Had an interesting conversation with Andy Holt. His opinion is the only way to really noticably increase revenue is to play more games (e.g. cup games), or increase your gates by winning games. Even then a club like Stanley is on a shoestring budget and start the season with a black hole of 300k to 500k to breakeven. Recently they have just down well enough with wins, cup games etc, but it's not a sustainable platform.

One suggestion would to be trying to utilise the preseason more, maybe by re-introduction of the Manx cup, where gates would be higher, a bit more in it for the fans (and less travel costs). What does anyone else think?

1 hour ago, Tom said:

Because it is, lad was about to tap it in and win the game before a cynical foul (I think he knew what he was doing and would have taken a red card ala Suarez v Ghana in 2010), feels right that they went on to win.

Justice!

The rule change gives the refs a cop out. I agree with you, he tackled from behind and made sure he got the man first and in doing so almost got his toe on the ball. From memory if the tackle was outside the box and still an open goal, it definitely would be a red card. 

You'll get a lot more defenders sything players down from behind if they watch the outcome of today's game.

Spain out, Russia through!

Penalties.....

Would have been a shame to concede a goal like that, but no idea why penalty not given to Spain.

8 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

It's not the fact our reserves lost to the Belgian reserves per se, Southgate was probably entitled to make some changes but a modest 3 or 4 changes at most and giving Kane an hour to keep him revved up and hopefully scoring would have probably sufficed to enable us to get the minimum point we needed, top the group, keep the momentum going, and land Japan in the last 16.

You seem to be completely incapable of grasping why I'm so hopping mad about this, for me we had every chance of reaching the quarter finals, now because of all the shenanigans and landing ourselves a far more difficult game in the last 16. I think It's far more likely than not we'll go out at that stage instead.

I accept that if we do beat Colombia convincingly  then navigate the quarter final then Southgate suddenly looks like a genius and I'd have to come on here and say it worked, but by the same token, will you come on and admit he made a catastrophic miscalculation if we get knocked out?

Ironically one of the changes I would have made he didn't. I would definitely have given the back up keeper 90 minutes or even both of them 45 mins each. We Don't want another 1970 Banks/Bonetti type situation if anything happens to Pickford.

I understand, but don't agree with you regarding the changes made, as I outlined my reasons before the Belgian game - yes Japan easier than Colombia but Colombia look beatable, and the game after vs Brazil much harder.

Given the amount of action for Pickford in the first 2 games I don't disagree with the Banks / Bonnetti thing, or in keeping him in - not too bothered either way.

I wouldn't call Southgate a genius if it works out, after all Martinez tried the same, and I think a lot of other managers would have taken the opportunity to do the same too - lots of managers rest key players the week before cup finals etc - it's a pretty unique situation to be in (last game to kick off, both teams through so don't need a result, 1 half of draw loaded, the other not). If we get beat by Colombia, then I'd look at the performances, 1 professional vs Tunisia, 1 good vs Panama, 1 friendly vs Belgium and whatever the performance is like vs Colombia - taking into account that Fleetwood Town would be a similar level to Panama IMO. At worst he's done far better than Hodgson, but I'm far from convinced he's a top manager too. 

Going into the tournament I'd have been happy to get to QF, now I'm looking at a really good opportunity to get to SF. If we do that with this squad given it's limitations, age etc, that would be very promising to me.

11 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I have to say I think you are in cloud cuckoo land.  All this talk of last eight and semis is completely deluded imo. To get that far you have to win the last 16 game and if we'd won the group last night we'd have had a very winnable game against Japan.

Instead by trying to be smart we've landed a very difficult tie against Colombia which I Don't expect us to win and I expect us to be coming home Tuesday night. 

We only needed a point to top the group and ensure Japan ffs. We couldn't even manage that against Belgium's reserve side who weren't particularly going for it themselves but who were still far too good for us on the night.

