ROVERS v Sheff Utd

[donnermeat]

15 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

A number on here said it. I read one comment saying MCarthy and Bruce are available. 

I agree most are, rightly, cometely behind Mowbray 

A number? You mean one?

Well beaten in every aspect of the game last night. Thought Fleck and Duffy ran the game for them, in particular Fleck.

I struggle to see what Bell brings to the team. Poor positionally, in the air, with the ball at his feet and never commits to anything. He jockeys a man but never close enough to prevent a cross or put a tackle in, in fact I'm convinced the lad doesn't like tackling full stop. 

I can only assume he's been instructed not to overlap the wingers and you could probably count on one hand the number of times he's done it this season. He came in as an attacking full back and bar his debut, he certainly hasn't been one. He got to the byline a few times once he played wing back last night, which to me lends credence that he's being told not to overlap.

Rothwell must start against Bolton for Smallwood, drop Reed into centre mid.

[Bigdoggsteel]

2 minutes ago, donnermeat said:

A number? You mean one?

Well beaten in every aspect of the game last night. Thought Fleck and Duffy ran the game for them, in particular Fleck.

I struggle to see what Bell brings to the team. Poor positionally, in the air, with the ball at his feet and never commits to anything. He jockeys a man but never close enough to prevent a cross or put a tackle in, in fact I'm convinced the lad doesn't like tackling full stop. 

I can only assume he's been instructed not to overlap the wingers and you could probably count on one hand the number of times he's done it this season. He came in as an attacking full back and bar his debut, he certainly hasn't been one. He got to the byline a few times once he played wing back last night, which to me lends credence that he's being told not to overlap.

Rothwell must start against Bolton for Smallwood, drop Reed into centre mid.

After the result last night at least 3 posters came on saying it. 

Agree with the rest. Also think Mulgrew should have started. At least he is back for Saturday. I can see us winning this game. We are dangerous after a defeat 

[Waggy76]

I cannot help thinking , Rovers play better when Bennett is in midfield !!

[DaveyB]

7 hours ago, Fraserkirky said:

 

We missed Ryan Nyambe very badly tonight. Doubt he would have allowed the first goal to happen.

..

Bennett needs start playing better, albeit he only ever seems to play well in centre midfield.

I agree that we missed Nyambe last night. Not just defensively, but his willingness to get forward and give us width on the right is crucial to the way we play too. 

Bennett, for a supposedly attacking player, was incredibly negative from rb last night. Very rarely looked to play forwards, unwilling to overlap and I can’t remember him trying to go past a man. It all meant that we had no attacking threat on that side of the pitch, especially in the first half. In fact the only positive moment came when Reed and Bennett briefly switched positions and Reed picked out a great through ball inside the fullback for Bennett to run onto. I wonder if it might have been an idea to start those two the other way around down the right. 

[philipl]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

Sheffield didn't do anything different in this game than they do every week. You are making it sound like they changed tactics and systems when we did to stop us playing. In every aspect of football they were better and Mowbray looked forlorn on the touchline as the realisation hit home. 

After Saturday we have Leeds, Swansea and West Bromwich. We'll do well to get a point from those three.

Add Bolton where in recent years we have a terrible record and we could be on for five defeats on the trot.

Knowing Rovers, we will do something perverse and upset at least one apple cart!

[philipl]

24 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

I cannot help thinking , Rovers play better when Bennett is in midfield !!

Bennett's energy means he pops up anywhere harrying the opposition, rushing them out of their rhythm.

This makes him an effective disruptor when he's in midfield.

Didn't see the match but it sounds like we let the Blades play their own game without challenging them enough.

 

[donnermeat]

17 minutes ago, DaveyB said:

I agree that we missed Nyambe last night. Not just defensively, but his willingness to get forward and give us width on the right is crucial to the way we play too. 

Bennett, for a supposedly attacking player, was incredibly negative from rb last night. Very rarely looked to play forwards, unwilling to overlap and I can’t remember him trying to go past a man. It all meant that we had no attacking threat on that side of the pitch, especially in the first half. In fact the only positive moment came when Reed and Bennett briefly switched positions and Reed picked out a great through ball inside the fullback for Bennett to run onto. I wonder if it might have been an idea to start those two the other way around down the right. 

For what it's worth I felt Bennett didn't look fully fit last night, he certainly looked to be moving awkwardly at the beginning of each half anyway.

[roversfan99]

Need to dismiss any myths that our fan base is anything but universally behind Mowbray. One poster (unless ive missed anyone) has suggested otherwise, that should be treat in isolation but to be honest even that seemed more of an appreciation as to the success the likes of Allardyce and Bruce have had in their careers rather than actively saying Mowbray out now.

