v Derby County (h) - 8/11/25 12:30pm ko

[MarkBRFC]

11 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

my team 

                    Pears 

         Miller Carter McLoughlin

Alebiosu TGH Montgomery Hedges 

                   Morishita

           Ohashi  Gudjohnsen 

Rushing Carter back to me seems like desperation for the sake of one game before a two week break. Maybe have him on the bench in case anything else goes wrong.

Moving McLoughlin in the middle and bringing Riberio on the left seems more sensible to me.

Also think he might go with experience with Forshaw rather than Montgomery from the start, and maybe bring his energy on after an hour.

Edited 5 hours ago by MarkBRFC

[...]

21 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Rushing Carter back to me seems like desperation for the sake of one game before a two week break. Maybe have him on the bench in case anything else goes wrong.

Moving McLoughlin in the middle and bringing Riberio on the left seems more sensible to me.

Also think he might go with experience with Forshaw rather than Montgomery from the start, and maybe bring his energy on after an hour.

Think it's worth allowing forshaw some game time to adjust to our new found style of play. I've been critical in the past but it's a long tough season and we will need benchers to play their part. Split shift with Montgomery aha aha to ease the legs. 

Looking forward to this one. Always dubious on a Monday but when Friday hits the butterflies come again lol up the Rovers!

[rob_of_the_rovers]

Didn't Pickering do ok on the left of a back three at some point last season?

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC said:

Rushing Carter back to me seems like desperation for the sake of one game before a two week break. Maybe have him on the bench in case anything else goes wrong.

Moving McLoughlin in the middle and bringing Riberio on the left seems more sensible to me.

Also think he might go with experience with Forshaw rather than Montgomery from the start, and maybe bring his energy on after an hour.

If he was a good fit for the centre of the three I would maybe be open to risking Carter, but him and Miller are good RCBs but I dont think they really have the head up style that you need in that centre CB role. 

I would definitely be looking more at Pickering for LCB - he has done that role well before. Riberio just doesn't seem a good choice imo. Not as comfortable in the air and physically one on one.

Across the back five I think the preferred options are as follows (bold starter, italics back up)

Hedges.       McLoughlin    Wharton.    Carter.    Alebiouso 

De Neve.       Pickering.   McLoughlin    Miller.     Miller 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by joey_big_nose

[arbitro]

The win at Bristol has come at a real cost. Aside from Toth Scott Wharton has an achilles problem and the early prognosis is the weeks I'm told.

Hayden Carter will be on the bench due to lack of minutes. I have a problem with this though as we had an under 21 game last Friday and if Carter was a bit short on match fitness (he has been in full time training now for a couple of weeks) then why not give him 45 minutes with them.

If one of the two or three centre halves gets injured early in the game (or even in the warm-up) then surely Carter will be called on.

It makes very little sense to me not to utilise under 21 matches for some of the first team squad.

[arbitro]

6 minutes ago, rob_of_the_rovers said:

Didn't Pickering do ok on the left of a back three at some point last season?

Pickering has played in a three and did well. He was in a defensive trio with McFadzean and Carter when we beat Leicester to stay up.

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, arbitro said:

The win at Bristol has come at a real cost. Aside from Toth Scott Wharton has an achilles problem and the early prognosis is the weeks I'm told.

Hayden Carter will be on the bench due to lack of minutes. I have a problem with this though as we had an under 21 game last Friday and if Carter was a bit short on match fitness (he has been in full time training now for a couple of weeks) then why not give him 45 minutes with them.

If one of the two or three centre halves gets injured early in the game (or even in the warm-up) then surely Carter will be called on.

It makes very little sense to me not to utilise under 21 matches for some of the first team squad.

For Wharton, did you mean three weeks?

Another big blow, Wharton has had a serious achilles injury before. The decision to let Hyam go and not replace him means the defensive issues are totally self inflicted.

[arbitro]

5 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

For Wharton, did you mean three weeks?

Another big blow, Wharton has had a serious achilles injury before. The decision to let Hyam go and not replace him means the defensive issues are totally self inflicted.

Should read ten weeks.

[Kjell]

It will be interesting to see how our central defenders handle Morris, and how Alebiouso copes with Agyemang. Not to mention how Pears will manage the situation...

[joey_big_nose]

7 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

For Wharton, did you mean three weeks?

Another big blow, Wharton has had a serious achilles injury before. The decision to let Hyam go and not replace him means the defensive issues are totally self inflicted.

