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Post by popuppirate on Feb 14, 2024 21:07:45 GMT
Matchday Moments/Close Quarters: That Evans goal😍😍😍 All 3 top quality goals there. The third a goal of the season contender, out from the back and Conteh bursting through, Thomas to Brown with a touch back to Thomas, to Evans with a beauty. Good players those, all 4
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 14, 2024 0:35:21 GMT
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 13, 2024 22:21:17 GMT
Won without Taylor, Finley and Ward. Didn't see that happening tonight. Agree we looked better with 442, Taylor won the match with that change. Early days for Baggott but we looked more organised when he came off. It was bizarre listening to the Stevenage commentary moaning about our tactics at the end, I have to say I was delighted by it and the game management was excellent.
Thomas is important for us, he so often wins balls he has no right to and took the goal superbly. Credit to Evans for still battling and being able to not receive the second yellow.
Conteh will be missed but we saw tonight he's capable of being a very good footballer not just a carrier.
I'll feel a lot better after two or three more wins, but Taylor saved our bacon there as without the sudden change we'd have lost by 4 or 5, easily.
Let's get behind them as they showed us what we needed tonight
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 13, 2024 21:11:13 GMT
Come on !!!!!!!
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 13, 2024 20:45:28 GMT
Evans probably one more foul away from a 2nd yellow. Not sure what options we have to replace him though thought he has already been booked? A 2nd yellow
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 13, 2024 20:42:22 GMT
Evans probably one more foul away from a 2nd yellow. Not sure what options we have to replace him though
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 13, 2024 11:59:15 GMT
Should he have said that in 3 years our ambitious goal was to be stagnating in League 1 ? I'm pleased they've got ambitions, and didn't expect everything to be spelled out in a single open letter. Many people on here have hoped for a sustainable future, so whether the owners have buckets of cash or not, the sensible solution is to attempt to increase the capacity and build gradually within our means. People wanted communication and some vision, the more optimistic amongst us will believe the championship in 3 years is achievable. It's almost like some people aren't happy unless they're unhappy about something The trouble is, we have heard it all before. Barton was supposed to take us up either this season or next. I just don't buy it anymore. Would have been better to have left that line out of the letter or not put a time line on it Yeah I totally get that, we just need to remember we've new owners and a new manager now who've got to share some ambitions. Had the championship target been left out, it would have been the first thing picked up on here with claims they have no ambition and that they're happy for us to stagnate. It's just a letter that's meant to be reassuring of their support and vision, come the summer and beyond we'll see what they do to back that up
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 13, 2024 10:22:27 GMT
3 years to the championship sounds reasonable? For us? Does it? Over the next 3 years, sides will dropping out of the league above who are massive and wealthy compared to us. Look at the bottom half of the champ and I dont see many sides we'll be above in 3 years at all. Even a good 8 in our division will fancy their chances ahead of us. Proof will be in the pudding though, so let's hope for brighter years ahead🥮 Nail on head here. The teams that do come down from the champ to L1 are usually either the smaller ones, Rotherham for example, the tradition bounce clubs, Barnsley, P'boro, and a basket case club, like a Sheff W, Reading. There is only 1 team currently the same size as us in the champ and that is Rotherham and they are bottom by +15 points and with a better stadium than us, albeit similar in terms of capacity. Teams like Luton and Brentford stabalised, competed and got promoted from the championship because of their management structures within the club at board level, football operations level and then at pitch level. For HAS to come out and say "championship in 3 years" is fine, but he also needs to say how. What is he/the board going to do personally to make sure it happens? What does it mean if we dont make it? Will he walk away because he has run out of money? It's pretty clear to me that the attempt to hike ticket prices means he wants more revenue. The fact WC is only on a part time contract says to me that he hasnt got the ££ to invest in the footballing side this season or beyond. Should he have said that in 3 years our ambitious goal was to be stagnating in League 1 ? I'm pleased they've got ambitions, and didn't expect everything to be spelled out in a single open letter. Many people on here have hoped for a sustainable future, so whether the owners have buckets of cash or not, the sensible solution is to attempt to increase the capacity and build gradually within our means. People wanted communication and some vision, the more optimistic amongst us will believe the championship in 3 years is achievable. It's almost like some people aren't happy unless they're unhappy about something
