[Archived] Rovers v Oldham

[blueboy3333]

18 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Unfortunately I think Kamy has been spending too much time on Twitter with the brfcs screen grabbers.

Exactly what I was thinking. The holier-than-thou 'I'm outraged' merchants who only log in to have a moan, the very thing they criticise others for.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Kamy100 said:

People are free to post whatever they want and constructive criticism off Mowbray/the team i don’t call hysteria but some off what I have read on here is hysterical. It isn’t just limited to this forum there has been some ridiculous talk on twitter as well.

Quote the hysterical stuff. It shouldn't be difficult if it's there.

[Guest]

Thank God there's only two days until the next game...  After which we might be repeating all of this 

[Bbrovers2288]

I’m very concerned with the form of downing, is this the same lad that was here at the start of the season, looks devoid of confidence, I’d get lenihan back in there ASAP.

as for nyambe, a few good games doesn’t make a season. I thought he was our weak link at the start of the season and has been during our recent poor form, all coming down from inability to deal with high punted balls, that goal yesterday was inexcusable and very like the Walsall goal. See better defending at 5 a side, I’d put Travis in there to make that position his own 

[tomphil]

Just now, OnePhilT said:

Thank God there's only two days until the next game...  After which we might be repeating all of this 

Aye the hysteria hasn't even started yet 

A shocker at Pompey and the stick or twist thread will be flying again and the usual two or three will pop on contribute nothing but the same old moan about moaners !

Funny old game.

[Miker]

A couple of random thoughts after last night's game:

• A number of posters on here are calling for Mowbray to throw caution to the wind, not care about the opposition and be more attacking, but both goals last night came from counter attacks. We were unable to get going up front, and as a result Oldham took full advantage on their counter attacks. Unfortunately for us, Nazon was absolutely clinical in that first half and he was helped by calamitous defending. 
• Williams and Bennett get way too much criticism on here. They have been 2 of our most consistent and hardest working players all season and they showed it again last night.
• Payne was outmuscled constantly in the first half and useless on the wing. He just wasn't getting into the game at all until Mowbray moved him into a more central role in the second half where he flourished and was a constant threat. He was unfortunate not to get a goal.
• Travis deserves a start after that performance. He absolutely turned the game on its head, breathing life into a team that was struggling badly before he came on. His endeavour was crucial in winning the free-kick that Mulgrew scored from and his energy and confidence seemed to spread to the rest of the team.
• Bell has not impressed me so far. Honestly, I don't think he's any better than Williams and he was poor playing higher up the pitch last night.
• Mowbray has to take the blame for our poor first half. He persisted with the same formation, but played players out of position. Bell and Payne on the wings just wasn't working, and with Dack being targeted by the opposition, the team couldn't find their rhythm at all. As soon as he switched to the 3-4-1-2 and played everyone in the roles they were most suited to, we began to dominate. 
• Pleased for Armstrong that he finally got his first goal. He is very impressive... his pace is incredible and he is going to terrorise defenders in this league. 
• Smallwood and Downing were poor and deserved to come off. Downing's form has declined since he signed with us and I expect Lenihan will replace him in the starting 11 very soon.

[4000Holes]

32 minutes ago, Kamy100 said:

I have been reading this thread since yesterday and last few pages there is some hysteria.

People are free to post whatever they want and constructive criticism off Mowbray/the team i don’t call hysteria but some off what I have read on here is hysterical. It isn’t just limited to this forum there has been some ridiculous talk on twitter as well.

The issues with the ownership (we will always be 2 weeks from a full on crisis with Venky’s) will always remain, but for the moment the footballing side off the club has ceased to be a circus. The manager is starting to turn things round, the youth structures at the club who are key to our future survival are now starting to work well again. That is reason for optimism. If we do not go up at the end of the season then questions will rightly be asked but at the moment we are very much in the chase.

I agree with your sentiments Kamy but I am extremely concerned.  Against teams that play football we look ok, good even, but every time we come up against a team that get into our face we are found wanting and we get bullied.  In my view this will be our undoing when we get to the end of the season.  Surely the manager must have identified this weakness therefore we have to question why he didn't do anything about it during the window?

[K-Hod]

I suspect this won’t be a popular opinion but I actually think Williams has looked better at centre half than at left back, where he has been steady, if not spectacular. Bell has looked good at full back for his pace in getting forward if nothing else though he was poor yesterday I felt. I also agree with the sentiments re Downing, he’s gone off the boil in a big way. I thought it was just without Mulgrew alongside him, but it continued yesterday as well.

I feel like I keep saying this, but opposition managers have gotten wise to our use of Dack and he’s being largely marked out of games as teams physically do a number on him. Which brings me to being in total agreement with other observations that we do get out fought by the more physical teams in the league. 

All is not lost, there’s a long way to go, but there is definitely room for improvement. The good thing is we’ve got difference makers due back from injury who could be just that by the end of the season...

