Sheffield United vs Blackburn Rovers: 29th December 2018

[Exiled in Toronto]

4 minutes ago, USABlue said:

What was everyones thoughts on Rothwell.  I enjoyed his posivity and pace but he has some blunders in him, still, would like to see more of him.

I think he’d be better in Dack’s role, should a vacancy occur. I found him too heart-stopping whenever near or in our own half.

[USABlue]

13 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

I think he’d be better in Dack’s role, should a vacancy occur. I found him too heart-stopping whenever near or in our own half.

One time for sure when he was fannying about in our own half.  This moments are likely why he dies not get much game time with Mowbary.

[Sparks Rover]

1 hour ago, USABlue said:

One time for sure when he was fannying about in our own half.  This moments are likely why he dies not get much game time with Mowbary.

Mowbray needs to stop giving him defensive responsibility. Play him up just off DG to run at defenders on the edge of their box 

[Fraserkirky]

1 hour ago, USABlue said:

What was everyones thoughts on Rothwell.  I enjoyed his posivity and pace but he has some blunders in him, still, would like to see more of him.

Thought he was bloody brilliant, apart from a few lapses in concentration. Put that down to a lack of playing time. Boys a player.

[Butty]

7 minutes ago, Fraserkirky said:

Thought he was bloody brilliant, apart from a few lapses in concentration. Put that down to a lack of playing time. Boys a player.

Dack Palmer and Rothwell, 3 players all best in the number 10 role. Spoilt for choice there where as on the wings we’ve got nothing, needs too be sorted out for next season that. 

[Crimpshrine]

1 hour ago, USABlue said:

What was everyones thoughts on Rothwell.  I enjoyed his posivity and pace but he has some blunders in him, still, would like to see more of him.

I think he has potential. His pace while in possession of the ball is amazing but may sometimes affect his ability to pick a final ball.

He sometimes holds the ball too long but that will improve with experience. Overall he did well but diving when he had a clear chance to equalise really blotted his copybook. Got to cut that out.

[Fraserkirky]

53 minutes ago, Butty said:

Dack Palmer and Rothwell, 3 players all best in the number 10 role. Spoilt for choice there where as on the wings we’ve got nothing, needs too be sorted out for next season that. 

I think you play all three behind Graham and have Evans and Reed holding in midfield.

That would be a side that could play some football.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Fraserkirky

[AllRoverAsia]

13 hours ago, aletheia said:

TM -talk about deflection. Dear, oh dear.

"It was an Intense football match, two teams who were at it. Sadly I would say the officials had the biggest impact on the game today.

"I think the referee mismanaged the game. He's come from the Premier League to the Championship, thought he'd have a nice easy day and he's guessed his way through the match with his decisions.

"He's upset the stadium, upset our bench and I think he had the biggest impact on the game.

Agree, quite pathetic from Mowbray. Has he ever said he got tactics or subs wrong? Ok maybe a couple of times but he has become a competent blame shifter.

For what it's worth I thought the Ref had a decent game and saw no sign of being overawed by Blades fans.

Mowbray clutching at straws.

[AllRoverAsia]

8 hours ago, USABlue said:

One time for sure when he was fannying about in our own half.  This moments are likely why he dies not get much game time with Mowbary.

A different view:

If we had semi competent defenders and DMFs it would give our flair players more scope and not make every mistake of theirs so dramatic.

Successful teams are built from the back, every single time. L'pool being the latest example.

Edited December 31, 2018 by AllRoverAsia

[AllRoverAsia]

Just watched the extended highlights on iFollow for the upteenth time. I obviously like pain.

For the first goal the appalling defensive headers by Lenihan and Williams, in which they seem to specialise, take some understanding in which I've failed miserably. The failure to clear a bog standard punt and then the SU headers was schoolboy stuff, with my sincere apologies to all schoolboy footballers.

Our flair players get pelters if they try to create and mess up yet the tossers above mentioned get picked almost continuously. One law for create, another for defend.

[Bigdoggsteel]

26 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Just watched the extended highlights on iFollow for the upteenth time. I obviously like pain.

