Welcome. This site is an archived version of the previous UpTheSaddlers forum (December 2004 to May 2018). To visit the new UTS website, please click here.

Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Reports and reaction from the 2009-10 season as Walsall finished 10th in League 1
User avatar
scott_powell
Site Addict
 
Posts: 4045
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: Clunge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:15 pm

WE'M GEWIN UP!

not.



Really pleased for Taundry

Well done lads :)

User avatar
scott_powell
Site Addict
 
Posts: 4045
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: Clunge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:17 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


Who exactly?

Were pleased you freak

Hutch out, bonsor out but ... Well done lads!

m&m
Glitterati
 
Posts: 656
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:23 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:20 pm

Great result.Hopefully Nicholls did enough to warrant another chance!

Congrats to Taundry for his first senior goal!

Registered Saddler
UTS Legend
 
Posts: 1699
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:24 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:21 pm

Well done to the 135 fans from Walsall who shivered their way through the 90 minutes. Proper old-school away win this one. Took our chance when it came then defended ugly when we had to. McDonald, Ince and Westlake earned their corn. Also, anyone blaming Byfield's garbage performances recently on a lack of service should have seen Deeney and Nicholls tonight. The service wasn't any better but they chased everything. To be honest, it made all the difference from Saturday. We still need Smith/Hughes and Jones in the team to be any better than 10th.

DanWalsallFC
Site Addict
 
Posts: 3193
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:52 pm
Location: Great Barr, Birmingham

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:22 pm

scott_powell wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


Who exactly?

Were pleased you freak

Hutch out, bonsor out but ... Well done lads!


Well, can tell your a child. 'Freak' :roll:
You obviously expect us to be challenging at the top, maybe you should be supporting Manchester United or Chelsea if its wins every week your expecting.

User avatar
SheffieldSaddler
Site Addict
 
Posts: 6772
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:51 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:24 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


1 win in last 9.
Brilliant.
Lets all get pissed up on Bushmills and celebrate!

User avatar
tinned
Site Addict
 
Posts: 10023
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Same poo, different day!

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:24 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:
scott_powell wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


Who exactly?

Were pleased you freak

Hutch out, bonsor out but ... Well done lads!


Well, can tell your a child. 'Freak' :roll:
You obviously expect us to be challenging at the top, maybe you should be supporting Manchester United or Chelsea if its wins every week your expecting.


Ronaldo, Mourinho, Chelsea & Man Utd. I don't think it's everyone else with strange expectations.

User avatar
Duke
Site Addict
 
Posts: 7793
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:03 pm
Location: Aldridge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:27 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


one swallow and all that

User avatar
Eli_B
 
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:07 pm
Location: Playa del Dudley, El Pais Negro

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:29 pm

A vital and useful away win at Brizzle Rovers and this result move The Saddlers in tenth. A much better position obviously than a relegation dogfight, which this club doesn't need! Well done to Taundry for getting his first senior goal and for Alex Nich (Nicholls) for setting up the goal. But the question is has Nicholls done enought to warrant & keep his place in the starting line up against Oldham (who got outplayed by an in form Swindon team) away?
Last edited by Eli_B on Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
scott_powell
Site Addict
 
Posts: 4045
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: Clunge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:29 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:
scott_powell wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


Who exactly?

Were pleased you freak

Hutch out, bonsor out but ... Well done lads!


Well, can tell your a child. 'Freak' :roll:
You obviously expect us to be challenging at the top, maybe you should be supporting Manchester United or Chelsea if its wins every week your expecting.


Have you heard of a thing called "sarcasm" :roll:
Read my other posts then I think you will realise

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
Last edited by scott_powell on Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
tinned
Site Addict
 
Posts: 10023
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:49 pm
Location: Same poo, different day!

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:30 pm

Duke wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


one swallow and all that


What do you expect? Champions League football within 5 years? :roll:

User avatar
matt-thesaddler
UTS Legend
 
Posts: 2402
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Walsall

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:30 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


No we are happy. I still dont like Hutchings. We are happy to finally win a game.

:roll:

User avatar
matt-thesaddler
UTS Legend
 
Posts: 2402
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Walsall

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:31 pm

DanWalsallFC wrote:
scott_powell wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


Who exactly?

Were pleased you freak

Hutch out, bonsor out but ... Well done lads!


