v Southampton (h) - 25/10/25

[Rover down South]

Got a feeling we sneak a narrow win today and Gudjohnsen gets his first goal giving him and VI a little respite.

I’m usually wrong so expect an absolute drubbing 🤣

[NeilInBristol]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Not another match day. I can’t stand the agony and the hopelessness 

It shouldn’t be like this

Something so existential about being a rovers fan right now

love football

love the club and its history 

not wanting to see what awaits us this afternoon 

[simongarnerisgod]

soton have some canny players,they should`nt be struggling,though i thoroughly expect them to get their season back on track today😫

[...]

1 hour ago, Jimmy612 said:

I still maintain we won’t get battered today. It usually goes like this… lose a few games, pressure mounts on the manager, fanbase expect us to get pasted, we come away with at least a draw so that they can shove it right down our ungrateful throats. 
 

2-1 Rovers or 1-1.

During the Kean era I went through phases of almost willing a defeat, in the vague hope it could be for the betterment of the team if it meant it pushed him over the precipice. As I’ve seen all this before, and knowing the manager won’t be removed, we have to hope this group can string enough points together to keep our heads above water. If we go in to L1, it could be years before we see Championship football again. 

That is the fear and its very Very real. 

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, RoversTilliDie said:

It would, you need to win your home games for survival.

When you keep losing them you must first set out to not lose them.

Ask Mr Eustace or Mr Warnock or Allardyce.

A draw in late October at home to Southampton doesn't rubber stamp relegation it gains one point in the fight against it.

Edited 10 hours ago by Tomphil2

[Old Codger]

Eleven 18-30 year old men on two sides for a game in the Championship. All are professional footballers, all are fit and healthy, all are (relatively) well paid (compared to the local average wage) and all dream of playing at the highest level possible. Sounds pretty even when put like that.

Then we wake up to:

Experience vs out of their depth

Confidence vs demoralised flapping

Competent coaching vs incoherent vs incomprehensible game planning

Strength in depth vs weakness wherever you look

Leadership on the field vs disarray and misunderstanding

A team playing for a respected and successful manager vs a bunch of raggedy muffin misfits clearly not engaged with their coach..

And that was just Tuesday night against an easily blunted Blades..

Coming to this afternoon's mismatch, what can we realistically expect?

Rovers repeating regression vs Southampton gleeful long haul home? 0-2 

Rovers Revival vs Southampton Slide? 1-0

Rovers on Routed vs Southampton sadly on song? 0-6

Remember, the 'Exciting Plan' is to pitch inexperienced & demoralised journeymen and make weights against battle-hardened professionals, then kick and hope.

Football ISNT a funny old game when played like Russian Roulette with the safety catch off and a full magazine.

BASTARDS!

VENKYS PASHA AND THE BOY OUT!!

 

[BankEnd Rover]

Last chance for Val for me.

Win would be nice but a loss and the manager should instantly be sacked...Let's see if RG has any bottle shall we.

[BankEnd Rover]

Wouldn't have dropped Hendriksson, thought he's looked quite good the past 2 games. 

[DutchRover]

Think it's about the strongest team we can play at the moment, sad to say. Maybe Henrikson for Gudjohnson but that's close.

[Roverthechimp]

Kargbo not on bench??

[joey_big_nose]

29 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Last chance for Val for me.

Win would be nice but a loss and the manager should instantly be sacked...Let's see if RG has any bottle shall we.

I dont think Rudy would be able to sack him. Would be Pashas / Venkys call.

[B16Rover]

It's been run through a few times but that bench is shocking.  If you looked at careers Morashita looks the better pick to Henriksson, but Henriksson feels like he's starting to get up to speed so feels a shame 

[joey_big_nose]

26 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Wouldn't have dropped Hendriksson, thought he's looked quite good the past 2 games. 

Yeah not technically brilliant but seems up to it physically. Morishita brings more quality but I think he gets a bit bullied.

That said first time Morishita gets a proper number 10 role with 2 strikers ahead of him, so if there is any setup that will give him space this is it.