Agreed.. its completely evidence based on previous seasons to assume Carter and Wharton will play only 50% of games each and we should have planned on that basis.

Really we only have 3 cbs, and that is counting Miller who is arguably more of a rcb (McLoughlin, Miller, Carter+Wharton). On that premise we should have two more cbs in the squad as its a totally accepted norm that you need five.

[arbitro]

2 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Agreed.. its completely evidence based on previous seasons to assume Carter and Wharton will play only 50% of games each and we should have planned on that basis.

Really we only have 3 cbs, and that is counting Miller who is arguably more of a rcb (McLoughlin, Miller, Carter+Wharton). On that premise we should have two more cbs in the squad as its a totally accepted norm that you need five.

We really have painted ourselves into a corner with this. I get selling Hyam and the reasons behind it. My issue was the timing of his departure and just doesn't reflect well on those in charge with absolute on the hoof management.

It looks like Craig Dawson is still without a club. Bringing him in weeks ago should have been the priority.

[roversfan99]

9 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Should read ten weeks.

That is terrible news.

Strange that Ismael implied that he had a chance for the weekend.

[joey_big_nose]

6 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Should read ten weeks.

Wow... really feels like we are setting ourselves up for a classic death spiral here. 😞

[arbitro]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

That is terrible news.

Strange that Ismael implied that he had a chance for the weekend.

I think it was one of those 'not as bad as first feared' situations.

[...]

21 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

That is terrible news.

Strange that Ismael implied that he had a chance for the weekend.

Yea I read that too and was apprehensive 

[...]

21 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Wow... really feels like we are setting ourselves up for a classic death spiral here. 😞

Set up best we can as per last few games stick to the same play that's got our three wins, slot in players that closely suit it best. That's all can ask. Still nothing on Cantwell can't remember did VI say after international?

[RoversTilliDie]

Just as we're finding a bit of form, Toth is out injured for 3 months, and Nigeria want Alibousi in the nationally team, which means he could miss up to six games for Rovers. Let's hope Ainsley Pears can fill the void.

[Elrovers]

20 minutes ago, ... said:

Set up best we can as per last few games stick to the same play that's got our three wins, slot in players that closely suit it best. That's all can ask. Still nothing on Cantwell can't remember did VI say after international?

Yes after international he’ll return. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

If Wharton's out for 2-3 months, then I'd be all the more resistant to rushing Carter back for Derby (assuming that's even on the cards).

 

A back 3 of Miller, Carter and McLoughlin is one that we can get away with until the new year, but trying to get through the next couple of months including Christmas without one or more of them is a bleak prospect. Carter picking up another injury tomorrow would be a disaster. 

[G Somerset Rover]

This reckless decision to leave ourselves so short at centre half is coming back to the bite us on the ass just like 99% of us predicted would happen. A scandalous, pure cost cutting decision that has the potential to derail all of the hard work over the last couple of weeks.

Edited 2 hours ago by G Somerset Rover

[Admiral Nelsen]

Just now, G Somerset Rover said:

This reckless decision to leave ourselves so short at centre half is coming back to the bite us on the ass just like 99% of us predicted would happen. A scandalous, cost cutting decision that has the potential to derail all of the hard work over the last couple of weeks.

 

All the more so when you consider that the options we do have really need us to play 3 at the back. I really like Wharton and Miller's winning me round, but playing them together in a back four would be asking for trouble. 

[superniko]

Does anybody know how sales are looking for this?

[CD_93]

10 minutes ago, superniko said:

Does anybody know how sales are looking for this?

Got my ticket yesterday and options were pretty sparse.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

If Wharton's out for 2-3 months, then I'd be all the more resistant to rushing Carter back for Derby (assuming that's even on the cards).

 

A back 3 of Miller, Carter and McLoughlin is one that we can get away with until the new year, but trying to get through the next couple of months including Christmas without one or more of them is a bleak prospect. Carter picking up another injury tomorrow would be a disaster. 

I definitely think rushing him back is a risk we cant afford to take.

But I dont think we can get away with those 3 considering the number of matches we have to come. Carter is so injury prone and either of the others could pick up an injury or a ban. Its a totally avoidable mess of a situation.

[superniko]

3 minutes ago, CD_93 said:

Got my ticket yesterday and options were pretty sparse.

Yeah just checked the map and BBE and JWE look to have sold well.

Absolutely loads left in the Riverside though and BBE Upper not open