[Archived] Previous Game: Bristol City Easter Monday

[Stuart]

Just now, JHRover said:

Coventry's owners have basically admitted via their fall guy chairman that their only concern is to try and minimise losses and run the club on an even keel. 

You can read all about it in an interview he did earlier this season. He basically told the fans to forget about them leaving any time soon because they had got losses down to a much lower level and so weren't bothered about leaving as it wasn't costing them much.

I expect this is the path we'll be following in the event we drop down there. As long as they can find a way to fund it and a few players to sell for cash every few seasons they won't be in a rush to leave.

I don't know how Oyston is funding Blackpool on gates of 2,000 but he doesn't seem to be any nearer to leaving either.

What I don't understand is why?

No kudos. No reward. Losing money - even if it's only a few thousand per week/month.

Do they just sit on it until the get an offer to sell that makes it worth their while and take a gamble that this will happen before the hit the second or third tier of non-league football?

[Dunnfc]

Just now, Stuart said:

What I don't understand is why?

No kudos. No reward. Losing money - even if it's only a few thousand per week/month.

Do they just sit on it until the get an offer to sell that makes it worth their while and take a gamble that this will happen before the hit the second or third tier of non-league football?

They've already busted it once and faced an almighty points deduction thinking they were being clever till they found out the rule of parent company and clubs have the same rights and both count as the club, they were close to it again and previously they bought themselves out of admin through AVRO a british virgin islands newly incoporated company belonging to the SISU clan, Joy seplalala.

[Stuart]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

I only noticed   heckling when he was awarded the MOM award. I think that's  ia different matter as it was fairly understandable in many ways.He'd been poor imo, we hadn't got the result we needed in a vital game and Raya should quite clearly have got the award for me. What are the fans meant to do at that exact point, cheer wildly at the sponsors choice or voice their dissatisfaction?

There was more muted laughter at the award to Lowe as we were heading out. It was clear to everyone that Raya was the MoM. Lowe managed to put himself about in the last 15 minutes but that was about it. Certainly not a captain's performance in a relegation six-pointer. I was actually expecting it to go to Gallagher given that they usually award it to the goalscorer but Bennett, Emnes, Conway and even Joao would have been ahead of Lowe.

I honestly think that they are now lining him up to be named Player of the Season. That really would be the final insult. Although very fitting if we are relegated.

[Mercer]

2 hours ago, J*B said:

I like that Mercer has colleagues and friends at every single one of the 92 league clubs. 

A cheap and unnecessary shot unworthy of comment other than to say after fortyish years in my line of work, if you hadn't built up a wide and diverse range of contacts / colleagues / friends then you really would be in trouble.

[Mercer]

Just now, Stuart said:

There was more muted laughter at the award to Lowe as we were heading out. It was clear to everyone that Raya was the MoM. Lowe managed to put himself about in the last 15 minutes but that was about it. Certainly not a captain's performance in a relegation six-pointer. I was actually expecting it to go to Gallagher given that they usually award it to the goalscorer but Bennett, Emnes, Conway and even Joao would have been ahead of Lowe.

I honestly think that they are now lining him up to be named Player of the Season. That really would be the final insult. Although very fitting if we are relegated.

Certainly not muted where I was.  Hope his family were not within earshot!

[blueboy3333]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

I thought he was poor today but of course he wasn't on his own in that respect. I was on my way into the ground when the teams were read out but I didn't notice any particular heckling at that point. If there was its very poor form because as poor as he is it isn't his fault he keeps getting picked.

I only noticed   heckling when he was awarded the MOM award. I think that's  ia different matter as it was fairly understandable in many ways.He'd been poor imo, we hadn't got the result we needed in a vital game and Raya should quite clearly have got the award for me. What are the fans meant to do at that exact point, cheer wildly at the sponsors choice or voice their dissatisfaction?

