On 30/12/2021 at 12:04, oldjamfan1 said:

Simon Barker

That's a good shout. Barker was probably a better player at the same age (England U21 I think) before he suffered a bad injury prior to us selling him. If Buckley can score goals like Barker did he can go all the way.

15 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Manchester United have been woeful tonight and not sure their players are suited to Rangnick's tactics but it will take time I guess 

 

Yes, hopefully they will have sorted this out by Thursday evening's game! 

7 hours ago, Officer Barbrady said:

 

Hopefully this next year is one to remember for us all.

It will be Officer Barbrady:

We're going up!

5 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

I've been down to the Rovers club shop today and quite a few people getting FA cup tickets for Wigan including my missus for me as Christmas present

Ahh what an unfortunate coincidence  you bumped into her down there and ruined the surprise she was planning 😁

On 20/12/2021 at 15:28, tomphil said:

The revamped midfield helps this imo as instead of having one or even two defensive mids sitting back or the likes of Holtby not getting stuck in. These lot have legs they harrie and close down all the time...It ups the tempo of the whole team and encourages the forwards to close down as well.

This is a really good point. Something else that occurred to me in the last few weeks is the positive effect that Tyrhys Dolan has had on the mentality of the squad as a whole. I can't remember when we last had a player who so relentlessly and doggedly chases down his opponents deep in their own half. The opposition hate this and it pegs them back and causes panic and mistakes. I think that this chasing down is now endemic across the whole forward line much more than it used to be and it puts squad players such as Butterworth and Gallagher in a position where they have to follow suit when they come on. 

Oh dear! No, what you did was misinterpret my point . My phrase was that Burnley are lucky that other teams are rubbish otherwise they would be cut adrift. Your phrase was that only by the good grace of Newcastle etc being so poor are Burnley not cut adrift.

It's an identical point of view, expressed differently. Read both quotes back to back. They make the same point exactly. The word luck means the same to me as your phrase good grace means to you. No difference

Let's agree that I won't be pedantic on your use of the phrase good grace and you won't be pedantic on my use of the word luck. 😉 

Seasons greetings!

12 hours ago, longsiders1882 said:

We are already well and truly in a relegation scrap - only by the good grace of Norwich and Newcastle being so consistent in their sh*tness with Watford and Leeds seemingly determined to keep us in touch with the rest of the table  we’d be in much worse trouble. 
 

 😬

Interesting and accurate points longsiders 1882. In fact only last week I expressed an identical point of view on this very thread when I wrote:

"I think Burnley can count themselves extremely lucky that there are so many dire teams around them at the moment. They can't buy a win at the present time yet the awful form of the likes of Newcastle Norwich and Watford means they haven't been cut adrift at the bottom of the league which they ordinarily might have been.I can easily see Southampton and Leeds being dragged right down into the bottom six which gives lucky Burnley greater odds of somehow scraping enough points"

I think anyone would agree that we are making the same point but you replied that my point of view was "rubbish". 

I am happy to overlook your rather curt reply in this season of goodwill. I know it's a worrying time over there at present.

I think Burnley can count themselves extremely lucky that there are so many dire teams around them at the moment. They can't buy a win at the present time yet the awful form of the likes of Newcastle Norwich and Watford means they haven't been cut adrift at the bottom of the league which they ordinarily might have been. 

I can easily see Southampton and Leeds being dragged right down into the bottom six which gives lucky Burnley greater odds of somehow scraping enough points. 

WIR Second Coming - what a great preview. You sir, are a writer!

1 hour ago, Gav said:

 

I remember a group United fans at the Darwen End of the Riverside, lots of trouble before and after the game, a few stabbings I seem to remember. 

Happy days... 😁

On 13/11/2021 at 11:06, Gav said:

 

Still 23,000 on that night, I can still see Branagan standing on the ball and Strachan curling it into the top corner......Gutted!

Massive away support infiltrated the Riverside that night which caused concern to my 14 year old self.

Think it was Baz rather than Branagan who stood on the ball leading to the bit of quality from Strachan.

Can say with confidence that his record of appearances will never be broken. In fact, I doubt anyone will come within 200 games of it in the modern game.

I heard earlier that Tony may be about to walk. Unconfirmed source. I know nothing more. Just passing it on...

Alex Neil was mentioned.

3 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Wharton, Ayala, Pickering, Dack and Gallagher out though.

Take 5 of similar importance from other teams in the division and they would have poor benches too

Yes you are quite right. I wasn't offering it as a criticism, more a concerned observation. 👍

That subs bench though....

I was at this game. We took my then 85 year old great, great uncle with us. He had lived in Wiltshire since the 1930s but still followed Rovers. Swindon was only down the road for him so it was really good to take him along. He gave me a bundle of stuff from the 1928 FA cup victory which he had attended. I treasure it to this day.

10 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

 

I thought our best player was the young blond lad who came on half way through the second half. Got a chance

Luke Brennan. Good tricky left winger. One to watch I think

It looks as though the 47 year old Matthews was still incredibly athletic and more than a handful for Keith Newton. Great stuff!

Literally a few hundred on the Riverside. Don't think I've ever seen it as quiet in a league game in my 43 years attending.

I am right with oldjamfan1. Garner is easily my favourite ever player. He made his debut in my 1st season watching. Speedie played at a higher level and as an International.  I have no doubt that Simon could have been a decent 1st division striker and in these modern times we wouldn't be able to keep hold of him. 

Regarding Sam Burns; he is good to watch and has a petulant streak and is a tough little striker. I went last night and enjoyed his performance.  I can see why people might make the Garner comparison . If he provides even a fraction of the joy and sheer pleasure that watching Garner brought then I will have no complaints 

What a good set of lads we now have. 

Every one of them grafting for the team.

It's only a matter of time before they go down. Probably this season or next. You just know that before long the fans will turn on Dyche, and once and for all they will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. 

Never again will they get so effective an operator, and never again at any other club will he achieve this level of success.

 Parting company will be disastrous for both parties, but all too soon the die will be cast and the slow motion train wreck of a journey towards the Championship, with a poorer manager, will commence.

Jimmy 's autobiography from 10 or 15 years ago is a terrific read. He does a nice paragraph about Bryan Douglas which some of our members will enjoy. He obviously had huge respect for Duggie's ability.

He had his final alcoholic drink in 1978 and battled that particular demon for the rest of his life. Sometimes, even decades later, the temptation to have a drink caused him to live hour by hour until the craving passed.

He was awarded the MBE earlier this year. He reportedly celebrated with his first drink for 43 years. A small glass of wine. 

I hope he enjoyed it. 

RIP Jimmy Greaves.

19 minutes ago, RoverCanada said:

 

 

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE

Haha. I thought that.

Go with rigger is my advice

57 minutes ago, JohnGo said:

What was really good to see was his replacement Wharton. I thought he had an excellent second half, looked comfortable on the ball and had a good engine on him. Where was Garrett, has he gone with the first team?

Agree about Wharton, looked very good. Is he Scott's brother?

Garret was at the game, watching from behind the goal.