For the first goal the appalling defensive headers by Lenihan and Williams, in which they seem to specialise, take some understanding in which I've failed miserably. The failure to clear a bog standard punt and then the SU headers was schoolboy stuff, with my sincere apologies to all schoolboy footballers.

Our flair players get pelters if they try to create and mess up yet the tossers above mentioned get picked almost continuously. One law for create, another for defend.

We really have witnessed some shit show defending recently. It must be very frustrating for our better performers. To be undone again and again by basic errors at the back. 

As I said before, there would have been uproar on here if we sold Lenihan to Sheffield United for 4.5 million that time, but in hindsight... He isn't half the player Duffy is. Whatever about Duffy, we could have done with someone like him over the Christmas. So many goals from poor defensive headers. We struggle to deal with crosses. Mulgrew is decent in the air, but the rest of our defence are disproportionately poor in the air. Nyambe, Lenihan, Bell and Williams. Its too many defenders who are bad in the air. 

[Ozz]

I couldn't go, so asked for an opinion on Rovers from  Sheff Fan who did.

 

"Didnt notice Brereton but thought Blackburn were a neat and tidy side playing open attractive keep possesion footbsll. Your problem was probably over passing, plenty of sideways passing with poor penetration in the final third. You looked a good team but apart from a few free kicks on the edge of the box there was very little goal threat, you offered very little up front (altho we did defend well) , also the teamcapitulation once we scored showed a mental fragility."

[Tom Stinny]

I think eventually Rothwell will take the position of Dack once he's sold. Am I right in thinking he's similar to Cairney or are they completely different players? Would he fit in a midfield 3.

 

Reed Evans Rothwell 

 

With then a new look attacking 3, a new centre back and a left back in a 433 formation. Similar to how Fulham set up.

[JHRover]

5 minutes ago, Ozz said:

I couldn't go, so asked for an opinion on Rovers from  Sheff Fan who did.

 

"Didnt notice Brereton but thought Blackburn were a neat and tidy side playing open attractive keep possesion footbsll. Your problem was probably over passing, plenty of sideways passing with poor penetration in the final third. You looked a good team but apart from a few free kicks on the edge of the box there was very little goal threat, you offered very little up front (altho we did defend well) , also the teamcapitulation once we scored showed a mental fragility."

Pretty much bang on there. Trouble is it has been that way most of the season, although earlier on results were papering over cracks. We don't actually do much of the important stuff very well. Plenty of possession and at times nice passing football but minimal penetration and defensively suspect. Other clubs fans can see it so surely Mowbray can.

[blueboy3333]

6 minutes ago, Ozz said:

I couldn't go, so asked for an opinion on Rovers from  Sheff Fan who did.

 

"Didnt notice Brereton but thought Blackburn were a neat and tidy side playing open attractive keep possesion footbsll. Your problem was probably over passing, plenty of sideways passing with poor penetration in the final third. You looked a good team but apart from a few free kicks on the edge of the box there was very little goal threat, you offered very little up front (altho we did defend well) , also the teamcapitulation once we scored showed a mental fragility."

A perfect description of where this team is at currently. No cutting edge and can't defend.

They need to get back to what they were doing earlier on the season when we were nicking 1-0 wins. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

It all seems to stem from the last international break. We were high up the table and people were talking about play offs. Something happened over that break. If you take the Sheffield Wednesday game out of it since then we have been absolutely abysmal over 90 minutes. The multitude of ways we have managed to capitulate is staggering really. I watched the highlights of the games again last night. Preston, Wigan, Rotherham, Birmingham, Norwich, Leeds, Sheffield United. Such diversity in our shitness. 

[J*B]

16 minutes ago, Tom Stinny said:

I think eventually Rothwell will take the position of Dack once he's sold. Am I right in thinking he's similar to Cairney or are they completely different players? Would he fit in a midfield 3.

 

Reed Evans Rothwell 

 

With then a new look attacking 3, a new centre back and a left back in a 433 formation. Similar to how Fulham set up.

Completely different players, Rothwell in centre mid is suicide, he would give the ball away way too much in key areas. Rothwell can only be played as either a number 10 or wide if the fullback behind him realises he won't get protection.