I only heard the booing at the end. It's indefensible. He had a good game. When we pinned them back in the last 20 mins he was mainly responsible because he was picking up 2nd balls and recycling it back out wide. To boo a good performance in a sea of abject ones is infantile. If Gally had got it no-one would have booed. Same for Bennett. Lowe's performance was on a par with theirs. And much better than some of the other dross like Feeney & Akpan 

Lowe's just a scapegoat in the same way Wilcox was. 

[Hasta]

3 minutes ago, preston blue said:

I will put my neck on the line.

I though JayLo had a decent 2nd half.  Our best performer; vital tackles and good distribution.

He was abysmal first half. I wouldn't say he had a decent 2nd half but once we scored he suddenly decided he was Stevie G and became the best outfield player on the pitch for 15 minutes. Bizarre.

Raya should clearly have been MOTM.

[RevidgeBlue]

Have to agree to disagree on that one. Wilcox had some ability and at one point was a vital cog in a Premier League winning team.

Lowe has been the on field constant in several years of decline.

[RV Blue]

Just now, Mercer said:

Certainly not muted where I was.  Hope his family were not within earshot!

Good.

[Mercer]

By Lowe's own standards, thought he was okay today.  He is supposedly our midfield maestro and inspirational leader yet I think he continually fails.

Wilcox was an integral part of a PL winning team and was capped for England.  Yes, it took time for him to win some over at Ewood but not 6+ years.  If Lowe had a tenth of Wilcox's effectiveness, it would be a great improvement for both the lad and the team.

[Rover_Shaun]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

 

Lowe's just a scapegoat in the same way Wilcox was. 

Scapegoat for what? Providing dozens of assists, quite a few goals and a league title

Handbag only got moaned at by the Riverside for poor crosses because he usually provided good ones. Lowe gets the bird from all sides because he is abject.

[garnersfags]

18 minutes ago, garnersfags said:

 

I have a question:

Did anyone, at 3pm or earlier, agree with Mowbray's team selection? Or think it may work in this game?

 

 

In relation to the above question, Mowbray's selection, formation, mindset was designed, as at Forest, to nullify the opponent, keep chances conceded to a minimum, and hope to sneak a winner through a defensive mistake or unlikely flash of brilliant inspiration. So, in effect, a strategy to secure a vital away point.

By the end of the 1st half today, the players were frustrated by their own impotence, and the crowd were openly booing the players and manager en masse. Tony will tell us different(with the benefit of post-match hindsight) but we all knew we needed to win this game after the inability to secure a point at home to motivation-less Barnsley. 

The crowd's frustration would have been tempered by the acceptance from the manager that, once we went behind, the initial strategy was unlikely (or, more honestly, unable) to produce a win and needed to be changed within 15 minutes of conceeding the goal. The crowd reaction by 35 minutes in affected/effected the players, as revealed by the impressive Bennett's goal 'celebration', as hard a stare as I've seen in a long time.

Mowbray's naive (yes, I know, I'm being generous) team set-up showed he is still unaware of his players capabilities (surely he has by now had chance to see a decent number of match videos from the last 3 or 4 months???), and even worse, showed he is capable of setting them up in a way that seems almost designed to nullify and/or extinguish whatever limited ability they have.

What the hell was he thinking allowing or forcing Bennet and Mahoney to occupy more or less the same space and position as happened directly in front of his dug-out for much of the 1st half? There were numerous examples of this tactical muppetry on display all over the pitch in that pitiful 45 minutes and more or less everyone around us turned into half-decent analysts (most of them for the 1st time) as we all screamed, or muttered, for a change as it was bleedin' obvious after 15 minutes that we were unlikely to test the keeper with that stunted, clueless, negative approach. Neither Lowe or Akpan were able or expected to support the front 'one', Williams didn't really want the ball(for obvious reasons) in his pseudo wing-back role, and Feeney was invisible, just the way he likes it. 

