[Archived] ROVERS v MK Dons

[FGS5635]

Surprised a few are saying 4-1 flattered us. Besides the 4 we scored we also missed at least 4 other really good chances.

[Speedie's Gonna Get Ya]

12 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It's not always that simple up front Parson. I played out wide as a young player, I was quick and got moved up front from time to time.

Smart centre halves drop off you and give you nowhere to go to use your pace, the clever ones can block you off and sap your energy.  Kick you up in the air if they can, knee in the back for high balls etc If the service from midfield isn't perfect just being quick isn't enough. Especially when you're young and not that game savvy.

Out wide it's one on one, you can come deep for the ball, come infield. Much more room to receive the ball, if you're quick you can turn a bad pass into a good pass. Room behind the full back etc. More protection from the officials.

Like I said would you play the young Damien Duff up front  ? Get the kid out wide and feed him.

Ironically didn't Woy hand him his debut down the middle?

[Fraserkirky]

Gladwin with the most lethargic 20mins I've ever seen. 

He couldn't run...out on the @#/? last night? I thought he was 6'3. Was 5'9 when he jumped today.

Shame as I thought he looked very promising in preseason.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

Some reflections.

1) Southend and Doncaster beginning to look like self-inflicted wounds. One poster described our players in today's game as being thick. That could account for their inability to play the Mowbray way in the opening two games.

2) Plenty of disparagement of MK Dons as being rubbish. Well I don't expect them to go down or even be in the relegation battle- there are quite a few a lot worse.

3) The gulf in class between Championship and League 1 is looking like a chasm with Wigan the yo-yo team.

4) Realistically we are after a top two place. Bradford away showed we can handle ourselves against favoured opposition but avoiding upsets against Peterborough, Fleetwood, Wigan, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe is going to determine whether we get an automatic promotion slot or not.  

5) So altogether very encouraging and far more so than two weeks ago after that 1-3 defeat. We can only dispatch the opposition we are playing and we did so with aplomb today. Not getting carried away but a base to build from and a reason to be looking forward to the visit to Spotland.

 

That would have been me Phillip.  We have seen a lot of 'clever' players at Ewood.  The majority of the footballers we have now simply don't have that speed of thought or technical ability to pick the right pass.  I think this is what is frustrating the passing game that Mowbray wants.  We are now matching teams physically and competitively and in little spells can look very good but Bennett, Gladwin, Williams, Conway, Caddis, Ward, Smallwood etc can usually kill a good situation dead with a poor piece of football.  Which is obviously why they are in the third division.  Frustrating but we did well today overall and in this league competitiveness and physicality will go a long way.

I didn't see Southend or Doncaster but MK weren't great today and I thought Bradford were poor as well.  If we can keep the likes of Mulgrew, Evans, Dack and Samuels fit, we should definitely be challenging.   

 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

1 hour ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

I would trade Graham for Gallagher in a heart beat. Providing we bring in a replacement for Graham also.

 

Graham is a problem.  Most of us pre-season would have expected him to bang 20 plus in this league. If he goes, we would have to bring in a 'good' striker because whilst Samuels looks the part, he isn't proven over a season and has been injury prone.  Antonsson looks a complete shambles.  Nuttall may be the answer but unproven.  

Can we afford a good striker? Not sure we could get one that guarantees 20 goals.   Don't get me wrong, if Graham going means we can buy a couple more like Dack/Samuels then great but if we end up with 2 Antonssons we are screwed.  Big gamble for me - I'd rather Lenihan we

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Speedie's Gonna Get Ya said:

Ironically didn't Woy hand him his debut down the middle?

If he did that tells you all you need to know about Woy.

[Irishrover213]

4 hours ago, Phil T said:

I think Graham's replacement was already playing today...

But it's irrelevant, really. If Samuel continues this form, he'll be twice the player Graham ever was for us. Gets onto the pitch, younger, maybe hungrier... These are these are the sort of players that have to kick the team out of this comfort zone of low expectations.

If samuel is going to be graham's replacement we will need another striker as we will only have 2 on the books. I'd still have good time for graham 

Hopefully we can build on today for Rochdale. 

[broadsword]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If he did that tells you all you need to know about Woy.

Roberto Carlos left inter because he fed up of Royston playing him in midfield

[Pedro]

2 hours ago, had.e.nuff said:

what the hell is Smallwood doing here at least a top half championship player on what I have seen so far this season

He is my kind of player. Does the simple stuff brilliantly. Wins it, lays it off - repeat.

[LDRover]

21 minutes ago, Pedro said:

He is my kind of player. Does the simple stuff brilliantly. Wins it, lays it off - repeat.

J-Lo used to do that job. Minus the winning it and laying it off.

