Saturday 6th August 2022

[BarrieOwl]

Can see a low scoring one at MK tomorrow. Both Gregory and Smith out for us and their new signings could take time to gel.


Cue 4-4.

Couldn't script it, Smith misses one game in 3 millennium at Rotherham and is already injured at ours.

Seems we are using that as the excuse to up the chase for Kyle Joseph and Malik Wilks though

 

[BRFC_Gas]

You will still win tomorrow. Don’t fret.

Reading comments from Burton fans online, it sounds like tomorrow is going to be a right shitfest. Sometimes they can be quite entertaining.
I'll be more confident if Finley is in the starting XI

 

[Luke Imp]

A toughie at Portsmouth tomorrow.

No new injuries for us and we might have Vernam back, which gives us a much need option in attacking area. A couple are still out injured though. I think we'll probably see Bishop come in for Boothe in midfield but that's about all we can do really, the team is kinda picking itself.

 

[Stripes]

I guess tomorrow we'll find out if there are league's within leagues. It's been a while since we experienced that, probably have to go back to back 15 years or so to a period in the Conference when it was not uncommon to meet a number of teams who effectively appeared to be a standard a league higher than ourselves. League two was a good competitive very level standard. A really good and thriving environment to play in. Not unexpected to have some difficulties in adjusting to a new league. I think we have done well to fix the vacuum of leaving players and management. And have a squad capable of improvement as a team, so after initial doubts contrary to this, I think we're now pretty much as ready as we can be. We may struggle somewhat compared to recent seasons, but I think we have enough to give it a go. A good hiding tomorrow from Ipswich might challenge my beliefs right now, but we'll see.

Oddly perhaps now, but Ipswich were my (higher league) team as a young teenager in the early seventies, during the days of Colin Viljoen, my favourite player then. I had an Ipswich Town school bag, which caused some curiosity amongst pears at the time. A point should be a big positive I think.

 

[thewwfc]

I guess tomorrow we'll find out if there are league's within leagues. It's been a while since we experienced that, probably have to go back to back 15 years or so to a period in the Conference when it was not uncommon to meet a number of teams who effectively appeared to be a standard a league higher than ourselves.

I dunno, I think it’ll take a while before the table pans out into mini-leagues.

I’m not too familiar with your squad (I did ok with FGR in Football Manager 22 but we know how realistic *that* is ) - but yeah sure, you are going to see players of a higher technical standard when you play the richer clubs - and so they should be.

But a lot depends on whether you can set up the team to be solid against the more technical, attacking sides, and be hard to beat.

We set up to be annoying spoilers against the better sides, and throw teams off their rhythm. Not pretty, and it doesn’t always work (failed badly in the playoff final v Sunderland for example) but it can come off. Plus you may get lucky with some of the bigger clubs thinking all they have to do v FGR is show up.

Last year in this division was actually a rarety, it usually is a free-for-all in terms of anyone beating anyone, but there was a definite gap last season with higher totals than usual required for promotion and lower than usual to stay up.

 

[Stripes]

I dunno, I think it’ll take a while before the table pans out into mini-leagues.

I’m not too familiar with your squad (I did ok with FGR in Football Manager 22 but we know how realistic *that* is ) - but yeah sure, you are going to see players of a higher technical standard when you play the richer clubs - and so they should be.

But a lot depends on whether you can set up the team to be solid against the more technical, attacking sides, and be hard to beat.

We set up to be annoying spoilers against the better sides, and throw teams off their rhythm. Not pretty, and it doesn’t always work (failed badly in the playoff final v Sunderland for example) but it can come off. Plus you may get lucky with some of the bigger clubs thinking all they have to do v FGR is show up.

Last year in this division was actually a rarety, it usually is a free-for-all in terms of anyone beating anyone, but there was a definite gap last season with higher totals than usual required for promotion and lower than usual to stay up.

