GasMacc1
Les Bradd
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Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Aug 8, 2021 12:55:44 GMT
The referee wore an ensemble of mint Memo to Joey: pass mic onto Clint.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Aug 8, 2021 12:45:22 GMT
that's the standard of referee you are always going to get in the basement division. There's a reason those guys are 4th tier officials... The referee yesterday was Josh Smith. Last season, he refereed 5 games in League Two, 7 in League One and 5 in the Championship. I suspected that the officials might prove to be biased and/or incompetent in the early minutes, when Mansfield's feisty left-back committed one of the most obvious and outrageous foul throws I've ever seen (heel up, leg stretched back horizontally, waist height). Neither the referee nor the (male) assistant (who was only 5 yards away) spotted it. A small incident, but it made me wonder. [Has there been a change in the Laws? An Italian player "foul-threw" almost as badly in the Euro final, again without being penalised]. Another indicative incident in the second half: Zain Westbrooke fell down 30 yards from the Mansfield goal. I suspected that he hadn't been fouled - the ref booked him, presumably for simulation. But why get the yellow card out only for that incidence of simulation? I reckon I have seen about half-a-dozen similar "falls" from opponents in every game we've played since about 2010. One particularly egregious example was the fall in the penalty area by Semenyo in the last match at the Memorial Stadium before lockdown. Unpunished. To those two small incidents I cite from yesterday's match, I could add another twenty minor decisions where Mr Smith showed extreme leniency to Mansfield, but treated Rovers with the utmost strictness. Other posters in this thread have quoted some of the examples. That's the context against which the referee's two major decisions should be judged. Ah well. One of the matches Josh Smith refereed last season in the Championship was Millwall's 4-1 annihilation of C**& '82. So he's not all bad.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Aug 8, 2021 9:45:18 GMT
Luca Hoole isn't ready on that performance. I couldn't disagree more. His performance from first whistle to last was excellent. He knew when to play a safe ball back to Hughes when required, but going forward he combined well with those around him like Thomas or Anderson. Anssi often targeted him from goal kicks and, with his height, he won 80% of those balls. He was under pressure occasionally from the Mansfield left wing, but - alone or in tandem with Anderson - coped well and blocked more crosses than his predecessors from squads over the last few years. In my book he should be a definite starter. The only caveat would be whether at 19 years old he can sustain that level of performance; he might need a rest after a few games - we'll see.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Aug 6, 2021 11:22:52 GMT
I've always been sceptical of the "Chances Created" / "Shots on Target" / "Shots" categories.
Gazza's failure to convert that cross by the length of a stud against Germany in Euro 96 might not have registered in the stats, but you couldn't come much closer to scoring without actually putting the ball in the net. Conversely, an off-balance "shot" with your wrong foot from 25 yards that the keeper fields with one hand might count as a shot on target, even though in truth it is just a sign of the team's failure to break through a well-drilled solid defensive unit.
It's difficult for the analysts to keep a tally, but as a fan you know whether you have seen something to make you jump up from your seat, or if the opposition has made your heart skip a beat.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jul 31, 2021 15:40:24 GMT
Did anyone else think - this is surreal, like Bobby Gould scoring a hat-trick on his debut for Rovers at home to Blackburn in 1977?
Fantastic work from Ryan Jones, winning three tackles in quick succession to make the assist for the goal.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jul 17, 2021 11:57:52 GMT
Just in case anyone was planning to join in at 3pm.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jul 13, 2021 18:37:08 GMT
The squad that went to Bisham Abbey for the week recently consisted of 19 players, if I counted them correctly from the video footage.
I'm still trying to recognise the newcomers, but if I'm not mistaken Paul Coutts and Sam Finley were notably absent from the sessions. Neither of them played in the friendlies against Melksham or against Barnet.
Is the reason for their omission already well known? If so, I must have missed it.
Grateful if anyone can enlighten me!
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on May 26, 2021 12:37:29 GMT
A straight bet,I'm not offering odds. So you think Rovers are a sort of 50/50 bet to be one of the 2 teams to be relegated? Wow. And you are one of the optimistic ones. I reckon Rovers will be 50-1 or 66-1 to go down. Could even be as wide as 100-1, based on them being 2nd or 3rd favourites to win the division. I remember when we were first relegated to tier 4. I told my son at the time - "if we only get promoted via the play-offs, I'm not celebrating. We should walk this division". We finished second from bottom. That was the last year that only one team was relegated (Halifax). If it wasn't for Andy Rammell we would have finished bottom. If anyone is offering 100-1, I will be piling in. Pedants' Corner: We finished second from bottom, above Halifax, in 2002. The Andy Rammell season was 2003.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on May 21, 2021 20:47:44 GMT
Link to notice on Supporters Club website"Subscriptions for existing members of Bristol Rovers Supporters Club are due to be debited from members’ bank accounts on 1st July. Our Executive Committee has decided to waive these subscriptions for the forthcoming 2021-22 season. We are very aware that, due to the pandemic and the devastating effect it has had on football, our members have received precious little for their money and it seems very unreasonable to expect them to pay for this season. We very much hope that with restrictions easing we will be again be able to offer a full range of services and look forward to meeting you all again soon. Please note that this offer applies to everyone who is a fully paid-up member on 31st May 2021 and will be applied automatically. You will not need to do anything. Can we please ask that each member retains their season 2020-21 membership card and it will double up for the forthcoming season".
