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

[Kjell]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I don’t think Baath is the answer as a starting player. I think Derby have found that out if they’re starting with Sanderson instead of him. Handy to bring on for the last 10 minutes though if you’re holding on to a slender lead.

I suppose it depends on your alternatives. Compared to an Australian rugby player, a mediocre Hull reject, or a loyal Welsh left winger, I would argue that Batth is a significant upgrade.

[RoversTilliDie]

14 hours ago, Gamst said:

In other words, his decision to jump ship to a team marooned in a relegation scrap has been completely vindicated. I don’t blame folk for feeling bitter, it’s a tough pill to swallow, but if you’re honest with yourself he’s not a Rovers supporter and clearly made the right call. 

If he hadn't bought half our team, we wouldn't be in a relegation battle. Answer that one.

[Kjell]

3 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

If he hadn't bought half our team, we wouldn't be in a relegation battle. Answer that one.

Just stop it. Rudy does not offer contracts to players with proper careers, over 25, and who ask for a normal wage (relative to a medium championship standard).

Edited 4 hours ago by Kjell
Typing error

[...]

49 minutes ago, Hasta said:

MGP's dead ball deliveries yesterday were still infinitely better than anything we have seen at Ewood for years.

When Bentley scored lol 

Sign him up sign him up sign him uuuup!!!

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

Yesterday was just another one to add to the long list of humiliation under the Venky scum. And the saddest thing is it doesnt even hurt that much anymore, they've simply worn me down over the last 15 painful years. 

[Hasta]

18 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

If he hadn't bought half our team, we wouldn't be in a relegation battle. Answer that one.

Another blinkered jilted-ex.

He only "bought " one player which we didn't need to sell. The rest were all free agents because we didn't extend their contracts last December when HE wanted the club to sort them on longer deals.

Edited 4 hours ago by Hasta

[oneandycrawford]

32 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

If he hadn't bought half our team, we wouldn't be in a relegation battle. Answer that one.

Good grief!

He left a club where the owners showed no signs of supporting him in any way, to go to a club that clearly wanted him.

He wanted the club to give new contracts to exactly the players you say he 'bought' (only one of which he actually paid money for). The others were free agents who could go where they liked and chose him.

Your comment is a rewriting of history that Donald Trump would be proud of!

 

[Crimpshrine]

Sky commentator yesterday: "The hierarchy wanted to reduce the age of the squad to create saleable assets"

There was then a short silence - he was probably just contemplating that statement and thinking:

"is that a sensible approach for a football club with any ambition whatsoever ?" 

[NeilInBristol]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Dont forget the invisible Baradji.

Only Alebiosu from the summer is a success really. The others range fron average/underwhelming to wastes of time.

Hes got absolutely no footballing ability.

Alebiosu is a top guy too- he stopped for a chat before the game when our paths crossed in Bristol!! 

[JCRovers]

I'm surprised at our inability to defend high crosses / set pieces given our recruitment plan was to get tall, physical players into the team who wouldn't be 'bullied' so easily.

1st goal: Gudjohnsen completely misses to mark Morris for the corner. Gets a shove from Pears to shift focus from Sanderson to Morris right before the corner was taken and didn't manage to block Morris' run into the space. There's 10(!) vs 6 outfield players inside the box yet we can't defend properly. Man-marking is pretty much non-existent here; Alebiosu is zonal-marking near post and then you have Miller, McLoughlin and Hedges zonal-marking near, central and back post. Absolute garbage. Maybe not commit all your tall players to do zonal marking next time or tell the other players to better screen/block runs into space?

2nd goal: This is where the problem with playing two strikers comes in when you have a back three. Morishita (the only attacking midfielder) doesn't pick up Ward who has all the time in the world to make a pin-point cross to Agyemang. De Neve (wing-back) is helping Hedges out to double up against Morris on the wing which is completely fine but then there's a huge gap between wing-back and central/attacking midfielders when Ward receives the ball. In the second situation, Alebiosu either doesn't check his back or decides not to seek up Agyemang before the cross comes in which is poor defending. 

[Kjell]

5 minutes ago, JCRovers said:

Gets a shove from Pears

Speaking of shoves, did anybody register McLoughlin giving Andri a proper push after the goal? To me, it looked like a push you would give the opponent after a bad tackle, etc. 

Although I can understand the frustration, I found it a bit strange from our "captain".

[Elrovers]

7 minutes ago, Kjell said:

Speaking of shoves, did anybody register McLoughlin giving Andri a proper push after the goal? To me, it looked like a push you would give the opponent after a bad tackle, etc. 

Although I can understand the frustration, I found it a bit strange from our "captain".

McLoughlin is just ass. Has some good performances but other than that he’s terrible and I can see why hull didn’t really start him as much. Only God can help us now…

[superniko]

2 minutes ago, Elrovers said:

McLoughlin is just ass. Has some good performances but other than that he’s terrible and I can see why hull didn’t really start him as much. Only God can help us now…

I’m yet to see any good performances IMO. Turns like the titanic, terrible with the ball at his feet, easily turned by anyone half decent. Still cannot get over a back 3 of him, Miller and Hedges. 

[jim mk2]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I don’t think Baath is the answer as a starting player. I think Derby have found that out if they’re starting with Sanderson instead of him. Handy to bring on for the last 10 minutes though if you’re holding on to a slender lead.

He’s better than the two who played there yesterday though and he’d be a first pick for us at the moment. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Speaking of shoving - it was going on throughout the game as was the new fashion for shirt pulling at every opportunity.

[Herbie6590]

The BRFCS POTM is…

[Exiled_Rover]

3 hours ago, RTM08 said:

Specifically Rudy from what I recall.

Never should have been allowed near transfers, should never be allowed again. Shambolic.

