sharpysharps86

Being owned by Venkys guarantees failure 🥲

Good grief 😂

Pleasantly surprised that Tyjon starts, disappointed no Kargbo from the off...but maybe the plan is to start him on Saturday.

It feels inevitable that Trav will be moved on, and I'm perhaps more gutted about this than Brittain in a way. Not necessarily in terms of footballing ability, but for what it means in terms of how the club views their playing staff. Trav is the captain, and clearly cares about the club. He was brilliant and a leader for much of last season. Meanwhile the club (Suhail) couldn't give a sh*t about that and Trav's reward for being a leader on and off the pitch is to not be given a new contract, and instead sold off. It makes me embarrassed and ashamed to be a Rovers fan at times, knowing that those who run the club are as rotten as it gets. Baradji may well be a decent player if he comes in as his replacement, but its another player with no champ experience who's most recent experience is getting relegated. Signing a bunch of relegated players breeds a loser's mentality IMO.

Yes, it definitely feels like this could go very much the same way as JDT....team struggling at the wrong end of the table, Ismael starts getting more and more honest in the press over the lack of contract renewals and poor standard of summer signings...exit negotiated by the club and we're back to square one.

Grealish joining Everton on loan for the season. Him and Dewsbury-Hall are two very good signings for them.

His timing for jumps is not good. Needs a lot of work.

Does that simply mean we've found our level - newly promoted League One clubs 😂

Think this is about right.

100% agree. Alebiosu was doing all the work on the right practically on his own with the non-existent Hedges ahead of him. I was really concerned about him before yesterday but he pleasantly surprised me....maybe my expectations have dropped through the floor in recent seasons but he seemed ok to me.

Ah, yeah that sounds quite key. Didn't realise they had lost those 3.

Impressive result for Bristol City at Sheffield United. Wonder if canning a proven promotion challenger / winner in Wilder and going for Ruben Selles was a good idea. Early days yet I suppose. Could just have been one of those opening day freak results.

Agree with all of that. He's honest, i'll give him that, but he's a downgrade on what we had IMO.

If Baradji signs, what about this supposed need for him to go under the knife according to Alan Nixon...? Then Travis' replacement is immediately unavailable. Comical scenario really if that all happens. Miyoshi would be a good signing...but then a paper bag blowing in the wind would be more effective than Hedges.

It's about the players that can provide and support as well. None of the starting 3 forward minded players behind him looked anywhere near capable today.

Having heard that interview, one of Travis or Tronstad are definitely gone. Travis seems more likely. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Pears, Buckley and Travis all go, replaced by a couple of inexperienced loans. Then the right winger on top of that.

Slightly harsh on Alebiosu. As cover for Miller I think he'll be fine, and did ok today. Any club with a plan would've looked to ship Hedges off 2 seasons ago. He's done nothing of note since the goal away at Watford early into JDT's second season. If Ismael and the club hierarchy think they only need 1 more signing then we're absolutely done for. There's just nowhere near enough quality going forward. Defensively much less of a concern, but in attack I don't recall a more toothless looking Rovers side.

I think he set the team up to try and contain West Brom at least until the hour mark. As it is they conceded a dodgy scrappy goal and didn't get a clear cut penalty their way. That was the major difference in the game really. The big concern for me is that even the 1 shot on target was more of a half chance. If that had gone in then it would've been extremely soft from a West Brom point of view. The fact that they didn't muster anything clear cut in the 2nd half is extremely alarming.

I can forgive Axel struggling today, only just signed, thrown in at the deep end and it's probably a big change to the Swedish league. I think today shows that we really need Cantwell to turn up consistently this season, and that RW that comes in needs to be a huge upgrade from Hedges. Kargbo certainly did more than De Neve and deserves to start against Birmingham. I was really disappointed with Travis and Tronstad. Travis may have had plenty of the ball but he did very little with it. Tronstad just appeared to be way off it. Defensively I think they were solid enough. Its in attack that clearly they are lacking. If you're going to play Ohashi leading the line then he needs quality around him to offer support.

Another season of Rovers failing to muster anything up when they go behind.

We definitely miss Brittain, as well as the goals that Dolan and Weimann brought last season....JRC though, nah.

Toothless. Completely and utterly toothless.

That explains why he didn't get a touch in the first half 😂

Very poor on the whole that first half. Came into it a little bit towards the end, clear penalty not given as well. Positives: Alebiosu looks eager and is trying to get forward as much as possible and has actually bee ok. McLoughlin looks calm and composed on the ball. Negatives: Everything else. Attack is so disjointed and toothless. Axel looks lost, De Neve and Hedges are ineffective out wide. Ohashi is stranded and isolated leading the line. Toth having a wobble. Travis and Tronstad not really getting grip on the midfield. They look weak. Would make 2 changes at half time: Kargbo for De Neve who is already a bit of a bloody mess now, and Gueye for Hedges, put Axel on the right and Ohashi as number 10.

Southampton look quite nervy. I suppose its unsurprising given how their confidence will have been shot to pieces after last season.