[Archived] Rovers v Reading

[FGS5635]

Rochina lost the ball because he couldnt stay on his feet. Clarly wasnt wearing studs, which is ridiculous.

[arbitro]

I've never believed that the present squad is good enough for promotion regardless of who was manager. Personally, I believe Gary has done as well as can be expected given the circumstances. He has to cut the wage bill, he can only bring in freebies and loans and yet is expected to keep the club competitive. The problem rests solely with owners who arrived completely clueless and remain so three years later. No top manager would work for these clowns under the conditions that Gary is having to operate. Hopefully, they will give him time. The bottom line is a mid table finish is a result under the circumstances. It's the owners who got us in this mess in the first place by sacking Sam and forcing John Williams and so many other good people out of the club.

We need you 92er, we need you!!!

I agree that the managers job at Rovers is a poisoned chalice working for them bast@eds but I lost some respect for Bowyer last week after he praised them in a couple of articles I read. Quite frankly reading that was an insult to each and everyone of us.

[Paul]

Well what did I see yesterday?

Reading should have won after being denied a 100% nailed on penalty.

Rochina, and I know it was only ten minutes, is not the answer. Like King he looks good but produces nothing. We don't need him to beat three men, just create a few openings.

Dunn showed again he is the only truly creative player in the squad.

Every game feels like déjà vu. The tactics, the passing, the movement, the chances created are all entirely predictable. I don't need to go watch the match, I can see it in my mind.

Until we can get away from this one-dimension approach nothing us going to change.

[Parsonblue]

I agree that the managers job at Rovers is a poisoned chalice working for them bast@eds but I lost some respect for Bowyer last week after he praised them in a couple of articles I read. Quite frankly reading that was an insult to each and everyone of us.

Nobody in their right mind is going to come out and attack their employers. Like it or not, and I don't, the Indian mob are here until they sell - and who in their right mind would buy a business that has a debt of 54 million and rising. The Indian mob have ensured that the club will have many long hard years ahead, even if they survive as a going concern which is open to question.

[arbitro]

Nobody in their right mind is going to come out and attack their employers. Like it or not, and I don't, the Indian mob are here until they sell - and who in their right mind would buy a business that has a debt of 54 million and rising. The Indian mob have ensured that the club will have many long hard years ahead, even if they survive as a going concern which is open to question.

I wasn't saying he should attack them. I implied he should not have praised them to which I re-iterate was an insult to all of us.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

No chance Gaz will drop Lowe, no chance at all !

And personally I would totally agree. He continues to improve - he very rarely gives the ball away these days - tries to pass it quickly - and was pleased to see him driving forward from the midfield occasionally yesterday. He isn't the answer to our lack of flair in the team - but does a necessary job for the team.

For me our bigger problem is Rhodes - either how to create more chances for him - or a method of playing that suits his lack of pace and ability to hold the ball up. Other than the odd lay off he did nothing yesterday - and his ability to hold the ball up or natural pace to get behind a defence is a constant problem for how we play. I thought Bowyer set the team up well in the first half yesterday - but personally (when they changed to 5 in midfield) I would have dropped Dunn back into midfield and pushed King further forward.

[Bucksrover]

Leaving the match yesterday i felt frustrated - but thinking about it there were reasons to be optomistic.

Dunn and rochina are back from injury. And whilst i agree with others that rochina is very over-rated, it was his first outing for ages so like etuhu last week he was going to struggle. That and him forgetting his football boots and having to play in plimpsolls which meant he did little but fall over. But dunn remains our trickiest player on the ball. So between them bowyer now has 2 more creative options who should both be fitter next week.

Next week we also have dj back so that's 3 more attacking options than last week.

The lingering frustration is that reading weren't great, and we could have won if every player had played well and the team had clicked. But reading are no mugs - and we could have had 2 or 3 in the first half.

[JAL]

very disheartened after this game.

