sharpysharps86

Think this may be a game too far for Rovers. They've done magnificently to win 4 on the spin but away at Sheffield Wednesday, I have a bad Coventry away feeling about it for some reason. A draw would be a very good result here. Going for a 2-0 defeat 😞 Predicted team: Pears Brittain Batth Hyam Beck Travis Tronstad Dolan Cantwell Hedges Ohashi Would like to see ACD get a chance but doubt this is the game for him. More likely to get more minutes at home to Luton at the weekend I reckon.

I suppose I am thinking more of the second half of last season when we were pretty much solely reliant on one player to score the goals. We are scoring less but are far more solid defensively.

There's no doubting Rovers are lacking a consistent and proven goal scorer, but unlike last season there is a greater variety of players that are chipping in with the goals. If Rovers had a 15 goal striker alongside this group then they'd likely end up comfortably in the top 6. I do bloody love Yuki Ohashi though for his work rate alone. The fella just needs a tap in to get back on the scoring trail.

Eustace continues to get the absolute max out of this team. Was a tricky one, horrendous weather conditions and it was hard to tell what we would get with Hull having just appointed a new manager, even if he wasn't technically in charge today. Rovers appear on the face of it to be a consistent goal scorer away from being a solid top 6 side. We all know that there are weaknesses but Eustace is doing well to nullify those at the moment. It won't last forever, but lets enjoy a 4th win in a row for now :).

5 added on. You'd think the ref would just want to get home.

Definitely need a sucker punch 2nd goal here.

Highly unlikely (near on impossible even) but ideally we would be bringing in a striker, winger and a centre half to cover for Batth and Hyam while Carter and Wharton remain injured. I think we'll be lucky to bring one of those positions in.

If Hull manage to bring in a new manager before this game then I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rovers slip up. I didn't realise it was so long since Hull last won a game, which makes for another red flag. Also Travis being missing is a big blow. I'd be content with a draw after such a great week. My concern is if we go 1 nil down, we aren't exactly a free scoring side at the moment. I'll go for a 1-1 draw. With Ohashi ending his dry spell in front of goal. My predicted team (providing there are no new injuries this week): Pears Brittain Batth Hyam Pickering Baker Tronstad Dolan Cantwell Beck Ohashi

Absolutely magnificent result. 2 brilliant wins in a really tough week and 2 clean sheets! I don't think any of us saw this coming but it is very welcome indeed. This of course would be typical Rovers to then go and lose away at Hull next weekend. Travis being suspended is a big loss for that one, and Hull will likely have a new manager in by then as well. Got to celebrate these moments. Rovers lost 3 in a row before now winning 3 in a row. I suspect it'll be like that a few more times this season as well, but to be on 28 points at this stage of the season when we were a lot of peoples picks for the drop is a huge achievement. John Eustace is getting 110% and out of the team at the moment, every credit to him.

Leeds have clicked, similarly to Sheffield United when we played them at Ewood. Expect this to be a defeat, a draw would be fantastic after last nights victory. I think Beck will come in for one of Hedges or Dolan. Other than that I expect it to be the same side as last night unless there are injuries. I'll go for a 1-2 defeat.

Strangely I think Lampard will do ok there. It depends on expectations of course. At Plymouth the expectation is surely t stay in the league, and Rooney might just manage that due to their home form. With Coventry, what is the expectation? Presumably to be in and around the top 6. Lampard will likely get a bit of a free pass for the rest of this season but I think he could solidify them in mid table. I don't think he is THAT bad of a coach, but he has made some really poor decisions in his managerial career that have cost him. Going to Chelsea far too soon, then taking the Everton job when they were in a mess before going back to Chelsea when where having a crisis, just really odd decisions. Taking the Derby job was the one thing he got right. Anyway this is the Eustace thread. Thought he got it bang on last night. Went to frustrate Boro and hit them with a sucker punch, did exactly that. Reminded me a touch of Leeds away last season.

