Looking back

[ncRover]

We were so close to putting Crewe out of sight in the 1st leg. We were so good.

https://youtu.be/8AoIoV0IZRM?si=Jflxlx8t8EAFbkoL

I can’t believe after how dominant we were, that the same team struggled to get going in the 2nd leg.

Watching the highlights back, there’s two moments here that could have put us out of reach:

0:50. Is that a goal if Haks plays in Ironside? It’s a great shame his form tailed off.

4:28. That was inches away from being a truly sensational goal. Biggins was great in that 1st leg. I wonder, had he played in the 2nd if we would have come out on top? I think so.

Even if we go up next season, we will always remember the ‘ten in a row’ Rovers team as a truly special one after previous struggles.

[Josh Horsman]

Yep it’s depressing to look back on, we were the better team over both legs. Also if we went up, reckon majority of that team would have stayed together.

[GazLaz]

Said to Nuga walking out “another goal and they were dead, at 2-0 they’re not”.

We eased off towards the end when they had gone.


Never mind, can’t change history.

[Mike_F]

The flipside is, had we gone on to win the playoffs would it be too soon for us to make a decent fist of competing in L1? Would we be looking at a season flirting with relegation?

As it stands I couldn't be more excited for the season ahead. The signings we've made (including retention of our better players) all look to be very strong. We're not going into friendlies with a threadbare squad and looking at taking a punt on trialists this year.

The Euros are methodone to the pure Morphine of the Rovers season. I'm on the verge of withdrawal symptoms here!

[drfcsteve]

We’d have been fine in league 1 I think, the extra money from the league and from higher crowds, plus all the local teams to boost crowds further. As others have said we’d have probably kept the win streak team together even with a possibility of bringing Craig back on loan. But as Gaz says we can’t change it now. I’m glad we’ll be pushing at the top end this season and it should be exciting.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The play off defeat should remind us all, it's not going to be given to us, we're going to have to work every bit as hard as the last 18 games.

The first task for McCann is getting the squad into the mindset that every point counts ,setting tough targets individually and collectively.

One thing I fear, is folk losing patience if and when the blips come. Expectations are high before a ball has been kicked but we don't have to win every game.

[ForsolongaRover]

The play off defeat should remind us all, it's not going to be given to us, we're going to have to work every bit as hard as the last 18 games.

The first task for McCann is getting the squad into the mindset that every point counts ,setting tough targets individually and collectively.

One thing I fear, is folk losing patience if and when the blips come. Expectations are high before a ball has been kicked but we don't have to win every game.

Converting this into the reality of a full season means that we recognise the fact that we were the best team in L2 only in the last phase of last season. Being able to sustain that for 46 games would yield well over 100 points.

2 points a game or just over is more realistic, but it will surely take quite a while to click into gear and realism and patience will be required.