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

[DE.]

18 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Would agree in general, whether that will prove to be value for money will be seen over time, but theres no rush to shoehorn him in the starting 11.

That said, Grahams performances lately have not really warranted being dropped, nor did Brereton did anything special when he came on to prop him ahead of Graham in the pecking order, not that he really had the time or the supply to do so.

I would expect Brereton to become first choice at some point, a matter of if and not when, but his price tag shouldn't gain him a place automatically. If Brereton starts against Villa then I would imagine that Graham may be knocking on the managers door on the Monday morning.

I agree that his price tag shouldn't guarantee starts, those are earned. That said, if we're spending £7m on a player then it has to be with the intention of him being a first teamer asap. If Brereton had come in to sit on the bench as Graham's understudy then I despair. For a club like ours that type of transfer fee should be spent for an instant impact, not an impact at some undefined point in the future. 

[roversfan99]

9 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Why does everyone make it so personal? And then get so uptight when they get one back? Double standards on here are palpable.

The reason for the comment is obvious. The younger posters on here are in the main defending him. “He should be out and about the day before a match that he isn’t involved in. It’s a free country. He’s a grown man.”

The older posters in the main have higher expectations of a professional footballer paid thousands of pounds who should be focussed on getting back fit.

As always though on here, the groundswell is to go round and round with ad hominem posts and make what was an original disappointment into a great bit of sport in gleefully disagreeing with me for the sake of it.

One thing it does show though is the number of twentysomething posters we have on here who can’t tell their arses from their elbows and think social media is the best place to prove it.

Think my opinion is in between yours and many of those who are arguing against you.

I personally think that, something that I think @Tom summed up very well, is IF he is drinking on a regular basis, then it is a problem. We all arent professional athletes and hypothetically, if, and its a big if, he is out drinking too much and not looking after himself, it is totally differentv to us having a few drinks on a regular basis. Yes he is entitled to a private life (although plastering it on social media suggests the privacy aspect isnt of paramount importance!) but he does need to obviously look after himself far more than us with regular jobs. @chaddyrovers said that Mowbray will know where he is always which is a massive assumption to make.

That said, there is a lot of assumption involved on your side too, and I think that you are very much stretching your point out by suggesting where Dack was could have impacted upon todays result, or that assuming that he hasnt been drinking, that spending time with friends will impact upon his injury is clutching at straws.

Not sure the whole isolation of a generation of people by suggesting they are universally lazy and "dont know their arses from their elbows" is ever going to be conducive to healthy debate about the matter either.

[Husky]

18 minutes ago, DaveyB said:

Yep, it’s well known that squatting down momentarily is exactly the same as playing 90 minutes of football. It’s certainly the basis of my exercise routine!! ?

 

We will have to assess his squatting technique and form. As it's a movement that sure can have an impact on the knees.

 

Where is this squat photo?

[blueboy3333]

21 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Why does everyone make it so personal? And then get so uptight when they get one back? Double standards on here are palpable.

The reason for the comment is obvious. The younger posters on here are in the main defending him. “He should be out and about the day before a match that he isn’t involved in. It’s a free country. He’s a grown man.”

The older posters in the main have higher expectations of a professional footballer paid thousands of pounds who should be focussed on getting back fit.

As always though on here, the groundswell is to go round and round with ad hominem posts and make what was an original disappointment into a great bit of sport in gleefully disagreeing with me for the sake of it.

One thing it does show though is the number of twentysomething posters we have on here who can’t tell their arses from their elbows and think social media is the best place to prove it.

You're making AdamRochina look rational.

[AdamRochina]

26 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Have you had your bottle?

completley forgot we aint aloud to be the slightest bit negative at all, shut up man jesus, pathetic performance meant i would and alot others over facebook ect would vent and rant about it, dosent mean i think its the end of the world or i thought we would win and never lose again forever, just expect infact no demand better then the shower of turd we was dealt with today 

[1864roverite]

Arrived in Italy we were winning 1-0. Arrived at the hotel trashed 4-1??????????

[Tormund]

Trouble is with Dack, people will look into his social media actions more than others because of his lifestyle. Who knows, Corry Evans might have a bottle of whiskey a week but we’d never know about it.

[roverandout]

30 minutes ago, Boroblue said:

I’m not sure what the point of this Dack criticism is. I go to work and do my job. I finish work and relax. He’s not in the squad for today for whatever reason and therefore he’s not in work ergo he can relax. 

