StHelensRover

Yes and regardless of the division they are playing in their fans will be going into games optimistic, feeling that whatever result they get, everyone at the club is at least pulling in the right direction. They're a historic club with a good fan base, they'll be getting at least 20,000 every week in league one, probably 30,000 if they're playing well and they'll eventually back in this division. While we'll be rattling round in front of smaller and smaller crowds, fed up.

It probably wasn't helped by some of our moronic fans chanting about killing him regularly at home games. I'm sure no one was seriously intending to do him any physical harm, but it's just a really brainless thing to sing anyway, for several reasons. He was probably able to say "I think I should step back due to threats to my safety and wellbeing". Resulting in him getting a year's salary on gardening leave.

Wonder if Taylor, who is supposed to be above all concerned with player welfare, had anything to say about how we treated our Women's team over the last 6 months?

If you get chance and you're able, I would recommend listening to Elliott's latest podcast recording (the podcast is called Arte et Labore If you're not familiar). He put out a 20 minute episode very late on Tuesday night after the Sheffield United game. It's just him by himself giving a debrief on what a horrid night it was. He also tries to give a bit of context to his article from the weekend, because he's aware some fans were pissed off with it. He then spends a lot of time talking about where he thinks we are right now and what the issues are and I couldn't find fault with much he said in the 20 minute piece. He isn't perfect with everything he does as none of us are, but I don't think he's trying to tow the Rovers line in order to be invited back or anything. I think we can read between the lines more often than not and see that he is more on our side than theirs, he's just limited on how he can phrase things as he's a journalist. Just my opinion anyway 👍

Yep. And to be clear to other above poster, happy clappers doesn't mean people who attend. I go to every home game and lots of away games. Doesn't mean I bury my head in the sand and think what is going on is fine. I despise this regime and want it gone tomorrow.

Well with the lovers, defenders, apologists and excusers of the regime still making up an alarming minority of fans it's currently the Aid and Abet365 stadium

We could really do with Sheffield Wednesday beating Oxford actually. Wednesday are going to get a huge points deduction soon, so their points total not too relevant, but if Oxford were to win and we didn't, they'd already have a 5 point gap on us.

I think we are so dreadful that Will Still might get potted even if they get a draw here on Saturday.

On paper, looking at the value of the squads, Southampton should muller us. Having said that, they've only won 3 games in a year or something ridiculous. Their confidence will be low, they will be really nervous. If we get a dodgy decision go for us or get a lucky break, we might just get something even if we don't play well. Football's just weird like that. Neither set of fans will be looking forward to this. I could see us somehow getting something like a draw from this game or a 1-0 and it will be like when Kean got that draw at Anfield or won at Old Trafford. It will release some pressure and the happy clappers will be back in force and the club will do the equivalent of an open top bus tour in the media and online. Sounds odd but we need the game to be 0-0 for as long as possible then hopefully score at the end. If we score first, we panic and collapse. If the opposition scores first, we panic and collapse. I really want us to win because I can't face what will happen to the club when we go down, but it's prolonging the inevitable if nothing changes in the dugout and upstairs. 1-1 Ohashi

We need to distance any protests against Venkys from comparisons with Jack Walker, because Jack Walker was a one in a million owner, local tycoon, every fan's dream. It will be easy for the owners and for neutrals and the press to bat back and say "you're stuck in 1995, you can't expect the owners to do what Jack Walker did, you're unrealistic and you're just unhappy with the owners because they're not Jack Walker." We all know this isn't true, but always got to consider optics and how these things are used against the fans.

Unfortunately for them, football is played on grass with real people and not inside spreadsheets and databases. Do they not realise the average fan doesn't give a flying F about expected goals and all the other obscure metrics that seem to be rife in the game these days? Throw it out with other stupid new terminology I'm forever hearing now like "low block, mid-block" - just nonsense new terms for tactics which have been around for a century or more.

I've responded to the survey, happy to confirm I've identified our benevolent owners as the main issue, as opposed to ticket prices etc.

Could be something like that. People could bring and hold up anything red really, as long as it's visible. Could be red carrier bag, envelope, buspass holder, anything someone could bring into the ground legally. All going to look the same from the distance of the directors box or a TV camera. Make it as straightforward as possible for people.

Does anyone think that a 'red card' protest would gain any sort of traction amongst the fans that are still going to matches? "Show Venkys, Pasha and Rudy the Red Card" Would enough people participate for it to get attention? Sheffield Wednesday did it recently with yellow cards, they have more people turning up to games than we do and they're more of a media darling than we are, but I remember it being reported. It's low cost it, doesn't disrupt the game, it doesn't attack the players (just back the lads FFS), it only has to be done for a minute (maybe at kickoff) for people to get photos of it and for it to make the point, anyone can join in. There's no way for the club to misinterpret it or spin it. My only concern would be that only a few patches of the crowd would join in and the smug lot in the boardroom would sneer that protestors are unrepresentative.

According to the table, only Norwich City in worse form than us across the entire division.. and they beat us! Sheffield Wednesday have picked up more points in last six than us, and they're fielding 50 year old Barry Bannan and a load of schoolboys. But according to some sources, we're playing great and just unlucky.

Shade over 3/1 now, we'll probably be evens if we lose Saturday. Some of those teams I expected to be down here with us like Hull, Charlton, Pompey etc all have a large points lead over us already. Wrexham and Oxford play each other tomorrow. A result for either of them extends their lead over us to either 5 or 6 points after just 11 matches. We have that game in hand, but we know what will happen there....

I think the crowd will definitely turn on Saturday if we fall behind. I will anyway 😄 Though I don't know if it counts as turning on him, if I never ever wanted him as manager at any point.

Bizarre stuff. Just looked and he writes for Yorkshire Post so he has no skin in the game, no reason to make anything up, so I wonder what on earth is going on at Ewood 😂

Coming in here hoping to see someone has summarised VI's post match comments because I can't bring myself to watch him without wanting to smash my phone! Who's fault is it this week according to him? Was it another fantastic performance?

In our last two matches he has looked like the only player in our team capable of playing in this division. We're in big trouble this season, staring down the barrel. He is the only good thing we've stumbled across this year. I bet he wishes he stayed in Scotland now!

I think he is, he stood half the match clapping furiously on the touchline, not sure what he was clapping, I wasn't clapping. His subs were bizarre, we played 10 of the last 15 mins a goal down with no striker on the pitch. The period where we had taken all the strikers off, we suddenly starting putting aerial crosses into the box. Was that his idea too? He's gormless. Edit - Sorry that you travelled such a long way up for the game to be served that as well.

I thought I'd also read that they did all the checks and scans and that it wasn't anything serious, so it seems strange he's out for a while when it was just about waiting for swelling to come down.

Yes they're below us in the table but in the last six games they've picked up more points than we have and they've (re)appointed someone during that time who is regarded as a very good manager in this league. I don't think you could ask any neutral to look at the two teams and say right this moment, that they're a worse team than we are. I imagine their aim this season is to try and get into the playoffs, not to 'avoid the drop', which is our unfortunate remit. We will have to play very well to get anything from tonight's game.

On paper and in my brain I don't see us getting anything against Sheffield United or Southampton. As it's football and 'anything can happen', we'll probably end up drawing both games, which will prolong our misery and Ismael's reign as they'll be able to say "two great performances against two tough opponents, we're turning a corner" when really it'll be another two games without a win.

Maybe Baradji will end up taking his place in the team at this rate 🤔