Really good solid away win from Rovers. 2 away wins on the spin...more of that please! The goal may have been offside, but Cantwell's disallowed goal looked very tight. Maybe we got a slice of luck but ultimately we'll get our fair share of bad luck too. Dolan's clearly onside yet disallowed goal against Burnley springs to mind. We do seem to have quite the tough run up into January so as many of these types of wins and points will do nicely.

Boro are flying, Rovers are rubbish away from home in midweek games. Nailed on Boro win sadly. 3-0, similar humbling to at Coventry away.

Disappointing that the game has been called off. Fee for the Pompey fans who have travelled but at least they weren't left waiting till 2pm or something ridiculous. Onto Boro away on Wednesday night. Hopefully our recent good form there continues.

Meh, doesn't really bother me that Park is going. They'll just bring someone else in for a little while and the cycle will continue. We all know where the real problems are, and until that changes then this kind of thing will continue to happen at the club every year. Not sure what the power struggle is over...I'm guessing Rudy wanting more say in recruitment. As I say, none of this REALLY matters that much. The only thing that does matter is getting rid of the owners.

With tough games against Boro and Leeds after this, it really feels like a must win to follow up the Cardiff result with another 3 points and maintain a top half spot for now at least. The team I would be tempted to go with: Pears Brittain Batth Hyam Beck Travis Tronstad Weimann Cantwell Hedges Ohashi I was tempted to swap Weimann and Ohashi around but I doubt Weimann has the energy to press in the same way as Yuki. I'll go for a 2-1 Rovers win. It won't be as easy as it may look on paper given the league table. Ohashi and Cantwell to score.

I think that goes without saying to be honest.

Ohashi has 4 league goals as it is, I expect / hope him to at least double that tally by the end of the season. Gueye on the other hand...we'll be lucky if he scores at all, so you are probably bang on with the 5-10 goals estimate. There is definitely room for someone to grab the bull by the horns in the squad. None of Szmodics, Brereton or Armstrong looked capable of that at first but they all came good after a period of time. Lets hope that there is someone in this current group that can do the same. Someone mentioned on the Cardiff thread suggested playing Weimann as the number 9. I honestly think that's not a bad shout at all. Switch Weimann with Ohashi and I think you've got more chance of someone getting on the end of chances as he did on Saturday.

I think this is a great point. Pickering also had a good game yesterday, the run he made for Travis to thread it through to him for the 2nd goal was perfect. I think Beck is an option to play further forward at times with Pickering operating behind him. Beck seems less afraid to take on a man or two than Hedges or Dolan.

Good. Keeps them down there for the time being at least. That week were they led 2 nil to Norwich and 3 nil to Plymouth and ended up drawing both seems to have really knocked the stuffing out of them.

Enjoyable win in the end, despite Rankin-Costello's best attempts to make it a disaster. Thought Rovers were good value for the win, but in some ways it makes me more annoyed about Wednesday's misfire...I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes. Reckon that was one of Pears best games for the club. Crucial saves at key times in the game. Shame the clean sheet was lost. You could tell as soon as he entered the game that JRC was going to be a problem. In the 2nd half of JDTs first season he looked like becoming a key influential player, but he hasn't kicked on enough at all since. Ohashi and Cantwell link up play is really promising. Although Ohashi is going through a dry patch, his work for the team is great, absolutely full of energy and effort. Weimann showing the same strikers instinct that he showed on his debut to score today. Pleased for him to get a couple more goals. Cantwell probably had a worse game today than on Wednesday and yet still key to the teams attacking play. When Travis is on it he can be key as well, as shown today with having a big hand in both goals. Very important to stop the rot, and hopefully they can grab a home win after the break against Portsmouth ahead of a couple of really tough games in Boro and Leeds. Colwill for Cardiff looks a player. Probably the only one from them that I'd take though. The rest of them seem pretty much your typical bang average Championship footballers.

Oh my word, I had forgotten all about that run. Classic Mowbray death spiral it was, completely derailed what was a very strong push for the playoffs beforehand. That 0-1 home defeat to Bristol City, didn't Dack miss a penalty on his long awaited return from injury, and Andy Weimann scored the winner?

