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

[Torgeir]

19 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Probably well before your time but you definitely wouldn't have liked Howard Kendall who was goal difference away from leading us from the equivalent of League 1 to the Premier League in successive seasons then.

You wouldnt have liked it under Allardyce by the same token either?

Edit: I loved it under Howard Kendall because after a very poor start it was winning football, didnt particularly like it under Sam as it was "just doing enough to survive" football.

Kendall was before my time. I like Allardyce, top coach who had a lot of modern ideas when it came to nutrition, stats etc. 

[StHelensRover]

12 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

One thing that did look surprisingly okay was Hedges at LCB. If we did that again I could live with it.

He was pretty decent defending on the deck and in the air, and as youd expect offered a bit driving forward with the ball. BBD was on his side and did nothing.

That said might be that Derby just didnt really attack much in open play all game, relied on set pieces, so not really tested.

Not sure about that myself. We conceded from two headers in the box. Not saying Hedges was completely to blame for that, but you'd like to think that would be less likely with proper centre halves playing in those areas rather than makeshift ones.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Torgeir said:

Kendall was before my time. I like Allardyce, top coach who had a lot of modern ideas when it came to nutrition, stats etc. 

But the football was shite and results were worse than Eustace.

How can you like one and not the other? Both or neither surely?

[Kjell]

The remainder of November and December will be massive for us, in terms of our chances of staying up, as well as our fixtures against Portsmouth and Oxford in March. As soon as Norwich bin Manning, I think Pompey and Oxford being worse than us, is our genuine chance.

[Kjell]

3 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

Kendall was before my time. I like Allardyce, top coach who had a lot of modern ideas when it came to nutrition, stats etc. 

At least we can agree on Big Sam 😊🤩

[RoversTilliDie]

Rovers 1 Etonians 0, after 10 seconds. Should have played the legends against  Derby.

Edited 2 hours ago by RoversTilliDie

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, RoversTilliDie said:

Rovers 1 Etonians 0, after 10 seconds. Should have played the legends against against Derby.

Many home fans decided to stay on for it?

[superniko]

11 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Must just be me, I thought Hedges was abysmal at Bristol and whilst he didnt make any major errors today he looked exactly what he was - someone playing completely out of position.

Why can't we play the young lad Atcheson, an ACTUAL centre back in that position?

Absolute madness isn’t it. A back 3 of Miller, McLoughlin and Hedges. Comical stuff when you see it written down

[Guy N. Cognito]

We're a mediocre outfit. Take out a couple key players and we're goosed. How on earth can one expect any strength in depth on this bare-bones operation? Agyemang alone cost more than our summer business.

Statistically, there wasn't a lot between us, but the game was won in the first-half. Eustace knew he could sit back and our feeble attack would have no reply, penalty notwithstanding.

[Torgeir]

3 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

But the football was shite and results were worse than Eustace.

How can you like one and not the other? Both or neither surely?

Allardyce managed us in a period when the Walker trust wanted rid and injected the mandatory £5m per year or whatever it was. I thought he assembled a good squad and we had a team where there was room for some great individuals as well. Eustace probably actually had worse support, but we went from being a team comfortable in possession to 'deer in headlights once we received the ball' overnight. Broughton and JDT gave me some hope that we might turn this around, but then we were back to being Rovers again...

 

 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Came out of my Exile for today,felt I had to be there at Ewood for the Occasion.Nice view of the Stadium from the Riverside I must admit.Quiet crowd on the whole but we all know what is going on off the Pitch,just doesn't feel right.BBE so silent these days.

Now on to the game...

I know the injuries appear to be piling up but by christ this side is so short of quality its unreal.One of THE most boring first halves of Football I've ever had the misfortune to see at Ewood,really poor.Second half not much better but we offered more in attack.Not a single Player in our side stood out for me...we are middling on a good day.

Going to be a long hard season this,we must strengthen in January to avoid relegation.

Stayed for the Legends Honour Caps,sighed,then made my way Home.

Happy 150th Rovers.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Waggy76]

45 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

That Baradji lad had better be good after all this…🫣

I think we are getting Baradji fit for another team , he will be sold in January !

[Torgeir]

Where's me anniversary shirt?

[alex l]

4 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

I think we are getting Baradji fit for another team , he will be sold in January !

That would be an even lower level of administration at Rovers, when his parent club turn around and ask why we've tried to sell their player. 

[Kjell]

3 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

Broughton and JDT gave me some hope that we might turn this around, but then we were back to being Rovers again...

 

 

I guess it's the hope (and Pasha) that kills us.

I had one of my best away trips to a freezing cold Riverside on November 27, 2024. Before that, I enjoyed a nice trip to Sunderland, where we won 5-1. It’s hard not to like Eustace after those two experiences, so I hope I'm excused for my fond memories of him🙂

[arbitro]

What another frustrating afternoon at Ewood where our awful home record has become a huge problem. After four away wins the question has to be asked if we are more suited to playing away. Of course losing three of our most important players was going to be difficult but the set up, for me made that even worse.

I was really surprised to see how we lined up at the start. Ryan Hedges at centre half? Come on Ismael, that frankly is a nonsense. Henrikson in central midfield? Again a square peg in a round hole.

It was obvious that under Eustace Derby would bomb the ball in. Allowing two unchallenged headers was ridiculous from our point of view but as worrying was how uncompetitive we were. Derby won tackles, second balls and invariably got the first contact on set pieces. We simply allowed them to do that knowing that is exactly what Eustace would have done. 

