come one then, what have we got left: Toth RB: ??? anyone fancy it ? dion Hyam Beck Guess we dont have enough players for a right back... good start Buckley Forshaw Dolan Cantwell Duberry Gueye Leonard Weimann Hedges Guess Hedges slots into right back? just throwing a name there tbh, maybe he can play half ok in that position, because he isnt a winger. Leonard and Weiman arent subs, its just showing whats left in numbers if you were to put what names are fit on a sheet. Looks pretty depressing for options. If I had to throw a team together out of that for Saturday think I would go: Hedges dion Hyam beck buckley cantwell Weiman Leonard Dubbery Gueye And I wouldnt sit as I dont think we have the personal for it. It still gets beat either way lol! currently out: Pears Britain JRC ? Mcfadzean - GONE Garrett - going Bath ? Pickering Duru - ON LOAN - great timing Siggy - sick note, smoking cigars chilling Trav tronstad Yuki

It beggers belief why we are so quick to offload players before bringing any in. I said before we could shoot ourselves in the foot by sending duru out on loan. And now costello and Britain look potentially injured. And batth. Mcfadzean out the door also. And also Garrett looks on his way out. This angers me the most, a lot of people say for their players progression, sod that! First team comes first, if there needed as potential back up they shouldn’t be allowed to leave until players come in. Every day it feels someone’s leaving on loan when every day we look short in numbers. Baffled! The loss was almost a certainty for me personally imo, it’s the injuries and lack of thought about letting players go before getting anyone in that’s really annoyed me after the injuries racking up.

Question: Would you keep Garret on for the season over Forshaw after the 60 minutes we witnessed? I know its only 60 minutes, but he got turned alot in midfield, easy to pop it around and struggled to keep up. He tried Il give him that, but looked off the pace, put a couple challenges in when he was close, but overall looked past it, but again was only one 60 mins. For all Garretts inexperience, least he can get around a pitch... Just wondered what people would pick. From what I have seen hes no better than a current Garrett or JRC. I can see why theye got him in for peanuts, but not sure we can be asking him to start games.

my prediction rovers 0 - 2 Cov. With Tronstad and Travis both out, think we will struggle to collect points until one is back. Based on the 60 minutes I saw of Forshaw think were going to be easily played through, and that strong back 4 we think we have might not look so strong with lack of protection. (I feel Eustace will pick him over JRC) HOPE IM WRONG! Still no need to panic what so ever, injuries are part of the league campaign, just need to whether the storm until we get trav or tronstad back. Look at QPR! their 6 points from playoffs out of nowhere, and we have already proven we can put a run together if everyone's available. Also as bad as we were 2nd half Saturday against a side flying btw! we dont exactly pull too many trees up when we do "perform", its just how we are set up, without that deflection, and if tronstad stays on the pitch I think we grind that 0-0 out.

my prediction: horrible watch, 1-1, difficult oppo, BIG Mak to score AGAIN!

I cant really see us getting any sort of regular championship scorer with the lack of money we have. But when your potentially a striker with good attributes, and being told your going to be the main man, and you get played in your actual position up top, not out of position out wide, sometimes that can give a striker a hell of a boost, and you just never know... We have had strikers in the past with poor records and turn out to do very well when coming to us. Confidence goes a long way in any sport. I think who ever we get in, if they have some form of pedigree (and not injury prone) I would say theres definitely a chance of them hitting the ground running at rovers (We do also need a winger in the door that can help create a chance or 2 though!) We are 7th atm with not the best forwards as it is, if anyone comes in thats an improvement on our current crop thats helped us get to 7th then happy days. I wouldnt get too carried away with scoring track records, sometimes it can just work!

I agree he needs to develop, but in our current situation, if Brittain gets injured, who goes right back? = Costello does. Which then leaves you with tronstad and buckley in cm, then after 60 mins when one is knackered who comes on in cm?...... nobody available currently. I just think we need to have someone coming in if hes going out. Id rather have him there as cover than us being bare bones, as he looks very promising. He also has something we lack - pace. If the option was keep Garret as a backup cm, then Id rather not. I would rather have Costello as a cm option playing Duru right back than Garret in cm. I think Duru looks like he will be a player, where as I dont see a world where Garret does, plus trying to learn a trade in cm is a hell of a lot harder than learning it at full back in the championship. IMO.

