Leeds United v Rovers: Boxing Day 2018, 3pm

[Parsonblue]

Once again it comes down to players making the right decisions at the right time.  Too many go into panic mode when we come under any sort of pressure.  No excuse for this result.  Two-one up after 90 minutes and then two goals given away in four minutes - shocking defending.  Personally, I don't blame the manager or the coaching staff - it comes down to the players on the pitch doing the job they are supposed to do.  A professional footballer shouldn't need telling how to see out a game for four minutes, particularly as they had withstood the pressure for most of the match.

Anyone thinking we are going to get rid of Mowbray is living in cloud cuckoo land.  Having signed a long term contract the owners are clearly backing him.  It's now up to him to keep us afloat this season and then look at a rebuilding job in the summer.  We need better than what we have and need to start by building a solid platform at the back.

[G Somerset Rover]

The ‘not leaving a player up’ did irritate me at the time - even before the inevitable. It’s just plain bloody common sense that you’d leave somebody nippy up there to trouble them on the break. Rothwell ahould have been that man when Armstrong went off. The fact that Mowbray couldn’t shout that is baffling.

Edited December 26, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[bazza]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/december/lessons-to-be-learned---mowbray/

That is the biggest load of bullsh1t that TM has spoken since he has been here.

"Lessons must be learned". How I hate that phrase. They've had 12 months to learn this lesson, week after week, month after month. If they haven't learnt it by now they never will.

[Swanson]

Could not see most of the match, but how did Rodwell do in the defensive midfield position, compared to Smallwood?

Edited December 26, 2018 by Swanson

[Ewood Ace]

9 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Once again it comes down to players making the right decisions at the right time.  Too many go into panic mode when we come under any sort of pressure.  No excuse for this result.  Two-one up after 90 minutes and then two goals given away in four minutes - shocking defending.  Personally, I don't blame the manager or the coaching staff - it comes down to the players on the pitch doing the job they are supposed to do.  A professional footballer shouldn't need telling how to see out a game for four minutes, particularly as they had withstood the pressure for most of the match.

Anyone thinking we are going to get rid of Mowbray is living in cloud cuckoo land.  Having signed a long term contract the owners are clearly backing him.  It's now up to him to keep us afloat this season and then look at a rebuilding job in the summer.  We need better than what we have and need to start by building a solid platform at the back.

How many more points do we have to drop before at least some responsibility lies with the manager, its been costing us points since the first day of the season and it still hasn't been addressed. As for getting rid of Mowbray if we keep sliding down the table the way we are then he will be gone, if there is one thing we know for sure with the owners' it is that they are not afraid to sack a manager.

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, bazza said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/december/lessons-to-be-learned---mowbray/

That is the biggest load of bullsh1t that TM has spoken since he has been here.

"Lessons must be learned". How I hate that phrase. They've had 12 months to learn this lesson, week after week, month after month. If they haven't learnt it by now they never will.

The only way to learn a lesson is if you know what the lesson is. The worrying thing is that the players and coaching staff can’t find what the problem is.

[Mercer]

15 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Once again it comes down to players making the right decisions at the right time.  Too many go into panic mode when we come under any sort of pressure.  No excuse for this result.  Two-one up after 90 minutes and then two goals given away in four minutes - shocking defending.  Personally, I don't blame the manager or the coaching staff - it comes down to the players on the pitch doing the job they are supposed to do.  A professional footballer shouldn't need telling how to see out a game for four minutes, particularly as they had withstood the pressure for most of the match.

Anyone thinking we are going to get rid of Mowbray is living in cloud cuckoo land.  Having signed a long term contract the owners are clearly backing him.  It's now up to him to keep us afloat this season and then look at a rebuilding job in the summer.  We need better than what we have and need to start by building a solid platform at the back.

Sorry Parsonblue but think you are so wrong.

The manager and his staff buy players, sell players, coach them, select the team and derive the tactics.

The buck stops with them.

I think our tactics are muddled, there is no game management, we look far less fit (mentally and physically) than other teams, other than Dack, our player trading under Mowbray is abysmal (£10million wasted on Armstrong and Brereton) and there are too many square pegs in round holes.  All this is down to the manager and his support team.

I have no confidence in this manager and I think there are many others who are now seriously questioning Mowbray's capabilities. 

[Crimpshrine]

18 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Once again it comes down to players making the right decisions at the right time.  Too many go into panic mode when we come under any sort of pressure.  No excuse for this result.  Two-one up after 90 minutes and then two goals given away in four minutes - shocking defending.  Personally, I don't blame the manager or the coaching staff - it comes down to the players on the pitch doing the job they are supposed to do.  A professional footballer shouldn't need telling how to see out a game for four minutes, particularly as they had withstood the pressure for most of the match.