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 12, 2024 23:12:19 GMT
When they talked about the Premier League I assumed they meant longer term, like one day. 3 years to Championship sounds reasonable and by then hopefully the ground will hold 16K. Realistically from there you're looking at least around 5 years to establish and build. It didn't really sound like they'd changed the projections to me, just more realistic aims. 3 years to the championship sounds reasonable? For us? Does it? Over the next 3 years, sides will dropping out of the league above who are massive and wealthy compared to us. Look at the bottom half of the champ and I dont see many sides we'll be above in 3 years at all. Even a good 8 in our division will fancy their chances ahead of us. Proof will be in the pudding though, so let's hope for brighter years ahead🥮 It sounds reasonable to me, yeah. I'd have thought most clubs of our standing would have that as an aspiration. They're talking about increasing the attendance further and backing the manager financially. All we can do is choose to believe them or not. I'm choosing to believe them now, but that is subject to change, we'll be nearer to knowing in the summer.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 12, 2024 22:18:38 GMT
Was the song Singing the Blues ?
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 12, 2024 21:54:45 GMT
Can't see what the fuss is about. Everything in the letter had already been said in the previous interviews with RB and ITV. However the narrative has altered regarding the FM stadium and saying Championship in 3 years is just flannel as was saying the target was the Premier League previously. This summer will just be another cycle of new players not being together from the start of pre season and taking a couple of months to "gel" Also no one said previously the stadium would be 18k but 16-17k When they talked about the Premier League I assumed they meant longer term, like one day. 3 years to Championship sounds reasonable and by then hopefully the ground will hold 16K. Realistically from there you're looking at least around 5 years to establish and build. It didn't really sound like they'd changed the projections to me, just more realistic aims.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 11, 2024 21:24:57 GMT
I think we have to stick with him and give him the summer, as 79 just said. They're completely different managers, Taylor and the last. Barton winged it constantly bringing in excellent players for the level but with injury histories, if key players got injured he'd throw everything in the air and hope it landed right. The players would go out with a bomb up their arse and ringing in their ears. Taylor won't like winging it and probably has to work a lot harder for respect from much of the squad, some of which got us promoted under the old regime. We need the players to back the manager here too, it looks like Finley is on board and has regained his form after it looked like he was done. We've seen good performances from the team under his management, and the ways he talks about our lack of strength is something we've all been saying needs addressing. I'm not sure what he could have said in that interview that was more truthful. “The owners have f**ked me and the fans over”. How’s about that. I'm not sure that is the case though. Some thought selling Collins was sensible business, and most agreed with the Conteh signing. Almost all thought offering Martin a new contract was positive. There was intention (apparently) to bring in a striker in January. I'll reserve my judgment on the owners until after the summer, hopefully by then they'll trust Taylor enough to spend some money
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 11, 2024 20:32:37 GMT
I think we have to stick with him and give him the summer, as 79 just said. They're completely different managers, Taylor and the last. Barton winged it constantly bringing in excellent players for the level but with injury histories, if key players got injured he'd throw everything in the air and hope it landed right. The players would go out with a bomb up their arse and ringing in their ears. Taylor won't like winging it and probably has to work a lot harder for respect from much of the squad, some of which got us promoted under the old regime.
