King Curtis And The Noble Knights - Soul Twist

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

I'd put him at 75 million.  He's better than rice was at that age

Yes that is true, Rice has developed into a top class player now though. He reminds me a lot of Ronnie Clayton.

Just now, 47er said:

Yeah, all of a sudden he's worth £50M apparently! Now he's not with us that is.

Barring injuries he’ll go for that before too long. 

13 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Good article 

 

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/crystal-palace-adam-wharton-euros-kobbie-mainoo-3035820

Sad really, we gave him away.

The Knight Brothers - Temptation ‘Bout To Get Me

2 minutes ago, roverandout said:

I could see Trafford being a number 2 to someone in the premier league.  

Maybe but would they even get their money back on him ?

17 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

good luck getting them off the wage bill😁

As I said on another thread - they have a truly massive squad that must be costing an absolute fortune. Last time they had a couple of good players to sell to balance the books. I can’t see there being many clubs rushing to chuck big money at their existing squad.

27 minutes ago, 47er said:

He's not useless. When he came we were on a disastrous run that pointed clearly to relegation. We couldn't get a win for love or money.

He did what he had to do, he made us hard to beat (with some obvious exceptions) and kept us in the Championship.

I don't see him as an inspiring type, I don't think he'll take us up but promotion is not a priority at Ewood anyway.

In any case we'll get yet another inadequate summer recruitment fiasco.

Let's remember he's at a club where the CEO said before the season started that the main objective is "to stay in the League". Bit of a different attitude at Ipswich!

There are better targets than Eustace. Till they're gone there will be no or little progress

 

I think he inspired the players yesterday enough to put in that performance.

I was just looking at the league table. Have we ever won more away games than home games previously ?

2 hours ago, philipl said:

Dingles as good as down and needing a third complete rebuild in three seasons.

I saw their playing squad listed the other day. I never realised it before but they’ve  got a massive number of players. What that lot must be costing in wages I shudder to think. At least they’ll be saving a fortune on winning bonuses.

Without a significant strengthening at both ends of the team we are doomed to repeat this season. Expecting a more expansive way of playing with the existing squad is just dreaming.

34 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

What a day of emotions and a remainder of why, after 60 odd years of following Rovers, I'll still renew my season ticket and my away travel season ticket for next season.  Rovers have never done anything the easy way and this season has been no different.  I've always believed we would survive but I must admit there were times when I started to wonder.

Today, as at Leeds, Eustace got the tactics spot on and the players stood up to the pressure and delivered when their backs were against the wall.

Szmodics had been a revelation this season and has been a joy to watch.  At times, when running through on goal, he'sbrought back memories of Andy McEvoy and Tony Field for me and the feeling that he would never miss in those situations.  However, I also think that McFadzean has been a key signing and today he was magnificent, a real leader on the pitch who organises and encourages whilst also being a formidable barrier in defence.  At times he's looked like a second coming of John McNamee and I can offer no greater praise than that.

I hope the owners will provide Eustace with support this summer because I think he has the makings of a decent manager who seems suited to a club like Rovers.  How Birmingham must reject getting rid for Rooney.  I must admit that I won't miss not going to St. Andrews next season.

I was thinking Andy McEvoy when he scored that goal at Leeds. He never really goes for power but he  just passes the ball into the net like a lot of the top strikers do/did.

15 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

I didn’t realise he was that short 😬

I didn’t either, he did ok under the high ball today.

19 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Travis must be exactly the sort of player Eustace rates. I imagine he will be keen to bring him back in.

Can see Trav going unless we get a decent offer.

I presume that should read - Can’t see Trav going unless we get a decent offer ? 

1 minute ago, Bethnal said:

Hyam (currently iffy), McFadzean (currently old), Wharton (currently injured), Carter and O’Riordan. We need at least one for next year, if we’re planning to play a back 3.

I’m prepared to be patient with Hyam, I’m not 100% sure he wasn’t carrying the after effects of that injury he had. However if we were to sell him I’d love to see Hill back. He’s hardly played since he went back to Bournemouth. 

