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Post by mftc on Apr 19, 2024 23:14:23 GMT
Am I the only one who gets the feeling that football is at a breaking point? Agree. It's not the people's game anymore. More like a rich persons plaything. Chairman, agents and mega rich players are a world apart from local heroes like Alfie and Harold.
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Sad day
Apr 19, 2024 12:29:10 GMT
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Post by mftc on Apr 19, 2024 12:29:10 GMT
Bristol Rovers FC are extremely disappointed in the Football Association’s decision to axe FA Cup replays from the 2024/25 season. Replays have long formed a traditional and exciting aspect of the FA Cup, the longest-serving cup competition in world football, and provide the greatest opportunity for many EFL clubs to create treasured memories for supporters. Bristol Rovers’ own FA Cup third-round replay at The Memorial Stadium, against Sky Bet Championship side Norwich City, attracted an attendance of over 10,000 fans for a midweek evening fixture in January and provided a valuable and important income for the Club. We are frustrated and dismayed at the lack of consultation regarding the matter, which has seemingly been the case across the EFL, and stand firm in our belief that such fundamental changes to a competition involving Bristol Rovers should not be made without at the very least including the Club in the discussion. Rovers, in full solidarity with other EFL teams, now calls on the FA to suspend their decision to make changes to the FA Cup and undertake a full and transparent consultation process with all shareholders. It seems all lower pyramid clubs ie outside the top 44 odd were not aware of the decision. In the 3rd round many Prem and championship clubs put out a joke X1 anyway. Hopefully there is a suspension or at least a compromise to have the replays in place to at least round 4. Makes the Prem look like school ground bullys.
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Post by mftc on Apr 15, 2024 7:26:27 GMT
With MT saying he has been selecting a team for someone else, could "they" actually be us ie the fans?
Most want Jed Ward, some want Hoole and Gordon to play, I would like Shaw, Hall, Lawrence and Greenslade to feature at least in 10 minute cameos.
Maybe some are not ready. If he has been experimenting, it is the perfect time to do it. The season has been over for ages, but the pressure on the manager for results and performances never stop.
I bet he has learned a lot about our squad, fans and set up though.
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Post by mftc on Apr 15, 2024 7:19:30 GMT
I think he will stay up north.
Agree he deserves a send off as he has done a lot for he club. With Ward injured you would think he could start on Tuesday and get subbed after the hour mark and get applauded off.
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Post by mftc on Apr 15, 2024 7:16:41 GMT
Both Hoole and Gordon have to improve, especially the ability to find the inch perfect cross to Martin as he is often the only Rovers player in the box and marked by 3 defenders.
We just don't have an "out ball". When Joner was in trouble and didn't have a simple pass to Percy, he hit it towards Big Dev and we had a 50/50 chance of getting the ball.
When Gordon is in trouble he nearly often keeps possession but it is sideways or back.
How many times has Finley or Evans been one of the last two players and adopted the quarterback position - only to pass it sideways themselves?
I suspect we will have more options for the defenders to pass to next season.
Personally I would have played Jones the tail end of last season especially rather than wasting money on the 6mth loan at full back we did get. At least we could have seen if he was capable. Despite being rated by the fans, you have to ask why have the last 3 managers rated Gordon higher by selecting him.
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New kit
Apr 14, 2024 10:13:01 GMT
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Post by mftc on Apr 14, 2024 10:13:01 GMT
Wasn't it mentioned that after the issues of the last two seasons the designs were ratified before Christmas and would be ready for summer hols, or did I dream it?
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Post by mftc on Apr 14, 2024 9:55:13 GMT
Hunt, Rossiter and Ward should be starters but we have to offset this with younger cheaper players we can develop - Hoole, Gordon, Lawrence, Shaw etc
Hopefully we develop a style of play which is right for us, we get organised and everyone (and their squad replacements) knows their jobs.
Throughout the season we have injuries, tactical and formation changes and square pegs in round holes and wholesale changes week from week.
It is good to have a plan B, but we went past plan Z in November.
For all the talk of the best team, we have to learn from mistakes on the past (Jones should have played in the last 3-4 matches last season and Macey, Sinclair, Shaquille Hunter etc before them.
It worked for Kite, G Williams, Slatter and Ollie.
Hopefully Shaw, Lawrence, Hall etc get a few minutes. Better to play now, than having injuries when we are desperate for points this time next year and not knowing if they can cope mentally or physically, so we can try to develop them in all aspects over the next season.
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Post by mftc on Apr 14, 2024 9:40:29 GMT
Pep is a great manager with great players, but if you watch MotD and the FL highlights it is clear several managers are influenced.
How many teams this weekend scored from passing out from the keeper - none.