We need the players to back the manager here too, it looks like Finley is on board and has regained his form after it looked like he was done. We've seen good performances from the team under his management, and the ways he talks about our lack of strength is something we've all been saying needs addressing. I'm not sure what he could have said in that interview that was more truthful.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 10, 2024 19:11:27 GMT
We've had 3 managers in a short space of time, all 3 have managed some decent performances and some awful performances. The common factor is the players. It's the same issue again but without Collins to provide assists. Common factor? It's different players🤷♂️ We're an average side in an average division with a new manager. He is not motivating the players. It's OK to disagree. You blame the players, that's fine by me. I look at the manager because it's 8 or 9 of them below par which is a strong signal. Of course it's fine to disagree. Most of those players played for all 3 managers though, it's still mostly Barton players in the squad. They know the season is over too and many of them can't cope with physical opponents that are the bread and butter of this league.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 10, 2024 18:57:51 GMT
I'm sure you just said the players were good enough though, just not trying enough. Apologies if that wasn't you. If that is the case then the players need to take some responsibility for their performances and attitude. Taylor only has so many players to include in a squad and some of the individual performances were poor, again. Are you really suggesting we should change manager, at this point, again ? Last point first. No I am not suggesting that. Taylor needs time to shape a squad and put his mark on it. He also needs reassurance that he has that time. Yeah, I agree that players should take responsibility. However, we have a manager with a whip on the sideline plus coaches. They get paid to organise, instruct and motivate. What are we witnessing? Even genuinely poor players should play to 100% effort with a semblance of organisation and motivation. Or no? We've had 3 managers in a short space of time, all 3 have managed some decent performances and some awful performances. The common factor is the players. It's the same issue again but without Collins to provide assists.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 10, 2024 18:46:07 GMT
I think we'll probably be alright to stay up, just. We should pick up enough points away from home as we seem more comfortable when teams come at us rather than vice versa. Still too early to judge the manager (and owners) for me but I know others disagree I agree about staying up, but disagree about making judgments. He's had enough games now regardless of playing staff available, for people to see what he is trying to do. Managers have styles or preferred ways to do things. They also have an effect on players conduct. So far, it is not clear what he is trying to do, there is no style, and sadly looks like he is not motivating the players. We played possession football before, high press out of possession. It wasn't overly successful in lg1 but it was clear what we were doing. Now, God knows?! I'm sure you just said the players were good enough though, just not trying enough. Apologies if that wasn't you. If that is the case then the players need to take some responsibility for their performances and attitude. Taylor only has so many players to include in a squad and some of the individual performances were poor, again. Are you really suggesting we should change manager, at this point, again ?
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 10, 2024 18:29:59 GMT
I think we'll probably be alright to stay up, just. We should pick up enough points away from home as we seem more comfortable when teams come at us rather than vice versa. Still too early to judge the manager (and owners) for me but I know others disagree
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 10, 2024 10:26:08 GMT
It depends what you find offensive, but there is pretty universal agreement that songs about black people or Jews are now considered offensive. And indeed a song about dislike of German people would be too. So why is a song that calls out dislike of an Irish republican group we (the UK) have been at peace with for over 25 years still ok if indeed it ever was at a football match? At best it’s childish, naive and irrelevant to our world today. I believe fans of other clubs used to sing similar, think we may be a dying minority for good reason. Time it was put to bed Racism and anti-Semitism isn't just considered offensive, it will get you banned from grounds and so it should. The song is outdated and ignorant, but what can the club do about it ? You can't eject people for being ignorant bores. If enough fans object to it, calling out those that sing it might work but could also create trouble in the Thatchers. It's not a problem unique to Rovers, other fans sing it still too but also have bigger issues with racism and anti-Semitism not to mention other grim songs related to tragedies.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 10, 2024 9:45:42 GMT
I don't find it offensive as such, it's more a feeling of embarrassment on behalf of those who have no idea what it represents when they sing it. I would rather it wasn't sung, and wouldn't want it to be associated with Rovers, but I can't see on what grounds it could be banned.
It's probably best ignored, causing a stink about it will just drag it into a political rabbit hole on here and those that sing it will probably sing it louder if they know it's contentious.
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Post by popuppirate on Feb 9, 2024 21:45:22 GMT
Well it's refreshing it not being ALL about the personality, that's for sure. Being able to manage and motivate isn't all about charisma, there's plenty out there who are just odd people who know about football. If the players respect him, and he knows what he's doing, we'll be a lot better off as a club than where we were heading. The fact it sounds like most of the players aren't bothering to turn up for training after a match brings into question those two points. I don't believe that for a minute. Even if that applies to one or two players then it doesn't seem like Taylor would hesitate in getting them gone
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