Devon Rover

Honestly, what's the point? Total shambles. Those substitutions. I think that's what have left me despondent about the season, tonight. What a horrible state of affairs.

Dreadful, insipid performance at home. Again. Not helped by a terrible trio of substitutions that would only ever impact the game in one way. No wonder hardly anyone is turning up at Ewood anymore. Horrible stuff.

9 hours ago, AspRover said:

If transfermarkt is anything to go by there's slim pickings.

Rui Patricio ex of wolves and Portugal is 37 and has settled status for a work permit

Fraser Forster likewise 37, there's a keeper who's been on the books at spurs and middlesbrough called Glover, 27 and no senior appearances to speak of. Thomas Vaclik, 36, Czech international spent some time at Huddersfield would get a permit.

Stankovic, 33, 4 caps for Austria last club AEK Athens, calculator recons work permit goes to a tribunal.

None of them really inspire confidence.

 

Interesting shouts. They might not inspire confidence but, for me, much more than Pears does. I doubt we will see anyone come in and, like others have said, we have just got to hope he grabs what is likely a last chance for him to be a first team goalkeeper at this level before his career is fully consigned to bench warming and training games.

2 hours ago, philipl said:

Bristol City supporter friend has texted me that they have a completely makeshift defense and midfield because of injuries and hoping we have no pace in our team.

Having seen their line up, and watched a bit of City, they definitely have a patched up defence and midfield that can be got at. But they still have good quality in goal, central defence captain, and front three. Their danger man is often McCrorie (their Alebiosu) and Randell in central midfield has the ability to run the game if we dont nullify him.

City fans around me seem confident. But I think we've got a chance here. Might come down to how much Rovers fancy it.

1 hour ago, 47er said:

Do we ever beat Bristol City away? I remember Kean's team doing it in our first season after relegation from the Premier League.

Some crazy score as I recall. 5-3 was it?

Actually I manned up and googled it. We've played them 10 times at Ashton Gate and won 3, lost 5.

That was actually a great day. I went to Ashton Gate for that one, and a few defeats since. I'll be there tomorrow but in a home fans section. Trying to rehearse my poker face for if Rovers score. Unsure if this is a skill I will actually require...!

A strong performance, that, leading to an unfamiliar feeling of winning fairly comfortably - and on Sky, too. Several things looking up, well played, Rovers.

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

Blackburn manager Valerien Ismael expects Moussa Baradji to make his debut after the next international break in November.

 

Note that he doesn't state just how much "after" the November break, so that statement covers any date until the end of the season 😉 

Until the end of time, in fact. And I'm still dubious!

I'm now based in Somerset. I get to 4 or 5 Rovers games a year. For convenience and, to be honest, increasingly due to disassociation with what Rovers has become, I attend a few Exeter City and Bristol City home games each year. Neither feels anything like the same as watching and supporting Rovers. The Bristol City games in particularly make me feel like I'm cheating on a lover!! I'll never feel the same emotion at any other club I watch but, to be honest, the less and less that Rovers feels like "my" club, the less that extra buzz really matters. Its sad but I feel like I'm fighting, with diminishing success, the loss of love for something that used to matter so much to me. One day, I suspect that politely clapping a local team that I don't love as much but who's ownership doesn't treat me, as a supporter, like an idiot will be enough for me to just stop going to Rovers, altogether and to simply listen out in hope for news of ownership change, but little more in the meantime.

I can't see a win, either. Here or for the foreseeable future. But i also can't see any toxic reaction coming. The time for that is several years past, with little if any impact from those sporadic occasions during Venkys time here. I think most fans have given up fighting/wasting effort/money/hoping. I had planned to travel up for this one but I simply dont see the point in terms of the game, the 'product', or the ability of the fanbase to influence the future of the club. Negative, i know, but what at the Rovers is leading towards anything different? 3-1 to Saints and Rovers propping up the league. Ismael praises the performance.

17 minutes ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

It’s just maddening that the majority of the fanbase called this in the summer and as usual weren’t listened to and totally patronised by gestede and co saying no these players will excite and it’s the start of a new dawn. 
We have signed one decent player at right back and a steady central defender but then sold our other steady central defender. Absolute car crash of a window , these players aren’t and never will be good enough , that much is clear 

Get behind the lads ffs. They just need a goal. Some time to settle in. We are in transition. Buy into the project. Write the next chapter. 