Yesterday in the first half which was dire, the supporters more than once rallied to try (and fail!) to get an on the day underperforming team. That simply doesnt happen if theres any doubts over the managers future.

Expectations are a bit of a grey area this season id suggest, with a whole mixture of different ones from person to person. Some seem insistent that stability and survival are the names of the game. For me I think we should definitely look to achieve more than that. Thats the territory of spending over 8 million in the summer, the inferiority complex that seems to strike some in regards to being in a higher league is somewhat eridicated when you spend more than most in the summer to compliment a squad that people often refer to as a League 1 squad, but both us and Wigan achieved considerable points hauls after avoidable relegations in the first place due to mismanagement.

Anyway, back to yesterday. Mowbray got it wrong for me and showed the opponent far too much respect. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

We can forget all about Mowbray being shown the door.  Rovers are still running on auto-pilot with no real director involvement that I can see. In this case things would have to get dramatically worse before the Chicken Chokers took any action.  However I think the board of directors at other clubs would be walking around with nervous looks on their faces this morning.

[Gav]

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

We can forget all about Mowbray being shown the door. 

I'm sure I'm missing the context here, because you have much more sense than to be advocating a change of manager TS. To even suggest such a thing should  encourage howls of derision, closely followed by men in white coats dragging you away for electric shock treatment! 

But to last nights game, a bit like Derby away, both opposition teams are just better than us, it's as simple as that. Sheff Utd looked a top 6 side for long periods, great movement and most players 1 step ahead our lot.

They're the benchmark for me so far this season, the place we need to be, but we're on the right track.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Thought Lenihan and Williams were poor yesterday, especially for their goals. The Sheffield United centre half Egan looks a good player. Reminds me of the great Kevin Moran. He cost them around 4.5 million. We could have done a lot worse than sign him. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We're simply not top six material and people have to get used to it....this is an on going building process that could see us in this league for many a year.

Talk of sacking TM is utterly ludicrous.

[Mercer]

Poor stuff last night - think it was men against boys both on the field and in the dugouts.

Think Armstrong and Brereton signings are both poor and wasteful given the money involved and the glaring deficiencies in our team.  Too many bang average players who can't cut it.

Finding Rovers boring and uninspiring.

A long, long season ahead.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

43 minutes ago, Gav said:

I'm sure I'm missing the context here, because you have much more sense than to be advocating a change of manager TS. To even suggest such a thing should  encourage howls of derision, closely followed by men in white coats dragging you away for electric shock treatment! 

But to last nights game, a bit like Derby away, both opposition teams are just better than us, it's as simple as that. Sheff Utd looked a top 6 side for long periods, great movement and most players 1 step ahead our lot.

They're the benchmark for me so far this season, the place we need to be, but we're on the right track.

I'm in no way advocating firing our manager however I'm concerned about our recents results and the constant conceding of goals.

[Mercer]

Watching Rovers, it's a struggle to see what Mowbray is trying to do.

Don't think our organisation is great and there is no identity to our play.

I think we are poorly coached.

 

[islander200]

1 minute ago, Mercer said:

Watching Rovers, it's a struggle to see what Mowbray is trying to do.

Don't think our organisation is great and there is no identity to our play.

I think we are poorly coached.

 

Last night's performance was terrible but in the majority of the games we have competed well and given most teams a problem.

Let's not be too dramatic,we have still had a decent start to the season, not brilliant but decent.

[JHRover]

The frustrating thing for me is that we never, ever, seem to be in control of a game.

Look what Sheffield United did last night and really other than 10-15 minutes in the second half they were well on top from start to finish. Even when we had our spell of 'dominance' (by which I mean we had plenty of possession, mainly in our own half, and no chances) they were comfortable and weren't troubled. We can't deliver what they did, either because we haven't got the know-how or ability to do it.

Even in the games we have won we haven't really been in control. I suppose Brentford and Hull were as close to it as we have been but even then we ended up hanging on to a one goal lead and could have conceded had it not been for good saves from Raya.

Games in which we were comfortable and cruising and had done the hard part - Ipswich, Stoke, Villa, Forest - we have thrown it away or very nearly done.

That's the frustrating thing for me. I can accept Sheffield deserved the win and were/are a better team than us, but it's the other games that annoy me - where we are in control for periods but end up letting points slip through our fingers because we can't do it for 90 minutes.

We've shown numerous times this season that we can compete and can cause problems for teams but poor game management has cost us a lot of points in games we should have been winning. This comes in all sorts of shapes and forms - flukey goals, penalties, free kicks, moaning about decisions or lapses in concentration. The better sides don't give these things away and don't get those sort of decisions against them.

