[Archived] Bolton V Rovers - 28/12/15

[T J Hooker]

We should have cashed in on marshall in the summer not Cairney, he hasn't played like he wants to be here all year.

[Blue blood]

Two huge negatives - an appalling performance and against a very weak side. Off field turmoil and a talentless squad Bolton were there for the taking. In an inconsistent league 17 games without a win tells its own story. That we lost to them an even more damning one.

Very few positives from this, perhaps consolations might be a better word.

Consolation 1 - Lambert told it how it is. That's encouraging not to get a load of bull.

2. When it goes badly currently what options do we really have? When Koita starts and Delfy and Taylor are plan B, and even Lawrence for that matter, you know you've very few options to change things round. Roll on January.

3. Some of the worst performers have done better. Sounds like Olsson and Apkan were poor from what I heard but we know both can be a lot better.

Seems like the new manager bounce is well and truly gone. Fortunately hos experience isn't. And it'll be needed a lot down Ewood these days.

[Speedie Dived]

Don't get me wrong, today was absolutely pants. But those talking about Bowyer as if he'd be doing any better are either delusional or just plain thick.

We were performing better, creating more and scoring more.

Not saying I would have kept him but we have not played better under Lambert yet. Surely you can see that?

[tomphil]

Duffy is good on the defensive headers side of things, infact he can be immense but he goes to sleep too much. A cheekily taken goal but rubbish marking allowed it and another two or three times today he was pulled out the @#/? by Hanley or someone else after completely mis timed lunges which would prove costly against some teams.

Doesn't help though having a ponce like Guthrie stood ball watching in the middle forcing our defenders to dart forwards to try and win the ball where they shouldn't need to.

[jim mk2]

We were performing better, creating more and scoring more.

Not saying I would have kept him but we have not played better under Lambert yet. Surely you can see that?

It was the right decision to sack Bowyer but the performances since he left have steadily got worse. Lambert didn't sign these players but he should have them playing better by now. Bowyer would have been slaughtered on here for that performance today following on from the feeble efforts against Reading and Forest.

[Pedro]

Not saying he would have done better - but the latter performances under Bowyer were better than they have been under PL so far.

I agree...but the previous two years were much more like this. We need a clean sweep through that team. This season is a write off now, albeit treat it like preparation for next season. I believe Lambert will ultimately be the man but a lot of this dross won't form part of our team next season. They can barely bring a ball down, can barely pass without the ball bobbling around and can rarely pick a decisive pass. Facts are, this is entirely Bowyer's team, in the latter stages he had them more pleasing on the eye but he faffed about with a better squad than he has left. Lambert got three quick wins with them but we aren't going to do it with this bunch. Not strong enough, not creative enough and not enough winners - but that's what the previous manager and owners created. Roll on transfer window.

[JAL]

'Long suffering supporters'? You live 5 minutes walk from Ewood and by your own admission don't go to games.

You're a joke.

How do we manage to suffer your kind.

[Speedie Dived]

I hope the talk of loans is a bluff. We need investment in this team now or just going to be treading water or looking over our shoulders.

[RevidgeBlue]

It was the right decision to sack Bowyer but the performances since he left have steadily got worse. Lambert didn't sign these players but he should have them playing better by now. Bowyer would have been slaughtered on here for that performance today following on from the feeble efforts against Reading and Forest.

Difficult to argue against that. However as another poster (maybe DE) said, Id have a lot more faith in Lambert being able to take us forward than GB medium to long term.

It was also a tremendous and unappealing struggle for quite a while after Hughes took over from Souness. Hopefully this is another one of those scenarios rather than PL being ultimately unable to turn it round..

[Neal]

This messageboard at times... Jesus. Bowyer is long gone, let it go.

Total faith Lambert will get it right for us, he's inherited a few doggers and needs some quality in.

Get rid of Rhodes and Marsh and get a few decent players in, those 2 just aren't consistent enough.

[ABBEY]

From what was shown today by rovers, we are going to need about eight fresh players this window , they were clueless in the final third.

If anyone's willing to buy Rhodes I'd snap there hand off , we can't afford passengers get shut and bring in two proper strikers.

Proper striker ... Look at Rhodes record his goals suggest proper striker .

Fans today blaming Rhodes for the loss can knob off and stop being pathetic . The fans that booed and stuck two fingers up at the players need a reality check . Yes it was poor , yes it was awful but vent your anger at the venkyscum for causing this and for bringing in players that are not good enough.