 

[Leonard Venkhater]

4 minutes ago, 4000Holes said:

I agree with your sentiments Kamy but I am extremely concerned.  Against teams that play football we look ok, good even, but every time we come up against a team that get into our face we are found wanting and we get bullied.  In my view this will be our undoing when we get to the end of the season.  Surely the manager must have identified this weakness therefore we have to question why he didn't do anything about it during the window?

I don't think I am hysterical. I am a bit worried though.

In the first half Oldham looked the top of the table side, while we looked like the team at the other end of the table.

The trouble is we have too many unconvincing performances, but we are frequently baled out by a moment of sheer brilliance from the likes of Dack and Mulgrew.

Parson is right, though, in that the football side of things does seem more organised, tempered, of course, by the fact that we are in the Third Division

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, Kamy100 said:

Some of you need to get a grip.

We are 1 point behind second place (albeit they have a game in hand).  There is no need for this hysteria at this stage.  

While the last couple of games we have not been brilliant we were at one point 12 points off of the top 2 and have slowly brought that gap down, there was always going to be another period where performances dipped a little.

There are 15 games left and we are very much in the shake up to go up this season.  

Why get a grip Kamy? If you aren't frustrated by our recent results and to a lesser degree performances then you must be super human. This frustration is because we keep missing chances to get into an automatic promotion place and consolidate it. Most of the posts I have read are constructive and actually mirror some of Mowbrays recent comments and his frustrations.

[Kamy100]

1 minute ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

I don't think I am hysterical. I am a bit worried though.

In the first half Oldham looked the top of the table side, while we looked like the team at the other end of the table.

The trouble is we have too many unconvincing performances, but we are frequently baled out by a moment of sheer brilliance from the likes of Dack and Mulgrew.

Parson is right, though, in that the football side of things does seem more organised, tempered, of course, by the fact that we are in the Third Division

There are concerns and I share them in terms of how we struggle against some teams.  There has been some meaasured debate in here.  The hysteria I was referring to was stuff like "15 games to save our club Tony".

 

[Hasta]

7 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I suspect this won’t be a popular opinion but I actually think Williams has looked better at centre half than at left back, where he has been steady, if not spectacular. Bell has looked good at full back for his pace in getting forward if nothing else though he was poor yesterday I felt. I also agree with the sentiments re Downing, he’s gone off the boil in a big way. I thought it was just without Mulgrew alongside him, but it continued yesterday as well.

 

I don't see it mate. Against Walsall I thought he was caught out positionally quite a lot at centre half and also jumped into a couple of tackles rashly when he should have held the man up. One almost cost us a goal first half.

Didnt see the Plymouth game but it was no surprise a back two of Downing / Williams lost. I'd keep him at full back. He may be better defensively than Bell.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, arbitro said:

Why get a grip Kamy? If you aren't frustrated by our recent results and to a lesser degree performances then you must be super human. This frustration is because we keep missing chances to get into an automatic promotion place and consolidate it. Most of the posts I have read are constructive and actually mirror some of Mowbrays recent comments and his frustrations.

What I have noticed-more on facebook and other social media than here-is that some fans merely take out their own frustration on other fans for showing their frustration.

An argument ensues, in which people adopt more extreme positions, all the time others piling in!

Bottom line:  these performances and missed opportunities are causing frustration..

[Kamy100]

2 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Why get a grip Kamy? If you aren't frustrated by our recent results and to a lesser degree performances then you must be super human. This frustration is because we keep missing chances to get into an automatic promotion place and consolidate it. Most of the posts I have read are constructive and actually mirror some of Mowbrays recent comments and his frustrations.

My post was not aimed at people who are frustrated, believe me at full time yesterday I was frustrated as that was a game that we should have won.  At the moment though we are still in a decent position and have every chance of getting over the line with 15 games left.  Maybe my expectations have changed with what has happened over the last 5 odd years I am just relieved that what I see on the pitch actually resembles a football team and I can focus on that rather than issues around owners or a joke of a manager such as Coyle.

[arbitro]

Just now, Kamy100 said:

My post was not aimed at people who are frustrated, believe me at full time yesterday I was frustrated as that was a game that we should have won.  At the moment though we are still in a decent position and have every chance of getting over the line with 15 games left.

Frustration can be shown in many different forms and our indifferent form and results will play a big part in how these are manifested. Mowbray has to take responsibility for results and accept the brickbats when they don't go our way. But at times he doesn't help himself with baffling decisions.

[AggyBlue]

Anyone else think there were more Oldham fans in their section than there were seats?

[Exiled in Toronto]

3 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Frustration can be shown in many different forms and our indifferent form and results will play a big part in how these are manifested. Mowbray has to take responsibility for results and accept the brickbats when they don't go our way. But at times he doesn't help himself with baffling decisions.

Mowbray is accountable for results, and yesterday we got a point when we all expected three. I thought he sounded as disappointed as the rest of us whereas Kean and Coyle would’ve been telling us what a fantastic result it was.

But a lot of the players were responsible for us going two down by not manning up to Oldham and by two of them making egregious errors.

[Mattyblue]

4 minutes ago, AggyBlue said:

Anyone else think there were more Oldham fans in their section than there were seats?

