Old Codger

It is certainly a promising prospect, having Cantwell in the side. Of course there is no smoke without fire and there are without doubt tales to be told about his decline since the halcyon days at Norwich, but those days and times are quite literally behind him now. However we have acquired a player with unquestionable capability, and in doing so given him an opportunity to re-ignite his career. If managed carefully and given the chance to impose himself in a positive way on our style, I am confident he will let the football do the talking and we will benefit as a result. Go TC! & COYB!

How proud are we today!

Scott Parker is such a tosser.

I read his lips saying "obstruction". Anyhoo. No goal.. Bastard!

No, there was no signal from the lino, and the ref blew for the foul (obstruction) on their player, which is an indirect free kick, which appears to the uninitiated as off side as it is the same signal from the ref to restart play. Sky can cram it up their arse, as we all know they know fook all 🙂

It wasn't given for offside - it was 'obstruction' by Hedges on their lad, that put Dolan through.

FFS. Powder puff defending. Non-existent marking. Quality cross and finish from the Dingles. Bollux

Andy Murray taking a dump is more important to the Beeb than one of the richest rivalries in the whole of football. THEIR LOSS!! 🙂 Rovers return to the Turd.mp4

There is nothing to fear, except fear itself. Rovers go into this game on a decent run of results, Tuesday apart, and with some new names to bring to the fixture if not today, then certainly in the reverse game later in the season. There is no place for blind optimism, abject surrender or fannying around at the back this afternoon. Every single one of our 'Professional' players needs to make it their priority to do their job to the best of their ability, and I'd expect the ClarrotnBlurgh counterparts to do the same. It is about time for the pendulum to begin the swing back down the M65 in our direction, IMO, although the six fingered brethren might argue for at least a further 20 years on top of their 'extended' advantage - no concessions from me on that score though - may the best team (Rovers) win, and may the watching world be treated to a footballing spectacle that is the essence of why we love the beautiful game. Make us proud and paint a new positive chapter into our history. COYB! COYB! Come On, You Mighty BLUES!!

Doh! Yes, of course. My memory is shocking, especially where ex-Rovers is concerned 🙂

I see Ipswich got knocked out by AFC Wimbledon last night, choosing to play the game without our their talisman / leader from the front Sammie Szmodics. Their reward is a plum tie at home against the barcodes, whilst Rovers, if we'd held our nerve, would have had a winnable game against the Hillsborough hordes. Team selection is an important influence on outcome in this wonderfully unpredictable and complex game we all love so much, but on the day, it's the team that wants it the most that will prevail... Bring on the Dingles 😉

Not looking forward to SaTURDay, especially after last night's non-show at Ewood. It is a complete lottery as to which Rovers side turns up, but I get the feeling we might be somewhat easier to pick off than our clampet cousins on home turf, even with the turmoil that appears to be taking hold in their camp. Above all, I want us to emerge with pride intact. Dignity can f off, flowing football can take a back seat. I just want us to return down the M65 feeling like we did everything we could to see off the old enemy and to bridge the gap that Venkys have institutionalised in our club since their disgraceful and pernicious arrival 13 years ago. Time for football to do it's magic... time will tell 🙂 COYB! Wear your colours with pride!

My daughters, on for only their second visit to Ewood (they are 10 and 7) noticed the poor state of the stairways up to pitch-side (very rusty steps painted over with yellow), complained about the poor and unintelligible announcements on the PA, and asked why some parts of the ground were empty. Our stadium is no longer a thing of awe and beauty! (Was it ever?).

There were enough chances in that game to put it to bed, but we lacked the will to hit the target. Suicide defending returns too with a vengeance 🙄 Goodness knows what was in the half time tea, but the caterers need their P45. Difficult to take much of anything positive from that showing. 2 players at corners when we needed bodies in the box. Why? Aimless passes and lazy positioning. No cohesion, no cutting edge other than one four on two move that we contrived to balls up. The suicide defending though.. that was the standout for me. Oh, and McFadz warming up looked like someone's dad turning out in the Orphanage Cup after not having played for 17 years. Oh my, how things have gone down hill at Ewood Park. Sad 😔

It's a cup competition, Lowe cost than the ordinary games at Ewood and a good opportunity to bring some much needed new blood into the club, both on the field and in the stands. I dont nderstand Waggott's bizarre mentality of making g it difficult for folk to attend - anywhere else in the known universe, the idea is to encourage as many punters through the turnstiles as possible, and to encourage them to spend whilst on the concourse. Waggott seems to be in a perpetual battle against doing business, rather than optimising income wherever there is an opportunity. Baffling , like most aspects of our club these days..