A nice insight thewwfc. that helps spell it out. It will take a beating or two to bring home the reality. Nothing can really prepare you for that. I guess this league is the transition into a slightly mental world where big interest and big money really take over in the Championship. No doubt we'll learn the hard way. Hopefully we can be fast learners. As for today, need to raise our game, and get the brakes.

Enjoyed the relatively short hope over to yours in our first season in the football league. Actually that first meeting was a similar situation in League 2. You beat us quite easily, and I remember thinking you were well ahead of us. You got promoted, and we struggled quite badly to stay up. Our recruitment was poor on that occasion. This time I'm hoping being likely promotion candidates for most of last season, we'll have been more focused on preparations for league 1. Still relative to the size of club I guess, but you have to hope for the best.

 

[thewwfc]

Like I say I’m not the biggest FGR expert but I think the risk is how your new manager copes with the situation and bonds with the players. You seem to have signed quite a few as well, so it may take some time for them to bed in, although I guess the win v the Gas was a promising start.

He’s obviously not a total rookie and, scanning his bio, he seems to have been popular wherever he went - even if results haven’t always been great, in some cases it’s because his hands have been tied. That’s actually a really positive sign if you can go through a poor run and still keep the fans on side, I feel like the hard times teach you a lot more than the good ones sometimes.

I’d guess consolidation has to be the key for FGR - it is doable, the last time we got promoted to this division we came 17th, and then the season after got into the Championship. Straight back down, but meh, I never thought I’d ever see us play at that level, so we did what we could in the second tier with what must have been the smallest budget in the division, and we only got spanked once or twice.

 

[Stripes]

Like I say I’m not the biggest FGR expert but I think the risk is how your new manager copes with the situation and bonds with the players. You seem to have signed quite a few as well, so it may take some time for them to bed in, although I guess the win v the Gas was a promising start.

He’s obviously not a total rookie and, scanning his bio, he seems to have been popular wherever he went - even if results haven’t always been great, in some cases it’s because his hands have been tied. That’s actually a really positive sign if you can go through a poor run and still keep the fans on side, I feel like the hard times teach you a lot more than the good ones sometimes.

I’d guess consolidation has to be the key for FGR - it is doable, the last time we got promoted to this division we came 17th, and then the season after got into the Championship. Straight back down, but meh, I never thought I’d ever see us play at that level, so we did what we could in the second tier with what must have been the smallest budget in the division, and we only got spanked once or twice.

We're on the same page. And on match match days basically you are optimistic no matter what. Can't wait.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I think it was how Burchnall showed his hand against the gas that was the biggest positive for me, was worried he might be too much of a wonk or tippy-tappy merchant as have seen said, but they were trying all sorts of approach work, sometimes pretty direct, and they all seemed fired up plenty enough and clear about what job they'd been sent out to do. Early days of course, and like you say, test will be a bad run, but promising signs.

 

[Greenacres]

Agree with TJF, the big test will be what happens when we have a bad run...we did have one last season (basically the last third) but did just enough to seal the Championship. All I am hoping for is that Burchnall has a plan B for when plan A isn't working too well...a minor criticism of his predecessor, in fact make that two predecessors, was that their plan B was to try plan A harder, sometimes that works but not often. Before we started adding to the squad I looked at who we had and reckoned that we had at most three players who were League One standard, I think we are in a better position with the recent arrivals but only time will tell whether we have enough to stay up.

My first game watching Rovers was at home against Barnet, at the old ground, at a time when we were struggling to stay in the Conference...today it is Ipswich Town in League One, that is just totally radio rentals.

Who knows what the score will be, I'm predicting a narrow away victory against a team that will surely challenge for promotion this season...their fans will get a bit of a culture shock today, not least visiting a part of the World that has hills, would be amazing if our players could provide a massive one on the pitch too.

 

[valefan16]

Worrall injured by the looks of it so a first start for Sammy Robinson and a second start for youth midfielder Tommy McDermott up front.

Big test for those two, Robinson has had to wait for his chance since singing from Man City, surprised we didn’t through Cass there and put Forrester in.

