MATCHWATCH : Bristol Rovers (a)

[paultheroyal]

Up there with our greatest win and performance of the season, away game, and i take this to a 6 pager - unheard of!

Brilliant first half, battling 2nd half with some fight, particularly those 15 minutes after half time. Well timed substitutions.

Other bullet points to note.

Wing is just a fantastic player. Covers so much ground, dropping deep and his passing on point.
Mbengue absolute class last night. Real fans favourite but now matching it with performances. Some great range of passing, surging runs and brave blocks. Think he needs to flatten that throw of his a bit more though.
Bindon, tie him down to a long contract please. Hope someone got the money shot photograph wise on that block, just brilliant.
Pereira - another decent performance - scares me with his playing out the back at times - but loves how he commands that area - that punch towards the end of the game was something else.
Kelvin - definitely a player in there - but too often he is on a run, never really in control of the ball and overtakes it himself.

Selles - great to see that emotion come out last night - sign that they believe the job is done.

Anyway, great night, great win, lets just have some positive ownership news soon.

[RoyalBlue]

Up there with our greatest win and performance of the season, away game, and i take this to a 6 pager - unheard of!

Brilliant first half, battling 2nd half with some fight, particularly those 15 minutes after half time. Well timed substitutions.

Other bullet points to note.

Wing is just a fantastic player. Covers so much ground, dropping deep and his passing on point.
Mbengue absolute class last night. Real fans favourite but now matching it with performances. Some great range of passing, surging runs and brave blocks. Think he needs to flatten that throw of his a bit more though.

Watching on Royals TV last night, they seemed to be a lot more 'loopier' than previously, when they seemed more fast and flat. Dellor was talking about wind (cue jokes), so maybe that was the reason? Or maybe he was seeking extra distance at the expense of speed and flat trajectory? Either way, we still got a goal through his loopy version!

[RoyallyFcuked]

Probably can mainly only echo what others have said but really enjoyed last night. I usually do a handful of away games each season but been ages since I've had an away day like that, looking back it ends a hoodoo for me as its the first time I've seen us win away since before the scamdemic.

First half was pretty much all us. Rovers barely had a sniff. Bindon and Mbengue were immense. Bindon really is a class above at this level. Quality free kick from Wing topped off a superb performance from him as well, he was everywhere.

Second half we started a bit slow, felt like we were letting them back in a bit but I wasn't too worried. Pereira made a couple of good saves, the only time he was called upon all game and he did his job. After that we got our grip on the game again and the last 20 minutes or so was back to all us.

Subs all did well and the timing of them was spot on too. We do still lack a bit of a cutting edge in the final third, a handful of decent attacks where we broke into the box or the edge of it ended with us not even getting a shot off, but this will keep improving with time.

Was a cracking buzz in the away end all game and it was epic at the full time with the players coming over to the fans, they look like they really appreciate and relish those moments with us. Mbengue doing his thing with the crowd, I wasn't at the Carlisle away game but saw a bit of that in the Access All Areas video on the RFC Youtube channel so was great to see it in person and Selles getting amongst it at the end topped it all off. Shout out to Pereira as well, him throwing his shirt and gloves in the crowd was Hahnemann-esque.

Was speaking to a couple guys before the match about this but there does seem a real spirit and togetherness about the place, not just with the squad but with the fans as well. It's like all this turmoil off the pitch has brought us closer together. Fingers crossed this new ownership gets over the line and there could well be better times on the horizon for all of us. UTFD

[stealthpapes]

It was just fun. Lovely evening for it. Good natured crowd keeping the noise up. Team playing some slick football.

I got there ten minutes late, stood at the back, could barely see a thing and it's still one of my favourite away days.

guy next to me: "Is this a corner or a free kick, I can't see anything?"
WING puts it into top corner


Last twenty minutes was a joy to watch, even if they barely got a shot on target in it. Swagger.

[stealthpapes]

Selles - great to see that emotion come out last night - sign that they believe the job is done.

