v Southampton (h) - 25/10/25

[47er]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

I dare say both Toth and Alebiosu will be our next player sales....possibly Cantwell too. As we know, much like with Brittain last season, any player having a solid season will be sold.

 

It'll be any player that another club wants and is prepared to pay for. Anyone.

Their value to the team is of no significance.

[RoversTilliDie]

15 hours ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Appalling first half and started the second with a whimper. Started to pick up after 10 mins or so in the second half but when Moroshita missed that chance I thought we were done for. Lot of credit has to got to a few of the players individually grabbing the game by the neck and making something happen. Most notably McLoughlin, TGH, De Neve and Montgomery.

Great to see the BBE turn on Ismael and ramp up pressure on the Venky’s/Pasha. The win after subs does more harm than good though in removing the dud, Ismael

How did Morishiti miss, he was 6 yards from goal with a clear shot at goal.

[47er]

1 hour ago, jodrell said:

I got told yesterday that Toth is on less money than Pears and won't give him a wage rise. So I can see him going and the reason is he wants to leave.

Bad news indeed but totally par for this lot of looters.

[RoyWegerlesLeftToe]

I've not read any of the comments in this thread (will just assume everyone is being sensible and cordial).

I just want to say sorry to VI. When you made those subs I thought you'd got it all wrong, I thought you didn't know what you were doing. I was wrong, they changed the game. Fair play. 

[RoversTilliDie]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

When Alebiosu is bombing on (in or out of possession) Miller shifts over to cover, likewise McLoughlin on the left. In a four this might not happen and render our attacking full backs less effective.

There will be times to change formations in game depending on the circumstances and I like this flexibility.

Gudjohnsen improved massively in the second half from his recent form. I have thought at times he looked last and one paced but latterly in today's game he really out it in and hopefully his goal improves his confidence as I thought this was waning.

I've a feeling there's more to come from Gudjohnsen, now hes off the mark.

[RoversTilliDie]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

I dare say both Toth and Alebiosu will be our next player sales....possibly Cantwell too. As we know, much like with Brittain last season, any player having a solid season will be sold.

Didn't watch yesterday for the first time in a while as car shopping took priority and I was that deflated after midweek. Maybe I should do it more often 🤔 

You missed a great fightback from Rovers in the 2nd half. Let's get it together after our 1st home win, and go on an unbeaten run.

[RoversTilliDie]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Its a sobering thought that we could well be back in the bottom three come next Saturday evening.We need to put a run of wins together to get out of this mess,are we capable?🤔

The current we've won a game euphoria will quickly evaporate.

Apart from the dismal 1st half hour, there were signs we're beginning to play as a team.

[RoyWegerlesLeftToe]

8 hours ago, bigbrandjohn said:

Lots of reporting of "dramatic comeback."It feels good but I will take a "comprehensive win from start to finish" any day.

Helps with my digestion. 

I'll take a win by any means at the moment.  

[RoversTilliDie]

1 hour ago, BankEnd Rover said:

I like Alebiosu, give him space and he will cause any full back problems.

However to be critical of him, he does look clumsy and his final ball can be awful...Him being one of our star players says how low this squad has fallen. He would be an average Joe in any other championship team.

I disagree, Alebiosu gives his all in a Rovers shirt, there's room for improvement like you say with his passing.

[RoversTilliDie]

1 hour ago, jodrell said:

I got told yesterday that Toth is on less money than Pears and won't give him a wage rise. So I can see him going and the reason is he wants to leave.

I agree, sell Pears, give Toth a pay rise.

[KentExile]

7 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

I agree, sell Pears, give Toth a pay rise.

Unfortunately, he will want more than our self imposed wage cap, and he will get more elsewhere, with ease

I imagine Wrexham have Hyam phoning Toth on a daily basis telling him how nice it is in Wales

Edited 3 hours ago by KentExile

[RoversTilliDie]

21 minutes ago, 47er said:

It'll be any player that another club wants and is prepared to pay for. Anyone.

Their value to the team is of no significance.

Ewood Park is like the corner shop these days, develop decent players, and along come the poachers, buy one get one free. We need to hold on to our decent developed players, and build strength in depth in the squad.

 

 

 

 

[...]

34 minutes ago, KentExile said:

We could always try to create an overload in the opposition box 😉 

10 men in the box. Take a gamble with no one back 😄

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

6 hours ago, ... said:

Only twice but I think it was the want and urgency to get stuck and get on the ball. Can't really fault them for it they wanted it

I counted 3 times.

[London blue]

26 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

I've a feeling there's more to come from Gudjohnsen, now hes off the mark.

I should hope so.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

Similar to Nyambe was in that respect, although at least he's got a goal to his name now! When you have his pace you tend to 'get away' with clumsiness a little bit as you can recover from mistakes. Agree on the final ball though, some are rather erratic and the main reason he's not quite at Brittain standards. You'd argue a decent coaching setup could improve that aspect of his game, here, not so sure.

