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Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: TonySoprano on October 11, 2025, 04:44:43 pm

Title: Embarrassing
Post by: TonySoprano on October 11, 2025, 04:44:43 pm
For mcann and the players that.

Awful line up.
I thought middledon and gotts were guaranteed to start.
Bad day at the office all round.

But Again, the main problem is the atrocious recruitment that is killing us.

Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: mpc123 on October 11, 2025, 04:48:39 pm
You weren't saying that the first 5 games, same players.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: In the box on October 11, 2025, 04:52:53 pm
For mcann and the players that.

Awful line up.
I thought middledon and gotts were guaranteed to start.
Bad day at the office all round.

But Again, the main problem is the atrocious recruitment that is killing us.
No bad days at the office are one offs .. this is a complete failure in all parts of the team. For when Sterry’s  got injured it’s been a steady decline of player performances and poor results. But even before then results depended on only one or two players getting to score sheet and it disguised the lack of a proven striker that’s still baldly needed !!
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Padge_DRFC on October 11, 2025, 04:54:11 pm
Gotts
Oriordan
Middleton
Grehan
Pearson

Are all fine. The issue for me is our starting 11 isn't improved from last season
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: mpc123 on October 11, 2025, 04:58:17 pm
They maybe but it is a step up.

Orient are a team that are mature in league one and hit the play offs last year.

I was prepared for this.

Like any team we are on a slump, of form.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: PDX_Rover on October 11, 2025, 04:58:51 pm
I have faith in the management putting it right. A long long long way to go.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Pancho Regan on October 11, 2025, 05:01:53 pm
I have faith in the management putting it right. A long long long way to go.

Well said.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: sedwardsdrfc on October 11, 2025, 05:06:59 pm
Recruitment isn’t bad it was just centre forward area that’s lacking.

We aren’t picking a settled team thats a big part of the problem he’ll get it right eventuall. Could do with hurrying up like
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 11, 2025, 05:08:00 pm
That was absolutely terrible.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: ForsolongaRover on October 11, 2025, 05:10:31 pm
Gotts
Oriordan
Middleton
Grehan
Pearson

Are all fine. The issue for me is our starting 11 isn't improved from last season

Some just stopped trying today, some didn’t even start trying. The way we played against their 10 men was embarrassingly bad.

Middleton, Sharp, Bailey, Gotts and Nixon showed some effort. Lawlor never seems to save anything, rarely comes out for crosses and always blames the defence.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: GazLaz on October 11, 2025, 05:16:30 pm
Does Grant pick the names out of a hat to choose is starting XI? He obviously doesn’t but he doesn’t know his best team does he. That’s a slight concern.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 11, 2025, 05:17:19 pm
Also apparent we have absolutely no pace in the side anywhere.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Ian Nimmo on October 11, 2025, 05:18:04 pm
We are changing the team too much, we need more consistency.
Surely he should have started Broadbent and not Sabarra.
Gotts scored 2 in the week and left on bench.
McGrath was terrible today, play Pearson who at moment is more consistent.
Leading the line is beginning to be a real issue, Billy worked hard all game but again we need him in box with half decent balls to him, all to often he having to work outside the box.
Difficult to see where we will get goals from on that performance.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Prez on October 11, 2025, 05:19:22 pm
Molz needs dropping. Dont care if hes our best player, hes out of form. McGrath has been appalling too. Very odd team selection.

Next game front 3 of Sharp, Gibson and Middleton. Midfield of Bailey, Gotts and Broadbent.

Back 4 Maxwell, Grehan, O Riordan and Nixon.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Bessie Red on October 11, 2025, 05:21:00 pm
Does Grant pick the names out of a hat to choose is starting XI? He obviously doesn’t but he doesn’t know his best team does he. That’s a slight concern.
Best team weve got is:
TLT
Maxwell
Sterry
Pearson
Grehan
Bailey
Broadbent
Clifton
Middleton
Sharp
Molenyeux
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Fal on October 11, 2025, 05:24:29 pm
Our poor run of form started when Clifton got injured.....just saying...

On another note, McGrath had probably one of if not the worst game of his career today.