Thanks for your valuable contribution 👍 I take it you'll be roaring on the lads at Ewood this evening, alongside me & my brood? COYB!

I think we might be in for an early shock, and then a test of our resolve, composure and tactical nous. Tangerines to score first (a tap in after a goal mouth scramble) the Rovers to roar back with Big Mak, Yuki and Hyam thumping home. 9532 hardy and slightly damp souls, with most of us heading happy up Livesey Branch Rd at 9.45pm is COYB!!

Would like to see Rovers progress in the League cup, and will be going with my youngest (7) who has suddenly got the football bug. Not an easy fixture to call, especially with the test coming up at the weekend. I'd like to think we will put out a strong side, with the intention of giving it a proper go. And of course maintaining a winning mentality and some momentum is important, even if we all know that it counts for nothing in the context of having our heads held firmly down the bog from an ownership and outlook perspective. I'd just like to enjoy an evening at Ewood, with the chance to reinforce new recruits to the Blue and White cause. I think Big Mak needs a run out, and the chance to notch again, to build his confidence early in the overall campaign. Definitely include some of the emerging talents if possible - these cup competitions are designed to ramp up the challenge the further you get, which is invaluable experience for raw recruits. COYB! Let's segment that tangerine into smithereens! Head Rovers 2 Pooliverse 0 Heart Rovers 4 Pool 1 Headlice and Bedbugs Rovers 2 BPool 3 with Sir Jordan of Rhodesia scoring a hat-trick 😞

YES!! JRC!!

Good strike from their player.

Erm, the season before last, when we won away at Millwall on the last day.. we missed out on the playoffs by goal difference..

40 years ago this fixture might have been one to worry about, with Oxford United back then a swashbuckling, League Cup (Milk Cup) winning, first division terrorising outfit including the likes of John Aldridge (yes, he of Liverpool FC fame and fortune). These days they are slowly rebuilding under a relatively unknown manager, with few (if any) players whose pedigree would bring them to mind as household names. A bit like that outfit down the road at Ewood, in that respect I suppose.. This weekend's game won't be a pushover, and Oxford are in the division on merit, so Rovers will have to be up and at it from the outset. A difficult one to call, but I'm hoping home advantage and a decent bit of momentum will propel the blue and whites to an emphatic win. Heart - Blue and White supremacy over the Yellows 2-0 Head - Scrappy and difficult to watch with goals at both ends and the usual howlers from the usual suspects - 2-2 Handbags on the Isis - Rovers hand out a kicking and send the U's with their mortarboards askew back to the spires. 4-0

Isn't it refreshing to have a centre forward who is willing to put his head in where it might hurt, in order to score? I know we haven't had much in the way of crosses and wing play for many years, but a bullet header from Yuki-San makes you salivate at the prospect of a striker who understands that his job is to score goals... Come on you Japanese Blues!

Yes, I'm getting that vibe too. I think we may underestimate the contribution of the Super Sammie, all that running on and off the ball, chasing down the opposition, never say die attitude and (crucially) the ability to pick a sublime pass. Not that I think the contemporary Canaries are any great shakes, but I think East Anglian pride, a partisan crowd and that long journey on Waggot's Charabanc will put us on the back foot. Having said that, I think we have more 'men' in the side this year than last, and perhaps we have acquired a tactician in the dugout. Head - Rovers Reverse (Canaries 2 Rovers 1) Heart - Canaries in a Coal Mine (Norwich 1 Rovers 5) Whup me with a Wallaby - Honourable draw 2-2 and everyone goes home talking about the swashbuckling new style icons from East Lancashire COYB! COYP! Just COME ON!!

I suspect we have flattered to deceive in our opening fixtures, and whilst we have had a good start against weak opposition, I fully expect Norwich to be a much more demanding opponent this weekend. If we can take the momentum and confidence from the Derby and Stockport games forward, it will certainly help us to bond this oddly assembled team of old heads, misfits and outliers together. Sometimes, taking an unorthodox approach can wrong-foot your opposition, that is for sure. However, I am sure too that Norwich and other sides in the division (including our six fingered cousins down the road) will be looking closely at how the Rovers team functions, and no doubt at what our weak spots are (no points for guessing the obvious resulting tactic there...!) Going for an honourable draw at Carrow Road. Whilst we have enjoyed success on our recent visits, it is a big set up down there, and I'd expect a hard game in which we fall prey to our weaknesses, whilst also playing where we can to our strengths. It is too early I guess to paint us into a particular style, or to know whether we can change up games as necessary to counter opposition strengths (our lack of squad depth might be an achilles heel I guess). But the green shoots are encouraging, even if the omens aren't yet very clear. COYB! COYP!