Wigan V ROVERS 28/11/18

[MarkBRFC]

11 hours ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Genuine challenge for fans of all ages...

Recall back to back performances (and results) worse than these last two.

I'd thought straight away of WBA/Bolton December 2011... but even then we battled and lost 2-1 in each... Scott Dann even ruptured a testicle for us scoring a goal. 

32 years old and I'm genuinely struggling.

Probably the first two matches of last season, 2-1 way at Southend & 3-1 at home to Doncaster.

[Mike E]

40 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/17264039.wigan-athletic-3-blackburn-rovers-1-talking-points/

Had my doubts about Rich once upon a time, but kudos. That is a good, thoughtful piece pulling no punches without being scathing.

[Gav]

46 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/17264039.wigan-athletic-3-blackburn-rovers-1-talking-points/

A damning appraisal from manager and reporter, we will certainly see what this side is made of against Wednesday at the weekend.

Not a great night for the fans, terrible weather and even worse on the pitch, but the ones that braved the elements are a credit to the club, I applaud you all.

[Crimpshrine]

3 -1 flattered us last night.

Fragility at the back and lack of goal threat is not a good combination.

The much lauded fighting spirit was conspicuous by its absence. Dack is either not fit or not interested.

Body language and lack of talking among the players suggested low confidence all round.

Team selection totally bemusing.

There is always one team that plummets into a relegation battle in the second half of the season. I hope it's not going to be us! 

[G Somerset Rover]

Yep - the response from our boys every time they scored was galling. No shouting at one another, no grabbing the ball. Just heads down feeling sorry for themselves. Would appear we lack some serious leadership on the pitch.

[Mike E]

Just now, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Yep - the response from our boys every time they scored was galling. No shouting at one another, no grabbing the ball. Just heads down feeling sorry for themselves. Would appear we lack some serious leadership on the pitch.

It’s strange, as there are plenty who SHOULD be leaders:

Mulgrew, Graham, Bennett, Conway. Hell, I’d include Evans and Lenihan in that too tbh

[JHRover]

2 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Yep - the response from our boys every time they scored was galling. No shouting at one another, no grabbing the ball. Just heads down feeling sorry for themselves. Would appear we lack some serious leadership on the pitch.

Doesn't help when the manager is strolling around in his technical area with his head in his hands or goes and sits down for a sulk when things aren't going well.

Cook and his staff were in the technical area all the game issuing instructions, making changes, getting stuck into people, abusing the referee and 4th official. Venus and Lowe didn't so much as stand up apart from when substitutions were being made. Mowbray's body language when things aren't going well is shocking.

Edited November 29, 2018 by JHRover

[tomphil]

2 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Yep - the response from our boys every time they scored was galling. No shouting at one another, no grabbing the ball. Just heads down feeling sorry for themselves. Would appear we lack some serious leadership on the pitch.

There was a passage of play at one point where Mulgrew won the ball stepped forwards several yards then just turned it sideways despite options. It then went backwards and sideways again until we were in our own box nearly robbed by a Wigan player, similar happened several times yet we were 2 nil down !

Playing unurgent keep ball around the back at two nil down it was casual beyond belief yet Mowbray sat there looking blank, does, Mulgrew run the team ?  He should have been being roasted for that type of thing.

[Boroblue]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Wow. Glad to see no one is over reacting

A couple of defeats really brings them out 

It’s not being beaten that’s the problem it’s the way it happens. Midfielders in defence making errors, the same midfielders week in week out in midfield repeatedly making the same errors.

Then finally if that isn’t enough midfielders for one team we shove the buggers up front while a seven million striker with 50 championship appearances sits on the bench because. Quote he needs to work on his strength.

We seem to have developed a habit of folding and whilst I hold no professional qualifications in football l suggest that it may help having less midfielders and let’s say more defenders in defence but that may be me being amateurish  

[Neal]

11 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I'm starting to think even if you swapped rothwell for Armstrong or Travis for bell or whatever people suggest it would be the same outcome. The players deserve slating tonight because they had no heart or desire but the buck stops with mowbray for me. 

You can change that line up all you like we aren't going to beat anybody convincingly. We need proper width as a matter of urgency. Some players aren't good enough and it's as simple as that and the way he sets us up with players in unfamiliar positions, not playing to anybody's strengths and playing with such fear of the opposition I'm afraid more nights like this are inevitably and if we do get positive results it will be down to dogged determination in spite of mowbray not because of him

 

Aye and it appears we're going to sign one (Chapman) and then loan him out. Makes sense. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Neal

[BlackburnEnd75]

56 minutes ago, Paul said:

Many people have identified this so I'm not singling your post out for reply.

To my mind bringing on Williams for Graham was an attempt to solve two problems with one change. Bell had a nightmare first half and his confidence was draining away by the minute. Graham is either unfit or carrying an injury, probably the latter. I thought the substitution was to shore up the left back position, try to use Bell going forward, where many say he is better, and perhaps provide extra cover down our left as we'd been hammered there for 45 minutes.