Like others have said i have faith in McCann to turn it around still.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: In the box on October 11, 2025, 05:28:06 pm
Molz needs dropping. Dont care if hes our best player, hes out of form. McGrath has been appalling too. Very odd team selection.

Next game front 3 of Sharp, Gibson and Middleton. Midfield of Bailey, Gotts and Broadbent.

Back 4 Maxwell, Grehan, O Riordan and Nixon.
Grant is off his game too  imo !!
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: grayx on October 11, 2025, 05:33:44 pm
I just cant get my head round our starting line-up. Middleton should have been one of the first names on the sheet, S’barra nowhere near the sheet. Both centre halfs had a mare, midfield non existent and we wont score playing Billy as a lone striker. Mols showed nothing yet again.
We cant afford to keep turning in performances like that.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: GazLaz on October 11, 2025, 05:34:43 pm
Our poor run of form started when Clifton got injured.....just saying...

On another note, McGrath had probably one of if not the worst game of his career today.

Like others have said i have faith in McCann to turn it around still.

Is that £500k offer still on the table for Jay?
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Sprotyrover on October 11, 2025, 05:36:36 pm
It was a ‘Car crash today, hopefully Grant can pick up the pieces and we move on.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Sprotyrover on October 11, 2025, 05:40:23 pm
I keep trying to watch Sbarra he seems a bit of a passenger, he just disappears into the pack, please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Pliskin on October 11, 2025, 05:44:55 pm
Now that the momentum from last season has worn off, it’s a real possibility that we're going to be fighting around towards the lower end of this league.

Honestly, where are the goals meant to be coming from?

Attacking players are really struggling to make an impact in games at this level. Other than the fantastic performance against Bradford, our only goals from attacking players have just been a Molyneux penalty vs Exeter and the Wycombe keeper gifting Sharp an open goal.

Defensively we started off very promisingly, but now we're leaking goals as well, particularly away from home. Some of the defending recently has been really poor.

We need another Bradford performance sooner rather than later.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on October 11, 2025, 06:07:50 pm
We’ve hit a real bad patch. I’m surprised if we lose four nil to anybody in this league. I think the recruitment has been pretty good, we just haven’t got the firepower we had last season, Rob Street hasn’t been replaced. We are relying on Billy Sharp when as good as he is we should have two other strikers that are far younger and on form.

 Ajayi has ability but his confidence seems low. Hanlan hasn’t had a good start. The guy from America seems also low on confidence. A bit of work needs doing on the training ground. We shouldn’t be losing to Orient like that.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Alan Southstand on October 11, 2025, 06:11:55 pm
Lawlor not the better keeper.
Nixon not the best right back.
Senior not the best left back.
McGrath loss of form & O’R just come backin.
Close & S’Barra nowhere near.
Mols totally off it.
We are desperate for a quality striker.

Some hard truths need addressing and fast!
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: les@donr on October 11, 2025, 06:13:57 pm
It will be interesting what Grant says in his post match interview about that performance.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: DonnyOsmond on October 11, 2025, 06:51:36 pm
Where's this apostrophe in Sbarra's name come from.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Pancho Regan on October 11, 2025, 06:59:40 pm
Gotts
Oriordan
Middleton
Grehan
Pearson

Are all fine. The issue for me is our starting 11 isn't improved from last season

 Lawlor never seems to save anything, rarely comes out for crosses and always blames the defence.

Sorry, I know we’re all hurting and cross but I’m not having that.
Lawlor has generally been excellent in the games he’s played.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 11, 2025, 07:11:05 pm
We’ve hit a real bad patch. I’m surprised if we lose four nil to anybody in this league. I think the recruitment has been pretty good, we just haven’t got the firepower we had last season, Rob Street hasn’t been replaced. We are relying on Billy Sharp when as good as he is we should have two other strikers that are far younger and on form.

 Ajayi has ability but his confidence seems low. Hanlan hasn’t had a good start. The guy from America seems also low on confidence. A bit of work needs doing on the training ground. We shouldn’t be losing to Orient like that.