Well, can tell your a child. 'Freak' :roll:
You obviously expect us to be challenging at the top, maybe you should be supporting Manchester United or Chelsea if its wins every week your expecting.


Have we got another Sheff on our hands? :D
Theres only one Sheff, and thats Sheffield Saddler

User avatar
scott_powell
Site Addict
 
Posts: 4045
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: Clunge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:32 pm

matt-thesaddler wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:
scott_powell wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


Who exactly?

Were pleased you freak

Hutch out, bonsor out but ... Well done lads!


Well, can tell your a child. 'Freak' :roll:
You obviously expect us to be challenging at the top, maybe you should be supporting Manchester United or Chelsea if its wins every week your expecting.


Have we got another Sheff on our hands? :D
Theres only one Sheff, and thats Sheffield Saddler


Theres only one Sheffy baby :) xx

User avatar
Duke
Site Addict
 
Posts: 7793
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:03 pm
Location: Aldridge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:47 pm

tinned wrote:
Duke wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


one swallow and all that


What do you expect? Champions League football within 5 years? :roll:


and why shouldn't he :mrgreen:

User avatar
Bristol Fan
Glitterati
 
Posts: 856
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Guess

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:18 pm

Decent performance, excellent result - but we've been here before and then reverted back to type. Let's hope we can build on this.

Defence was good. Sansara's distribution let him down again but he's getting better at defending. Ince had a classic, not sure how his knees didn't seize up in the cold (for all Rovers' possession they didn't really threaten very much) and then he saves a pen. Westlake is getting better all the time and Vincent and McDonald were terrific again at the back (apart from the moment of madness from Vincent to give away the pen).

The biggest news of the night was that Peter Till had a good game. A really good game, actually, beating the defender several times and actually crossing the ball. Taundry's positional sense is laughable but he was in the right place at the right time for the goal, which our midfielders so often aren't, so credit to him for that.

Up front, Deeney and Nicholls were excellent. Deeney's really come on this season, showing some real flair at times, and Nicholls' pace caused real problems. He should have buried a header from a perfect cross from Till late in the first half that a genuinely instinctive finisher would have scored 99 times out of 100, so he still has a lot of work to do, but he had a good game.

SWS1
 

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:07 am

We came! We saw! We conquered!

Great team performance. No one shirked. All put in a good stint. Deserved the result. NICHOLLS IN!!!!!
UTS!
:D

User avatar
Stu
UTS Legend
 
Posts: 1227
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 7:07 pm
Location: Bexleyheath, Kent.

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:31 am

Duke wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:Look at everyone now.
Yeah, I was one of the few who wasnt all Doom & Gloom before Feb, so many want Hutchings out. Funny how 90 minutes can change so many opinions of us now becoming a mid-table team instead of relegation candidates. Funny, you all forgot we hadnt had a game for a month thats why we were 6-7 points off relegation which still itself wasnt worrying.

UP THE SADDLERS!
ONE CHRIS HUTCHINGS!


one swallow and all that


In all fairness Duke, its hardly a swallow. That would imply it has come out of nothing and is probably just a chance result. This same team, under the same manager, had W5 D1 L1 in a run of 7 games before this decidedly dodgy spell. Look at the bigger picture, not the last half a dozen matches.

Welsh_Saddler
Site Addict
 
Posts: 9804
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:44 pm
Location: The beautiful Afan Valley

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:38 am

A result like that is all the better when you go to the ground expecting absolutely nothing (as we 4 from South Wales did, in all honesty). For the first ten or fifteen minutes it looked like only a matter of time before Rovers would score; both teams had started like greyhounds out of the traps, one or two challenges were shall we say, enthusiastic, and both teams had a man booked by a referee who was keen to stamp his authority on the game. Following the two bookings there was another free kick against Walsall, and the referee called over the Walsall captain with the offending player for a reading of the riot act.

