Bristol Rovers v Swindon Town Official Matchday Thread (12:30 KO)

[joteddyred]

So only a -1 GD, nobody sent off, and maybe only NT getting a card. Jones being injured could be a blow, but at least we've now cover in the Chelsea kid.

 We've got approx 3 days in order to save our season and probably medium term future.   This squad as presently constructed,  "led" by the management, owner and D oF will go down.  The vague hope that the other strugglers won't pick up is sadly wrong thinking....you need to play relegation football, that won't worry the likes of Oldham, Bury, Chesterfield....get ugly. We're not capable of what is necessary.

We could be in the relegation zone at 5pm. If so, I don't see us getting out.

[RedRag]

The buck stops with Power.

If he wants to run a sustainable club in National League One, please just go away, buy one and don't take STFC there.

[garethgillman]

That's what White was saying: Don't get loan players from teams above us as they dont have the clubs best interest at stake. Get people from lower down the leagues who we can improve by 10% ourselves and sell them on for a profit.

Which we have done over the years but it's getting harder as he also said these players are now getting agents and are commanding bigger and bigger fees as the championship teams are trying to pick them off as buying English players from L1 and higher is just so expensive now (Roofe £3m, Lookman £11m). I can see why Power is (supposedly) struggling to get players of quality in as the money being thrown about to get the quality players is ludicrous, I get we are have a budget and that maybe plays into why we don't go for some experienced pro's BUT we had had a few in Powers time so there has to be more to it than money.

[Outletred]

The buck stops with Power.

It's his coaching staff, his players and recruitment this his mess.

He should put us up for sale- he is a chancer and has only bought into Waterford as the money has dried up here.

It will turn very nasty if we lose next week- the atmosphere today was poisonous.

[garethgillman]

We're not capable of what is necessary.

Hence what everyone is saying, we don't have gritty, tough tackling players, we have too many technically gifted players in the team, especially today when we needed a mccormack type of player to kick the shit out of the Bristol midfielders and to give us something going forward..... Murray should have been in instead of Goddard, Thompo and Goddard in front of defenders (cm) and Colkett and Gladwin on the wings, least then there would have been some form of steel to hold back their attacks and given us something to build from the back.

[garethgillman]

He should put us up for sale- he is a chancer and has only bought into Waterford as the money has dried up here.

Who would buy us, seriously, a small minority keep saying this but last time we were for sale, 1 person came forward and look what happened. If someone was really interested they would come forward to Power. If Power put the club for sale it wouldn't guarantee someone will buy.

Waterford will not make money for many years, they are Chippenham's level, the investment needed and the "profit" is going to be really minor.

Not sure if you remember but Power didn't buy into this club, it was forced onto him as he lent money to Jed when his other investor backed out, Jed couldn't raise the investment neded so Power put the money up and then Jed couldn't pay it back so he took Jed to court and took control of the club. If you asked Power 5 years ago if he wanted to own a L1 club you will probably find he wouldn't want anything to do with it.

[Outletred]

Who would buy into Rovers, Bournemouth (who don't own their ground either)

Seriously Gareth how can you keep defending Power? He has turned us into a crock of shit.

What's happened to money from player sales- Loungo, Gladwin, Thompson, Byrne, Ajose

He is seriously mugging us all off.

[garethgillman]

Who would buy into Rovers, Bournemouth (who don't own their ground either)

Seriously Gareth how can you keep defending Power? He has turned us into a crock of shit.

What's happened to money from player sales- Loungo, Gladwin, Thompson, Byrne, Ajose

He is seriously mugging us all off.

Rovers do own their own ground hence why they sold it to Sainsbury's (who then backed out).

I am not defending him, I am stating facts, we have never been attractive for purchase, Black wiped most of our debt and still couldn't find an owner with money so got "given" to Jed. If Black and Patey with all their contacts couldn't find an owner how well do you think Power will do? Patey had a lot of contacts and got jack shit.

Maybe I will be proven wrong but I can't see it, if anyone buys us it will be the same as we have now, an owner with a few million who will invest a bit to get us going then try and earn it back, we aren't suddenly going to get a white knight who will spunk millions and turning the team around, that rarely happens.

[Ardiles]

Is there not a middle ground?  All the talk is of either under-investment leading to a gradual, but inexorable decline on one hand, versus the billionaire owner who will throw money at the club and transform it over night.  The middle option would be someone who shows an interest not just in the football side of things but also in some form of capital investment - particularly in the stadium - which would then make us more attractive to further investment.

[Reg Smeeton]

We could be in the relegation zone at 5pm. If so, I don't see us getting out.

As things stand, we're already in the drop zone....if we could find a player or two of the right type in the next 3 days, then there would be some hope. Personally don't see it...

[tans]

Jed and Co were the only ones willing to meet Blacks timescale, avoiding due dillegence i thought

[Outletred]

Correct Tans- they didn't go through the proper due diligence as it was a fire sale

I'm not renewing my ST- drain the finances to force the issue

[Batch]

e too many technically gifted players in the team,

Although I despise the competition, look at the checkatrade trophy. No U23 B-teams left in a competition against weak division 3 and division 4 teams.

That's not to say many won't have good careers, but you can't keep lobbing u23s together and expect it to work.

---

Oh, good, we are currently in the bottom 4.

[Reg Smeeton]

Although I despise the competition, look at the checkatrade trophy. No U23 B-teams left in a competition against weak division 3 and division 4 teams.

That's not to say many won't have good careers, but you can't keep lobbing u23s together and expect it to work.

---

Oh, good, we are currently in the bottom 4.

Gills have just pulled us out 

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Is there not a middle ground?  All the talk is of either under-investment leading to a gradual, but inexorable decline on one hand, versus the billionaire owner who will throw money at the club and transform it over night.  The middle option would be someone who shows an interest not just in the football side of things but also in some form of capital investment - particularly in the stadium - which would then make us more attractive to further investment.

It's not just about under-investing, it's the entire Power ethos of only recruiting players he thinks he can make money on. He peddles sustainability as a cover for a refusal to recruit experience. Looking at the prices good L2 players can command I doubt very much if he gives a shit if we are in that league.

There is still money to be made at lower league clubs if you are prepared to skimp on recruitment.