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on May 6, 2021 20:58:41 GMT
I thought he said Peter Ridsdale. He's an advisor to the owner at Preston North End. Formerly at Leeds and a number of other clubs.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on May 5, 2021 11:03:13 GMT
The "index" is compiled by a company called "Think Fan Engagement". Exeter were rated best out of the 92 clubs (actually 91, as the results are for the 2019-2020 season in which Bury were missing). Rovers scored well on dialogue, but not so well on governance or transparency. Link to Think Fan Engagement"Think Fan Engagement (Fan Insights) was set up by Kevin Rye, who's been at the centre of a unique network of fans, clubs and decision makers in football and sport for nearly 20 years.
Think Fan Engagement works with clubs & other rights holders, brands and other organisations who seek to understand fans and the relationships they have with their clubs, focusing initially (but not exclusively) on football and strongly advocating a culture of listening. We publish the annual Fan Engagement Index, covering the top four divisions of English men’s football, and the Fan Engagement Pod, available wherever you get your podcasts".
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Feb 2, 2021 13:32:58 GMT
By Accrington standards, the weather forecast is mild tonight. I've just finished watching a recording of Accrington's 2-0 win at Charlton from a couple of weeks ago. For starters, we're going to need to match their energy and determination. No place for shrinking violets tonight. They've got the typical John Coleman mix of Premier League academy rejects and loans, a couple of old stagers and some shrewd buys from non-League. Very impressive as a combined unit.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 30, 2021 14:41:40 GMT
No Radio Bristol feed on iFollow? Or is it just me?
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 27, 2021 19:02:14 GMT
I think Peterborough is what we used to be.
In the late 1990's, we were consistently challenging for promotion from the 3rd tier: four times in six years in the top 10, twice in the play-offs, once at Wembley. We scored a lot of goals - and conceded a fair few. Going from the late 1990's into the 2000's, we sold four strikers for over £1m. The key difference with Peterborough is that they have a plan to move into a new stadium by January 2023 "subject to the necessary funding, planning permission and construction timetables". What could possibly go wrong?
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 26, 2021 16:21:32 GMT
Can we learn from these summaries of three Posh defeats this season? Worth reading gassmac,but I could'nt spot any particular regular Posh errors.Make their GK work looks a good idea,so maybe a Malcolm Allison - God bless - "shoot on sight"! Yes, when I started looking into their defeats, with the Wimbledon game, I thought "Aha - the key is the patient approach, concede possession, counter-attack". Then I saw that Crewe took entirely the opposite tack! Maybe you just need to catch them on a bad day!
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 26, 2021 13:46:03 GMT
Can we learn from these summaries of three Posh defeats this season? (Reports summarised from BBC Sport). Cups are strange, but Chorley also won at London Road and Burton have drawn with Posh, twice this season (once in the League and once in a cup).
Wimbledon 2 Posh 1 2 Dec 2020
Wimbledon's best chance of the first half came on the counter-attack ... The hosts found their rhythm after the break and hit the front, tapping in a spilled effort. Wimbledon doubled the lead on the hour, scrambling the ball home from a scrappy corner. Jonson Clarke-Harris lashed in the goal of the night from a 25-yard free-kick with five minutes remaining but Posh could not find an equaliser.
Possession Wimbledon 32:68 Posh Shots On Target 4/9 v 4/16 Fouls 15 v 6
Posh 1 Blackpool 2 21 Nov 2020
The Seasiders hit the front in the 19th minute … turned smartly to fire past goalkeeper … after being picked out by … cross from the left. They were guilty of squandering a host of other chances.
Posh equalised in the 84th minute, a header from a corner.
Blackpool struck from close range to tuck away a cross in the last minute.
Possession Posh 58:42 Blackpool Shots On Target 2/10 v 6/10 Fouls 11 v 12
Crewe 2 Posh 0 14 Nov 2020
[Crewe] dominated the first half, repelling what little Posh had to throw at them after the break. …dead ball - a left-footed finish into the bottom corner via the inside of a post. The leaders struggled to get out of their own half in the first period, such was Crewe's accurate passing and the determination of their press. Crewe keeper ...was untroubled Posh's plight deepened …risky cross-field pass was intercepted … raced clear and thrashed the ball into the corner for Crewe's second four minutes before the break. Darren Ferguson's side improved in the second half but posed a limited threat.
