Bristol City vs Blackburn Rovers, Sunday 1st September, 1.30pm KO

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Bit of a reality check there.  We have a young side and may get a couple more of those results this season. The team is a work in progress.  Need to convert chances when we are on top.  We had a similar failing last year.  We are looking lower mid table at best.  Dack may drag us a little higher.  If we can strengthen further over the next 12 months. We may have a shout at top 6 

 

[briansol]

Bad performance today. No coherent play all game. At paper the team looked ok, but Armstrong looked out of sorts today. Strange that he was dropping getting in aerial duells while Graham was trying to win races in behind? Smallwood also annoying for me. I can accept he is not the best passer in world and it shows, but the half-arsed tracking back for a "warrior" I can't stand. 

Hard to find a player that performed today, a couple of mediocre, rest below par. Should serve as wake up call to the Championship and a reminder that you need to put in the effort to compete. A couple of weeks should hopefully get Dack back because he was really needed today.

 

 

[Exiled in Toronto]

Didn’t see that second half coming, Ithought they’d buck up. The two stand out disappointments for me were Bell but especially Armstrong; if you are going to always shoot and never pass - 5 times by my count - you need to at least test the keeper. Being greedy is a privilege that has to be earned.

Defending was rubbish but, man for man, they were far better players than we came up against last year.

[briansol]

Just now, Tom said:

Frustrating, annoying and frankly shocking in the second half but I think we are on an upward curve.

Considering the state this club was in when Mowbray arrived we are light years ahead and still going in the right direction.

Lessons to learn from today, typically it happens just as our chance to bring new players in is gone.

Worryingly for me the second half Evans looked like old Evans not Evans mk2 - hope he gets his head back up.

Agree on Evans. However he is one player I'd be willing to give a break, probably been our best player so far. Smallwood on the other hand should be looking over his shoulders, Reed would think he has a decent chance to start next game after that performance.

[philipl]

We ran into a coming into form Bristol City.

Didn't take gilt-edged chances to make it 2-0 and 2-2.

Their equaliser was a reffing mistake.

Onwards and upwards...

[K-Hod]

Been out and can’t be bothered reading 18 pages of this thread tbh. 

We got slapped 4-1 and brought right back down to earth, seemingly. 

Re Dack’s private life- as long as what he does off the pitch doesn’t affect what he does on it, then it’s none of our business.

[Stuart]

2 minutes ago, Biz said:

Haha ? 

Are you effing serious?

Don't you even care that we’ve been hammered today? You prefer having a giggle at random folk on the Internet because they don’t agree with you.

You’re posting these gloating, laughing posts while some of us are absolutely gutted.

[4000Holes]

4 minutes ago, nathan_rovers1 said:

This site is utterly ridiculous, you think we'd not won all season and bottom of the league! 

Everyone just chill, all teams have off days. remember we could have been 3-2 up at half time.... 

They did have a bad day but defending in second half was woeful which was concerning.  Yes we where chasing the game but when we went 3 at the back, it just doesn't or didn't look right against this Bristol team.  

[AllRoverAsia]

10 minutes ago, philipl said:

I really really didn't want to post this in these circumstances but....

 

I was just abour to ask you for next weeks winning lottery numbers...

[chaddyrovers]

7 minutes ago, nathan_rovers1 said:

This site is utterly ridiculous, you think we'd not won all season and bottom of the league! 

Everyone just chill, all teams have off days. remember we could have been 3-2 up at half time.... 

Exactly Nathan. 

Far too people go OTT when we are losing or have lost. 

We are mid table and we would have took that at this stage

[SBlue]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Been out and can’t be bothered reading 18 pages of this thread tbh. 

We got slapped 4-1 and brought right back down to earth, seemingly. 

Re Dack’s private life- as long as what he does off the pitch doesn’t affect what he does on it, then it’s none of our business.

Yeah I wouldn’t.

Mixed bag first half, had chances. Diabolical defending second half. Dack’s insta caused a bad performance. Standard gripes.