I suggest the day your work colleagues or others( supporters) start to tell you what you can and can’t do in your own time is the day you move on.

In particular and hypocritically the criticism is levelled from people on the internet commenting on football rather than preparing in a professional manner for work tomorrow.

 

Footballers dont work..they get paid for playing around and having fun

[blueboy3333]

3 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

You're making AdamRochina look rational.

 

Just now, AdamRochina said:

completley forgot we aint aloud to be the slightest bit negative at all, shut up man jesus, pathetic performance meant i would and alot others over facebook ect would vent and rant about it, dosent mean i think its the end of the world or i thought we would win and never lose again forever, just expect infact no demand better then the shower of turd we was dealt with today 

I take that back

[roversfan99]

5 minutes ago, AdamRochina said:

completley forgot we aint aloud to be the slightest bit negative at all, shut up man jesus, pathetic performance meant i would and alot others over facebook ect would vent and rant about it, dosent mean i think its the end of the world or i thought we would win and never lose again forever, just expect infact no demand better then the shower of turd we was dealt with today 

There are valid points amidst all the shouting and ranting, such as a lack of defensive depth that you mentioned that most would agree with. That said, I think the reason for the ridicule is the way you convey your anger and frustration, in disjointed paragraphs full of hyperbole and sarcasm. Surely you could be moreconstructive than to use phrases such as "shower of turd."

Edited September 2, 2018 by roversfan99

[chaddyrovers]

51 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

You'd drop Graham for Brereton? Why?

Views on Bennett today?

Bennett poor. 

I want to get Brereton in and playing regular as possible. 

35 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Why does everyone make it so personal? And then get so uptight when they get one back? Double standards on here are palpable.

The reason for the comment is obvious. The younger posters on here are in the main defending him. “He should be out and about the day before a match that he isn’t involved in. It’s a free country. He’s a grown man.”

The older posters in the main have higher expectations of a professional footballer paid thousands of pounds who should be focussed on getting back fit.

As always though on here, the groundswell is to go round and round with ad hominem posts and make what was an original disappointment into a great bit of sport in gleefully disagreeing with me for the sake of it.

One thing it does show though is the number of twentysomething posters we have on here who can’t tell their arses from their elbows and think social media is the best place to prove it.

Because you always start getting personal with everyone then when people fight back like me you spit your dummy out. Like me today. 

[Stuart]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Bennett poor. 

I want to get Brereton in and playing regular as possible. 

Because you always start getting personal with everyone then when people fight back like me you spit your dummy out. Like me today. 

Au contraire mon ami.

You will notice that I very rarely get personal except in response. A criticism I will accept is putting people in groups - not sure why that upsets people though.

[AdamRochina]

5 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

There are valid points amidst all the shouting and ranting, such as a lack of defensive depth that you mentioned that most would agree with. That said, I think the reason for the ridicule is the way you convey your anger and frustration, in disjointed paragraphs full of hyperbole and sarcasm. Surely you could be moreconstructive than to use phrases such as "shower of turd."

I can't when Im angry I literary just mash my keyboard 

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Logged in for the first time since the match and we’re still discussing a photo of Dack. I really think we can move on..

Played well in the first half but didn’t take chances. 4-1 flattered them but can’t say we deserved much. It happens. TM clearly took a gamble second half and it didn’t pay off. Other days it might. Couldn’t fault the effort.

It’s a reality check not a crisis.

[Fraserkirky]

I said earlier on in this thread that we shouldnt be afraid of anyone, well I am afraid now. Harry and Marv are peaking in the windows with gleaming crowbars.

Heads went down today big time. So much for this togetherness. We looked beaten earlier than we actually were, and it wasn't helped with Tonys subs today.
The goals were very poor, particularly the header and the one were Lenihan got mugged by a big fat striker.

Bristol City played the high press to perfection today, similar to what we did to Brentford last week. We didnt look like we could be bothered with it for much of today. Is it the mark of a good team in this division, how well
you can press high? Unfortunatly Bristol City look a class above us. 

