onlyonejackwalker

It's a terrible feeling when you know you are going to struggle to score. Puts huge pressure on all involved. It then feels catastrophic when you go one nil down. I think our most expensively acquired non-scoring forwards were Blake, Davies, Ward and Ostenstad. I think we waxed about 15 million on that useless collection. I dont want to, but i guess I should cut the current guys a bit of slack. Low cost purchases, new to the league, starved of service, struggling to adapt. Useless nevertheless. Another low scoring affair. 1-0 either way.

We stayed up last year winning away at Leeds and Leicester. Two of our best results over the past decade. We scored three goals in those two games. Or should I say Sammie scored three goals. Three goals from three chances. We all knew that replacing Szmodics goals would be nigh impossible. And so it is proving. Keep Szmodics with this squad and manager and we'd have a chance at the last couple of play off places along with five or six others. Sell Szmodics and replace him with players costing next to nothing and count yourself lucky not to be in a relagtation scrap. We can chart all this Venky stupidity back to sacking Allardyce for a cheap, useless replacement. Fast forward and we've just sold Szmodics for cheap, useless replacements.

Resilient, hard-working, well drilled, organised, professional, mature, committed, tough and uncompromising. Yes we want the moon on a stick, but this is professional football and we are doing ok. Unbeaten at home, points away at our closest rivals and few would have placed us in 6th after 11 games. We must take the positives, keep improving and use this platform in the weeks ahead. Until our strikers start contributing we have no choice focusing on being hard to beat.

We all agree the squad needs strengthening so I'm not sure why folk think we can simply turn up and outplay teams. We nearly went down last year and lost our best player. Important and hard fought three points. Very chuffed. Credit to all involved.

I think the team deserves us showing a bit of faith. There's still time to recover.

Can't fathom many of the Hedges comments on here. Especially after such a brilliant start to the season. In my opinion all have contributed fully and deserve their place in the team. We are not the most fluent or gifted attacking outfit. We've just lost the divisions top scorer. Our success late last season and the current defensive record stems from the workrate, committment and organisation players like Hedges bring to our team. I for one hope he starts tomorrow. if fit, I'm thinking nine players are nailed on to start and it's just who plays upfront and just off the striker that causes concern. And for me this is currently our biggest issue. Gueye's first touch and shooting needs work (putting it kindly), Ohashi has been largely ineffective the last two games with balls fired head high, Weimann shouldn't be played out wide and looks a little one paced, Cantwell isn't fit and won't contribute much defensively. We've been able to play Dolan centrally with Beck bombing on, but with him absent need Dolan on the left. I certainly wouldn't start Duberry, and i may be tempted to beef up midfield with JRC or Buckley in a more advanced role trying to play Ohashi down the sides of the centre halves. I think Eustace is more likely to perm any two from Gueye, Ohashi and Weimman however, but whoever he picks we need a lot more from them than the PNE and QPR games. Hoping very much for another clean sheet and to remain unbeaten.

Brilliant. Long hard season. Love the clean sheet.

Get in. Come on you blues.

Brilliant from Eubank. Never a truer word spoken, irrespective of his retraction. To steal the limelight off Beterbiev / Bivol. Comical.

With two holding midfielders, three centre halves and our attacking players unable to make any impact, we were totally devoid of any creativity last week. Whilst it was a poor performance going forward, I thoroughly enjoyed the clean sheet and credit to all for that. PNE are improving and I would have settled for a draw beforehand. We are all enjoying this unbeaten start to the season, but let's not get carried away. We have now got a problem down our left hand side which will further negate our attacking threat. I'm pretty sure Eustace will play Dolan on the left and Hedges on the right and focus on keeping our shape / clean sheet until later in the game. No easy games in this division. I'm expecting a tough, hard fought battle tomorrow, with few goals. Rovers to win 1-0.

Huge credit to Dubois, big stage, big crowd, big audience and a lot of jeopardy. He handled it very well. Joshua however never turned up amd totally embarrassed himself. I think everyone now understands he's just been a very carefully managed hype job. His world titles were won against a total nobody in Charies Martin and a largely unknown (at the time) Parker. No wonder he avoided Wilder. Klitchko amd Whyte remain his best victories for me. And they were a decade or so ago. Time to pack it in.

