v Stoke City (h) - 4/10/25, k/o 12:30pm

[Herbie6590]

Early in the season for a must-win but…

 

Head to Head

https://www.brfcs.com/football/match/1386653/blackburn-stoke-city

[norwichblue]

I’m coming back up north for this one. Mainly because the wife’s away and don’t think I’ve got the patience to look after a baby and a toddler by myself so will seek refuge with the grandparents.

There’ll be 3 generations at Ewood in my dad, me and my eldest. Pity the latest generation won’t get to experience what I got to in my youth (any time soon anyway).

Unfortunately I haven’t watched Rovers win at home for a few years now (not through a lack of trying, just unlucky). Hopefully that spell can be broken but I don’t have my hopes up. I’m normally more glass half full but struggling to see how we survive this season at the moment.

Edited 6 hours ago by norwichblue

[London blue]

Anything close to what we've shown for the majority of this season and we'll get pumped. 

I don't know what team we should play or what positions they should play in but it's going to need to be a lot fucking better than what we've seen recently.

[davulsukur]

Unless there is a significant improvement from the team, we are getting turned over comfortably here.

0-2

[G Somerset Rover]

Either Phillips or Thomas to score (guessing Gally is injured as ever). 

One thing is guaranteed, Ismael to bemoan the officials or Lady Luck for another tragic result.

[JHRover]

Stoke had a tough away match at Middlesbrough last night, travelling back down after the game, late night.

Us two home games in close succession. Could be an advantage there but then again just have to hope Ismael has no more birthday parties to go to before Saturday.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Stoke will have a good noisy following,their tails are up.

I cant predict another loss,its making me depressed!

1-1

14,500

[Tomphil2]

Remember going to Stoke a few years ago with a good noisy following that contrasted the half empty, silent, clearly disillusioned home sections that later turned to anger.

I expect similar on Saturday.

Rovers 1 

Stoke    3

But the upper office will be happy as usual after pocketing revenue from 3k visiting fans and seeing their patsy in tech area giving more mins to their 'investments'.

 

[MarkBRFC]

Easiest 3 points Stoke will get all season.

Rovers 0 Stoke 3

[davulsukur]

I'm usually dead against a back 3, as I don't really think they work for teams at our level, but after last nights abysmal effort, I think a few things need to change:

----------------------Toth

------------Miller---Wharton---McLoughlin

Alebiosu-------------------------------------Riberio

-----------------Tronstad---TGH

------Morishita-------------------Cantwell

--------------------Ohashi

All of our good attacking play comes from the full backs. You could switch Riberio out for Hedges, if needed.

We don't have any really good wingers. Kargbo is dreadful, Morishita is ineffective, De Neve doesn't get any games, Hedges is ok but nothing special.

I think Morishita will have more success playing a bit more centrally, he struggles outwide, you could try Hendrikson in that role but he looked someway off being good enough in the time he's been on the pitch also.

Having 3 centre backs, including 2 that have a good amount of Championship experience might benefit us defensively, where we have looked suspect. Might suit Miller more as well, he's not looked too good in a flat back 4.

 

Edited 5 hours ago by davulsukur

[Rover down South]

Put this on the Swansea thread. We just don’t have the quality to play the system he’s playing. Alebiosu is doing all the work down the right hand side. Miroshita had little impact and I’ve seen absolutely nothing from Kargbo to suggest he ever wears a Rovers shirt again. Similar down the left with Ribeiro. I would bring Wharton back in and play Ohashi off Gudjohnsen which I’ve always felt would be his better role. Be a good opportunity after an hour to introduce Tyjon into games.

Main issue is the lack of centre backs. With Carter out, our back up would be Pickering & Atcheson, but we have to utilise what we have.

No combination of two centre backs we have are anywhere near Batth & Hyam.

Not saying we will storm up the league, but it might help stop us shipping goals and I’ve seen nothing from any of our three recognised strikers playing as a lone striker to suggest it’s working.

Until January where I’m hoping the penny will have dropped that we need Championship experience and not cheap European gambles, it’s about damage limitation.

I would consider……

Keep playing the same system and the same team, we’ll be rooted to the bottom of the league by Christmas. 

 

[joey_big_nose]

19 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

I'm usually dead against a back 3, as I don't really think they work for teams at our level, but after last nights abysmal effort, I think a few things need to change:

----------------------Toth

------------Miller---Wharton---McLoughlin

Alebiosu-------------------------------------Riberio

-----------------Tronstad---TGH

------Morishita-------------------Cantwell

--------------------Ohashi

All of our good attacking play comes from the full backs. You could switch Riberio out for Hedges, if needed.