If we do get knocked out Tuesday night I hope Southgate is sacked immediately upon his return. It's bad enough getting knocked out trying your best let alone being eliminated trying to be clever  and falsely manipulate your route through the competition.

Id say the one in cloud cuckoo land is the guy who thinks we have a very difficult tie, but wants the manager sacking if we lose it.

Last night's game means zilch now, as for momentum, losing may well do more good as the team get a bit of realism and realise they need to up their game - a bit like those idiots who thought beating Panama 6-1 was some kind of indication that we are going to win the world cup, but now our reserves narrowly lost to Belgium reserves in a friendly its the end of the world.

1 hour ago, AdamRochina said:

Columbia will batter us.. Panama got through our defense a few times .. if James plays we will get smashed 

The feeling I have, is that for the next 2 rounds, if we play well, we will progress and if we don't play well, we still may advance because the opposition isnt that great. Colombia are decent going forward, but erratic, aging, and give you chances to score. I.e. beatable.

Get to the semis and anything can happen, but it's likely to be Spain / Croatia or possibly Russia (home nation advantage only). At that stage, we will need to play very well to progress, and in Spain's case them to be poor too.

If we get to semis, absolutely nothing to lose, exceeded expectations. 

7 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I genuinely don't think he is. Expectations are low, he's got a poor selection of players. As long as we aren't embarrassed he'll get another two years easy.

The FA have done the merry go round of managers. From their perspective it's better just to stick with what they have. There's no indication spending she'd loads on a fancy manager (plus the payoffs when you sack them) actually helps you win anything .

It's also one of the youngest squads at the finals, and 2 weeks ago no one was talking about anything other than getting out of the group.

Time to stop the negativity and look where we are - we now have an unbelievable opportunity to play Colombia, Switzerland or Denmark to get to a world cup semi-final.

The odds of us winning have gone up dramatically after losing tonight.

Pickford worries me, his distribution is excellent, almost Robbo standard, but his shot stopping isn't great and he has a habit of pushing the ball straight out towards the penalty spot.

Colombia will be a decent test, but look vulnerable at the back. 

That'll do nicely. Well done lads.

Like a training session this game. Rose, Dier and Rashford only ones with any credit.

Worrying that Stones got a knock, he's been key defender (and set piece attacker)

Just now, Husky said:

Jesus! Rashford or Sterling . . .or Chris Brown? None of them can finish.

Jesus better in nets, good at saving...

Just now, Tom said:

Red card is 4 points, a booking is 1 

How about 2 yellows leading to a red?

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

There's varying degrees of bending the rules slightly and outright cheating.

I Wouldn't particularly be too keen if we won the World Cup with a blatant dive in the last minute whereas someone feeling slight contact in the area and going down might be tolerable.

It would stick out like a sore thumb if we started gratuitously kicking the ball away in the last few minutes for absolutely no reason.

I suppose you were perfectly happy when Maradona punched the ball into the net in 1986 then?.

I was upset 're Maradona, however I'm not sure that he got quite the same reaction in Argentina?

Exactly, there's variations/ bending the rules, that's all I'm advocating.

18 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Never read  anything as ridiculous. Where's the satisfaction in winning by cheating?

There isn't any.

You've never celebrated winning a game by a dubious penalty? Rubbish. You've never laughed at the Tugay time-wasting sustitution? 

The result vs Belgium won't tar us with winning the world cup by cheating in any way, shape, or form.

Just now, islander200 said:

England make 8 changes

Yep, looks like Southgate is happy to finish second to me.

14 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

So what do you suggest if we look like We're in danger of drawing and finishing top  then? Instruct the team to start kicking lumps out of the opposition?

I understand the need to make a few changes to give one or two players a game but all this talk in the media today of it being maybe advantageous to finish second to go into the easier half of the draw is complete nonsense imo.

If we lose then it will be a real momentum and confidence killer no matter which combination of players are put out. If we win the camp will be absolutely bouncing after topping the group with three wins out of three.

