[Archived] Rovers V Reading Sun 20Th Dec

[Amo]

Just got back. Look we lost but I think PL is learning about this squad. Let's face it, if we get to the play offs and subsequently promoted, I dread to think what may happen afterwards!

£130m in the coffers?

[DE.]

He always seems to be protected with that line, Koita missed 2 sitters apparently, is that because Rhodes made more room for him or was Koita just getting himself more involved?

I suppose that's one for Lambert to decide. If he thinks it's the former then Koita's inability to score will see him out of the team pretty quickly, if it's the latter we may see Rhodes dropped - I suppose for Lawrence, as I doubt he's crazy enough to pair Koita and Brown up front and Delfouneso now appears to be persona non grata.

[Amo]

After every game we don't win you can guarantee some will criticise Rhodes and others will say 'X striker was crap and Rhodes got no service'

He always seems to be protected with that line, Koita missed 2 sitters apparently, is that because Rhodes made more room for him or was Koita just getting himself more involved?

This debate has been done to death, and most fans will happily concede that Rhodes is a six-yard box striker who needs a certain kind of service. There's no excuse for a lack of application, but sometimes I wonder if that's being mistaken for Jordan's lack of pace and hold-up play.

Rhodes' goals have been carrying this side for the past three years, and now all of a sudden he's responsible for all our woes? What is the rest of the team doing? Are the wingers stretching defences? Are the full backs playing on the overlap? Who's pulling the strings in the middle?

Put it this way, would Rhodes have struggled in the same team as Dunn, Duff & Berkovic?

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

We haven't played half a season yet and you are writing the season off - really ?

If PL is as good as we all hope he is - with the right additions in January he should be able to get us into the top 6 - thereafter it is a bit of a lottery.

Yes. Really.

The squad is not good enough for top 6. We have laboured against 3 middle to bottom half sides and I can't remember the last time we won against a side in the top 4.

We need at least 5 players to come into the first team plus three or four on the bench. It is possible some of the younger lads (Mahoney, Lenihan, Nyambe, Tomlinson) may be part of that but none seem on the periphary at the moment.

Defence aside, I have been pretty appalled at how our team has responded to the new manager.

I think PL will do well at Rovers but he isn't going to turn it around this season.

Time to judge in 18 months.

[allanncd]

Just back from the game. On this evidence the team has taken a step backwards under PL - all hoofball and absolutely no attacking ideas. It is scary that so many players ( Marshall, Guthrie, Koita, Olsson and Rhodes to name just the obvious) are off the pace and short of commitment. Clearly the new manager factor is wearing off and with difficult upcoming fixtures we will soon be looking downwards again.

[roversfan99]

The question is does Lambert wants to build his tactics around Rhodes? does Rhodes style of play fit his?

And where did I say that Delfouneso is a player that would take us to the playoffs?

Look at our attack. We have one very consistent supplier of chances, and we have the best and most consistent goalscorer in the league, who is on a bad run of form. The rest of our attacking players (apart from Lawrence who is hit and miss, and Marshall who has talent but hasnt shown it for about a year) are crap. Taylor, Koita, Brown, Delfonso, none of them add any value at all.

What is Paul Lamberts style of play? You cant just join a club, have a preset tactic in mind and just ignore what you have at the club. Rhodes deserves criticism in his current form but hes got 9 goals, our next highest is 2. Once he soon starts scoring youll be the first one saying how theres no chance he will be leaving.

We need to build to suit the ability of by far our best player, anything else would be a total waste.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Absolutely.

There is far too much average dross in this side..many of us have been stating this for months.We have seen poor effort and attitude displayed far too much this season for it to be ignored,Christ almighty it almost feels like we are carrying players such is their lack of impact on games.

Forget promotion,the rest of this season is about sorting out the Wheat from the Chaff,those who want to wear our shirt and those who don't.

Correct. I've seen better groups of players get relegated from this Division. We need to hold onto our place this time and build for next season.

[yoda]

Just back from the game. On this evidence the team has taken a step backwards under PL - all hoofball and absolutely no attacking ideas. It is scary that so many players ( Marshall, Guthrie, Koita, Olsson and Rhodes to name just the obvious) are off the pace and short of commitment. Clearly the new manager factor is wearing off and with difficult upcoming fixtures we will soon be looking downwards again.

I think I will say this before GAV

bunkum

[AggyBlue]

I think I will sat this before GAV

bunkum

Did you watch today? Add Henley to the list

[blueboy3333]

Just back from the game. On this evidence the team has taken a step backwards under PL - all hoofball and absolutely no attacking ideas. It is scary that so many players ( Marshall, Guthrie, Koita, Olsson and Rhodes to name just the obvious) are off the pace and short of commitment. Clearly the new manager factor is wearing off and with difficult upcoming fixtures we will soon be looking downwards again.

