Ben Brereton Diaz

[ben_the_beast]

57 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

He’s become an ‘easy scapegoat’ because he is quite obviously phoning it in.

We’ve known for months that he’s off, but the fans haven’t particularly had an issue with it as he was still putting a shift in… that hasn’t been the case in recent weeks.

I think Brereton is still putting a shift in. Although he's leaving I think he has really enjoyed his time at Rovers and would love to sign off with a fairytale promotion. 

I just think he's been found out. He doesn't thrive in a more technical system. He's all direct running, hustle and bustle. Even last year when he was on fire there were a good number of goals which bounced in off his shin etc.

We exclusively became a counter attacking side last season and now we're not. It's shown Brereton up for the multiple weaknesses in his game. 

If nothings been officially signed he should be very worried. In a hypothetical situation that he hasn't signed (i think he has btw) and we have an opportunity to extend his contract, we should be very, very careful. I'd be happy for him to be one of our higher earners. But I wouldn't not be happy for us to offer him the rumoured 30k p/w we were rumoured to be offering a couple of months back. 

He's a good bloke who had a fairytale season and story. He's a good championship player in the correct system. No way on earth is he ready, and nor do I ever think he will be ready to make the step up to different leagues.

[Mattyblue]

I don’t think he is. He’s hiding. Very easy to plonk yourself out wide. He’s backing out of 50/50s. 

Is he strolling around for 90 minutes? No, but he certainly isn’t grafting like he was pre WC. 

None of this is surprising, we saw it with Rothwell, just human nature when you’ve got a big move lined up and you desperately don’t want to pick up an injury - it ultimately comes down to JDT to be brave enough to drop him (and he would have to be, as who the bloody hell else is scoring the goals?).

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by Mattyblue

[chaddyrovers]

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

How do you know it has nothing to do with tactics and that he is coming back himself and defying the tactics of the manager?

its my opinion that he is coming too deep for the ball and stopped looking the ball in behind alot know. Look back over the number of games and its like his confidence has gone or he has an injury we don't know about

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

He has been playing crap, so have all of our attacking players. As a team we have scored 3 goals in 5 games. Dolan, Szmodics and Thomas have also failed to score in those games. I don't think for most of the season that we have offered much attacking threat, and I think that is for two reasons. The attacking players at our disposal are not great, aided by lack of investment/scope for sales and reinvestment by the owners. But still, these players were here last season and our goals per game has dropped from 1.28 to 1.1. Tomasson's tactics are very cautious and we rarely create many chances. That isn't to say it is necessarily wrong as it could get us in the play offs but it is something we have struggled with all season.

Tomasson has taken a pragmatic approach in some games this season but our league position justify this IMO.  He has been cautions at times but some times our attacking play has been a joy to watch. 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Brereton becomes an easy scapegoat because firstly he has been the one to score the goals in the last 2 years plus also agreeing a move at the end of the season means that people can question his commitment. But I think considering how unthreatening the rest of our attackers are, aside from Dack. The key to any hopes of staying in the top 6 may depend on Brereton scoring 2/3/4 in these 4 games. You wouldn't fancy any of the others to do it. I think a key to that is playing him closer to the goal. 

I don't think I am making BBD an easy scapegoat at all but given a honest opinion on his recent performances, playing too deep and shooting like he can. I have been one of BBD's biggest fan of him since he joined Rovers. 

Your idea is playing him as main striker which is role he hasn't played here much and for me wouldn't stay central but drift left anyway, so would he worth this?

[Wheelton Blue]

IMO, it's a case of both with Brereton - he's definitely now hiding, and he's also long since been found out.

[Groundhog]

Anyone considered he's just had a kid? I know he'll have support but it's like having your world turned upside down. Don't know about anyone else but when I had my first I was a mess at work, and all I had to do was sit at a desk. SAS levels of sleep deprivation, constantly drained mentally too. It's not a walk in the park for every couple. Must be a factor. 

[jwlrovers]

I think he has been found out a bit. His go to move is to quickly shift the ball onto his right foot and get a shot away, which he managed often last season. When he tries it now, it is blocked or he is tackled almost every time.

Edited April 21, 2023 by jwlrovers

[Groundhog]

23 minutes ago, jwlrovers said:

I think he has been found out a bit. His go to move is to quickly shift the ball onto his right foot and get a shot away, which he managed often last season. When he tries it now, it is blocked or he is tackled almost every time.

Must be so easy to play against, just stand up to him and be strong, you know he's going to do it. Would only take watching 1 half of a game in the week beforehand to have it figured out.

