We’re rather fond of the diagonal thump. We have better players than that. 

Gallagher is crap. We seem to get it in decent positions then hit it in the air to him. At which point he jumps like he’s 5”2.  

If we have any aspirations other than mid table makeweights need to be beating the likes of Luton. 

Turning into vintage Rovers. The slightest whiff of expectation on them and they bottle it. 

Another reason I find it difficult to forgive and impossible to forget is there’s a weekly reminder. A club the size of ours could easily be relegated but the reason we’ve been playing the likes of Luton over the past 7 years is down to Steve Kean and the Venkys. 

I wish I could forget him.

We celebrated his departure a lot lot more than the league one promotion that’s for sure. Think it was a Friday had no plans to go out but we decided it was a significant event to celebrate. After a few we were buying in bottles of champagne (none of us like it), came across a few random rovers fans never seen before or since who also went out to mark the occasion.

Sure we played in London the following day or the day after so went down on the crest of a wave. Can’t remember the oppo or score but didn’t win if memory serves.

Before Kean when I said I hated people in hindsight I didn’t actually know what hate was. Since Kean he’s raised the bar for the title of “hated”. 

Happy Kean out day indeed. That was the absolute worst period certainly in my 3 decades of watching rovers. Up with titles and promotion the day he left was a truly happy day.

The last time I felt optimistic about rovers chances of mounting a play off push was last season before the Brentford away game. 2-0 up 5-2 defeat and a run of 8 defeats from 10 was it.

Jekyll and Hyde rovers. To be fair seen plenty of dr Jekyll but I fear mr Hyde will put in a sustained appearance soon enough. 

Kean out day. Will take a specific set of results but would be nice to end the 7th anniversary of that joyous day in the play offs to mark the porcine, delusional, lying, lip licking, snakes departure. 

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

I've heard him on BBC TMS and Sky before he is far from dull IMO. 

have Giles spoken him before Bayliss left and that why he didn't ruffle feathers. 

England need a Head coach who can coach like Bayliss but challenge Joe Root on certain things. 

Matt, who would you appoint? A coach from County game or overseas one? 

Personally I think Jason Gillespie would be a good appointment won things at Yorkshire now rebuilding Sussex. Alec Stewart little uninspiring in a jobs for the boys kind of way but think he’d be ok to be fair. Same goes for Chris Silverwood. Mickey Arthur/Gary Kirsten would be steady away from the international circuit. Mike Hesson formerly of New Zealand would be a rogue choice.

I don’t see anyone other than someone like silverwood already in the fold as bowling coach or Stewart one of the lads. 

57 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Look like Alec Stewart is the current favourite for head coach job. alot depending whether he still wants to tour around the world and give up his role at Surrey

I watched Stewart on that cricket debate programme with Charles Colvile and Bob Wilis and I thought he was the most unbelievable dull mundane pundit ever. He offered no opinion of any kind and I though he’s either just dull or he’s angling for the job and doesn’t want to ruffle establishment feathers. 

Speaking of the ECB Ashley Giles isn’t inspiring me with much confidence. He is acting like it’s a total surprise to him he needs a new coach. He should have had one lined up ready to go.

He definitely has a chip on his shoulder about one coach for all formats after he bombed as the ODI coach blaming Andy flower for not allowing best players to play limited overs under him. Might not be the worst idea to have continuity across the board but this really should have been sorted. 

Just now, den said:

Denley - really?

never a test batsman IMO.

He hasn’t got a test contract. Rightly so. But at least he’s been playing red ball cricket. They’ve given him a white ball contract a format he’s not been playing. Makes no sense to me but sure they know what they’re doing ? 

Just now, Tom said:

Superb win, we are a funny team, really good and capable of getting results anywhere but also at the same time capable of stinkers

The way it’s going we shouldn’t be a million miles from the playoffs come May

Yeah. We could easily beat a Leeds away and then lose at home to Luton. 

3 hours ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

If they could stop their players playing for other countries as well. Every big name team has at least one Fijian in their squad.

This is true. Today alone Australia had Naisarani, kerrvi and koroibete. New Zealand had Reece all eligible to play for Fiji. Plus we have cokanasiga

Some peculiar decisions from the ECB vis a vis central contracts.

Firstly Plunkett lost his central contract for white ball. Odd decision. Very good in the middle overs and kept us in that World Cup long before Stokes and Archer to a lesser extent took all the headlines.

Then more bizarrely Denly gets a white ball contract. Him and Morgan are the same age so hardly one for the future. Currently Roy, bairstow, Root, Morgan, Stokes, buttler as the batsmen. Where do they see him fitting it. I’d be surprised if he plays white ball at all unless we have a tin pot match when others are rested and even then I’d prefer to see whether the next generation can hack it. 

Important win that. With Luton at home coming up this is the first chance we have of threatening the play offs pretty much since we came down.

Bugger. 

I reckon there’ll be some good deals to be had out of Thomas cooks impending demise. Holidays will be going at rock bottom prices. So if not particularly fussed whether go away the best case scenario is have a cheap holiday or a holiday couldn’t otherwise afford and on the worst case scenario is it’s cancelled or get stranded for a few days but you’re financially covered under the ATOL scheme.

Unfortunately I have shares in them think bought them at 29p now at 3p. ?.  Seems that after fosun bought them rbs said needed another £200,000,000 pronto which has goosed them. 

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Twenty regular fans who go every week could post their idea of what the team should be and all twenty would have it wrong every week !

Quite true. But I’d wager none are picking Evans. 

17 hours ago, Husky said:

Good news: Reading boss is unsure of Rovers' system.

Bad news: Rovers boss is unsure of Rovers' system.

1-1.

I must admit I have no idea who’s going to play in what formation these days. It’s a bit like throwing a jigsaw in the air and hoping the pieces click together.

Bennett and 10 others is the only certainty. 

If that tevita cavubati says it’s Tuesday it’s Tuesday.   

Yeah they’re absolute beasts. 

Watching France vs Argentina I'd like to think there's no too much to worry about for England with either of them. Both very sloppy, especially at the breakdown. Think they'll struggle with our big runners. 

Not sure it's necessary for the pundits to have removed their shoes in the studio. Probably not even in Japan. They’ll be in Salford somewhere.