5 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s a good point, under JDT )and Eustace at Sunderland) we’ve put in some cracking away performances and results - but at home, when did we last give a team a hiding? 

 

Outside of cup games against lower league opposition, we haven't this season. 

10 hours ago, Cuppliance said:

For me personally, the 1 point we earned against Southampton and the 3 points we earned against Leeds make up for the 4 dropped against Rotherham and Millwall at home. Both were must wins and we drew them both. They are bonus points They made up for the points we shouldn't have dropped in my opinion.

We drew against Rotherham and Huddersfield at home, lost to QPR at home and lost to Huddersfield away all within a few weeks.

JDT was literally taking us down.

3 hours ago, 1874 said:

Rovers are now -13 goal difference and -18 points from corresponding fixtures last season.

 

We're £25m richer though, which is the main thing for our CEO.

3 hours ago, 47er said:

Its recognition of what we all know---the Championship is the most exciting League in Britain.

As they say, any team can beat any other on any given day. I get bored to tears with the Premier League 

Exciting, perhaps, but the quality is dire. 

9 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Im not sure that Brittain is the prototype for the sort of full back we need. Pickering is more reliable than Brittain IMO, but we only have one senior full back on each side contracted into next season so we need one of each. JRC is much better than Brittain at full back but I am not against having him as a midfielder more often, the issue is he cant be one of 2 full backs AND a midfielder so we need to choose where we intend to use him, midfield seems a good shout. Shame he isn't more robust and we don't have more than 1. 

Cant argue with your analysis of what we need. Id say 1 or 2 strikers dependant on Gallagher, 2 pacy wingers, another attacking midfielder, (if Szmodics stays, if not 2) 2 full backs and a new keeper are needed, we are miles short. A centre back and another midfielder lesser priorities. Obviously we wont get near that and itll all be with buttons.

 

Pickering gets done for pace and targeted every week.

If he was quicker he'd be a fantastic Championship footballer. As it is he's average and gets rinsed some weeks.

2 hours ago, J*B said:

Because JRC has played his best football for us as a right back, Buckley has never quite managed to do what he teased he might and Garrett is not good enough. 

JRC just played the 'EFL Young Player of the Year' off the park in CM.

Why would you move him back to RB? Brittain is a better option there anyway (JRC struggles to get up and down - much like Pickering - and you have to cover for him). 

CM is the least of our worries. We need pace and physicality upfront, a proper GK and ideally a left footed Brittain to play LB. 

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Blimey, game of opinions once again, Hyam isn't fit to lace Lenihan's boots imo.

Lenihan is a little agricultural but underneath it all he's a generally very reliable and resolute defender - unlike Hyam.

Who turns like the Titanic, is clumsy and loves a 40 yard cross field ball into touch.

3 hours ago, rob_of_the_rovers said:

Since Eustace took over we're 20th. Fair to say it's probably going to be another rough season next if we manage to survive this one

Without investment, yes. There are gaping holes in this squad. 

53 minutes ago, Bohinen1983 said:

I think Hyam should be moved on.  This season, perhaps due to his injuries, he has looked like his legs have gone. He's so slow and clumsy on the ball.  

Wharton has been tremendous and is back to his old self. 

Carter has all the attributes you'd want for a good centre half.

I'd bomb out Macfazdean and  Hyam to bring in good competition from league 1 or 2 for centre half along with a decent Premiership loan.

Hyam and Macfazdean are not the future. Move them both on.

I wouldn't be surprised if a PL club or two sniffs around Carter in the summer - and obviously our new business model is to sell at the first sign of interest. 

On 13/04/2024 at 04:47, RevidgeBlue said:

Come on Chaddy, four or five good months when he first joined but he's been crap ever since.

He's been a very good purchase - he's a damn sight better than the player he replaced (Lenihan). 

That said, he's not a captain and shouldn't be asked to take on a leadership role. 

13 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I do get why its a must not lose, but bigger picture, say we draw, probably seals safety, but that would still leave Eustace yet to win at home having played Sheff Wednesday, Plymouth and Millwall. It would be pretty depressing and wouldn't bode well for next season.

Talk of filling the side with as many big players as possible to stop them. We are playing at home to second bottom, a draw and we are still catchable, a win and we are safe. Anything but a win is a huge let down IMO. A draw helps us limp over the line but lets just impose ourselves on them, win a game that we should expect to win and start to plan for next season.