Squad wise currently right now that are fit to play we have: Toth\pears RB - Brittain LB - Beck CBS - Mcfadzean|Hyam\Batth CMs - Buckley\Costello\Tronstad AMS\Wingers - Dolan\Cantwell\Hedges\Weiman\Dubberyy ST - Gueye\Leonard 17 players.... unless i missed anyone ? Injured - Trav - probably 3 weeks till he plays? Yuki - another 5 weeks, and hes also played over a season of football Siggy - sick note pickering - March is it? carter - probably another 3 weeks? Lets say a couple are back available by 1st feb, we have got 6 games to get through with 17 players... 15 which are outfield players.. We need 3 signings in asap. I reckon it will end up being 2 loans at the end of the window as desperation kids from prem clubs.

Duru set to have a medical at barrow I have read. Think this my be shooting ourselves in the foot here unless they have anyone lined up to come in. With baker gone and trav injured, we only have tronstad, buckley and costello who can play cm... lose one of them 3 and we only have 2 cms available, which means costello wouldnt be able to play right back if brittain or beck got injured. You would have thought he would be kept Duru as long as possible until someone's fit or being signed. I do sometimes think Eustace will only play players that have 100 league appearances to their name. Duru is as young as Beck, and look how well Becks done. I know these lads need to get minutes but we also need to keep some form of numbers as a squad. We are now looking so thin, 1 or 2 more injuries and we are square pegs round holes

Id recall and keep Connor Oriordan on the books for the next half of the season. He might not be the best, and struggled to get into the cambridge team, but if we are so short of money, I think spending whatever money we do have on the attacking side and potentially another cm is a must. We already have 2 cbs doing well, and why i get if one gets injured we are short, we do have mcfadzean and potentially carter back in a month. I feel if he needed to play a handful of games you'd think with our defensive unit set up Eustace plays he could prob get away with it. I know a lot of people are saying pears and hyam and bath have been great, and while i completely agree, they have been helped with our defensive unit style of play we now play from how Eustace sets us up, we are not as open as we were under JDT and now they have help and cover all over the pitch to help defend definitely helps. I think if Oriordan stepped in if we were short for a handful of games, you would think, hyam, mcfadzean or batth could talk him through a game. Plus we have spent money on the bloke, hes 21 and played league football, time to sink or swim or sell on. We are so poor up top we simply need what ever coffers are behind the sofa to be spent up top. I would love to see leonard go and get minutes on loan, but to be honest, we now need him as we cant be relying on Gueye, while Yuki is out, I don't think we can afford to now offload Leonard even if we got someone else in. I also read he scored 5 in 29 appearances for rovers, which is actually not a bad return when you think of the minutes those 29 appearances have been. While I still think Leonard probably struggles with the physcal side, hes a way better finisher than Gueye. They probably could potentially benefit each other. The burnley match Cantwell was nowhere to be seen near Gueye, maybe playing the together might work. With leonards movement and willingness to run he could prob do a job as a 10. A thursday morning 2ps worth

now bakers gone I hope he doesnt get tempted into playing tronstad. He needs wrapping in cotton wool till Pompey.

Id like to see the following get minutes: (this is not a lineup, just a group of players I feel need it) Toth Duru Mcfadzean Costello Buckley Baker Tyjon Leonard Dubbery Gueye Think they all need minutes for one reason or another.

I know this thread is old, and I'm more than likely very behind on this subject. But out of curiosity is this man still at the club? Does he attend matches and does everything still go through him and Venkys?

I don't know about anyone else, but I have kind of given up getting excited or believing articles saying we will sign or sell anyone in transfer windows. If history under the venkys tells us anything its that most the time signing links are lies, or we get things lined up only to not have the funds, or take till the last day of every window to make any move, and rarely spend actual money. I stop believing anything until I see a confirmation of anything signed. If anyone or whatever comes through the door, you know Eustace will get them grafting thats for sure, and as frustrating as it is to sometimes see lack of quality, its good to see the effort from the lads that put on the shirts atm. As for the league, I am absolutely delighted with our current league position. Upset we lost to hull, but i get upset every time we don't win. Win 6 on the bounce from nowhere, and could easily not win in the next 6, that my friends is the good old championship football. Its always impossible to predict on any gameday no matter what form your in. Enjoy the league position, 12 points from safety... and also in the play offs with half a season left to play for. If we dont win for a while, id be confident enough to say Eustace will find away to turn it around at some point. Looking forward to the next one! Bring on Leeds!