Tactics
Really disappointed to hear Mowbrays talking about putting too many attackers on the pitch, thats why we lost. Sorry Tony I dont agree. We lost this game because we came out in the second half an absolute mess, silly mistakes and a lack of effort at times. Devoid of attacking threat. 
I always feel like Tony wants to play 3-5-2 with wing backs, but everytime he has tried it we have been poor, thus he has reverted to this ultra defensive 4-2-3-1. He wants defensive players to turn into counter attacking players in this 4-2-3-1, I prefer the opposite of putting in attacking players and teaching
them to be disciplined defensively. Nyambe and Bell have been told to be repsonsible and disciplined going forward, but with Evans and the shocking Smallwood in midfield, we really do struggle to get numbers forward, we are struggling to create chances from open play. Look at Bristol 
City today who were fluid and smooth. 
I tell you there isnt a lonelier  job than the 4-2-3-1, where your the striker and your battling with two quality centre halfs.

Raya 6 - Very poor for the goals. Couple of worldies as usual. Thought he was having a nap at times in the second half. Distribution poor.
Nyambe 6 - Not his best game. Pace gets him out of trouble alot.
Lenihan 5 - Yikes. How many goals is that this season he has been responsible for? Immense against Brentford, but looked a league 1 player today im afriad.
Mulgrew 6 - Poor today, starting to look tired against a better quality player. 
Bell 6 - Tough assignment today against a very good winger. Wouldn't drop him yet. 
Evans 6 - Not at the races for much of today, got overan at times, playing with Smallwood doesn't help. Done just okay.
Smallwood 4 - Tony how many times are you look away in disgust with his passing until you drop him, 50 times, 100 times? If he starts vs Villa then you have to wonder if he has dodgy pics of Mowbrays or something. Never a championship player. 
Palmer 6 - Bit of a show pony, cut inside alot today and didnt really do much. Has to score. 
Armstrong 6 - I am giving him a 6 because he looked about 50% fit. Again has to score that one on one. Not sure what business he has playing AMC, with Rothwell and Palmer available there. Only player with genuine pace in the team going forward, but it was useless much of today.
Bennett 5 - Lost on the right wing. Didn't see the usual effort and hustle.Playing a winger who can't beat a player isnt a good look. 
Graham 5 - Apart from the nice through ball to Arma, wasnt at the races, think he will be useful off the bench when everyone is fit. 

Rothwell 8 - Best player on the team when he came on. What on earth was he doing on the bench today Tony? He should have passed the ball when he went on the mazy and dragged his shot wide. The boy has some drive from midfield. We are desperate for that. 
Brereton 6 - Rough debut for the lad, looks to have a good touch, didnt win much in the air, plenty more to come. Really hope he isnt one of those 6footers than is 5'7 when he jumps. That offside looked close.
Nuttall 4 - Seriously Tony.

We look a couple of players short of being able to match up with quality championship teams right now.
Plenty to work on the next few weeks. I really hope that Rodwell can play centre half cause I have serious questions on Mulgrew and Lenihan this level. Should have signed Bauer. Reed should be getting a look in, and rothwell needs to be given a go with Evans in midfield.
Dack back asap and Brereton up to speed. Armstrong fit and we go again.

9 points from 6 games is an okay start.

Time to take my mind of Rovers for a week or so. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Fraserkirky

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, DE. said:

If he's costing £7m he should be coming in to replace Graham, shouldn't he? At our level you don't spend £7m on potential or a backup option. If we have then it's lunacy. 

If we haven't  bought him because of potential, why the hell have we bought him? It's not his goal scoring record is it?

Thats what worried me at the time. It's  a lot of money for someone so very unproven.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Hasta

[G Somerset Rover]

9 minutes ago, Hasta said:

If we haven't  bought him because of potential, why the hell have we bought him? It's not his goal scoring record is it?

Thats what worried me at the time. It's  a lot of money for someone so very unproven.

For most clubs it’s the norm ie taking a punt on potential, but when you have spent eff all for donkeys years it’s a bloody gamble and a half.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Exiled_Rover]

59 minutes ago, DaveyB said:

Yep, it’s well known that squatting down momentarily is exactly the same as playing 90 minutes of football. It’s certainly the basis of my exercise routine!! ?

On a more serious note - I didn’t watch the game as my in-laws came round unexpectedly (lucky escape in thd end). Can any of you that did see it tell me how Brereton looked when he came on?

He looked like a player who had barely trained with his teammates.

Found himself in good positions quite a lot, but nobody was looking for that pass so he was rather ineffective. 

[DE.]

14 minutes ago, Hasta said:

If we haven't  bought him because of potential, why the hell have we bought him? It's not his goal scoring record is it?

