[Archived] Rovers vs Leyton Orient

[grizfoot]

I liked Kean's experiment in the first twenty minutes to try and solve our left-side defensive problems. Simply play nobody left-midfield so they'll be nobody to track back.

Rochina & Simon where both excellent I thought and clearly our best two players on the night. Although Holiett was always going to be a major threat when he came on second half, one superb dribble where he more or less dribbled past the entire Orient team in one move but was denied by the keeper (Orient's keeper was the Man of the Match by some distance). Defensively we still looked shaky at times although I suppose that comes at the expensive of playing "attacking" football. Grella was just simply awful, Petrovic in comparison looked half decent alongside him but then again I probably would have looked half decent alongside Vince. Upfront Roberts had a mixed game, the usual poor control/fumbling runs combined with smashing it straight at the keeper. Although to be fair to him he did score the penalty and can claim an assist for the second. Was a shocking error for Lowe for Orient's second, classic case of poor positioning and caught ball watching instead of being in the right position to defend. Bunn made a few decent saves, don't think Hanley & Givet played too badly but then again had little to do. As we all already know Olsson's attacking talents are often wasted at fullback.

[Tris]

28 shots on goals, just 3 goals....poor finishing mainly by Roberts.

Roberts was frustrating and poor. Once again missed a one on one, and hit about 4 chances straight at the keeper!!

Whilst some of his play can be frustrating, Roberts' hold up play can be a joy to watch.

Vukcevic's goal would not have come about had it not been for Roberts taking a long pass with some outstanding skill, holding it up really well and laying it off for the deep cross which was headed back for Vukcevic.

And whilst I and everyone around me could hardly watch the penalty, he did better than the last two Rovers players to take one

[bazza]

Really enjoyed the game tonight, spoiled only by the numpties in front of me who shouted abuse at Roberts all evening (obviously coming to terms with losing last seasons scapegoat, Andrews). They even refused to cheer when he scored the penalty. I was reminded of why I don't make a habit of sitting in the JW stand.

You must have been sitting a few rows behind me. I was on row 2 seat 89.

One guy really got into Roberts but the rest of the crowd around him (obviously ST holders) made fun and we all had a good laugh.

Rovers did adequately to get through to the next round.

In the first half they seemed to go backwards when an attack was forming. This was mainly due to Rochina and Blackman who seemed reluctant to move the ball forward.

In the second half, we agreed that Roberts became a world class player and grew in stature (if that's possible for our Jase)

Vukcevic, alias "Simon" looks a great aquisition. He will get better as he adjusts to British football.

Grella put in a good 90 minute shift. He sprays good passes about but is 20 metres too far back to be another Tugay.

Bunn was excellent as always but their keeper made some brilliant saves. He was under far more pressure.

Lowe impressed me again as being a first team squad member.

Unlike Blackman who is not ready yet (and will he ever be?).

Petrovic is a strange player. Either he has a lot of catching up to do to realise his potential or he's not as good as we expected.

Rochina over elaborated but improved as the match progressed.

Hanley and Givet in central defence were.........................OK.

Olsson and Hoilett we know about. Nuff said.

Looking forward to the draw for the next round. Aldershot or Burnley? Not much difference!

We'll probably get Man Utd away.

[47er]

thats interesting, Petrovic is the one player I have looked and thought, I really can't see how he is going to make it in the fast pace PL.

Obviously I'm holding back judgement but IMO he's playing worse then Andrews and todays reports are disappointing.

Oh well hopefully he's just settling in

Careful or you'll be accused of writing him off after only a handful of games"FFS"!

[Tom]

Aldershot at home for me please.

I worry about Saturday a little after I think Kean was checking out Lowe at RB, I watched him and he was out of position far too many times leaving his man free if he was picked out, he may be best playing there in training and tge reserves for a while yet.

Simon and Rochina both deserved their goals and if any 2 could score tonight I wanted it to be them.

Anyone know if Pedersen has a brother? We were sat beside the home dugout and he was sat with a bloke a bit older than him that looked like him.

[J*B]

After going to the game, I can definitively tell everybody:

• Grella isn't the answer to any problem. Yes, he made himself available. But we played poor opposition, he wont get time and space in this league. His distribution was poor, and he looked very lazy.
  
• Roberts can hold up a ball, and can out muscle defenders, to a very high standard. But his finishing is league 2 standard at best.
  
• Petrovic still needs more time.
  
• Olsson looks a hell of a lot better at LB than Givet.
  
• Hanley is average
  
• Lowe didn't play as well as he did against Arsenal.
  
• 
  

[AggyBlue]

• Petrovic still needs more time.