After this first quarter of an hour things settled down somewhat, and bit by bit the Saddlers established a good degree of control over the midfield. It was noticeable throughout the game that episodes of head-tennis always ended with a Walsall player managing to get the ball down on the ground and try to do something constructive with it. We began to press forward, with good moves down both flanks, and at the end of one down the left wing we were treated to a Walsall player strongly tackling back to regain possession, and fire a low cross into the box - a defender blocked it, but the ball squirted out to the centre edge of the penalty area where Taundry was steaming in. Fair play to the lad, he had the presence of mind to firmly sidefoot the ball along the ground rather than blasting it to kingdom come, and it was as sweet a strike on goal as you could expect. I have to say at this stage that I thought (and still think) that Deeney did the assist work from the left wing rather than Nicholls, but at the end of the day it's the goal that counts. That was after 32 minutes.

Although it wasn't a dirty game by any means, Rovers players seemed to hit the deck hard and often - they had used three substitutes by half-time, which came with the score 0-1 to the super Saddlers. Ince had only had a couple of tame shots straight at him to deal with by then, as opposed to the Rovers keeper who made one fine save to turn away a strong daisy-cutter from Nicholls for a corner, and conceded a goal as well. The hot "Cornish" pasties and Bovril went down very well during the interval, because it really was very cold!

The second half was "more of the same"... Rovers were relying on high balls up to their front men, but MacDonald's heading strength and the covering work by all the defenders made sure that practically nothing even reached Clayton Ince. I have to mention Darryl Westlake at this point - he played a real blinder, and showed a composure on the ball commensurate with someone much older and more experienced. Everything was going so well until about 15 minutes from the end, when the Rovers right winger, instead of crossing the ball to Ince, decided to cut inside and venture into the penalty area - it only warranted the slightest contact from Vincent, and down he went and the referee pointed straight to the spot, no hesitation at all.

"Here we go" we all thought, and as the Rovers player was poised to take the kick I noticed that Ince was actually standing well behind his goal line (which worried me a little). However, he shuffled forward and either guessed or planned right, diving to his right side and palming the ball away. To his credit, the Rovers player followed up and blasted the ball towards the goal but Ince (with a better save in my book) again got his hands to the ball and put it out of harm's way for a corner. Deep joy.

From then it was apparent that Rovers were having one of those games - they weren't going to score, and their cause wasn't helped by the large home following chanting "What a load of rubbish"..... it was a fellow UTS-er, grantwilliamsllb, who said "Listen, they're singing our song!!!" Rovers had another substitution, and then we did have a few minutes of squeaky-bum time until the 3 minutes of time added on were up. We didn't make a single substitution (so much for Hutchings' comment about the players being tired...)

It's very difficult to give individual match summaries, because this was a real team effort. Everyone worked their socks off, they harried and chased, and there wasn't a noticeable weak link anywhere in the eleven. If I had to single any out, I would have to mention Clayton Ince's penalty save..... Westlake's polished performance (Weston won't get a sniff if he carries on playing like this)...... Deeney and Nicholls' workrate was phenomenal...... Richards tracking back at high speed and challenging for the smallest scraps..... MacDonald's steadying influence at the heart of the defence reminded me of Albert McPherson of fond memories..... the number of crosses that our wingers put across (high numbers!!!) etc.

Worth mentioning as well was our ability to play football, passing it to our own players (for a change?). This was especially apparent in the last fifteen minues or so, when we played "keep-ball" in the Rovers' half, working neat triangles - it was lovely to watch.

Having said all that, perhaps we should keep our feet on the ground.... I may have been looking at the whole game through rose-coloured spectacles, because as we trooped off to find a warm car, a lady Bristol Rovers steward used that immortal phrase to me when she said "Well, you were crap, but we were worse" !!!!!

latviancheese
Site Addict
 
Posts: 13000
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:35 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:41 am

Its great to see Hoofball teams arent effective against us when Maccy D is on form, heads it away all day. Thats half the leagues attack stifled.

Welsh_Saddler
Site Addict
 
Posts: 9804
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:44 pm
Location: The beautiful Afan Valley

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:02 am

Can I just correct part of my match report - I was under the impression that Bristol Rovers had used loads of substitutes, but I now see from the BBC website that they only used two. They had so many stretched out on the turf who then went limping off helped by their physio, that I must have been assuming they were subbed, whereas it was the "injured" player coming back on to the pitch. My apologies.

Oh, and the comment of the lady steward wasn't quite right - I inadvertantly brought the "naughty words" filter into action... what she said was not "crud" but another four letter word which also begins with "cr" and rhymes with "frap". Nuff said!!!

mel58
UTS Veteran
 
Posts: 248
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:27 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:44 am

A great performance tonight - the best display since Yeovil away - not that much was needed to improve on our recent form!

