[Archived] Rovers Vs Fulham

[Sysagent]

The one word that constantly went through my head throughout the match was Toothless.

What shocking scrappy display of football that was from the Rovers, and I pity the people that paid to come to watch the match on the deal... Performances like that aren't going to sway more of the local public into signing up for a Season ticket are they?

I also feel genuinely sorry for Salgado he was MOTM by a mile today.

Awful, just bloody awful.

[beerwins]

I long for the days when we actually shoot at goal

I once watched an after match interview with Kevin Nolan after scoring a real powerdrive from long range, the guy said "you dont score many of them do you? To which he replied, well the gaffer (Sam) doesnt like us shooting from range, he wants the ball played out wide because stats say that more goals come from crosses than from long shots"

Its probably right, but it doesnt hurt to try once in a while.

[budha]

I would disagree - being at the game is completely different IMO. You can follow players, rather than the ball - TV will never show you how much running someone does off the ball, bad positioning, etc. You can also see the whole of the pitch at once, and therefore every player, rather than the 'square' that the cameras are focused on.

Then we have to agree to disagree. At least I get a much better overview of the game watching Rovers from telly than what I do watching my local team at the game where there's much more distractions from my friends, the banter, bad viewing angles and so on.

[Doogs]

Super Sam > Please can I have my money back? More excitement watchimg paint dry.

[booth]

Then we have to agree to disagree. At least I get a much better overview of the game watching Rovers from telly than what I do watching my local team at the game where there's much more distractions from my friends, the banter, bad viewing angles and so on.

I don't have a bad viewing angle, and seem to be able to view the game without distractions, and I see the whole pitch. I'd much rather see it at the stadium than on television.

Apart from today's performance of course that on the internet was apparently alright

[Plastic Head]

Bl@@dy rubbish from start to finish. Made worse by an appalling referee who at least gifted us a goal.

So Jones and Grella are a better option that N'Zonzi are they Sam?

We didn't manage a shot on target and spent most of the game defending way too deep. Went to sleep for the equalizer and never looked like scoring ourselves.

The team that played today will go down. Time for a major rethink!!!

Robinson. Rarely threatened despite Fulhams possesion. 6/10

Givet. Needed some width from the full-backs going forward today but it wasn't forthcoming. Duff wasn't the force he was and he coped OK. 5.5/10

Salgado. Did quite well today. 6.5/10

Nelsen. Solid as usual. 7/10

Samba. Head and shoulders above the rest in more ways than one. 7.5/10

Grella. Slow and sh!t. 2/10.

Jones. Centre half not a midfielder Sam. Gave the ball away. 3.5/10

Pedersen. Created nothing. 3/10

Old Diouf. Didn't get a cross or a meaningful pass in all match. 4.5/10

New Diouf. Ineffective. 4.5/10

Kalinic. Starved of service and never got a look in. 5/10

Emerton. Why? 4/10

Benjani. Lively but why take Kalinic off? 6/10

N'Zonzi. Looked good and should have had a extra 80 minutes. 7/10

At times there were 50 yards between the back 7 and the front 3. We created almost nil from open play and once Pedersen went off our only attacking option was removed as well.

Can't believe we got a point. BOOO

[Mattyblue]

To add to my earlier comment and by looking at the others, plus what I heard at the game, Allardyce has made a rod for his own back with his remarks.

Naive to say the least.

[SamTheShrew]

I once watched an after match interview with Kevin Nolan after scoring a real powerdrive from long range, the guy said "you dont score many of them do you? To which he replied, well the gaffer (Sam) doesnt like us shooting from range, he wants the ball played out wide because stats say that more goals come from crosses than from long shots"

Its probably right, but it doesnt hurt to try once in a while.

Perhaps, if you have players capable of doing something in those wide positions. We don't.

So I say, it's just predictable, boring, wasteful, crap

[Plastic Head]

I enjoyed watching the game, Fulham a very decent side.

More to come from this Rovers squad.

I usually rate your posts Phil so I will assume you're either trying to raise my blood pressure or you have had too much pop.

[RIML]

Nelsen. Solid as usual. 7/10

I thought Nelsen would get a bashing on here for their goal. To be honest I didn't think it was a free kick leading up to the goal and a number of our players were too slow to react.

I had another picture taken with Nelsen today, so despite only one point and a crap second half I'm happy

[roversfan99]

Nelsen slices the ball so many times into touch and misplaces simple passes its untrue.

[budha]

I don't have a bad viewing angle, and seem to be able to view the game without distractions, and I see the whole pitch. I'd much rather see it at the stadium than on television.

Apart from today's performance of course that on the internet was apparently alright

Drifting off topic here, but I would imagine almost everyone would rather see the games at the stadium, but for some of us it's not possible. I just don't agree on the view that people watching the game on telly or stream would have somehow limited or poorer view if they don't agree on your take on the match

[LeChuck]

I just hope this is a blip

It will be, we're still a decent side.

When we put in a bad performance it's like the world is caving in, and the abuse Allardyce receives for it is ridiculous (not you ET, I've just come over from the 'Sam Allardyce' topic).

