v Sheffield Wednesday (a) - 29/12/2025

[wilsdenrover]

We’ve ’amassed’ 5 points from our matches against the teams currently making up the bottom half of the table. 

[NeilInBristol]

8 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

VI

”a win against a Wrexham will look good” 

yes mate but also if we can’t get a win against bottom placed SW how do you think we will beat wrexham

[Elrovers]

Mori out for 3-5 weeks. Another one to add to the long list of injuries…

[RTM08]

1 minute ago, wilsdenrover said:

We’ve ’amassed’ 5 points from our matches against the teams currently making up the bottom half of the table. 

That alone should be a sackable offense this far into the season.

[Gamst]

Both teams decimated by awful ownership. A shameful advert for modern day football. On the face of it, its a poor result but in truth our squad is so poor and threadbare that it’s actually not a bad point and it helps us stagger towards safety. The lack of quality in the matchday squad is embarrassing and massively exposes our complete lack of depth. Responsible ownership/management would have multiple signings ready to complete on New Year’s Day. My guess though is that we won’t have a striker in until deadline day. I hope I’m wrong. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 minute ago, Gamst said:

Both teams decimated by awful ownership. A shameful advert for modern day football. On the face of it, its a poor result but in truth our squad is so poor and threadbare that it’s actually not a bad point and it helps us stagger towards safety. The lack of quality in the matchday squad is embarrassing and massively exposes our complete lack of depth. Responsible ownership/management would have multiple signings ready to complete on New Year’s Day. My guess though is that we won’t have a striker in until deadline day. I hope I’m wrong. 

Agreed.

[johnradfordsubbuteo2]

2 minutes ago, Gamst said:

Both teams decimated by awful ownership. A shameful advert for modern day football. On the face of it, its a poor result but in truth our squad is so poor and threadbare that it’s actually not a bad point and it helps us stagger towards safety. The lack of quality in the matchday squad is embarrassing and massively exposes our complete lack of depth. Responsible ownership/management would have multiple signings ready to complete on New Year’s Day. My guess though is that we won’t have a striker in until deadline day. I hope I’m wrong. 

I think that's over optimistic.

[RevidgeBlue]

11 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

I can’t agree that Bannan was poor for them. He lifted his fellow midfielders several notches and they completely won the battle against our lot. He still covers a frightening amount of ground, always an outlet, and while he may have misplaced a couple tonight his passing range and vision is superb. Tronstad couldn’t cope with him.

It’s took Baradji half a season to get fit enough to start a game, but he wasn’t match fit enough to end it - started brightly but faded quickly. Cantwell was far too casual and generally off it. How many times can one player drag a shot wide.

Australia must be hitting a sparse time in terms of player development. Miller is so technically poor and unable to pass a simple ball I’m astonished he’s a regular at international level. McLaughlin is a downgrade on Hyam, Baath, Sanderson and McFadzean.

I love Ohashi, but he was woeful tonight. Clearly not enough left in the tank for him to do his usual running round like a man possessed. That ordinarily hides a multitude of sins, but his finishing was beyond dreadful tonight and his general play not much better. Henriksson is shit. And it’s a real indication of how far we’ve fallen in just 12 months when Hedges is one of our main men.

I know Gueye isn’t very good, but he’s looked a competent option when starting games (when he first signed and a spell after Christmas last year). He’s never looked good coming off the bench, but to drop him completely from the threadbare squad suggests arrogance on Ismael’s part or interference from above.

Not dropping Pears for Toth is weak management. Litherland and Pratt both look like useful members of the squad, but that may have a lot to do with the dross around them, but they don’t look out of place. Hopefully more to come from them.

Great post, the only bit I slightly disagree with is the bit about Pears/Toth. 

[yankfan]

50 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Three attributes the recruitment team were to focus on were physicality, pace and athleticism. For my money, we are still sorely missing in all three facets and especially, some genuine pace throughout the team. I would say that both Hedges and Ryan A have some pace but the rest are just far too slow and pace up front is just non existent and urgently needs addressing if we are to stay up this season.

You left out the first one…cheap 

[Old Codger]

Two lacklustre sides battling it out for supremacy in the ineffectual stakes this evening. A tallest dwarf competition in all but actual presence of genetically divergent height-compromised individuals.

The ingredients of a capable side are there for all to see - a modicum of flair and quality (Cantwell, Baradgi), awareness of the game (Trondstadt, McLoughlin), potential (Pratt, Litherland) and endeavour (Ohashi, and occasionally Hedges). Even old Pearsey can distribute the ball reasonably well... But oh dear, the flaws are there in abundance too - headless chicken syndrome (Hendrikkson, Miller) and a tendency towards arrogance (too many to mention).

