Laughing gas or tear gas? Bristol Rovers (A), Tue 22 Oct 2019 7.45pm

[LeverEnd]

My memory of Bristol is of two female Bristol fans in the pouring rain and I mean pouring, wanting to engage in activities that most certainly didn't involve watching football!

Shopping?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

If we think we're going to struggle to control the game, playing two up top makes little sense. We'd presumably be playing four in midfield, meaning less cover in front of the very centre-backs we need to protect.

What we need to do is get players up around Daryl. Dodoo should help in this respect - he seems more focused on end product than either the injured Verlinden (who, you sense, would happily do stepovers all afternoon) or the inconsistent Politic (who always seems to be calculating the best way to shoot from the halfway line).

This is also as good a chance as they're likely to get for either Luke Murphy or Weir to claim a spot in central midfield, so I hope they prove a point to Hill and Flicker – and, for that matter, me. I shan't be betting the house on it, but I'd love to be wrong in my impression that they're the wrong men in the wrong team at the wrong time.

Oh and if we ever get one, hanging on to a lead for more than five minutes might help. But hey, folk said they didn't want a defensive manager...

[Bertie Wooster]

If we think we're going to struggle to control the game, playing two up top makes little sense. We'd presumably be playing four in midfield, meaning less cover in front of the very centre-backs we need to protect.

What we need to do is get players up around Daryl. Dodoo should help in this respect - he seems more focused on end product than either the injured Verlinden (who, you sense, would happily do stepovers all afternoon) or the inconsistent Politic (who always seems to be calculating the best way to shoot from the halfway line).

This is also as good a chance as they're likely to get for either Luke Murphy or Weir to claim a spot in central midfield, so I hope they prove a point to Hill and Flicker – and, for that matter, me. I shan't be betting the house on it, but I'd love to be wrong in my impression that they're the wrong men in the wrong team at the wrong time.

Oh and if we ever get one, hanging on to a lead for more than five minutes might help. But hey, folk said they didn't want a defensive manager...

DSB I think that you may have mis interpreted my point (but I do actually agree with what you have said). It appears from the managers interviews & many fan posts that we are now writing this season off and basically using it to build a competitive team for next year, therefore if that is the case it doesn't really matter about whether we may struggle to control the game (I suspect we will with whatever formation we go with) - my point was that he may as well try a few different formations / ideas because it doesn't matter if we lose of not.

[Harry Genshaw]

Given the odds are stacked against us this evening, perhaps the most appropriate look back would be January 1985. We'd lost our opening 13 away games. No draws. Just loss after loss after loss that had eventually cost John McGovern his job.

Charlie Wright was manager by the time this fixture had come around and he'd made a decent start. A cold midweek evening and it looked like we were going to get our first away point of the season as the sides were level at 1-1

In the 90th minute Rovers gave away a hotly disputed penalty and Jeff Chandler held his nerve to score the winner, hitting it high to the keepers right.

We stayed up that year but the upturn under Wright soon faded. In less than a year he'd be sacked and Phil Neal was to take over.

[Prufrock]

Pretty sure Hill is a dyed-in-the-wool 433 man. Doesn't seem the type to change the way he wants to play based on who's available. Pros and cons (but it's what I do in my Saturday team so it must be right).

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Given the odds are stacked against us this evening, perhaps the most appropriate look back would be January 1985. We'd lost our opening 13 away games. No draws. Just loss after loss after loss that had eventually cost John McGovern his job.

Charlie Wright was manager by the time this fixture had come around and he'd made a decent start. A cold midweek evening and it looked like we were going to get our first away point of the season as the sides were level at 1-1

In the 90th minute Rovers gave away a hotly disputed penalty and Jeff Chandler held his nerve to score the winner, hitting it high to the keepers right.

We stayed up that year but the upturn under Wright soon faded. In less than a year he'd be sacked and Phil Neal was to take over.

Lovely time capsule. Do more!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

DSB I think that you may have mis interpreted my point (but I do actually agree with what you have said). It appears from the managers interviews & many fan posts that we are now writing this season off and basically using it to build a competitive team for next year, therefore if that is the case it doesn't really matter about whether we may struggle to control the game (I suspect we will with whatever formation we go with) - my point was that he may as well try a few different formations / ideas because it doesn't matter if we lose of not.