Why not sing today ? Worst vocals I think I've ever witnessed from an away team .

I think Lambert has to take some blame for his recent comments about Marshall needing to score more goals. He does, but Marshall has taken that as shoot on sight, therefore reducing supply line to Rhodes.

Marshall needs dropping .

[RevidgeBlue]

I hope the talk of loans is a bluff. We need investment in this team now or just going to be treading water or looking over our shoulders.

No objection to loans coming in per se if they're any good. It's not always easy to add the right sort of quality on a permanent basis in January.

[Speedie Dived]

No objection to loans coming in per se if they're any good. It's not always easy to add the right sort of quality on a permanent basis in January.

Well when you haven't got any it's an easier base to improve on. Cannot waste this window, it's a myth about January's lack of quality.

[arbitro]

The only good thing about today for me was that it should reinforce Lamberts opinion that we have too many players who simply aren't good enough. In fact some of them are bottlers, probably the worst accusation that can be laid at a professional footballers door. I sensed in the first ten minutes that we weren't at it as Bolton looked a yard quicker, ran and tackled better than us. That tells me that the players attitude was questionable and maybe Lambert has to accept some blame here. It was the worst Rovers performance for me since the 4-0 defeat in Horwich a few years ago. This is a massive job and potentially any player could go. I am not a Rhodes hater but he is playing from memory at the moment. Marshall and Conway have contributed the arse end of nothing under Lambert. Henley once again looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights. The midfield two were out fought and lost out massively to their Bolton counterparts.

I saw the players warm up today and saw something really interesting. One of the last drills they do is to break off in pairs or small groups, each with a coach so Hanley and Duffy, Olsson and Henley etc. Rhodes, Marshall and Conway were doing shooting practice with Rob Kelly but Koita was near the half way line literally walking about. He broke into a half spring across the width of the pitch and walked again. I just couldn't understand why he wasn't involved with the other. It just didn't look right and maybe things are not as right as we thought at Ewood.

[RevidgeBlue]

This messageboard at times... Jesus. Bowyer is long gone, let it go.

Total faith Lambert will get it right for us, he's inherited a few doggers and needs some quality in.

Get rid of Rhodes and Marsh and get a few decent players in, those 2 just aren't consistent enough.

Rhodes is literally the only player Id look to keep he's the only one who has shown any real consistency over the last three seasons.

Completely agree with you about Lambert though.

[philipl]

Agreed Arbitro.

This has to be the worse central midfield I can ever remember Rovers putting out. Powderpuff tackling, no linkage, no passing and all Bolton's danger coming straight through the middle. And as for the heading in the centre of the park.... Conway and Marshall were OK but Bolton could afford the luxury of doubling up on them with no fear of anything happening in the middle.

Poor Jordan Rhodes- not one pass or through ball all afternoon where he didn't have at least one Bolton defender on his back and that wasn't for want of movement- he was making intelligent runs all the time but nobody was able to play the ball that was needed.

The defense is much improved and we were set up to look like a proper football team- just a shame we don't have proper footballers.

I think that is just about that for a play-off place this season and it looks like our luck ran out a week or so too short of the window opening.

[tomphil]

They were told to stay at home on Boxing day and when the cameras panned on them arriving at the stadium today someone told me a few of them looked like they'd just got up. I reckon some of them will have had a good Christmas !

[G Somerset Rover]

The only good thing about today for me was that it should reinforce Lamberts opinion that we have too many players who simply aren't good enough. In fact some of them are bottlers, probably the worst accusation that can be laid at a professional footballers door. I sensed in the first ten minutes that we weren't at it as Bolton looked a yard quicker, ran and tackled better than us. That tells me that the players attitude was questionable and maybe Lambert has to accept some blame here. It was the worst Rovers performance for me since the 4-0 defeat in Horwich a few years ago. This is a massive job and potentially any player could go. I am not a Rhodes hater but he is playing from memory at the moment. Marshall and Conway have contributed the arse end of nothing under Lambert. Henley once again looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights. The midfield two were out fought and lost out massively to their Bolton counterparts.