Gary Bowyer thought the standard of football was very good at times.

[DE.]

I've never believed that the present squad is good enough for promotion regardless of who was manager. Personally, I believe Gary has done as well as can be expected given the circumstances. He has to cut the wage bill, he can only bring in freebies and loans and yet is expected to keep the club competitive. The problem rests solely with owners who arrived completely clueless and remain so three years later. No top manager would work for these clowns under the conditions that Gary is having to operate. Hopefully, they will give him time. The bottom line is a mid table finish is a result under the circumstances. It's the owners who got us in this mess in the first place by sacking Sam and forcing John Williams and so many other good people out of the club.

Spot on Parson. It's a case of unrealistic expectations, which many people here are still suffering from even after 3+ years of distinct mediocrity under Venky's.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Spot on Parson. It's a case of unrealistic expectations, which many people here are still suffering from even after 3+ years of distinct mediocrity under Venky's.

I know the players we have at the moment are limited ability wise but hands up all those who think we could and should be playing better than we are ? We need a pattern of play to suit the players we have.

[Stuart]

I know the players we have at the moment are limited ability wise but hands up all those who think we could and should be playing better than we are ? We need a pattern of play to suit the players we have.

Which indirectly criticises the manager. (Not that I necessarily disagree).

We have an inexperienced manager, an inexperienced and struggling goalkeeper and a second-rate, second-best, second-to-every-ball-against-decent-opposition (and overly defensive minded) central midfield headed up by captain-elect, Jason Lowe, yet people can only talk about... ...no, I'm not going to say it.

[DE.]

I know the players we have at the moment are limited ability wise but hands up all those who think we could and should be playing better than we are ? We need a pattern of play to suit the players we have.

Any team can play better - but if we get rid of Bowyer who are we getting in to replace him? We're a club with tremendous debt, no recognisable board structure, no transfer funds and a bang average squad.

Oh, and we're owned by the worst owners in English football.

If Bowyer leaves all it will do is cause upheaval and uncertainty at a time when, at the very least, we actually have some stability. It will likely bring Shebby back into the fold and bring the circus back to town in all its glory. Meanwhile after weeks/months of searching we'll hire a coach, an ex-player with no credentials or a young "gem" managing a non-league team.

All things considered, I'd rather just stick with Bowyer for now. Things aren't perfect at present but those with short memories seem to have forgotten it has been and could be a hell of a lot worse.

[den]

Things aren't perfect at present but those with short memories seem to have forgotten it has been and could be a hell of a lot worse.

And..............? We should never want better?

Also, - we must be on the verge of administration or worse. When has it been a hell of a lot worse than this?

[SoldierMo]

For godsake its Bowyers first season in charge he needs time to buil rome wasnt built in a day i honestly belive when evans returns and hopefully if we stay injury free everything should fall into place

[Amo]

I certainly think this side should be playoff contenders, at the least. Dann, Hanley, Spurr, Rochina, Dunn, Evans, King, Cairney, Rhodes, are all reliable or talented players at this level. For all the so-called dismantling of the squad, we have a stronger side than we did last season, with the exception of CKR & Sandomierski. The likes of Pedersen, Murphy & Olsson have been no great absence. Bowyer deserves credit for maximizing team spirit among the players after last season's farce. Egos who think they're too big for the club have been moved on or frozen out and we have a group of players who actually want to play for the boss. It is frustrating that Venky's have never seen fit to hire a successful manager and the club's future has been entrusted to someone who's, with all due respect, a rookie, but such is life under the Loons.

[DE.]

And..............? We should never want better?

Also, - we must be on the verge of administration or worse. When has it been a hell of a lot worse than this?

Wanting better doesn't mean sack the manager. In order to achieve better Venky's must first leave.

You can continue to want better under Venky's but it's a futile hope.

I meant a lot worse in terms of the club being a circus on a day to day basis, den, not the financial situation. I thought that was kind of obvious.

[DE.]

