I have been told that Pears is out for the next two games with concussion as yet unconfirmed by the club.

Heaven help us.

14 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s very hard when you don’t bother tracking your runners or marking. You aren’t 5-0 down at home after 30 minutes if you are putting a shift in, regardless of opposition. Look at Luton for evidence of that.

(And getting spanked 5-0, 6-0, even 8-0 every home game).

Players of the ability of Saka and Martinelli can beat players in very little space and get behind with their pace and skill. Early on last night Wilder made a tactical change to double up on them but still they couldn't stop them. What really helps is the natural width they offer as they make the pitch big creating space for the likes of Odegarrard to capitalise on. City also do this really well with the quality of their wide men.

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

If Greg was your gardener you'd have to check the labels on whatever he brought back from the garden centre, dandelions being passed off as roses.

Yep and the sell by dates.

The secretary is still very much in situ. Broughton has gone to ground but is rumoured to be doing an interview around the time of the next international break. I just wonder if he will have served a notice period (assuming he is going) by then and hopefully he can go all JDT and expose Waggott and co for what they are. But if he has signed an NDA he will probably praise them all.

6 hours ago, riverholmes said:

Arsenal scored six very similar goals against Sheff Utd - they all involved cut-backs of some kind from within the penalty box. There were some variations in the finishes and the build-up play. However, it makes me wonder if we are at a point where the elite game, for all its advancements, has become formulaic, even to the point of the same style of goal being scored.

Clearly, it was very effective for Arsenal and I don't blame them for playing like this - and it's up to others to disrupt. However, it seems to make for a less interesting game - or, at least, highlights package, as I watched. I'm sure there was more variety in the build up that the highlights miss. (Incidentally, I think the broadcasters miss a trick by excluding build up play because that's what makes most goals interesting. Viaplay put out 6/7 min highlights of international and overseas games and it makes such a difference, to me, at least).

Edit: This is just an impression, based on not a lot of evidence, as I don't watch as much Prem football these days. Back in the day, I'm sure there was a lot of repetition based on what seemed to work and what was in fashion at the time. 

 

You make a very good point. With wide players as good as Saka and Martinelli it's a great tactic to employ as the both are always looking to get in behind. Several esteemed commentators have bemoaned the lack of a proper central striker at Arsenal. How many goals would one get with the chances they create?

Players get injured, I think everyone understands that but the Fleck situation is worrying. What is difficult for me to accept is that a player with a metal plate in his leg isn't considered to be too high a risk and how he passed a fitness test.

I have been told that up to this afternoon we had only sold around 1000 walk on tickets and Millwall had sold around 200. With a lot of regular season ticket holders struggling with night games tomorrow could be the lowest Ewood crowd for many a year. It will be spun as bigger than it actually is though as all season ticket holders will be included.

In this article Eustace is quoted as saying Tronstad and Hedges might be available for tomorrow.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/march/04/fleck-to-miss-the-rest-of-the-season/

40 minutes ago, roverblue said:

We havent had a new manager bounce in results but I think performance wise its showed signs of improvement over the JDT disaster. It certainly isnt Eustace fault we are knocking on relegations door.

Saying that he has to win these next two home games to demonstrate there is some hope left to get us out the mess we find ourselves in. If he fails this test then I think we are nailed on to go down given our extended form (2 wins in 17?).

In terms of next season if we are down I would just get rid and try for someone experienced in who can get the team back up. It will need some selling to a prospective manager though when all we are left with is a tiny squad of under 21s and no money to invest. Complete shambles of a club at the moment.

The Newcastle game aside I haven't seen an improvement. There have been periods in matches were we have been decent under Eustace but overall the performances have been no better than Tomassons in my view.

1 hour ago, Tom said:

Why is the onus on the fans? It’s the players job to get results - can’t be doing with this sort of thing 

If we win do fans get a win bonus?

Jesus wept. Callum Brittle and fighting mentioned in the same article.

Talk is cheap and this is something I've heard from various Rovers players over the years, usually just before a relegation. If there was a bit more fight in some of them we wouldn't be in this position right now.

What about this tradition from Darmstadt when one of their Ultras is allowed to address the team on the pitch after the match. Can you imagine some of our darlings who are afraid of a bit of booing from a few fans.

Rovers would do well to employ the services of a hypnotist. He could hypnotise the players and staff into thinking we are playing Newcastle and it's live on the BBC. The players were well motivated for that one, showed energy and desire.

I'm still struggling to correlate that performance against Newcastle with the first half at Swansea with essentially the same team. Eustace really has his work cut out for this game. Who knows which Rovers will turn up.

