Just My Humble Opinion For What It's Worth

[tyke1962]

Before I begin please accept this post in the context that I'm aiming to achieve , it's not a criticism of Rovers and I'd be saying exactly the same thing about my own club if last nights events had unfolded at Oakwell .

I understand feelings today will be raw but I'm posting this because it's topical and the shelf life is small , out of my control guys .

You've missed an opportunity last night to progress , a bloody big opportunity .

I take the point you came from an extremely unlikely position a few weeks ago to claim the play off place with an extraordinary run but the fact is after 46 games the league table does not tell lies and you were the 5th best team in league two , people can dress the season up how they want , coming back from the dead etc etc but those are the facts .

Having claimed the play off place you then establish a two goal lead away from home in the first leg to take in to a home leg and a capacity home crowd .

Unfortunately you haven't got it done and ultimately football is about the taking of opportunities when they arise .

I've read some comments about Rovers fans getting the club back after some lean seasons but the biggest and most significant reason that happened is because you started winning games of football on a consistent basis , football is about winning and taking the opportunities to progress , almost everything falls in to place from that narrative .

The taking of opportunity today has never been more important , the game's changed , managers move on , players move on and building something on the back of play off defeats isn't that easy anymore .

We finish 5th in the championship during the covid season and were relegated with 30 points the season afterwards .

The harsh reality is that you should have finished the job last night and given yourselves a shot at promotion at Wembley stadium .

It's a brutal thing to say but it's also football reality and this is League Two and not where you really want to be , obviously .

This wasn't some romantic FA Cup run and just falling short in the 5th round at Anfield .

The only way last night is put right is to get promoted automatically next season or at worst you win the play offs and then at least the heartache that currently exists isn't for nowt .

[Canadian Rover]

Whilst I agree with lots you've placed on your post. The management, recruitment, and changes to the structure of the club have changed massively.

Last night we lost a game, we were still the better side overall but found a resilient team that defended very well. This was knockout football.

But the season ahead is going to start vastly different from this one.

The club is making huge strides forwards and this will continue.

[tommy toes]

I agree with tyke.
It was a massive opportunity which we royally cocked up.
Everything that could go wrong did and tbh we rarely looked like scoring.
The ramifications of staying in League 2will make it hard to keep the quality out of contract players we’ve got and attracting better players to come in, as what happened after Charlton.

[graingrover]

The changes made this season at this club go way beyond what you see from the outside .Arguably we have the strongest trio at the helm that we have ever had .Last night’s disappointment will further galvanise this club and it’s true fans also .

[belton rover]

I disagree, Tyke. Us ending the season in 5th wasn’t the result of a methodical or expected way to do it. It WAS more like a romantic cup run that I was expecting to come to an end six or seven games before it did. These games were one off cup games in all but name. Whilst the manner in which we lost last night and miss out on promotion was ultimately disappointing, I take this near miracle as a huge step in the right direction. I’ve witnessed something I never have and probably never will again, and I feel immense pride in that.
For context, I felt more disappointed and despondent the season we finished third under DF in L2 a few years ago when we did get promoted.

[dickos1]

Before I begin please accept this post in the context that I'm aiming to achieve , it's not a criticism of Rovers and I'd be saying exactly the same thing about my own club if last nights events had unfolded at Oakwell .

I understand feelings today will be raw but I'm posting this because it's topical and the shelf life is small , out of my control guys .

You've missed an opportunity last night to progress , a bloody big opportunity .

I take the point you came from an extremely unlikely position a few weeks ago to claim the play off place with an extraordinary run but the fact is after 46 games the league table does not tell lies and you were the 5th best team in league two , people can dress the season up how they want , coming back from the dead etc etc but those are the facts .

Having claimed the play off place you then establish a two goal lead away from home in the first leg to take in to a home leg and a capacity home crowd .

Unfortunately you haven't got it done and ultimately football is about the taking of opportunities when they arise .

I've read some comments about Rovers fans getting the club back after some lean seasons but the biggest and most significant reason that happened is because you started winning games of football on a consistent basis , football is about winning and taking the opportunities to progress , almost everything falls in to place from that narrative .

The taking of opportunity today has never been more important , the game's changed , managers move on , players move on and building something on the back of play off defeats isn't that easy anymore .

We finish 5th in the championship during the covid season and were relegated with 30 points the season afterwards .

The harsh reality is that you should have finished the job last night and given yourselves a shot at promotion at Wembley stadium .

It's a brutal thing to say but it's also football reality and this is League Two and not where you really want to be , obviously .

This wasn't some romantic FA Cup run and just falling short in the 5th round at Anfield .