Anyone we should be thinking about signing Sammy?
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: selby on October 11, 2025, 07:35:05 pm
  There is a lad we released the season before last coming back from Australia in November Max Anderson, not a boy any more worth another look as a striker.
  He has been top scorer for his sides and the divisions in New Zealand and Australia and a couple of weeks trial while over here would cost nothing and we might just turn up a nugget.
  A big lad, fast and a finisher, and puts himself about.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: In the box on October 11, 2025, 08:02:15 pm
We’ve hit a real bad patch. I’m surprised if we lose four nil to anybody in this league. I think the recruitment has been pretty good, we just haven’t got the firepower we had last season, Rob Street hasn’t been replaced. We are relying on Billy Sharp when as good as he is we should have two other strikers that are far younger and on form.

 Ajayi has ability but his confidence seems low. Hanlan hasn’t had a good start. The guy from America seems also low on confidence. A bit of work needs doing on the training ground. We shouldn’t be losing to Orient like that.
Recruitment has been typical of a club who wants to improve but won’t go beyond its means to do so . Why take players on loan , build them into working effective player and achieve your aims unless you make the final gesture and sign them . This Dajavu syndrome we have every January of looking for that missing piece only to let it go has to stop or give up looking !! It’s costing the club supporters who know what to expect the following season as the same mistakes are continuing.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: jmt23 on October 11, 2025, 08:03:25 pm
I’m not usually one for agreeing with such hyperbole after a defeat, as it’s never usually so clear cut, but that today for me was as bad as it can get,  without we start accept relegation.

Billy, Ben & Owen were ok, the rest ranged from bad to pathetic.

I hate thinking this, never mind saying it, but Moly & McGrath both who apparently had interest from other clubs in the summer,  don’t look like players that want to be here or up for the fight.

I hope it’s nothing like that and they are just very short on confidence, but one thing is very clear they are certainly not good enough at the moment and I did actually find myself feeling embarrassed about both of them:
Lack of pace, lack of ball control, lack of desire, skill, just aimless kicking of the ball, and in Moly’s case whenever he was tackled or lost the ball - throwing a mini tantrum.

Mcann needs to action the words in his post match regarding the trust he had in certain players, he needs players that will dig in and work hard in bad times, not just good.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: StocksArmy on October 11, 2025, 08:16:08 pm
Sbarra must have won a competition to play for us. Hes complete and utter garbage. Hes played once this season where I’ve recognised he’s on the pitch and that was at Huddersfield and because he missed a sitter. He’s now started 3 on the spin and I can’t for the life of me understand what he’s doing to get anywhere near the squad let alone the starting 11. It’s not only him but he’s the one I looked at on the team sheet and thought wtf is McCann thinking.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 11, 2025, 08:34:39 pm
McCann has apologised and said he got everything wrong today. Other than the ref being blind and the players going to sleep at set pieces.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: BillyStubbsTears on October 11, 2025, 08:55:46 pm
Good that McCann has accepted that he blew it today.

But. The collapse in form of some players is a major worry.

By the way, it's not the reason we lost today but that ref was the worst I've seen in years. Absolute shite, he was.

I listened to the Orient commentary. They were incredulous that we didn't get a penalty when Sharp was pulled. And that we didn't get a free kick when Sharp was manhandled as we broke in the first half. Thst resulted in the booking to McGrath and the Orient pressure leading to their s cond goal, right when we were on top.

The commentators must've said half a dozen times "Doncarrrrrster have every right to be a bit aggreived at some of the decisions today."
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 11, 2025, 09:00:35 pm
He was poor but we were absolute dog shit.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: grayx on October 11, 2025, 09:55:32 pm
  There is a lad we released the season before last coming back from Australia in November Max Anderson, not a boy any more worth another look as a striker.
  He has been top scorer for his sides and the divisions in New Zealand and Australia and a couple of weeks trial while over here would cost nothing and we might just turn up a nugget.
  A big lad, fast and a finisher, and puts himself about.
Cant be any worse..
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 11, 2025, 11:17:53 pm
For mcann and the players that.

Awful line up.
I thought middledon and gotts were guaranteed to start.
Bad day at the office all round.

But Again, the main problem is the atrocious recruitment that is killing us.