[arbitro]

12 minutes ago, Ozz said:

I couldn't go, so asked for an opinion on Rovers from  Sheff Fan who did.

 

"Didnt notice Brereton but thought Blackburn were a neat and tidy side playing open attractive keep possesion footbsll. Your problem was probably over passing, plenty of sideways passing with poor penetration in the final third. You looked a good team but apart from a few free kicks on the edge of the box there was very little goal threat, you offered very little up front (altho we did defend well) , also the teamcapitulation once we scored showed a mental fragility."

I think that's a fair assessment of us. I really think Mowbray would like to play an quick, expansive passing game but the bulk of players he picks simply aren't good enough to play that way. Our tactics are muddled probably due to inadequacies on the field and quite often we are far too easy to play against. Mowbray often talks about artists and soldiers but he hasn't got the balance between the two despite bringing in several players.

[AllRoverAsia]

29 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Pretty much bang on there. Trouble is it has been that way most of the season, although earlier on results were papering over cracks. We don't actually do much of the important stuff very well. Plenty of possession and at times nice passing football but minimal penetration and defensively suspect. Other clubs fans can see it so surely Mowbray can.

First half Lenihan, Brereton and Travis all had chances to get a shot in and all failed to hit the target.

Lenihan was positioned far post area exactly for that sort of chance, or a header.

Travis should have hit that rebound first time.

Brereton was, well, inept, as I am trying not to swear.

We had chances apart from CM's free kicks and Williams decent effort, which came from brilliant work out wide by Palmer for which he gets little credit it seems.

[Mattyblue]

I’m not sure we do look particularly ‘neat and tidy’ usually.

We did on Saturday because of one man- Travis.

[Ozz]

18 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I’m not sure we do look particularly ‘neat and tidy’ usually.

We did on Saturday because of one man- Travis.

I kind of agree with him. 

We are ok at getting the ball upto just inside their half, then nowt. 

Was similar last year, but with poorer defences to unpick we just found a way eventually. In this league there are too many well drilled , bigger, stronger and quicker defences. Derek Williams would get me so mad, wins the ball but then gives it straight back by a clueless half clipped ball into nowhere.

When Armstrong plays, I cannot understand why he doesn't use his pace more. Just get one on one with the FB, push it pass him and run round-he has the pace to do this. 

Instead, he may do it once, then go all Brett Emerton and turn back and face in field, giving the defence time to get back. 

I'd get him bombing on, getting past their FB, then head for the box. Then shoot, cross or draw the foul for then pen. Pace frightens teams . 

Some sides have doubled up on him, which is fine as it gives more space for Dack etc on the middle.

Footy is a simple game, cannot believe we don't use this more often.

 

[Mattyblue]

We hoof up to Graham too much to be seen as a neat and tidy passing team.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Mattyblue

[Stuart]

Rothwell is the only player in this team with any vision and the ability to pick out a pass.

He needs a Reed or a Travis next to him but he’s potentially a fantastic deep-lying midfield play maker. Trouble is, to exploit is you need natural width or pace and Mowbray’s teams have neither.

[Tom Stinny]

2 hours ago, J*B said:

Completely different players, Rothwell in centre mid is suicide, he would give the ball away way too much in key areas. Rothwell can only be played as either a number 10 or wide if the fullback behind him realises he won't get protection.

I remember at the time many said Cairney couldn't play in the middle because he could defend. Fulham picked him up for peanuts at 3 million. Put him in a midfield 3 and he dominated the league.

[tomphil]

Williams has the worst passing ability since Jason Lowe i'm beginning to think he's got sight problems for anything over 3 yards but he was the same last time in this div but seems worse this season.

I can't buy into the neat and tidy passing team either because we are so so wasteful in possession and during the Leeds game I said far too casual all over the park and that was before Mulgrew struck. I'm not sure what it's trying to achieve as if you want to draw opposition onto you (which we do with great effect) you need to swiftly counter with quick precise balls whether it be down the flanks or going long to your target man.   We've no wingers to do that and the other option only works via DG and Dack every few games when they are on song and we catch the opposition out otherwise far too predictable.