todays match

Let's hope no punches are thrown...

 

Well if JB throws punches he might be forced to leave

 

Just looked at the player ratings for today's match Coutts and Whelan managed 5 each and they are the lowest, even Kilgour got a higher rating and he was red carded or double Yellow carded if you want to be exact

 

Good article on Bristol Live re an interview with BG worth a read. why they ever sacked him and brought in the useless pair that they did is totally beyond comprehension and cost us our league 1 place

On Bristol Rovers there are some pictures of the pitch and first team shirts, from what I have read of the reports and comments about some of the matches there are a few players would like to do just that

 

At least he’s staring with his strongest available eleven today.

 

Todays team v Carlisle 4 2 3 1 formation

Belshaw, Hoole, Brown, Taylor, Harries, Whelan, Coutts Anderson, Evans, Saunders, Collins

Subs

Ward, Anderton, Martinez, Nicholson, Thomas, Westbrooke, Pitman.

Swindon 2 - 0 FGR

 

We have had a shot t goal it missed but we have a shot

Zak Clough joined Carlisle on a free when he was released by Wigan, how come we didnt throw our hat in the ring

Evans for Rovers 1 - 0

Brown injured replaced by Anderton 37 min

Nicholson on for Collins 78th min

Nicholson scores 86th min 2 - 0 Rovers

Saunders scores 94th min 3 - 0 Rovers

10 yellow cards today 4 to Rovers 6 to Carlisle think that gets Carlisle a fine as well as losing 3 points

 

Up to 16th 4 places from the playoff places

 

Just looed at the teams on I follow and we both appear to be playing with ten men

Ward, Martinez, Clarke, Harries, Hargreaves, Thomas, Mehew, Westbrooke, Nicholson, Walker

Subs
Langlais, Phillips

Chelsea

Wady, Gilchrist, Mbuyamba, Brooking, Rankin, Nunn, Mceachran, Wareham, Haigh, Simons

subs
Badley-Morgan

Missing names Lovelock for Rovers and Baker for Chelsea

 

Rovers 1 - 0 Chelsea Luke Thomas 17th min

Apparently Chelsea badly hit by Int'l call up's

 

Which is why I changed my prediction from a Chelsea win to a Rovers win. Should have stuck to my gut feeling.

 

Todays team v Bradford

Belshaw, Kilgour, Collins, Coutts, Taylor, Anderton, Anderson, Evans, Saunders, Whelan, Hoole

Subs

Ward, Nicholson. Thomas, Pitman, Westbrooke, Martinez, Clarke

Wasn't it Fleetwood's fixture against todays opponents that JB's court troubles started

4 minutes gone Saunders picks up the games first booking

Pitman on for Saunders who is injured 22nd minute

Coutts yellow carded a lot of fouls in this game only the blue and white quarters deserve to be carded

 

According to I follow stats Rovers haven't had a shot in he first 40 minutes they have had 10 which 9 of them have either been blocked or gone wide

42 minutes 1 - 0 Bradford Charles Vernam the scorer

If we both score a single goal in the second half I will have guessed the score of todays match correctly and get the points, if they score another 5 or 6 we could get a new manager difficult choice.

Luke Thomas on for Hoole and Kilgour scores for the Rovers in the 48th minute 1 - 1

Andy Cooke for Bradford 2 - 1 Bradford 50th minute

City, Rovers and Bristol Bears all losing

Kilgour picks up our third yellow card

 

Nicholson on for Coutts 59th minute thats all changes now made 30 minutes to play

Pitman picks up our 4th yellow card

Pitman scores 91st minute 2 - 2 lets hope they defend the restart better than the last time

A lucky? draw against a good side

 

I would call that a well deserved point at a ground we rarely do well at, and let's be fair, we'd have all taken a draw there before the game. I looked at Bradford's forum earlier, and they all seem to agree that Rover's extra fitness and quality in certain areas proved to be the difference. One bloke reckoned we were the 'worst team they've played against' in the 1st half, and one of the better teams in the 2nd half, getting stronger as the game went on. I think we are now 4 points from the play off spots and 4 points from the drop zone, so hard to tell which way this season is heading at present. Personally I am hoping for at least a point at Colchester on Tuesday, strikes me as a very winnable game,so here's hoping!

 

Not many people could have headed a goal like that equaliser. Great cross too.

 

I would have been happy to get a draw before kick off so I am happy with the result. I thought it was the wrong decision to leave Nicholson and Thomas on the bench in the first place. I always feel starting with your best players gives you the better chances of getting a good result. I understand though not starting them but bring them on late to effect the game is an alternative tactic. That to me only works if you are still in the game by the time they come on and thankfully, somehow, we were still in the game. Could and should have been over by half time. If we had started with our better players then we could have got more. I appreciate those 2 players are not 100% fit so could manage 60-70 minutes each. I would have started them, got in a good position and then taken them off with something to defend. Instead of bring them on for the last 20-30 minutes to chase the game. Yesterday we got away with it due to Bradford not taking their many many chances.

Also, when Saunders went of, why couldn't 1 of Nicholson or Thomas come on then? No issues with Pitman coming on but with hos mobility and lack of energy, he should be brought on late when the balls start getting pumped into the box. Having him on so early is what caused our downfall in that first half. We were in effect playing with 10 men and Barton changed the formation to a back 3 and wing backs which we know hasn't worked all season. So no surprises that we sat back and invited all the pressure in the world on ourselves. No idea why Barton felt the need to change formation in the game when Bringing on Pitman, which was the wrong sub choice too. Barton's decisions here had a negative impact on the game and that costed us that first half an part of the 2nd half. Things got better when Barton went back to a back 4 surprise surprise.

So, overall, we got away with it due to not falling too far behind. Holding on to just being 1 behind always gave us a chance so credit to the players for doing so and play this game again in an identical way, we would get spanked so we got lucky too. It is nice to get a point when not deserved because it hurts when we get nothing after being the better dominant side in seasons past. So yeah, very good point and credit to the players despite Barton trying his best to lose us the game with change of formation that hasn't worked all season and brought on Pitman too early making life difficult for ourselves.

 

Yes I must admit I've only seen the goal once, but my immediate reaction was 'Wow, didn't know he could do that!'. It did seem an excellent cross and header, and although I can't say whether their GK should have done better or not, first impressions were it was a very good goal, and as long as we have that sort of goalpower in our side, then potentially, we should always have a chance of scoring.

 

We're looking like a pretty good side now that Nicholson is back and Thomas is a regular. Colchester had beaten Harrogate in their previous game, and we should have been three up by the time of the sendings off, so I reckon a few more good results should follow.

 

Losing 2-0 already.

I’m sat here with gastroenteritis and I could still do a better job than that useless scouse twat.

Get rid of him now!