He looked like he needed winding up to me

I always watch these games in a very relaxed manner, much like watching the reserves, not too bothered if we win or loose. Tonights game was very enjoyable though.

[Hughesy]

Whilst some of his play can be frustrating, Roberts' hold up play can be a joy to watch.

Vukcevic's goal would not have come about had it not been for Roberts taking a long pass with some outstanding skill, holding it up really well and laying it off for the deep cross which was headed back for Vukcevic.

And whilst I and everyone around me could hardly watch the penalty, he did better than the last two Rovers players to take one

His penalty was pretty poor - weak and not into the corner of the net, had the keeper guessed right then the save would have been easy with the lack of power or precision applied, he got away with it!

His hold up play? He managed to bundle his way a few times, but also gave away a few fouls and constantly just held his man, whilst trying to win a free-kick. Yes he managed to hold up one or two balls, but he's paid to score goals.....his finishing as always was p!ss poor.

Usually when a player is through your on your feet excited...tonight as Roberts went through I knew the outcome before he even shot and therefore stayed in my seat.

[jim mk2]

This must be some sort of parallel universe when Roberts is described as a "joy to watch" and having "outstanding skill".

But then again the poster thought Paul ince was a good manager.

Enough said.

[tonyoz]

Hey den where are you? Kean must have listened to you. Here he is criticising the performance:

Kean said: "I thought we made hard going of it and I wasn't too pleased with how we played the first half. We were a bit slow with our passing, there were too many backwards and square and when Orient had it we didn't show enough intensity to get it back so I thought we were poor.

"But reflecting on the whole game, when they came back into it we should have been four or five goals in front. But for poor finishing and a good goalkeeping performance I think the game would have been out of sight. I felt we had the possession but we didn't get it out wide."

(Guardian)

ps I found myself watching Keith playing for Ipswich the other day. Just can't seem to kick the habit!

[thenodrog]

You must have been sitting a few rows behind me. I was on row 2 seat 89.

One guy really got into Roberts but the rest of the crowd around him (obviously ST holders) made fun and we all had a good laugh.

Rovers did adequately to get through to the next round.

In the first half they seemed to go backwards when an attack was forming. This was mainly due to Rochina and Blackman who seemed reluctant to move the ball forward.

In the second half, we agreed that Roberts became a world class player and grew in stature (if that's possible for our Jase)

Vukcevic, alias "Simon" looks a great aquisition. He will get better as he adjusts to British football.

Grella put in a good 90 minute shift. He sprays good passes about but is 20 metres too far back to be another Tugay.

Bunn was excellent as always but their keeper made some brilliant saves. He was under far more pressure.

Lowe impressed me again as being a first team squad member.

Unlike Blackman who is not ready yet (and will he ever be?).

Petrovic is a strange player. Either he has a lot of catching up to do to realise his potential or he's not as good as we expected.

Rochina over elaborated but improved as the match progressed.

Hanley and Givet in central defence were.........................OK.

Olsson and Hoilett we know about. Nuff said.

Looking forward to the draw for the next round. Aldershot or Burnley? Not much difference!

We'll probably get Man Utd away.

Was Anderson not picked?

If he couldn't get a run out against the 3rd Divs bottom club what use is he and when can we expect him to make his debut?

After going to the game, I can definitively tell everybody:

[*]Olsson looks a hell of a lot better at LB than Givet.

Always remember to factor in the opposition JB.

[thenodrog]

Whilst some of his play can be frustrating, Roberts' hold up play can be a joy to watch.

10% approximately Tris, the other 90% is bloody cringeworthy. Backing in and making a 'back' for centre halves then pleading for fouls to refs who well know his antics, if he does head it it's usually poor, then factor in that he couldn't trap a wet sand bag and that his second touch is usually a tackle and sorry but I can't describe him in any way as 'a joy to watch'.

btw If jase the ace is a joy to watch how did you describe Shearer when he was here?

[John]

With quite a few changes to the team, decent win.

[Andy]

With regards to Lowe, don't underestimate the difference of playing alongside Samba/Dann and Hanley/Givet.

The first two are leaders and organisers - I'm sure either/both would have helped Jason with his positioning in the Arsenal game, whereas Hanley struggles to organise himself and Givet is rarely appears to speak to anybody on the pitch.

[alexanders]

Was Anderson not picked?

If he couldn't get a run out against the 3rd Divs bottom club what use is he and when can we expect him to make his debut?

Much more important to keep Grant Hanley match fit and trying to resolve defence issues by trying Ollsson left back and Givet CB. Couldnt care less about Myles Anderson and neither should you.