Unfortunately it is evident to anyone with eyes and not wearing blue and white tinted specs that this team, despite having some endeavour, is woefully short of ability, experience and confidence for even lower championship level. The manager is a disaster and the transfer window has basically set us up for a relegation "fight", at best. How any genuine Rovers fan can still defend the absolute clusterfuck of a club ownership, exec and management is utterly beyond me. But I'm running low on emotional energy to give to it. Which I guess is part of the plan of that ownership and what seems to be an exec strategy of dumbing down, cutting costs, and lowering expectations. Why would any of us fans/supporters bother anymore if that is the aim? There are other clubs to give money, time and thought to, as painful as that is to write and think.

The formation change is probably appropriate in the circumstances as we'd very likely be thrashed with our usual formation and approach. But with the personnel, and no Cantwell to create anything, I really dont see it making a huge amount of difference. It's so bleak tuning in for what is most likely a routine defeat against Coventry bloody city. Getting ready to hide behind the sofa...

13 minutes ago, ... said:

It'll be on. It's not dropped near enough rain as it did the other week. The wind will help

Starting to come down heavily now, though. Enough hours of heavy rain ahead to waterlog the pitch. I'm still expecting a late call off, not least because officials, club etc will be desperate to avoid the embarrassment of another mid game abandonment.

10 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I would like to think that Rovers have a plan in place for an early pitch I inspection and have been liaising with the match referee. Given the early kick off the referee should be staying locally and for a 12.30 kick off would normally arrive around 10 am. He will do a preliminary inspection, look at an up to date forecast and speak to the ground staff.

With Stoke supporters leaving between 10-11 am I would hope this is factored in along with the other criteria.

I would say it really is touch and go right now but the referee needs to be decisive.

Would all make sense. We made the journey up last night. Would love to have a Rovers game to watch before we drive back to the south west - whatever the result.

Really frustrating, this. Some weeks ago I bought a couple of tickets to take my eight-year-old to his first game in a year. We are setting off on the 240 mile drive in a few hours, got a hotel booked, to watch the game tomorrow then drive 240 miles back. I can't not go as he will be devastated - especially if the game goes ahead. But there is clearly a likelihood that I'll have to manage the huge disappointment of getting all the way there just to wake up and have it called off. Really not sure what to do. But how ridiculous is it that we are probably the only set of fans thinking like this and fully anticipating our stadium not being fit to hold a full match, again.

I think I'll be risking it, as my son has been so excited for seeing Rovers again, despite my 'expectation management'!!

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

               Toth

Alebiosu Miller Wharton Ribeiro 

               Tronstad TGH

Morishita  Cantwell  Hedges

                   Ohashi

Rovers 2-1  

There is a time for holding your nerve and sticking with something in the belief things will turn around. Then there is a time for making things change by trying something different. For me, we are in the second of those. The tactical approach this season isnt working. I would try something different to take control of a significant slump. That's an important part of a managers job and I think he needs to take meaningful action, now. But I agree that the team and formation above is probably what he will stick with again. 2-0 Stoke.

This is not intended to be negative, especially as I think those statements are very good. But what is the intended audience and influence for them? Until Glen kindly posted them above, I hadn't seen them. That's probably because I'm not a group member. But I would imagine it isn't group members who need to receive and read the statements but those of us outside them, and the media, if they are to have any effect. Have I missed those anywhere, in which case ignore me?!

3 minutes ago, Devon Rover said:

This might have been covered already but, genuine question, what is the "danger" to players in playing out the last 10 minutes of a match 16,000 people have paid to attend, on a pitch where the ball won't bounce or roll?

My 16-year-old plays football matches each Sunday on pitches that undulate and contain random holes. Occasionally the pitch, which has no designed drainage, becomes waterlogged during a game. Is that any more or less dangerous? Because they play to the end unless there is lightning. 

I'm a bit confused by the referenced to danger.