[DE.]

If De Neve is considered part of our best eleven then I despair. He's fast and got good positioning, but his technique is non-league level.

Hedges appears to have lost favour as a first-teamer, for now at least. Kargbo has vanished - is he injured? Morashita starting for this one. Tavares back on the bench. 

Ismael really does have no clue what his best team is. Truth is there's probably very little difference in any combination of players he puts out there. The only one who could make a significant difference is Cantwell, and he's obviously not available. 

[waynerovers]

[joey_big_nose]

4 minutes ago, DE. said:

If De Neve is considered part of our best eleven then I despair. He's fast and got good positioning, but his technique is non-league level.

Hedges appears to have lost favour as a first-teamer, for now at least. Kargbo has vanished - is he injured? Morashita starting for this one. Tavares back on the bench. 

Ismael really does have no clue what his best team is. Truth is there's probably very little difference in any combination of players he puts out there. The only one who could make a significant difference is Cantwell, and he's obviously not available. 

Well based on performances we have a core of Toth, Alebiouso, Tronstad, Cantwell, Ohashi who will play every game when available. Wharton and Carter too when they are fit. Beyond that no one has really staked a claim. 

As for Hedges being dropped - I can see the logic. De Neve has done well and has the engine to make the system work.

What concerns me is after 60 mins we will need more legs to come on - particularly midfield and up front - we just get rolled over in the last third of games as we're shattered. I don't think we have anyone who can do it.

Honestly think we would be better to try and start with Gueye - build the attacking approach around him - then bring ohashi or Gudjonsen to help press in the last 30 to keep the pressure up. As it is  Mak comes on and we lose all our shape.

Also we really need another cm to show some capability to close out games. We are running Tronstad and TGH ragged.

[Dan]

Another day of excitement and joy eh lads? I used to love match days, even during difficult seasons. It’s now a fucking bind on my day to even tune into IPTV, must be even worse for the admirable fans that actually go to effort to go to Ewood and have their hopes and dreams destroyed.  

Fuck Venky’s, Fuck Pasha, Fuck Rudy, and also fuck you Burnley Bob for doing fuck all except take your pay cheque, Jack looked after you well, but you’re still the last rat on the sinking ship. 

Anyway, anyone tried those lemon Jaffa Cakes? They aren’t too bad. Though not as nice as some non Mcvitie cherry ones I picked up from a Romanian supermarket recently. 
 

 

[KentExile]

Is it just me who cannot see the "match centre" on Rovers site, so cannot access the stream

[Dan]

47 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Last chance for Val for me.

Win would be nice but a loss and the manager should instantly be sacked...Let's see if RG has any bottle shall we.

‘Val’ is doing exactly what they want. The last two manager left as they had ideas above their station.  
 

I imagine they’d rather have a Mowbray pottering around mid table with zero ambition, asleep on the bench half the time, but mid table in league one might suit them better. 
 

 

[Dan]

2 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Is it just me who cannot see the "match centre" on Rovers site, so cannot access the stream

You won’t want to access it, they’ve done you a favour mate. 

[Dan]

Sorry for the post spamming guys, I’m already in a bad mood and we haven’t kicked off yet 😭

[OsloRover]

5 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Is it just me who cannot see the "match centre" on Rovers site, so cannot access the stream

I can see the match centre, but no buttons for audio or video streams

[Roverthechimp]

Match is broadcast on Viaplay in Sweden so maybe it is not available?

ps. Not on the list on Rovers site but suggests it has been picked for international broadcast 

Edited 8 hours ago by Roverthechimp

[OsloRover]

Just now, Roverthechimp said:

Match is broadcast on Viaplay in Sweden so maybe it is not available?

That doesn’t matter, many matches are shown somewhere on TV but are still available on Rovers TV from other countries

[its_rovertime]

8 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Is it just me who cannot see the "match centre" on Rovers site, so cannot access the stream

Same. No link to match centre in the usual place. Be typical of the club to take fans money for a stream that they aren't even showing.