The way this last decade has gone, I wouldn't be surprised, just as its starting to look quite good. But realistically I cant imagine hes the top of Wolves list. Sounds a bit like someone stirring a story up out of nothing, family's in the midlands... wolves are in the midlands, hes the in-form team of the championship.... = must be him then!! ......... No chance. Hes never going to be on Southampton's list, as they want to play a 'certain way'. But it would be a Blackburn type thing to happen.

13 points left till safety

Cracking win.

Id still have Chris Brown down as worse at the moment. Without Gueye we wouldnt of scored our 3rd against Cardiff. He didnt win the header but he didnt let the defender win it either, and that led to JRC putting the ball in to baker to do the rest. Brown still tops the list for me atm.

credit where credit is due, Eustace got this one bang on. Subs were good to. I think we are still 2 wingers of pace and quality short of a playoff push. But you never know. In all honesty its another 3 points closer to 50 points!

It started from that, so yeh, if he doesn't slip over on goal the ball doesn't go down the other end. Literally nobody around him, I don't understand how hes slipping over in that situation. When that longs gone in the game, you should know whether your football boots are good enough to stand on the pitch your playing on. Its embarrassing tbh. Goals change games. When you make a mistake in goal or at the back theres a chance you will concede, but you cant keep clean sheets every week. Hes had enough opportunities lately starting quite a few games in a row. Last night he made plenty of mistakes, and that one slipping over cost us down the other end. You have to start taking responsibility if you waste chances and turn over possession consistently. Cant expect to get bailed out time after time if you dont do you job down the other end. We have a lot of players that turn over the ball which puts under pressure to defend. Hedges, Dolan, Yuki all are usual suspects for giving over possession, when you do that you have to defend. Cant keep bailing these players out. If that was Cantwell I would of had sympathy as he usually finds a pass or keeps possession well, but hedges Yuki and Dolan need to start looking after the ball better, its all well an good losing possession if things your trying to do come off half the time, but unfortunately they aren't for the likes of them. He had a shot in the first half that hit the 2nd tier of the blackburn end stand, he had chances to score yesterday, gets offside a bit, mis place passes, 2nd half where cantwell passed him the ball down the side he stopped, and a promising attack rolled out of play. Slipping over through on goal. Against sheff utd he had a chance to lay in Cantwell, was an easy 5 yard pass and he over hits it out for a goal kick. His lack of quality in the final 3rd and turning over possession starts to hurt when he isn't scoring goals. Plymouth away he had a couple chances, one was a glorious opportunity when he came on and took so long he didn't get a shot off, which was virtually a 1 on 1. Bit of a over long rant on him, which is probably harsh as he does work hard, but its to show a point that he turns over possession more than others which eventually starts to hurt the team, its not a 1 off. Hopefully its a confidence issue. But its not all down to him. But on this scenario hes to blame when you see him constantly turning over possession so cheaply.

There is no defending any of our attackers last night, including the ones off the bench. They all missed sitters. Yuki, Hedges, Weiman are just not good enough, and they shouldn't be starting. You have to feel for cantwell, he has some poor players around him. Our lack of wingers and the ones that play there are abysmal. Think it needs 2 strikers to try and help each other out and I would probably get another midfielder that can turn on the ball and pass forward. Yuki cost us for the first goal, him slipping over on the attack led to them going up the other end and scoring. Then Gueyes miss led to them going up the other end and getting a 2nd. As Much as I agree with the lack of technical ability of Gueye, I think Yuki needs some criticism, hes looking more and more a non league player. If they play they need a strike partner to give them a hand. Tronstad and Trav are work horses and are good at breaking up play, but at home against oppo you have a good chance against I dont understand why we need them both on the pitch, and for every minute of it. Eustace needs to be braver, using the same recycled 14 players. Its not looking good now, Hes getting it wrong, and we now cant put the ball in the net. We are slow at the back, and we are slow up front, its looking bleak. After the cardiff and pompey games that on paper looking winnable I dont see us winning another game till new year ON PAPER (but its a funny old game). Was a massive loss that.