Very worrying. The defence may be a bit better but that was one thing that was a lot better anyway this season under Bowyer. The attacking side of the game seems to have regressed under Lambert. We were creating chances under Bowyer but not taking them. Now we don't even seem to be creating them. Not scoring from open play since Lambert arrived is a concern. We aren't going to play @#/? teams every week. Most of the fixtures till the end of Feb look pretty difficult. If we carry on creating few chances then the relegation thread may need to be re-opened.

Lambert talks the talk, and it is still very early days, but he needs to at least show that he can improve the performances of the players he's got. That's what good managers do. I hope to god that the Lambert at Villa(dull, negative, losing football) is not what Rovers have got.

However, the squad is still woefully short in all areas, as now seems readily accepted by the Bowyer Out mob. At Least Lambert will be able to throw some decent money at it (hopefully). And why not give the kids a chance? Shocking!

Good results so far from pretty awful performances. That was never going to last. Lambert needs to up his game and find a way of getting the best out of Rhodes. Maybe he should try not flogging them to death and do some more work with the players on how to score goals. I'm bloody outraged!

[TBTF]

Really is time sole of the strikers stand up and be counted, I like Koita but sounds like he missed two sitters today and Rhodes sounds like he had a chance but just doesn't seem that interested.

I'm much happier than I was a few weeks ago as this season was over before Lambert arrived; time to rebuild this year and work out what suits us as a team.

There's a decent spine forming but up top it needs work

well if he did Tom that's 3 sitters in 2 games and for a guy that hasn't looked like scoring sad to say he isn't good enough. Brown and Koita yet to register between them says it all really and as promising as Lawrence might be , he doesn't look full of goals either. I have to say that against Rotherham I started to think that maybe Lawrence flatters to deceive and he seems quite happy to not quite get there in a tackle which means he might not have the biggest heart either.

Plenty of problems for PL to solve and I think next season will be the time when we should realistically expect to become realistic contenders

[Rover_Shaun]

Making a silk purse from the sows ear the previous manager left will take time. Especially when the previous manager instilled such awful mentality traits on the team.

[barry_]

Rhodes is playing like he couldn't care less about the club.

[Mercer]

Been out and about and was shocked when told the result.

Sounds like we were awful.

Is a concern that we seem to be creating less and goal scoring is getting more and more problematical.

Certainly time that Marshall and Rhodes started firing.

Think we will certainly know more after Boxing Day. We desperately need 4 points from our next 2 games and then hopefully, the cavalry will arrive in early Jan..

[blueboy3333]

Rhodes is playing like he couldn't care less about the club.

I think Rhodes made that perfectly clear when he said via the press that he was 'disappointed' he wasn't allowed to talk to other clubs in the summer.

For that very reason i wouldn't be bothered if he was sold. It was a very unprofessional thing to do. I don't think he's not trying but he's clearly had his head turned.

[had.e.nuff]

so are duffy and hanley suspended for the brough game both booked today

[47er]

Amazing stuff on here. We lose the first game in 6 under the new manager and suddenly "we're going backwards".

Where would we be if Bowyer had stayed with his record of 3 wins all season. You think he would have won this one?

Blueboy, the "Bowyer out" brigade as you call them (we could also call them the majority of Rovers fans) have always thought the squad was inadequate. And we have always known who assembled it!

I knew some people would be sharpening their hypothetical pencils the minute we lost a game.

Suddenly, we should be giving the young players a chance, I don't remember you criticising Bowyer for failing to do that.

About time the MB returned to sanity and ignored all those telling us promotion is on the cards this season. As I've said all along, it isn't.

The new manager will save us from relegation or a season long relegation dog-fight.That was the real outlook under GB.

2 transfer windows should give us the chance to mount a serious challenge next season, provided the owners back him and their response can never be predicted.

Why we have all this tedious looking back to the glorious, sun-filled and successful days of GB I have no idea.

He's gone, thank God, he isn't coming back. Get over it.

[Amo]

Been out and about and was shocked when told the result.

Sounds like we were awful.

Is a concern that we seem to be creating less and goal scoring is getting more and more problematical.

Certainly time that Marshall and Rhodes started firing.

Think we will certainly know more after Boxing Day. We desperately need 4 points from our next 2 games and then hopefully, the cavalry will arrive in early Jan..

I could've told you we would lose the moment you predicted yet another nailed-on victory.

[47er]

Been out and about and was shocked when told the result.

Sounds like we were awful.