[Tormund]

So to reflect, don’t panic just yet.

Poor result, but like I’ve said every team will get a drubbing at some stage in the season. We’ve only lost one, we are not bottom of the league. We beat a good Brentford side last week. On another day we could beat Bristol, the league is so unpredictable. We’ve still got a great spirit, the lads will be gutted, but you know they will come back all guns blazing. 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Far too people go OTT when we are losing or have lost. 

It's probably about 3 people so give the OTT nonsense a rest. 

[nathan_rovers1]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

Yeah I wouldn’t.

Mixed bag first half, had chances. Diabolical defending second half. Dack’s insta caused a bad performance. Standard gripes.

How on earth can his Instagram story cause a bad performance, the bloke was injured, he can have the weekend off without the squad. As seen today, opportunity for other who can create chances. 

[JBiz]

3 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Are you effing serious?

Don't you even care that we’ve been hammered today? You prefer having a giggle at random folk on the Internet because they don’t agree with you.

You’re posting these gloating, laughing posts while some of us are absolutely gutted.

Absolutely gutted because we lost ? No, im not because I’m not under the illusion we’d win every game, forever.

Id be much angrier if we’d lost without deserving it. In this case, it’s food for thought - we played badly now we need to react.

Youre just in a pickle because you know how stupid the comments you and Jim made about this being a result of an Instagram picture. I’d also be quite sour if I’d made myself look that stupid.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Biz

[RevidgeBlue]

Bit of a wake up call today, the key thing is how we react and whether we can go on another run.

Disagree with those criticising the £7m signing up front we needed strikers  AND at least one centre half for me and overloaded on midfielders instead.

Always thought that as a pairing Mulgrew and Lenihan are nowhere near as good as Individually they're cracked up to be, we've always conceded plenty of goals. Need a lot better from them in the coming months.

[Stuart]

1 minute ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Didn’t see that second half coming, Ithought they’d buck up. The two stand out disappointments for me were Bell but especially Armstrong; if you are going to always shoot and never pass - 5 times by my count - you need to at least test the keeper. Being greedy is a privilege that has to be earned.

Defending was rubbish but, man for man, they were far better players than we came up against last year.

Bell? There are so many other players in the firing line before him.

Nyambe, Smallwood, Lenihan would be candidates from the defensive players. Armstrong was profligate with his chances, Graham didn’t impose himself at all. Palmer is looking like a show pony of the Rochina mould.

Rothwell made an instant impact when he came on with his energy alone but the game had already gone. He should have started instead of Smallwood. If Nyambe is out for any length of time, then we are back to last season where Bennett’s energy in midfield is sacrificed. We will definitely need Rothwell then.

I congratulated Mowbray last week. He has to take the blame today. Bad line up and odd subs. Like he did at times last year. He seems to be trying to be loyal to players and give them confidence.

For that reason I also think Dack took something away from preparations.

[Roverthechimp]

Depressing 2nd half but people having a go at Raya need to back off a little. Could easily have been 2-0 down before our goal. Other than that - 3rd goal should probably have been saved but not sure if it was deflected.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Bit of a wake up call today, the key thing is how we react and whether we can go on another run.

Disagree with those criticising the £7m signing up front we needed strikers  AND at least one centre half for me and overloaded on midfielders instead.

Always thought that as a pairing Mulgrew and Lenihan are nowhere near as good as Individually they're cracked up to be, we've always conceded plenty of goals. Need a lot better from them in the coming months.

Aye, CB is the worry. Unless Rodwell comes good we are seriously lacking in competition there. Mulgrew and Lenihan can be shite every week and there is no-one to replace them really. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Our Achilles heel of only being able to play for a half is still with us going off today's score line. As other people have said , last season we could do it and get away with it. Not this season.

[Stuart]

2 minutes ago, Biz said:

Absolutely gutted because we lost ? No, im not because I’m not under the illusion we’d win every game, forever.

Id be much angrier if we’d lost without deserving it. In this case, it’s food for thought - we played badly now we need to react.