As always with this board - quick to pounce on any negatives. Three wins on the bounce brushed away in an instant.

It's clearly somewhere in-between. There was too much turnover in the summer (due to cost cutting / selling assets / a new 'project' - however you / they want to define it), but at the end of the day the quality of the squad hasn't changed much.

Much like last year, we still lack depth. If four (or five - depending on what you think of Carter / Wharton) starting players were missing last year under Eustace we'd have struggled to get results too. 

We didn't lose any world beaters in the summer and we evidently didn't replace them with any either. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Exiled_Rover

[K-Hod]

3 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

We didn't lose any world beaters in the summer and we evidently didn't replace them with any either. 

No, we didn’t, that’s right.

I’d say all the replacements are inferior.

Whilst I like Alebiosu, he’s not as good as the Callum Brittain that left.

Rank bad management to lose Hyam so late without a replacement and rely on Carter and Wharton to remain fit, when they’ve demonstrated an inability to do so for as long as they’ve been in the picture.

[Exiled_Rover]

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Speaking of shoving - it was going on throughout the game as was the new fashion for shirt pulling at every opportunity.

Derby were dirty as hell yesterday. Pushing, pulling and obstructing (their no.6 twice made a beeline for Ohashi on a break and blocked him like they were playing American Football) their way through the game.

Their #32 pussied out of a 50/50 with Miller then disgustingly swiped at Miller's feet once he'd got the ball under control - he got a yellow, but there was zero intent to play the ball and it was an incredibly cowardly act designed purely to hurt our player. 

[Exiled_Rover]

1 minute ago, K-Hod said:

No, we didn’t, that’s right.

I’d say all the replacements are inferior.

Whilst I like Alebiosu, he’s not as good as the Callum Brittain that left.

Rank bad management to lose Hyam so late without a replacement and rely on Carter and Wharton to remain fit, when they’ve demonstrated an inability to do so for as long as they’ve been in the picture.

The jury is still out for me. I need to see more of them - realistically they should all be slowly being introduced into the side, rather than thrown in at the deep end. I've seen flashes from Henriksson, Gudjohnsen and Morishita, but we've also seen three players overwhelmed with the pace and physicality of the league. 

I think Alebiosu is better than Brittain - mostly because he's just a much better athlete and he's asked to patrol an entire flank on his own. Brittain couldn't get up and down like that and was often caught out for pace. 

I don't see much difference between Gardner-Hickman and Travis - both limited, but dogged footballers. 

Selling Hyam I'm ok with - I don't think McLoughlin is a worse player (and I think Miller is a better player) - but selling him and then shifting to 3 at the back is suicide long term. Not unless you recall O'Riordan or you really fancy Pratt / one of the U21 CBs (which they clearly don't). 

Tavares seems to be the only 'dud', but he also might just need time. Who knows what Schrodinger's Baradji will bring to the party, if he even ever plays for us. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The jury is still out for me. I need to see more of them - realistically they should all be slowly being introduced into the side, rather than thrown in at the deep end. I've seen flashes from Henriksson, Gudjohnsen and Morishita, but we've also seen three players overwhelmed with the pace and physicality of the league. 

I think Alebiosu is better than Brittain - mostly because he's just a much better athlete and he's asked to patrol an entire flank on his own. Brittain couldn't get up and down like that and was often caught out for pace. 

I don't see much difference between Gardner-Hickman and Travis - both limited, but dogged footballers. 

Selling Hyam I'm ok with - I don't think McLoughlin is a worse player (and I think Miller is a better player) - but selling him and then shifting to 3 at the back is suicide long term. Not unless you recall O'Riordan or you really fancy Pratt / one of the U21 CBs (which they clearly don't). 

Tavares seems to be the only 'dud', but he also might just need time. Who knows what Schrodinger's Baradji will bring to the party, if he even ever plays for us. 

You’ve forgotten to mention DeNeve , understandable  I suppose. I agree with you regarding Alebioso, he’s a better all round player than Brittain.

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Hasta said:

Another blinkered jilted-ex.

He only "bought " one player which we didn't need to sell. The rest were all free agents because we didn't extend their contracts last December when HE wanted the club to sort them on longer deals.

Would you be happy with Batth and Weimann here this season?

You saw yesterday (and last year) that Weimann's legs have gone. I suspect Batth's have too if he's on the bench at Derby behind the cloggers we saw yesterday.

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You’ve forgotten to mention DeNeve , understandable  I suppose. I agree with you regarding Alebioso, he’s a better all round player than Brittain.

I didn't forget him, I just don't know what to make of him yet.

He's a willing runner and a very quick player, but his final ball is a liquorice allsorts - which I think is down to his lack of skill. Quite similar to Dolan in a way, although that was down to his lack of a brain. 

LWB suits him, especially when rotating with Hedges, and I think he's growing into the league, but he's clearly pretty limited. At the moment I see him as a useful player that lets us play our best formation - we'll see if he pushes on from there.

[Hasta]

3 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Would you be happy with Batth and Weimann here this season?

You saw yesterday (and last year) that Weimann's legs have gone. I suspect Batth's have too if he's on the bench at Derby behind the cloggers we saw yesterday.

I reckon Batth is still better than Miller, and Weimann is better than Henriksson. So yes.

[sharpysharps86]

30 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Derby were dirty as hell yesterday. Pushing, pulling and obstructing (their no.6 twice made a beeline for Ohashi on a break and blocked him like they were playing American Football) their way through the game.

You know what, I wish Rovers were more like that than they are. They're too 'nice' and they're too soft. As a group of players there is no nasty streak in them to rile up opponents and get the fans on side.

As Roy Keane once said, "sometimes I might just smash into someone just to make me feel better".