Anyone thinking we are going to get rid of Mowbray is living in cloud cuckoo land.  Having signed a long term contract the owners are clearly backing him.  It's now up to him to keep us afloat this season and then look at a rebuilding job in the summer.  We need better than what we have and need to start by building a solid platform at the back.

The buck stops with the manager.

Currently he is not doing a good job. The thing that worries me most is his apparent lack of emotion after each defeat - He should be absolutely fuming but appears to accept our plight as somehow inevitable - 'its just where we are'. If that attitude is prevalent in the dressing room then we might as well give up now.

Too many excuses not enough action. Mowbray needs to change his attitude but it won't happen. He's under no pressure after that recent contract renewal - Not good news for Rovers immediate future in my opinion.

[davulsukur]

30 minutes ago, Mercer said:

IMV, so many of our players are simply not good enough.

I think this is the main crux of the problem. The squad needed significantly improving in the summer and it wasn't.

Questions will be asked about Mogga (rightly so) but the squad needs serious work because most of them just aren't good enough.

[Stuart]

38 minutes ago, davefarnworth said:

Mark Hughes is out there. Totally peed off with Mowbray. Did a good job last year in a poor league. How long do we want a manager who kisses up to the Lunes?  

That’s all we are ever going to have.

[Mercer]

Just now, davulsukur said:

I think this is the main crux of the problem. The squad needed significantly improving in the summer and it wasn't.

Questions will be asked about Mogga (rightly so) but the squad needs serious work because most of them just aren't good enough.

I wouldn't trust Mowbray to strengthen / rebuild our squad.  Other than Dack, I don't think there has been a signing that has stood out.  Almost £10million, IMV, wasted on Armstrong and Brereton.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

2 minutes ago, Stuart said:

That’s all we are ever going to have.

We are now in a self fulfilling phophecy. Owners who haven't got a clue. Place their faith in whoever the latest bloke (Waggott) suggests, if it doesn't work, get someone else in cheap. It's the total lack of any direction from those that own us that kills us!

If they actually spoke of their ambition.....but they can't, as I don't think they have any. In the words of the famous Accringtonian, they bumble along.

We are a rudderless ship.

[Norbert Rassragr]

.....bum. Don't know what to think, as we were good early on in the season and now we are on a bad run. I'm reluctant to start on the 'every player is plop and sack the manager' bandwagon, but it has suddenly gone wobbly.

Maybe we should avoid relegation and then hire Ole GS when he leaves Man Utd!

[Ewood Ace]

7 minutes ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

.....bum. Don't know what to think, as we were good early on in the season and now we are on a bad run. I'm reluctant to start on the 'every player is plop and sack the manager' bandwagon, but it has suddenly gone wobbly.

Maybe we should avoid relegation and then hire Ole GS when he leaves Man Utd!

All 3 promoted clubs started the season well, they have the momentum and element of surprise. But by this time of year the momentum has gone and sides have worked them out and now all 3 are looking over their shoulders towards relegation.

[RV Blue]

55 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Personally, I don't blame the manager or the coaching staff - it comes down to the players on the pitch doing the job they are supposed to do.

Who signed the players? Who picked the players? Who gave the players instructions? The manager. The buck stops with the manager. You’re talking bollocks Parson.

[Ewood Ace]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

When we went 1-2 up I was delighted with the inevitable draw. What we managed to do makes me very annoyed. 

When we went 2-1 my mate said to me at least we will get a point now.

[Tom Stinny]

1 hour ago, USABlue said:

Who, that would come here and do a job within our budget?

Depends on what budget you think this manager has had? Around 10 million in transfer fees at least with signing on fees and wages to add on top. No one also knows how much the manager earns.

 

Seems to remember the former Fulham manager buying the such as Cairney for 3 million and building a fast attacking front footed team with not to crazy of a budget over the period of 3 seasons. 

 

Why couldn't Rovers do the same? Are Fulham a bigger club? The manager is also free

 

Has anyone highlighted the fact that the manager and director both have the same agency. Are good friends and both are on long term contracts? Or is that over looked because he's a nice guy unlike a few previous managers.

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 minutes ago, RV Blue said:

Who signed the players? Who picked the players? Who gave the players instructions? The manager. The buck stops with the manager. You’re talking bollocks Parson.

