Championship 2018-19

[Ewood Ace]

Just now, perthblue02 said:

This Villa v Big club game is a good un so far

Villa's front 4 are quality. And they also have the likes of Bolasie, El Ghazi and Hogan on the bench.

[perthblue02]

3 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

Villa's front 4 are quality. And they also have the likes of Bolasie, El Ghazi and Hogan on the bench.

Don't think this strange fad of playing forwards up front will catch on though, far too exciting

Edited November 25, 2018 by perthblue02

[Oldgregg86]

Easy e at qpr had another blinder Saturday . Two assists holding the ball up running at defenders, strength , vision , pace. This lad is a good un.

[JHRover]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/11/26/birmingham-citys-potential-points-deduction-case-will-heard/

Latest Birmingham City 'points deduction' story. Will be put on trial in February apparently.

I'll put it on the line now that this won't happen and they'll either settle with the League by way of a substantial fine like QPR did or appeal a points deduction and succeed.

[DE.]

Did Bolton get away with it as well? As per the rules they should have still been docked points even with the last minute save happening, but that all seemed to quietly vanish into nothing. I guess the EFL are happy to sweep the Bolton mess back under the carpet for another few months until it starts all over again.

[Bigdoggsteel]

22 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Easy e at qpr had another blinder Saturday . Two assists holding the ball up running at defenders, strength , vision , pace. This lad is a good un.

Who?

[JHRover]

Watched a bit of Sheff Wed v Bolton last night. Awful stuff from both sides. Bolton are sinking and can't score. Don't recall them having a single serious attempt. Wednesday weren't much better but managed to get a header from a corner on target. We need to win on Saturday against that lot.

[DE.]

They'll be fine. The Lynchpin ©  will grab that team by the scruff of the neck and drag them to safety.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Watched a bit of Sheff Wed v Bolton last night. Awful stuff from both sides. Bolton are sinking and can't score. Don't recall them having a single serious attempt. Wednesday weren't much better but managed to get a header from a corner on target. We need to win on Saturday against that lot.

very defensive side Sheff Wed are. 

They play 3 at the back

[Oldgregg86]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Who?

Eze

[Bigdoggsteel]

Looking down now instead of up after this shit show 

Tony's over thinking and fiddling has derailed us. He has credit in the bank, but we need to get our shit together. 

Saturday is must win. Yes, I said it 

[Waggy76]

Not his fiddling but we have been found out , physically a weak team !!!

Do you think Vaughans actions in first minute  were an accident ????

No height or physicality throughout the team ...

Mowbray does not know his best team , yes imo...

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Another problem now is he has waiting too long to bring Brereton and Rothwell in. Starting them while we were doing well would have been best. Now he will be bringing them into a under performing team 

[Stuart]

10 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Looking down now instead of up after this shit show 

Tony's over thinking and fiddling has derailed us. He has credit in the bank, but we need to get our shit together. 

Saturday is must win. Yes, I said it 

I honestly don’t think we’ll get a result against Sheff Weds. I fear booing after a third defeat in a row.

Performances have been poor in a lot of games this season but we’ve carved out points. Results have now gone the same way.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Stuart said:

I honestly don’t think we’ll get a result against Sheff Weds. I fear booing after a third defeat in a row.

Performances have been poor in a lot of games this season but we’ve carved out points. Results have now gone the same way.

I can see us drawing. Which would be awful. 

We could easily get dragged into trouble by January 

[Stuart]

Might be wide of the mark but it looks like Dack is leaving in January and all of the players know it.

How can players just become crap overnight?

Mowbray really needs a win against a side only three points below us. Our goal difference has taken a hammering in just two games. Now on -6. And with Mowbray’s approach it will take about a dozen games to get that back to zero.

Edited November 28, 2018 by Stuart

[JacknOry]

Dack either off or been told he is not - something has unsettled the dressing room. Half the team has now signed better contracts, some which are probably their last and now they are not overly bothered - I just hope severe relegation clauses have been put in them.

Biggest gripe for me though is the summer transfer business. 10 million to spend but other than a player we already had on loan last year (who looks awful this one), only the Southampton estate agency gets regular game time (mainly out of position). The BB deal looks odder each match and surely that 7 million could have been better used to sign two or even three players that would be more involved.

Edited November 29, 2018 by JacknOry

[Bigdoggsteel]

13 hours ago, Stuart said:

Might be wide of the mark but it looks like Dack is leaving in January and all of the players know it.

How can players just become crap overnight?

Mowbray really needs a win against a side only three points below us. Our goal difference has taken a hammering in just two games. Now on -6. And with Mowbray’s approach it will take about a dozen games to get that back to zero.

He will be leaving to the under 23s if he keeps playing as he has been 

[Bigdoggsteel]

4 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Dack either off or been told he is not - something has unsettled the dressing room. Half the team has now signed better contracts, some which are probably their last and now they are not overly bothered - I just hope severe relegation clauses have been put in them.

Biggest gripe for me though is the summer transfer business. 10 million to spend but other than a player we already had on loan last year (who looks awful this one), only the Southampton estate agency gets regular game time (mainly out of position). The BB deal looks odder each match and surely that 7 million could have been better used to sign two or even three players that would be more involved.

I have been saying all season, Dack isn't the same player at this level. The goals were glossing over the fact his all round play was nowhere near last season. I was shot down for saying it, but it's clear as day.He done nothing else in most of the games he scored in. The assists have even dried up. He scored the goals so fair play, but they elevated his profile, next thing he is on Soccer AM and signing a big deal with Nike. He thought he made it. 

Something has definitely happened with the squad morale. Whether it is the above, the new contracts  or players annoyed with being left out for inferior players or being repeatedly played out of position I don't know. Maybe a combination of all. 