Maybe he is, but the alternatives are slim right now.

This feels like it will either be a game where Rovers find their scoring boots or they turn out a horrific performance and lose handsomely to a resurging Cardiff side. My heart says a 2-1 win....but my head says it'll be 3-0 to Cardiff and it'll all go horribly wrong. I'd like to see a 4-3-3 of sorts. Would like to see Baker given a chance (we know he has a shot on him after all), while I think Ohashi could do a job slightly wider of the front 3, allowing Leonard to come in, and then its a toss up between Dolan, Weimann, JRC, Tyjon, or the tea lady for the other attacking position. Pears Brittain Batth Hyam Beck (if fit) Travis Cantwell Baker Ohashi Leonard Dolan

Incredibly frustrating and infuriating game. I felt angry at full time. Personally speaking I'm not angry at Eustace though. In the last 3 games I feel like he's set the team up reasonably well. In 1 of those games he came up against simply a better team in Sheffield United and manager in Chris Wilder, who always seems to have had Rovers number over the years. However, against Watford and Stoke I think Eustace has been sorely let down by his players inability to put the ball in the net. These chances spring to mind: Watford - Hyam blasting it against the bar from about 3 yards out Watford - Wiemann through on goal dinks it over the keeper but also the crossbar These two chances were before Watfords penalty and would've won the game. Then onto last night: Stoke - Ohashi strike in the first half at a tight angle, saved by the keeper Stoke - Ohashi racing through on goal, slips Stoke - Travis strike from distance saved by the keeper Stoke - Dolan strike from distance, saved by the keeper Stoke - THAT header miss from Gueye Stoke - Weimann shot across goal, saved by the keeper Stoke - Leonard chance when the game was already gone Rovers created enough chances to win 2 games last night, but the anger should be directed firmly at those above Eustace. Aside from running onto the pitch and scoring himself, I don't know what more Eustace could've done last night to set the team up. That being said, Stoke had 4 clear cut chances off the top of my head, and scored two of them. The guy who scored their first had enough time to check nip to into a wardrobe and visit Narnia before shooting, and then we had the Hyam and Batth horror show to concede the pen. Thought Pears generally did ok again, he keeps being put into trouble by this CB pairing and its clear how much we miss Hayden Carter when he's not there. On the players: Pears - Did ok for me, keeps getting put into trouble by Hyam and Batth. Never fills me with confidence but he is at least playing better this season than last IMO. Brittain - Put some good balls into the box, shame we have no one capable of getting onto the end of them Batth - Really poor Hyam - Pretty poor, neds Carter alongside him. Pickering - Meh Travis - Typical Trav performance. Lots of doing 'stuff' with very little at the end of it. Tronstad - Standard performance. Hedges - Can't cross, can't shoot. What exactly does he do? Weimann - 2nd half chance aside, very quiet. Not a starter for me. Cantwell - Clearly a class above. Someone mentioned they haven't seen much creativity from him...well if the players around him could actually put the ball in the net then Todd would have several assists by now. Ohashi - There's talent, and we know he can score different types of goals judging by early season form. Cant fault his effort to the cause but he's a 10 goals max striker. Would like to see him alongside another striker or perhaps wide left over Hedges. Gueye - Can't for the life of me see him scoring. The early season promise has faded into nothing. That header will define his time at Rovers. A poor mans Rudy Gestede (which feels ironic). The only difference between this guy and Sam Gallagher at the moment is that at least he's not constantly injured. Oh and Gally did notch one or two goals at least. Dolan - Well at least he actually had a shot and was a bit more direct this time round....but still the Antony of the Championship IMO. Leonard - Needs to hit the ground running and become the main man. Sadly that's where we are at. The bottom line is, Rovers sold Szmodics in the summer and didn't replace him with a proven goal scorer. That's not on John Eustace though, and we all know who is responsible. The concerning thing is that I don't think they're playing particularly badly, so when you're playing ok and losing without even scoring a goal....yeah that's a big worry. They have to take a minimum of 4 points from the next 2.