I saw the players warm up today and saw something really interesting. One of the last drills they do is to break off in pairs or small groups, each with a coach so Hanley and Duffy, Olsson and Henley etc. Rhodes, Marshall and Conway were doing shooting practice with Rob Kelly but Koita was near the half way line literally walking about. He broke into a half spring across the width of the pitch and walked again. I just couldn't understand why he wasn't involved with the other. It just didn't look right and maybe things are not as right as we thought at Ewood.

I raised this about Koita at the Reading match. Why on earth would a striker with his finishing ability not take part in shooting practice? Especially so since before today our major chances have fallen his way. Baffling.

[Pedro]

Proper striker ... Look at Rhodes record his goals suggest proper striker .

Fans today blaming Rhodes for the loss can knob off and stop being pathetic . The fans that booed and stuck two fingers up at the players need a reality check . Yes it was poor , yes it was awful but vent your anger at the venkyscum for causing this and for bringing in players that are not good enough.

Why not sing today ? Worst vocals I think I've ever witnessed from an away team .

Marshall needs dropping .

I'm going to borrow your capitals for this,

NOBODY IS BLAMING RHODES!!!! SOME OF US ARE JUST SAYING HE WAS POOR YET AGAIN...TODAY, JUST LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THEM.

All I see is a few old schoolers with bees in their bonnets blindly defending him, despite the evidence of his performances for the majority of this season. He's scored one in open play since October - and that is somehow absolutely awesome and the fault of a chap brought in weeks afterwards. Now, some people have created this role for him where he can justifiably walk through games, making little or no impact and anyone who is critical is a 'hater'. Come into the real world, even Saint Bowyer dropped him 12months ago for a similar dip in effort and form. If we had another option, he would have been dropped quite some time ago - and rightly so. Every player should be worthy of their place, despite their CV. Throughout the team we need to improve. Throughout the team, we need to score more, create more, tackle more, put the milage in, adapt their games...including our highest paid player.

Well when you haven't got any it's an easier base to improve on. Cannot waste this window, it's a myth about January's lack of quality.

I agree. Samba and Nelsen stand out to me.

[ABBEY]

I'm going to borrow your capitals for this,

NOBODY IS BLAMING RHODES!!!! SOME OF US ARE JUST SAYING HE WAS POOR YET AGAIN...TODAY, JUST LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THEM.

All I see is a few old schoolers with bees in their bonnets blindly defending him, despite the evidence of his performances for the majority of this season. He's scored one in open play since October - and that is somehow absolutely awesome and the fault of a chap brought in weeks afterwards. Now, some people have created this role for him where he can justifiably walk through games, making little or no impact and anyone who is critical is a 'hater'. Come into the real world, even Saint Bowyer dropped him 12months ago for a similar dip in effort and form. If we had another option, he would have been dropped quite some time ago - and rightly so. Every player should be worthy of their place, despite their CV. Throughout the team we need to improve. Throughout the team, we need to score more, create more, tackle more, put the milage in, adapt their games...including our highest paid player.

I agree. Samba and Nelsen stand out to me.

Fans WERE blaming him today !

[MGAndy]

There was a move in the first half

Ball goes out wide to Conway running into the box

I see Harry Kane last night on MOTD

Shoot...score...

I would call it instinctive desire

Not even on his radar.

Another needless touch and failed cross

[Mike Graham]

It was embarrassing, even the Rovers fans were quiet. Can't believe we took more than 2K looking at it on telly.

Major surgery is required - Koita, Marshall, Akan at the top of the list for topping.

[bluefred]

Difficult to argue against that. However as another poster (maybe DE) said, Id have a lot more faith in Lambert being able to take us forward than GB medium to long term.

It was also a tremendous and unappealing struggle for quite a while after Hughes took over from Souness. Hopefully this is another one of those scenarios rather than PL being ultimately unable to turn it round..

Proper striker ... Look at Rhodes record his goals suggest proper striker .

Fans today blaming Rhodes for the loss can knob off and stop being pathetic . The fans that booed and stuck two fingers up at the players need a reality check . Yes it was poor , yes it was awful but vent your anger at the venkyscum for causing this and for bringing in players that are not good enough.

Why not sing today ? Worst vocals I think I've ever witnessed from an away team .

Marshall needs dropping .

Yes maybe Rhodes is a proper striker but not in this team or at this club. He just does contribute enough and over the season if you have no one else it will cost you, as we have seen

[ABBEY]

How many goals does he need score? 3 a game ?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

No wonder they were quiet with that performance PB!

Looked about 3,500 travelled.