Bristol Rovers vs Walsall Official Match Thread

Shame we can’t be at the match to show DC some appreciation.

Yes it is a shame as appreciation deserved all round to what was achieved

Two years! Time flies.

I would think BG would play his strongest possible team, whatever he feels that is. Saturday showed that these players are no where near playing like a team yet and an extra game before the proper business starts must be used to get the players up to speed.
Our three centre backs played like they'd met for the first time in the tunnel before the game. A home game against a team in the league below should be an ideal way for us to get back to winning ways. Another defeat heaps more pressure on Garner, who is already pushing a lot of supporters’ patience to the brink.

This game is a non event against a fairly poor side,i hope garner picks nobody who he expects to start at sunderland.
The players that play will have a chance to change his mind about the sunderland selection by impressing.
Its all about trying to get a win or draw at sunderland in my view.

I do agree in the main.

The only thing I'd say, is that Wasall is a winnable game and winning is a mentality you want to have.

If we were to beat Walsall in the week - "non event" or not - those players would have some winning confidence to take in to the game at Sunderland.

Difficult one really. I'd certainly start Ayunga - chance to get the monkey off his back and break his duck against a side a division below.

I think tomorrow is a must win imo.

If the players played really well against Ipswich and won or lost by the tiniest of margins. Sure have the evening off and the fringe players get some competitive minutes before Saturday.

But no, sorry they were awful and clearly need the game time to resolve their basic mistakes. DC and his players will be up for it. If the players that played Saturday play tomorrow and get a good result the mentality will be " Actually we are a good team, the gaffer got it right and let's get 3 points on Saturday!" Rather the players going into Saturday thinking s**t...we're going to lose again.

Lose and it'll be "It is a disappointing result, however it was a chance to get another 90 minutes into more of the lads and some of their first game at the mem, some haven't played a lot of football what with the lock down etc and getting used to each other as a team, the real stuff starts Saturday with the long trip to Sunderland, they are a big club for this league it will be a difficult game, however we beat them last time we played them and we will be going up there to try and beat them again".

We both know that isn’t true.