As the players came over, he was gesticulating wildly at his team on the bench to get everyone involved.

Those sometimes-weird moments earlier in the season where he insisted players applaud the fans starting to really reap benefits.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Selles - great to see that emotion come out last night - sign that they believe the job is done.

As the players came over, he was gesticulating wildly at his team on the bench to get everyone involved.

Those sometimes-weird moments earlier in the season where he insisted players applaud the fans starting to really reap benefits.

I like that it was Savage pushing him towards the fans despite being an unused sub. All successful squads have the buy in of those not playing every week, and it's a testament to the dressing room at Selles has fostered.

[Greatwesternline]

Selles - great to see that emotion come out last night - sign that they believe the job is done.

As the players came over, he was gesticulating wildly at his team on the bench to get everyone involved.

Those sometimes-weird moments earlier in the season where he insisted players applaud the fans starting to really reap benefits.

I think those insistences actually cost us points. We were weirdly bad in that spell, and mentality must have played a big part in that, and forcing young players who had lost to last minute winners to then have to stand and get yelled at would have done them more harm than good.

[Crusader Royal]

Selles - great to see that emotion come out last night - sign that they believe the job is done.

As the players came over, he was gesticulating wildly at his team on the bench to get everyone involved.

Those sometimes-weird moments earlier in the season where he insisted players applaud the fans starting to really reap benefits.

I think those insistences actually cost us points. We were weirdly bad in that spell, and mentality must have played a big part in that, and forcing young players who had lost to last minute winners to then have to stand and get yelled at would have done them more harm than good.

Or maybe it just hardened them up quickly, got them to see that it actually means something to the supporters rather them disappear off down the tunnel back into the closed world footballers exist in.
We’ll never know but if it has paying dividends now a bit of short term downside has probably been worth it.

[Snowflake Royal]

As the players came over, he was gesticulating wildly at his team on the bench to get everyone involved.

Those sometimes-weird moments earlier in the season where he insisted players applaud the fans starting to really reap benefits.

I think those insistences actually cost us points. We were weirdly bad in that spell, and mentality must have played a big part in that, and forcing young players who had lost to last minute winners to then have to stand and get yelled at would have done them more harm than good.

Or maybe it just hardened them up quickly, got them to see that it actually means something to the supporters rather them disappear off down the tunnel back into the closed world footballers exist in.
We’ll never know but if it has paying dividends now a bit of short term downside has probably been worth it.

I'm not having the argument that things are good now, so that must be at least partly down to previous bad decisions. No, those decisions were bad and didn't help. We've just done enough despite them, not because of them.

[Crusader Royal]

I think those insistences actually cost us points. We were weirdly bad in that spell, and mentality must have played a big part in that, and forcing young players who had lost to last minute winners to then have to stand and get yelled at would have done them more harm than good.

Or maybe it just hardened them up quickly, got them to see that it actually means something to the supporters rather them disappear off down the tunnel back into the closed world footballers exist in.
We’ll never know but if it has paying dividends now a bit of short term downside has probably been worth it.

I'm not having the argument that things are good now, so that must be at least partly down to previous bad decisions. No, those decisions were bad and didn't help. We've just done enough despite them, not because of them.

Why would you want to start an argument ?
Seems fairly controversial to suggest that particular example might have been ok when looked at over the season.

[Snowflake Royal]

Or maybe it just hardened them up quickly, got them to see that it actually means something to the supporters rather them disappear off down the tunnel back into the closed world footballers exist in.
We’ll never know but if it has paying dividends now a bit of short term downside has probably been worth it.

I'm not having the argument that things are good now, so that must be at least partly down to previous bad decisions. No, those decisions were bad and didn't help. We've just done enough despite them, not because of them.

Why would you want to start an argument ?
Seems fairly controversial to suggest that particular example might have been ok when looked at over the season.