We had a spell last season conceeding 4 at Southampton, 2 at home to Watford, 3 away at Huddersfield, 4 away at West Brom, 3 at Hull, 2 at Rotherham that really annoyed me under JDT. I was eventually really glad to see the back of him. Eustace then did exactly what was needed and stopped us shipping goals, but it was hard to be excited initially as we limped to safety. Brilliant away results at Leeds and Leicester really caught my attention however and I was looking forward to this season. I was also curious as to why Birmingham fans spoke so highly of him. I think the best compliment I can give him just now is that we look like a seasoned pro-team once again. Organised, well drilled, determined, efficient and effective. Plus we aren't little bitches anymore and no ones soft touch. Eustace couldn't have done anymore and deserves the full support of one and all. I still think a bit of credit to JDT applies however. He gave a lot of these players the freedom to play and when we need it, and we will, we know we can switch to a dynamic, free-flowing and fast-moving style. Nice to enjoy ourselves for a little while at least. Let's fill that away end at PNE.

You would imagine this is one of our harder fixtures away at a relegated PL team. They have an expensively compiled squad. Good opportunity for us to demonstrate were we are up to. This is professional football and I'm expecting a professional performance. We have some new players and hopefully some fresh ideas and a new direction. COYB.

Come on Rovers, a point away is always a good result.

I was always fearful of trips to Norwich, but lately we've had positive results. So far so good. If we keep a clean sheet we will win. COYB.

Ok. Just trying to put a bit of balance to the boring rhetoric of why don't we spend the Wharton money, why don't we cut all our.ticket pricing, why do we encourage large away attendances, why is our commercial department so pathetic, etc etc.

I read all the pathetic nonsense about big away followings. I didm't pull you up on it. Affecting Pears performance blah blah blah. Clean sheets at Leeds and Leicester, but some Sheff Wednesday fans made him terrified? If it was me, I'd sell as many tickets as possible, as often as posible in the away end. We are skint. What business turns away paying customers? Where's the sense in that? I pointed out the figures to illustrate there is no financial benefit to price reducing tickets to attract day trippers. In fact it irritates season ticket holders who've paid upfront. Plus its hard establishimg value and getting prices back up once prices have been reduced. I knew you'd have nothing to contribute, hence asking you. I'm not suprised as it is a very delicate situation as so much damage has been done. A longer term plan for fan engagement, taking the club into the community. But that relies on staff going up and beyond, player / mascot involvement and our club isn't like that anymore. Maybe contact all ex season ticket holders or one off attendees. Create a better match day experience if possible. Like I said when preaching. Success on the pitch is the best way.

Sermon? Teacher to pupil? Sorry if it reads like that. I just get bored people getting carried away when we sell a player. I like JHRovers posts. But he started by asking what major financial trouble is the club in? Well it couldn't be any worse. If it was as straight forward as price reducing tickets as you always lamely suggest, every club would do it. Ask yourself why they don't. Let's hear your suggestions on how to get more fans in. I'm all ears as I'm sure are all the commercial staff at Rovers.

We lose anything from sixteen to twenty million per year. Just let that sink in. 1.5 to 1.75 million per month. 400k a week. 55k per day. Our debt rose 11 million from 152 million to 163 million. 144 million of which is owed to the owners. We have a wage to turnover ratio of circa 123%. Far be it for me to stick up for the people who got us into this mess. Wasting all the brilliant work, investment and income from PL money, Uncle Jack, John Williams, quality managers, countless players and thousands of fans. The financial negligence and overall stupidity of these owners has been astounding. We used to lose 2-3 million per year in the PL, turning over circa 50 million. An amount easily covered with the occasional player sale. But now we lose circa 20 million per year. However, I keep reading how a poxy 20 million here, a percentage sell on clause there, a potential player sale to come, suddenly means we have cash to burn. We don't. We are skint. We will lose another 20 million this season. Bang goes the Wharton money. We will lose 20 million next season. Bang goes the Szmodics money. This doesn't touch or make in-roads into the debt. That is simply running costs. The owners aren't suddenly cash rich from Rovers. There is zero money available. Zilch. Nothing. Empty purse. Meanwhile I keep reading how a more astute commercial team would generate huge money at the Rovers! How? More programme sales? More perimeter board advertising? More weekly lottery sales? Concourse advertising? Shirt sponsors? Merchandise sales? No chance, unless the team is doing well. Take it from me, absolutely no chance at all, when you are getting battered away at Huddersfield, Wednesday and Bristol. The commercial team actually do really well to retain what they get. I'm amazed we haven't lost more sponsors. Plus we have some very loyal supporters / companies willing to maintain relationships. You will only sell more programmes, shirts, burgers, lottery tickets, concourse advertising and sponsorships if the team is doing well on the pitch, there is a feel good factor around the club and more people attend the matches. Guaranteed. Selling anything to do with the team when the team is getting battered is like trying to sell double glazing. As to half price tickets, ticket giveaways etc. It costs a fortune to open additional stands, on stewards, police, ground-safety, turnstile operators etc. 12,500 fans at £ 25.00 = £ 312,500.00 20,000 fans at £ 15.00 = £ 300,000.00 - plus a ton more fixed costs. It's a no brainer to simply cater for the die hards. The only reason we have stayed afloat is money from player sales in Armstoing, Kaminski, Bereton, Wharton and others. That is why we sold Adam and our captain in January. Because we are flat broke. We have actually done quite well in player trading despite the constant criticism on here. The Raos deserve credit for that and also for not letting us fold. But so they should as the first five years of their reign caused all.of this. There is no way to fix this unless you want a big cash injection from.the owners and a winner takes all gamble. Or we get lucky with a manager like Ipswich have, on an average salary at 9k per week. Commercially we are broke and the business does not function. Jusr like 80% of all other clubs. God knows why these clowns keep funding the debt.