Talk about planning for next year is illogical - we simply don't know where we'll stand until late August and the resolution of that court case.  It's just about getting over the line imo. 

This season has been a disaster - we've sold our crown jewel, we've run off our competent ambitious manager and we still don't know whether the owners can put a penny into the club to keep us running. 

Survive then take a deep breath and brace ourselves for more horrendous news coming out of Ewood / Pune is my advice. 

15 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

He deserves no credit for Adam Wharton, but to say he was atrocious at managing the younger players is nonsense. Scott Wharton and Buckley had their best form in a Rovers shirt under him and have struggled following his departure and his 2 latest captains were Lenihan and Travis, the former who established himself under Mowbray and the latter who broke through under him and again has struggled since he left.

Obviously not perfect, after an initial phase where he wasnt, Nyambe played the vast majority of games under him although I think our fans over rated him, Raya was a poor error of judgement to agree to sell a young keeper for cheap although I dont think he becomes what he is now or close to if he stayed herem

He tried to sell Scott Wharton before an injury crisis thrust him into the lineup.

Sent him out on loan in his early 20s twice 'cos he didn't rate him. 

25 minutes ago, rigger said:

Why would you be a season ticket holder, when you are a player ?

His family are I assume.

15 minutes ago, superniko said:

Looking at that squad we need:

Starting GK

LB and RB - starters / squad to compliment Pickering and Brittain

Starting CM for JRCs annual injury 

2 x Starting Wingers

Starting CAM after we sell Szmodics 

Starting Striker

Thats at least half a team of starters needed, with squad players on top of that. 

Sell/Release: Wahlstedt, Buckley, Markanday, Vale. I’d also let Hyam and Travis go if we get offers (the club won’t do this though).

Anyway in reality, the squad will just continue to get weaker and weaker and we’ll invest barely anything. 

We can't release any of those players - we paid good money for two of them and the other two are worth something. 

We better have negotiated an unbelievable sell on clause for him after selling him so cheaply 'cos he's far too good for Crystal Palace and won't be staying there long. 

12 minutes ago, Blow-in said:

Can we just move the relegation predictions to next season now? 🙂 

Too many teams won yesterday for us to be certain.

It's a bonkers league, especially at the end of the season when a third of the division is already on the beach and evidently a third of the division is scrapping for survival. 

4 hours ago, rigger said:

What we need and what we can afford will be two completely different things. I would settle for a good keeper, and one effective winger, be it left or right.

Then you're in another relegation struggle next season.

2 hours ago, NeilInBristol said:

SURELY the club should go everything they can to encourage as many fans to attend.

Fixed it for you. 

5 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He’s earned the right to better himself. He’s been faultless this season in terms of skill and effort. He never “ downed tools “ at any time. Some of the first time finishes he’s put away have been terrific.

I’m not as pessimistic as some on here regarding replacing his goals if he goes. We can bring in other players in that role and maybe play in a way that doesn’t rely on one player staying fit for 50 games a season

We're not built around Szmodics scoring - like we were when Armstrong scored a lot of goals (he was allowed to be incredibly selfish) - it's just that he's the only bugger that knows where the back of the net is. 

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

watched it this morning and I just think where can you go now with both keepers who has been dropped this season. He dropped Muric at the start of the season and recently dropped Trafford. 

I wonder if they change tactics next season when they are in the championship 

The new manager will undoubtedly bring in his own system next year. 

21 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

jrc is injury prone

tronstadt is great(providing we don`t sell him in the summer)

buckley goes awol to often

travis is ****

garret is raw and picks up yellow cards as a hobby

I bet Travis is a Eustace style player - provides energy, tenacity and flexibility (can play RB). His lack of football ability isn't as startling when not being asked to be a pivot. 

1 hour ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

That squad looks so bad when it is all out in front of you

We need a goalkeeper, right back, 2 central midfielders, 2 wide players and a striker. That is assuming we keep Szmodics, if not put another attacking midfielder in

We could also benefit from a better centre back and left back. But we can't be greedy now..........

I don't even think that list is right - Dolan, Siggurdson and Markanday are #10s. 

At a minimum we need a GK, a RB, a LB, 1 RW, 2 LW, 2 CF. 

I'd be loaning out Garrett if we can't guarantee him regular playing time. Same with Batty and Gilsenan. I'd be selling Markanday and Gallagher too if possible. 

I hate the term 'on the grass'. Another one that has seeped into the modern game.