[GreenRover]

Does anyone know the attendance today? 

[darrenrover]

2 minutes ago, GreenRover said:

Does anyone know the attendance today? 

Officially 10,111

[tomphil]

2 minutes ago, GreenRover said:

Does anyone know the attendance today? 

Just over 10k with 272 away fans I think

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Graham is a problem.  Most of us pre-season would have expected him to bang 20 plus in this league. If he goes, we would have to bring in a 'good' striker because whilst Samuels looks the part, he isn't proven over a season and has been injury prone.  Antonsson looks a complete shambles.  Nuttall may be the answer but unproven.  

Can we afford a good striker? Not sure we could get one that guarantees 20 goals.   Don't get me wrong, if Graham going means we can buy a couple more like Dack/Samuels then great but if we end up with 2 Antonssons we are screwed.  Big gamble for me - I'd rather Lenihan we

Thing is Graham is a proven goal scorer and you don't just give them away because they are having a lean spell because it comes back and bites you on the arse.

His wages may have gone down but he'll still be one if not the biggest earner so I genuinely think he's being frozen out so he'll bugger off first chance. Much as i'd like Gallagher back swapping him for Graham would be a horrendous piece of business.

Keep him and play to his strengths.

[Shrimper]

4-4-2, with width. Simple, but effective. 

Congratulations on the win. I expect you's to go on a decent run now. 

[GreenRover]

14 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Officially 10,111

Thanks 

[GreenRover]

Great performance today. Can't remember the last time we scored four goals. Rotherham last year I think we got four? Hopefully keep it goin. Rochdale away next. They drew with Bury 0-0 today and Bury had their goalkeeper sent off. Mindframe tight for that game and that will be another three points. Ability is there but mindframe is the big thing with these players. Time to catch Peterborough at the time of the table. ???

[JacknOry]

6 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You must know more about football than you do about beer.

fosters wtf lol

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, LDRover said:

J-Lo used to do that job. Minus the winning it and laying it off.

As far as I'm aware JLo still has to fix himself up with a new Club which I find slightly surprising as a string of different managers here appeared to view him as the best thing since sliced bread.

His current situation is a true measure of his actual ability imo although it might also indicate he's being too greedy with his demands.

[bigbrandjohn]

Great to score 4.  That's what we expect of our team in this division so nice to be meeting expectations. 

Not quite the 4-3 that I will never forget but it is a good feeling nevertheless. Feels like an eternity ago .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2331555/Bentley-hat-trick-stuns-United.html

Methinks Lenihan injury is fake news and he is waiting for a deal. No inside track just a hunch. I would hate to lose Charlie. He is a leader and if he leads us out of this quagmire then he will be a Rovers legend.

In any case Wednesday have just signed a Portuguese centre half so hopefully no interest from them. 

 

 

[Alan75]

8 hours ago, Speedie's Gonna Get Ya said:

Ironically didn't Woy hand him his debut down the middle?

Tony Parks gave Duff his debut against Leicester . He played as a winger.

 

[philipl]

49 minutes ago, Alan75 said:

Tony Parks gave Duff his debut against Leicester . He played as a winger.

 

Remember that game- a remarkable 2-4 defeat in which Emille Heskey was a goal scoring tank for Leicester.

But anyone who was there knew they had seen footballing magic and genius in Duff's debut.

[MarkBRFC]

10 hours ago, bazza said:

 

Finally, I'm over the moon at the win and the scoreline. When was the last time Rovers won at Ewood? I honestly cannot remember.

Aston Villa last home game of last season! We have had a grand total of 2 competitive home games since then before yesterday, lets not get silly.

Thought we did exactly what we needed to yesterday, everyone knew there jobs and played in there correct positions, not perfect by any means but i'm not sure how anyone can say 4-1 flattered us.

I think that team, plus Dack in for Antonsson & Lenihan/new centre half in for Ward is more than good enough to get out of this division, as long as we play to our strengths. After yesterdays cameo i'd be looking for a way to get Chapman in the side too, mk were terified of him when he came on.

[Waggy76]

6 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

As far as I'm aware JLo still has to fix himself up with a new Club which I find slightly surprising as a string of different managers here appeared to view him as the best thing since sliced bread.

His current situation is a true measure of his actual ability imo although it might also indicate he's being too greedy with his demands.

It makes you wonder if the ex managers were told too play him ! 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

13 minutes ago, philipl said:

Remember that game- a remarkable 2-4 defeat in which Emille Heskey was a goal scoring tank for Leicester.

But anyone who was there knew they had seen footballing magic and genius in Duff's debut.

First time I saw Heskey play I thought I was watching the next Shearer. It never quite worked out that way. When he got his mad up he could be devasting. A bit like Devon Malcolm as a fast bowler.