I need to single Bell and Williams out for a special mention. The lads are getting done regularly. If I was an opposition manager I know where I would be instructing the ball to be played. Lenihan has been shocking too and Mulgrew is back at a level where he doesn't look liken a center half superman, as he did in League 1.  Who plays left back for the under 23s? 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[DE.]

13 hours ago, Stuart said:

How can players just become crap overnight?

Tbf I'd say a number of them aren't decent Championship standard to begin with. They've been bailed out by Dack and Graham so far, but now both of those players are suddenly off form we see what we're left with... and it isn't much. The left back position is critical. Centre back questionable. Right back OK but if Nyambe is injured we have to stick Bennett there. Centre midfield underwhelming with the typical EvansWood pairing. Outside of Graham and Dack our attacking players have largely been disappointing so far this season. Granted some of that is down to Tony's rotation policy, but I'd have expected more from the likes of Armstrong and Palmer in particular. 

When you think back to the kind of squad we had under GB, you realise how far we still have to go before our current team is capable of genuinely challenging for a playoff spot. I'd argue staying up this season would be a decent achievement considering the general lack of talent or depth in the squad. It's going to come down to team spirit and pure determination, so we need to get both back quickly and out the last couple of results behind us. 

[roversfan99]

35 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I have been saying all season, Dack isn't the same player at this level. The goals were glossing over the fact his all round play was nowhere near last season. I was shot down for saying it, but it's clear as day.He done nothing else in most of the games he scored in. The assists have even dried up. He scored the goals so fair play, but they elevated his profile, next thing he is on Soccer AM and signing a big deal with Nike. He thought he made it. 

Something has definitely happened with the squad morale. Whether it is the above, the new contracts  or players annoyed with being left out for inferior players or being repeatedly played out of position I don't know. Maybe a combination of all. 

I need to single Bell and Williams out for a special mention. The lads are getting done regularly. If I was an opposition manager I know where I would be instructing the ball to be played. Lenihan has been shocking too and Mulgrew is back at a level where he doesn't look liken a center half superman, as he did in League 1.  Who plays left back for the under 23s? 

So are Amarii Bell, Richie Smallwood, Derrick Williams, Ryan Nyambe all thinking theyve made it after their recent form?

I think that you are potentially making a massive assumption in regards to his recent 

Where do our tactics come into play, most long balls in the league, the ball often thoughtleslly sailing over his head, do they not contribute to his form?

Where does him being moved from a 10 to a striker and back again come into play as to his poor form?

Is there no recognition that he has an excellent goal record this season again, which is the most important thing and has always been the key aspect in his hame, and no one else steps up to the plate when he doesnt score?

I'm not saying his form in recent games like many others has been really poor and he has to take the blame for that. I just think peoples reasoning behind it is a case of adding 2 and 2 and getting 5.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

So are Amarii Bell, Richie Smallwood, Derrick Williams, Ryan Nyambe all thinking theyve made it after their recent form?

I think that you are potentially making a massive assumption in regards to his recent 

Where do our tactics come into play, most long balls in the league, the ball often thoughtleslly sailing over his head, do they not contribute to his form?

Where does him being moved from a 10 to a striker and back again come into play as to his poor form?

Is there no recognition that he has an excellent goal record this season again, which is the most important thing and has always been the key aspect in his hame, and no one else steps up to the plate when he doesnt score?

I'm not saying his form in recent games like many others has been really poor and he has to take the blame for that. I just think peoples reasoning behind it is a case of adding 2 and 2 and getting 5.

The first 3 have question marks about their ability at this level. 

Yes, our play means we can bypass him, but was it much different last year? He is just being marked out of it now and is struggling to find a way to break the shackles

Whilst I don't agree with him being moved from 10 to striker and back, I don't get how that would impact his form when in his favored 10 role.  

Of course there is recognition of his goals, I have said that in every post. I think he can be a really great player, but as it stands he hasn't played as well as he did last year, goals aside. 

I am sure you speculate on different reasons why things do or don't go right as well, that's the life of a football fan. We can't speak in all facts. 

 

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

The first 3 have question marks about their ability at this level. 

Yes, our play means we can bypass him, but was it much different last year? He is just being marked out of it now and is struggling to find a way to break the shackles

Whilst I don't agree with him being moved from 10 to striker and back, I don't get how that would impact his form when in his favored 10 role.  

Of course there is recognition of his goals, I have said that in every post. I think he can be a really great player, but as it stands he hasn't played as well as he did last year, goals aside. 

I am sure you speculate on different reasons why things do or don't go right as well, that's the life of a football fan. We can't speak in all facts. 

 

Goals were always the main thing last season and hes carried on this season, but we werent as reliant on long balls last season, we had more goals from other sources last season, we had far more consistency and far more of an identity once we got going, and thats why he was allowed to thrive.

I dont think we are in the position where we can just remove our one chief goal threat and best player out of the side because we dont have the alternatives. Mowbrays conundrum should be how do I revert back to getting the best from him, getting an identity in general in the team, becoming less reliant on long balls and getting our flair players involved far more.

[Bigdoggsteel]

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Goals were always the main thing last season and hes carried on this season, but we werent as reliant on long balls last season, we had more goals from other sources last season, we had far more consistency and far more of an identity once we got going, and thats why he was allowed to thrive.

I dont think we are in the position where we can just remove our one chief goal threat and best player out of the side because we dont have the alternatives. Mowbrays conundrum should be how do I revert back to getting the best from him, getting an identity in general in the team, becoming less reliant on long balls and getting our flair players involved far more.

It wasn't just goals last year, it was assists too 

I'm not advocating for freezing him out completely, maybe one game off with a 60 min cameo 

[Bigdoggsteel]

I notice a few of the players who love social media and are on after a good result, are pretty quite this week