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Post by mehewmagic on Apr 2, 2016 11:02:25 GMT
My latest article on the Bristol post site looks at how similar this season has been compared to last season. Finishing second would be pretty amazing as well www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rovers-Blog-G-Gas-wonder-French-say-d-j/story-29033681-detail/story.htmlI wonder how the French say déjà vu?
The day before the start of this season I pondered what Gasheads could expect from a season back in League Two? “I anticipate more of the same, with a tight-knit team improving as the season goes on, and staggered signings and loanees coming and going to fill gaps. My heart says we could well continue our upward momentum, as many teams have done in the past, but my head reminds me that in nine previous seasons in ‘the easiest League in the world to get out of’ we had August optimism every season but reached the play-offs just once, and only finished in the top half of the table two other years, and they were both a statistic scrapping 12th”. My expectation was near enough what we have got, and happily the emotive ‘heart’ has won out over the worried ‘head’. The similarities between our two seasons with Darrell Clarke at the helm are startling. Whilst rage still simmered over sleep walking to relegation in May 2014, a poor start in non-league got many Gasheads very twitchy indeed. Most remember the first eight days, with only a solitary point gained from a trio of matches, and then press fast forward to the loss at Braintree Town (where some fans were also disgraced), but have forgotten that sandwiched in between were crucial wins in both home games (including mugging the then leaders FC Halifax Town) and a dominant draw at Forest Green Rovers. Those seven points probably kept DC in a job. Our lowest ebb may well have been an uninspiring 16th (call me old-school but in my childhood tables weren’t even given for the first three games of the season), but after the humbling defeat at the Irons we lost only two more Conference matches in 42 encounters. Rovers enjoyed an encouraging opening quartet of games this season, but then hit a sticky September with just a single point from five games, whilst reaching our nadir for the season (17th). However, we weren’t completely to know at the time that all of those five clubs will most probably finish in the top eight of the League, and that our later rise would be so fast and so high that with seven games still left, we can’t even mathematically finish any lower than that same number, 17th, and in reality a play-off berth already looks solid. Surely not even Ian Holloway could throw this position away? Our second sticky streak this season occurred around the time of the reverse fixtures, with just seven points in the seven games played from just after New Year’s Day until the end of February. We had a similar blip in non-league, but it occurred later, with only five points from the four March fixtures, which included a couple of insipid performances, the eventual dropping of Steve Mildenhall, and most importantly, relinquishing the top spot we temporarily held, but had never fully earned as Barnet always had a game in hand on us. We even slipped to third for a short time. This season’s March saw us finally stride forward with a confident swagger in our step, scoring 19 goals and looking like a real TEAM. Five of the six wins were by two goals or more, whereas in the previous 32 League games we achieved that level of dominance only six times. After 39 games we have 68 points, just six less than the same point last season. Likewise last season the 1-0 grinds and the late winners were replaced in the Spring by dominant wins against Aldershot Town (3-1), Chester City (5-1), Kidderminster Harriers (3-0 away), Southport (2-0) and finally the 7-0 mauling of poor Alfreton Town. That all stood us in good stead to complete a hugely comfortable 3-0 aggregate play-off win against our so-called bogey side Forest Green Rovers, one of only two teams to win at the Mem in the regular season. Oh, how far the Rovers had travelled in those nine months. And how the march has continued in the same style this time, despite minor stumbles along the path. This is a really important aspect of how DC works. He moulds a team throughout the season, adding and subtracting, drilling the understanding home, consistently riding mini-slumps, and comes on strong towards the finish. It is little surprise that he has a perfect record in play-offs, having been in charge for a trio of post-season campaigns and emerged the winner of all three. We’ve seen all this before, although in this League three teams get to go up automatically. Could we? Really? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin Bull became a Gashead in 1989 and immediately fell in love with Twerton Park, standing near G pillar. Two of his six books have been about Bristol Rovers. ‘Away The Gas’ is packed full of over 50 years of ‘I was there’ away game moments, all written by fans, and ‘Print That Season! - One man’s weekly meanderings throughout Bristol Rovers’ promotion campaign of 2014-15’ is the antidote to obedient season reviews, with none of the hindsight that most writers rely on. Full details of both are available at www.awaythegas.org.uk
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Post by stevethepirate on Apr 2, 2016 12:25:05 GMT
In simple terms, yes.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2016 17:07:49 GMT
There's more chance of me shagging Jenna Jameson than you going up.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2016 17:17:34 GMT
There's more chance of me shagging Jenna Jameson than you going up. [b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG.
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
No Buy . . . No Sell!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,293
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Post by brizzle on Apr 2, 2016 17:18:56 GMT
There's more chance of me shagging Jenna Jameson than you going up. What was the score today kaiser? You and us by the way.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2016 17:22:13 GMT
There's more chance of me shagging Jenna Jameson than you going up. [b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG. We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status.
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Post by alloutofgas on Apr 2, 2016 17:52:57 GMT
4-0. Ha ha ha s**thead.
