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Post by bluestone on Sept 3, 2017 9:31:47 GMT
"I can't see how you can say this as we were not far off the play offs last season with almost exactly the same players" And there bluestone you have answered your question. To make that step up from where we finished last season we needed to IMPROVE the squad and also the tactics as in the second half of the season it was only our home record that kept us as high as we finished. Our away record was embarrassing and we don't appear to have learnt much. I am sure if you look at teams who finish top 6 they kept the majority of the same players week in week out barring injury. Our tactics have become predictable and were totally shown up yesterday. Full backs charging forward rather than marking their players when you have two rookie centre halves- sorry but it was schoolboy stuff. You may ask why I do not have total faith in a Manager who has achieved so much in a short time and the reason is I did not have faith in his ability to bring in so many new players based on the fact that too many of his signings he doesn't seem to have faith in himself as far too many have failed to establish them selves in the team due to constant changing. surely new signings should be better than what we have and therefore replace them? I agree it could be down to his hands being tied in signings he makes but who knows? See my second post above, too early to call it this way IMO. Lets give DC & the boys some more time, we're only one month in.
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Post by bluestone on Sept 3, 2017 9:27:00 GMT
I listened to the match on the radio and we sounded weak and tepid exactly as DC called it afterwards. It was not up to the standard we are capable of but think it is too early to be writing the team off for a top 6 finish and rubbishing all our new and all our old players for the season ahead.
The positive is that just like post Peterborough DC clearly knows where the issues with that performance lie and he will get to work on them on the training pitch over the next week. We've had disappointing games before and bounced back having learnt our lessons...we will do the same again I have no doubt.
For me it was just another bad day at the office which I put down to:
Bradford are one of the strongest sides in the league We were missing key defensive players - Lockyer / Sweeney / Sincs I think DC did make some mistakes with team selection - should have played Telford & Parts IMO We were away from home - always more of a challenge to get a win isn't it? Players probably paid too much respect to the opposition
So there we go, another bad day at the office. Yes we've had them before in previous seasons and already in this one. It won't be last either. Lets not over react though as it's still early days, the new squad are still bedding themselves in.
In our first few fixtures we have already come up against quite a few of the strongest in the division, we need to stay level headed and not go into complete meltdown whenever we have a bad day at the office.
UTG!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 3, 2017 9:00:08 GMT
Agree peterhooper57 and why I put the thread up on being disappointed at the transfer dealings. I would say at this time that only Sercombe has really improved the team but the skill here will be getting the mix right in midfield. The lack of "completing" the three or possibly four players needed restricts the formation DC can now play and his lack of signing pace means we are playing a very slow build up game which allows teams to attack us but also to get back before we attack them. There are so many players I would question whether they are good enough to finish above a top 10 position - Leadbitter, James Clarke, Ollie Clarke, Moore, Broadbent, Burn, Gaffney, Partington, Harrison,Brown, Nicholls, Broom. DC is an exciting young Manager with good coaching ability but I would still question his ability in making signings. The big plus is that he seems to get it right in the end but I do worry that his constant changes stops us from getting players consistent in their performance. Only time will tell and it is very early days and I still hope that we will be able to improve on last seasons position even if it is only a slight improvement. What is clear is that at the present time we just can't cope with the best teams in this division who I doubt will make many changes from one week to the next. Darrell your constant changing may see us win more than we lose but I am sure if you look at the top seven sides in the division at the season end they will be filled by teams who barring injuries make very few changes from week to week. IMO we have too many rank average players to finish top six and the signings are well short of most peoples expectations. I very much hope that I am eating huge slices of humble pie come the end of the season. I can't see how you can say this as we were not far off the play offs last season with almost exactly the same players
