Why doesn't JDT get manager of the week if 4 of his players get in the team?? Not that it matters, but still...

I'm writing this not having read any of what's been said before, or seen any replays. The scoreline flatters Leicester, no doubt, but we have to be better in both boxes. Leicester's 1st goal was poor from our perspective. I don't think Pears needed to tip it over, but better safe than sorry I suppose. Having done so though he has to claim the cross or a defender has to challenge. For Faes to be on his own, without challenge from a nothing cross, is criminal. Our goal was even more criminal from their perspective, what they were thinking I don't know,and we took full advantage. It was then a really nip & tuck game, but we missed a killer touch again to put finishing touches to some good approach play. Their 2nd goal is class from them to be fair. The run, cross, control & shot were top notch. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up. 2nd half we started much the stronger, and had Travis (great save) or Szmodics (great defending) scored then the last 25 mins would've been very different. As it was, Wharton lost the ball meekly, they broke forward then got the pen (soft but can't grumble), clinically scored, then we were wide open & had lost shape for their breakaway 4th, which was poor from Wahlsted. I came away v downbeat but overall on reflection, we'll not meet many sides of Leicester's quality & overall if we play like that we'll win more than we lose. But we need to find more steel and ruthlessness in both boxes, or this season will quickly get away from us. We need to be confident & bounce back well. We can beat Cov & QPR but need to be more ruthless. A couple of other things. Their #18 (or was it 19?) committed 3 bookable offences inside the first 20 mins. Also, why Faes wasn't booked when he fouled Sigurdsson 1st half is beyond me. Why did we announce Brittain being MoM? The Leicester fans proper to the mick, it was quite embarrassing. Pears - poor, Wahlsted no better on the day, but way too early to judge him. Brittain, Pickering solid. Hyam not so good, Carter was better but still needs to be led. Travis good but played too far forward to me, created gaps in front of the back four. Wharton - plays above his age but still rash & loose in possession. Plenty of talent but must improve game understanding. Sigurdsson - looked tidy, seems creative but we were too narrow most of the time. Faded badly, understandably. Moran - looked really good, but again faded. Szmodicz - as above, ended up looking lost, is not a forward & lost his major strengths due to subs & formation. Markanday - best I've seen him, but needs to improve his end product. Hard without a striker to play with though. Subs were made too late IMO. Dolan looked lively, Telalovic had some good touches, JRC caught out for the 4th. Overall a better match than the scoreline suggests, but we really need 4 out of the next 6 points.

This didn't age well...!

Wonderful post, totally agree. For those having a go at Eddie, I can see his logic too. There certainly is a sense of entitlement amongst many fans, and I don't think that would change with fan-based ownership because there is a large (often vocal) number fans of any club who will treat those in charge with disdain & mistrust, and will always feel they can do a better job without knowing exactly what the reality of a club's position us behind the scenes. That, to a large extent, reflects modern society. Rovers are unique in that Venkys, using a scarcely disguised agent-led ownership model that the FA, PL etc didn't see fit to investigate, took us from being a paragon example of a well-run, community-oriented & self-sustaining PL club in days before FFP rendered that a necessity, to a shambles operating at a £20m annual loss and even 11 years in, is only back at square one (I.e. pre-Jack) in terms of the level of football we're at, without it's own training facilities and with threadbare attendances in comparison to our divisional peers. Venkys don't seem to care, other than perhaps how their dismantling of the club affects their family reputation. At least Chansiri seems to care.

Didn't Wednesday fans want Moore gone after they lost 4-0 at P'boro in the first playoff game?? He certainly got dogs abuse from a large number of them.

Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, but didn't he suffer a ruptured Achilles which sidelined him for nigh on a whole season?? That might be relevant.

Usually because our "2nd string" have been playing against the opponents' "2nd string", which prior to today was against L2 clubs. Fairly obvious really. And "struggling to stay out of the relegation places" is a bit of a reach, even for you Rev, given we're 3 points off the playoff spots. There are issues to sort out, let's be clear, but don't let facts get in the way of your agenda.

5 live ignored us too. Ours was the only game they didn't have a reporter at last night. Mind you, I wasn't there either so I guess I shouldn't throw the first stone...

I assume he's still injured?

