Rovers v West Brom 1 Jan 2019

[SBlue]

7 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

The more I rewatch that penalty, the more annoyed I get. Of all the self-destructs in the last few weeks, that’s the worst for me. Raya I believe didn’t see the Brum player because of the now discarded mask. Williams is just effing useless.

But Dack made a choice with that penalty to run towards, barge into and shove over a player who was presenting minimal threat just a few minutes after us going 2-0 up. Dack wasn’t beaten by amazing skill, it wasn’t a dive, the player wasn’t about to score - he had Reed right there and Benno between him and the goal. For the first time I began to wonder if there was something sinister going on with all these “errors”.

Don’t really know what you are suggesting, but if Dack wanted us to lose games then he really should stop being our best player and scoring all the time.

It was just stupid. The kind of robust body challenge that he does really well in the middle of the park, but over eagerness had him in a position he shouldn’t have been.

He’s very lucky we didn’t melt down afterwards.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

Don’t really know what you are suggesting, but if Dack wanted us to lose games then he really should stop being our best player and scoring all the time.

It was just stupid. The kind of robust body challenge that he does really well in the middle of the park, but over eagerness had him in a position he shouldn’t have been.

He’s very lucky we didn’t melt down afterwards.

Not suggesting anything, it was just a straw breaking a camel’s back for me. I’m surprised a teammate didn’t punch him for it.

[DE.]

It was stupidity on an absurd scale. We aren't talking about a rash 17 or 18 year old charging around the pitch trying to make an impression, either. Dack is one of our more experienced players and should know better. He's lucky that didn't cost us anything more than minor damage to our overall GD.

[Bigdoggsteel]

35 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Not suggesting anything, it was just a straw breaking a camel’s back for me. I’m surprised a teammate didn’t punch him for it.

But you said 

"For the first time I began to wonder if there was something sinister going on with all these “errors”"

That sounds pretty suggestive to me! 

[Exiled in Toronto]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

But you said 

"For the first time I began to wonder if there was something sinister going on with all these “errors”"

That sounds pretty suggestive to me! 

I’ve certainly been wondering over the last few weeks how much it hurts some of the players to lose. 

[USABlue]

17 hours ago, bluebruce said:

There was a particularly disappointing moment from Brereton today, highlighted by Graham's work rate. Late in the game the West Brom defence passed it across their goal and then wide, and Graham chased it down with everything he had. It looked a lost cause to me and I was thinking don't even bother, but he put enough pressure on that they had to pass it back across the other way.

Brereton got the chance to do the same thing immediately on the other side as a result, with Graham's example to follow. Except it was more likely to result in snatching the ball. He is younger, faster, hadn't been on the pitch long, and has to prove he is worthy of a place in the starting 11, unlike Graham. He barely broke stride and got nowhere near it.

I know he can run a lot faster, I've seen it. It wasn't a key moment of the game but I was stunned to watch the lackadaisical manner of it. I have to question whether he really wants to be here. I suspect that, like a lot of fans, he is wondering whether this was the right move for him.

That caught my eye too.

[Mattyblue]

Old Man Graham was still charging around at a decent clip after 80 minutes.

BB was ambling about like a tranquillised giraffe in his cameo.

The lack of confidence in front of goal I can accept, it’s the rest of his game and general demeanour that worries me.

Edited January 2, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Ewood Ace]

It's what surprises me most about Brereton. You'd expect him to be working his socks of in order to make an impression and win the fans over but he's actually pretty lazy and there is no excuse for that.

[DE.]

7 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

I thought he did OK yesterday when he came on, but I don't see how he fits into our side. 

In theory I think Tony sees him as one of our two inside forwards being brought into the game by Graham and Dack, running in behind defences and creating assists/goals from those positions. The main problem, as I've said a lot recently, is that our inside forwards end up becoming wingers because they drift too far wide. This doesn't suit players like Armstrong, Brereton or Palmer because they don't really possess the attributes to be effective wingers. They're strikers and although Tony probably does see them that way, his tactics and game plan don't really allow them to fulfil the role he has in mind for them. 

[Stuart]

4 hours ago, USABlue said:

That caught my eye too.

He was afraid of being given a second yellow.

Pitiful really.

He looks knackered after a couple of minutes on the pitch.