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Could this not be down to the number of games he has played in a short time scale. 

Maybe move Hyam into the centre and bring in O'Riordan into the right side of the back 3

What changes would you have made during the game? 

What would your team be for Tuesday game? 

The changes at half time definitely improved us. I would have brought Gilsenan before Markanday as he was our best chance of a goal coming off the bench.

It depends who is fit for Tuesday. I would start Tronstad, Ayari and maybe O'Riordan. If Rankin-Costello is fit I would start him too instead of Brittain. I would keep the three at the back despite us being much better with a flat back four in the second half.

32 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

His shambolic cameo against Newcastle where more than once he caused us massive issues.

He will chip in with an average of maybe 1 in 4, will certainly never be prolific. 

He does offer something in attack which most of the others don't, and has had quite a few good games since injury.

So for a thirty something minute performance up against Almiron you have written him off. It was a performance which many thought he did good things too.

It's a strange stance to take in my opinion.

26 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

To be fair to Gallagher, he looked done after an hour yesterday after going over on his ankle but he had it strapped up and hobbled on.

McFadzean is only 37. Give him some credit!

If Koumetio is seen as a genuine alternative then we may aswell give up now.

He isnt our worst attacker.

Hes bang average but since his return from injury, hes been easily our second best attacker. Low bar admittedly. Scored v QPR, Preston and Wrexham, few assists and some good performances in there too, notably v Stoke.

Also some shit ones including yesterday. Hes an average and inconsistent attacker at this level, getting more than his fair share of focus.

Dolan had the one good game v Stoke and has otherwise been poor for a while. Markanday has had one good cameo ever. Sigurdsson hasnt done anything for months bar shirk challenges. And the others all equally terrible.

Based on what?

Eustace has a two and a half year contract. I don't believe the idiots would want to pay him up. Anyway if we do go down it will be Tomassons fault in the eyes of the numpties

Despite a really good start to his Rovers career I have to say that yesterday McFadzean looked exactly what he is, a 38 year old centre half. Swansea exploited this and along with the dithering Hyam looked like a slow and cumbersome duo. Perhaps it's time to look at O'Riordan and Koumetio and give them an opportunity. I couldn't understand bringing Gilsenan on so late in the game. He is on fire and scoring for fun so why hold him back? Baffling. 

Eustace has some big decisions to make for Tuesday. I hope for his and Rovers sake he makes the right ones.

5 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Others may disagree but for me JDT had the makings of a fantastic manager. If they had only backed him in January 2023, I think we may well have gone up.

This season, he had his legs taken from beneath him and was left to front a club in crisis. Despite this, until injuries and the paper thin squad was exposed we were riding high in the table and playing the best football for many years. The fact that he eventually got worn down by Swag and the off field incompetence, I certainly won’t be holding against him.

He was a breath of fresh air and tried to breathe new passion, aspiration and ambition into a near dead club and a long suffering and dwindling fan base. Eventually, he may have failed but I think he gave it everything he had. For a short while it felt like we might be getting our Rovers back but as we all know, it is very difficult to beat the system / authority no matter how hard you try.

I would give that post ten likes if I could.

One really interesting aspect of this game is that the referee is Rebecca Welch. I'm certain this is the first time we have had a female referee.

8 minutes ago, StubbsUK said:

No no no ... I've just been chopping onions.

Fantastic - thanks for posting it.

Seeing that video and nights like Tuesday makes me realise just how much Rovers mean to us and are part of the fabric of our lives.

As good as Tuesday was it will count for nothing come 3 o'clock on Saturday. Their form over the last six games has yielded exactly the same as ours, six points but they have three defeats in that as opposed to our two. They have scored less and conceded more but significantly they have lost their last four home league matches. I guess the approach from Rovers will be similar to the Cardiff match where we keep the game tight and compact and frustrate the home players and crowd. A gradual opening up and changes to personnel and formation could be part of the game plan. The three at the back has worked well so far and is a system which suits our centre , and the wing backs and midfield players seem comfortable too.

Hopefully we can nick it and it's certainty within our capability to do so. 

6 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Think you'll find Wild no longer has an involvement with WEC Group and though I think Grabko still posts on this MB, it all seems to have died a death some time ago.  

I remember being at a protest meeting at either KGH or Blakeys and Daniel Grabko had flown in from Sweden to attend and spoke really well. If I remember correctly his forte was finance and he spoke about how to fund the club without those wretched owners. I wondered what happened as he just seemed to disappear. You are correct about Wayne Wild as WEC were taken over and he left the business.