[rigger]

46 minutes ago, Groundhog said:

Anyone considered he's just had a kid? I know he'll have support but it's like having your world turned upside down. Don't know about anyone else but when I had my first I was a mess at work, and all I had to do was sit at a desk. SAS levels of sleep deprivation, constantly drained mentally too. It's not a walk in the park for every couple. Must be a factor. 

You blame the baby, I reckon he just isn't good enough.

[Miller11]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

its my opinion that he is coming too deep for the ball and stopped looking the ball in behind alot know. Look back over the number of games and its like his confidence has gone or he has an injury we don't know about

I agree with you Chaddy in that he’s always coming deep, but it’s definitely a result of the tactics. He thrives when we are a bit more direct, he’s good at running at players and cutting in but he’s too clumsy and not technically good enough for a lot of the one and two touch pass and move stuff. All these short passes in to feet with his back to goal doesn’t suit him at all. It was even more evident on Wednesday with Brittain in behind him. Pickering always has the out ball of knocking it into the corner for Brereton to chase on to, Brittain being on his wrong foot never did that.

Personally I don’t think it’s a lack of effort. It’s woeful form, not playing to his strengths, and nothing he is trying is coming off.

Edited April 21, 2023 by Miller11

[Groundhog]

6 minutes ago, rigger said:

You blame the baby, I reckon he just isn't good enough.

Don't blame anyone, not what I wrote was it? What a daft thing to say.

[rigger]

1 minute ago, Groundhog said:

Don't blame anyone, not what I wrote was it? What a daft thing to say.

Ok, you came up with looking after the baby, may have caused his drop-off in form. I still reckon he just isn't good enough. 

[Dolly blue]

 Brererton arrived raw , lacking in confidence, still finding himself, poor touch , no football brain…did everything on instinct , not brave in the tackle. 
He had one “ effective “ season and…here we are , almost at the end of his contract…lacking in confidence, poor touch, no football brain…and finally, still not brave in the tackle ..would I play him tomorrow…not a chance .

[smiller14]

My main gripe is his decision making. The amount of stupid fouls he gives away that derails our momentum, as well as stupid offsides. He seems to care and run around a lot, but something is totally missing.

[roversfan99]

5 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

I don’t think he is. He’s hiding. Very easy to plonk yourself out wide. He’s backing out of 50/50s. 

Is he strolling around for 90 minutes? No, but he certainly isn’t grafting like he was pre WC. 

None of this is surprising, we saw it with Rothwell, just human nature when you’ve got a big move lined up and you desperately don’t want to pick up an injury - it ultimately comes down to JDT to be brave enough to drop him (and he would have to be, as who the bloody hell else is scoring the goals?).

 

I am not too sure, even around me the other day, if he mis-controlled (his first touch has always been hit and miss) or if he failed to reach an under-hit pass or anything like that, I heard people around me saying "his head is in Spain" and similar.

There must be an element of him having that move in his head, not necessarily just avoiding injury but dealing with it (aswell as a new kid) on a personal level so I don't doubt that it is obviously a contributing factor.

But I do think aswell that tactically, Tomasson's set up has not been as beneficial to Brereton individually hence why he has not been as good all season. There may be multiple factors, he has also picked up a couple of injuries recently having looked shattered even at the start of this season, and he seems really short of confidence, and we can all remember a Brereton lacking in confidence towards the early parts of his Rovers career. Might be a bit of everything.

As you say, it would be a brave call because there are no goals elsewhere. So I would personally look at trying to get him closer to the opposition net and not wide left in the 4231 which only further allows/leads to him being far wide and miles away from goal. He was far better at Huddersfield and had more purpose in a front 3. People calling for a kid with 40 minutes senior football to start shows what we are working with in such a critical point in the season. Not many goals in Dolan, Hedges, Thomas and Szmodics either.

Shows how poorly the club is run though ultimately that this has happened again.

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

its my opinion that he is coming too deep for the ball and stopped looking the ball in behind alot know. Look back over the number of games and its like his confidence has gone or he has an injury we don't know about

Tomasson has taken a pragmatic approach in some games this season but our league position justify this IMO.  He has been cautions at times but some times our attacking play has been a joy to watch. 

I don't think I am making BBD an easy scapegoat at all but given a honest opinion on his recent performances, playing too deep and shooting like he can. I have been one of BBD's biggest fan of him since he joined Rovers. 

Your idea is playing him as main striker which is role he hasn't played here much and for me wouldn't stay central but drift left anyway, so would he worth this?

Watching Rovers win is always a joy to watch and the ends justify the means. But sometimes "a joy to watch" from an attacking sense? Not sure about that.

