Hornet related commentary, predictions, speculation here please…

How we feeling about this one?

Continue the momentum of our 100% league record with a win here. Markanday to score a couple with a Lewis Travis 30 yarder to finish it off.

So it’s that time of year again folks where we get the chance to dare to dream and pray for a good cup run. I’ve started this thread early and I’m not one for starting threads so I apologise if I’ve done it wrong. I love the cups and hope we go all out and try and have a good run like we did last season. The cups were a real highlight of the season with some terrific performances. For the first time in what felt an eternity JDT took the cup seriously and it paid off with some memorable games and good experience for our , now more important than ever, developing youth players . The big question is , in the current climate, will JDT go strong and take the cups as serious this time around with such a thin and inexperienced squad . Is he able to with the demands of the championship ? On to the game. I’m hoping we have enough either way to get past Walsall and into the draw for round two . Walsall, nicknamed the Saddlers were founded in 1888, under the name walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town and Walsall swifts. They where league 4 champions in 1959-60 and have three more runners up places during there 135 year history. Last season the Saddlers finished 16th in league 2 Rovers head to head record with Walsall is played 17 , Rovers wins 10, draws 5 with only 2 defeats The first time the two clubs met was an fa cup game back In January 1931 at ewood park with the game finishing in a 1-1 draw. The last time the clubs met Rovers ran out winners at the Bescott stadium. A 2-1 win in our promotion season from league one with the reverse fixture at Ewood ending in a 3-1 victory. We also signed youth prospect Mitch Candlin that season. We played Walsall in the earlier rounds of the cup back in 2002. A goal from corrado grabbi opening the scoring from the spot before being pegged back by a Walsall penalty converted by zigor aranalde. The game went into extra time and Rovers found themselves 2-1 down on the 98th minute before an Ian roper own goal made things all square. In a game which referee Neale Barry had already awarded two penalties the game was decided by them . Rovers winning 7-6 after the final penalty was taken and scored by Marc richards. Let’s all hope for a repeat result and even better a cup run as good as the one from the same calendar year My team for the game would be Pears Brittain Barnes Wharton Batty Travis Garrett Markanday Buckley Dolan Leonard COYB

Finally back at Ewood Park for a league game. Predictions/line ups? 1-1, Szmodics 79’

The draw for the first round of the Carabao Cup is live on Sky Sports News at 2.30. We are ball number four. Hopefully a home game or an away match not too far away. https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/june/22/rovers-to-be-ball-number-four-/

Bad start for United…

Hi all, new to the board (posting at least), lancs lad living in Spain here! Heard a rumour that Rovers might be playing a pre season friendly in Madrid vs Athletico, wondered if anyone has heard anything about this? Cheers!

So close. yet so far. Why has it taken until now to come back in a game? I like JDT, but without the backing of new players, we will always flatter to deceive. Comes down to owners who don't give a shit. No passion. Another Championship season beckons. No money, no progress. ST sales down, too expensive. It will not happen under these crap owners.

Time to send his nephew Harry back to crewe i think. He is shocking

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/may/02/decider-at-the-den-selected-by-sky/ Live on Sky but thankfully the kick off time is cast in stone otherwise we'd be looking at stupid o'clock again. The odds are stacked against us but all we can do is go there and win and hope (for a change) the footballing Gods look favourably down on us. I've learned over the decades to never say never where Rovers are concerned and in many respects there is more pressure on Millwall to win and they will be nervously looking at the other scores too.

The stars have aligned and, thanks to assistance from BRFC, I'm going to this one. 😎 This really IS a must win, the others were just rehearsals. COYB

Might as well start the thread now. Anything less than a win, we're done for if not already

This is it. Must win. You know the history of this fixture. COYB

MASSIVE MUST-WIN BASTARD OF A MATCH. It's the hope that kills you....

A night match. We'll have to watch the day unfold. I'd rather this than be the early kick-off. Begin the thread!

Games moved to 530pm 1st May!!

4.5k tickets given. Do we think we will sell out before open sale at £28 a ticket? We don't usually to be fair but away following have been strong lately.

Huge game. Let's get down to Ewood and get behind the lads FFS! Good Friday Fixtures:-

Hi all Birmingham away 1st April tickets released. I'm travelling up from Bristol. Would be good to meet up with some rovers fans for a beer before if anyone is interested? Also looking for good recommendations for pubs near the ground. Cheers Neil

I thought I'd start a thread for Reading on Wednesday as there isn't one yet but surprisingly there is one with three pages for the game after this. I hope the players and staff aren't looking at that game before Wednesday. I hope we batter them senseless for a few reasons. Our performance at their place this season was a shocker after an excellent start to the season as we made them look like world beaters. Then Paul Ince who is in the Coyle and Kean category for bullshit and bluff. And then Andy Carroll, a player who has moved around for millions, made millions and couldn't trap a bag of cement. A one trick pony. But mostly I want to beat them to get three points, rubbing their noses in it would be the icing on the cake. Thomason has selection issues after the Stoke no show and also a couple of injuries. Hopefully we revert to the style of play that had us on a great run recently and we get back to playing to our strengths rather than allowing Reading to negate them.

Massive game. One win from our 1st visit to the new Wembley. Tickets on sale on Wednesday. The footballing authorities have made it more difficult for 5000 Rovers' fans to get there, but the club have made a generous offer of discounted coach travel, se be there we will! Was it March '93 that a young Jason Wilcox was selected to take the 1st penalty in the shoot out following a 2 - 2 draw at Brammall Lane in the cup quarter final? Took me years to get over that decision, in fact I'm still not over it 🤣

This one has me worried! Stoke are starting to turn a corner as their recent results show. They are a dangerous side with some very good forwards. Regardless, the players should go into this fully confident of a result. I'll go 1-1. Pickering to score with a Roberto Carlos style free kick from 30 yards.

Is there any interest in this match, a six pointer perhaps