v Preston North End (a) - 21/11/25, 8:00pm ko Sky TV

[MarkBRFC]

55 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Sorry who are small, weak and slow?!

We literally got kicked off the park by Derby because the ref allowed them to turn it into a rugby match.

I don't think this current group is small or weak - and we have more pace than last year...

As a side we are small, slow and weak. Not sure that can be denied.

Alebiousu aside to me we seem slower than last season. People will point at De Neve but I don't really see it. Headless chicken running that is. McLoughlin, Wharton, TGH, Taveres, Miller, Gudjohnson, Cantwell, Tronstad, Hedges etc I think I would give them a decent contest in a foot race in my mid 40's.

Derby hardly kicked us off the park, they were more physical and aggressive yes, and they wanted it more. At no point did I think they stepped over the line though.

Pace, power and height were the 3 things Ismael said he wanted most in pre season, fair enough if you think he got that.

[Mattyblue]

I’ve never come across a football fan as averse to a bit of physicality than ER. This is second division English football.

Edited yesterday at 12:24 by Mattyblue

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

I’ve never come across a football fan as adverse to a bit of physicality than ER. This is second division English football.

I thought he was being serious for a long time but he's on a wind up surely.

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

I’ve never come across a football fan as averse to a bit of physicality than ER. This is second division English football.

Clip floating around yesterday, Hoddle tackles Souness from behind near the touchline, Graeme, er....accidentally unfortunately makes contact with Glen with his studs... Crooks i think it was swings for Souness and catches the top of his barnet. Souey pats his quiff then gets ready to take the throw.

Refs bollocks all three, Souness manly handshakes the other two and they all get on with it

Witnessing that kind of stuff on telly as a kid and Glen Keeley etc putting reducers one by one on the entire Pompey hit squad live at Ewood it's no wonder we yearn for a bit of steel on the pitch now.

Don't want a return to the blatant thuggish stuff but i'm sick of seeing Rovers teams bullied across the park especially by this lot.

[Andy Kennedys Hairdo]

Not confident about this one at all. Preston riding high in the league and playing well from bits I've seen. Heckingbottom is a good coach and seems to have assembled a decent squad which I think will push hard for the play-offs this season. As with the Derby game, Rovers lack of depth and physicality could be exposed here.

Not lost this fixture for 6 years (a 3-2 defeat after being 2 up and coasting), but I'd be amazed if that run was to continue beyond Friday night. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong. 

[Tugayslongwalkoff]

Does anyone on this thread go regularly to away games? I live in Northern Ireland but my 4 year old is Rovers mad. I feel really sad for him, I teach him about proper Rovers players - not this rag tag rabble. He watches Tugay videos and copies him every day.

Anyway, I’m flying him to London for the QPR game for a Christmas present and want to know if there is an allocated away fans pub where we can base ourselves as I can’t have his little legs walking all across London looking for somewhere to sit and have a drink. 
 

I went in 2016 and couldn’t find anywhere, I hear it’s a very unwelcoming club and away fans are not welcome in pretty much any pub - which is pretty pathetic to be honest. 
 

any info welcome. 

[rigger]

18 minutes ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Does anyone on this thread go regularly to away games? I live in Northern Ireland but my 4 year old is Rovers mad. I feel really sad for him, I teach him about proper Rovers players - not this rag tag rabble. He watches Tugay videos and copies him every day.

Anyway, I’m flying him to London for the QPR game for a Christmas present and want to know if there is an allocated away fans pub where we can base ourselves as I can’t have his little legs walking all across London looking for somewhere to sit and have a drink. 
 

I went in 2016 and couldn’t find anywhere, I hear it’s a very unwelcoming club and away fans are not welcome in pretty much any pub - which is pretty pathetic to be honest. 
 

any info welcome. 

Show him the on-line clip of Tugay, warming up against Newcastle at Ewood.

[Tugayslongwalkoff]

8 minutes ago, rigger said:

Show him the on-line clip of Tugay, warming up against Newcastle at Ewood.

He’s seen every video that exists on YouTube mate. Watches them on loop

[wilsdenrover]

2 hours ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Does anyone on this thread go regularly to away games? I live in Northern Ireland but my 4 year old is Rovers mad. I feel really sad for him, I teach him about proper Rovers players - not this rag tag rabble. He watches Tugay videos and copies him every day.

Anyway, I’m flying him to London for the QPR game for a Christmas present and want to know if there is an allocated away fans pub where we can base ourselves as I can’t have his little legs walking all across London looking for somewhere to sit and have a drink. 
 

I went in 2016 and couldn’t find anywhere, I hear it’s a very unwelcoming club and away fans are not welcome in pretty much any pub - which is pretty pathetic to be honest. 
 

any info welcome. 

Found these through QPR’s website and thought they might be helpful:

[arbitro]

12 hours ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Does anyone on this thread go regularly to away games? I live in Northern Ireland but my 4 year old is Rovers mad. I feel really sad for him, I teach him about proper Rovers players - not this rag tag rabble. He watches Tugay videos and copies him every day.