How many conceded - 15.(Rough estimate)
It just doesn't work. What's the point of 5 nervy touches on our box before a pressurized hoof it clearance anywhere.
Similarly, how many times do we have a throw just outside the opposition penalty area, we have little options and ten seconds later the opposition get a shot away.
I don't think it is attractive and don't want to sound like John Beck but the laws of average say if we put the ball in the opposition penalty area we have more chance of scoring than throwing it to someone on the half way line before a sideways pass.
In the last two seasons its as though we have a team of Ray Wilkins (the crab) clones.
Possession stats may look good but we don't help the players at the back by giving so few options, so they nearly always have to produce a killer ball, hoof it anywhere, or the simple sideways pass which puts the receiving player under pressure.
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Post by mftc on Apr 13, 2024 18:06:21 GMT
Soujorn. Sorry fella. I truly cannot help myself Sojourn. Sorry fella. I truly cannot help myself. 😆 Two-shay!
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Post by mftc on Apr 13, 2024 15:45:01 GMT
Did I read somewhere Taylor bought the players a meal if we won and kept a clean sheet? Boy, they must have really hated that restaurant! Was it not £1k at Cheltenham? Ironically they achieved it at Orient and have gone missing ever since Blimey did Taylor offer to give them £1k to spend in Cheltenham again?
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Post by mftc on Apr 12, 2024 7:48:18 GMT
I'll predict a £5m loss and several issues hidden by the fact they are simplified accounts and not full details. Either way, they'll be many concerned but still calls on other threads to have a greater staff turnover (new management, players, etc) and spending on the stadium and The Quarters. As always, it's those due next year and the year after that which will tell us what the new owners are truly thinking. Spot on If the "professional" and "outsource everything possible" model installed by TG, isn't working, surely some outside the box thinking is required. Isn't the definition of stupidity doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. We can't go back to the ragbag Rovers, feeding on scraps and relying on volunteers and hand outs, but some sort of middle ground maybe the way forward. We have to realize where we are - a middle of the table division 3 side, make sure we never go to division 4 again and just enjoy the brief sorjoins (don't know who to spell it but sounds like a good word!) to the championship - if they ever happen!
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Free Meal
Apr 12, 2024 7:39:02 GMT
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Post by mftc on Apr 12, 2024 7:39:02 GMT
Did I read somewhere Taylor bought the players a meal if we won and kept a clean sheet?
Boy, they must have really hated that restaurant!
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Post by mftc on Apr 9, 2024 8:19:52 GMT
Thought this was going to be for Taylor if we don't score tonight!
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Post by mftc on Apr 9, 2024 8:18:38 GMT
Read in the programme he passed away.
Made Twerton memorable in own way; Gary Flipflop, the bloke in the pink crash helmet, I heard he is and the ref is available for pantomime, amongst his own Coleman Balls.
Has any other club has so many well known and loved matchday announcers? Ray Kendall, Keith, Nick Day and Lance.
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Post by mftc on Apr 8, 2024 7:08:40 GMT
If the rumours of a 25% cut in the playing budget are to be believed then there's no way he will be coming here Is that compared to the start of last season, or the budget as of now? If it us from Aug 23, then we have probably almost achieved it.
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Post by mftc on Apr 8, 2024 7:06:04 GMT
Hell yes , we haven’t scored for eight games. To be fair JCH only has one goal in his last 13 games... Fits right in then!
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Post by mftc on Apr 8, 2024 7:04:19 GMT
Just seems another example of "its just what other clubs do".
I don't think it is value for money when they can get pre season/team bonding in the West Country.
Good job they recently signed that agreement to not increase the club carbon footprint by not undertaking unnecessary air travel.
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Post by mftc on Apr 7, 2024 15:07:21 GMT
What a waste of money. Why dont they do pre-season at Brean or a boot camp?
Would save the club a fortune. (Are the accounts out yet?)
It will either be too hot so they can't train properly, or it will be similar weather to here.
Great, we only lose by one goal in a behind the doors friendly to a Europa League team, but how is tika taka type football any real practice for Shrewsbury away on a cold winter evening.
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Post by mftc on Apr 6, 2024 9:41:50 GMT
I thought it was going to be a music based thread.
The Rovers records I can think of are: Rod Hull, The Bollards (Follow the Rovers?), Radio Bristol (GWR?) 1983 centenary song b/w The Irish Rover, Gerry's 1990 squad, Screen Soccer Turning On the Gas, can't remember his name but the 7 January 1956 song.
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Post by mftc on Apr 6, 2024 9:35:40 GMT
Did the not very Bright events really lose the club that much that they are not bothering with a corporate player of the year this year?
I haven't seen anything advertised.
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