A management masterclass. I agree that Mowbray can't be blamed for our relegation capitulation but, just as with his PNE substitutions, he showed he is lacking true managerial ability at this level.

I like the guy and have been genuinely impressed by his passionate, intelligent comments since he arrived, so as always I hope he proves me wrong.

 

[Tom]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

I only heard the booing at the end. It's indefensible. He had a good game. When we pinned them back in the last 20 mins he was mainly responsible because he was picking up 2nd balls and recycling it back out wide. To boo a good performance in a sea of abject ones is infantile. If Gally had got it no-one would have booed. Same for Bennett. Lowe's performance was on a par with theirs. And much better than some of the other dross like Feeney & Akpan 

Lowe's just a scapegoat in the same way Wilcox was. 

To say he had a good game is a slight revision of history for me.

With about 15 minutes to go he had a moment where he ran a mile to close a man down and that seemed to wake him up and he was good after that with a couple of great balls cross field and a half decent strike wide.

Up until that point he was pretty pathetic - as you say he wasn't alone though.

The main issue is he is the captain yet seems to do nothing that you want a captain to do, of course it's not his fault Coyle put that honour on him.

 

[RV Blue]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

I only heard the booing at the end. It's indefensible. He had a good game. When we pinned them back in the last 20 mins he was mainly responsible because he was picking up 2nd balls and recycling it back out wide. To boo a good performance in a sea of abject ones is infantile. If Gally had got it no-one would have booed. Same for Bennett. Lowe's performance was on a par with theirs. And much better than some of the other dross like Feeney & Akpan 

Lowe's just a scapegoat in the same way Wilcox was. 

He was mainly responsible for us playing well for the last 15? Have a word. Bristol City were camped in their own half and all Lowe had to do was pick up their clearances and pass it to more talented players, my dead nan could have done that.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Have to agree to disagree on that one. Wilcox had some ability.

Exactly, and he still got booed.  

[Tom]

Anyway I always stay back to applaud at the end but today I couldn't bring myself to applaud that, 15-20 minutes of effort over 95 is shocking when staring down the barrel of relegation.

Each of us there have paid good, hard earned money to be there, the cowards on the pitch are being paid up to £10k PER WEEK - yet we are the ones that really feel it. 

@#/? football it's all a shambles 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, RV Blue said:

He was mainly responsible for us playing well for the last 15? Have a word. Bristol City were camped in their own half and all Lowe had to do was pick up their clearances and pass it to more talented players, my dead nan could have done that.

 She can replace Akpan at Wolves, cos he can't

[Hasta]

Just now, RV Blue said:

He was mainly responsible for us playing well for the last 15? Have a word. Bristol City were camped in their own half and all Lowe had to do was pick up their clearances and pass it to more talented players, my dead nan could have done that.

But he didn't just do that. That's what he does normally. For once in his Rovers career he got the ball and his first reaction was to go forward. He suddenly started moving it a lot quicker and switching play quicker (including 2 excellent cross field balls). His confidence suddenly got high enough for him to pull the trigger once (which he has flatly refused to do all season).

I think he's a non-league player, still do, and have been one of his biggest critics on here. However I'm not bitter or blinkered enough to deny he played well for 15 minutes.

[Gav]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

 She can replace Akpan at Wolves

This goes against the grain but:

[Rover_Shaun]

Faint praise. He's that gash it's all he gets

Someone will compare him to King Al next. just because some numbskulls once booed him (albeit playing for someone else)

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Exactly, and he still got booed.  

In my view, "handbag" was capable of displays of petulance and showing he simply couldnt be arsed on occasion which imo contributed to the crowd getting on his case. But he was a decent enough player when he wanted to beL

For me Lowe just doesn't do anything he should as a midfielder. Tackle? Nah. Close down? Nah. Get forward? Nah. Shoot? Nah. Pass the ball forward? Nah.