Recruitment has been terrible, yet you’re called for two of the new recruits to start today.
Makes sense
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 11, 2025, 11:18:48 pm
Does Grant pick the names out of a hat to choose is starting XI? He obviously doesn’t but he doesn’t know his best team does he. That’s a slight concern.

When we were winning at the beginning of the season we were making changes each week. It wasn’t an issue then
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 11, 2025, 11:19:31 pm
Lawlor not the better keeper.
Nixon not the best right back.
Senior not the best left back.
McGrath loss of form & O’R just come backin.
Close & S’Barra nowhere near.
Mols totally off it.
We are desperate for a quality striker.

Some hard truths need addressing and fast!

Who’s the best fit right back if it’s not Nixon?
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Move DRFC on October 11, 2025, 11:27:05 pm
I don’t love chopping and changing of the centre backs to be honest. Don’t mind it when it’s other positions but I think that’s an area we need to stick with the same two and get them on a run together. McGrath should be nowhere near that two when Grehan is back as well. He’s our 4th best centre back and still can’t believe we rejected half a mil for him.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Usher wide. on October 11, 2025, 11:29:31 pm
Ouch!

A club that finished Champions of their division last year come up against a side that missed out on playing Championship football this season via the play offs.

That ‘gulf’ on today’s showing is clearly massive, so let’s forget about being anywhere near the top six, despite the management’s bullish hopes pre-season.

We have a 39 year old (as excellent as he is & was today) as our No.1 striker. THIS area of recruitment (should I say shockingly poor recruitment) will prove to be our ‘downfall’ this season.

Goals win games. Not inch perfect crosses into the box, not glancing headers from corners or free kicks that go a foot wide of the frame of the goal.

Yes Grant bewildering played McGrath instead of Pearson at CB & Sbarra as opposed to…….well anybody, Gibson as opposed to our current best crosser of the ball CONSISTENTLY into the box in Middleton’s BUT, when all is said & done, even when taking Jay’s nightmare of a game & his two errors that resulted in two of their goals (one after 1 minute 15 seconds or close to) we just weren’t good enough.

AND this wasn’t Orient’s ‘best XI’ according to RW with players out injured & on international duty.

And yes, if they aren’t in ‘the mix’ given their owner’s ambitions for the club which includes a new stadium by 2031 & the budget handed to RW for recruitment during the close season (which has clearly been used wisely along with a new position of ‘Head of Recruitment’ the club has never had before) come the end of the season I will be very surprised.

We didn’t witness a gulf today….it was a chasm.

So, we either trust Grant to tinker with the group he has that he consistently tells us he has faith in & ‘see out the season’ or we still look to challenge for a top six this season by finding the ‘next Rob Street’ come January along with a midfielder or two who gives us more than we have at present (please don’t tell me Clifton is the answer to our prayers) & send the ‘young pretenders’ in Ajayi & Crew back to their parent clubs to ‘develop at their own clubs expense’ plus ‘Houston we have a problem’ who wasn’t on the bench today, & recruit better in January if we’re still anywhere near contention.

My expectations for this season were way off the mark. We’ve drawn & lost games at home against mediocre ‘at best’ sides & still have big games against ‘the big boys’ to come.

Let’s at least trust we can make a fist of it come May.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Avsuptem on October 12, 2025, 06:14:50 am
Grant did mention in his interview that if necessary he would be looking for a budget for better players or words to that effect.
 
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: roversdude on October 12, 2025, 08:42:43 am
Unfortunately as we sit at the start of October the transfer window seems a long long way off.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 12, 2025, 08:55:50 am
We’re sat in 10th position.
Most people predicted a midtable finish, the negative ones who predicted a relegation battle are now the ones complaining about performances and results when we’re sat in 10th.
Performing much better than they predicted yet they’re still moaning.

Doesn’t make sense, need to look at the bigger picture, fact is if we’re going to finish midtable then we’re going to lose a lot of games this season
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Padge_DRFC on October 12, 2025, 09:10:09 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 12, 2025, 09:20:43 am
We have a huge squad. Adding yet more players is not the answer. We had a relatively settled group of match day players in the first 6 weeks of the season. Get them playing cohesively again. They had proved they can do this. We cannot keep throwing more and more money at the problem, when we have senior players on good money not even making the match day squad.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: TonySoprano on October 12, 2025, 09:38:14 am
We have a huge squad. Adding yet more players is not the answer. We had a relatively settled group of match day players in the first 6 weeks of the season. Get them playing cohesively again. They had proved they can do this. We cannot keep throwing more and more money at the problem, when we have senior players on good money not even making the match day squad.

