[Archived] Boxing Day, Rovers v Weds, 26th December 2013

[cesus]

That was 90 minutes of pure brain dead football, I feel the easiest way to describe it for those who didn't attend would be the vast majority of our possession was at the feet of our centre halves. Our centre halves had the most touches in the team, oh and Gestede played a pass back to their keeper when through one on one ... It really was that bad in terms of creativity and excitement!

[West Yorks Rover]

Leeds 1-0 up at BPool

[CapeTownRover]

hating this now... think im going to settle for mid table now, or do we still have a chance? either way, today proves that we far too inconsistent to mount a serious playoff push

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We appear unable to put a run of wins together,so frustrating.

[Majiball]

For a team chasing the playoffs, an awful result.

For a team aiming for mid-table, acceptable enough.

Depends what your expectations are I suppose.

By the clubs own admission it's promotion 'affordably' I still cannot believe he said that given our owners heritage.

Handbags

What do you expect these days? prob a couple of slaps and loads of talk.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Wednesday set out 5 in midfield, and basically enveloped our 4, Lowe/Dann had a couple of woeful passes each in the first half. Gestede isn't the answer to our perennial problem up front....GB cannot put Cairney wide, or it's like playing with 10 men......and when will he realise Lowe/Williamson is a snorefest! If we have ambition, need to win games like these. Another vote for mid-table mediocrity.

[West Yorks Rover]

hating this now... think im going to settle for mid table now, or do we still have a chance? either way, today proves that we far too inconsistent to mount a serious playoff push

Seems to be the team selections and tactics that are the problem.

No Dunny - big miss

Start Rochina - sorted

We were at home for God sakes !

[Majiball]

See back on my posts during the game - didn't warm up much to be honest - just threw him on. Not sure he actually touched the ball thereafter!

It takes ten minutes for you to warm your body up and people wonder why it takes 10 minutes to get into a game???

Maddness

hating this now... think im going to settle for mid table now, or do we still have a chance? either way, today proves that we far too inconsistent to mount a serious playoff push

Collectively we're just not good enough to go up at present.

[West Yorks Rover]

How did Marshall do today ?

[LDRover]

Yet again Bowyer shows his ultra negative side by ensuring we wouldn't win that game with the switch to 2 defensive mids. I wouldn't mind but their midfield pair seemed to have more room after the change.

It's also patently obvious that the defence don't trust this set up as they'd rather bypass the midfield and go long.

Can't help but feel we missed a trick today. Wednesday looked every inch a bottom 3 side today and should've been put to the sword. Bowyer seemed content with a point and that's just not good enough I'm afraid.

[Stuart]

We appear unable to put a run of wins together,so frustrating.

Five years since we last won three in a row. With this approach it'll probably be another five. We should not have been so negative today.

Had to laugh, well shout, at Radio Rovers on the way home. They were trying to say that Wednesday were negative! They were more positive than we were. At least the had someone to drive forward in the centre of midfield.

I've said it before but I can't believe that we are still so reliant on Dunn having had years to bring in someone to replace him. We are still missing a leader whilst Bowyer continues with his plan to groom Lowe for captain. Let's hope we have time to wait.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

How did Marshall do today ?

Anonymous first half, livelier 2nd.....but it was all relative!

[Majiball]

Yet again Bowyer shows his ultra negative side by ensuring we wouldn't win that game with the switch to 2 defensive mids. I wouldn't mind but their midfield pair seemed to have more room after the change.

It's also patently obvious that the defence don't trust this set up as they'd rather bypass the midfield and go long.

Can't help but feel we missed a trick today. Wednesday looked every inch a bottom 3 side today and should've been put to the sword. Bowyer seemed content with a point and that's just not good enough I'm afraid.

How mobile were the midfield today? do they look to be available all the time and marked or just not moving enough?

Hanley and Dann always play long, under Kean, Appleton, Berg they always do it. I'm not 100% they can do anything else or see it as when I've watched them they missed chances to pass it short and simple. It always comes back and is too predictable, but a lot of CB's in Britain seem to think they are beckenbauer and it's far too encouraged.

[CapeTownRover]

wonder what we would do with a manager, who had more experience in terms of tactics and substitutions. we should no doubt continue with Bowyer, but i was thinking earlier where we might be with a more experienced guy calling the shots. in terms of quality, i think our squad is pretty solid in most areas, but when we drop points because of poor tactics, lack of ambition and poor substitutions, then you have to look to the dug out and ask questions. this is not the 1st time Bowyer has got it wrong, and while 2 up front was the way to go, Gestede was not the one who should have partnered Rhodes up front. Rochina just slightly tucked behind Rhodes, with Cairney and Lowe in the middle and Taylor and Marshall out wide. i didnt mind Gestede starting, but when Bowyer took him off, and then replaced him with Williamson, thats when i just shook my head. Gestede should probably have been replaced after like 10 mins(over reaction perhaps), but this target man play just doesnt work for us.

[Majiball]

Five years since we last won three in a row. With this approach it'll probably be another five. We should not have been so negative today.