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

[Crusader Royal]

I'm not having the argument that things are good now, so that must be at least partly down to previous bad decisions. No, those decisions were bad and didn't help. We've just done enough despite them, not because of them.

Why would you want to start an argument ?
Seems fairly uncontroversial to suggest that particular example might have been ok when looked at over the season.

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

[Crusader Royal]

I'm not having the argument that things are good now, so that must be at least partly down to previous bad decisions. No, those decisions were bad and didn't help. We've just done enough despite them, not because of them.

Why would you want to start an argument ?
Seems fairly uncontroversial to suggest that particular example might have been ok when looked at over the season.

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

[From Despair To Where?]

Why would you want to start an argument ?
Seems fairly uncontroversial to suggest that particular example might have been ok when looked at over the season.

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

You're new here, aren't you.

HobNob 101.

Ian is always right, especially when he's wrong but when you agree, he's more right than you and it was his idea even if you had it first.

[MartinRdg]

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

You're new here, aren't you.

HobNob 101.

Ian is always right, especially when he's wrong but when you agree, he's more right than you and it was his idea even if you had it first.

[Snowflake Royal]

Why would you want to start an argument ?
Seems fairly uncontroversial to suggest that particular example might have been ok when looked at over the season.

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

Yeah, bloody duality of language!

It's not that the concept of going over to the fans and acknowledging them, even when things aren't going well is wrong. It's that there is a time and a place when it's counter productive and harmful to do it.

Yes, the general ethos of doing it was right from the start. Continuing to do it, especially with the young few pros, when things got particularly bad, and the fans had no one else to vent their feelings to was not helpful or positive, short, medium or longer term.

I don't think there can be any credibility to an argume... rationale that persisting with it when the fans were dishing out dogs abuse in frustration, anger and worry helped get to the better end point.

At best it may have had no impact, but more likely it temporarily contributed to holding us back.

And all the whiny little bitching in the world from FDTW about me doesn't make that any less solid an argume... rationale.

[Crusader Royal]

Argument, in the sense of:
Noun - a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

Yeah, bloody duality of language!

It's not that the concept of going over to the fans and acknowledging them, even when things aren't going well is wrong. It's that there is a time and a place when it's counter productive and harmful to do it.

Yes, the general ethos of doing it was right from the start. Continuing to do it, especially with the young few pros, when things got particularly bad, and the fans had no one else to vent their feelings to was not helpful or positive, short, medium or longer term.

I don't think there can be any credibility to an argume... rationale that persisting with it when the fans were dishing out dogs abuse in frustration, anger and worry helped get to the better end point.

At best it may have had no impact, but more likely it temporarily contributed to holding us back.

And all the whiny little bitching in the world from FDTW about me doesn't make that any less solid an argume... rationale.

I think determining whether a concept has credibility needs a bit of evidence rather than just stating that because it’s what you think then it must be right !
There are endless situations where people are exposed to tough situations and by experiencing them they come out stronger.
There’s nothing to suggest any of our youngsters have been broken by their experience. If anything they appear to have a strong team bond, respect for the manager and a connection with the fans we’ve not seen for a long time.
It’s speculation at best to say a few minutes of being shouted at had had a negative effect. I don’t know if it has, but them I’m not dismissing the alternative out of hand !
Selles will have seen the response of players in the dressing room, the next day in training and by all accounts he’s strong on the man management side.
Wel’ll not know unless one day a (former) players pipes up and says how negative it was but it was neither illogical nor unprecedented.

[Snowflake Royal]

Ambiguity, the curse of the internet !
It still seems reasonable to suggest that a decision put forward as being bad might not actually have been bad over the longer term.
The appointment of Selles would have been considered bad by many, but has proved to be pretty good. Just shows you have to give some things time to work through and just because someone decrees something bad when it happens they may have to accept later that it was ok.

Yeah, bloody duality of language!

It's not that the concept of going over to the fans and acknowledging them, even when things aren't going well is wrong. It's that there is a time and a place when it's counter productive and harmful to do it.