We DO need a number 9 in January
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Barmby Rover on October 12, 2025, 09:52:33 am
I read a post from a Cardiff fan the other day saying Orient were the best side he has seen this season, maybe they are starting to prove it. That said we were poor yesterday and there needs to be some serious thinking, Middleton needs to be playing regularly, we are missing Clifton more than we thought we would, and TLT needs to be in goal.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Draytonian III on October 12, 2025, 10:15:37 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.


So I’ve got a few hours spare please outline how to run a football club and how you run the one that you presently do
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 12, 2025, 10:27:21 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Chris Black come back on October 12, 2025, 10:31:13 am
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: GazLaz on October 12, 2025, 10:37:19 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly


I agree with you. Grant set the expectations though. He himself said he knows what he needs to challenge for the top 6 and the club gave it him. He set his own budget for that.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on October 12, 2025, 10:40:59 am
Yesterday's abhorration was very little about recruitment and more about the basic fundamentals of playing football.

Little point talking about the merits of the forward line. Even if we had Harry Kane playing up front, you can't make basic errors like that at any level of football and get away with it.

From maybe the Wimbledon game, we started to see bad signs. Our keeper becoming jittery, our general play becoming sloppy and players dipping far below what they're capable of individually and collectively.

It's clear where McCanns focus needs to be and at least he's taken responsibility to make sure the players wake up. Some, maybe too comfortable thinking they can coast through games thinking they've done enough to show they're league one standard players. Time to think again. Same for McCann reviewing his approach to team selection. Rotation for rotations sake isn't going to do anything to rebuild the team ethic and continuity.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: roversdaft on October 12, 2025, 10:45:45 am
These wild line ups started with the big win at Boro.

We put them to the sword with what looked like a team of fringe players.

Since then, Grant has taken the stance that whatever team he starts is as good as the last. Look at that shocking side he put out against Spurs?
Jesus wept, unbelievable.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Ian Nimmo on October 12, 2025, 11:03:38 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly

You keep quoting we’re 10th in the league.
Only because most other clubs didn’t play at the weekend.
Our performances are getting worse game by game, so on a downward spiral, with no real chance of our main issue being resolved before January.
We should not have released Joe Ironside, but obviously he was told he would not be in McCanns plans, Hanlan is nowhere near Ironside, so a very poor decision by someone?

Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 12, 2025, 11:09:58 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly

You keep quoting we’re 10th in the league.
Only because most other clubs didn’t play at the weekend.
Our performances are getting worse game by game, so on a downward spiral, with no real chance of our main issue being resolved before January.
We should not have released Joe Ironside, but obviously he was told he would not be in McCanns plans, Hanlan is nowhere near Ironside, so a very poor decision by someone?



Don’t start with the only because nonsense you were saying that all last season and look what happened.
We’re 10th, it’s a fact, don’t need to argue it.

It’s been a good start to the season, another fact
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 12, 2025, 11:12:13 am
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly


I agree with you. Grant set the expectations though. He himself said he knows what he needs to challenge for the top 6 and the club gave it him. He set his own budget for that.

He did, but that’s what he does he’s a positive manager. Last season he said we’d win the title before a ball was kicked and all season people were knocking that, saying we’ve no chance.
Even in April folk were saying we’ve no chance.

If he says we are aiming for the top 6 then let’s see where we are in May, not where we are in October. And not poo poo that prediction when we’re only 4 points off it with 30 odd games to go
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: BobG on October 12, 2025, 11:31:27 am
I'm puzzled. Any team, whether they play well or badly, can be beaten. But a team playing fairly well, like the Rovers were for the first month of the season, shouldn't turn into a collection of strangers the first time they lose a game or two. Yet we did. So the question has to be 'Why?'