I should add: I don't think the decision to stop the game was wrong and it isn't the main issue in the grand scheme of things. Im just not sure a justification for it based on danger is necessarily helpful or appropriate. But I've asked the question because I may be misunderstanding. 

15 minutes ago, damo100 said:

Inability way I'm happy this pitch/drainage debacle occurred again yesterday.  

It was only a matter of time before this happened. 

The club (Venkys, Pasha) have known the drainage at Ewood has needed repair work for years, but as per unwilling to foot the bill.

The drainage system hasn't been addressed since the Redevelopment over 30 years ago.

This will undoubtedly lead to more national criticism in how our club has been mismanaged under their ownership.

 

It should, but it won't.

This might have been covered already but, genuine question, what is the "danger" to players in playing out the last 10 minutes of a match 16,000 people have paid to attend, on a pitch where the ball won't bounce or roll?

My 16-year-old plays football matches each Sunday on pitches that undulate and contain random holes. Occasionally the pitch, which has no designed drainage, becomes waterlogged during a game. Is that any more or less dangerous? Because they play to the end unless there is lightning. 

I'm a bit confused by the references to danger.

1 minute ago, benhben said:

Ive watched Gueye live enough times now to know hes truly awful. Its clear he'll never be any good at championship level. 

The only way I see him being effective is if the team was set up for him to minimise him having the ball at his feet. Direct style of play and Two wingers putting crosses in towards his head. Thats not gonna happen though. 

I'd rather sell for a fee and get cover in on loan. 

Agreed on ability and style of team that he'd need.

In terms of selling or loaning him - I don't really care, to be honest. Either way, we aren't going to use the sale money and/or wage saving to invest in the team. The money we have received from other sales in the transfer window (and previously) primarily subsidises and mitigates Venkys' losses and inability (unwillingness) to invest. In my mind, the more money we bring in through player sales, the longer Venkys can drag out the destruction of Blackburn Rovers. 

If we have to get rid of Gueye for financial reasons then, on balance and outside of the window, I'd favour loaning him out and hoping he finds a semblance of form that enables him to contribute something more to our team on his return. Because we aren't likely to replace him with anything much better.

3 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

I think tomorrow is going to be (yet another) occasion where there isn’t time for the case to be heard. 

It is listed as case number 111 and the 24th which is a ‘supplemental matter’.

Supplemental matters are taken up when the court returns after lunch at 14:30 and the court finishes at 16:30 (Delhi time).

I think the word we’re all looking for is farcical.

That's definitely one word. I was thinking of the words "the lazy part-time bastards".

2 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Never underestimate the amount of personal turmoil that this would load onto an individual. It's a load of grief to have your motives questioned & your morals/ethics dragged over the coals. 

It sounds great in principle...whistle blow, expose the club...but in practice it's incredibly time-consuming, expensive & emotionally draining. 

Totally agree. It is easy for any of us to comment on what departed staff should do but, having been in a similar position before, it can impact on your self-confidence, health, and anxiety levels about future career opportunities (if you have years ahead still to work). In my situation, I became nervous, withdrawn, and just desperately keen to find a way to move on. Blowing a whistle, or engaging a lawyer, were the last things I, or my family needed me to do. For others, it might be exactly what is needed to move on, but I think it's important not to judge what someone should or shouldn't do - even if it seems like the logical/ required thing. The greater good doesn't always come into it when it is family, health and mortgage payments on the line.

This is all desperately sad stuff, though, for all except those very senior at our club, Whilst they are here, it isn't my club.

3 hours ago, J*B said:

My officially unofficial "good enough or not good enough" ratings below, based on what I've seen over the last 12 months:

Good Enough

Toth

Alebiosu

Hyam

Mclouglin

Pickering

Tronny

Cantwell

Ohashi

Unknown

Michalski

Miller

Carter

Wharton

Tavares

Baradji

Henriksson

Tyjon

Miro

Not Good Enough

Montgomery

De Neve

Forshaw

Hedges

Kargbo

Gueye

I might have missed it but, "good enough" for what? Avoiding relegation, pootling around middle table, or pushing for playoffs/promotion? The lists of players considered good enough, or not, would, I assume, change based on the aspirations.

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

What would a 1 or 2 out of 10 require the players to do?

On field Balaji BJ.