Fair enough Bertie, but:

• I don't think the manager has given up on staying up - or if he has, he's unusually quiet about it.
• As Prufrock says, I don't think he's going to switch much.
• And if so, what to? Basically, there are two ways of playing two up top: 3-5-2 and 4-4-2. The former is hugely unlikely tonight, because we've barely got two centre-backs let alone three, nor do we have an abundance of full-back options of the sort who could bolster the trio (although Josh Earl has played both left-back and centre-back). The latter would either leave our midfield overly exposed or (if we choose more "defensive" midfielders, or at least give them primarily defensive roles) restrict our creativity and attacking intent, which is the chief positive under Hill.

I quite like trying things, but if we go with an untested formation - and let's not forget we'll have had minimal time "on the grass", as Hill and Flicker love to call it, in this three-game week - and Rovers whip out the arse-handing plate, I can imagine an unappreciative reception on forums, terraces and training grounds alike. Better to stick to the identity we're trying to build - 4-3-3 with attacking full-backs, looking to move the ball forward, looking to be proactive - and continue to improve it, IMO. We'd learn a lot less from getting beat 3-0 in a new shape than 3-0 in the usual one.

[Prufrock]

Wouldn't be surprised if Earl played tonight. Although only 20 himself he's 6'4 and has had a couple of seasons "around" first team football. Senior apparently impressed them in training but might be one to take him out of.

[officer_dibble]

Wouldn't be surprised if Earl played tonight. Although only 20 himself he's 6'4 and has had a couple of seasons "around" first team football. Senior apparently impressed them in training but might be one to take him out of.

One of them innit
Better he doesn’t play and we get bummed if he isn’t fully fit
But feck me how we need this lad from Preston reserves to be fit!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Earl is in. So is Dodoo. And O'Grady. Might be... 4-4-2?

Screenshot 2019-10-22 at 18.51.46.png (438.05 KiB) Viewed 3069 times

Luke Murphy is the fourth addition. Out go Sonny Graham (inj), Adam Senior, Thibaud Verlinden (inj) and Dennis Politic.

So could be a change to 4-4-2 with Dodoo on Crawford either side of LMurph / Lowe. But more likely (IMO!) to be Hill's 4-3-3 with three actual strikers, O'Grady and Dodoo either side of DMurph.

[TANGODANCER]

Where's Vermillion? ...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Where's Vermillion? ...

Verlinden? Came off Saturday with a muscular tweak, which was always likely to keep him out of this one. Hopefully back for the weekend, although one never knows with twinges.

Only six subs. That says something. Politic must be injured or need a rest ahead of Lincoln.

[officer_dibble]

6 subs
Cupboards are bare

[TANGODANCER]

Where's Vermillion? ...

Verlinden? Came off Saturday with a muscular tweak, which was always likely to keep him out of this one. Hopefully back for the weekend, although one never knows with twinges.

Only six subs. That says something. Politic must be injured or need a rest ahead of Lincoln.

Just my humour D.S.B..

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Where's Vermillion? ...

Verlinden? Came off Saturday with a muscular tweak, which was always likely to keep him out of this one. Hopefully back for the weekend, although one never knows with twinges.

Only six subs. That says something. Politic must be injured or need a rest ahead of Lincoln.

Just my humour D.S.B..

Thought you were talking Polari. God knows what Vermillion would be...

As noted online, Boris has won a vote, maybe Bolton can make it a double...

[officer_dibble]

Mark little on their bench. He’d start in any position across the back four or midfield in ours!

[TANGODANCER]

Matt had to be on hs toes to save Bristol's first attack,defence "all at sea" says the man.

[TKIZ!]

Crawford hits the post.

[TANGODANCER]

Tit for tat and we force a save from their keeper. Reception a bit crackly on the portable space ship....as we get a corner. And....I guess nothing came of that then? Think I'll just listen a while...Crawford hit a post A pparently....

[TANGODANCER]

"The Bolton Wanderers~"...who's commentating, Robbie Burns..?