So I fully understand why both players attracted the ire of the crowd occasionally if I'm being honest.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, garnersfags said:

 

In relation to the above question, Mowbray's selection, formation, mindset was designed, as at Forest, to nullify the opponent, keep chances conceded to a minimum, and hope to sneak a winner through a defensive mistake or unlikely flash of brilliant inspiration. So, in effect, a strategy to secure a vital away point.

By the end of the 1st half today, the players were frustrated by their own impotence, and the crowd were openly booing the players and manager en masse. Tony will tell us different(with the benefit of post-match hindsight) but we all knew we needed to win this game after the inability to secure a point at home to motivation-less Barnsley. 

The crowd's frustration would have been tempered by the acceptance from the manager that, once we went behind, the initial strategy was unlikely (or, more honestly, unable) to produce a win and needed to be changed within 15 minutes of conceeding the goal. The crowd reaction by 35 minutes in affected/effected the players, as revealed by the impressive Bennett's goal 'celebration', as hard a stare as I've seen in a long time.

Mowbray's naive (yes, I know, I'm being generous) team set-up showed he is still unaware of his players capabilities (surely he has by now had chance to see a decent number of match videos from the last 3 or 4 months???), and even worse, showed he is capable of setting them up in a way that seems almost designed to nullify and/or extinguish whatever limited ability they have.

What the hell was he thinking allowing or forcing Bennet and Mahoney to occupy more or less the same space and position as happened directly in front of his dug-out for much of the 1st half? There were numerous examples of this tactical muppetry on display all over the pitch in that pitiful 45 minutes and more or less everyone around us turned into half-decent analysts (most of them for the 1st time) as we all screamed, or muttered, for a change as it was bleedin' obvious after 15 minutes that we were unlikely to test the keeper with that stunted, clueless, negative approach. Neither Lowe or Akpan were able or expected to support the front 'one', Williams didn't really want the ball(for obvious reasons) in his pseudo wing-back role, and Feeney was invisible, just the way he likes it. 

A management masterclass. I agree that Mowbray can't be blamed for our relegation capitulation but, just as with his PNE substitutions, he showed he is lacking true managerial ability at this level.

I like the guy and have been genuinely impressed by his passionate, intelligent comments since he arrived, so as always I hope he proves me wrong.

 

Cracking post. Agree with all of it.  

[garnersfags]

Just now, Tom said:

Anyway I always stay back to applaud at the end but today I couldn't bring myself to applaud that, 15-20 minutes of effort over 95 is shocking when staring down the barrel of relegation.

Each of us there have paid good, hard earned money to be there, the cowards on the pitch are being paid up to £10k PER WEEK - yet we are the ones that really feel it. 

@#/? football it's all a shambles 

If the admission by our revered directors that we have the 9th highest wage bill is true, it is a lot more than £10k per week.......

[RV Blue]

Just now, Hasta said:

But he didn't just do that. That's what he does normally. For once in his Rovers career he got the ball and his first reaction was to go forward. He suddenly started moving it a lot quicker and switching play quicker (including 2 excellent cross field balls). His confidence suddenly got high enough for him to pull the trigger once (which he has flatly refused to do all season).

I think he's a non-league player, still do, and have been one of his biggest critics on here. However I'm not bitter or blinkered enough to deny he played well for 15 minutes.

No he didn't, he couldn't exactly go backwards when there was no one behind him and it also helps that Bristol put no pressure on him/any of our players. He had another poor 90 minutes.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

In my view, "handbag" was capable of displays of petulance and showing he simply couldnt be arsed on occasion which imo contributed to the crowd getting on his case. But he was a decent enough player when he wanted to beL

For me Lowe just doesn't do anything he should as a midfielder. Tackle? Nah. Close down? Nah. Get forward? Nah. Shoot? Nah. Pass the ball forward? Nah.

So I fully understand why both players attracted the ire of the crowd occasionally if I'm being honest.

Fair enough. I just think Lowe actually did do those things today for a change.  It was a shock to me too.