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 12:51:04 GMT
DC has to go for it now. Telford on please!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 12:49:38 GMT
Ffs!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 12:48:49 GMT
C'mon gas, real opportunity to get at least a point out of this now. Nick a goal and pile the pressure on!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 12:38:48 GMT
Burn has a dead leg, get him off and get Rollin on asap!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 12:31:45 GMT
get parts, gaffers and Telford in for Moore, leads and lines IMO - go 442 DC should make a max of 2 subs at half time IMO, he needs to keep 1 in his pocket for later and just in case we pick up an injury or else we'll be down to 10!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 12:20:02 GMT
Bola on for Moore....please. Prefer to see Telford on for Moore myself
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Post by bluestone on Sept 2, 2017 7:38:59 GMT
I think you are a bit easily amazed. We are not Exeter with 3/4,000 gates after all. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the summer acquisitions. Sweeney coming back expected, Lumley not - wonder what happened there - is he still at QPR ? 2 new keepers - good that they're ours but we shall see by Jan if they're up to it. Sercombe, Nichols and Bola very good signings. But yeah that attacking left side is a weak area. Plus I would like to have seen stronger competition for Lockyer's position. If people are surprised about this - look how many we conceded last year and 8 so far in 4 games. Not singling out Locks here, but we need to improve as a backline and keeper. Hopefully, the evolution will get us and keep us in the top 6 soon. No we are not Exeter. We are Bristol Rovers, a football club of perennial under achievement considering Bristol is 6th largest city in the England (give or take a place). We feed on morsels of success and, because we love our club so much, it sustains us. We brush off being beaten by Chesham, because we savour the trip to Stamford bridge. Exeter are a far smaller city with a far smaller fan base. Only 3 seasons ago we were in the conference and we had the very real threat of being wound up. So if you think I am easily amazed I think you have a very short memory and an over active imagination - why was Sweeney 'expected', he was not expected he was hoped! Lumley - he was great for us. You wonder what happened I guess it could be; a) we did not go for him b) QPR did not want to release him. c) we made an offer and it was refused. d) he did not want to come back. e) he is confident in his ability to break into QPR's first team squad this season. f) he thinks his current side might be promoted to the premiership and he is better staying put. The fact is that he was not our player and he is not our player. We did not sign him but we signed two others and a young foreign keeper. I would imagine you have no idea of whom DC might have been pursuing and he may well have been going hell for leather for someone down the left side but failed to get them. I happen to know that the early part of the summer DC was more engaged in keeping his players than finding new ones - fact. How do I know - personal phone conversation with DC. Tom Lockyer, who you thankfully don't blame for conceding goals, is a very good young player with 200+ games under his belt and in the full welsh squad. We have kept him, yes kept him - that is fantastic because he was one of the players of much interest. It is great to hear what you would have liked to have seen happen, I should have liked to have seen lots of possibilities but that is the same every year. What I actually said was a reflection on the fact that we have come a very long way in a very short space of time and we are now keeping players rather than selling them. My amazement is that there are so many fans, of which you are typical, who toss away reality. What you have put in your post is what you would have liked. I love Bristol Rovers, it is a very important thing in my life and it defines part of who I am. The last few years after the heart break of going into the conference have been amazing and we are evolving. I am totally thrilled with our progress and I long for steady and stealthy progress, not attracting to much attention - just rising year by year. You may be surprised at my response to your relatively glib post, I have nothing against you and do not mean to offend. I simply think when you start with 'you are easily amazed' it deserves a response because I am not easily amazed and what we are achieving under a great new owners and fresh young management deserves more than hearing what, in your opinion, they failed at. Bravo! Almost Churchillian that speech. Feel like our backs are against the wall and we're about to go over the top. Charge!!!! (To the championship) UTG!