For me, play your normal game and just beat whoever is put in front of you.

Sure, if it 0-0 5 mins to go, then as i think the bookings are discarded after the group stage, I see no harm in trying to subtlety manipulating the outcome, by kicking the ball away a couple of times.

Incidentally, the best way to sort this is not to have a pre-agreed draw, but allow those finishing top to pick which tie they want in the second round. The teams will probably even themselves out then. 

31 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

We have to play to win. We need to build a head of steam, and I could see anyone knocking us out, so I wouldn't get too clever in trying to pick which half of the draw we are in.

You don't need to be 'clever', - as the last game to kick off, and at zero risk of elimination, we are in the perfect position to choose, because of the last 2 performances.

If Belgium are already talking about resting half their team, why wouldn't we follow the same logic?  How much credit / impetus can you take from winning the game if the Belgians are happy for second place anyway?

The only thing resting on tomorrow's game is if we finish top or second. An opportunity to give tired players, those with knocks, those on a booking a game off, and some who haven't had a game a run out.

The competition is about who's there at the end, and winning the thing. No one will care if we avoid the tough half of the draw, and in just a couple of years no-one will even remember. League cup for example -Spurs routed Chelsea in a pulsating derby, there first win over them in years at the time, we played a poor Sheff Weds team from the league below, and just edged it. Who cares, we won the final.

We could even draw, and still finish second if we pick up 2 more yellows than them.  

France, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, Brazil and possibly Colombia versus Russia, Spain, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan. Is very possible (and we kick off last of all the group's, so we'll know for certain). 

Understand the you have to beat the best  to win it argument, but one poor game against the first lot and we're home, poor game versus some in the second half (bar Spain), and you could still progress.

Let the other side of the draw knock each other out, pick up suspensions etc. 

If it was Rovers in the FA Cup would you sooner beat United, City and Spurs and get to the quarter final, or play Barnsley, Oxford, Brentford, Luton etc and beat Southampton in the final?

Just now, Tom said:

You always go out to win but it does look like the runners up in our group will get the rub, the right hand side of this looks a much easier path than the left 

Potentially the next 2 rounds could be Japan and then the winner of Sweden v Switzerland, you couldn’t ask for a kinder path to the semi final 

Belgians looking at resting Lukaku and Hazard. 

Also assuming Brazil top their group, we have to lose to Belgium, it's a much easier route to the semi-finals.

Haven't seen the first Korean goal, but on radio they said without VAR wouldn't be given?

And then we all know the Germans would have nicked one.

So maybe it's actually going to work?

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

Isn't that the beauty of football John? I didn't think Ronaldo was guilty of violent conduct, I saw it as more of a flailing arm as he tried to get past the Iranian who was doing his best to block him. The handball isn't really open to debate and you have to seriously question the referee and VAR as to why they thought that was a deliberate act.

For me VAR nothing to do with the Ronaldo incident. If the ref watches the incident and thinks it's deliberate, then it's red, if he doesn't then it's no card. IMO he wasn't sure, so went for a half-way house of yellow which it clearly wasnt. Again the handball incident isn't VARs fault, the ref should have looked once, then made the correct decision. Personally I have no issue reviewing that type of decision, especially in the last few mins of a game.

Still have no idea how Spain topped that group, they where poor in every game.

On 20/06/2018 at 10:41, Clitherover said:

I'd like to see a better attempt at the red and black halves away shirt we had in the 2000's.

 

It could have been a really nice looking shirt bar the diamond patterns and the ugly bet 24 logo plastered on the front.

Best away kit we've ever had. Best selling by a mile too I believe.

A variation in colours on this halve template is what we need, the halves is something pretty unique as a kit template, and it should be utilised so that when someone sees a halved kit of any colour, they think is that a Rovers kit?

I'd like a silver and black halved away kit. Like this https://goo.gl/images/p628pi