Anyway, I’m flying him to London for the QPR game for a Christmas present and want to know if there is an allocated away fans pub where we can base ourselves as I can’t have his little legs walking all across London looking for somewhere to sit and have a drink. 
 

I went in 2016 and couldn’t find anywhere, I hear it’s a very unwelcoming club and away fans are not welcome in pretty much any pub - which is pretty pathetic to be honest. 
 

any info welcome. 

Just be aware that the QPR match is scheduled for February 14th which is also FA Cup Fourth Round day. If either us or QPR progress from the Third Round this game will almost certainly be moved to a night match.

[MarkBRFC]

12 hours ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

 

Anyway, I’m flying him to London for the QPR game for a Christmas present and want to know if there is an allocated away fans pub where we can base ourselves as I can’t have his little legs walking all across London looking for somewhere to sit and have a drink. 

Belushi's Sports Bar across the road from Shepherds Bush underground station is your best bet with a kid, family friendly, away fans welcome and they do food too. About a 10 minute walk to the ground.

Bare in mind though that this game is scheduled on FA Cup 4th round weekend, so should us or QPR win our 3rd round tie then this game will be postponed.

Edit - @arbitro just beat me to it.

For completions sake, other games that could be affected by cup runs are Middlesbrough (h) on 5th round weekend, and Birmingham (a) and WBA (h)  both fall on the quarter final weekend, which is also Easter weekend.

Edited 13 hours ago by MarkBRFC

[sharpysharps86]

I just can't see anything but a Preston win. They have started the season really well, the fans will be with them. This is not the same as going to away to a misfiring Leicester, or an injury plagued Bristol City. Heckingbottom will have his players fired up for this one, whereas Ismael will probably have Rovers struggling to string a couple of passes together, not to mention being utterly lightweight as they were against Derby - Preston are another side that will be too physical and strong for the Rovers softies.

Predicting that Ismael will pick this team:

                               Pears

            Miller    McLoughlin   Hedges

Alebiosu     Montgomery   Tronstad   De Neve

                          Morishita

                  Ohashi    Gudjohnsen

My god that looks an awful team 😂. Preston 3 - 0 Rovers

[...]

1 hour ago, sharpysharps86 said:

I just can't see anything but a Preston win. They have started the season really well, the fans will be with them. This is not the same as going to away to a misfiring Leicester, or an injury plagued Bristol City. Heckingbottom will have his players fired up for this one, whereas Ismael will probably have Rovers struggling to string a couple of passes together, not to mention being utterly lightweight as they were against Derby - Preston are another side that will be too physical and strong for the Rovers softies.

Predicting that Ismael will pick this team:

                               Pears

            Miller    McLoughlin   Hedges

Alebiosu     Montgomery   Tronstad   De Neve

                          Morishita

                  Ohashi    Gudjohnsen

My god that looks an awful team 😂. Preston 3 - 0 Rovers

Still no cantwell?

[Tomphil2]

We aren't going to have much to play for this season so a must win attitude needed here and 3 very valuable points along with some rare bragging rights.

Notoriously sluggish coming out of International breaks whoever runs the team so this probably couldn't have come at a worse time.

Due a win though over there, been close to it twice so 3rd time lucky ?

[roversfan99]

We will have something to play for. Staying in the league.

[MarkBRFC]

27 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

Notoriously sluggish coming out of International breaks whoever runs the team so this probably couldn't have come at a worse time.

This isnt actually true in recent times.

Our record for the first game after international breaks reads like this in recent seasons -

21-22 - 4 draws

22-23 - Won 1, lost 2 (less breaks for winter world cup)

23-24 - Won 3, lost 1

24-25 - Won 3 lost 1

 

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, sharpysharps86 said:

Predicting that Ismael will pick this team:

                               Pears

            Miller    McLoughlin   Hedges

Alebiosu     Montgomery   Tronstad   De Neve

                          Morishita

                  Ohashi    Gudjohnsen

Carter and Cantwell will surely start this game? 

I would pick Hedges as left wing back in place of De Neve

[roversfan99]

Carter will probably pick an injury up in the next week.

Ismael wasnt sure if Cantwell will be fit enough.

[MarkBRFC]

The cynic in my thinks we might only see Cantwell a couple more times in a Rovers shirt, as he is struck down by a few more "mystery" injuries before the January window.

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC said:

This isnt actually true in recent times.

Our record for the first game after international breaks reads like this in recent seasons -

21-22 - 4 draws

22-23 - Won 1, lost 2 (less breaks for winter world cup)

23-24 - Won 3, lost 1

24-25 - Won 3 lost 1

 

I'm tarred with the TM era i'd be surprised if those years yielded many points but i might be wrong of course.

[Hasta]

I’m just tarred with local derbys away from home. I don’t think I’ve seen us win one since Lambert first game.