Not necessarily true. Overall our game plan needs work. The signings need more time. However you can't blame the manager for individual errors like Raya against Brum and Williams today. So the buck doesn't totally stop with the manager when looking at it rationally.  The players cannot be absolved of blame. 

 

[DE.]

5 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

All 3 promoted clubs started the season well, they have the momentum and element of surprise. But by this time of year the momentum has gone and sides have worked them out and now all 3 are looking over their shoulders towards relegation.

Yep pretty much, although Rotherham have been poor most of the season. Us and Wigan definitely ended up in a bit of a false position for a while, but I think we're quickly returning to where we should be nearer the bottom of the table. I don't think we're a bottom three team but we're nowhere near a playoff team or even a top half of the table team. The gulf in class between us and the better teams in this division is very obvious. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, Ewood Ace said:

When we went 2-1 my mate said to me at least we will get a point now.

That's exactly what I thought. A draw is a good result, thank God. Well done lads. What we did was criminal and not very Christmassy 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, DE. said:

Yep pretty much, although Rotherham have been poor most of the season. Us and Wigan definitely ended up in a bit of a false position for a while, but I think we're quickly returning to where we should be nearer the bottom of the table. I don't think we're a bottom three team but we're nowhere near a playoff team or even a top half of the table team. The gulf in class between us and the better teams in this division is very obvious. 

I think we are better than that if the players we have available were used correctly. I honestly believe that. I reckon we could get play offs. 

We aren't good enough definsivley to play as we do. We rely on scrapiness and luck. We should have Rodwell and Rothwell on the field. Reed in the middle. Ask teams questions. Did you ever notice that we are better chasing a lead than defending one? 

[DE.]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

I think we are better than that if the players we have available were used correctly. I honestly believe that. I reckon we could get play offs. 

We aren't good enough definsivley to play as we do. We rely on scrapiness and luck. We should have Rodwell and Rothwell on the field. Reed in the middle. Ask teams questions. Did you ever notice that we are better chasing a lead than defending one? 

The main thing we're lacking (imo) to get into the playoffs are leaders on the pitch. We have a lot of weak, timid personalities. Not enough players in the mold of Todd, Savage, Nelsen, etc. In many ways it's a team built in the image of the manager. 

[G Somerset Rover]

Rodwell really disappointed me today. Granted nobody covered themselves in glory first half but he really didn’t stand out whatsoever and it was Evans who did less of the hiding than he did.

[blueboy3333]

1 hour ago, Parsonblue said:

Once again it comes down to players making the right decisions at the right time.  Too many go into panic mode when we come under any sort of pressure.  No excuse for this result.  Two-one up after 90 minutes and then two goals given away in four minutes - shocking defending.  Personally, I don't blame the manager or the coaching staff - it comes down to the players on the pitch doing the job they are supposed to do.  A professional footballer shouldn't need telling how to see out a game for four minutes, particularly as they had withstood the pressure for most of the match.

Anyone thinking we are going to get rid of Mowbray is living in cloud cuckoo land.  Having signed a long term contract the owners are clearly backing him.  It's now up to him to keep us afloat this season and then look at a rebuilding job in the summer.  We need better than what we have and need to start by building a solid platform at the back.

You probably didn't blame Coyle in that case.

[Fraserkirky]

Been along time since I felt physically sick after watching a game of football.

Was excited with the lineup as I was convinced it was 3-5-2 with wingbacks, then Armstrong started right mid.......

Not putting this on Mowbray. If a 39 year old Charlie Mulgrew and an international player like Lenihan don’t know how to see a game out then they must be thicker than two short planks. 

I’ll start with Lenihan, starting to think he might be totally shit. Liability in the air, and prone to a clanger. He should be heading those crosses into row Z. Has struggled big time this year.

Can’t believe people are starting on Rothwell. I thought he looked terrific when he came on. He needs playing every week from the start. Leeds had a long way to go when the picked up the lose pass.

Williams, just simply a poor footballer who wouldn’t get in any other teams in the championship. 

Evans did okay, without being spectacular. He played an embarrassing ball through to graham, on a decent break away in the first half. Criminal.

Rodwell was okay, but struggled athletically on a big pitch. Smallwood did well when he came on, but still a bench player for me.

Nyambe was good again I thought. Did his best.

Bell was poor, squad player on a good day, not starting left winger at a club with top 6 aspirations.

Graham held the ball up really well again, but I’m afraid that’s all he is really doing now. 

Dack, second half, probably had his best half of football since Sheff Wed.  Wonder if Leeds have the cash for him??

Mowbray needs a mean centre half in january, a left back, winger and a striker. Get Rothwell, Reed and Dack in the same team and work around that.