Rovers V Norwich 22/12/18

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

True. Williams and Graham both had very good headed chances from corners. We also got in good positions on numerous occasions but the final ball, as always, was lacking. 

Norwich get in a good position and kill us off. 

Frustrating is the word. 

Well that's up there with our defensive issues. Bad passes or bad choices in and around the opposition box. We just don't have the flair or the movement. 

Armstrong is incredibly frustrating at times, gives the wrong pass or hits the defender more often than he does something good 

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, Silas said:

Very proud of our fans for that. Touch of class.

Compare Newcastle who apparently incessantly booed Mitrovic today.

Wait, you froze him out, loaned him a league below, so he joined that club. Wtf are you booing him for?!

Cretins. 

We were 1-0 down. Clap at the end, clap when warming up.

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 minutes ago, Tom Stinny said:

Think the formation we play doesn't suit the team and a 4312 would be better

 

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell

Reed Evans Rothwell

Dack

Graham Brereton/Armstrong

 

Mainly because we don't have a single winger in the club who can consistently perform at this level. A 5 year younger Conway is exactly what this team needs for more balance. 

 

Can't stand playing forwards out on the wing as it's deflecting attention from the manager onto the players.

 

Also from previous seasons Palmer has been a quality player in this league. Why all of a sudden for us does he look league 1 at best? I'm sure he played a major roll in Huddersfield going up?

He is being played out of position, but even allowing for that. 

I think this is the problem, what encouragement is there for Palmer, Rothwell and Rodwell? No matter what they do, they won't start. It's time to shake things up Tony. Use your squad, not just your favourites!!!! 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[arbitro]

6 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Yes, there were at least 3 situations where BB screwed up, and I'm certain JR would have had a trick to beat someone and make it happen.

Mowbray must see this, so I'm concerned why he's not getting on

We had a two v one situation with Graham and Brereton towards the home dug out which they screwed up completely. I looked at Mowbray who had his head in his hands. I thought his gesture was a reaction to Brereton for failing to do something relatively simple.

[Tom Stinny]

Just now, arbitro said:

We had a two v one situation with Graham and Brereton towards the home dug out which they screwed up completely. I looked at Mowbray who had his head in his hands. I thought his gesture was a reaction to Brereton for failing to do something relatively simple.

And maybe that's a big reason for the lad struggling? At 19 you want to have the idea that your manager will back you and encourage you even if things don't go well.

 

Experienced pros know they'll get other chances. Young lads will think that's my chance gone to impress. 

 

Taking him out of the signings. You still have

 

Rothwell (Not used)

Rodwell (Not used)

Reed (Playing well)

Armstrong (Hit and miss)

Bell (Hit and miss)

Palmer (Not used)

 

I ask anyone to justify that Rodwell isn't better than Smallwood in both technical ability, mental understanding of the game and physical ability. That one player tells me everything about Mowbray.

 

He'd back his league 1 team all the way to relegation if it came to it. That isn't a manager with the best intentions of the team.

[Waggy76]

Very odd substitutions today , totally baffled me ...Thought we were dead on our feet with 15 20 mins to go  ,whether that was to do with the substitutions , I don't know ....

We need a big rough centre half in January ...

 

[Ewood Ace]

You have to say what a wonderful job Daniel Farke is doing at Norwich. Mowbray could learn a lot from him as he has Norwich top of the league having spent little money in the summer and having lost his two best players from last season. Farke has utilised the overseas market very well and it offers you much better value for money yet Mowbray has shown zero interest in trying to recruit from overseas. What Farke has also done well that Mowbray doesn't do is that he has given chances to young academy players.

[BlackburnEnd75]

Mowbray gets some stick on here for being too cautious but today he was far too cavalier with his substitutions. We went toe to toe with team top of the league for 70 mins. We ended up with 4 players up the top end of the pitch and Nyambe bombing on down the right. We were sooo stretched it was inevitable that we would lose. 

