garnersfags

I know this is prob immaterial now, as good chance of all footy being paused for a few weeks, but pre-omicron, I really thought there would be 13 or 14000+ on for this game, despite the pre-xmas impact etc., purely based on the buzz heading out of Ewood last time, and the further boost to this from the Dean Court result. Such a shame we'll never know how this momentum could've built, and shaped our season.... I'm going if it's on....

A big part of me knows I shouldn't keep this going, but..... There was one comment saying that if this run of form, consistency, and potential euphoria doesn't tempt fans back, then nothing will. I know that this obviously feels like an attack to those amongst us that see the increase in home attendances as another nail in the coffin of our hopes of seeing off the Venky's, but most of us can see that if the Venky's sell up or pull out, we are likely to end up like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and some bigger clubs who now languish in the lower leagues or even further down the pyramid, and so find it difficult or impossible to remain at home when they can see what a boost to our promotion hopes a large, passionate, loud, supportive crowd is. My position is that I respect the decision of a small number of true Rovers fans to vote with their feet and refuse to attend until we have a change of ownership, but I also respect the rights of other true Rovers fans to suggest that it would be better if all fans returned. I don't see that as a direct attack, and don't think the defensive reaction, directly, personally criticising the poster was constructive, and I don't agree that the original comment was an example of 'trolling', again a direct, personal criticism. Forgive me if this is part of a long-running personal battle between board members, but I think we need be better at ignoring non-abusive posts, and posters, and not biting at the 1st opportunity. It is this that dampened the joy and celebration for most of us, not the original post.

This is a really good debate, and I appreciate both sides. However, I can see for the 1st time that extra support can propel us to greater heights on the pitch, whilst not necessarily benefiting the clueless owners (yes, I can see the counter-arguement). I can't see why we would risk the outside chance if a promotion, and the opportunity for the muppets to finally invest in the way they always promised, albeit with more realistic advice and ambition. We will then know whether a total, semi-permanent boycott is the way to go. I know this is a divisive argument, but we won't get this chance again in the foreseeable future, and the Preston game showed how the players benefit from vocal support. A dilemma, but I'm gonna continue to support this group of telanted youngsters. COYB.

We absolutely won't do ok in PL with this squad, but if we recruit as well as we hav done over last few seasons, we may survive. The fact that we are having this conversation means something is going right, and we just need to enjoy it , whilst understanding that TMs defensive instincts will lead to a bad run at some point. Please, please, please buy a ticket for the Birmingham game, we can all genuinely make a difference now. Its a difficult time financially but see it as an Xmas present to yourself. We CAN be the 12th man. COYB

Rothwell put more of a shift in last night, especially in the 2nd half. I'd like to see that level of effort when we are losing or going for a winner, tho. I'd still prefer him to drive thro the opposition midfield much much more, esp when he has Trav, and 5 defenders to cover him. He just glides past players, so rather than 3 mazy runs in a game, he could do 7 or 8. Think he needs to be 10% fitter to achieve this, tho. Really enjoyed watching him last night.

I don't agree that we have no cover for Nyambe, J R-C is a decent replacement full-back. My worry is that TM will replace RN with R-C, as he has previously tried to do. Nyambe is strong, and will only benefit from a run til the end of the season, which will also improve his crossing and shooting. We have cover everywhere, but Poveda is a big loss. Edun will benefit from a season as replacement full-back or wide midfielder, he needs to mature whilst watching and learning from his fellow 3rd Division recruit, HP. If we beat Stoke, there'll be around 20,000 against PNE, would've been more but for the increased prices. We'll hover between 6th and 10th til Easter, so can we then be brave enough to risk dropping to 15th, by deciding to go for the top 4? Don't all shout, I know the probable answer, I've watched every minute of the last 10 years, but it's nice to dream. A good, solid, quality performance, meaning no dogs or wives kicked, and we wake up happy in the morning....

This game made for Dolan. Just pray that we can convert 2 of the 3 chances he creates. Someone made a good point that this is v similar to the QPR away game. TM will bring Rothwell on, and all he needs to do is add a bit of workrate to his talent, and he'll be a match-winner.....

This is their equivalent of our Sheff Utd game Unexpectedly overwhelming a poor away side.

I suppose if this more disappointing performance continues for 90 minutes, we will be more prepared to accept changing the team to match the opposition in future. We just can't keep the ball, and are inviting pressure. This is why we are mid-table mediocrity. Edun is not good enough at the moment. Pickering back soon.

Simple. Rothwell's white flag performance against Fulham. Davenport's 90 minute performance against Sheff. Utd. Rothwell is our most creative player when he can be bothered, but Mowbray challenged him to play a more hard-working, committed, senior squad member role in the 2nd half against Fulham, and Rothwell was unable or unwilling to even try to contribute a single run or tackle in the whole 50 minutes. Talent on its own is not enough.

Boro's appointment of Chris Wilder made my heart sink. The naive, deluded part of me that still dreams we might have a chance of sneaking into 6th place realises that Boro now have a realistic chance of squeezing us out of that equation, however we perform. Just hope that it takes Wilder a few months to get the team to play his way, but I doubt it will....