Thats what worried me at the time. It's  a lot of money for someone so very unproven.

I agree, I'm pretty confused by the whole thing. We aren't a PL club who can afford to drop £7m on a 'maybe'. For that money he has to be good enough to start now, with the potential to get even better. 

[AdamRochina]

for the next game at villa i would switch it up a bit to be honest

                  raya

nyamba  lehihan mulgrew  bell

        reed        evans 

bennett      dack        armstrong

                  brereton

 

have rothwell come on in the second half for either evans, armstrong or reed,  graham on if need be 

[Stuart]

What does Rothwell have to do?

What has Reed done to deserve to start?

[Ewood Ace]

After an excellent first half a second half that provided a reality check for just how tough a challenge this season will be. Still a lack of depth to the squad just look at the bench today no centre back, Conway the only wide option and Nuttall coming of the bench when we needed a goal. A very tough run of fixtures coming up with could see us beginning November very much in a relegation battle. I don't very often leave games early but that second half was too horrific to watch until the end. Take Dack out of the side and we really lack any creativity or goal threat. I am worried that the Dack injury is more serious than Mowbray is telling us as at first it just a knock that may or may not keep him out of the Reading game, then he said he was OK for the Brentford game and it was just a decision to make whether to play him or not and then he said that Dack would probably be ready for today. Yet he still hasn't even made the bench.

 

Raya 3- People keep telling me he is a fantastic keeper but I'm not so sure yes he makes some excellent saves but he also let's some soft ones, today he should have saved the first and third goal. And his kicking for a professional goalkeeper is embarrassing.

Nyambe 7- Very solid and very harshly adjudged to have committed a foul leading to the free kick for the first goal. Not sure why he was taken of.

Bell 2- Pathetic, lazy, out of position far too much and clueless when going forward. By a mile our worst player today get Williams back in.

Mulgrew & Lenihan 6&6- I though both were decent as strange as that may seem when a team concedes 4 goal but in the second half they were offered no protection or tracking back from the midfield.

Smallwood & Evans 4&5- Both were excellent 1st half all over the pitch putting blocks in, winning tackles and starting counters. In the second half they were dominated by the Bristol midfield, the game completely passed them by. Smallwood was particularly bad if he found a Rovers shirt more than a couple times in the 2nd I would be surprised, he should have been given the hook instead of Palmer and much sooner. 

Bennett 3- I've said it before about Bennett and I'll say it again he is a good League 1 player who can do a job filling in centrally in the Championship but he is not good enough to be a first choice wide man he's a worker but we have plenty of them what we need in the final 3rd is some flair. Should have been taken of instead of Nyambe.

Palmer 7- The one bit of flair we had he wanted the ball and was the only one who looked like he might create something, so what did Mowbray do took him of and brought Nuttall on in a decision that summed up Mowbray's subs today.

Armstrong 3- You can see just from today why he hasn't got a great record in the Championship, to lightweight to play through the middle. To many times he was eased of the ball by there defenders needs to bulk up a bit if he wants to play central.

Graham 6- Gave us a focal point which when he went of we really lacked if he wasn't injured then a poor decision to sub him.

 

Subs:

Rothwell 6- Harshly dropped and looked bright when he came on, gave us another creative threat just a shame it was to little to late.

Brereton 4- Hard to judge him he had little service and came on just as the tide of the game had turned.

Nuttall- Just not good enough for this level.

  

 

[Tormund]

No way was Bell a 2 out of 10. Worse players than him today.

[Mattyblue]

4 minutes ago, DE. said:

I agree, I'm pretty confused by the whole thing. We aren't a PL club who can afford to drop £7m on a 'maybe'. For that money he has to be good enough to start now, with the potential to get even better. 

All I can think is that Mowbray sees Rovers as a long term ‘project’ and has got the buy in of the owners. A manager looking at short term solutions and £7 million to spend wouldn’t be splurging the lot on a teenager from the Championship.

I imagine these owners like the model proposed - i.e  the re-sale potential of young English players and wouldn’t have given the green light to £9 million in a window on older players.

Seems eminently sensible in this crackers era we are operating in, but we are still at the whim of a very unpredictable family.

[tomphil]

Big fan of TM but he doesn't half do some odd things and get tactically outwitted when maybe there is no need for it.

Put today down to early season naivety and hope he's got the silly stuff out of his system early like last season. Today was a big wake up call of the fine margins we could get away with last but won't this.