On a serious note, the situation at Rovers seems pretty dire. Shutting down the BBE for financial reasons is a new low, especially as the DE stand will stay open when Cardiff will no doubt bring no more than a few hundred fans. That sends out such a desperate statement of muddled distress, moreso even than turning off the transfer taps mid pre season. How on earth is the club going to generate revenue if the revenue streams are switched off, it doesn't make sense. I'm not buying that the website drop out is related, but it certainly sums up the mess we're in. Does anyone know what's going on in India, given that the summer tap being turned off was meant to be a short term measure?

Bloodyhell I feel old!!!

My sincere condolences.

I read that as Burlesque at first, and now I've realised you actually said Burnleyesque I've got a horrible image in my head. I hope you do too!!

I can't make this game, I missed Saturday too, am starting to get withdrawal symptoms as have only seen us play W Brom so far. We've got a real chance to turn a good start into a very good start tomorrow, playing a team level on points. Sunderland will be no pushovers as their 5-0 win v Southampton shows, but like all teams in this division they have their vulnerabilities and I trust JDT and his coaching staff to know how to exploit them. If we can put our chances away and stay solid, we've nothing to fear. I think someone said on the Boro thread that we'd had an easy start to the season and it gets tougher from here. I can't agree with that; they're all tough games when they come thick & fast like they do at this time of year. To be where we are with a 3/1/2 record is positive IMO, especially given the context of funding issues, how we recovered at Rotherham, nearly won v Hull when a man down for 80 mins, and by all accounts should've got something from Plymouth. We'll be in top 6 tomorrow night if we win, that'll do me fine for our opening 7 fixtures, with the promise of better to come once the new signings have bedded in.

As ever I really enjoyed that interview with GB. He is articulate, answers questions in a straightforward manner and doesn't shirk responsibility. Seems like he doesn't get ruffled too easily either. We've no way of knowing if what he is saying is 100% true of course, but to have someone on board who regularly fronts up to fans & explains the rationale behind the decision-making process and doesn't just waffle management gobbledegook is hugely refreshing. Despite his platitudes towards the owners, he & his team clearly had the rug pulled out from under their feet midway through the implementation of a clearly thought-out transfer strategy that was 6-9 months in the making. Since that fateful change, to still be able to bring in the likes of Wahlstedt & Moran, despite stiff competition, is testament to his perseverance, recruitment research & also (in Moran's case especially, less so Hill's) the trust placed in the belief in the quality of coaching he'll receive here. Telalovic is clearly punt, but one which has logic behind it. He seems to be an English style player, & although he his minimal 1st team experience he must have something about him to have been anywhere near the BM first 11. I'd rather this, than know we'd committed £8m to Ellis Simms for example. Overall the new signings show promise, and are evidence of creativity & exploitation of new avenues of recruitment. Will the 7 improve on BBD, Dack, Ayala, Kaminski, Morton et al? Who knows, but if they don't it wont be for the want of trying on GB's part at least.

It's on rovers.co.uk

Haha, that's my mind playing proper tricks on me!! As pointed out above though, the sentiment still stands!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66726456 Man Utd the biggest net spenders in world football in last decade, by some distance, to the tune of over £1.3b. And they've won the same as us in that time. Mind boggling.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/august/31/a-proud-night-for-the-academy---jdt/ I love JDT's enthusiasm for all levels if the squad. There can't be a young player here that doesn't feel like he has a chance of making a name for himself in the game when the Head Coach is so ebullient.

And that's what really counts.

News breaking on BBC that Villa's team bus has been attacked at J10 on M65 & significant damage caused to it, though seemingly no injuries... I can hear Cindy Lauper clearing her throat just now... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66635771

We were not awful. Could've been better at times, but we were not awful.

No need for that. Celebrate the win, it's a team game.

You'll not be disappointed!!!

Not read any other post, so here's my independent view. What a superb performance and win. Gutsy, gritty, the perfect textbook away showing. To a man (perhaps bar Dolan, but even his effort was there) they were excellent, so proud. Despite the stats, we had 3 of the 4 clear chances in the match, but for a little more composure from SS and Moran it could've been more emphatic. Back 5 (6 inc S Wharton) were immense. The highlight of course was Hedges' goal. Sensational skill and thunderbolt finish, questionable keeping perhaps but even so. I'm so pleased for him as he is much maligned by many on here, unfairly in my view overall. Same also for Pears, Travis & (to a lesser extent) Gally. Pears is underrated, and as for Trav he must be a nightmare for opponents, the crowd hated him. He must not be sold, & I'm sure won't be. Well happy!!!