Whether a good choice or not it wasn't a case of replacing a proven goal scorer with a defender but moving players around to try something different. Personally I can't see the point of putting Armstrong central against defenders the size of Wigan's.

I did feel we had to get Bell out of the game at half time. Didn't expect the move Mowbray made.

Williams coming in a switch to 3 at the back wasn't so much the issue for me. If your going to change shape like that then your going to have to make two changes. Our midfield 3 that second half was Reed, Smallwood and Evans coupled with Nyambe as not being the best going forward at right wing back. It was too defensive, we needed to try string a few passes together, and to do that you need options to pass to, we needed Rothwell in midfield to demand  the ball spread it around a bit and drive into the space. But instead we tried to work it out from the back but there was nothing go in on in front of them. 

[G Somerset Rover]

31 minutes ago, Mike E said:

It’s strange, as there are plenty who SHOULD be leaders:

Mulgrew, Graham, Bennett, Conway. Hell, I’d include Evans and Lenihan in that too tbh

Agreed but none of them have shown an iota of leadership nous in the past 2 matches. 

Agree with others too that Mowbray doesn’t help. He’s too much of a forlorn figure on the touchline for me. I’m not asking for a gorilla like Cooke but it’d be good to see some passion rubbing off on the players as the match progresses. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Neal]

Mowbray had a dream 

To build a football team

He had some money and blew it on fu*ck all

We're crap at the back

And sh*t in attack

We're Blackburn Rovers and we're fecking cack. 

 

I'm expecting some grief for this one but I'm frustrated and pissed off. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

11 minutes ago, Boroblue said:

It’s not being beaten that’s the problem it’s the way it happens. Midfielders in defence making errors, the same midfielders week in week out in midfield repeatedly making the same errors.

Then finally if that isn’t enough midfielders for one team we shove the buggers up front while a seven million striker with 50 championship appearances sits on the bench because. Quote he needs to work on his strength.

We seem to have developed a habit of folding and whilst I hold no professional qualifications in football l suggest that it may help having less midfielders and let’s say more defenders in defence but that may be me being amateurish  

Some valid points, but much more measured than your original post about the social media team somehow covering over the "rot and decay" at the club

Mowbray has improved so much since he came here. Even where we are now is an improvement. Lets not lose perspective.

Yes, Mowbray needs to sort some of his quirks out and just play people in position and pick people on merit right now, not what they have done in the past.  However lets not absolve the players of blame completely. They have been rotten in the last few games.  Individual errors all over the shop. Mowbray hasn't changed that much, so the players need to look at themselves. Maybe they were getting ahead of themselves. Back to basics time for all involved.  

[Gav]

7 minutes ago, Neal said:

 

 

I'm expecting some grief for this one but I'm frustrated and pissed off. 

Frustrated and pissed off, really?

After all that has gone on since the idiots took over?

Come on Neal, you more than most must surely understand the clubs made tremendous strides since King @#/?, Appleton and Coyle ran rough shot over the place?

Mowbray needs to sort this lot out I agree, but we are in a much better place than when he found us.

 

[Mike E]

14 minutes ago, Neal said:

Mowbray had a dream 

To build a football team

He had some money and blew it on fu*ck all

We're crap at the back

And sh*t in attack

We're Blackburn Rovers and we're fecking cack. 

 

I'm expecting some grief for this one but I'm frustrated and pissed off. 

Only grief you’ll get from me is for a crap chant ?

Otherwise, we are surely ALL feeling frustrated and pissed off after an almighty bump back to Earth after the last 2 games.

[Neal]

Just now, Gav said:

Frustrated and pissed off, really?

After all that has gone on since the idiots took over?

Come on Neal, you more than most must surely understand the clubs made tremendous strides since King @#/?, Appleton and Coyle ran rough shot over the place?

Mowbray needs to sort this lot out I agree, but we are in a much better place than when he found us.

 

Course we are, as I said, frustrated and pissed off... 2 thumpings from your local rivals that my dad and I have attended isn't exactly going to keep you in a good mood. 

[Neal]

Just now, Mike E said:

Only grief you’ll get from me is for a crap chant ?

Otherwise, we are surely ALL feeling frustrated and pissed off after an almighty bump back to Earth after the last 2 games.

Not up for singing this one on Saturday then? ?

[Gav]

Just now, Neal said:

Course we are, as I said, frustrated and pissed off... 2 thumpings from your local rivals that my dad and I have attended isn't exactly going to keep you in a good mood. 

Good point 

[G Somerset Rover]

35 minutes ago, Neal said:

 

Aye and it appears we're going to sign one (Chapman) and then loan him out. Makes sense. 

You’ve said this a couple times. Can you elaborate? Doesn’t make any sense.