We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and I thought Ismael got his half time change wrong by taking Gardner-Hickman off instead of Henrikson who I thought looked like a fish out of water in central midfield. 

We competed much better in the second half and played at a much higher tempo. We got in behind several times although the final ball was generally poor. The goal gave us a real boost and at that point, with Derby rocking I thought Ismael should have brought Gueye on right then. Eustace did his usual after going in front when they sit in and invite pressure. I believe they were rocking after the penalty and in my view bringing Gueye on would have really worried them.

Despite a couple of half chances the game petered out and another home defeat left us all flat.

I hope this set piece coach can improve us because today, particularly from Miller's throws we were awful. In the first half all our taller players stood on the far post. On which planet would those thrown ins get that far. I hope Morris had a packet of anadin after the match because his head must have been pounding as he headed the ball many, many times at both ends of the pitch.

No doubt Ismael will use injuries as his main reason for losing but in my view his team selection was one of the factors in the first half.

Something has to be done about this abysmal home form but can Ismael come up with a winning formula.

Personally I doubt that.

[Waggy76]

29 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

Kendall was before my time. I like Allardyce, top coach who had a lot of modern ideas when it came to nutrition, stats etc. 

Howard Kendall was a good manager for the Rovers,  we had not a pot to piss in and he got us to goal difference away from the 1st Division . 

Also , one hell of a footballer !

[Bbrovers2288]

5 minutes ago, arbitro said:

What another frustrating afternoon at Ewood where our awful home record has become a huge problem. After four away wins the question has to be asked if we are more suited to playing away. Of course losing three of our most important players was going to be difficult but the set up, for me made that even worse.

I was really surprised to see how we lined up at the start. Ryan Hedges at centre half? Come on Ismael, that frankly is a nonsense. Henrikson in central midfield? Again a square peg in a round hole.

It was obvious that under Eustace Derby would bomb the ball in. Allowing two unchallenged headers was ridiculous from our point of view but as worrying was how uncompetitive we were. Derby won tackles, second balls and invariably got the first contact on set pieces. We simply allowed them to do that knowing that is exactly what Eustace would have done. 

We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and I thought Ismael got his half time change wrong by taking Gardner-Hickman off instead of Henrikson who I thought looked like a fish out of water in central midfield. 

We competed much better in the second half and played at a much higher tempo. We got in behind several times although the final ball was generally poor. The goal gave us a real boost and at that point, with Derby rocking I thought Ismael should have brought Gueye on right then. Eustace did his usual after going in front when they sit in and invite pressure. I believe they were rocking after the penalty and in my view bringing Gueye on would have really worried them.

Despite a couple of half chances the game petered out and another home defeat left us all flat.

I hope this set piece coach can improve us because today, particularly from Miller's throws we were awful. In the first half all our taller players stood on the far post. On which planet would those thrown ins get that far. I hope Morris had a packet of anadin after the match because his head must have been pounding as he headed the ball many, many times at both ends of the pitch.

No doubt Ismael will use injuries as his main reason for losing but in my view his team selection was one of the factors in the first half.

Something has to be done about this abysmal home form but can Ismael come up with a winning formula.

Personally I doubt that.

Henriksson is a fish out of water on a football park never mind a position. A truly awful signing when I really wanted to like him 

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, Waggy76 said:

Howard Kendall was a good manager for the Rovers,  we had not a pot to piss in and he got us to goal difference away from the 1st Division . 

Also , one hell of a footballer !

"Good" is somewhat of an understatement Id say as he went on to prove with Everton.

Well past his best as a player by the time he joined us but still decent. Imperious at his peak, again with Everton.

Would he go down as the best player never to win an England cap?

[Waggy76]

11 minutes ago, alex l said:

That would be an even lower level of administration at Rovers, when his parent club turn around and ask why we've tried to sell their player. 

The parent club might sell him ??

Never say never at Rovers !

[Exiled_Rover]

33 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

Not sure about that myself. We conceded from two headers in the box. Not saying Hedges was completely to blame for that, but you'd like to think that would be less likely with proper centre halves playing in those areas rather than makeshift ones.

I don't know who was meant to be marking Morris for the first one, but Alebiosu should have got something on the second. Neither were Hedges' fault. 

[joey_big_nose]

32 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

Not sure about that myself. We conceded from two headers in the box. Not saying Hedges was completely to blame for that, but you'd like to think that would be less likely with proper centre halves playing in those areas rather than makeshift ones.

Neither of the headers were on Hedges side.

Obviously if we had some proper defenders that would be better, I was more saying using Hedges ahead of Pickering or Riberio.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

Henriksson is a fish out of water on a football park never mind a position. A truly awful signing when I really wanted to like him 

He just goes around tripping and kicking people. Not sure how he gets away with it so often.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Waggy76 said:

The parent club might sell him ??

Never say never at Rovers !

Or we would presumably have the option to buy him early then flip him for a profit.

[Exiled_Rover]

Maybe I was just watching wise rose tinted glasses when Eustace was here, but I'm sure he didn't send us out to be so niggly and dirty.

From minute one they were pushing our players in the air, blocking runs, tugging shirts. The useless ref didn't pull them up on anything so they doubled down on it.

What a horrible, horrible team.