The main problem glaringly in evidence this evening, is the lack of any cutting edge / battering ram / genius up front. We could have played all week and never threatened their goal in any meaningful way. We need the type of striker who will be in evidence at Ewood on Thursday, another Danny Graham tyoe who thrives on opportunity and works hard enough to create chances. Without that, we will surely be relying upon there being at least three shorter dwarf teams in the league as we meander haphazardly and without a plan towards the end of the season.

God we were poor this evening. Mind-bogglingly shit-shudderingly abysmal. Not entertaining. Not really a team. Just a bunch of ragbag ponies hoping to avoid the glue factory..

VENKYS most definitely OUT!

[Waggy76]

5 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Great post, the only bit I slightly disagree with is the bit about Pears/Toth. 

Toth could well be sold in January. 

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Old Codger said:

Not really a team. Just a bunch of ragbag ponies hoping to avoid the glue factory..

VENKYS most definitely OUT!

Wow- bleak but spot on.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, lraC said:

He did play for them.

I loved him BTW.

Me too

[47er]

23 minutes ago, NeilInBristol said:

VI

”a win against a Wrexham will look good” 

yes mate but also if we can’t get a win against bottom placed SW how do you think we will beat wrexham

But this tine we're at home------------oh wait!

[47er]

24 minutes ago, Elrovers said:

Mori out for 3-5 weeks. Another one to add to the long list of injuries…

Yep we're the unluckiest team in the country!  😦

[Herbie6590]

Summed up the night for me…last minute, dangerous cross into the box…Fred Karno’s circus in the middle…🤦‍♂️

[Salgados Hair]

52 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

If we tolerate this then our children will be next

From Despair to Where

[Gav]

4 hours ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Blue n White Gazelles I do believe.

Never invade the pitch in Gazelles, its like running on glass, my legs were going like the clappers, but I wasn't moving 🤣

13yrs ago that, I'd not make it over the fence these days 🫣

Kean Out!

[Paul Mellelieu]

What a disappointment. 

I'm not sure what to think: is Val getting the best out of a poor and depleted squad that we all thought would be in the bottom three by Xmas, or should he be doing better?

Let's hope these results don't catch us out later in the season.

[oldjamfan1]

51 minutes ago, Old Codger said:

Two lacklustre sides battling it out for supremacy in the ineffectual stakes this evening. A tallest dwarf competition in all but actual presence of genetically divergent height-compromised individuals.

The ingredients of a capable side are there for all to see - a modicum of flair and quality (Cantwell, Baradgi), awareness of the game (Trondstadt, McLoughlin), potential (Pratt, Litherland) and endeavour (Ohashi, and occasionally Hedges). Even old Pearsey can distribute the ball reasonably well... But oh dear, the flaws are there in abundance too - headless chicken syndrome (Hendrikkson, Miller) and a tendency towards arrogance (too many to mention).

The main problem glaringly in evidence this evening, is the lack of any cutting edge / battering ram / genius up front. We could have played all week and never threatened their goal in any meaningful way. We need the type of striker who will be in evidence at Ewood on Thursday, another Danny Graham tyoe who thrives on opportunity and works hard enough to create chances. Without that, we will surely be relying upon there being at least three shorter dwarf teams in the league as we meander haphazardly and without a plan towards the end of the season.

God we were poor this evening. Mind-bogglingly shit-shudderingly abysmal. Not entertaining. Not really a team. Just a bunch of ragbag ponies hoping to avoid the glue factory..

VENKYS most definitely OUT!

“A tallest dwarf competition in all but actual presence of genetically divergent height-compromised individuals.”

 

I genuinely spat my brew out reading this. Take a bow 😂😂😂

[M_B]

12 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

What a disappointment. 

I'm not sure what to think: is Val getting the best out of a poor and depleted squad that we all thought would be in the bottom three by Xmas, or should he be doing better?

Let's hope these results don't catch us out later in the season.

Defensively, despite losing player after player, he's got the team playing really well, one of the best goals against records in the division. 

We need two ready to go forwards early in the window, the club needs to act ASAP. Ohashi is having to play virtually every minute and we know the inevitable will happen.

The defence can't keep propping up the whole team, it will start creaking eventually. 

[des]

One of tye few good things is that some of our young players did not look out 9f place and got some match time, the rest was shall i be king and say poor

[WacoRover]

I moan about our struggles, but three consecutive clean sheets… I like!

Yes, still a bit of glass half-full, happy-clappiness, even in the face of such adversity. 

I guess it could be worse; with a bare-bones roster (albeit, not high quality players to begin with), we’re not losing these games. so, I guess I have to believe Ismael is keeping our heads above water.