[Oldgregg86]

37 minutes ago, Neal said:

 

Aye and it appears we're going to sign one (Chapman) and then loan him out. Makes sense. 

What's this. Not heard anything.

We are signing Chapman ...and then loaning him out. Where's this from ?

[roversfan99]

10 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

what a woeful performance by the players. The seems a lack of passion and desire in the last 2 games. 

didn't mind the team selection in 4-2-3-1 formation. 

1st half we had a great chance to score did Graham which he put wide. The Wigan 1st goal was a lack of desire by Smallwood, Evans and Bell to close down Roberts and block the shot. so poor. we didn't pass the ball with any tempo and each other. so poor to watched. 

2nd half we change to 5-3-2 with Williams coming on Graham and going to the back 3 and Armstrong and Dack up front. We started fine for 1st 5 mins and Armstrong had a chance to score. It was a deffo a pen for Wigan and Rodwell was poor for that. We got lucky with our goal but the fightback was 2 mins later with more defending. 

Our passing tonight was unacceptable and worst I seen under Mowbray. I expect we will see more changes on Saturday and rightly so. 

Dack was pathetic tonight and something has happened to him since appearing on Soccer AM. maybe his head been turned or he has about moving and been told by the club he cant move in January I don't know, But I would drop him on Saturday along with some other players. 

We need some changes on Saturday and rightly so. I know the team I would pick but that's for another day

The players undoubtedly take a share of the blame for these 2 embarrassments, but the manager takes a lions share too.

Why is he playing Rodwell as a centre back, something youve defended before? Because of imbalanced recruitment. 

Why when he is one goal down did he take off our striker and bring on a crap left back? How can you do anything but ridicule such stupidity?

Why after spending close to 10 million in the summer are we still left with players like Smallwood and Bell (that Mowbray signed, who did their job in League 1) regularly playing in the Championship out of their depth?

Dack was crap again but to put Soccer AM down as the protagonist for a drop in form is laughable.

What is Mowbrays style of play, wheres our identity, why are we so toothless and disorganised? Last season we got promotion through consistency of team selection, we had an identity, look at Burnley when they got promoted, barely used any players, everyone knew their job.

Its terrible to watch, these 2 defeats have been coming and our performances for most of the season have been horrendous to watch. Most long balls in the league, simply in the absence of any constructive attacking play. Dack out of form but no one else stepping up and scoring goals. Mowbray with no clue of his best side. 

[JHRover]

Don't see what good Chapman would do us at this stage. We need to learn how to defend and we've bigger problems in CM and up front. If we're expecting an injury prone kid who has barely played for 12 months who couldn't get in our side in League One to suddenly turn up and make us into an effective attacking unit that sounds far fetched. Mowbray clearly has no desire for an out and out winger hence his obsession with sticking players out wide who are used to playing in the middle. Reed, Brereton, Armstrong, Antonsson, Payne.

Our defence struggles because we invite pressure on ourselves with our boring and aimless play where we pass it around at the back between defence before launching it long and hoping Graham, Dack or Armstrong pull off a bit of magic by getting on the end and holding it up.

When Wigan had the ball last  night they got 4 or 5 men forward. When we won the ball in midfield there was Graham and Dack. When defending they got men back, we were exposed every time.

 

[Neal]

7 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

You’ve said this a couple times. Can you elaborate? Doesn’t make any sense.

Mowbray on Chapman at fans forum (I think)... 

 

He’s just the fastest thing you’ve ever seen on the training ground, it’s unbelievable,” said Mowbray.

“It’s just teaching him the footballing attributes, knowing when to press and when to hold.

“I think we can utilise the assets of Harry Chapman, and have a real fantastic footballer, but not today or even in the next six months.

“If Middlesbrough allow us to talk to Harry Chapman, I’ll be making him aware that if we sign him, it’ll be on a longer contract.

“He could even go out on loan if he joined. He’s not played a lot of football. He had his hamstring issues with us and then his shoulder issues.

“If we spend a whole preseason with him, then potentially he could be someone we end up signing.”

 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/its-time-against-money-tony-15455619.amp

 

Never mind that Rodwell hadn't played for god knows how long, this is different... Somehow. Planet Mogga. Top bloke but has really lost his way at the moment, saying and doing some really bizarre things. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Neal

[Oldgregg86]

I wouldn't be against signing him and loaning him out as long as it doesn't have any effect whatsoever on his recruitment or budget and still addresses the width issue.

We all know Chapman is a good player who could do a job in the first team now and has potential to be a great player. Signing him relatively cheap when he has had injury issues and I assume not long left on his contract is a small gamble with potential massive reward. Get him fit and get him playing here or somewhere else to build up his fitness and confidence and we would have a good player assuming his injury problems can be dealt with or contained. 

This is ONLY a good idea if he addresses the width NOW also and doesn't keep building for the future why we enter a state of slow decline