Youre just in a pickle because you know how stupid the comments you and Jim made about this being a result of an Instagram picture. I’d also be quite sour if I’d made myself look that stupid.

Gutted because we lost? No, gutted because of the manner of it.

You keep on laughing and enjoying yourself though.

[roversfan99]

Disjointed first half with 2 or 3 chances we should have scored. Horrendous and embarrassing second half in which we lost our shape and our heads completely.

Raya having a typical day at the office. At fault for the first, a fairly well hit free kick but at his side, and badly at fault for the third. Also a typical rush of blood in the first half where he needs to learn to kick it out rather than back into play. Made a few very impressive saves though, but one or two he parried straight back into danger, something he did which cost us v Reading and something else he needs to cut out of his game if he is to become the keeper so many seem to think he will.

Defensively, we were so disjointed, have to suggest its a collective effort there as to why we toiled so badly. Both full backs were really shaky at times, and Lenihan has very little composure on the ball. Totally disagree that the middle 2 are midfielders, they both didnt have their best games but they were often left isolated.

Mowbrays faith in Smallwood is at risk of becoming blind faith, hopefully hes down the pecking order after another poor show. Evans has a lot more credit in the bank but he was quite ponderous at times, back to the Evans we have seen at times before. Elliott Bennett was as poor as anyone I would suggest, so, so poor going forward, and defensively I don't think he did the job hes become so well thought of for.

Palmer and Armstrong were off the ball today, both talented and important, Armstrong will have more scope due to the lack of a quick winger being brought in, leaving him as the only really quick player we have. Both missed sitters and their decision making was poor. Graham as per usual was very good at holding it up etc and should have been left on longer but the supply up to attack was thoughtless. Once Graham went off, we lacked a focal point, as you would expect.

Not sure on the use of subs either. Graham was doing well and Brereton should perhaps have been put alongside him. He didnt really do much, a clever effort at the end, some really poor movement much earlier when he looked like he didnt understand the offside rule. Obviously not enough to judge on properly but Graham holds the shirt for now.

Rothwell was really positive but I'm surprised that Palmer and himself have been rated so differently by people on here. Rothwell was very similar in that he was positive and bright but his end product was universally poor. Take the excellent run near the end when he should have slipped someone in on goal and he instead chose to tamely shoot wide from distance. Nuttall is a pointless sub, never impacted the game and for me Reed for Smallwood was the change to make.

Think this makes for an average, middle of the road start, nothing more, from a favourable run of fixtures. We either look well drilled or all over the shop, as we saw also v Reading and for half of the game v Millwall. I do worry that our lack of defensive reinforcements will catch up with us at some point, and also that Raya will cost us a few times as he has done in the past. Fitness permitting, I'd probably line up like this against Aston Villa:

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

Reed Evans

Armstrong Dack Rothwell

Graham

Subs: Leutwiler, Bell, Palmer, Conway, Brereton, Bennett, Davenport

[JBiz]

Just now, Stuart said:

Gutted because we lost? No, gutted because of the manner of it.

You keep on laughing and enjoying yourself though.

No worries, will do - I can only hope for more Rovers players having garden parties in the coming weeks, the meltdown between you and Jim is pure comedy relief if we have a poor performance.

I could do with some icing on my cake, any more sexist comments to make about the clothes people choose to wear? 

[roversfan99]

16 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Exactly Nathan. 

Far too people go OTT when we are losing or have lost. 

We are mid table and we would have took that at this stage

Not at all chaddy. People are bound to be very critical of such a terrible performance, in isolation, just as they were very complimentary about previous performances, for example the way we dug out a win last Saturday.

You are in the match thread of a game we got hammered in, not sure what you expect.

The fight and never say die attitude on show v Reading and seemingly v Brentford seemed to run out at half time.

[roversfan99]

Another thing about Palmers performance that I would say, it made no sense to play him wide.

He's a natural number 10, and in Dack's absence he should have played there. Felt that Mowbray got it wrong playing Armstrong off the striker, we saw what he can do wide last season.