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England
Sept 1, 2017 20:36:03 GMT
via mobile
Post by bluestone on Sept 1, 2017 20:36:03 GMT
Whenever I watch England play I can't help thinking bloody hell this is boring! I wish I was watching the gas instead! I think when Rovers are on TV you want a good performance for obvious reasons but you also know a good few people around the country are watching so want the boys to do us proud even more. The only guarantee is the travelling gas will do us all proud. At least most of the time we try to play an exciting entertaining and attacking style of football. England on the other hand just frustrate me so much, IMO they play unimaginative football and are too safe and timid going forward, I know they win games but it's just not entertaining is it? Weird really as individually our players are capable of much more when they play week in week out in the premier league but when they come together for England it just turns into dross!
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Post by bluestone on Sept 1, 2017 20:13:43 GMT
Whenever I watch England play I can't help thinking bloody hell this is boring! I wish I was watching the gas instead!
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Post by bluestone on Aug 31, 2017 22:00:00 GMT
Phew! Billy stays with the gas.😁
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Post by bluestone on Aug 31, 2017 21:36:11 GMT
Shall we just remind ourselves of some of DC's quotes today:
"I missed out on one or two [players] earlier in the week but I'm not one of those who panics.
"I want to bring in players who add value, I'm disappointed to miss out but that's football.
"Nothing that's really come up has taken my fancy that's not going to cost an awful lot of money to bring in, so we'll bide our time."
"There are a lot of clubs panic buying but I like to be a bit more structured than that, a bit more organised if I'm honest,"
"The way I'm looking at it, I'm still trying to bed in eight new players this summer, some teams have signed 20 players in our division," said the Rovers boss.
"I can't emphasis how much of being a coach is working on the training ground. Whatever business you do you've go to put the player into an environment where they fit into the way you play.
"It's a bit crazy really when you see the amount of deals done."
Seems to me DC is happy enough with the business he had done this window.
Keep calm and carry on trusting DC I say!
UTG!
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Post by bluestone on Aug 31, 2017 19:13:55 GMT
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Post by bluestone on Aug 31, 2017 18:23:11 GMT
Bit dramatic me thinks. We've made some good signings this summer IMO.
We need to give them a chance to gel and from recent results this appears to be happening.
Really impressed with Sercombe, Slocombe and Parts who seems to be coming into his own now. I'm much more concerned about keeping BB today than being desperate to bring in new players!
DC said he had a couple of targets, if the deals cant be done then he won't be panic buying anyone which I respect. Why not put your trust in DC, with 2 promotions and our highest league finish for years don't you think he has earnt it? UTG!
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Post by bluestone on Aug 31, 2017 17:33:51 GMT
Lots of decent signings being made in L1 .... did someone say we announced early we missed our two ? No plan B as per usual ... whilst I'm happy to consolidate again this season I really wish The Guardians of our club would not make statements they simply can't or won't deliver !! i just hope bodin signs new deal so we get the money we deserve ...and a shed load of goals this season!
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Post by bluestone on Aug 31, 2017 17:32:25 GMT
sorry this can't be true. The experts were telling us no big teams would lend us players as we fecked Boateng, Colkett, Roberts etc about Stoke are bound to be happy with the game time Sweeney's got but would they be just as happy if they'd loaned them us any of those players you've mentioned? It'll be interesting to see if DC's prepared to drop Nichols for Telford if he keeps drawing blanks plus how often he plays Bola who sounds a good player. Would prefer DC to drop Moore for Telford. Bola could be useful to provide some respite for either Brown or Parts when fixtures are packed.
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Post by bluestone on Aug 30, 2017 17:40:51 GMT
Has it been confirmed then that billy has refused to sign a new contract? No. Thanks, just what I thought. Only BB and those in the know at the club know the current situation so it's completely pointless speculating the club has or hasn't done this and that etc. Best just cross our fingers for another 28 hours and hope that BB is happy with the gas and wants to stay with us until at least the end of this season! UTG!
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Post by bluestone on Aug 30, 2017 17:09:37 GMT
Has it been confirmed then that the club have not already offered billy a new contract over the summer or even before that?
I'd be inclined to move players on if they have refused to sign a new contract and are in their last year.
Has it been confirmed then that billy has refused to sign a new contract?
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