Possession Crewe 56:44 Posh Shots On Target 3/10 v 3/10 Fouls 9 v 15
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 20, 2021 10:36:46 GMT
Our first goal ,the corner goal...Reminds me of the 70s long throw into big Stuart Taylor, his back header to be met and put into the net by eg Paul Randall. I thought the same! I'm surprised nobody has questioned whether Crewe's first goal (so admired by PT in his after-match interview) was offside. We'll never know (unless a view from a different camera emerges) because the iFollow angle didn't take in the full picture across the pitch when the ball was played in. However, as the ball went into the net, the Rovers back-line looked nice and straight, and all running back to goal. That suggests their starting positions (a second earlier when the ball was played) was upfield of the goal-scorer. Three defenders appealed for offside, but that doesn't prove anything, as all defenders always appeal for offside. Seconds after the restart following that early goal, Beccles pulled back on Hanlon's arm 25 yards out from goal. The officials missed it. It set the pattern. Crewe had the dark arts off to a "T". Nobody can convince me that so many players needed so much treatment for so long. In the second half alone, more than 6 minutes elapsed whilst the Crewe physio attended to 5 different players at different stages. Add to that the stoppage time for 3 goals and several substitutions and you end up with needing to add on 10 minutes. I remember games where the ref has added on lengthy times like that - why not yesterday? When a Crewe player kicked the ball away, having conceded a free-kick, it took Ed Upson to complain to the ref about time-wasting before he even considered taking the Crewe player to task for it. Refereeing shortcomings aside, I winced at: Rovers only sending one defender across to stand 10 yards from a corner being taken with two attackers over the ball. For decades, the accepted practice was that you needed two defenders out there, otherwise the two competent attackers would pass the ball around you, in effect creating a "hockey short-corner" crossing opportunity. I first noticed that DC's teams didn't follow that practice- GC soon re-instated it! - but Ben Garner seemed happy for only one defender ten yards from the corner flag. (He might have instructed another to get out there quickly, if the short-corner was played). PT doesn't seem to insist on the two-defender thinking. There were enough bodies to block the shot for Crewe's second goal, but we seemed to lack the urgency to close down the shot. Prior to that, there wasn't enough done to stop the cross coming in. I noticed when we attacked, Crewe always seemed to have a midfielder backing up the full back, so we had to work particularly hard to get any kind of cross in. Not for the first time (cf Wimbledon's second goal at their place) our defending from a deep free-kick was woeful. The eventual scorer of Crewe's third goal was marked - though not tightly - as the free kick was about to be taken, but had no trouble getting goal-side of his marker to meet the ball unopposed. I contrast our defending there with that displayed by, say, Coventry away last season, where their defenders wrestled our players in an effort to stop a threat from a set-piece. (Remember that? As it happened, we still managed to get the ball in the net, but the referee disallowed the goal, imagining the contact he saw being a foul BY the Rovers man - having seen the video replay the next day, he subsequently contacted Graham Coughlan to apologise, I understand). So the point is, why don't we rough the opponents up in an effort to stop the threat? The referees give random decisions anyway. Sadly, whilst the above examples focused on Crewe's goals, there were many other preventable Crewe attacks where only last-ditch defending or errant Crewe finishing put off further misery. There were many pleasing moves by Rovers - another day some of the last-ditch Crewe blocks in their own penalty area might have gone in, but we need to improve all aspects of the game - including the dark arts - if we are going to get out of the League One worry-zone.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 16, 2021 9:56:30 GMT
Charlton's manager Lee Bowyer's pre-match comments:
“[Our] team picks itself. We’re limited with the players we have got at the moment, through suspension, through injuries. This month is going to be tough, we’ve got a lot of games this month, so the sooner we get people back the better.
"Saturday is going to be a tough game, they’ve had some good results this season and we’re going to have to match them physically.”
Bowyer is not the first opposition manager this season to have said, before playing us, "we're going to have to match them physically".
Does that suggest he hasn't ever seen us? Or is it manager's code for "I don't rate them. They don't stand a chance, unless we take it easy"?
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Jan 14, 2021 11:30:14 GMT
It might have been a good strategic move to get knocked out of two cups in four days.
Our home League fixture with Pompey has now been re-arranged from 29th December 2020 to 16th February 2021.
That means we now play Saturdays and Tuesdays every week in the League from now until the first free Tuesday on 16th March.
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Dec 26, 2020 14:47:35 GMT
I can only get BBC 3Counties Radio on iFollow, whether I select Home or Away audio.
Here's the explanation:
"Bristol Rovers commentary is not available for today due to the travel restriction to their commentators. For this match, only MK Dons commentary is made available".
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