Arsenal v Luton -a chance to see our 2 ex goalies in action.

Fascinating piece in the Times on set piece experts. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d6380a7b-0c6c-4ba1-94c9-3f586760423b?shareToken=7a5009f192b6f2ff15fc5af3ee4d5dfb Wondering if artbitro might like to be our referee expert for the club? 😃

No particular axe to grind with JE. His remit is simple, keep us up, keep his head down with regards off-field stuff, toe the official narrative. Just like Mowbray. No heat on owners, we limp on, zombie club, SWAG happy, fans happy just to watch a game. It's already happening in the fanbase and media. Nothing to see here. Admin errors, what admin errors? Others may prefer a manager who is more ambitious and calls out the loons. More chance that way of spotlight on the dysfunction and possible change. Can't see SWAG/Suhail making that mistake again.

Yes thanks Jim -was trying to remember the name of the good player who Mowbray insisted on playing on the wing when it was clear he was better and wanted to play in the centre. You could see it in his body language. (EDIT ah just seen your post too Tyrone.) Reid

Increased maturity and great coaching by JDT 😃 edit and perhaps playing in the shop window to get away from the present nightmare?

Van Hecke. Think i've raised it before -the issue of the quality of loans which has declined. Never liked Mowbray as a manager but he did seem to get some good loans. Tosin, Elliot etc Is that: down to cash down to Mowbray's network -agents/personal contacts being better than present incumbents the dysfuntion at Rovers is so well known that we are a last resort

Precisely. Plus JRC and Tronstad. Plus Pears instead of Walhstedt. How many of the 4 will be here next season? Are we due a Mowbray splurge in the cycle?

Sammy's movement and Dolan's perfectly weighted pass make it.

Because he is a foreigner, speaks English better than them, called out the nonsense at the club and had a good line in wry humour? 🙂

Surely they could send Rovers staff for some in-service training somewhere-how to press send on a computer.

JDT = 33 points out of 29 games = 1.14ppg = 52.44 ppg of 46 games JE = 6 points out of 9 games = 0.66 ppg = 30.36 ppg out of 46 games With a more favourable situation the present incumbent’s record is worse. Think we will survive due to poorer teams than us. But it won’t make a great deal of difference to SWAG or the owners. They have the narrative worked out either way (which will be peddled in local media and elsewhere). We go down –it was JDTs fault for leaving us in a mess, we acted decisively, have a new manager, let’s kick on, get behind the team, let’s rebuild, we are fully committed ….. We stay up –we acted promptly despite a difficult situation, our new manager kept us up, let’s kick on, get behind the team, let’s rebuild, we are fully committed …..

Of course, JDT then had a depleted squad and one that supposedly didn’t want to work for him/found it too hard under him. Eustace has a better squad (obviously all relative) and supposedly one that is happier and is raring to go. Result –dropped down the league table.

Fleck on £20 per week? A tenner would be too much 😉

You can see inside his mind now? 🙂 I would suggest he possibly does because he has a family member here and has interest still in the area. He left us higher up the league than present despite the background inadequacies of this club. The present manager has taken us down the league. I think we will stay up by virtue of points gained earlier in the season and the fact that there are worse teams than us. I do hope, that in the event of us going down, you will not be part of the inevitable chorus of "It's on JDT, Eustace just did his best in the circumstances."

Yep. SWAG must have wondered what on earth he had done by appointing an intelligent bloke who recognised incompetence and bullshit and wouldn't turn a blind eye.

I’m not blaming him alone, but nobody can exonerate him from blame when he oversaw such a bad run after being in such a good position. He was the one who got us into such a good position. And yes you can blame him for the points tally in a subsequent poor run. (although we know that this was initially having players injured and and players leaving, then subsequently an entitled ‘group’ downing tools and JDT losing the will giving the dysfunction around him.) …how big a mess he inherited… Nothing has changed other than Wharton leaving. In fact, Eustace has several plusses that JDT didn’t have. All he has done is scrape some draws. Of course, he has exactly the same mess as JDT had in terms of the dysfunction of the owners and SWAG. Another difference is that he is SWAG’s lapdog unlike his predecessor. The idea that the club pulled off some great move in sacking JDT is most amusing (and the sort of logic of a club PR dept.) He did his best to get out of the barmy kitchen a long time ago but the numpties in charge wouldn’t let him go. When he then has to pay to escape, the PR machine kicks into action and blames him for possibly taking us down. I’m sure JDT would not have taken us down. He and the players would managed to grin and bear each other and scrape the same points that is currently being delivered. He would of course then left –SWAG and the Raos/Suhail couldn’t possibly have let him interfere for another season by speaking sensibly and calling out their lunacy. Having said all this, sacking Eustace would probably achieve little. Obviously, we know it won’t happen anyway-too costly and too much on SWAGs string. And if we did, SWAG/Suhail would make sure that the next one would be a sure fire loser and yes-man.

How did he leave us in a mess? Yes obviously, the points tally. But Eustace has everything else. Players available that weren’t available to JDT, players supposedly happier and willing to play for a new manager because they didn’t like the old one, players who are capable of a passing game because JDT coached them well. So all should be set fair and yet he can’t muster a single win. The blame it on JDT narrative is weak and smacks of club PR to divert attention from appalling management for the Raos, SWAG anda Suhail.

? Jim Ratcliffe was born in Failsworth, lived in a council house, his dad was a joiner and mum worked in an accounts office.

Simply cannot believe that. 3 times? Was that the same inexperienced person each time? Those sorts of decisions come from higher up.

So all this court case stuff is nothing to do with Rovers? Other than an excuse not to provide adequate funds to improve.

Don't think we will go down and wouldn't have anyway. Just got a manager to future proof failure.

JE 6 points in 8 games Would equate to circa 35 points in 46 league games = relegation

Warm weather training coming up? SWAG could drive them on the bus to somewhere warmer -Torquay? 😉

Reasonable point. Are we still a going concern?

Not surprised after playing against Tommy 🙂