A strange old week ........

[AucklandRover]

I do admire your optimism aucks but the defending recently is woefully bad and in need of looking at urgently
I like magloire,but he was left to almost fend for himself last game by the so called professionals around him.
A fresh back 4 will hopefully do the trick next season.
Nyambe is good going forward but doing the basics in defence sometimes passes him by.
Rodwell looks to be gone
Mulgrew Thankyou but goodbye
Downing looks to be gone
Lenihan good but he isn't a centre back by trade.
Magloire bright future alongside someone who can defend.
Williams on the slope downwards now finds the simple things tricky.
Bell is the same as nyambe,both good to keep as back up,but the majority of goals have come from crosses not snuffed out by the full backs.

Robin - I don't agree with this idea that Lenihan isn't a centre-back. Players often start their development careers in one spot, but eventually make a career in another. I just can't see that he would be better in midfield.
I know that we've certainly missed him!

[robinrover]

It's difficult to disagree about missing him aucks.
The brilliant January we had involved him throughout,alongside rodwell
Coincidence?absolutely not
However that takes nothing away from the fact we are rolling Into next season with just lenihan,who is carrying any sort of form defensively.
Tony Mowbray will be aware this is a poor area for us,so hopefully we have enough penny's in the pot.

[Despair]

Champs- it's a hell of a lot easier when you're as far away as I am!
Also, watching alone on tv just doesn't lead to the same emotional involvement I used to get following the team around.

Aucks , a couple of adages for you;

Absence makes the heart grow fonder!
You can’t live with em, but you can’t live without em !
Think this sort of sums up your perspective.
😉

For Champs who has held super optomistic thoughts, and with that invested his time and money, it does not really come as a great surprise that he is feeling the way he is.
Yes, its a dramatic swerve towards the other end of the spectrum , but thats in his nature (that he readily acknowledges).
Given a kick back decent performance and point/s return this w’end, we may well see another marked change in his posting demeaner 🤔

[champs95]

I hope this Bauer is the real deal. There has been a lot of talk about him over the last 18 months, so it is important he really does fill the gap we have.

I don't quite know what to make of this Aucks. We are letting Downing go, so we will be definitely getting in at least one. What worries me is reading fans comments, especially since we have been on this run.
.........get this Bauer signed. ......
This Bauer is meant to coming, why didn't we sign him in Jan?? ....(the answer to that is simple, we would've piad £2m in Jan, now we get him for free, as he's out of contract)
....all the normal stuff.

My concern is, not one fan will have actually seen him play? Will he be that good? Playing in Div1? I see nobody else is interested? Why? That concerns me? Nobody else is sniffing around?
Yet our fans have already made him a great signing.

I'm not sure.

[AucklandRover]

I don't quite know what to make of this Aucks. We are letting Downing go, so we will be definitely getting in at least one. What worries me is reading fans comments, especially since we have been on this run.
.........get this Bauer signed. ......
This Bauer is meant to coming, why didn't we sign him in Jan?? ....(the answer to that is simple, we would've piad £2m in Jan, now we get him for free, as he's out of contract)
....all the normal stuff.

My concern is, not one fan will have actually seen him play? Will he be that good? Playing in Div1? I see nobody else is interested? Why? That concerns me? Nobody else is sniffing around?
Yet our fans have already made him a great signing.

I'm not sure.

Champs - you have exactly summed up my concerns. Apart from anything else, if he turns out to be anything but instantly brilliant, it will all be Mowbray's fault!

[AucklandRover]

Aucks , a couple of adages for you;

Absence makes the heart grow fonder!
You can’t live with em, but you can’t live without em !
Think this sort of sums up your perspective.
😉

For Champs who has held super optomistic thoughts, and with that invested his time and money, it does not really come as a great surprise that he is feeling the way he is.
Yes, its a dramatic swerve towards the other end of the spectrum , but thats in his nature (that he readily acknowledges).
Given a kick back decent performance and point/s return this w’end, we may well see another marked change in his posting demeaner 🤔

Agree 100%, Despair. Champs and Robin feel it more because of seeing a lot of games live.