As good as we were from 1 to 11 today, and it really was all 13 players contributing more or less equally, for some reason Sheff U were walking/running in concrete. Poveda's goal was a good example. They were physically and mentally unable to match us for the whole 90 min. Strange to watch, but obviously very enjoyable....

Even in the depths of introspective, emotional, desperate despair on Wednesday at around 11.30pm, I somehow wrote on here something about how we would feel different at 5pm on Saturday when we have beaten Sheff U. Even as I was writing it, it seemed surreal and unlikely, but someone had just ironically highlighted the table, showing we were still only 2 points off 6th. That's why I was so euphoric when I checked the table when I got home tonight and (ahead of the Blackpool result) we were in 6th. It unf shows that we will probably never actually finish as high as 6th as TM will unconsciously sabotage our chances with his crass inability to select the correct personnel and tactics, esp when we reach the heady heights of 7th or 8th. But that was far from my thoughts as I watched the sublime pass from trav, the perfect cross from Pov, and the perfectly positioned finish from BB. It was incendiary, inspirational, joyous, euphoric (sorry to repeat the word) and all the better because of how far we had come in 3 short/long days. This is why we keep coming back. I love this club....

Sorry....I think I agree with you on Ben...but what did you mean again....I also on the red wine?

The feeling I get from people I know going for the 1st time this season, and general hearsay, is that they have sold a good few thousand more than usual in the home ends. It will be a marked contrast to tonight's 9000, despite the on-field carnage... Does anyone have the current figures?

Don't know how I could stomach it but just watched the goals again, and Edun was allowed to be so far out of position so many times, he was at inside left or playing next to Nyabe, more than he was at left-back. Please look at their 4th goal for evidence, tho I'm basing my comments on watching him for 90 minutes, and no-one on or off the pitch (except the ref) said a word of criticism or encouragement to him throughout 90 minutes. He was allowed to roam wherever he desired, when he should have been marking the best wide player in the division. I was worried for his mental health from the 5th goal onwards, and that's why the ref had a word with him. Mowbray seemed more than happy with his performance, in terms of encouragement or motivation. This was all somewhat lost as the rest if the ineptitude distracted from the Edun debacle.

I was more highlighting what a bizarre and talentless division this is, when we can be so abject and still be challenging. No-one believes we will be anything but mid-table fodder, and although I provocatively dared to suggest we may win on Saturday (in front of 20000 screaming kids), it will take a real exercise in man-management to get us in a position to even compete....

It's ironic that when we win on Saturday, we'll be one of a number of teams being talked up as play-off contenders. Don't get me wrong, I was very disappointed TM didn't start BB more centrally, that he hung Edun out to dry, seemingly to teach him a lesson or toughen him up, when he should've taken him off at 3 nil, and that he thinks our best option at No.9 is Rankin-Costello. But still, we'll be daring to dream again on Saturday at 5pm. Funny old game.

I can and do accept that, but TM doesn't appear to have become any better at managing that situation in 20 years, and I suppose a lot on here see other managers at this level that are statistically better at not giving up a 2 goal lead. I agree, though, that Stoke fans will be waking up this morning saying exactly the same about Michael O'Neil. I'm happy to see some reasoned comment/discussion on this, though. Long may it continue....

I think that's exactly the point most of us make. He does reign us in when we are 2 nil up. It has happened every time we have had a 2 goal lead (except Cardiff), so many of us think it is because he tells the players to now 'stay solid, and don't concede' or that is his default position, and we are just not tactically or technically good enough to do this. So all we can do to ensure we win from 2 nil up, is to push on and score a 3rd. I agree it's not as simple as some on here make out, but it IS a result of Tony's defensive outlook, and causes us to lose numerous points over a season, especially when we approach 6th place. Fulham will be a very good contest. COYB

Brilliant, considered assessment. I agree with every word. Cheers.

More than ever, we need our hard-core fans to just reign-in the half-time booing. One minute you are praising the young squad, applauding Dolan etc, the next you are booing those very same players, without the 1st clue that it might dent their fragile confidence. Surely give them 10 games before you let your own depression and home life seep out in the form of booing and cat-calling of the youngest team in the division. Before you start, I'm as frustrated as anyone by Mowbray's generally negative tactics, and brainless substitutions etc etc, but I have never booed us off at half time, it's pointless and counter-productive, and many of us on here still do it. Please give it a quarter of a season before the bile is released. And if you don't agree with booing, challenge it, I do.

Please. I know we are performing way below our potential, but we are not going down. We have enough to worry about, without having to argue with relegation-merchants.... That doesn't mean I'm happy, I'm angry and frustrated at TM's impotence, but I guarantee you we will comfortably stay up.....

We were sh1t tonight, but surely we give any new signing a few games to settle in. He is a good player.

This exactly. Anyone care to remind us when we last played well for 90 minutes? We have the highest goalscorer and the player with the most assists, yet we couldn't buy more than the odd, scrappy, scrambled win. For me, it was harder to go backwards from the Deepdale performance than to go forwards and build on our good form. But go backwards into our shell we sure did, steadily and consistently backwards..... Clueless.