland business model and look what happened to them.

Instead of that pathetic TIFO (it was embarrassing yesterday given the small numbers in the BBE available to hold it aloft) we should bat a new banner made “Poundland Rovers”?

Edited 5 hours ago by Mike Graham