Yes, the general ethos of doing it was right from the start. Continuing to do it, especially with the young few pros, when things got particularly bad, and the fans had no one else to vent their feelings to was not helpful or positive, short, medium or longer term.

I don't think there can be any credibility to an argume... rationale that persisting with it when the fans were dishing out dogs abuse in frustration, anger and worry helped get to the better end point.

At best it may have had no impact, but more likely it temporarily contributed to holding us back.

And all the whiny little bitching in the world from FDTW about me doesn't make that any less solid an argume... rationale.

I think determining whether a concept has credibility needs a bit of evidence rather than just stating that because it’s what you think then it must be right !
There are endless situations where people are exposed to tough situations and by experiencing them they come out stronger.
There’s nothing to suggest any of our youngsters have been broken by their experience. If anything they appear to have a strong team bond, respect for the manager and a connection with the fans we’ve not seen for a long time.
It’s speculation at best to say a few minutes of being shouted at had had a negative effect. I don’t know if it has, but them I’m not dismissing the alternative out of hand !
Selles will have seen the response of players in the dressing room, the next day in training and by all accounts he’s strong on the man management side.
Wel’ll not know unless one day a (former) players pipes up and says how negative it was but it was neither illogical nor unprecedented.

I'd argue the person making the positive assertion has the burden of evidence.

Ie that getting players to stand in front of fans and take dogs abuse is positive.

[Franchise FC]

Yeah, bloody duality of language!

It's not that the concept of going over to the fans and acknowledging them, even when things aren't going well is wrong. It's that there is a time and a place when it's counter productive and harmful to do it.

Yes, the general ethos of doing it was right from the start. Continuing to do it, especially with the young few pros, when things got particularly bad, and the fans had no one else to vent their feelings to was not helpful or positive, short, medium or longer term.

I don't think there can be any credibility to an argume... rationale that persisting with it when the fans were dishing out dogs abuse in frustration, anger and worry helped get to the better end point.

At best it may have had no impact, but more likely it temporarily contributed to holding us back.

And all the whiny little bitching in the world from FDTW about me doesn't make that any less solid an argume... rationale.

I think determining whether a concept has credibility needs a bit of evidence rather than just stating that because it’s what you think then it must be right !
There are endless situations where people are exposed to tough situations and by experiencing them they come out stronger.
There’s nothing to suggest any of our youngsters have been broken by their experience. If anything they appear to have a strong team bond, respect for the manager and a connection with the fans we’ve not seen for a long time.
It’s speculation at best to say a few minutes of being shouted at had had a negative effect. I don’t know if it has, but them I’m not dismissing the alternative out of hand !
Selles will have seen the response of players in the dressing room, the next day in training and by all accounts he’s strong on the man management side.
Wel’ll not know unless one day a (former) players pipes up and says how negative it was but it was neither illogical nor unprecedented.

I'd argue the person making the positive assertion has the burden of evidence.

Ie that getting players to stand in front of fans and take dogs abuse is positive.

You’d argue absolutely anything

[Snowball]

I think determining whether a concept has credibility needs a bit of evidence rather than just stating that because it’s what you think then it must be right !
There are endless situations where people are exposed to tough situations and by experiencing them they come out stronger.
There’s nothing to suggest any of our youngsters have been broken by their experience. If anything they appear to have a strong team bond, respect for the manager and a connection with the fans we’ve not seen for a long time.
It’s speculation at best to say a few minutes of being shouted at had had a negative effect. I don’t know if it has, but them I’m not dismissing the alternative out of hand !
Selles will have seen the response of players in the dressing room, the next day in training and by all accounts he’s strong on the man management side.
Wel’ll not know unless one day a (former) players pipes up and says how negative it was but it was neither illogical nor unprecedented.

I'd argue the person making the positive assertion has the burden of evidence.

Ie that getting players to stand in front of fans and take dogs abuse is positive.

You’d argue absolutely anything

OH, NO HE WOULDN'T!!