[Archived] Shrewsbury Town - 13/1/18

[tomphil]

This could be a humdinger or a really tight nervy affair the crowd needs to stay with the team as some of the comments from their players seem to point to them frustrating us and the crowd getting on Rovers backs because of the expectancy.

I don't expect us to win but I expect us to set out to try and boss the game and at least have a go when we can.

[Husky]

Everyone keeps saying Shrewsbury are going to fall away - it kind of reminds me of what everyone was saying about Leicester City the season before last.

[blueboy3333]

We're in this league for a reason. We're behind Shrewsbury and have been all season for a reason. It's where we currently belong.

Please, less of the entitled bollocks.

[blueboy3333]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-lancashire-42666399/blackburn-rovers-captain-helps-fan-celebrate-102nd-birthday

Let's win it for Clara  

Happy Birthday!

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Shrewsbury have played well since the beginning of the season.  Some would argue they are over performing.  We,  on the other hand, should see performances really improve towards the end of the season. There are no excuses for not performing better in the second half of the season (bigger squad, higher wage bill, new signings bedded in etc) and if we do, we go up automatically. I think we will win well tomorrow... But midfield (or lack of) does worry me. Hopefully one of the young lads steps up and has a stormer. 

I'd be happy to see Bennett in the middle with Smallwood or Dack in the middle with Conway and Bennett out wide and Graham and Samuel's up top. Good old 4 4 2

 

[USABlue]

7 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

Let’s not think that Phil. Let’s think Plymouth 1975 instead.

We could donwith a season defining game like that, very much doubt it.  Should we lose and I think we may  8 points is not a whole lot of points to make up but for this team it might be.

   We are too inconsistent, can only perform in bursts, still paying the price for mental lapses such as late goals and set pieces.  I am hoping we can get a Plymouth style performance and go from strength to strength for the rest of the season.

[AdamRochina]

Loss for me..we bottle games like this and I'm still sure we won't go up

[arbitro]

I genuinely believe this is a season defining game. It's simple for me. Lose and we can forget automatic promotion, win and we can heap pressure on Shrewsbury and damage their confidence. We can score goals without a shadow of doubt but our flaky defending nearly every time the ball is crossed worries me. The first goal we conceded this season was from a corner and this trend just hasn't abated despite Mowbray saying they work on this every Friday for 45 minutes.

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, arbitro said:

I genuinely believe this is a season defining game. It's simple for me. Lose and we can forget automatic promotion, win and we can heap pressure on Shrewsbury and damage their confidence. We can score goals without a shadow of doubt but our flaky defending nearly every time the ball is crossed worries me. The first goal we conceded this season was from a corner and this trend just hasn't abated despite Mowbray saying they work on this every Friday for 45 minutes.

45 mins once a week? No wonder they are shite.

I hope it's been every day this week, Mowbray knows it's a major flaw.

Oh and WTF does invisible Venus do?

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, AdamRochina said:

Loss for me..we bottle games like this and I'm still sure we won't go up

Unlike you to be so negative and so early, usually you do at least wait until they have kicked off.

[arbitro]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

45 mins once a week? No wonder they are shite.

I hope it's been every day this week, Mowbray knows it's a major flaw.

Oh and WTF does invisible Venus do?

Mowbray said as much on his RL interview after the Hull match when questioned by Bayes.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

7 hours ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

I'd be happy to see Bennett in the middle with Smallwood or Dack in the middle with Conway and Bennett out wide and Graham and Samuel's up top. Good old 4 4 2

with Bennett in two positions.

I'd start him wide because he'll drift inside anyway.

[Paul]

17 hours ago, JHRover said:

Not so sure Bolton and Preston have avoided the collapse in pub numbers. Don't go to Bolton very often but go out of the 'city' centre in Preston and the number of pubs has dropped massively in recent years. It might not be as drastic as in Blackburn but not far off. Not much if anything left in areas such as New Hall Lane which used to be full.

The town centre there has managed to do ok because people still go in for a night out - the influence of UCLAN massive in that regard - thousands of students living in the centre - not to mention it has become something of a 'crossroads' for the county with the rail and bus networks, whereas unfortunately Blackburn has been left a bit out of the way with little reason to go into the centre once the shops close. Bolton perhaps between the two although they have some sort of university, however are within easy reach of Manchester so suspect most will head over there these days.

Off topic I know but Preston is a long way from being OK. The town centre gets grimmer with every visit. I very occasionally drive through Bolton and just like Blackurn it looks to be in trouble. All three towns fail to provide a compelling reason to visit.

Each left behind in the modern world and lacking any vibrancy. A real shame. 

[Mattyblue]

Hell of a lot of boozers though, the UCLAN factor.

[HowieFive0]

2 hours ago, arbitro said:

I genuinely believe this is a season defining game. It's simple for me. Lose and we can forget automatic promotion, win and we can heap pressure on Shrewsbury and damage their confidence. We can score goals without a shadow of doubt but our flaky defending nearly every time the ball is crossed worries me. The first goal we conceded this season was from a corner and this trend just hasn't abated despite Mowbray saying they work on this every Friday for 45 minutes.