[chaddyrovers]

8 hours ago, Miller11 said:

I agree with you Chaddy in that he’s always coming deep, but it’s definitely a result of the tactics. He thrives when we are a bit more direct, he’s good at running at players and cutting in but he’s too clumsy and not technically good enough for a lot of the one and two touch pass and move stuff. All these short passes in to feet with his back to goal doesn’t suit him at all. It was even more evident on Wednesday with Brittain in behind him. Pickering always has the out ball of knocking it into the corner for Brereton to chase on to, Brittain being on his wrong foot never did that.

Personally I don’t think it’s a lack of effort. It’s woeful form, not playing to his strengths, and nothing he is trying is coming off.

His decision making recently is just poor as it ever been. Whether its shooting instead of playing in Pickering twice against Hull for example. 

He is coming too deep for the ball but he doesn't in behind or making those runs anymore. We have to agree to disagree blaming the tactics for it. 

7 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Watching Rovers win is always a joy to watch and the ends justify the means. But sometimes "a joy to watch" from an attacking sense? Not sure about that.

Well we have to agree to disagree there again. I guess you didn't enjoy how we played attacking against Huddersfield, Leicester,  Sheffield United or QPR away then? Oh well then. 

7 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

People calling for a kid with 40 minutes senior football to start shows what we are working with in such a critical point in the season. Not many goals in Dolan, Hedges, Thomas and Szmodics either.

The reason people want Leonard to start is he is number 9 striker and knows the right areas to be in. You want to move a player to that role who hasn't played well in that role when he has played there and wouldn't stay in the middle and would naturally drift wide to the left. Dolan has had more success playing there than BBD has with good performances in that position

7 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

He was far better at Huddersfield and had more purpose in a front 3

Maybe one of the reasons he played well in this game is he didn't have defensive duties due to how Huddersfield park the bus approach most of the game

[Mattyblue]

I honestly don’t care how we play as long as we pick up points, but picking *four* games out of forty as being a ‘joy’ doesn’t quite prove your point like you thought it did 😁

[Groundhog]

Diaz, if you're reading this me old mate me old lad, give us one last performance, one last world-class showing, and then you may go and feast on tapas and sangria and enjoy your life, wherever you may roam, be it at the top of La Liga or warming the bench at Wrexham in 2 years. Just do what you need to do to be forever immortalised in our history. COYB!

[Bbrovers2288]

Not sure how the rovers fans will look back in brereton when he is long gone. 
his last few performances when we needed some magic has been woeful and sadly it might be my lasting impression. Really unsure how good a player he is 

[Waggy76]

BBD will be remembered has an enigma , cost a lot , struggled for 2 seasons then improved and hit his peak last season .Reverted to type this .

Mowbray got the best out of him last season played more in the opponent's box ..This season playing out wide never in the box enough , scored a few crackers and penalties..

A strange signing in many ways , with Graham , Dack and Armstrong already here ..Good luck to the lad , where ever he goes.

 

[roverblue]

Smodizc was going mad at him last night for not pressing or tracking his man. Lad gave up on us weeks ago

[Wheelton Blue]

Arguably he's given up judging on recent performances, but he's also not a very intelligent footballer.

[Groundhog]

1 hour ago, roverblue said:

Smodizc was going mad at him last night for not pressing or tracking his man. Lad gave up on us weeks ago

Felt for Sammie here, we all felt that frustration.

Woeful performance, back to his Bambi on ice days. He's got the one move out on the wing, that's it. 

[tomphil]

Always been useless against the better sides in the division with the odd exception but in the main on form against the right teams he's the man.

Sadly that means he's ineffective against half the teams in this division whether he is on form or not. He's another one who now JDT has made it more of a team game has got lost because most of the last few seasons play was tailored to try and getting him running at the last man from out wide.

From looking like a real prospects hes turned into a bit of a one trick pony but we all know he's capable of better than hes shown the last few weeks.

Mentally gone due to leaving, he's going to end up at Stoke i can see it coming.

Edited April 26, 2023 by tomphil

[roversfan99]

Still our top scorer lets not forget, but a lot less effective compared to last season and Tomasson has not used him as effective.

An absolute joke of a decision to keep him, not learn our lessons and that will cost us short and long term. Developing assets? Having a laugh.

[Exiled_Rover]

On 21/04/2023 at 06:30, Mattyblue said:

He’s become an ‘easy scapegoat’ because he is quite obviously phoning it in.

We’ve known for months that he’s off, but the fans haven’t particularly had an issue with it as he was still putting a shift in… that hasn’t been the case in recent weeks.

He'll be getting a stony silence from me during his lap of honour next week.