difference is they have players capable of picking out Moore. Gueye has to run at least 10 yards to meet any crosses or even kicks from pears. If a keepers claiming crosses usually thats because the cross is floated and comfortable to come and claim, as they punch most these days. Its a lot easier for a keeper to come and collect a cross thats floated than it is for a striker to have to go and get. Look at Isaaks goal for newcastle at the weekend, great header put on a plate from a great cross, the speed and accuracy of a delivery does the work, the strikers just got to direct it. Gueyes having to run and jump through keepers and defenders to get anything on it. Thats not his fault, yes you have to go and attack the delivery but you need a delivery with some quality half the time. Gueye also won 2 flick ons from pears saturday, but when weimans your strike partner who has zero pace to run for it..... Hes a complete different option to have, and like you say when hes knocking it down and nobody's their, thats for Eustace to get sorted, if players are over 10 yards away or don't have the pace to meet it, thats something Eustace needs to sort out. Hes a different alternative to other few options we do have, and they need to find a way for it to work at times. If we had good crosses in the box with no striker on the end of it not being their or not attacking it, id be pointing fingers at Gueye. But IMO we aren't playing\capable to play to his strengths. I agree with you hes a horrible footballer to watch, but his strengths are meant to be physical and aerial, and until we even try to use those strengths or have the ammunition to do so, il give him the benefit of the doubt until I see him get a chance. I do agree with your comment on the 3rd chance though, seemed like he should of done more with that, apart from that, the other crosses are poor and your asking him to have to run through defenders and keepers every time. If he starts he only ever gets 60 mins. Not easy making an impact when you come on and the ball spends 10 minutes in your own 6 yard box down the other end. The transfer windows now starting to look pretty poor, crying out for pace, we dont have any (dubbery the exception but need more than 1 option). Wingers with quality, we dont seem to have any, a goalscorer, they got 2 in was a little n large option which arent proving to be of much worth right now. Deffo needs some new recruits in Jan. Think its worth getting injury prone siggy off the books and use his wages.

Dont see mr careful Eustace changing much apart from using the same cycled 14 players. BUT I think it needs a reshuffle. Our wingers are poor and slow and cant cross a ball. I think we need someone in midfield that can pass forward, and I think we would benefit being a bit more direct. I think Yuki or Gueye would benefit from having a partner. I don't like 3 at the back but I think we might better off going 352, gives yuki or Gueye a partner, and gets Bukley in the team to pass forward, and we havent any good wingers in form, plus Duru and beck have the legs to get up and down. Id go: Pears Hyam Batth Pickering Duru Buckey Trav/Tron Beck Cantwell Leonard Gueye

well that was dire. Eustace getting it wrong again is a worry. Think I would be pointing the finger at him again. Tactics and team selection for me. I for the life of me do not understand passing the ball to hyam at every goal kick on to his left foot when he is not left footed!, we invite pressure and the oppo literally want the ball to go to hyam for the trigger to press. he he cant use his left and has no option to then pass to beck who he kills with a pass every time. even if by some magic we do manage to pass it out it gets to tronstad or travis who just pass it back! its madness at times, problem is its happening alot up and down the country with other clubs doing it. I dont get it. Either get a cb comfortable with the ball at his feet, or play buckley in cm to get on the ball to pass forward, or just play gueye and use his bloody strengths and get it up to him! I dont think Gueye is much of footballer but i do believe if you use him to his strengths which is long balls into him and get players off him he would look a lot more affective. People saying he doesn't win headers you are just saying that because you don't like him. He wins at least 50% of them. Anything that did go long to him when he came on he won half of them (I think 2 out of the 3 that did go long to him). As much as I blame Eustace for the lack of tactical direction, I do also sympathise with him the lack of real quality in this squad, but I do feel there is enough their to give a better performance than Saturday showed. Real worry is nobody can cross a football apart from float a ball in for a keeper to easily claim, or never beat the first man. We have zero pace apart from dubbery or duru(their either injured or never picked!). Yuki and Gueye struggle massively, I think both would benefit from a partner. Winger wise we are slow and poor. Dolan for all his hard work constantly loses possession, but so does hedges. Siggys always injured, JRC you just don't know what your going to get, atm its more useless than good for him. The lack of real quality and pace in the wide areas, is alarming and hurting us. Think we need to keep it simple and play off Geuye, and get players around him, old school style.