Is a concern that we seem to be creating less and goal scoring is getting more and more problematical.

Certainly time that Marshall and Rhodes started firing.

Think we will certainly know more after Boxing Day. We desperately need 4 points from our next 2 games and then hopefully, the cavalry will arrive in early Jan..

You were "shocked", I doubt anyone else was. From the beginning, your expectations have been way too high. Squad is a Championship mid-table one at best. New manager has to struggle with what he's inherited.

so are duffy and hanley suspended for the brough game both booked today

That is really going to hurt.

[yoda]

Did you watch today? Add Henley to the list

No not today but the post was an over reaction because 11 points in 6 is just shy of 2 points a game which would be 92 in a season, takes around 67/68 to get in playoffs.

PL is going to need time, it is just apparent now how weak the squad GB assembled is

[47er]

I agree with you there Mike, Lambert and his staff are still assessing the squad here and seeing who is good enough to be his promotion squad next season. I feel we need around 7 or 8 new players in and a striker and winger with pace aswell. plus other areas in the team.(will discuss in the transfer thread where we need to strengthen there). Lambert has a decision to made on whether Rhodes will be part of his team

I agree. Wouldn't be surprised if Lambert is looking at bringing in a couple on loans with a view to a permanent deal in the summer if they performance well enough

So Chaddy, as a result of 3 years of GB, we actually need, on your reckoning, an entire new team?

[allanncd]

Judging from the number of times Steele failed to hold onto relatively straightforward shots in this game, he should ask Santa to bring him a new pair of gloves. If not I can see a more predatory attack tucking away the numerous loose balls that he pushes out into the 6 yard box. In my opinion he just never looks comfortable when collecting a shot.

No not today but the post was an over reaction because 11 points in 6 is just shy of 2 points a game which would be 92 in a season, takes around 67/68 to get in playoffs.

PL is going to need time, it is just apparent now how weak the squad GB assembled is

Extrapolating a full season from the (far from convincing performances ) in a few games against struggling, low on confidence opponents is an act of delusion.

[Spalding Rover]

so are duffy and hanley suspended for the brough game both booked today

No, think it was last game or game before they start afresh, think its built up over couple months then start again, there both on 1 now till i don't no when

[chaddyrovers]

Look at our attack. We have one very consistent supplier of chances, and we have the best and most consistent goalscorer in the league, who is on a bad run of form. The rest of our attacking players (apart from Lawrence who is hit and miss, and Marshall who has talent but hasnt shown it for about a year) are crap. Taylor, Koita, Brown, Delfouneso, none of them add any value at all.

What is Paul Lamberts style of play? You cant just join a club, have a preset tactic in mind and just ignore what you have at the club. Rhodes deserves criticism in his current form but hes got 9 goals, our next highest is 2. Once he soon starts scoring youll be the first one saying how theres no chance he will be leaving.

We need to build to suit the ability of by far our best player, anything else would be a total waste.

Conway is out biggest threat attacking wise.

Look at what Lambert's style was at Norwich and Villa? He like to play with a target man/ all round type striker/s and high tempo style and work rate.

I'm sure Lambert will have to adapt his style cos of our current playing staff

So Chaddy, as a result of 3 years of GB, we actually need, on your reckoning, an entire new team?

I said we need to add 7 or 8 new players to the squad with around 14/15 players of the current squad. Lambert will have to do most of the during the summer.

This current squad doesn't suit Lambert's style and tactics

[sharpysharps]

Just need patience right now, thinking back to 2 of my favourite Rovers managers and arguably the last 2 who were most successful were Souness and Hughes. Both came in and had to deal with mediocre squads, more so the squad that Souey inherited. It's gonna take time to wash our hands of the mediocrity that some players in our squad cannot improve on due to their ability.

PL has been vocal in trying to get the right attitude amongst the squad, to wash away the GB mentality of mid table is good enough and that's great to here BUT that doesn't suddenly make those footballers better than bang average. He's gonna have to bring in a better calibre of footballer to progress.

He's started well by getting the defence far more organised and Steele is starting to look a pretty decent keeper with years ahead of him yet. Now it's time to be brutal and ship out some of the real deadwood and give those under performing starters a place to fit for. Marshall is walking into this team at the moment by default because of how poor competition for places is, but he needs a kick up the bum. He is one of 2 or 3 in that starting 11 that are not doing enough and come Jan we will find out more about what type of job PL is going to do with this team, whether he will idendify that or not.

As for Rhodes, well he's been fantastic with his goal scoring record but something isn't right with him atm. Every striker goes through a bad spell, and it's at that time when the rest of the team need to step up. They haven't so that is something that PL must address in January.