[Archived] Last Game: Reading Away

[jim mk2]

Just now, nathan_rovers1 said:

Yesterday was poor and I have to say I thought Reading were fantastic, however I do think we are better than Barnsley and Bristol and can see us winning those games.

Funnily enough, I didn't think Reading were as good as Fulham. More solid, but not as talented. 

Bristol City looked very good in their recent 4-0 drubbing of Huddersfield on TV - sort of performance Rovers haven't put in for years and years.  

[nathan_rovers1]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

Funnily enough, I didn't think Reading were as good as Fulham. More solid, but not as talented. 

Bristol City looked very good in their recent 4-0 drubbing of Huddersfield on TV - sort of performance Rovers haven't put in for years and years.  

We need one of those performances.

I was chatting to someone who is a Bristol City fan and he reckons they're going down and that the majority of their fans have resigned themselves to it. We need a win, not really that bothered about a performance- just a win!

[G Somerset Rover]

11 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

The first 2 goals were so easy Reading might have been on the training ground. Two carbon-copy goals with Nyambe exposed and central defenders watching the ball jnstead of the man. 

Gallagher annoyed me the whole match - I don't see what he offers to the team. In the second half he gave the ball away and made no effort to get it back - contrast with Emnes or possibly Joao who chased a Reading player back for 50 yards to win the ball back after losing it. 

I'm only going off the highlights, but whilst Nyambe looked like the youngster that he is, he appeared to have absolutely zilch in the way of support from Feeney for both of the goals. 

[jim mk2]

Feeney was ambling back like the rest of them. 

[funny-old-game]

6 minutes ago, RV Blue said:

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, yes they have always been able to do it, so what? Clement failed at Derby, so what? Silva is an unknown quantity (to you), so what? You said "you can't turn things around in a sort space of time", and I have just proven that you can. Really sensible point there...

I'm pretty sure you do get the point, but being a windup merchant that's not fun for you.

I've seen on here how you work son, sorry but won't wash with me.

[darrenrover]

1 hour ago, RV Blue said:

Funny how some can though, isn't it? Silva at Hull, Clement at Swansea, Sam at Palace, Warnock at Rotherham last season and Cardiff this season, etc., etc. 

Surely you can see RVB, that all those had players of some degree of quality to work with?

I'll challenge you to go through our squad and highlight where a decent manager could have got more from them. Mullgrew is probably the pick of the crop and he's an habitual crock.

Which player would you honestly say is "a good 'un".

51 years watching Rovers for me and for the first time ever, they're all crap.

 

[jim mk2]

Just now, darrenrover said:

 

51 years watching Rovers for me and for the first time ever, they're all crap.

 

Lower league journeymen I'd say. 

[tomphil]

Starting with that pish weak keeper you go through that 11 and you'd struggle to fill one hand with ones you'd want to keep. Out of those they'll be the ones leaving or being shoved out anyway.

You reap what you sow and Venkys deal in the lowest grade seed possible. They'll soon have us in the 4th tier for the first time in our history make no mistake.

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, RV Blue said:

Funny how some can though, isn't it? Silva at Hull, Clement at Swansea, Sam at Palace, Warnock at Rotherham last season and Cardiff this season, etc., etc. 

It took Big Sam time at Palace to turn it there. 

The problem is the previous manager with his poor fitness levels, training being a holiday camp and poor transfers made

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

 

The first 2 goals were so easy Reading might have been on the training ground. Two carbon-copy goals with Nyambe exposed and central defenders watching the ball jnstead of the man. 

Gallagher annoyed me the whole match - I don't see what he offers to the team. In the second half he gave the ball away and made no effort to get it back - contrast with Emnes or possibly Joao who chased a Reading player back for 50 yards to win the ball back after losing it. 

Gallagher isnt a target man, he likes the ball to feet and to run onto the ball. 

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Our squad is short on quality and depth, but a bigger problem this season has been a lack of organisation, fitness and ruthlessness all of which I believe are mainly to do with poor planning at the club and appalling coaching/management over a sustained period.

From the word go we have been playing catch up in terms of adding players to the squad (most of our business done at the 11th hour once the Duffy cash was in the bank) and have been behind our rivals in terms of fitness and preparation (Norwich game the perfect example of a side that looked about 3 weeks behind their opponents).

I don't think man for man we are significantly worse than many sides in this league. From memory the only games where we've been comprehensively outplayed and outclassed for 90 minutes this season have been Norwich at home, Huddersfield at home, Wigan away, not many others.

To succeed in this league you don't need a squad of worldbeaters on £30k a week each costing £5 million. That's why the excuses about revenues etc. from Cheston irritate me so much. You need to be organised, plan in advance, act decisively, appoint the right staff, properly replace players when they do depart, have an identity as a club, sign players that won't sit in the treatment room all season and our failure with all the above is in my opinion the primary reason we are where we are rather than the individual abilities of players in the squad.

It is rare in this league for any club to be miles adrift and get beat every week. It's happened to Rotherham this season, it happened with Blackpool the other year, but usually at least 2 of the relegation spots remain open to any of 6-7 clubs or more going into the last 5 games.

Very good post. 

Coyle was the big problem here. 

In the summer we need a proper recruitment plan and not the clueless plan we had last summer. 

Also I hope Mowbray changes the fitness staff and look to get the players super fit. Also he will be able to get a full pre season behind the players and put his tactics properly in to place.. 

[47er]

Problem is the cuts Chaddy. Every year of Venkys has seen the quality of the squad decline.

Why won't it be different next season?

[tomphil]

It won't but having someone pretending to be a DOF is somehow going to provide the miracle blueprint cure

[JHRover]

4 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Starting with that pish weak keeper you go through that 11 and you'd struggle to fill one hand with ones you'd want to keep. Out of those they'll be the ones leaving or being shoved out anyway.

