[Archived] Rotherham

[Tom]

You can't expect Rhodes to do what he can't do, he only thing that frustrated me last night was when we had a counter attack down the left and Rhodes was just jogging to get up there and we never got anyone in the middle.

Hopefully it's just signs of them being worked hard in training and the fitness will come in time.

For that reason in my head this season is a write off as it's clearly going to take time to get them to the level needed. If we can keep this run going who knows though.

[Brown-E]

January can't come soon enough for Chris when he can speak to other clubs and move on for the good of everyone.

Don't get me wrong, we need better. But while he's here and doing his best for us, lay off!

[ABBEY]

Bloody hell. Get off browns back. It embarrassing how we victimise our own!

saxo mk 45

[Gav]

Bloody hell. Get off browns back. It embarrassing how we victimise our own!

You've slagged Rhodes off a few pages back, and Lawrence, make your mind up!

[Brown-E]

There is definitely an element of that - and was at times noticeable last night.

Personally I wouldn't call Rhodes at the moment - as we just aren't playing to his strengths. He has had limited chances over the last few matches - and the service to him has been rubbish.

Truth is PL seems to be playing more of a long ball style - and Rhodes doesn't have the ability to hold the ball up consistently - or the pace to run onto long balls over the top. Having said - what he does do is close down defenders - which means we often end up with throw ins in the opposition third.

It is a shame that we can't (at the moment) continue with the relatively good football we saw under the latter stages of GB's reign - but merge it with the noticeable improvement in urgency and closing down we have seen under PL. Somebody like Gayle would be perfect for the style of play PL is trying to play - and could possibly even complement Rhodes (rather than replace him).

Yeah, feck promotion or being a successful team, let's just revolve our whole game around getting Rhodes as many goals as possible..

[JAL]

Don't get me wrong, we need better. But while he's here and doing his best for us, lay off!

How many goals has he scored for his best and half a mill a year?

[Brown-E]

You've slagged Rhodes off a few pages back, and Lawrence, make your mind up!

Not at the game I haven't!

How many goals has he scored for his best and half a mill a year?

To be honest JAL, your at games about as often as me(hardly ever), so I'm not arsed about you. Its the 'murmer mob' I'm on about.

[tomphil]

Crowd was up a bit again which is a good sign on a crap night in Dec. If it was Sat afternoon it would prob have been 14k so it's inching up a bit. It's going to be a grind but we've watched worse plenty times.............and lost!

[Mercer]

Can't believe some are writing this season off.

IMV, there are two very good teams in the league who I think will go up automatically - Derby and M'boro.

As for the rest of the top 10, anyone can beat anyone on their day.

I keep saying it but organisation, confidence and momentum will take you a long way as we saw with Burnley two seasons ago and as we are seeing with Brighton this season. Two teams where the whole was/is greater than the sum of its parts.

Hanley, Duffy, Olsson, Conway, Marshall and Rhodes give Rovers a strong base. If Lambert can supplement with two or three quality additions then I am extremely confident that we will go up this season through the play offs. We, at long last, have a proven manager who knows what he's doing.

Onwards and upwards.

[Brown-E]

Can't believe some are writing this season off.

IMV, there are two very good teams in the league who I think will go up automatically - Derby and M'boro.

As for the rest of the top 10, anyone can beat anyone on their day.

I keep saying it but organisation, confidence and momentum will take you a long way as we saw with Burnley two seasons ago and as we are seeing with Brighton this season. Two teams where the whole was/is greater than the sum of its parts.

Hanley, Duffy, Olsson, Conway, Marshall and Rhodes give Rovers a strong base. If Lambert can supplement with two or three quality additions then I am extremely confident that we will go up this season through the play offs. We, at long last, have a proven manager who knows what he's doing.

Onwards and upwards.

Weren't you backing bowyer until you found out he was sacked?

[Pedro]

I think some on here should get real there is not a side in this league that would not want Rhodes in their starting line up all strikers go through lean spells.

I think some on here are realistic. Sometimes, if he isn't scoring, he looks as effective as one of those Portuguese players we signed. If he played like he did against Ipswich (without the goals) only the real idiots would slate him. Truth is (to me) I do think he can jump higher, be stronger, run more, close down, peel off his man more, put his body on the line etc...but maybe he is told not to.

For me, the defender's had a very easy time of it yesterday. We've seen time after time the way to deal with Rhodes is to stick a 6ft 3 backpack on him and Rotherham did just that. His performance level has dwindled this last 12 months and his goals per chances ratio isn't as superhuman as it was - but wow, he has put the ball away a hell of a lot over 5 years. But in fairness, if he is someone who ultimately does just finish chances (and that is what I think he is) then we are failing him by not getting quality service into the box. Some part of the equation must change to benefit the team.