I certainly think this side should be playoff contenders, at the least. Dann, Hanley, Spurr, Rochina, Dunn, Evans, King, Cairney, Rhodes, are all reliable or talented players at this level.

Not buying that Toppers, sorry. Dann and Hanley are far from perfect as a CB pairing, Spurr has a decent throw in and cross but is otherwise unremarkable, Rochina and King have achieved and proven nothing at any level, Dunn is injured for 75% of any given season... the other three (Evans, Cairney, Rhodes) are the only players I think could be an integral part of any playoff/promotion chasing side.

Then we have the likes of Jake Kean, Jason Lowe and Todd Kane to consider.

[rhodie]

The thing to remember is we have only played 16 games in the league out of 46 total. The team hasn`t hit form yet but it will happen. Until then, we need to get behind the lads and have a bit more patience. Rome wasn`t built in a day.

[1864roverite]

Whatever plan A was it wasn't nor didn't work.

There was no back up plan as the team didn't really have a clue what to do next.

No support for Rhodes yet again and NO SUPPLY line.

King frustrates the hell out of me.

Kean really does concern me in goal.

[FGS5635]

Whatever plan A was it wasn't nor didn't work.

There was no back up plan as the team didn't really have a clue what to do next.

No support for Rhodes yet again and NO SUPPLY line.

King frustrates the hell out of me.

Kean really does concern me in goal.

King needs to switch to the right side. For all his eye catching runs this season, he has produced nothing when you really analyse his contribution

[Amo]

Not buying that Toppers, sorry. Dann and Hanley are far from perfect as a CB pairing, Spurr has a decent throw in and cross but is otherwise unremarkable, Rochina and King have achieved and proven nothing at any level, Dunn is injured for 75% of any given season... the other three (Evans, Cairney, Rhodes) are the only players I think could be an integral part of any playoff/promotion chasing side.

Then we have the likes of Jake Kean, Jason Lowe and Todd Kane to consider.

Disagree about Dann and Hanley. They're a solid pair at this level, and our goals against column doesn't make bad reading. Spurr's another solid player for this league and, imo, an improvement on Olsson who clearly didn't want to be here anymore. Rochina & King are frustrating but offer us skill and pace respectively. Lowe's maturing into a decent defensive midfielder, even if he isn't the kingpin people are hoping for. You don't need a star-studded line-up to get out of this division. A host of clubs have proven that already. We have the makings of a good outfit once everyone's fit and Bowyer knows his best eleven. Those of the two elements holding us back at the moment.

[SoldierMo]

The only problem im having with bowyers tactics is that there is nooo need whatsoever to play two defensive midfielders is this league especially at hme unless its lowe and evans

Just realised from another post theres 30games left loooong way to go yet

[DE.]

We have the makings of a good outfit once everyone's fit and Bowyer knows his best eleven. Those of the two elements holding us back at the moment.

Problem is there's no evidence of any of this being true, yet. If we hit a good run of form at any point during the season I guess we'll see, but it hasn't happened yet.

[FGS5635]

Problem is there's no evidence of any of this being true, yet. If we hit a good run of form at any point during the season I guess we'll see, but it hasn't happened yet.

I dunno we were on a nice run and looking good at 1 point. The hanley red card at wigan coupled with the evans injury really set us back

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Which indirectly criticises the manager. (Not that I necessarily disagree).

We have an inexperienced manager, an inexperienced and struggling goalkeeper and a second-rate, second-best, second-to-every-ball-against-decent-opposition (and overly defensive minded) central midfield headed up by captain-elect, Jason Lowe, yet people can only talk about... ...no, I'm not going to say it.

As my mum used to say " If the cap fits, wear it ". The problem really stems from the management structure ie - we haven't got one. Nobody is walking into that club at every level, top down, on Monday morning fearing a bollocking from the management. As a result performances are easy peasy , minimum effort is given, just what the players can get away with.