If we play like this for 3/4 games in a row then maybe we can get all up in arms about it. Until then, a bit of rational thought wouldn't go amiss. We had an off day and drew against a team roughly our equal. It's not even a bad result. Let's hope lessons are learned, mainly don't pair Grella with Jones!

[Amo]

Most teams play with two defensive midfielders? Fulham didn't - only Etuhu played as a def mid. There are many changes we could have made to at least try to influence the game positively, however BFS went 'like-for-like' and absolutely nothing changed. Why not move Jones to Grella's position and bring on Hoilett? Surely pace against a tiring full-back would be more effective than relying on the chance of maybe winning free-kicks and lumping it in?

Well said, Mark. Why doesn't he give Hoilett a chance? He's young and needs the chance to prove himself. It's not like a pool of attacking talent is keeping him on the bench.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Funny how peoples' views differ...

kalinic - thought he was poor today, could not hold the ball up and kept trying to roll Hangeland who I felt dominated the lad (referee didn't help his cause.

Midfield as per usual were 20 yards away from the frontmen.

It was very, very poor and we were lucky to get a draw. The start to this season is the exact mirror of last. we lost at home to City then, this year Arsenal. We should have won at sunderland but lost 2-1 (see Birmingham) and today just reminded me of the 0-0 against West Ham.

3 points vital at the donkey lashers.

On another note I was sat in No6 and when the team started getting some flak - this guy starts hurling abuse at everyone around him calling them d1ckheads etc. He then starts bleating on about where were you in 83 at Bury? - who was manager before Dalglish? etc. Fans like this beggar belief. A crap performance is a crap performance whether it was in 63, 83 or 2010.

[budha]

I'm just unhappy that Allardyce didn't seem to change anything as the game wore on and we just seemed to boot it up in the air time and time again.

So we didn't change to 4-4-2 and got ourselves back into the game again?

[DE.]

Positives: We didn't lose. Grella didn't get injured (disputable positive but i'm wracking my brains...)

Negatives: Pretty much everything else.

A point against Fulham isn't a terrible result but there's no way we'll finish top half this year judging from the way we've played so far. Probably (hopefully) looking at a 12th - 16th placed finish serving up the dullest football imaginable. Considering we apparently have quite literally no money to spend, though, we have to take that and accept the manager and the style of play we adopt.

The only other positive I can think of is that under Sam's stewardship I can't see us getting beaten by a number of goals. We're at the very least fairly compact as a unit. On the other hand, when we go 1-0 up I don't bother getting excited because I know we're going to concede at some point and most likely draw. 38 draws (probably) won't keep us in the league, so I hope we aim to score more than one goal a game at some point in the future.

[LDRover]

People on here are doing the word 'tactics' a mis-service by comparing it to what went on today.

Hoofing the ball forward into the penalty box is not, and never has been, a tactic so don't even give it any credibility. It's crude, desperation football from a manager who passes it off as forward thinking.

Yes, he'll get results for us and, dare I say it, will keep us in this league but the fact he even got an interview for the England job gets more ludicrous by the day.

Never mind though, if Mourinho makes an arse of it at Madrid I'm sure he'll be given the opportunity to weave his magic there.

[Andy]

Sounds like the end of the world reading some of these reactions.

It wasn't as bad as some are making out and we've taken a point against a decent Fulham side.

Some negatives and points to improve on, for sure, but get some perspective.

[Hughesy]

Im not even going to read through the reactions because it will be the usual suspects who have come out of the woodwork again - FFS it was 1-1, hardly then end of the world - yes we didnt play great but overall we havent had a bad start. 3 points next week and il be happy with our start (although we could/ should have taken more).

Oh and the BOO BOYS - Your not welcome!

[cn174]

. 3 points next week and il be happy with our start (although we could/ should have taken more).

And without 3 points will you still be happy?

[roversmum]

Three points? Haha. Villa (CC so not points, but a win?), Blackpool and Stoke followed by Chelsea at Ewood. Oh, my.

[Tom]

Thing is mum a couple of wins next week and things look rosy, a couple of defeats and things look worrying.

Big week ahead, people dismiss the carling cup but it can provide a good pick me up for the fans and players.

Oh and not trying to pick at comments but watching on tv gives a far more restricted view of the game than being there but today I've had neither so no idea how we played.

[thenodrog]

Poor performance I thought. We looked tired. Fulham woke up from the 20th minute and really got into it and their start in the second half had goal written all over it.

Fulham looked tired till we scored and then they came out of their shell and dominated midfield much as Everton did. Maybe if we go 1-0 up again we should bin a striker, bring on a midfielder and go 4-5-1 again.

[roversfan99]

Im not even going to read through the reactions because it will be the usual suspects who have come out of the woodwork again - FFS it was 1-1, hardly then end of the world - yes we didnt play great but overall we havent had a bad start. 3 points next week and il be happy with our start (although we could/ should have taken more).

Oh and the BOO BOYS - Your not welcome!

That makes no sense, your happy yet weve underachieved. You are allowed to criticise you know.