I'm sure there are lots of possible answers to that question, but the obvious one, for me at least, is that the squad is no longer united. Squads that are split, that are not focussed on a common, group wide objective, are the sort of squads that collapse like we've recently witnessed. This is is entirely speculative, but for players that knew what they were doing a month ago to not know what they are doing now, has to have been caused by something.

BobG
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: ncRover on October 12, 2025, 12:21:21 pm
The fixture list in November and December looks a lot more difficult on paper.

Barnsley
Lincoln
Stevenage
Posh
Stockport
Cardiff
Plymouth
Blackpool
Stockport

If we’re still 10th after that I will be happily surprised!
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: McCammon egg n chips on October 12, 2025, 12:31:49 pm
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly


I agree with you. Grant set the expectations though. He himself said he knows what he needs to challenge for the top 6 and the club gave it him. He set his own budget for that.

He did, but that’s what he does he’s a positive manager. Last season he said we’d win the title before a ball was kicked and all season people were knocking that, saying we’ve no chance.
Even in April folk were saying we’ve no chance.

If he says we are aiming for the top 6 then let’s see where we are in May, not where we are in October. And not poo poo that prediction when we’re only 4 points off it with 30 odd games to go

Genuinely why come on a forum if it's a case of don't have any opinions until May?
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: McCammon egg n chips on October 12, 2025, 12:38:01 pm
Hate how fickle some of our fans are. E.g donny lad McGrath has a few poor games at a new higher level and suddenly last year's world beater is apparently dog shite. "Wish we'd sold him in the summer" blah blah blah.

You don't suddenly forget how to play footy overnight.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: GazLaz on October 12, 2025, 12:41:50 pm
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly


I agree with you. Grant set the expectations though. He himself said he knows what he needs to challenge for the top 6 and the club gave it him. He set his own budget for that.

He did, but that’s what he does he’s a positive manager. Last season he said we’d win the title before a ball was kicked and all season people were knocking that, saying we’ve no chance.
Even in April folk were saying we’ve no chance.

If he says we are aiming for the top 6 then let’s see where we are in May, not where we are in October. And not poo poo that prediction when we’re only 4 points off it with 30 odd games to go

Genuinely why come on a forum if it's a case of don't have any opinions until May?


Grant will be a positive manager all his career but won’t always have success will he. Think it’s fine people commenting on the recent form. We were great for the first 6 games and not so much for the last 6.

Grant has pretty much complete autonomy at the club. That means that he gets all the praise when we do well but also all the criticism when we don’t do so well. I think he’s prepared to shoulder that blame after listening to his interview.

For what it’s worth, putting that kind of pressure (or allowing a manager to shoulder that kind of pressure) isn’t a sustainable way to run a football club. We are lucky that Grant can handle it better than most. It will be his undoing though as your strength generally becomes your weakness. 
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Bills view on October 12, 2025, 01:12:58 pm
You will always make mistakes but the quantity of the crazy ones starting with the keeper, then defenders, misses up top (strikers get let off lightly like when Billy missed that easy one against Burton) and midfield flaws have cost us big time in the last month or so.

Halve those mistakes and it’s probably a different picture and confidence would still be strong.

Plus opinions and league position would be different.

We have to cut them out the best we can or we will be up against it in games like we have found.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 12, 2025, 02:57:12 pm
Not sure you can run a club this way. Use a decent budget, 3 months in decide loads not good enough so try again in January. Very very lucky it's not 3-4 years ago.

3 months in and we’re 10th in a higher league

You maybe need to address your expectations slightly


I agree with you. Grant set the expectations though. He himself said he knows what he needs to challenge for the top 6 and the club gave it him. He set his own budget for that.

He did, but that’s what he does he’s a positive manager. Last season he said we’d win the title before a ball was kicked and all season people were knocking that, saying we’ve no chance.
Even in April folk were saying we’ve no chance.

If he says we are aiming for the top 6 then let’s see where we are in May, not where we are in October. And not poo poo that prediction when we’re only 4 points off it with 30 odd games to go

Genuinely why come on a forum if it's a case of don't have any opinions until May?