6 minutes ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

Can’t say I did no, did he have any goals or assists? Bear in mind we were his second loan and he didn’t get many minutes here as with his first loan ,  I’d suggest he wasn’t setting the heather on fire in training either

Moran, for all the hype he came with , he was massively underwhelming, he wasn’t trusted by management either when we needed a goal or some magic. Reminded me of that lad we had, jack payne? Neat and tidy enough but you wouldn’t go into battle with him. We needed more from him 

I liked hill

i would have chrisene back as he was athletic and that’s what Pickering ain’t 

 

Yeah, Hill looked the part but we are probably better off for centre halves than any other position.

6 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Do you think he could play there in a back four?

Mm, possibly. He’d have to muscle up a bit. I’d have no problem playing him there in an injury crisis. I don’t know when Hyam cried off but I suspect Pickering was moved over to centre half very late in the day.

1 minute ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

His record was that he inherited a team that had gained just 5 points from the previous manager's last 11 games - a spiral clearly leading to relegation - and was charged with the brief of ensuring that we were not relegated, a task which he has successfully accomplished. Hardly the grounds for criticism, I would have thought.

If we have to take a similar collection of players to the Dingle Dome next season I’d rather be going with Eustace than the last manager that took us there. At least we know we can grind out results now if need be.

1 minute ago, Ossydave said:

You saw nothing in Ayari? He will go somewhere next season and do a job, if he plays. Much like Moran.

Agree on Chrisene I really liked the look of him, better than Pickering IMO

I thought Pickering looked good as a left sided centre back. He’s decent in the air, reads the play pretty well and has a good line in left footed clearances.

25 minutes ago, arbitro said:

It's been a long, long time since I loved a Rovers player like I love Sammie Szmodics. The season he has had is up there with the Shearers for me as he has pretty much single handedly kept us up. We should all be eternally grateful to him.

In all honesty I didn't think we would get anything today and would have to rely on other teams inadequacies. Our angst was even greater during the game as very few people in the stadium could get a phone signal to keep tabs on the other games. We heard that Wednesday had scored then Plymouth and then Birmingham. This is it now, we all know what is coming and we will drop into the bottom three any time soon for the first time this season. We were quite stunned but the Rovers fans kept at it and I sure were inspirational. Can we hang on, there is a long way to go but we are defending exceptionally well. Then Szmodics gets the ball out wide and keeps going and going, looks up and there is nobody to pass to. He opens up his body and passes the ball into the net. Unbridled job abounded amongst the Rovers fans. His second goal will live long in my memory primarily because if was like slow motion. Did he really celebrate before he put it into the net? That's it, we're safe now and we really enjoyed the moment. For a few minutes we forgot about the Indians, Waggott, Kean, Anderson and all the shysters that have besmirched our great name for 14 years as we bounced about and hugged each other. This is what Rovers means to us and they can't take that away.

As at Leeds Eustace got it right with his set up and tactics. Well done to him and the players who showed they care and have some pride. Lots of heroes in yellow today but my last word is for Szmodics. Fanbloodytastic.

That first goal was great. I didn’t know Sammi was that quick. He didn’t panic and shoot early but took it in close before threading the needle between the keepers left hand and inside of the far post. I classic image that will stay with me forever.

16 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Would infuriate me. 

Refused to back JDT but would back Eustace.

Be the most Venkys and Waggott thing ever.

Don’t worry, they won’t be backing anyone.

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Genuinely, who would you bring on?

Neither JDT or Eustace wanted to play Telalovic. Markanday is shite. Hedges has been injured all year. Leonard has been out injured for months. Moran is mentally back in Brighton. 

It's all well and going for the win, but not if you're bringing on sub-par footballers. 

Just look who we had on the bench today capable of influencing the game. Let me just list the bench - Wahlstadt, O’Riordan, Koumetio, Buckley, Moran, Garrett, Timon, Telavic, Ayari.
A dodgy keeper, two totally in-experienced centre halves, Buckley, OK, Moran and Garrett, bit part players, an apprentice centre forward and another centre forward who might as well be an apprentice. Ayari , OK 

Football now is a squad game, you have to have players who can change the direction of the game, we haven’t got any.

Then people expect us to go to the Champions and give them a football lesson.
 

1 minute ago, Penwortham Blue said:

I’ve not liked the football or some of the tactics but John Eustace has achieved what he was brought in to do. He starts with a clean slate from me, Swag and the incompetents certainly do not !

That’s how I feel. It’s been a real season to forget for all sorts of reasons. I think the guy deserves a chance. He kept his nerve today in a massive pressure match. Especially in the second half when we were staring into the abyss given every other result was going against us.