[DE.]

saxo mk 45

I think the mods have just given up on banning him at this point clearly it's not much of a deterrent!

We're 4 games into Lambert's tenure and won 3, despite having a squad that most of Bowyer's supporters used as an excuse for his crappy results. We needed wins badly, one way or the other, and we're getting them. We've stopped leaking the customary two goals a game (Sheff Weds aside) and we're getting victories even when Rhodes isn't scoring.

The football may not be great to watch, but if we win, I don't care. Arguably the players are not good enough to play a more expansive, expressive game, and need to be drilled to do specific things to win games. It may not be pretty but if it gets the job done then so be it. Much like under Allardyce, I'm not going to complain if we're getting results.

We desperately need a better right back than Henley, we need better options than Brown and Koita up front and ideally a central midfielder who can push Akpan, Guthrie and Evans for a place in the team. If PL can find these players in January I think we'll continue to improve, if not then it'll be another mid-table season... but considering we had 3 wins in 16 league games under Bowyer and were looking at a relegation scrap, mid-table security for this season would be fine.

[Mercer]

Weren't you backing bowyer until you found out he was sacked?

With a question like that to me, you are clearly a wum.

[JBiz]

Got to love BRFCS at times.

Why 'so much hate'? He will come good again, he always does.

By the way, there's somebody else still missing during this period of form. Yet if I point out who I get pelters.

When you manage to criticise a player who's injured and not even involved in recent form, you make it bloody obvious that you have some sort of grudge against Lowe.

Yet, anyone who criticises Rhodes for looking completely unfit + ineffective is full of hate?

Rather than use some ridiculous formulated opinion and stick to it through sheer stubbornness, why not look at the players on a game by game basis? Recently, JR has been poor.

Still, last night JRs run effectively caused the OG, but Conways consistency played more of a part in it.

I can't fathom this defending/attacking, why can't people give an alternative opinion without it being "hate"?

[Brown-E]

The telling thing for me about Rhodes is- why is he never injured? Could he be cos he never puts his body on the line for the cause?

[JBiz]

How many goals has he scored for his best and half a mill a year?

Thing is though, how many starts has he had? Rudy hardly scored for Cardiff because he generally saw 20/30 minutes a game maximum!

[tomphil]

I can't see how anyone watching Rhodes regularly can say his performance levels have dropped in the last 12 months at all ? Quite the opposite at times infact. Pedro you do however point out that other clubs are now going out to just shackle him, stop Rhodes and you stop Rovers !

Now though under Lambo that's not the case as we can win without him scoring, we just desperately need more quality to open games up and get him the space to operate.

I will concede though that IF Lambert does sacrifice him I'd be far happier with him using the money to rebuild than anyone in the recent past.

[Brown-E]

With a question like that to me, you are clearly a wum.

What stupid prediction are you gonna make this week?

[ABBEY]

Thing is though, how many starts has he had? Rudy hardly scored for Cardiff because he generally saw 20/30 minutes a game maximum!

31 years old and 68 goals in his career.

[JBiz]

With a question like that to me, you are clearly a wum.

Stones/glass houses would be a friend of mines reply to this :-)

[tomphil]

The telling thing for me about Rhodes is- why is he never injured? Could he be cos he never puts his body on the line for the cause?

When he turns into a centre half he can start doing that but until then.......

[Tallrover]

I know it sounds pessimistic but 6th is 2 points away but 5th is 7.

We need to be mingled in those 4 places not trying catch up the last one. Plenty time though.

Hoping for a Preston win today (move up one without playing). Also Burnley don't get beat!!

Nah, sod that! Come on QPR...

[JBiz]

31 years old and 68 goals in his career.

Yea but if he's only starting 5 games a season for ten years, that's not bad at all, plus it's pretty basic and overly simplistic to just rate strikers on goals. It goes both ways in the sense that he was player of the season at Doncaster for being good foil for others.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Yeah, feck promotion or being a successful team, let's just revolve our whole game around getting Rhodes as many goals as possible..

From you posts - you obviously got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning.

But for an own goal last night - we would have drawn a match against Rotherham - would that have been acceptable ? Getting Rhodes to score - while keeping the other aspects of the game that PL has improved - is key to continuing this good run. On the other hand - if you think we can continue to rely on own goals - good luck to you.

[Brown-E]

When he turns into a centre half he can start doing that but until then.......

Thought that question would rattle someone.