[bazza]

11 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

 Bruce, McCarthy, Allardyce are in the Warnock mould. Pragmatic managers who get results with many promotions on their CV.

I'd have any of them over Mowbray. 

Mowbray has been more than a manager to this club. If it weren't for him coming in and winning the total confidence of the Raos, we would be in League 2 by now. He has brought in not only better players but also reliable people to run the club as it should be run. It's work in progress. We must stick with him.

5 hours ago, philipl said:

At least Mowbray was trying to change it around. His two predecessors would have done nothing.

One good thing about Mowbray which I didn't see from many previous managers is that he is not afraid to make changes in formation and bring on subs.

We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and go again on Saturday.

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, arbitro said:

Sheffield didn't do anything different in this game than they do every week. You are making it sound like they changed tactics and systems when we did to stop us playing. In every aspect of football they were better and Mowbray looked forlorn on the touchline as the realisation hit home. 

After Saturday we have Leeds, Swansea and West Bromwich. We'll do well to get a point from those three.

Sheffield United are a well drilled side which I said and very good at it. Norwood marked Dack out the game. Basham, Egan and O'Connell marked Graham out of the game. They stopped our key players from players. We tried 3 different formations and tactics, and each time they stop us. 

Sheffield United are very good and Wilder doing a great job there. 

We have nothing to fear from those 3 games and every game is tough at this level. But I could see us getting 3 or 4 points from those games. 

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, bazza said:

Mowbray has been more than a manager to this club. If it weren't for him coming in and winning the total confidence of the Raos, we would be in League 2 by now. He has brought in not only better players but also reliable people to run the club as it should be run. It's work in progress. We must stick with him.

One good thing about Mowbray which I didn't see from many previous managers is that he is not afraid to make changes in formation and bring on subs.

We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and go again on Saturday.

Great post

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

Sheffield United are a well drilled side which I said and very good at it. Norwood marked Dack out the game. Basham, Egan and O'Connell marked Graham out of the game. They stopped our key players from players. We tried 3 different formations and tactics, and each time they stop us. 

Sheffield United are very good and Wilder doing a great job there. 

We have nothing to fear from those 3 games and every game is tough at this level. But I could see us getting 3 or 4 points from those games. 

Unfortunately 3 or 4 points from those games will still leave us lower mid table 

[AAK]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Thought Lenihan and Williams were poor yesterday, especially for their goals. The Sheffield United centre half Egan looks a good player. Reminds me of the great Kevin Moran. He cost them around 4.5 million. We could have done a lot worse than sign him. 

Lenihan been poor all season for me, mate. Sheff Utd were a good side.  I think Reed should have been right back and Bennett kept in midfield. The wings are still a major issue, not having any out and out wingers means 9 times out of 10, when we get the ball on the wings we moved forward, then take a step back and then before you know it all the oppositions defence are well positioned and then we go back into the middle, it's all very predictable, meaning we have to use Dack a heck of a lot, and sheff utd marked him out of the game last night and that meant we weren't ever in the game.

[yeti-dog]

Last night was a shocker and a massive reality check. A truly spineless performance and an insipid way to lose a long unbeaten home record.

The team looked lethargic, laborious lacking in invention and creativity. Sheff Utd weren't all that either but we made them look decent and hungry to win.

Smallwood - whoever said he was on the up needs to have a word with themselves - he had a shocker summed up by the crappy pass or poor control (can't remember which it was) which meant his second touch was a scything tackle and yellow card which was totally avoidable if he could only do the basics right.. We need him out of the team - he's a squad player at best. Having said that none of the team came out with too much credit last night.

Not much labore and feck all arte. I've not been as angry watching a game for ages.

Need a much improved performance on Saturday.. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

4 minutes ago, AAK said:

Lenihan been poor all season for me, mate. Sheff Utd were a good side.  I think Reed should have been right back and Bennett kept in midfield. The wings are still a major issue, not having any out and out wingers means 9 times out of 10, when we get the ball on the wings we moved forward, then take a step back and then before you know it all the oppositions defence are well positioned and then we go back into the middle, it's all very predictable, meaning we have to use Dack a heck of a lot, and sheff utd marked him out of the game last night and that meant we weren't ever in the game.

He is always tightly marked though. Their formation caused us problems, which is worrying as Mowbray knew what to expect there. He showed some doubt as to our best approach, which is very dangerous. 

I think 3 at the back may be the way to go against Bolton, with Bell and Bennett offering width 

[chaddyrovers]

19 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Unfortunately 3 or 4 points from those games will still leave us lower mid table 

Still plenty of games to play yet.

We should be finishing around mid table this season.