It’s difficult to judge when everyone is stood. Certain areas looked jam packed whilst the bottom corner next to the JW had some empty seats. Half of the DE lower is 2500, so theoretically 200 more could have been shoehorned in there.

[arbitro]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

Mowbray is accountable for results, and yesterday we got a point when we all expected three. I thought he sounded as disappointed as the rest of us whereas Kean and Coyle would’ve been telling us what a fantastic result it was.

But a lot of the players were responsible for us going two down by not manning up to Oldham and by two of them making egregious errors.

His interview was honest and his honesty is one of his good points. I think he has blind spots where certain areas of his job are concerned.

[TBTF]

15 hours ago, darrenrover said:

I think my confusion from the team selection and formation was mirrored by the players. Was it 3 or 4 at the back? I felt that it was 3 (or was it 4?): Mulgrew, Williams and Downing with Nyambe and Bell as wing backs, Bennett and Smallwood as deep (too deep) sitting midfielders with Dack and Payne playing (somewhere) behind Graham. In the first half Dack, Payne and Bell looked as confused as I was and didn't appear to have a clue what their role in life was or where they were playing.

Personally, I'm sick to the back teeth of all this 352, 442, 41311,32221 bollocks. All we need is a keeper who can command his area and stop shots but takes no shit, a commanding centre half who the opposition fear. Both need to exude authority (we've got neither).

We've an abundance of skillful attacking players but no real backbone anywhere and that will be our downfall because it's what the rest is built on. Football's not rocket science but Mowbray is still trying his best to re-invent the wheel when he knows full well a square one doesn't roll, god knows why?

 

Completely agree Darren. He is bloody obssessd by this number 10 bollocks and I don't actually think we can play orthodox system with both Dack & Payne still in it together. Good players but one of them is always going to be out of position. I don't think ihave ever seen as much chaos on a pitch in my life until Mowbray came. Players out of position, carnage caused by his subs in terms of shape.

Like you say , 442 and go for the throats . draws kill you in this division.

  

[Gav]

This time last season we had 1 win in 10 league games and had just been stuffed at home by Hull.

This season we are 3rd, 3 points off the top with 15 games to go. 

Everyone including me expected 3 points yesterday, at h/t I expected nowt, but as it happens we showed bags of character to earn a draw, with the added bonus of both Wigan and Shrewsbury losing, it felt more like a win to me in the end.

When was the last time we came back from 0-2 down? 

That character could just see us through come May.

 

 

 

[BlackburnEnd75]

16 hours ago, darrenrover said:

I think my confusion from the team selection and formation was mirrored by the players. Was it 3 or 4 at the back? I felt that it was 3 (or was it 4?): Mulgrew, Williams and Downing with Nyambe and Bell as wing backs, Bennett and Smallwood as deep (too deep) sitting midfielders with Dack and Payne playing (somewhere) behind Graham. In the first half Dack, Payne and Bell looked as confused as I was and didn't appear to have a clue what their role in life was or where they were playing.

Personally, I'm sick to the back teeth of all this 352, 442, 41311,32221 bollocks. All we need is a keeper who can command his area and stop shots but takes no shit, a commanding centre half who the opposition fear. Both need to exude authority (we've got neither).

We've an abundance of skillful attacking players but no real backbone anywhere and that will be our downfall because it's what the rest is built on. Football's not rocket science but Mowbray is still trying his best to re-invent the wheel when he knows full well a square one doesn't roll, god knows why?

 

We were very clearly playing 4 at the back first half. Bell played left wing and was completely lost, watching some of his movements was embarrassing but you’ve got to blame Mowbray for that. We switched to 3 at half time with travis right wing back (who latter switched with Bennett)

[BlackburnEnd75]

52 minutes ago, TBTF said:

Completely agree Darren. He is bloody obssessd by this number 10 bollocks and I don't actually think we can play orthodox system with both Dack & Payne still in it together. Good players but one of them is always going to be out of position. I don't think ihave ever seen as much chaos on a pitch in my life until Mowbray came. Players out of position, carnage caused by his subs in terms of shape.

Like you say , 442 and go for the throats . draws kill you in this division.

  

If you went 4-4-2. Where would you play our best attacking player Dack?

 

[Bbrovers2288]

8 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

If you went 4-4-2. Where would you play our best attacking player Dack?

 

Could play in the hole between mids and striker to be fair, false 9

[Paul]

3 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

What have Venky's got to do with Mowbray picking the wrong team again?

Everything and nothing. 

In my view he didn’t pick the wrong team. The problem in the first half was we can’t handle in your face opposition and I don’t think we have a side that can. Second half the changes, which looked dodgy for ten minutes worked, and Oldham began to fade as few teams can keep up their first half performance for 90 minutes. 

The point re Venkys is to enjoy the moment. I really enjoyed the game and I’m not going to let rubbish owners, off field issues, boycotts, NAPM, etc **. spoil it. We have some moments to enjoy and I’ll grab those as I always have done. 

** to emphasise I don’t care what views people have, what they want to do etc. I’m not criticising simply I’m not letting anything get in the way of enjoying this season.