Palmer shouldn’t have come on for Evans, should’ve been Rodwell or Rothwell. Same for Armstrong sub. 

Williams, Graham, reed played well

[Stuart]

22 minutes ago, Tom Stinny said:

And maybe that's a big reason for the lad struggling? At 19 you want to have the idea that your manager will back you and encourage you even if things don't go well.

 

Experienced pros know they'll get other chances. Young lads will think that's my chance gone to impress. 

 

Taking him out of the signings. You still have

 

Rothwell (Not used)

Rodwell (Not used)

Reed (Playing well)

Armstrong (Hit and miss)

Bell (Hit and miss)

Palmer (Not used)

 

I ask anyone to justify that Rodwell isn't better than Smallwood in both technical ability, mental understanding of the game and physical ability. That one player tells me everything about Mowbray.

 

He'd back his league 1 team all the way to relegation if it came to it. That isn't a manager with the best intentions of the team.

I was with you until the last sentence. I don’t question his intentions (his integrity) I just think he is wrong.

[DeeCee]

1 hour ago, Sparks Rover said:

Fitness and defensive mediocrity lost us the game.  By God, we need a couple of good defenders and a fitness coach 

I thought that fitness was one of TMs big things?

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Why no Rothwell?

Why no Travis?

Why Palmer so ineffective when he clearly has talent?

Why play strikers on the wing?

Why no wingers? 

Why can’t we see out a game that we deserve to get something from? 

I could go on

 

[JHRover]

Another typical Rovers game and performance. Can't fault the effort or application but lacking in quality, fitness and defensive strength. Another game where we've conceded late on and lost points through it. Last 15-20 minutes the difference in fitness levels between the teams was embarrassing. We were wandering around with 3-4 players absolutely knackered and Norwich put their foot on the gas, ran at us and got their inevitable goal.

I say inevitable because it was clear to me they were going to score at some stage or other, as most teams do against us without putting us under much pressure, and it was also clear to me that for all our effort we weren't going to score. We didn't create anywhere near enough considering the amount of possession we enjoyed. There's lots of chat about 'chances' we created but for me we didn't create anywhere near enough to deserve to win a home game. We had lots of possession and had a few occasions where we got into good positions to make things happen and cocked it up. I don't remember any chances where we've got a shot away or tested their keeper.

The performance for me was decent. Or at least it was in the 2nd half, whereas the first was another typical non-event which happens most weeks at home. How many times is that now we've gone in at HT without having scored or even had any decent chances?

There's an inevitability about everything we do. Inevitable that the first half will be a dull affair with no goals, inevitable we'll up the tempo in the second, inevitable that we won't ever put the opposition to bed and inevitable we'll concede usually in the last 10-15 minutes. 

To be honest I find it quite boring. The way we play, the lack of a 90 minute performance, the ease with which the opposition break us down, then the self-pity afterwards as we've battled bravely once again but once again not got the result we wanted or probably deserved on the balance of play. 

[BlackburnEnd75]

3 hours ago, Stuart said:

A really odd game to watch today. A forgettable first half which should have seen us 1-0 down after 12 minutes but we managed to hold on to 0-0 at HT.

Presumably (I didn’t see anything) an enforced change bringing off Mulgrew for, not Downing (or sub CB) but Williams (our sub LB). Too frequently Mowbray shares appearances around to try to keep everyone happy.

To be fair, we did seem to take the game to Norwich in the second half but never looked like scoring. Dack managed to get clean through and made a half-hearted attempt to play it across the keeper but didn’t get anything behind it.

Palmer coming on for Evans had us scratching our heads and required Reed to move to the centre, for Palmer to go out on the right. Surely Smallwood was the player to come off and Rothwell to come on? Every time I’ve seen Rothwell play he has looked a class above. He must have fallen out with Mowbray over something.