I'm willing to wager it's a feet we'll never achieve during my time in the north west.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

''Had to laugh, well shout, at Radio Rovers on the way home.''

Stuart,I find that Radio station Increasingly insulting to one's intelligence.

[rovers11]

hating this now... think im going to settle for mid table now, or do we still have a chance? either way, today proves that we far too inconsistent to mount a serious playoff push

8 points out of 12, 3 clean sheets out of 4, and 3 points off the play offs. Disappointing result today but we're in a decent position. Let's not be too downhearted.

Everyone can beat everyone in this league so I don't see any game as being a `banker`. Every game is tough in this league and I thought today would be a tough game as they'd put 10 men behind the ball. That's the way it proved and that's why this league is so unpredictable.

[Majiball]

wonder what we would do with a manager, who had more experience in terms of tactics and substitutions. we should no doubt continue with Bowyer, but i was thinking earlier where we might be with a more experienced guy calling the shots. in terms of quality, i think our squad is pretty solid in most areas, but when we drop points because of poor tactics, lack of ambition and poor substitutions, then you have to look to the dug out and ask questions. this is not the 1st time Bowyer has got it wrong, and while 2 up front was the way to go, Gestede was not the one who should have partnered Rhodes up front. Rochina just slightly tucked behind Rhodes, with Cairney and Lowe in the middle and Taylor and Marshall out wide. i didnt mind Gestede starting, but when Bowyer took him off, and then replaced him with Williamson, thats when i just shook my head. Gestede should probably have been replaced after like 10 mins(over reaction perhaps), but this target man play just doesnt work for us.

Whooa it's far from all GB today. Did the players make the sacrifice needed to ensure they were 100% ready to play today? Dunny certainly didn't (fan my arse). The team wasn't good enough today and the tactics and subs not right but that team was good enough to score today. The players should hang their heads today after that they let themselves down badly. Today we should have been 1 point of the play-offs with another perceived weaker team in Brum on Sunday to come at home.

We'd have been in the play-offs come the new year.

[RevidgeBlue]

Only just now SG?

It's a good few years now since Glenn (moderator) made the excellent suggestion Gerald Jackson be fed to Roar.

If anything I think it's improved a bit since the simpering Wendy left and Neil Yardley who is fairly decent came in.

[LDRover]

How mobile were the midfield today? do they look to be available all the time and marked or just not moving enough?

Hanley and Dann always play long, under Kean, Appleton, Berg they always do it. I'm not 100% they can do anything else or see it as when I've watched them they missed chances to pass it short and simple. It always comes back and is too predictable, but a lot of CB's in Britain seem to think they are beckenbauer and it's far too encouraged.

Let's get this straight, it was a bad day at the office with hardly any exceptions. However, 1st half Hanley brought the ball out from the back a couple of times and Taylor, Cairney and Lowe looked to receive the ball short.

Unfortunately, in the case of Lowe, we have a player who is unbelievably uncomfortable in possession and can only pass the buck to a team mate with a 5 or 20 yard square or backwards ball. Say what you like about Cairney , and he was far from effective today, but he's always looking to get us on the front foot and rarely gives it away.

I didn't feel that our movement in midfield today was bad...until he moved Cairney wide. It was then that we went route 1.

[Mike Graham]

Goodness that was bad, just like our display against Millwall.

How the hell could the sponsors give Marshall MOTM....he was dire. Yet again GB (nice chap) has proved he is about Leagues 1/2 standard....mind you the players he has at his disposal are Kean.

PS. Was Rhodes playing or was it a cardboard cutout with two left feet?

[Stuart]

How mobile were the midfield today? do they look to be available all the time and marked or just not moving enough?

What midfield?

''Had to laugh, well shout, at Radio Rovers on the way home.''

Stuart,I find that Radio station Increasingly insulting to one's intelligence.

I know what you mean. It's an in house station but it does bring you interviews with the players on the way home - until you drive out of range. Eastwood was very modest about his third clean sheet in a row. Probably doesn't want to fall out with Kean. They both seemed really out of their depth during the warm up. Like two school kids playing for the first time.

Speaking of school kids, how old was that ants-in-his-pants linesman along the Riverside? 15? Looked like it was his first ever match (similar for the ref)!

[West Yorks Rover]

Maybe Bowyer was just happy not to lose, remember he has to visit Pune soon.

[CapeTownRover]

not saying the players are not at fault as well Maji, just think it called for GB to make the right decisions at the right times. he didnt today, wrong team to start with, and wrong changes made. Taylor going off hurt he had no control of, but Gestede off and Williamson in made no sense at all.

[TBTF]

Anonymous first half, livelier 2nd.....but it was all relative!

TBH i thought he was alot of the problem today.Seems like we paid £1m for him and GB is having to justify it by playing him.He was crap on the right , then slightly better on the left then finally we have im in 'the hole' where he was poor.He should have been off 30 mins earlier to give Rochina a chance.

And then just to prove what a good judge i am- he gets MoM.. Must just have been that kind of day.

MoM today had to be Hanley by a distance.