He reminds me of David Speedie.

A scabby win at Leeds and a win at a pissed up Leicester have kept us in this division. 19th place and three points above relegation. Fucking dynamite. I've seen nothing from this manager to encourage for next season. I'm not bothered if he and the vast majority of the squad departs. I wasn't nervous today. We deserved to go down. The only reason we haven't is because of one player. Sammie Szmodics. The only thing worth celebrating this season is his work-rate, endeavour, attitude, application, effort, belief, confidence, strength, stamina, composure, skillset and ability. Take a bow Sammie Szmodics. Fair fucking play to you son. A proper professional. You are one ballsy mother fucker, who has single handedly stepped up time and time again. I wish you the very best of luck wherever you end up. All of us will follow your career now going forward. Bravo and thank you.

It was obvious somethimg had to change and JDT had to go. Everyone was scoring three or four against us. With a new manager, i didn't suddenly think we would charge for the play offs and start winning every week. It was sensible to try and solidify defensively. Most would have done the same. We all know we are limited down the spine of the team. Our keeper, centre halves, centre midfielders and centre forward are as crap as ive ever known. Gennoe, Faz, Barker and Garner would walk into this team. Or Moran, Cowans and Speedie. I don't rate most of our team at all. They can all sod off for me. So what chance did Eustace really have to shine and do well? Probably a somewhat limited one. However and having said all that, I really don't like the bloke at all. I tried and gave him a chance. But fawning and smug we have seen it all before. He should be putting cones out. He has not done anything any average manager from any division could, or would have done. In the abscence of more talent, most of us on here would have identified the best 14, dumped Gallagher up top scoring or not, employed three big centre halves, got men behind the ball and relied on Sammie to nick the odd goal. Then hoped for the best. And that's what he has done. Nothing more, nothing less. These owners have lumbered us with some of the worst players and managers in my lifetime. Eustace is yet another one. I'm one of the few who give Eustace the Stoke game. I'll also give him the relegation if we go down. Not one of us would miss him if he was sacked. Go and get Hughes, Moyes or Allardyce. Someone in charge with some proven history, track record, strength and spirit. Go and find Curbishley see where he's up to. Go and get that big bully Pearson. Get a bloke in charge to deal with all our snowflakes. Grit, belief and determination will be needed if we go down, but can also get you a long way in this division. Look at Ipswich this year and Sheff United last year. Just stop employing these bumbling, illiterate, pathetic under-performing idiots. I know, I know, I'm talking to myself.

North End are 2nd bottom of the last six form guide with only Rotherham below them. I love how they collapse each season. Their fans are genuinely long suffering.

It is very difficult getting points in professional football. As we and other teams low down keep demonstrating. I have believed all along that we will stay up, but only because the other teams simply cannot accrue enough points to save themselves. It's been a thoroughly depressing season. I foolishly had high hopes for us this year.

Leicester already promoted. Coventry's hopes hanging by a thread. Regardless, I expect them both to be professional and try to win. Our options are very limited. Eustace knows his best 14. Unfortunately, we struggle to score goals and some of our players are prone to disastrous errors. Rovers 1 - Coventry 2.