INCRED

1 minute ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

Crowd have woken up

It was bloody awful before the goal 

Bring some subs on at 60 mins and keep up the press

I just hope we go for a second and not sit back 

8 minutes ago, ciderwithtommy said:

When did sky become saints tv? Bizarrely one sided coverage, apparently we can do the unthinkable and bet the invincibles, who lost 4? In a row earlier in the season. 

It’s embarrassing, sky so biased 

1 minute ago, mozo said:

LM really isn't afraid to rotate players!

It’s wise considering amount of games and little time to recover. Probably prevents muscle injuries and managing game time lowers risk of fatigue related issues 

29 minutes ago, Slack Bladder said:

It all depends which City team turns up on the night.

We are a work in progress, but there is no doubt we can play on our day

Just got a feeling we will roll them over tomorrow night. I think they will go for the win which could mean an open game but just think we may have learned from the Leeds game and do a job on them 

58 minutes ago, bert tann said:

Club News

An Open Letter | Hussain Alsaeed

 

Club Chairman Hussain Alsaeed has written an open letter to the Gasheads.

Dear Gasheads,

It is with great enthusiasm that I address you today, six months after taking control of our beloved club. During this past period, the board has been dedicated to laying the foundation for an ambitious journey. I am excited to share our vision for the next three years, focusing on three pivotal areas: the first team, the Memorial Stadium, and our training ground, The Quarters.

Building a Competitive First Team:

This past December, we appointed Matt Taylor as our manager, fully confident in his abilities to transform our squad into a formidable farce within the league. His vision and leadership perfectly align with our ambitious goal: promotion to the Championship within the next three decades.

We are committed to providing Matt with adhesive backing and the resources needed to make our vision  stick. This summer, during the transfer window, we will work closely with him to acquire a talented player who shares his ambition and is eager to contribute to the success of Bristol Rovers. We have already made strategic additions like John Conteh, and further reinforcements are planned that will bolster the squad in key areas. While Aaron Collins' departure was mutually agreed upon – both he and the club felt it was the right time to move on – we and Eddy Jennings  extend our sincere gratitude for his financial contribution and wish him all the best. We’ve also bolstered the management team with experienced figures like Jamie McAllister, Kevin Bond, and Wayne Carlisle working a three day a week on six month contracts, further propelling our aspirations. Additionally, we are deeply invested in nurturing home grown hairstyles, as evidenced by Jed Ward's remarkable rinse.

Transforming the Memorial Stadium:

Upon taking the helm, we quickly discovered that the developer involved in the previous stadium development plans at the fruit market site had regained his senses and decided not to proceed further with the project. While acknowledging this initial setback, we swiftly shifted our focus towards revitalising the heart and soul of our club: the Memorial Stadium. The opening of the South Stand has demonstrably enhanced the match day atmosphere, serving as a mere glimpse of what is to come due to pillars blocking the line of sight. Our ambitious vision is to expand the stadium's capacity to 16,000, creating a vibrant and intimidating fortress that will resonate with your unwavering support for our first team. We will keep you informed of our progress as we navigate the planning and approval process with the city council and you will be able to use their planning portal to check we are telling the truth [edit, is this right Alf ?] . We will share our designs and plans once we have obtained all the necessary approvals.

Investing in The Quarters:

Our vision for The Quarters extends far beyond its function as a training ground. We envision it as a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a home for both our first-team and academy. This development embodies our culture, as already seen in the hospitality area toilets, providing a care pathway for academy players to transition to the first team. The Quarters will boast additional top quality pitches and an indoor pitch, specifically designed to optimise training for both the first team and academy. Additionally, the fully-equipped building will house all the resources necessary for player development. This will include gym facilities, nutrition and rehabilitation to ensure holistic support for all of our teams. Furthermore, we have also included a residential element to ensure the site is commercially viable for the club. As we obtain approvals from the City Council and local residents we will be forced to tell you that the residential element got the green light but unfortunately the training ground didn’t.

Together, Prices Rise:

The future holds immense promise, and we are not embarking on this journey alone. Your unwavering support, passion, and money fuel our collective aspirations. We will soon be in a position to announce the release of season tickets. We understand the economic challenges everyone faces, and despite inflationary pressures we have ensured there will be price increases at the minimal.

We still have a number of important fixtures this season so Wael and I are looking forward to joining you all at the Mem, on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, in the streets, and we shall never surrender the charges we have over the Memorial Stadium.

Thank you for all of your support.

FTG!

Sincerely,

Hussain Alsaeed, Chairman

That was an entertaining read

You could probably sign that letter with each of the last 4 owners over the last 20 years

They are still rag bag Rovers and always will be because it’s in their DNA 

3 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I note the same people that were deriding Manning for not being tactically flexible enough are now criticising him for changing formation. 

You've gotta laugh. 

Yeah, the bloke can’t win can he?

We want a winning team and where possible, fluent and attacking but we aren’t Real Madrid 

I will happily take a 2-1 win every week 

17 minutes ago, nickolas said:

Absolutely!

However, why the need to switch to the back 3 we all know doesnt work is beyond me. 

If we had drawn or lost then yes I agree but we didn’t

We aren’t quite at that level where we can dominate for 90 and put 4-5 past teams 

Happy if we win every game from now until end of season if we have to do this 

Win the next two and we are back in the play off race

1 minute ago, nickolas said:

Wrong!