Anything but a win may see us down to 5th ! Bradford and Scunny will no doubt be hoping we play out a draw.Four horse race for second ?

 

[Ossydave]

Suspect they'll come to frustrate us and get a 0-0 like they did at Wigan. 

It won't be a spectacle to watch I'm pretty certain of that.

 

We'll edge a 1-0 win, Dack once again the hero in the 80th minute. 

 

One thing is for certain though, we need to defend for 90+ minutes, they love late goals. If we throw this one away I think it's going to really zap the confidence so for me it's a must win. 

[den9112]

Rovers only need to match them today, do that and the quality we have should win us the game in the last 20 mins(if we are still at a stalemate ) ,that's how it should work but football is a funny old game as they say.

Lose it and its not the end of the world ,i want to see a good performance with every player working hard  and for each other, i have played the game and to be honest if they do that and lose confidence wont be zapped, frustrated, annoyed ,a bit down yes and that can work for your team  for the next games ,players have to approach the game with the right attitude and approach unlike what i witnessed in the first few games and i have not missed a game all season

 

 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

2 hours ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

with Bennett in two positions.

I'd start him wide because he'll drift inside anyway.

No mate.  Not explained v well.  Bennett central in a 44 1 1 with Dack behind Graham. 

Or Dack central with Smallwood and Bennett and and Conway out wide 4 4 2. 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

Off topic I know but Preston is a long way from being OK. The town centre gets grimmer with every visit. I very occasionally drive through Bolton and just like Blackurn it looks to be in trouble. All three towns fail to provide a compelling reason to visit.

Each left behind in the modern world and lacking any vibrancy. A real shame. 

Wouldn't have gone anywhere but town centre for nights out during the 90s and early noughties. Now I wouldn't go anywhere near!

[G Somerset Rover]

9 hours ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

I'd be happy to see Bennett in the middle with Smallwood or Dack in the middle with Conway and Bennett out wide and Graham and Samuel's up top. Good old 4 4 2

 

Sounds like Bennett’s in for a busy afternoon!

[JHRover]

I really hope we treat this game as an OPPORTUNITY. At home vs a close rival, a good chance to win a 6 pointer, get back into contention for the top 2 after a poor Xmas and damage a rival.

I hope we don't approach this with fear.

As others have pointed out, we need to win this. These are the sort of games that make a big difference. If we'd have held on vs Rotherham and Scunthorpe and put that penalty away vs Northampton then today would be less critical, but still important.

Time for all the talk to stop and for this manager and squad to deliver a performance against Shrewsbury Town to get the job done. 

We don't have 'plenty of time'. Fail to win today and its 1 win in 5 and 8 points off 2nd place with only 20 remaining - not a good position to be in.

[jim mk2]

3 minutes ago, JHRover said:

We don't have 'plenty of time'. Fail to win today and its 1 win in 5 and 8 points off 2nd place with only 20 remaining - not a good position to be in.

 

Defeat today is not fatal - there'd still be 60 points to play for, and a gap of 8 points can easily be made up. We're in a good position and there is all to play for even if we get a setback today. 

[JHRover]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

 

Defeat today is not fatal - there'd still be 60 points to play for, and a gap of 8 points can easily be made up. We're in a good position and there is all to play for even if we get a setback today. 

Easily? Given that Shrewsbury have essentially matched us for points since August, despite our almost flawless November and early December, that we're currently 1 win in 4, not to mention Scunthorpe and Bradford hot on our heels, I wouldn't describe it as being an easy gap to make up. We'd have to get back to a run of winning lots of games and hope Shrewsbury in particular fall away which isn't looking too likely at present.

I wouldn't say 8 points is impossible to make up, but it certainly isn't a position i would ever want to be in and i certainly wouldn't have any confidence in doing it.

[jim mk2]

5 minutes ago, JHRover said:

 

I wouldn't say 8 points is impossible to make up, but it certainly isn't a position i would ever want to be in and i certainly wouldn't have any confidence in doing it.

Rovers could go on a good run again and Shrewsbury could go through a sticky patch like we did over Christmas - all it needs is a 2-game swing in our favour and we're back in it. It's all ifs and buts I know and I'd rather be in their situation than ours but alot can happen with 60 points (repeat 60) still at stake. 

[JHRover]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

Rovers could go on a good run again and Shrewsbury could go through a sticky patch like we did over Christmas - all it needs is a 2-game swing in our favour and we're back in it. It's all ifs and buts I know and I'd rather be in their situation than ours but alot can happen with 60 points (repeat 60) still at stake. 

Its not a 2 game swing though. It would be 3 games, assuming Scunthorpe and Bradford didn't win theirs, and assuming we went on a winning run. Even then we probably wouldn't be in the top 2, but would be back in 'contention' for it.

Shrewsbury have only lost about 4 all season so far, and unlike us are built on fitness and organisation, so suddenly banking on them going through a bad spell is getting to the praying for a miracle stage.

2nd half of the season is when we were supposed to kick on and establish ourselves as the top 2 side we are meant to be, leaving the smaller and weaker squads behind. 

Hopefully it won't be a problem as we seize the opportunity on our home turf to send a message out today and we properly kick on