They didn’t manage to improve Nyambe in that respect. He’s also a good athlete but his choice of final ball is patchy. He got in once in the second half and looped the ball over everybody when it was crying out for a driven ball hard into the goalmouth. He had bit of luck with the goal. In swingers like that can always beat everybody and end up in the far corner ( see MGP at Old Trafford ), but that was almost central and I would have expected somebody like Toth to get something on it at least.

[Mercer]

A very welcome, almost essential given our next few games, 3 points.  A win that I think is a temporary reprieve merely papering over the cracks.

Two poor teams and this could have gone either way given chances spurned by both teams.

Undoubtedly, Toth won us the game and McCarthy cost Southampton the game - the resultants of good and poor goalies.

I don't think we learnt too much over what we didn't already know.

A major concern is Tronstad who I don't think looks too interested and bothered.

Worrying how easily we were sliced open and better teams will punish us.

I look at our November fixtures and I can't see where we get a point.

Edited 2 hours ago by Mercer

[Old Codger]

21 hours ago, Old Codger said:

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!!

 

So, Rovers revival it was.

If you get a chance, have a look at the comments on the BBC report on the game - Saints fans sounding uncannily similar to the gripes and groans that have echoed from the Ewood sewers in recent times... Perhaps there is a wider game afoot, that we, as Rovers fans, parochially fail to spot.  Perhaps not.

Will take the win. 

OUT WITH THE SCUM

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

41 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

How did Morishiti miss, he was 6 yards from goal with a clear shot at goal.

From the upper Jack Walker I thought that was in right until it hit the backboards ! Wrong choice of shot I thought. Shearer would have put his foot right through that and it would have either knocked the keeper out or been a goal !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Its a sobering thought that we could well be back in the bottom three come next Saturday evening.We need to put a run of wins together to get out of this mess,are we capable?🤔

The current we've won a game euphoria will quickly evaporate.

Can I just bask in the euphoria for today ? I’ll go back to being gloomy tomorrow I promise.

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, KentExile said:

He was originally brought in as Pears understudy, so that is certainly true

I said during the summer this is why they were hell bent on trying to get Pears out of the club, as it would then leave Toth as the highest paid keeper on our books and mean that Toth could not then cite wanting to be paid at least as much as his understudy during any contract negotiations.  The fact that Pears was straight back in the squad as soon as the window closed, only confirms this was the case

Pears is a decent reserve keeper at this level, Toth is obviously better, any normal club would be giving Toth a contract on what he is worth and keeping Pears as back up.  Rovers will probably end up selling Toth (or maybe even both of them) & bringing in a cheap guy from overseas (coin flip if that will be another Toth or another Wahlstedt) and Michalski/Goddard as his back up

They will 100% have Toth bookmarked along with the new right back as the next 'developed' assets to sell.

[Tugayisgod]

Just a word on De Neve. May not be a world beater but he is certainly showing improvement on his earlier performances.

Thought he worked tremendously hard as well. Deserving his place in the side atm.

Also nice little cameo from Montgomery I thought.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Just a word on De Neve. May not be a world beater but he is certainly showing improvement on his earlier performances.

Thought he worked tremendously hard as well. Deserving his place in the side atm.

Also nice little cameo from Montgomery I thought.

 

He did work really hard. He’s got no idea how to beat anybody apart from trying to just rum past them but the lad is a trier if some what limited technically.

Edited 2 hours ago by Tyrone Shoelaces

[joey_big_nose]

I really doubt Pears is on 10k a week. Hes never been a regular anywhere hes played.

I can believe Toth is getting paid a bit less, but I would guess they are both around 5k-ish.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

I fully appreciate and respect that. I just feel we yesterday needed another attacking option on there as I tweet at half time. But what do I know. I just feel we need an extra centre back if we are going to stick with this 3 at the back long term. 

Maybe that goal will set his season off now. That's was best game for Rovers. Him and Ohashi look like it could work as partnership long term but after those 2 we have Gueye who isnt in favour and I expect will go in January so we need another option there

We need more than one attacker and more than one defender to continue to play this way, well we need more than that anyway.

Up top, we only have 2 and the 2 we have are really, really average. One stands on 2 goals, the other on 1. I thought Gudjohnsen was poor again until his goal, he frustratingly doesnt put himself about half as much as he should, or use his body. But we cant have 2 strikers for 2 positions. We also are devoid of pace in attack.

Defensively, we have gone from being solid to being unable to keep clean sheets. McLoughlin is average, Wharton error prone and I am not having Miller. The balance of them with Wharton in the middle doesnt look right. And again, we have only those 3, Carter is a right off. So we would need 2 more there.

The squad is so thin its untrue due to terrible recruitment. 

Where do you stand on Ismael now?