Brereton came on, predictably, for the last 20 minutes, went left, then right, and once again failed to impress. I’m afraid it’s lookimg like he just isn’t good enough. Certainly not for £7m and likely not for a midtable Championship club who need promotion. There must have been a reason he fell down the pecking order at Forest. The price tag is clearly weighing down on him, and he doesn’t have the cockiness of a Dack to shrug it off. Every time he got the ball today he made the wrong decision. I actually feel sorry for the lad, he looks lost and is being asked to play everywhere but lead the line. It’s looking like a failed high-stakes gamble and someone must surely be checking the pre-contract agreement small print. Either that or we will need to write off half of whatever we don’t give to Gillingham for Dack.

Mowbray set out for a 0-0 today and he will probably believe that he nearly hit that target. If that is going to be the approach for these next 3 games it’s going to be difficult to get more than a couple of points - at absolute best. And this is in a division where we regularly see surprising results and hear “anyone can beat anyone in this league”. Well, they can if they don’t have a Bowyer or Mowbray in charge who are so defiantly negative. We don’t see to do surprise results, we always seem to get what we “would have taken before the game” (or just less). It’s not good enough and it’s an extremely negative and insidious mindset to get into.

Given Mowbray’s stubbornness and the length of his contract it’s hard to see what is going to change or who is going to take the fall, and allow him to turn things around. Smallwood isn’t good enough at this level - yet he is TM’s first choice in midfield. Rothwell is a game changer yet can’t get on the pitch ahead of a Chelsea loanee - more contact nonsense? Or does he not want to fall out with Chelsea for fear of being struck off the loan club list? Don’t worry Tony, UEFA are changing the rules so they won’t have as many players signed up in future. We are reliant on Reed in this negative football mindset and he isn’t even our player. Who else can do what he does? Nobody. Dack is out of form and may be leaving but is undroppable - another dangerous situation. Graham is our best player but starting to look knackered again.

We are expected to remain patient and be glad of 21st in a consolidation season but that’s the equivalent of ignoring how a match played out and taking a result on paper - again very negative and accepting of mediocrity. We should be able to aim higher than Mowbray is doing. But if he is to continue to be the man to take us forward then maybe David Lowe is the one to make way and bring in some fresh ideas on the training ground. Perhaps Damien Johnson can step up as first team coach? Perhaps something as drastic as Mark Venus going but I can’t see that either.

We are treading-water-and-tiring under Mowbray. I won’t forgive him if he takes us down from here but equally giving up any ambition and pointing to our recent history as an excuse to temper expectations won’t cut it either.

Can’t get my head round the idea that Mowbray played for 0-0. He chucked away the point and stretched us too much. Brereton, Palmer weren’t getting back and it left us exposed especially as Smallwood and Reed has run themselves into the ground. Certainly wasn’t negative in that second half. A bit naive if you ask me.

[JBiz]

Was the goal offside? Apologies for not looking back if it’s already posted.

[Exiled_Rover]

2 hours ago, Ewood Ace said:

You have to say what a wonderful job Daniel Farke is doing at Norwich. Mowbray could learn a lot from him as he has Norwich top of the league having spent little money in the summer and having lost his two best players from last season. Farke has utilised the overseas market very well and it offers you much better value for money yet Mowbray has shown zero interest in trying to recruit from overseas. What Farke has also done well that Mowbray doesn't do is that he has given chances to young academy players.

Except he has three ex-Rovers players on the bench that would all walk into our team.

 

He's got a good, if cynical, team, but he's not performing miracles with the squad he has at his disposal.

[Stuart]

11 minutes ago, Biz said:

Was the goal offside? Apologies for not looking back if it’s already posted.

Hard to say. Probably not...

 

Pass 1

Pass 2

[JBiz]

Just now, Stuart said:

Hard to say. Probably not...

 

Pass 1

Pass 2

Looks in line to me that on reflection.

 

[Ewood Ace]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

Except he has three ex-Rovers players on the bench that would all walk into our team.

 

He's got a good, if cynical, team, but he's not performing miracles with the squad he has at his disposal.



