We are still deep in icky stick.

But I think some of the negatives are over done.

I will reiterate we are in the lap of the injury Gods. We shouldn't be but we are..

When I saw Leo starting my immediate reaction was Millwall shit houses were the last team I wanted to be facing but the reality they were neutralised for 90 minutes from putting Leo through the wringer. My guess is that protection contributed a lot to the perceived lack of urgency. There was a clear "don't lose the ball" instruction in operation after the Swansea debacle and we were good enough to reprise JDT ball and near 70% possession.

Leo was rolling it out far more than Pears has been doing.

People arguing there aren't at least two squads weaker than Rovers in the 11 clubs immediately above Rotherham haven't been taking much notice.

The game completely validated the point I made in the relegation thread.

Our fate depends on Szmodics keeping fit and getting the injured players back and keeping fit. JRC and Carter in particular will bring qualities we were sadly lacking last night.

Thankfully Pears being out didn't cost us last night although Pears would probably have stood up when facing that Millwall goal shot.

That Millwall side were certainly no better than us and in the dog eat dog world of 2 going down out of 11 in danger (I am calling being within 6 points of a relegation place as in danger given the way both the previous 22nd and 23rd teams have put back to back wins together as had Millwall) there are definitely at least 2 of those 11 with clearly worse squads than Rovers. 

2 from 11 to go down.

Szmodics Rovers

A fully fit Rovers squad should win this with a bit to spare. 

Injuries make this very even on paper so this becomes a Eustace v Harris head to head. Which coach has the better tactical nous and motivation skills.

Eustace starts with a disadvantage with that accent which would deflate a helium balloon.

25 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Someone posted a topic like this around the same time last season when there was genuine hope of a playoff spot. Fast forward 12 months and Rovers have 11 games left to pick up enough points to stay up. 

Here are my predictions;

Millwall (H) - draw

Plymouth (H) - win

Boro (A) - loss

Ipswich (H) - draw

Sunderland (A) - loss

Southampton (H) - loss

Bristol City (A) - loss

Leeds (A) - loss

Sheff Wed (H) - draw

Coventry (H) - win

Leicester (A) - loss

I have 9 more points. Will that be enough? 

no

No prospect of injured players returning this side of the break so we are going to have to wee with the willy we've got.

If only we had the fight and character of Souness' time at Rovers.

Huge test of character tomorrow night.

If we have a fair run in with recoveries and no/few new injuries we will be fine unless Eustace is totally useless.

If Szmodics and Pears get injured or suffer catastrophic loss of form and confidence, Eustace will have to be a miracle worker to keep us up.

3 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I would rather watch Garrett, a Rover, have a stinker than someone else's player doing the same.

Garrett at least tries, which is more that Moran often does.

When Garrett has a poor game, he is simply ineffective.

When Moran has a poor game he is a 90 minutes liability or 45 minutes as we saw at Swansea.

Millwall under Harris are physically intimidating and will target Moran. At least Garrett will send them home with bruised shins and egos.

Huge test for John Eustace's powers of management.

Ordinarily we would expect a routine win but these are not ordinary times.

Eustace has to earn his pay tomorrow night big time.

And good luck!

If the dingles win every game from now in, they will get to 40 points.

The only question left is whether we will make it double M65 misery...

It is an absolute must not lose. Thankfully not quite yet at must win although getting one win and two draws at least from the next three games is utterly essential.

No our squad is not "shit".

We would be fine with JRC, Hedges, Tronstad, Garrett, Barnes, Fleck and Leonard back in contention on Tuesday.

But they aren't and we have a bit of a headache not least after the non-performances of Moran and Gallagher amongst others yesterday plus the return of the Pears flap...

I would be looking at O'Riordan affording McFadzean a rest and either Ayari or Markanday in place of Dolan. We don't have an alternative to Gallagher who must be due the random bit of a good performance sometime soon.

But above all, we need either Tronstad or Garrett back alongside Buckley.  If they are not, Chrisene pushed into central midfield? 

4 minutes ago, Roverthechimp said:

Nice job but giving us 3 points vs Rotherham may be a tad optimistic 🫢🫣

We have already played Rotherham twice- two 2-2 draws. 

The 3 point Rotherham bonus went to each of Bristol City, Swansea, Plymouth, Millwall and Huddersfield. 

For the hell of it, I have taken the last 5 games form, extrapolated and added a bonus 3 points for each team with a Rotherham game yet to play. 

Here is 10th downwards (and it is down)

Swansea 63pts

Cardiff 61

Birmingham 60

Bristol City 59

Sheffield Wednesday 59

QPR 58

Huddersfield 55

Millwall 54

Sunderland 53

Plymouth 51

Watford 50

Middlesbrough 50

Stoke 50 Down on goal difference

Rovers 45

Rotherham 19

Much as Dolan has improved, Markanday makes better decisions and I would start him in preference to Dolan.

Worth pointing out the injury situation which is suddenly as bad again as it was before Christmas.

So very difficult to judge Eustace especially when there were spectacularly abysmal individual performances today no coach cancelled prepare for 

Moran cost us that game.

Little else to say.

My gut feel- and that is all it is.

Everton and Forest will both get 6 points deductions before 4 April. Chelsea probably 12 points and City will finally be decided next season with a relegation enforced in 25/26 after appeal.

It will give Luton a fighting chance to stay up but they won't. 

Dingles and Sheffield United would still go down if they give every other club in the League a 10 points deduction.

After the Lord Mayor's Show?

Will John Eustace be proven a genius giving his two complete midfields 60 minutes each against Newcastle affirming and inspiring them or will all the players be totally drained physically or emotionally?

This is not quite a must not lose but it is an opportunity to move sharpish towards the 50 points total. We don't want to be regretting a rubbish loss when the following results come in:

Millwall v Watford

Rotherham v Sheffield Wednesday

Stoke v Middlesbrough

Brum and Plymouth are entertaining Southampton and Ipswich while QPR go to Leicester- stranger things have happened than those three strugglers winning..

So fingers crossed for a second South Wales clean sheet. A more inspired performance than Cardiff would be a greatly appreciated bonus. Swansea are a bit of a nothing team but they can be dangerous and produce the goods as we know all too well from their visit to Ewood in October. Timely revenge required.

4 hours ago, damo100 said:

The attendance for the Newcastle game of 22,730 just doesn't add up.

Approx in each stand including corporate. 

JW - 9.5k

BBE - 4.8K

RS - 2.5K

DE - 7.5K

Total = 24.3k

Look at it another way 

Capacity of Ewood is 31,367

take 22,730 you're left with 

8,637 empty seats.

BBE upper - 2,900

RS - 2K

DE - 400

JW - 500

Total 5,800 empty seats

If all were sold that's a sold out stadium of 27,530?

Were have the missing 3k seats gone?

 

Watching it on TV, there were plenty of empty seats in the Walkersteel and Jack Walker stands.  

The SPL is rubbish but so is much of the Championship. If Vale is turned into a goal scoring machine in Scotland's top league then it is not impossible he cannot bring that prowess south next season.

14 minutes ago, Polky said:

Manchester City away for Newcastle in the next round. Best of luck 😂

Newcastle have all the luck of the draw they deserved after last night.

4 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Boro?! They have 44 points already. 13 games to get six points (if it even gets to 50 to survive).

Don’t think they need to be planning their trip to Lincoln just yet.

I did put them in brackets but extrapolating current form they will finish on 52 points sandwiched between QPR and Wednesday.

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He’s a class act but he looked ordinary last night.

We made him look ordinary. Ditto Guimares and Gordon for most of the 120 minutes.