Nothing wrong with opinions, but you can’t have a got at the manager because he said we’re aiming for promotion when we’re sat only 4 points off that target and there are over 30 games to go
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: NickDRFC on October 12, 2025, 03:35:03 pm
Dickos, I think most fans are happy that we’re in 10th and would be happy with a 10th place finish at the end of the season (most, not all!) But it’s not unreasonable to be concerned about the drop off in form (both performances and results) of late. It’s not as though we’ve been really unfortunate in this run, either.

If we had started the season with, say, 7 straight defeats and then won 5 in a row we’d be in a worse league position than we are now. But if we had seen that scenario and anyone had mentioned concerns about the first 7 games, you’d have called them crackers or dismissed it as nonsense as we’d just won 5 in a row.

The opposite has happened - we started really well but we’re faltering now with very obvious weaknesses throughout the squad and team. Well hopefully start picking up points again but you’re going to keep pointing to results and performances a month ago you can’t expect people not to talk about what’s happened more recently.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: scawsby steve on October 12, 2025, 05:26:21 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: DonnyOsmond on October 12, 2025, 06:10:27 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

We have a mid table budget according to the interview from Gavin earlier this season, so 10th will be over performing.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: scawsby steve on October 12, 2025, 06:17:40 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

We have a mid table budget according to the interview from Gavin earlier this season, so 10th will be over performing.

That would be overperforming the budget. GM has said umpteen times that the aim is play-off places at least.

In fact, he's recently questioned the ambitions of some of the players.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: DonnyOsmond on October 12, 2025, 06:24:35 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

We have a mid table budget according to the interview from Gavin earlier this season, so 10th will be over performing.

That would be overperforming the budget. GM has said umpteen times that the aim is play-off places at least.

In fact, he's recently questioned the ambitions of some of the players.

I think there's a difference between the managers ambition of play offs and what the board expect.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 12, 2025, 06:29:41 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

If you really think that then I don’t know what to say
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: scawsby steve on October 12, 2025, 06:49:19 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

We have a mid table budget according to the interview from Gavin earlier this season, so 10th will be over performing.

That would be overperforming the budget. GM has said umpteen times that the aim is play-off places at least.

In fact, he's recently questioned the ambitions of some of the players.

I think there's a difference between the managers ambition of play offs and what the board expect.

I think Terry would disagree with you there, which will be made evident in January.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: scawsby steve on October 12, 2025, 06:53:33 pm
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

If you really think that then I don’t know what to say

If you really think that Terry and GM would be happy with finishing 10th, then I don't know what to say.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Alan Southstand on October 12, 2025, 07:01:00 pm
Hang on a minute - if the ambition was play-off’s, why did we sign Hanlan and Olosanya ( and Ajeyi for that matter)?

GM may well be talking it up and wanting much more from the squad, but the squad seemingly has been over estimated. There’s quite a few in there, still, that are patently not up to this level (on a consistent basis).
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: scawsby steve on October 12, 2025, 07:31:15 pm
Hang on a minute - if the ambition was play-off’s, why did we sign Hanlan and Olosanya ( and Ajeyi for that matter)?

GM may well be talking it up and wanting much more from the squad, but the squad seemingly has been over estimated. There’s quite a few in there, still, that are patently not up to this level (on a consistent basis).

That's right, Alan, which is why I think Terry will dig deep in January. He always has done in the past, and he's made it clear that he wants Rovers back in the Championship.

He must be knocking on to 83 now, and he clearly wants to leave Rovers with a good legacy.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: les@donr on October 13, 2025, 01:53:18 am
To be fair to Grant he took full responsibility for both the defeat and the performance for yesterday’s debacle.I think we would have been in a better place if we had gone to Lincoln and placed 1M on the table and got Rob Street. He is the type of striker we need. I know it’s not my money but Terry’s.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: GazLaz on October 13, 2025, 11:29:54 am
To be fair to Grant he took full responsibility for both the defeat and the performance for yesterday’s debacle.I think we would have been in a better place if we had gone to Lincoln and placed 1M on the table and got Rob Street. He is the type of striker we need. I know it’s not my money but Terry’s.

Rob Street who had not scored a league goal for Lincoln? He’s not worth a million quid in a million years.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: i_ateallthepies on October 13, 2025, 11:59:45 am
Finishing 10th would be an excellent result for us this season.