The team as a whole were solid, industrious and committed. After we'd weathered the Gas' initial onslaught we were well in the game throughout, apart from a tricky ten minutes in the second half - following the substitution of the ineffactive Mark Wright for them - when they became more direct and pushed us back.

The pitch was excellent, which helped both teams produce a better match than we witnessed on saturday:

Ince - back to his best. Great penalty and follow up save. Confident handling throughout.

Sansara - getting somewhere nearer to playing like a full-back. He stuck to his task well and only got caught tucking inside too much on a couple of occasions.

Vincent - my MOTM (despite Ince's saves). He managed the defence really well. I think playing centre-back suits him better than left-back as he has time to read the play and can use his experience to anticipate situations.

McDonald - another performance that will make it difficult to dislodge him from the starting line-up. When his timing is right, his defending is impressive. The first to come over and applaud the fans too (closely followed by the other team members, too, I must add).

Westlake - confident and assured: played like he did when he first came into the team.

Richards - he's becoming the unsung hero of the team. Did lots of grafting - both defensively and in attack.

Nicholls - took his chance to show what he can do playing as a striker. He used his pace to very good effect and pressurised their defenders throughout the match.

Taundry - as usual, 100% effort and he did indeed finish well for the goal.

Mattis - managed to reign in his agression whilst working hard alongside Taundry.

Deeney - what the bloke has to do to win over those who doubt him, I don't know. He ran all night, never shirked a challenge and showed that his skills continue to develop.

Till - another good display. He put over some excellent crosses and did his fair share of defensive work. He seems to be taking things more seriously than earlier in the season and remains focussed throughout the game. Though he lacks Jones' direct pace and finishing skills he fully deserves his place in the team at the present moment.


The pasties were excellent - and plentiful.

It was indeed quite cold there tonight; hopefully it's preparation for this saturday's trip to Ice Station Boundary and a similar result.

User avatar
chestersaddler
Site Addict
 
Posts: 10191
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:21 am
Location: Europe

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 8:37 am

Enjoyed last night

Proper 3rd division football ground with terracing

Friendly stewards, excellent pasties etc

Excellent pitch, especially considering Rugby Union is played on it.

As for the match, well, our performance was much better than I expected, having read the recent reports on here. Without getting carried away, we were the better of two mediocre sides.

Ince did not have that much to do, but he made two significant contributions. A great save early on, tipping a dipping shot round the post, and the double save from the penalty kick. Other than that it was mostly gathering up stuff. He seems to be getting fatter!

Back four were solid. Most of their threat came down our left hand side as usual. The penalty award was fair, Vincent had a rush of blood in an otherwise good performance. I was particularly impressed with his aeriel ability, considering his height. McDonald is a natural leader and organiser, played well.

Midfield tackled and closed down well and kept the ball on the ground for the most part, particularly in the first half. A special mention for Till who, apart from a good workrate, caused their fullback problems every time he went forward.

Up front, Deeney worked hard as usual and Nicholls was excellent in the first half. He is very similar in style to Byfield in that role.

A couple of critical observations as although it turned out OK in the end, had that penalty have been scored, I would have come away feeling as though we had dropped two points

1. Why stop doing what worked so well in the first half? We squeezed right up and started to sit back in the period leading up to the penalty - you could see it coming. Rovers were poor and we should have pressed home the advantage and gone for a second goal. It appeared that only one team was trying to score in the last 20 minutes.

2. No subs used again - baffling. The players worked very hard last night and with the recent schedule, I would think that fresh legs in the last 20-25 minutes would be advantageous.

Overall, very happy with the result and the effort put in by the players, but not getting carried away given the poor opposition.

One final observation, the squads listed on the back of the programme showed that Bristol Rovers have 37 players ( including the guy they signed yesterday) versus Walsall's 25 man squad. This is what we are competing against, even at this level.

UTS

latviancheese
Site Addict
 
Posts: 13000
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:35 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:18 am

37 players, how many were kids though? Besides theyve obviously squandered their Lambert money.