You reap what you sow and Venkys deal in the lowest grade seed possible. They'll soon have us in the 4th tier for the first time in our history make no mistake.

But how can we compete in the 4th tier when up against the likes of Portsmouth and Plymouth with 10,000+ a week fans?

[roverstdt]

I agree with a lot of the post. I feel the lack of organisation under Coyle, and Cheston is what has done the damage this year. While I feel Senior looks like he will scam any £ he can out of the club he does at least talk and mention about plans in place as to what he would like to do, Mowbray as well. For me a lot of the players need a look at themselves and a lot of the players need to go this year. 

I have been trying to put my finger as to what is the key issue as to why we concede soo many goals. I understand our organisation is the issue, but I know many people have raved about Lenihan and Mulgrew to some point Nyambe, and I wonder and notice that not too many people mentioned the midfield. I think in my eyes the midfield doesn't do enough to protect our defence (Other than Lowe who once again impressed me. You can say what you want about Lowe and how poor he is but one thing I have noticed is that he does not stop running, pressuring players, close down harass the opposition. I don't know if he is captain material (I think Mulgrew would be better suited), but his work rate is valuable for this team that has too many bystanders

[tomphil]

Just now, JHRover said:

But how can we compete in the 4th tier when up against the likes of Portsmouth and Plymouth with 10,000+ a week fans?

The owners are committed to financially support the betterment of the club though so we'll be fine we'll still have the biggest wage bill in the league if nothing else !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, roverstdt said:

I agree with a lot of the post. I feel the lack of organisation under Coyle, and Cheston is what has done the damage this year. While I feel Senior looks like he will scam any £ he can out of the club he does at least talk and mention about plans in place as to what he would like to do, Mowbray as well. For me a lot of the players need a look at themselves and a lot of the players need to go this year. 

I have been trying to put my finger as to what is the key issue as to why we concede soo many goals. I understand our organisation is the issue, but I know many people have raved about Lenihan and Mulgrew to some point Nyambe, and I wonder and notice that not too many people mentioned the midfield. I think in my eyes the midfield doesn't do enough to protect our defence (Other than Lowe who once again impressed me. You can say what you want about Lowe and how poor he is but one thing I have noticed is that he does not stop running, pressuring players, close down harass the opposition. I don't know if he is captain material (I think Mulgrew would be better suited), but his work rate is valuable for this team that has too many bystanders

Midfield has been the problem at both ends of the pitch for longer than I care to remember.

[Gav]

Just now, tomphil said:

having someone pretending to be a DOF is somehow going to provide the miracle blueprint cure

Some on here think the DOF is the answer to all our problems.

Stop being so negative 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Gav said:

Some on here think the DOF is the answer to all our problems.

Stop being so negative 

Let's just have no employees or attempt at structure at the club and be done with it. 

[nathan_rovers1]

The issue is that Coyle was so inept at his job that he has completely screwed it up. There  was no foundation at the club before he was rightly given the boot and to go from that and I believe TM is trying to implement a structure yet he has only been here a month.

[darrenrover]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Let's just have no employees or attempt at structure at the club and be done with it. 

Structured staff is a prerequisite, as is a structured plan, finances etc.

I'd really like to be enlightened (in fact I'd be ecstatic) as to what the plan is and how the director of football fits into it.

Presumably the intention is 'it's' got to be to improve, if so how?

[RV Blue]

1 hour ago, funny-old-game said:

I'm pretty sure you do get the point, but being a windup merchant that's not fun for you.

I've seen on here how you work son, sorry but won't wash with me.

I actually don't, what are you trying to say? I'm saying that some managers manage to keep teams up that were almost certainties to go down before they arrived, are you disagreeing with that?

"It won't wash with me"

[RV Blue]

1 hour ago, darrenrover said:

Surely you can see RVB, that all those had players of some degree of quality to work with?

I'll challenge you to go through our squad and highlight where a decent manager could have got more from them. Mullgrew is probably the pick of the crop and he's an habitual crock.

Which player would you honestly say is "a good 'un".

51 years watching Rovers for me and for the first time ever, they're all crap.

 

Most of the teams I mentioned are very poor relative to the division they are in. Hull were a basket case before Silva came in.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Let's be honest here. I've been watching Rovers for over 50 years and a lot of the current players would get into my all time Rovers worst 11. When we were in the next level down years ago the standard of players was infinitely better. I said when we appointed Coyle we would be certs for relegation and we look to have left it too late to fire him.

 

[darrenrover]

Just now, RV Blue said:

Most of the teams I mentioned are very poor relative to the division they are in. Hull were a basket case before Silva came in.

I presume you're thinking about the rest, relative to us.

silk purse, sow's ears, tunes out of old busted fiddles etc.

Oh, and the appointment Coyle, he'd have relegated Barca or Bayern, never mind our sorry bunch.

[RV Blue]

Just now, darrenrover said:

I presume you're thinking about the rest, relative to us.

silk purse, sow's ears, tunes out of old busted fiddles etc.

Oh, and the appointment Coyle, he'd have relegated Barca or Bayern, never mind our sorry bunch.

That fact that we were still within touching distance when Coyle left says a lot though, doesn't it? Mowbray pure and simply hasn't improved us (yet) and considering who he took over from, it is worrying.

[Gav]

Just now, RV Blue said:

That fact that we were still within touching distance when Coyle left says a lot though, doesn't it? Mowbray pure and simply hasn't improved us (yet) and considering who he took over from, it is worrying.

This isn't a game of championship manager.......

Mowbrays arrival has probably earned us just enough points to keep us up, If Coyle had stayed we'd be down already, so he has improved us.