[robinrover]

I am stepping back to league one this weekend.
My brother in law has invited me to watch bristol rovers v luton.
I have been like champs,getting too annoyed with essentially just a game.
Will be nice to forget and watch someone else's pain or joy.

[Despair]

I am stepping back to league one this weekend.
My brother in law has invited me to watch bristol rovers v luton.
I have been like champs,getting too annoyed with essentially just a game.
Will be nice to forget and watch someone else's pain or joy.

Yep thats right, put it into perspective , despite what Shanks said it is NOT life or death!
There are far far more important things going on and around us than whether we pick up any points this weekend.

What will be, will be.

[champs95]

Yep thats right, put it into perspective , despite what Shanks said it is NOT life or death!
There are far far more important things going on and around us than whether we pick up any points this weekend.

What will be, will be.

This is why I like being on here so much. After all these years, I feel like you guys know me quite well. And are very patient with me. I am not even bothering to explain myself anymore, or get embarrassed.
I wont change, and I wont apologise for it (well I will if I have been out of order with anyone).
I get overly excited when things are good, I get very down and take it personally when things go wrong. That's why I need to sound Aucks out for his balance. Its always going to be somewhere between either end of the spectrum. Me, my personality will always be at either end of the spectrum. I'd say I was a head-case but ...... .....Alf don't agree with that!!!

Ever since Robin told me about these cocky Villa fans, I have been keeping an eye out for what they have been saying, and I really want us to go and shut them up. We have had a break, so maybe we could benefit from that. If we have Rodwell and Lenihan back, I actually quite fancy us getting a result.

Aucks, I think we will see Davenport and Chapman the next game. TM says both are training now everyday with the first team, and are very very close. He stated they wont feature vrs Villa, but is certainly looking at getting them involved. I believe this could give us a kick on. Some new blood, with a point to prove. I really want to see Buckley again, he looks real quality that lad. And also Butterworth.


In short, if we don't win tomorrow, I am going to take it out on Auks and almost blame him!! Seems fair ......

[AucklandRover]

This is why I like being on here so much. After all these years, I feel like you guys know me quite well. And are very patient with me. I am not even bothering to explain myself anymore, or get embarrassed.
I wont change, and I wont apologise for it (well I will if I have been out of order with anyone).
I get overly excited when things are good, I get very down and take it personally when things go wrong. That's why I need to sound Aucks out for his balance. Its always going to be somewhere between either end of the spectrum. Me, my personality will always be at either end of the spectrum. I'd say I was a head-case but ...... .....Alf don't agree with that!!!

Ever since Robin told me about these cocky Villa fans, I have been keeping an eye out for what they have been saying, and I really want us to go and shut them up. We have had a break, so maybe we could benefit from that. If we have Rodwell and Lenihan back, I actually quite fancy us getting a result.

Aucks, I think we will see Davenport and Chapman the next game. TM says both are training now everyday with the first team, and are very very close. He stated they wont feature vrs Villa, but is certainly looking at getting them involved. I believe this could give us a kick on. Some new blood, with a point to prove. I really want to see Buckley again, he looks real quality that lad. And also Butterworth.


In short, if we don't win tomorrow, I am going to take it out on Auks and almost blame him!! Seems fair ......

Well, Champs - I have been married for 47 years, so my shoulders are broad!
I'm just hoping for one of those big surprises. You know, Villa hitting the woodwork six times, and Rovers getting a last-minute winner from a deflection off the referee's bum.

From a position of safety, how about this for the last game of the season?
Fisher
Nyambe Wharton Magloire Thompson
Rankin-Costello Travis Mols Buckley
Butterworth Nuttall.
All Under-23/Academy graduates!