The only way last night is put right is to get promoted automatically next season or at worst you win the play offs and then at least the heartache that currently exists isn't for nowt .

It’s true we missed an opportunity but it’s an opportunity nobody expected up until 2 weeks ago.
Feel good factor hasn’t just been down to winning, the club has been transformed in 12 months. Even if we’d have finished 18th this season we would’ve been excited about next year with McCann leading us.
The club has been transformed and regardless of last night the club is on the up

[Chris the Rover]

Agree totally Dickos. Last night was a kick in the nuts, but we will get over it. No doubt that come August, we will all be raring to go again. I’m looking forward to seeing how GM reshapes the squad and fully expect him to do this. Onwards and upwards!

[sedwardsdrfc]

Yeah it’s a f up but given we were resigned to lower mid table at best and then strengthening next season I’m not sure it’s changed much. Other than we’ve more confidence in what we are doing which should help.

[bpoolrover]

I have no problem staying down, while of course i wanted us to win, we re signed players line westbrooke to be in league 2 as we had not much chance of going up, our squad is way off competing at league one standard, give it another year and it may just be

[Pliskin]

It's not like we missed a once-in-a-generation chance at promotion. I'm confident that we'll get another chance in the near future.

The Arsenal cup game in 2005 still hurts now. I reckon we'll get over this Crewe game pretty quickly in comparison.

[tyke1962]

I'm a realist , who in their right mind can be anything else when we support the club's we do and have the baggage that goes with it , Tykes have baggage too , lot's of it .

It's exactly because I'm a realist that I believe that the taking of opportunity when it's there is so vitally important in football .

I understand the next time may not be too far away but we don't really know that do we , I don't really know if we'll see another promotion from League One , hand on heart I couldn't say , we may not see the championship for 30 years , it's happened before .

By my estimation next season will be Bradford City's 6th consecutive season in league two and Bradford City are a huge club at that level .

When Liverpool won the league in 1991 just how many of us thought it would take them 30 years to win it again , not many of us .

Football in essence only has two outcomes , success or failure , the debate is generally around what constitutes success or failure , Manchester City not winning the league is failure , Luton Town surviving and finishing 4th bottom of the Premier League is genuine success .

Leicester City were 5000/1 to win the Premier League and when that one time opportunity came along my word they took it and everyone knew it was a one time opportunity .

I wonder how they would have felt if they'd gone in to the last game with the title in their hands and 2-0 up at half-time only to blow the lead away in the second half and Manchester City took the title off them ?

Many of their fans would have applauded the season , personally I'd have been absolutely devastated , it would never have left me for as long as I lived .

The judging of success and failure is as I said earlier where the debate is at .

I recently read a very good book which I'd recommend and it's called Brazil 1982 The Glorious Failure .

That Brazil team at the 1982 world cup is probably the greatest team never to win the world cup , they were unbelievably brilliant footballers .

The title of the book puzzles me personally because there is no glorious failure to be seen with that 1982 Brazil team , they failed , simple as that , they didn't win the world cup and they should have done .

Rovers should be at Wembley , you really should be .

[WarwickRover]

Is it me?.... with respect I often find it slightly difficult when others who support others who post on our site and express their views as to the why and why nots about my team. I ask myself why don't they keep to their views to their own site.

However, that's the emotional bit out the way ... I agree, we missed a huge opportunity ... next season is a different place and this seasons performance counts for nothing

[scawsby steve]

Is it me?.... with respect I often find it slightly difficult when others who support others who post on our site and express their views as to the why and why nots about my team. I ask myself why don't they keep to their views to their own site.

However, that's the emotional bit out the way ... I agree, we missed a huge opportunity ... next season is a different place and this seasons performance counts for nothing

Tyke's opinion on last night is an objective opinion, as a supporter of another club. Our feelings, as Rovers supporters, about last night are tainted with emotion.

It's good to hear objective opinions, and Tyke's are always fair and unbiased.

[tyke1962]

Is it me?.... with respect I often find it slightly difficult when others who support others who post on our site and express their views as to the why and why nots about my team. I ask myself why don't they keep to their views to their own site.

However, that's the emotional bit out the way ... I agree, we missed a huge opportunity ... next season is a different place and this seasons performance counts for nothing

With respect I suppose I could ask why there is a two page thread on this board dedicated to our semi final tie against Bolton Wanderers ? .

[dickos1]

Is it me?.... with respect I often find it slightly difficult when others who support others who post on our site and express their views as to the why and why nots about my team. I ask myself why don't they keep to their views to their own site.

However, that's the emotional bit out the way ... I agree, we missed a huge opportunity ... next season is a different place and this seasons performance counts for nothing

With respect I suppose I could ask why there is a two page thread on this board dedicated to our semi final tie against Bolton Wanderers ? .

That’s a bit different, we’re discussing it on our own forum.

[redandwhitewizard]

I've thought about this all day. Have always respected Tyke however  objective or not I believe his comments were too soon after the hurt and for me this compromises his view. I have a few Barnsley supporting mates and have occasionally sat shoulder to shoulder with them in your ground. 48 hours to let us process and reason would be respectful. I have never invaded your discussion space ever although let's be fair I have had plenty of opportunities to do so. So by all means friendly bretheren banter  but just a tad of perspective please

[belton rover]

Being a realist is fine in day to day life. What football and my team gives me is an escape from that. If I felt the same about DRFC as I do about paying my bills and my job, then what would be the point of supporting a team? The reality is, in 20 years time we will probably still be a lower tier club, but I’ll continue to lose myself in all that that involves.

[colincramb]

I agree with Tyke. We dropped the ball massively and now have another season in league 2, where the vast majority of teams bring 10 men and their dog to an away game.

It’s bloody depressing and we created a golden opportunity (out of nothing!) to get ourselves out.

[Frankie Rennie]

Is it me?.... with respect I often find it slightly difficult when others who support others who post on our site and express their views as to the why and why nots about my team. I ask myself why don't they keep to their views to their own site.

However, that's the emotional bit out the way ... I agree, we missed a huge opportunity ... next season is a different place and this seasons performance counts for nothing

That’s a fair point Warwick but surely a web site is just a modern day version of a chat at the bar in a pub? I’m a long time Bolton fan but I now live in Barnsley, previously Rotherham and talk about life generally and football with Barnsley and Rotherham friends and neighbours, plus several Donny fans too. I’m old enough to have known the times before segregation where fans mingled, in fact I always sit next to opposition supporters when I go to away games just for the chat and have never had a problem so for me conversing on a fan board is just a way of adding to the discussion. I’m never abusive, I hope my comments are honest and constructive but if I’m not wanted or Tyke isn’t wanted then it’s up to the site auditors to remove us. I hope they dont, I’m just a fan and to be fair we have a number of opposition contributors on our sites and they’re more than welcome so I hope our contributions are here too?

[idler]

I went to my first away game in 1962 and have always enjoyed a natter with like minded away fans. Discussing team selection and  formations, players to watch and even football in general. As you say in a bar or on holiday football is regularly a conversation to be had. As an exile it is amazing how many people I have met now look for our results and talk about games with me. At my gym in Bradford there are mainly City fans but also Liverpool, Man. Unt. and Leeds fans that always talk about how we are doing. That’s how football should be. They respect me for sticking with my club despite leaving Donny over 40 years ago.

[LincsRover]

Is it me?.... with respect I often find it slightly difficult when others who support others who post on our site and express their views as to the why and why nots about my team. I ask myself why don't they keep to their views to their own site.

However, that's the emotional bit out the way ... I agree, we missed a huge opportunity ... next season is a different place and this seasons performance counts for nothing

That’s a fair point Warwick but surely a web site is just a modern day version of a chat at the bar in a pub? I’m a long time Bolton fan but I now live in Barnsley, previously Rotherham and talk about life generally and football with Barnsley and Rotherham friends and neighbours, plus several Donny fans too. I’m old enough to have known the times before segregation where fans mingled, in fact I always sit next to opposition supporters when I go to away games just for the chat and have never had a problem so for me conversing on a fan board is just a way of adding to the discussion. I’m never abusive, I hope my comments are honest and constructive but if I’m not wanted or Tyke isn’t wanted then it’s up to the site auditors to remove us. I hope they dont, I’m just a fan and to be fair we have a number of opposition contributors on our sites and they’re more than welcome so I hope our contributions are here too?

Well said FR, that’s how it should be, you & tyke are welcome on here as far as I’m concerned, and I suspect, a lot of rovers fans would agree. 

[Silkscarf]

Yes we missed a big opportunity. Everyone knows that.

During the run-in I kept thinking we’ll get to Wembley then f*** it up at THAT point. We’ve done Wembley success twice (one was Cardiff) so I was emotionally preparing for failure there, or even in the 2nd leg. These things are in the back of all our minds all the time because we’ve been through the history. We know what following a club is really like.

It’s not going to be straightforward next season, especially as key players may not be here. But we feel in a good place again, like during the charge up the leagues from non-league oblivion many years ago. The relationship with the manager resembles the ones with those managers.

[roversdude]

Think we have to look at Stockport and take solace in their achievements since missing out the previous season. Seriously think it gives us an opportunity to plan for life in L1 25/26
Personally I need a rest from football for a few weeks I’m exhausted and hurt