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keygas
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 177
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Post by keygas on Apr 2, 2016 17:54:22 GMT
[b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG. We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status. With Ronnie Corbett passing this week I thought we lost 1 small comedian but with midget Johnson saying live on the radio were a ' premier league club in training ' I think we might of found another one.
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Bridgeman
Alfie Biggs
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,549
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Post by Bridgeman on Apr 2, 2016 18:26:31 GMT
[b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG. We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status. I see Rotherham's results have picked up a bit recently but in your favour Matt Derbyshire has got himself a ban so you might just save yourselves. Do you think you'll get the same level of investment in the team next season or do you think if Bristol Rugby finally get promotion to the Rugby Premiership money could be tight with it going to the egg chasers who will require substantial investment if they are going to remain there ?
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2016 18:32:34 GMT
PL team? The last time they played a PL team Arsenal walked around the KC for 85 mins and still won 4-0, the time before that Citeh strolled to a 4-1 victory. Poor old Kaiser, having to try to defend the nonsense spouted by Helium Jnr. What's key to settling your status is Lansdown's cheque book. At least our new owner has made it clear that he's building something sustainable. Mind the gap, without hand-outs to support your conveyor belt of half-witted managers it's going to be wide and deep
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Post by matealotblue on Apr 2, 2016 18:46:46 GMT
[b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG. We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status. ........and lose a lot.
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Post by singupgas on Apr 2, 2016 18:50:15 GMT
[b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG. We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status. Wake up kaiser you've become Bristol sports franchise under your long time billionaire owner and you're still sh!te, fighting to stay in a league, a team with finances that should be doing better in.
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Post by matealotblue on Apr 2, 2016 18:58:10 GMT
We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status. With Ronnie Corbett passing this week I thought we lost 1 small comedian but with midget Johnson saying live on the radio were a ' premier league club in training ' I think we might of found another one. That particular training course must be the longest in the world. He's delusional already.
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Post by clockendgas on Apr 2, 2016 19:12:29 GMT
There's more chance of me shagging Jenna Jameson than you going up. Ah the weekend warriors still alive down in sunny henley then, thought you had gone awol these last few weeks karsie, coming up to may2nd again and all that pain you still suffer with, i guess watching jenna jameson helps the stress from that painful event, you mucky little ted.
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
No Buy . . . No Sell!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,293
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Post by brizzle on Apr 2, 2016 19:26:29 GMT
Has anyone else noticed that our old friend kaiser, who used to be a fairly well-balanced poster in the not too distant past, and one who you could listen to and either agree or disagree with a smile on your face, has slowly become quite bitter and twisted of late. Is it something to do with his mob's continued flirtation with relegation, or our continued success on and off of the pitch do you think? Or a mixture of both perhaps. Kaiser old pal, masking bitterness with bile really doesn't work.
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Post by singupgas on Apr 2, 2016 20:27:25 GMT
Kaiser don't know why you come on here, why don't you talk about us with all your lot on the 160 odd page thread dedicated to us.
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Bridgeman
Alfie Biggs
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,549
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Post by Bridgeman on Apr 2, 2016 20:55:12 GMT
Kaiser don't know why you come on here, why don't you talk about us with all your lot on the 160 odd page thread dedicated to us. I think he comes on here because he thinks we'll all be impressed with someone coming on our forum from a 'massive' club
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mjg
Mickey Barrett
Joined: September 2014
Posts: 48
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Post by mjg on Apr 2, 2016 21:06:38 GMT
Kaiser, oh Kaiser More fertilizer than Pfizer Who's girth's a super sizer Oh Kaiser, oh Kaiser
My Kaiser, my Kaiser Your dreams are all in cider The gap's a lot less wider Oh Kaiser, oh Kaiser
And Kaiser you keep posting And often, Kaiser, boasting 'bout the league you're mostly most in And teams, like Hull, you're hostin'
And franchise fans are sighing 'bout rugby boys a-tryin' And kicking their conversions And, still, you cast aspersions
Remember Irene's singing As rugby players are winging As teddies bite the dust The Gas are going up.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2016 21:37:44 GMT
[b What would you know about winning football matches? After your latest pasting your manager described your joke of a franchise as a 'premier league club in training' icing on the cake for another Gas win and franchise pasting UTG. We just played a Premier League team in all but name. We play decent sides. Not the Mickey Mouse crap you play. A loss away to Hull is hardly end of the world. Tues is key for us to settle our Championship status. I wouldn't normally bother with this nonsense, but this is so delusional it's beyond. That's 'Mickey Mouse crap' that was in the same division as your horrible club last season. It's also 'Mickey Mouse crap' that's beaten your horrible club this season. What does that make your horrible club? If you can't help being delusional, at least work on being less bitter. Syrup of figs might help. I hope you lose again on Tuesday (as per, but frankly I'm not that fussed).
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Post by Curly Wurly on Apr 2, 2016 21:55:47 GMT
There's more chance of me shagging Jenna Jameson than you going up. That's a keeper
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