That was Pears-esque from Kaminski there...

Oh wonderful, they get taken over 20 minutes before KO. That can't not work in their favour.

Tombola back out (enforced as it may be)

Any one fancy working out that formation?

Taking 45 seconds to towel off a ball for a throw in - okay.

Taking 20 seconds for a GK to take a kick - Yellow card. 

🤣

Gallagher also just got booked for a very similar challenge he recieved in the area, which wasn't given.

Refs.

Sloppy, Brain-dead, poor.

Yet still winning. This feels more mid-table than joint top so far.

We shall see.

2 hours ago, riverholmes said:

Going off the Sheff Utd fan comments, which is a tiny sample, of course, it sounds like he's a James McClean type player.

Going off that comparison alone it's a huge no from me... James McClean is honest to God the last football player on this planet (currently playing) that I would want @Rovers.

But in all seriousness on Burke, to be fair their are many factors leaning "no" on this one: Wage, historical form (or lack of), dodgy social presence and potential attitude worries, other fan displeasure, fact SU want a fee.

-

Now SHOULD be the time to follow in the footsteps of previous success and go find the loan equivalents of Reece James, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Tyrone Mings, Harvey Barnes, Connor Gallagher and Ben White. None will have been "cheap loans" but imagine if this current team added (a younger) Reece James, Harvey Barnes and Tammy Abraham to it now.

Hell, Rovers loaned out Jason Roberts back in the day, and he (basically) single handedly dragged Reading kicking and screaming to the Premiership behind him.

1 hour ago, neophox said:

Liked that Callum Styles in midfeld...

28 minutes ago, CambridgeRover said:

Would sign Styles in a heart beat  looks a good player that lad

I knew Callum back when he played at Bury, glad to see him getting praise on here. He was comfortably the best (Barnsley) player on the pitch. I've been a tad surprised to see him play as a LWB most of his Barnsley career but really impressed as a #10 tonight (where he was natural). Glad he skied that one at the end though.

And a genuinely nice lad as well. Would be pleased to have him in this squad. Would fit right in.

Random fun fact: Callum Styles and Dan Butterworth played in the same year for rival secondary schools in Middleton (Rochdale) back in the day. Think they are still friends.

Re Gallagher:

Seems a strange one on the surface when we have Kaminski, Lenihan, Nyambe, Travis, Rothwell and Diaz all out of contract with/before him. All we should be prioritising.

Clearly he's not kicked on as we hoped when signed as a 23 year old. He's 26 now, will be nearly 28 when his current contract expires. Sam can't be classed as anything above an (established) mid level Championship striker, but his contract his signed at 23 from PL Southampton will likely be a generous Championship wage - for a potential PL standard striker.

What if he's taking a pay cut (or a more performance incentivised structure) for the security of an extra year on a contract he likely won't see matched ever again (Smallwood, Richard)?

Maybe he is on £13,000 (online/FM opinion) and we can resign him for £11,000. That would "cost him" £160,000 for the rest of his contract, but "gain him" £575,000 for another years security, or a net +£415,000.

Could an additional £2,000 get one of the June 2022 contracts over the line? Maybe Sam thinks this is the NFL salary cap and is taking a pay cut to help secure BBD, Lenihan etc?

Far too positive thinking.

Won't be getting many "Buckley appreciated posts" tonight at this rate. Comfortably the worst player on the pitch today.

Yeah I think Buckley was good... but I didn't confuse him with peak David Silva like some seem to have done! 🤣

The entire back 5 defended fantastic and we're the cause of those 3 points. 

Excellent win. Comfortable from one perspective, however we really could and should have scored two or three and avoid the potential of a suckerpunch ending. So sloppy on the counter.

FOUR bookings for time wasting. Pathetic

Sorry but Brereton has been woeful today.

Anyone else getting (annoying) Stoke commentary instead of (annoying) Rovers commentary?

This is some of most bias officiating I've ever witnessed. 

I'm sorry but that Bristol City player knew exactly what he was doing there... put all his weight on Poveda and 100% (needlessly) caused a very serious looking injury.

Shithouse behaviour from a team who only play long balls and for long throws. Shock.

I think the "Chileans of Instagram" are for once not just chatting about Brereton Diaz and are full Mowbray out too. 🤣🇨🇱

The fact that this Management Team (Waggott, Mowbray et al) in the last 11 months alone have:

1) overseen basically our worst run of form in our history.

2) our lowest home league attendance in half the world's populations lifetime.

3) now the biggest home defeat in BRFCs 146 year history.

4) Are allowing our captain, right back and creative midfielder to leave on (nominal) frees 1 year after our best player got sold at 50% value, AND have Diaz, Travis and Kaminski already in Armstrong contract territory (option dependant). Magloire, Carter, Davenport and Butterworth are all also free agents in 6 months.

5) Thirteen contracted "players" for 2022-2023: Pears, Stergiakis, Ayala, Wharton, Pickering, Travis, Dolan, Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Dack, Edun, Gallagher, Butterworth.

Yet they're all more likely to get a new contract than be sacked.

Despair.

For me, the game became pointless as soon as van Hecke was dismissed - we had lost, and the remaining 60 minutes and FIVE goals were already secure in the Tony Mowbray "Excuses Box".

The really sad thing for me is I left the stadium (at 6-0) completely numb and emotionless... exactly the same way as I felt walking into the stadium at 7:15pm... and almost every game since 2019.

Tony Mowbray has sapped every ounce of love I have for this club. I'm hoping, praying for a 0-4 on Saturday. He needs to be removed.

36 minutes ago, WacoRover said:

Why our fans cannot enjoy a win over a quality opponent for about 5 minutes, is beyond me. 

Who was the last 'quality opponent' we beat? WBA on New Years Day 2019?

This league - for all the hype - is bang average minus a couple each year... and those teams usually beat us at Ewood and spank us away.

Before we get too excited, the "death spirals" are usually able to survive the odd win here or there. At Derby (bad feeling), Fulham and Sheff Utd (both PL last season), and at Bristol City, all could still be part of this current 9 game edition. 4/5/6 points from 9 games is still a very real (the most likely?) scenario.

But let's enjoy not throwing away a 2-0 that gives Mowbs a free pass until Peterborough at home on November 24th.

Dropping the abysmal Clarkson and van Hecke and scrapping the back 5... Mowbray knows a predictable/bad result today and the crowd are (fucking finally) ready to voice.

Cue a Reading no show and a 2/3 goal win, with Mowbray (wank) banking this win till advent.