Start of the season not many people would have had Norwich top of the league at the half way point, last season they finished 14th, in the summer they spent little money and lost Murphy and Maddison. The reason that Rhodes isn't starting is that they pulled of a masterstroke in getting Pukki in on a free transfer and Hanley is just coming back from a few months out injured before injury before that he has was regular starter and I believe that he is their club captain.

[Mattyblue]

Great bargains to be had abroad.

Whereas we don’t have a single outfield non Brit or Irishman in our whole squad (apart from Nyambe and he was homegrown) ...

Edited December 22, 2018 by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

Same old story, throwing away points late on with Mowbray banging on about missed opportunities and moving on to the next game.

We have very much sleepwalked into mid table mediocrity and are no longer above expectations.

I would find it very difficult to empathise with anyone who feels that Mowbrays recruitment over the summer has (bar Reed, temporarily) improved us or developed the team in any way.

Thought it was a scrappy and at many points even game but football is often in the small details and we seem too often to be on the wrong side of them and thats no coincedence.

Graham was again absolutely outstanding, his ability to make the most aimless punt upfield into an attack is absolutely text book.

Which brings me on to Brereton. He shouldnt play wide but he was absolutely hapless in general when he came on. Fed up of all the platitudes about patience, backing, bla bla bla, we can base our opinions on what weve seen, and understand hes young and raw but what can we build on? I see absolutely nothing. He's not fast, hes as weak as a kitten, his first touch makes Lukaku's look expert, and he has a blatant lack of footballing intelligence. A good example would be when him and Graham were breaking on 2 defenders and he instantly kicked the ball at Grahams heels. His movement is poor too. He isnt warranting a place in the 18 at the moment.

Evans was decent up until his injury, as was Reed, Smallwood however should never be guaranteed a spot. His lack of passing ability coupled with his irresponsible need to slide so much and be continuously walking a tightrope in terms of his discipline means he should be no more than a squad player,

Bell was much improved I thought, bar the odd mistake in possession. Nyambe kept getting forward but his carbon copy instance of being caught out by the same ball as last week is unforgivable really. Dont make the same mistake twice. Lenihan I thought was pretty good again bar some occasional incompetence on the ball, hope Mulgrew is fine for boxing day.

Armstrong is never a Championship wide man, Palmer was mixed, he gives us something we lack in terms of a bit more daring and a bit of desire to get on the ball, and he did make an effort to win the ball back, but hes never a wide man either and he can be incredibly lax and indecisive. Dack was very quiet. And what does Rothwell need to do to get a chance?

Mowbray, weve won 1 in 7 and hit a bit of a brick wall. Our defence is leaky and our attack is lacking in ideas and totally reliant on Dack and Graham. Its time to move away from the same ideas that are going stale, its time to bring in more of YOUR signings, to stop being blindly loyal to the same underperforming players (Armstrong and Smallwood being 2 examples) and its time to stop the rut.

[Mattyblue]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

 

I would find it very difficult to empathise with anyone who feels that Mowbrays recruitment over the summer has (bar Reed, temporarily) improved us or developed the team in any way.

 

Think you’ll find it was an *exceptional* summer of recruitment.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Christ, that defending was worse than I thought.

Williams ball-watching, Bell needs to take the man in front of him

Annnndddd doesn’t.

 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Exiled in Toronto

[G Somerset Rover]

You sound surprised Exiled?! Every single one of our defenders has a rick in them over 90 minutes.

[Torgeir]

Good combative game, another blow to concede late on when we looked on the front foot. Thought Palmer and Brereton messed the team balance up completely and the other eight outfield players just didn't have any juice left to keep us afloat. Naive subs, but Mowbray would have been praised for it had we won and certainly criticized if we had lost without making the two final substitutions. Onto the next one!

[Sparks Rover]

56 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Christ, that defending was worse than I thought.

Williams ball-watching, Bell needs to take the man in front of him

Annnndddd doesn’t.

 

Williams isn't even considering the leagues top scorer.  Bell can be excused as theres another Norwich wide man coming in....Williams is at fault  As soon as he came on I knew we were fooked