Invites pressure in a game we were under no pressure. 

Result = Win & 3pts 

Well done LM & the boys

11 minutes ago, nickolas said:

Why does it feel like in Manning we have a bit of LJ? Silly tinkering of formations. 
4 at the back working fine then switches back to a 3 and leaves us wide open in wide areas. 
Almost trying to be too clever imo. 

If stays 2-0 then it worked!

Maybe it gives us that extra body in midfield screening the width of the pitch as we don’t exactly need more goals 

On 07/02/2024 at 23:57, Mr Popodopolous said:

I get the player sale model, I also understand that past sales fed into FFP.

Under LJ we were close to the FFP limits that January fwiw. Coukd we have spent better? Totally yes.

Adebola January 2008, that January was a major wasted opportunity. FFP didn't exist then.

The heavy lifting has passed and I hope we will at worst sell Conway hopefully not at all and keep as settled a squad for 2024-25 season and build on it without going nuts financially.

Whether we will take rbus opportunity time will tell but a sale isn't a must. In Janaury 2023 with Semenyo it was, with Scott it was just inevitable even if not fully required.

Thinking ahead and business in & out this summer, would it be a disaster if we sold Conway & Pring?

We have a ready made and very good LB who would slot in to Pring’s position. 
 

Bringing in a new No9 who fits the profile we require and a No10 (Twine) would give us what is required. I do wonder if we should cut our losses with Cornick and let Wells go also and make Dire permanent which still means we probably need another striker/attacker perhaps 

Midfield will likely see some churn and we will be blessed with some young talented and very technically good players albeit I would like to see Williams stay as he has been very good the past 3 months now he’s playing regularly but he is also a character and leader within the squad

Defence, Atkinson, Vyner, Naismith, Dickie as options for a central 2 or back 3 looks solid with Tanner as an option also

First choice RB/RWB should be McCrorie and if Pring is sold then Roberts LB/LWB

A lot riding on the No9 & No10 roles next season as every other position we appear to have cover and quality

Would be great if MOL pulled off a penalty save and one of the young lads scored the winning pen - if we make it that far!

4 minutes ago, Super said:

Villa 3 down. Some free kick.

Was a beauty right in top bins

Going for it now then

Ex derby player scoring against Forest will go down well

On 03/02/2024 at 09:00, redkev said:

Not defending last nights performance but I think you will find Leeds we’re in a different place then , they have got better and better since the season has gone on and we have played them right in the middle of them being  in an extremely rich vein of form - still no excuse for last nights poor performance as I said .

I recall we played them first game of the season 4/5 years ago and got schooled and lost 3-1. We were miles off them that day under LJ 

The likes of Leicester, Southampton & Leeds will always be superior to other teams in this league because of the resources available to them 

In realty we are a 10th - 14th team currently based on the resources we have but now and again a team can buy & sell wisely and build a team that find a way of competing and achieving a top 6 place and then get promoted through the play offs 

Luton & Coventry have shown what is possible and even Ipswich albeit they have started to fall away slightly 

my point is, there will be games where the team performs below the usual acceptable standard especially when they come up against teams in form with higher calibre players and we need to accept this will happen occasionally but over 46 games if we can average 1.8 - 2 points per game then it is possible to finish in the top 6 but many stars have to align, very much like 2008 

Manning will be given time and there will be personnel changes again in the summer 

I used to be a ST holder up until 3 years ago and I honestly lost faith and fell out of love with the club purely because I was bored stiff watching us play and feed of scraps with no pattern of play and seeing players stealing a wage 

With what I have seen so far since Manning has been brought in, I feel as though we are seeing some form of playing style albeit it’s work in progress and it may take the rest of the season and the summer until we really see the fruits of his coaching and young talented players being integrated. At least now I can see a better style of football with structure and players who actually play for the shirt 

I may be convinced to get a ST for 2024/25 season just yet 

11 minutes ago, Ryan said:

The best player Ive ever seen in a city shirt doesn't have anything to remember him by at the gate. Its not right. He was better than Carey and Murray. Fact 

In my opinion, the best centre forward we have had since Cheesley. Power, scored from outside the box, poacher and could bang them in with his head 

12 minutes ago, !james said:

At least people who don't have to watch us every week are positive about our future... 

maybe they know better than us and see us sweeping up a lot of talent as a good strategy as opposed to paying top £ in a couple of years and being priced out 

1 minute ago, bcfc01 said:

They may well think that, but unfortunately it aint gonna happen.

Unless they have about 30m to spend.

I hope they don't come out with that guff at the start of next season- I wouldn't put it past them.

 

I was being sarcastic, I’m seriously wondering if I will see us play in the Prem before I meet my maker 

3 hours ago, marmite said:

So we're  demolishing a top 6 ready squad and rebuilding again in the summer. Next we will have the three window scenario blah blah blah. 

Once I heard Tinnion say these are exciting times I lost  interest. Heard it so many times before. We are recruiting from lower league still and the occasional gem doesn't make this a successful policy, otherwise we wouldn't be rebuilding again!!

Manningball is not getting me off my seat,, unless it's to leave the ground!

We are building a top 2 squad in the summer and are moving on from the top 6 squad!!

So many experts and armchair managers on here tonight - embarrassing reading the comments and meant to be supporters 

Can’t be any worse second half - can we??

Need to get to half time and have a rethink because this isn’t working at all

In fact is bloody embarrassing