Old Codger

Can already hear the fingernails of lady luck dragging down the blackboard of results for this one...Sadly I feel like Rovers have self-sabotaged and become victims of the hard man-slog that is Championship football just at the wrong time, with an otherwise winnable game at home against rag-bag opposition now becoming more of a challenge to compete. Coupled with the day being ostensibly one of 'celebration' it feels like there may well be (self-inflicted) rain on the parade, despite the sunshine and feel-good factor of three hard-fought wins on the bounce. Certainly the loss of our talisman keeper between the sticks, with his strong hand style, rapid reflexes, distributive excellence and ability to organise those in front of him, is a major concern. His 'understudy' blazed the ball straight out of play from a goal-kick on his first act of return midweek, demonstrating (worryingly) little or no change in approach during his time on the sidelines. Ho hum. On to the game. The Rams have also picked up a bit of momentum recently, and can be expected to want to dominate, although their manager will have less insight into Rovers tactics than he might had there been a more familiar nucleus to our line up than the completely re-engineered side his pseudo-Rovers-Rams will face. That might play to our advantage. Football is a game that is highly sensitive to factors such as confidence, and our team can rightly take some kudos from having ground out three successive wins following a painful fallow period. Stability and team spirit are highly volatile factors too, though, and we now have to chop and change with our ragbag journeymen international player soup squad to find a combination of resolve, drive and flair capable of battering the Rams. So, here goes.. Rovers rally, Rams retaliate - Rovers 1 - Derby 1 Rovers revert, Rams relish the resigner's return - Rovers 0 - Derby 2 Rovers Rampant Raiders (w)reak Resounding Result on Retreating Rams - Rovers 3 -Rams 1 Meh.. at least the sun will be shining and we will be in Blue and White at home 🙂 COYB! VENKSTERS AND VANITY PROJECT VENDORS OUT!

Sometimes you just have to win UGLY.

Bristol are marking him more closely, having been torn a new one down that side in the first half.

Rovers gone to pieces in the second half so far. Need to put the foot on the ball. Slow it down. Like that.

I guess you mean, why he is selected week in, week out? I think it is pretty clear - if the game plan is to play a team of low cost journeymen, then the most obvious candidates for the team sheet are your 'low cost journeymen'. Having said that, if that is the game plan, then Ryan Alebiosu is surely playing himself out of contention on a regular basis. Welcome to snake and mirror world. Over 17 different snakes and mirrors.. None of them Rovers players.

Nothing on the bench, other than De Neve's crossing and Montgomery's tankedy tankedyness.

Rovers: Toth, Alebiosu, Miller, Wharton (c), McLoughlin, Hedges, Tronstad, Gardner-Hickman, Morishita, Ohashi, Gudjohnsen Substitutes: Pears, Ribeiro, Tavares, Gueye, De Neve, Henriksson, Forshaw, Montgomery, Atcheson

We've had the rub of the green for two games in a row now, so am expecting lady luck to tear us a new one tomorrow evening. We can also expect, as a minimum: Toth and Alebiosu to have a good game whatever the score. Yuki to run his nuts off. De Neve flatters to De Ceve (pardon the pun) Gudjohnsen to put himself about to good effect. Low expectations based on recent form at Ashton Gate or wherever it is these days. Should be more confidence in the side based on our last couple of outings... Robins run Rovers Ragged 3 -1 Robins rue Rovers Resilience 2-2 Robins regret Rovers Running Riot 0-3 COYB! Give em a game, at least 🙂 VENKSTERS OUT!

Can't see us getting anything other than a good thrashing here. I think VI should make all the players wear that ridiculous headgear that Yuki donned after his minor surgery last weekend. We could just play football for fun, I suppose, for a change.

David Dunn

Damien Duff

John Bailey He used to stop at Station Garage (in Feniscowles, next to what was the Horden Rake, is now the Foundry) for petrol on his way home in his - Vauxhall Viva. Imagine one of the current crop of pros driving an ordinary person's car!?? It was dark blue, like this one..

Don Martin

So, Rovers revival it was. If you get a chance, have a look at the comments on the BBC report on the game - Saints fans sounding uncannily similar to the gripes and groans that have echoed from the Ewood sewers in recent times... Perhaps there is a wider game afoot, that we, as Rovers fans, parochially fail to spot. Perhaps not. Will take the win. OUT WITH THE SCUM

Eleven 18-30 year old men on two sides for a game in the Championship. All are professional footballers, all are fit and healthy, all are (relatively) well paid (compared to the local average wage) and all dream of playing at the highest level possible. Sounds pretty even when put like that. Then we wake up to: Experience vs out of their depth Confidence vs demoralised flapping Competent coaching vs incoherent vs incomprehensible game planning Strength in depth vs weakness wherever you look Leadership on the field vs disarray and misunderstanding A team playing for a respected and successful manager vs a bunch of raggedy muffin misfits clearly not engaged with their coach.. And that was just Tuesday night against an easily blunted Blades.. Coming to this afternoon's mismatch, what can we realistically expect? Rovers repeating regression vs Southampton gleeful long haul home? 0-2 Rovers Revival vs Southampton Slide? 1-0 Rovers on Routed vs Southampton sadly on song? 0-6 Remember, the 'Exciting Plan' is to pitch inexperienced & demoralised journeymen and make weights against battle-hardened professionals, then kick and hope. Football ISNT a funny old game when played like Russian Roulette with the safety catch off and a full magazine. BASTARDS! VENKYS PASHA AND THE BOY OUT!!