[Archived] NOVEMBER FIXTURES

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, AllRoverAsia said:

The players have been given the weekend off. No training or whatever for them. They should at least have gone on a team bonding weekend exercise. Not with the WAG around the shops. Holiday Camp rules.

Biggest club in this league, best stadium, training ground, biggest away followings and most players on best contracts in league, no directors watching them therefore creating a stress free enviroment. It's no wonder some don't look like they give a toss about promotion and just go through the motions they are living the dream at Rovers in the shell of a Premier league club and the kudos that goes with it in this div regardless of results.

Only uncomfortable times they ever have are when the fans give them a blast now and again.

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, Blue blood said:

Bit of  context needed when assessing this. 

We're only the cup games in and most people said they'd be happy with progress in the FA Cup and less bothered about the League Trophy. 

All well and fine if we comfortably beat lower division in the FA Cup and the kids went out with a creditable draw in the League Trophy. Problem was that it wasn't really that. We struggled past Barnet, and saw one of the most stupid formations ever in the first half, showing TM is cluelessly tinkering. And whilst we got away with it, against other teams such foolish experimenting will be badly punished. Likewise the League Trophy game saw us put out a relatively strong team. Certainly some of those players like Bennett and Graham are meant to be leading lights in the team, whilst a fair number were squad players who're meant to come in and do a job for us. It seems from that match that many of the squad players aren't going to be forcing their way into first team contention anytime soon. This is a tad worrying as our superior squad is meant to be one of our assets. 

Point is I don't think TM comes out with credit from either result. Ok on the face of it they look ok/as expected, but again, below the surface - like our league position - things are worrying wrong and not clicking into place. We're making things far harder then they should be and underwhelming even when winning. 

I fear a full November of this - if not season. Just about "acceptable" (if have little ambition) result wise yet papering over huge cracks which show TM is badly struggling. The only consolation I have at the moment is at least we're putting some paper over the cracks. if and when that goes, we'll be in serious trouble. 

In respect of the League Trophy he's ended up with lots of egg on his face. He's alternated between the textbook 'we want to win every game we play in' stance to making it abundantly obvious that he has nothing but contempt for the competition - evidence being his mish mash selections, various comments in the press, body language in the dugout.

A lot of people took to the internet to 'celebrate' our exit from the competition at the group stage. Whilst I accept it is not a priority and a club of this stature should really be embarrassed to be in it with our 1st XI competing against Stoke's reserves when our reserves alone are better than Stoke's, I fail to see any real positives to being dumped out in the group stage.

This was a winnable trophy and a chance to go to Wembley. It was a chance for the fringe players to demonstrate their contention for the 1st XI. It was a chance to maintain some momentum from the League. None of which seem to have happened. Joe Nuttall has done well but his scoring record in the U23s alone should have him in contention for the first team. Lewis Travis came out of the Bury and Stoke games with credit, as did Doyle and Tomlinson vs Stoke, but that's about it really.

I'm sure Keith Hill isn't upset that Rochdale have progressed and navigated their way past what in theory should have been a strong Rovers side on Tuesday. Likewise Accy Stanley managed to find a way through their group, dealing with the 'distraction' of the competition whilst maintaining an automatic promotion push in League Two.

So I don't accept it is good that we have been dumped out at the first hurdle. I don't accept Mowbray's ludicrous comments post-Bury when he said they had done no preparation for the game or when he said that players would effectively select themselves if they fancied a game.

As I've mentioned in the past, every team from 1st through to about 15th or 16th will in theory be in with a chance of finishing in the play-offs from now until April. Only as we get into the last 5-6 games will that become impossible for clubs to do. Until then even those in the bottom half will fancy a play-off push if they string 4-5 good results together at some point. Ultimately out of those 16 teams only 2 will go up automatically and a further 4 get a lottery ticket, 3 of those end up playing Accy Stanley next season.

That's why I don't think occupying 6th at this point is an acceptable measure of performance. Not when you look at the congested nature of mid-table and the chasm to the top 2. We can bumble along in the top 12 for the next 6 months but in the end the question needs to be asked - is it good enough?

[blueboy3333]

On ‎02‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 22:14, Mercer said:

No excuses Mowbray.

Expect 12 points from next 4 league games.  10 points as an absolute minimum.

Either get a grip or get out.

I hope you put a bet on. You could own Bargain Booze by tomorrow night.

 

[philipl]

On 03/11/2017 at 16:46, philipl said:

Four straight league wins,

Anything else unacceptable.

Seems Mowbray is going to do a random number selection and not look at the opposition for Barnet like he did for Bury (both begin with a B.) so the only question is how many Barnet win by..

 

 

OK hat tip to the team.

Despite Mowbray getting selections and tactics wrong in the majority of games, FIVE STRAIGHT WINS in the senior competitions.

Feels like a promotion campaign now!!!

 

[MarkBRFC]

22 minutes ago, philipl said:

OK hat tip to the team.

Despite Mowbray getting selections and tactics wrong in the majority of games, FIVE STRAIGHT WINS in the senior competitions.

Feels like a promotion campaign now!!!

 

Unfortunately the Checkatrade is a senior competition this season! So not quite as rosy as you paint...

That's being pedantic though, a great month for the club, one that 99% of us on here wouldn't have seen coming four weeks ago.

Still, you win nothing in November, we have put ourselves in a great position to push on though, the next two games are crucial as they are against the two of the teams directly below us. 

[Tom]

On 03/11/2017 at 22:46, Tom said:

I can see us going through in the FA cup, out in that other cup, 1 win and 3 league draws.

Not enough to match up the table but enough to keep the manager in the job and people saying 'we are only x points off 6th get a grip'

How a month can change things, delighted with the outcome 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Ya, what a November!

[Mercer]

On ‎27‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 08:23, blueboy3333 said:

I hope you put a bet on. You could own Bargain Booze by tomorrow night.

 

Delighted with our run of results - as is the wife!

Said all along we should be mullering all before us in this league.  Long may it continue.,

[blueboy3333]

8 hours ago, Mercer said:

Delighted with our run of results - as is the wife!

I'm not even going to ask!