No it wouldn't. It would be completely failing the remit of the management team.

We have a mid table budget according to the interview from Gavin earlier this season, so 10th will be over performing.

We're top half but in my world 10th IS mid table.  What do you consider to be mid table, only 12th and 13th?
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: eastender on October 13, 2025, 12:51:02 pm
To be fair to Grant he took full responsibility for both the defeat and the performance for yesterday’s debacle.I think we would have been in a better place if we had gone to Lincoln and placed 1M on the table and got Rob Street. He is the type of striker we need. I know it’s not my money but Terry’s.

Rob Street who had not scored a league goal for Lincoln? He’s not worth a million quid in a million years.
Isn't he playing primarily as a winger for Lincoln and not a CF.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: ncRover on October 13, 2025, 01:02:07 pm
To be fair to Grant he took full responsibility for both the defeat and the performance for yesterday’s debacle.I think we would have been in a better place if we had gone to Lincoln and placed 1M on the table and got Rob Street. He is the type of striker we need. I know it’s not my money but Terry’s.

Rob Street who had not scored a league goal for Lincoln? He’s not worth a million quid in a million years.
Isn't he playing primarily as a winger for Lincoln and not a CF.

Yes he’s playing as a right winger in a 4-4-2.

Scored v Chelsea playing CF.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: GazLaz on October 13, 2025, 01:19:34 pm
To be fair to Grant he took full responsibility for both the defeat and the performance for yesterday’s debacle.I think we would have been in a better place if we had gone to Lincoln and placed 1M on the table and got Rob Street. He is the type of striker we need. I know it’s not my money but Terry’s.

Rob Street who had not scored a league goal for Lincoln? He’s not worth a million quid in a million years.
Isn't he playing primarily as a winger for Lincoln and not a CF.

A million pound centre forward with his physical attributes would be contributing goals playing on the wing in L1.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: dickos1 on October 13, 2025, 01:42:30 pm
I think this is part of the problem,
Fans being unhappy at finishing 10th in a league above after promotion.
Gavin said all this in the summer, they’re aiming to be around midtable and with an outside glance at the playoffs
Which is exactly where we are!

McCann is backing himself to do better than that,

Absolute bonkers to suggest we shouldn’t be happy finishing 10th after promotion as is definitely the problem with football fans these days
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Frankie Rennie on October 13, 2025, 01:53:20 pm
Unfortunately days like Saturday happen, we had just as bad a day at Burton where we were utter gash so on that basis would you like TSL back please, please, please because Teddys the gashest of the lot? ☹️
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Monkcaster_Rover on October 13, 2025, 02:14:16 pm
Unfortunately days like Saturday happen, we had just as bad a day at Burton where we were utter gash so on that basis would you like TSL back please, please, please because Teddys the gashest of the lot? ☹️

He’s not half copping for some flack from your supporters on Twitter! Poor lad. Hasn’t had the best of starts looking at clips and snippets.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: scawsby steve on October 13, 2025, 04:35:54 pm
Unfortunately days like Saturday happen, we had just as bad a day at Burton where we were utter gash so on that basis would you like TSL back please, please, please because Teddys the gashest of the lot? ☹️

It's not just Saturday though, Frankie. Our performance at Wigan was just as bad, and we're on a run of 4 defeats and a draw in the last 5 league games.

Unless GM can do something about it, the wheels seem to have definitely come off.
Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: jmt23 on October 13, 2025, 06:29:15 pm
I wouldn’t say the wheels have come off yet, but they are wobbling, and 2 tyres are deflated.

Apart from Wigan and LOrient losses,  we have been in every game and overall I feel it could be said we could all argue” we should have more points from those games”

There has been a noticeable drop off in performance though, and I saw players looking out on their feet, cramping up mid game a few games back, so I do wonder if the pace of the game at this level is a bigger difference than expected. Obviously teams are better with the ball too which means you’re chasing a bit.

Goals for will kill us, and we need to quickly find a way to get Billy and Hanlan firing.

Title: Re: Embarrassing
Post by: Alan Southstand on October 13, 2025, 08:15:35 pm
Good luck with getting anything out of Hanlan or Olosanya!