User avatar
bangsection
Site Addict
 
Posts: 3951
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:28 pm
Location: York

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:47 am

From what I've heard it's the fact that they haven't obviously spent the Lambert cash that is upsetting most Gasheads.

User avatar
Duke
Site Addict
 
Posts: 7793
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:03 pm
Location: Aldridge

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:59 am


Registered Saddler
UTS Legend
 
Posts: 1699
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:24 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:16 pm

bangsection wrote:From what I've heard it's the fact that they haven't obviously spent the Lambert cash that is upsetting most Gasheads.

Haven't they? Their front three (Kuffour, Duffy & Williams) cost £400k+, albeit before Lambert was sold, and have scored a massive 14 goals between them this season. They've also brought in 7 loan signings - with an 8th to follow this week - while half their players are out on loan, wasting wages. Mark Wright was signed for a fee despite being available on a free just a few weeks earlier and is apparently on a three-year contract. And cash was poured down the drain on a pie-in-the-sky stadium redevelopment based on property prices at the height of the boom. Their wage bill is the biggest in their history...it wouldn't surprise me if the money had already been used up.

BathSaddler
Site Addict
 
Posts: 3914
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 11:44 pm
Location: Bath

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:32 pm

A heart warming performance from the lads last night. We had a 15 minute 'purple patch' when we created chances and scored what turned out to be the winner, and deserved the points.

Ince's penalty double save will love long in the memory too.

A special word for Clayton McDonald: there is only one way his career can go, and that is up. He should end up in the Championship at least. I would also stick with Nicholls and Deeney upfront for Saturday. It's clear that Byfield needs a kick up the proverbial backside.

Hutchings also got his tactics right [or was it just luck?]. We stifled them and gave them no room whatsoever in the second half, with two stong banks of 4, which they struggled to penetrate despite their apparent pressure.

Great spirit last night from all the starting 11. I hope it's turning point for us. Felt proud to be a Saddler again.

PS- I thought it was Deeney [and not Nicholls] who dispossed the defender that led to Taundry's first goal for the club?

User avatar
Jorge14
UTS Legend
 
Posts: 1995
Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Ampleforth, North Yorkshire

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:44 pm

Well that is more like it boys! It has even got me contemplating going to Oldham and Leeds now!

The next five games are massive for us, and I'm pleased we are going into them with a very tight defence. Three of the games are very winnable; we should be beating Oldham, Brentford and Yeovil and I will be disappointed if we don't get at least two wins from those three. Southampton and Leeds are, by all accounts, the best teams we have played this season - both will be tough. I can't really see us getting anything in either of those games, but Hartlepool - a very similar side to us from what I read in the local press up here - got a point at Elland Road. If we can go to Elland Road and St. Mary's and play OUR game not theirs as we so often end up doing against teams of all ability, we should be in the running to get points from those games. These next five games determine which end of the table we are going to be looking at for the rest of the season. If we get 9 or 10 points then we at least have a springboard to go in to March which has five winnable games which could cement a top-half finish. If we struggle at home and lose at Leeds and Southampton then last nights hardwork is undone.

Good to hear positive reports of Nicholls, Till and Richards. I have only seen about Till play three times, I think, and the only time he impressed me was the second half against Orient when he really took the game by the scruff of the neck. The pitch at the Memorial is a big one, so hopefully this is a good omen for the trips to Leeds and Southampton.

latviancheese
Site Addict
 
Posts: 13000
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:35 pm

Re: Bristol Rovers (A) League 1 Re Arranged Tuesday 9/2/10.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:44 pm

Registered Saddler wrote:
bangsection wrote:From what I've heard it's the fact that they haven't obviously spent the Lambert cash that is upsetting most Gasheads.

Haven't they? Their front three (Kuffour, Duffy & Williams) cost £400k+, albeit before Lambert was sold, and have scored a massive 14 goals between them this season. They've also brought in 7 loan signings - with an 8th to follow this week - while half their players are out on loan, wasting wages. Mark Wright was signed for a fee despite being available on a free just a few weeks earlier and is apparently on a three-year contract. And cash was poured down the drain on a pie-in-the-sky stadium redevelopment based on property prices at the height of the boom. Their wage bill is the biggest in their history...it wouldn't surprise me if the money had already been used up.


There you go. All people see is transfer fee's now.

PreviousNext
Return to 2009-10 Season

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests