- 14/04/2025
Ricky and BBC Radio Sheffield's Robbie Andrews discuss all things Rovers.
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00:00Hello and welcome on to the latest episode of Rovers Chat. You might notice a new face
00:08alongside me, Robbie Andrews from BBC Radio Sheffield. Robbie, how are we doing?
00:12Yeah, all good, thanks Ricky. All good.
00:14Good stuff. Obviously, now in Tom's absence, we've got a new face to discuss matters. There's
00:23plenty to talk about as well, isn't there? I know we'll get on to the manic schedule
00:27that Rovers have got in the next week or so, but let's kind of look back before we look
00:31forward. And Wimbledon, we were both there Saturday, I think for Shrating is probably
00:35the word that kind of jumps out from that game.
00:39Yeah, it was crazy, wasn't it? One thing after another, whether it was goals, sendings off,
00:44everything seems to happen. I think Rovers, after going down to 10 men themselves, will
00:48probably think it was a point gained. But I think for a lot of that game, it was almost
00:52we're waiting for something to happen, weren't we? It was very, I think Grant McCandis
00:56described as safe afterwards, not a performance that you become accustomed to with him as
01:01manager. And as I said, everyone was waiting for something to happen. It was almost the
01:05red card, which I'm sure we'll come to, that spurred Rovers into life a little bit.
01:10Yeah, absolutely. It's second game in a row, isn't it, where they've had to play against
01:1410 men. It's a challenge, isn't it? I know people say, theoretically, it should be easier,
01:20but having to kind of grind them down, once they got 1-0 up, I think they were going to
01:26kind of have that mindset anyway, weren't they? So, if anything, it kind of accentuated
01:30that. But yeah, as it went on and on, it did feel as though it's going to be one of those
01:36days, didn't it?
01:37Yeah, I think having that experience at Cheltenham the week before probably helped them a little
01:42bit. I know it was in different circumstances with it being 0-0 the week before, and eventually
01:46they got their rewards. I think, as you said, Wimbledon being a goal, even though they were
01:51a man down, it almost gave them even more to hold on to, didn't it? And they frustrated
01:55well. I think the goalkeeper, although it was frustrating from a Rovers perspective, did
01:59a brilliant job of just delaying the game. And I think there's a clip done around on social
02:04media where he stood ready to kick the ball and all of a sudden decides he's got a bit
02:07of hamstring pain. But again, it is something that we've seen so many times. I think we saw
02:12Timothy Lota-Tala do it last season when Rovers were in front in games. So, it is frustrating
02:18when you're on the wrong end of it, but it's becoming more and more frequent, isn't it,
02:22wherever you look around football these days?
02:25Absolutely, yeah. And obviously, as we mentioned, you know, we touch on the Billy Sharp incident.
02:31I mean, you were probably in the same boat as me. I think everyone was like, right, he's
02:36coming on. And then a minute later, you know, we all see the red card brandished. At the time,
02:41I don't think any of us were all wise to what happened, were we?
02:45No, it was a strange one, wasn't it? Because Rovers were attacking. I think they'd just
02:48been awarded a corner. So, everybody's eyes are almost into the middle, right?
02:52You know, the centre backs are coming forward. Is this a chance to get back level?
02:56I think Grant McCann had just thrown the kitchen sink at it, hadn't he?
03:00Ironside had come on, Sharp had come on. And as you said, everyone's eyes were in the middle
03:05and all of a sudden you've got all the Wimbledon defenders kicking off a little bit.
03:09Something had clearly happened, hadn't it? You know, I know Grant McCann said afterwards,
03:13Billy Sharp held his hands up. It was obvious something had gone on.
03:16To what extent? Nobody really knew until afterwards.
03:19But, yeah, to lose a player, you've brought him on to get you a goal.
03:23And I think everybody thought he would have a big impact in the game.
03:26Not quite, though, the one he did have.
03:29Absolutely, yeah. If you've seen the, you know, the Swindon Bradford incident with a player,
03:35you know, similar vein, you know, in terms of reacting and leading with a head or a shoulder,
03:41looks a lot more forceful on the replay we've all seen of Sharp's, didn't it?
03:45Yeah, yeah. And I think Billy will know himself. You know, he's probably has,
03:50there's probably been a little bit of a, you know, back and forth as they've both sort of made the run forward.
03:54I don't sort of believe for one second he's just done it as a random act of violence on the pitch.
03:59You know, it's, there's obviously been something in the build-up,
04:02but Billy Sharp's been around long enough to be able to rise above that.
04:07I know that that's going to happen, a name like his in League Two.
04:10He's a marked man for the best of times, isn't he?
04:12So, especially when you're coming on, you're desperate for a goal to do that within a minute.
04:17And it's done the rounds, hasn't it, on Sky Sports and everywhere.
04:20They've all been talking about the fact he was on for less than a minute and then off again.
04:24So, you know, nobody will know more than him that he's let his side down.
04:29But as Grant McCann mentioned after, it's all about, I think, the team and everybody getting around him
04:33and sort of supporting him the best they can.
04:36I'm sure it's not the first time something like that's happened.
04:39So, you know, it won't be the last. Somebody else will be probably doing it next season.
04:43So, yeah, important, I think, that Rovers don't sort of get too downbeat.
04:47And obviously, there's going to be no blame for a Rovers fan base on Billy Sharp.
04:51I think he's got plenty of credit in the bank there.
04:54Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, his teammates rallied around and they got equalised, didn't they, thankfully?
04:59And Jamie Sterry, hot shot Jamie Sterry, two and two.
05:03Yeah, he's certainly not shy of shooting now, is he?
05:05I mean, it was similar, really, to the goal he scored.
05:08But then I'd taken off him, wasn't it, when it came off Rob Street?
05:11I think against Portmobile, was it, in January?
05:13Yeah.
05:14Similar type of area, similar shot, the way it took a deflection, albeit off a Wimbledon man.
05:19Without a doubt, heading on target, it just sort of helped it on its way in, didn't it?
05:23But, yeah, you know, he's clearly got the confidence now.
05:25Two goals in two. And that's what you need.
05:27I think, you know, if your strikers, you know, your streets, your ironsides, your sharps aren't going to score every week, are they?
05:33So, if you've got goals more around the team, when it comes to these last few games, that's what Rovers are going to need more of.
05:39I'm just going to touch on that, yeah, you've read my mind. I was looking through the top scorers' chart this morning.
05:45And, obviously, you've got, you know, Notts County have got, like, Jatter and McGoldrick.
05:49I think they've got nearly 30 goals between them.
05:52And, you know, there's a lot of other teams that have got kind of two players they pin all the goals on.
05:57The Rovers have got Molineux.
05:58And then after that, you know, it's, I think, Sharpen Street might be a level.
06:03There's a lot of spreading around the goals, isn't there?
06:05Which you can look at it two ways, I guess.
06:07But as the season goes on, nobody's going to, you know, bat an eyelid if a centre-half pops up with a winner.
06:13Yeah, and that probably one thing Rovers have been short of is goals from centre-half this season.
06:18I know Joe Oluwu's chipped in with a couple.
06:20I think Tom Anderson's only one came in September.
06:23There's much been made about Richard Wood's lack of a Rovers goal.
06:27He's come close once or twice recently.
06:29I think he was offside at Cheltenham and was only a few yards out.
06:32But, yeah, I think Harry Clifton's one who's chipped in with a few as well, isn't he?
06:36I think every game he's scored in, Rovers have gone on to win.
06:39Yeah, very different to last season where you had Ironside with 20-odd,
06:42Molineux sort of getting into the early teens.
06:45This season, other than Molineux, as you've said, they've had to share it around a little bit.
06:49It's not quite worked out for Ironside as it did last season.
06:52I think he's obviously had a fair bit more competition up there, hasn't he?
06:55I think last season, you know, come rain or shine, he was the focal point.
07:00This season, a bit more depth's been added.
07:02You know, when you've got Billy Sharp waiting in the wings,
07:04you're almost, I imagine, feeling, if I don't score, I'm going to be on the bench next week.
07:09So maybe that's a bit to play in Ironside's mind as well.
07:12He's got a chance now though, hasn't he?
07:14Just him and Street for the next three games at least.
07:16So maybe we will see one of those sort of grasp the nettle with both hands as we go into Salford.
07:22Absolutely, yeah.
07:23And like you said, obviously this time next week, they'll have played three games, three more games.
07:28Salford, Tranmere and Colchester, Good Friday.
07:33It's a busy period, isn't it?
07:35I mean, do you see it still?
07:37Because I do.
07:38I think it's going to go right down to the last day.
07:40I don't see any way that it can't.
07:42Yeah, absolutely.
07:43I think when you look at who's got to play who as well, I think Bradford play Knox County as well as Rovers.
07:48I think Chesterfield have got to play Wimbledon and Port Vale as well.
07:52So even though they're probably not going to get in the playoffs this year,
07:56they've still got a big part to play in maybe dictating who goes up and who doesn't automatically.
08:01So it's not just Rovers with teams around them to play.
08:04Everybody's sort of got it to come.
08:06And I think that's why these next three games are absolutely crucial for Rovers in just putting themselves
08:11in a position where heading into that Bradford game, their destiny is in their own hands.
08:16They're not relying on anybody slipping up elsewhere because the last thing you want is,
08:20OK, we're winning, but what are Port Vale doing or what are Wimbledon doing?
08:24You know, if Rovers can come out of these next three games with, dare I say, 9.7,
08:30would probably be a good return, wouldn't it?
08:32But if they can come out of it with between seven and nine points,
08:35I think that would put them in a really strong position going into then, you know, the real big games,
08:40which are Bradford and Notts County.
08:42Definitely.
08:43Yeah, I think it's been notable, hasn't it?
08:45You know, how many teams are kind of stepping up.
08:47You know, I know Rovers are not losing, but Walsall have been, you know,
08:51they've just tumbled so badly since January.
08:54Bradford have obviously, you know, lost a few, haven't they?
08:57Saturday casing point.
08:58It seems like Port Vale are kind of the ones that at the minute are, you know,
09:03soaring at the right time.
09:05Yeah, I think fingers crossed for Rovers that Port Vale's dip comes just in these last few games
09:10and then they can really steal a march.
09:12I think, as you said, Walsall up until probably losing Nathan Lowe back to Stoke
09:17were everybody's front runners to win the league.
09:20I think there were sort of 15 points clear of Rovers at one point.
09:23If Rovers win tomorrow, they climb back above them.
09:26So not many people would have seen that come in.
09:29I think Bradford have had a run, then dropped off, then had another run.
09:32I think, you know, there were two goals up on two different occasions on Saturday,
09:36down to 10 men and eventually end up losing.
09:38So it just shows, I mean, a point against Wimbledon on the face of it,
09:42you're up against 10 men for an hour.
09:43It seems like two drop, but in reality, it could actually be a valuable one gain
09:48because you went down to 10 yourself and still managed to find a way back.
09:52Absolutely, yeah. And like you say, it sets it up nicely, doesn't it, for Salford?
09:57I mean, we've kind of been talking about this game in hand for however long now.
10:01Tomorrow would be a very good time, wouldn't it, for Rovers to kind of obviously win,
10:06but to do it comfortably would be really nice and set it up for those last four games
10:12because then, you know, it's in their hands, you know, adding Bradford as that,
10:17you know, to that as well.
10:19You could just do without any more need, you know, stress or stuff like that, couldn't we?
10:25Yeah. And I think the fact that the majority of the, certainly the starting eleven,
10:28were involved in a position last year where Rovers weren't fancied by many
10:33and just kept on doing their business.
10:35I think the cool heads in the camp, the Andersons, the Woods,
10:38the experienced players are going to be so crucial in sort of managing the younger players as well,
10:45those who haven't been in this situation before.
10:47I know we spoke to Ted Sharman-Lowe on Saturday, didn't we, after the game,
10:51and it's his first real experience of this level of, you know, the competitiveness,
10:56that Saturday, Tuesday, and then fighting for everything.
10:59But I think the fact that Salford have still got, you know, a slim chance again in the playoffs
11:04may work in Rovers' favour in a weird way because you know they've got to come out and win the game as well
11:08if they're going to get in the top six, top seven, I should say.
11:11So if they are there, they may be there to be picked off.
11:14You know, Rovers might think, hang on a minute, we can get at them here.
11:17And rather than a team who had sort of not really much to play for,
11:20we saw Cheltenham sit in, didn't we? They didn't have much to go on.
11:23And in the end, Rovers didn't get the rewards.
11:25But I think it could be, it'll be a good game.
11:26I think the one thing Rovers are going to get out of their minds is that all their eyes are,
11:30all the eyes are going to be on them, aren't they? Bradford, Portnail, Nox County, Wimbledon
11:34are all going to be watching Rovers tomorrow night, praying for a slip up.
11:37Let's hope he doesn't cut.
11:39Absolutely. It's a good point you make there.
11:41I asked, they had a press conference today with Grant McCann
11:44and I did ask, I did make that similar point to you that if anything,
11:48it helps that Salford have, like you said, they're not on the beach or they've got,
11:51they'll feel if they win, what are they two points off the playoffs if they win?
11:54So they'll feel they've, you know, they've got every chance of making that top seven
11:58and that could make it more open and a more open game, which then, you know, makes them vulnerable.
12:04Yeah, and there's one or two ex-Rovers players in that Salford camp, isn't there?
12:08Adelican, obviously John Taylor, who's, I think it's great for him that he's managed to stay fit this season
12:13and play quite a lot of games. I know Adelican's chipped in with a few goals, but yeah,
12:16you know, in Carl Robinson as manager as well, I know,
12:19Brad mentioned him in the press conference earlier on that he's not a manager who's going to sit and think,
12:23well, we're five points off the playoffs. We're not going to make it until that's mathematically done.
12:28There's going to be no sort of turning away from, from what's possible for him.
12:31And I think it will be a really, it's going to be an intriguing battle on the pitch,
12:34but I think off it as well, those two very experienced managers, not just at this level,
12:38but the, you know, the level above. Yeah.
12:41And that's going to be just a nice little sub subplot just to see how those two go about the business tomorrow.
12:46Right. Both desperate, of course, for three points.
12:49Absolutely. Yeah. It's going to be frantic, like you say, but also as well,
12:53if Rovers do get the job done, I think Bradford played Thursday night, don't they?
12:56Against, I think it might be not, which again, that's like handing them the pressure then, isn't it?
13:0248 hours later and saying, right, okay, go on. We've done our job.
13:06Yeah. And it's exactly what Rovers have done with a couple of early kickoffs.
13:09I know Bradford played at the same time on Saturday, but the week before,
13:12I think I made that point to Grant McCann.
13:14Although he's always going to say, listen, we just care about ourselves.
13:18We'll do our own business.
13:19It must be nice to get your win and then say over to you, you know,
13:23because the pressure is on Rovers tomorrow night.
13:25Everybody's looking at them thinking, is it a banana skin at Salford?
13:29You know, it's a tough game away from home.
13:31If you can overcome that, I think the psychological impact on the other sides,
13:35then thinking, okay, now we've got to do the chase in a little bit.
13:38It could be massive. And I think going into Easter weekend,
13:42Easter weekend is always pivotal in any season, isn't it?
13:45You can come out of it looking very different to the way you went into it.
13:48So if Rovers can get themselves three points before that,
13:51it just gives them a massive leg up.
13:53Absolutely. Yeah. Well, like you said, this time next week,
13:56I think we'll know a lot more. I don't think we'll know the entire picture,
13:59but there'll only be two games left, won't there, after that.
14:02So it's getting to the nitty gritty stage.
14:05Robbie, thanks a lot for joining us.
14:07We will do this again, I'm sure, before the season's out.
14:10Hopefully try and squeeze a couple in before that Bradford game.
14:14But yeah, thanks for tuning in.
14:16And like I say, if you missed any of the show,
14:18you can watch it on our Facebook page.
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