We don't have any really good wingers. Kargbo is dreadful, Morishita is ineffective, De Neve doesn't get any games, Hedges is ok but nothing special.

I think Morishita will have more success playing a bit more centrally, he struggles outwide, you could try Hendrikson in that role but he looked someway off being good enough in the time he's been on the pitch also.

Having 3 centre backs, including 2 that have a good amount of Championship experience might benefit us defensively, where we have looked suspect. Might suit Miller more as well, he's not looked too good in a flat back 4.

 

I don't think tbh changing the system is the answer as on balance of play we were quite competitive all game against Swansea. The issue is we conceded two really sloppy goals which were all about individual mistakes rather than anything to do with the shape.

I am not really sure how we mitigate for that, but Id be worried if we change the system we end up confusing the players further.

[Ferrit]

Hard to imagine getting anything out of this one. 

[Waggy76]

The fact that Robins is their manager and we have a French Oaf.. I can see a hefty defeat! 

But last time we were relegated, we did the double over Newcastle who were champions! 

We did have Mulgrew, who could shoot though! 

[davulsukur]

17 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I don't think tbh changing the system is the answer as on balance of play we were quite competitive all game against Swansea. The issue is we conceded two really sloppy goals which were all about individual mistakes rather than anything to do with the shape.

I am not really sure how we mitigate for that, but Id be worried if we change the system we end up confusing the players further.

I don't disagree with you tbh, and as i said, i'm really not a fan of a back 3.

I'm just trying to play to our strengths a bit more and try to mitigate against some of our weaknesses. We struggle to create anything and anything we do create comes from the full backs. Our wingers aren't particularly good and we shipping 2 or more goals in most games. Having 3 centre backs might just go some way to helping that.

We have switched to a back 3 in some games, so it's not entirely new to the team.

I appreciate that i'm basically clutching at straws here but we are well and truly in the shit this season, and i'll be honest, i'm just looking for something to cling to as I really don't want us to be relegated. There will be no way back this time.

[chaddyrovers]

               Toth

Alebiosu Miller Wharton Ribeiro 

               Tronstad TGH

Morishita  Cantwell  Hedges

                   Ohashi

Rovers 2-1  

[London blue]

We have conceded 2 or more goals in 6 of our last 7 games and scored more than 1 goal once in that stretch.

I fully believe you're on the wind up.

[Rover down South]

6 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

               Toth

Alebiosu Miller Wharton Ribeiro 

               Tronstad TGH

Morishita  Cantwell  Hedges

                   Ohashi

Rovers 2-1  

Not a chance of us winning with that team. 

Where are the two goals coming from?

It’s rinse & repeat from VI. He’ll just throw Kargbo & De Neve on after 60 for Miroshita & Hedges and Andri on for Ohashi.

We need to go with Gudjohnsen despite his lacklustre start and hope he gets that first goal soon. Ohashi is not consistent in front of goal.

[chaddyrovers]

5 minutes ago, Rover down South said:

Where are the two goals coming from?

Cantwell and Ohashi 

[lraC]

We will be handed our arses on this one.

Robins V Ismael, no contest and I could formulate a plan to beat Rovers myself right now, with the players Stoke will have at their disposal, irrespective of our line up.

At least a 2 goal defeat and I think the crowd will turn.

[Tugayisgod]

Storm Amy due over the weekend with heavy rain Saturday! 😳

[London blue]

2 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Storm Amy due over the weekend with heavy rain Saturday! 😳

Great.

I'd love multiple postponed/abandoned games so the EFL have a nightmare with scheduling. Might encourage some sanctions 

[Devon Rover]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

               Toth

Alebiosu Miller Wharton Ribeiro 

               Tronstad TGH

Morishita  Cantwell  Hedges

                   Ohashi

Rovers 2-1  

There is a time for holding your nerve and sticking with something in the belief things will turn around. Then there is a time for making things change by trying something different. For me, we are in the second of those. The tactical approach this season isnt working. I would try something different to take control of a significant slump. That's an important part of a managers job and I think he needs to take meaningful action, now. But I agree that the team and formation above is probably what he will stick with again. 2-0 Stoke.

[SpaceBarSlam]

2 hours ago, Tugayisgod said:

Storm Amy due over the weekend with heavy rain Saturday! 😳

I'm so jaded that I'm half (more than half) hoping the game gets called off and I can have a nice, pain-free weekend.