[thenodrog]

Much more important to keep Grant Hanley match fit and trying to resolve defence issues by trying Ollsson left back and Givet CB. Couldnt care less about Myles Anderson and neither should you.

I see alexanders.

Sarcasm obviously doesn't translate well to Norwegian.

[Mattyblue]

7104, lowest crowd for 20 years?

[hawkiiz]

Agree with Alexanders.

For up games you never know what to expect other than to get through if the opposition is from any other league than the PL. Orient will always go full throttle against a PL side and cause problems. That's what makes the cups so much fun! Look at Shrewsbury going to Emirates and causing all sorts of problems. In the end both Arsenal and Rovers got through, and that's all I care about. The next match is something completely different, and I don't think it's right to compare the two at all.

[alexanders]

I see alexanders.

Sarcasm obviously doesn't translate well to Norwegian.

Sorry if I misread you drog, but I am 100% sure that someone on post earlier did bash Myles Anderson and Steve Kean for not picking Myles Anderson. You just know it - its the nature of our fans.

The same way that probably somebody were mocking Bruno Ribeiro when it was absolutely crucial to give Lowe time at the RB after his great second half performance to see if he can slot in their instead of Salgado who have had loads of trouble.

When is the next draw?

[blue_and_white]

10% approximately Tris, the other 90% is bloody cringeworthy. Backing in and making a 'back' for centre halves then pleading for fouls to refs who well know his antics, if he does head it it's usually poor, then factor in that he couldn't trap a wet sand bag and that his second touch is usually a tackle and sorry but I can't describe him in any way as 'a joy to watch'.

btw If jase the ace is a joy to watch how did you describe Shearer when he was here?

Oh come on, Roberts fouls defenders?? Thats like calling Nelson Mandela a racist. Roberts is the most fouled player I've ever seen at Rovers. Every time he gets the ball defenders are pushing him, pulling him, climbing on him, have 2 handfuls of his shirt and are usually flailing a leg somewhere near his head or straight through the back of his achilles to get a toe on the ball. At West Brom a few years ago when a defender practically had his shirt off and we were given a penalty everyone was utterly shocked, including Roberts himself, not because it wasn't a blatant foul (as it was), but because for years Roberts has been used as a climbing frame for centre halves and is never given a thing. I'm not claiming a grand conspiracy against Roberts, because this happens a heck of a lot to quite a few strikers now. When Liverpool played Stoke a few weeks ago I was watching Carroll and Shawcross in the box as Liverpool tried to get crosses in, it was literally like Shawcross was playing rugby. Refs are far too willing to let defenders get away with pushing and pulling strikers and the bigger a striker is, the more they let go. Roberts is one of the biggest around and is fouled constantly.

[alexanders]

Oh come on, Roberts fouls defenders?? Thats like calling Nelson Mandela a racist. Roberts is the most fouled player I've ever seen at Rovers. Every time he gets the ball defenders are pushing him, pulling him, climbing on him, have 2 handfuls of his shirt and are usually flailing a leg somewhere near his head or straight through the back of his achilles to get a toe on the ball. At West Brom a few years ago when a defender practically had his shirt off and we were given a penalty everyone was utterly shocked, including Roberts himself, not because it wasn't a blatant foul (as it was), but because for years Roberts has been used as a climbing frame for centre halves and is never given a thing. I'm not claiming a grand conspiracy against Roberts, because this happens a heck of a lot to quite a few strikers now. When Liverpool played Stoke a few weeks ago I was watching Carroll and Shawcross in the box as Liverpool tried to get crosses in, it was literally like Shawcross was playing rugby. Refs are far too willing to let defenders get away with pushing and pulling strikers and the bigger a striker is, the more they let go. Roberts is one of the biggest around and is fouled constantly.

Roberts gives away stupid free-kicks and often when we have a good chance. He then go on a give his horrible smile. You cant deny that !

[47er]

7104, lowest crowd for 20 years?

99% are with him though!

[thenodrog]

Oh come on, Roberts fouls defenders?? Thats like calling Nelson Mandela a racist. Roberts is the most fouled player I've ever seen at Rovers. Every time he gets the ball defenders are pushing him, pulling him, climbing on him, have 2 handfuls of his shirt and are usually flailing a leg somewhere near his head or straight through the back of his achilles to get a toe on the ball.

Thats a gud un. Very funny. You nearly got me going there.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

99% are with him though!

There would have been a huge crowd on if Allardyce and The Trust were still here wouldn't there?

[alexanders]

There would have been a huge crowd on if Allardyce and The Trust were still here wouldn't there?

Absolutely. It was Leyton Orient. Come on!