Not ideal.

 

[Luke Imp]

A toughie at Portsmouth tomorrow.

No new injuries for us and we might have Vernam back, which gives us a much need option in attacking area. A couple are still out injured though. I think we'll probably see Bishop come in for Boothe in midfield but that's about all we can do really, the team is kinda picking itself.

Scully out through illness so Bishop does come in, but for him rather than Boothe.

Second game of the season and arguably without a handful of our starting XI already.

 

[kieran_vale]

Looking forward to seeing how Robinson gets on. Coming from Man City you'd expect he will have some quality on the ball, it's just if he can adjust to the physicality of senior football. He's been around our first team squad long enough to feel he should do it though.

Might have been tempted to go with Rory Holden playing behind Proctor but McDermott certainly didn't do anything last week to warrant being dropped.

 

[kieran_vale]

Shaugnessy of Burton going for the quickest red card of the season then. Remember we had one of them when Tommy Widdrington decided to go in two footed at a Birmingham players kneecap right after the kickoff some years back.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

1-0 up vs 10 men. Great start

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Make that 2-0

 

[gainsparkshrew]

Looks like you're in for a very nice afternoon.
Looks like it's a question of how many you're going to score!

 

[valefan16]

We’ve been awful.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Looks like you're in for a very nice afternoon.
Looks like it's a question of how many you're going to score!

The only scary thing about Burton is their mascot. What the f**k is that?

 

[valefan16]

Soft penalty. Game over. Need strikers massively

 

[kieran_vale]

Bit naive from Sammie Robinson to reach out like that. Was always going to win a penalty there.

Exeter look a good team, credit where it's due.

 

[Soz]

Disgusting referee decision. We can't even get pens when we get fouled inside the box. Exeter got one that was neither.

No complaints for first goal though, brilliant effort.

 

[Dan Phillips]

That's a tragic penalty decision. Pathetic refereeing.

2-0 down to a wonder strike and a joke of a penalty. It's good to be back. Glad I didn't waste over £100 travelling down now.

 

[valefan16]

Bit naive from Sammie Robinson to reach out like that. Was always going to win a penalty there.

Exeter look a good team, credit where it's due.

He’s dived to win it but hold your arm out you give a decision. This is a disgraceful performance from us.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

4-0 up at half time. Someone check Burton aren't fielding any 17 year old rookies

 

[stevowanderer]

Wycombe have had 1 or 2 decent chances but for the most part we have been sensational today. Could have scored 3/4 at least. On this performance Conor Bradley should not be playing in league 1. He is absolutely levels above. He’s defo got a chance or making it at Liverpool. I was quite disappointed we didn’t get Fossey back but this lad is an upgrade for sure.

 

[valefan16]

That's a tragic penalty decision. Pathetic refereeing.

2-0 down to a wonder strike and a joke of a penalty. It's good to be back. Glad I didn't waste over £100 travelling down now.

Yeah seeing it back it’s even worse than it looked at the time. Farcical.

Dire first half from us, massively need Wilson back or some strikers to get signed and may be just something we have to suffer until deadline day. Just no one to hold the ball up or make it stick.

Put that in against Bolton we get annihilated. Surely DC will be raging at half time.

That said should really score just before half time with two good chances.

Get Holden on possibly even look at 4-3-3 but a poor first half and shocking referee decision have probably left us too much to do.

 

[kieran_vale]

Only one team in the game in that half. Exeter full value for the lead.

Apart from that one moment on the penalty I have liked what have seen from Robinson. With more experience I can see him being a good player for us. Garrity not really shown up for this so would be taking him off for Conlon and then maybe McDermott for Holden.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

One nil down seemed a fair reflection but just gone behind another to an absolute belter on the stroke of half time, arse. Be lucky to get anything out of this now, even if we haven't been too far off it. Dokes getting injured early hasn't helped.

 

[Stripes]

No idea what's happening! Other than we're standing off and giving them all the time they need. I have us to win 3-2, so game on!