Blackburn Rovers vs Ipswich Town, Saturday 19th January 15.00 Kick off.

[blueboy3333]

32 minutes ago, rigger said:

As an attacking full-back I would have to agree, but as a defensive full-back (which is the main object of the position) He can head a ball, tackle, read the game, pass forwards, better than any other option I have seen. We should not be in the business of prolonging players careers, but in getting the best for the Rovers out of players.  

He's exposed out wide though and his lack of pace IMO would be exploited. 

[Ossydave]

36 minutes ago, rigger said:

As an attacking full-back I would have to agree, but as a defensive full-back (which is the main object of the position) He can head a ball, tackle, read the game, pass forwards, better than any other option I have seen. We should not be in the business of prolonging players careers, but in getting the best for the Rovers out of players.  

He'd get run ragged by any decent wide player, would offer nothing bringing the ball out of defence and wouldn't provide an overlap either. It's a ridiculous idea. Why are people even suggesting it? 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Ossydave said:

He'd get run ragged by any decent wide player, would offer nothing bringing the ball out of defence and wouldn't provide an overlap either. It's a ridiculous idea. Why are people even suggesting it? 

Because it's a forum where people can put forward their own ideas? 

[rigger]

You are entitled to your opinion on something that MAY happen, but the fact is we are regularly getting exposed  at left back with the players we are playing there at present. The central pairing are starting to look reasonable without Mulgrew. To me the left back position needs to be sorted, putting Mulgrew there may solve that problem and also still give us the weapon of his freekicks. And a big point is, it wouldn't cost anything. 

Edited January 20, 2019 by rigger

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, K-Hod said:

Just seen Bennett’s pass to Armstrong for the second goal. Majestic.

Imagine how good he’d be if he wasn’t useless....

 

57 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Yes, I'm sick of him making useful contributions like yesterday's pass of the season and the ball for Dack's goal at Newcastle. He's just shit....

I know theres a hint of sarcasm here but no one has said he "is shit" but hes somewhat of a liability at right back. The main reason for that is because hes not a right back! He dives in far too much, his positioning is suspect, even this year he was given a torrid time by Harvey Barnes, he played a suicidal pass across the face of his own goal at Newcastle, and god knows what he was trying letting the ball run back to Raya. 

I think that Mowbray overplays his versatility, for example he certainly cannot do a job as a left wing back as he was expected to play on Tuesday, but hes got a good attitude so he gives it his all which I admire but you need more than that.

He should only play in midfield (if theres no alternative at right back then fair enough) and thus he should only get into the midfield on merit, and not be an automatic pick. If we want to progress, we need to be ruthless enough not to automatically start players solely on character. I have been criticial of his attacking contribution many times before, there have been spells when he hasnt assisted and his goals tally has been poor in the last year and a half, but in the last few weeks, there has been the cross at Newcastle and the pass yesterday as mentioned, as well as an excellent pass for Armstrong at Millwall. Therefore I would suggest he would be right up there in terms of picking the 2 wide men.

[roversfan99]

Regarding Mulgrew, its a difficult situation. I dont think theres anyway that he could play as a left back or midfielder anymore, but its very difficult to leave our captain out. Lenihan and Rodwell have been superb keeping clean sheets but lets be fair, the 2 sides they have faced have been pretty toothless. That being said, they have still been outstanding. When Mulgrew comes back (any doubt and we have the freedom of being able to not rush him) I suspect that the best suggestion would be potentially to move Rodwell forward one alongside Travis. 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Even this year he was given a torrid time by Harvey Barnes,

Harvey Barnes give everyone a torrid time. Probably why Leicester have recalled him. He scored for them yesterday. That lad is a huge talent and lightning quick. Harsh to specifically criticise Bennett for that. 

As a RB he does a job. Not great by any means but nothing troubled him yesterday and he saved a certain goal by flinging himself in front of that late shot (Raya should have taken control of the initially mix-up because it was him who could see it all happening).

 

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I have been criticial of his attacking contribution many times before, there have been spells when he hasnt assisted and his goals tally has been poor in the last year and a half, but in the last few weeks, there has been the cross at Newcastle and the pass yesterday as mentioned, as well as an excellent pass for Armstrong at Millwall. Therefore I would suggest he would be right up there in terms of picking the 2 wide men.

It's disingenuous to say it's only recently he's improved his attacking threat. He had a few assists earlier in the season too when he was RM.

Bennett would always be one of the first names on the team sheet for me. 

[Ossydave]

14 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Because it's a forum where people can put forward their own ideas? 

No shit sherlock, my point is are we trying to fit mulgrew in purely because he scores goals which glazes over his defensive frailties or do we just want to give up on the current young full back and put someone else there. 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Ossydave said:

No shit sherlock, my point is are we trying to fit mulgrew in purely because he scores goals which glazes over his defensive frailties or do we just want to give up on the current young full back and put someone else there. 

Perhaps you should have said that, Watson. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

15 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Harvey Barnes give everyone a torrid time. Probably why Leicester have recalled him. He scored for them yesterday. That lad is a huge talent and lightning quick. Harsh to specifically criticise Bennett for that. 

As a RB he does a job. Not great by any means but nothing troubled him yesterday and he saved a certain goal by flinging himself in front of that late shot (Raya should have taken control of the initially mix-up because it was him who could see it all happening).

 

It's disingenuous to say it's only recently he's improved his attacking threat. He had a few assists earlier in the season too when he was RM.

Bennett would always be one of the first names on the team sheet for me. 

I don't agree with you about the cock up late on,  Bennett should have taken charge of that situation and put the ball into row Z. He did well to rectify the error by throwing himself at the subsequent shot. 

It's a bit worrying that we got completely undone twice by " ale house " balls down the middle.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Gaz85]

So the game in which many people on here described as “must win” and “no excuses” from Mowbray was a pretty comfortable affair. Had it not been for the woodwork and some poor finishing it could quite easily have been 5 or 6.

 

10th place, 3 league wins on the bounce and 6 points off the playoffs. Pinch me now!!

[roversfan99]

13 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Harvey Barnes give everyone a torrid time. Probably why Leicester have recalled him. He scored for them yesterday. That lad is a huge talent and lightning quick. Harsh to specifically criticise Bennett for that. 

As a RB he does a job. Not great by any means but nothing troubled him yesterday and he saved a certain goal by flinging himself in front of that late shot (Raya should have taken control of the initially mix-up because it was him who could see it all happening).

 

It's disingenuous to say it's only recently he's improved his attacking threat. He had a few assists earlier in the season too when he was RM.

Bennett would always be one of the first names on the team sheet for me. 

Do you honestly think that if Nyambe is fit, that Bennett is a better right back than him? Barnes is a quality winger but hes not the only one to give Bennett the run around. His tendency to dive in and always try and win the ball worries me, its more of an asset further forward because it can be incorporated into a high press and he has the safety net of a full back behind him.

He did improve his goal contributions right at the start of the season if I recall. His assists v Hull and Brentford helped to get us crucial 1-0 wins but then for me it dried up to the point where his place in the team should not have been guaranteed. His lack of goals is a big criticism too, 2 goals in 18 months of mainly League 1 football is indiciative of a team overly reliant on Dack and Graham for its goals and we know he can score goals.

Like I said, for me theres a element of picking his best/favourite 11 players rather than picking them in their right position. Even yesterday, it would have made more sense to start Nyambe, play Bennett in midfield where he is more comfortable, and drop Evans or Reed, the latter whom looks shot of his normal energy levels at the moment. You make that one change and you have 2 more square pegs in square holes.

[DE.]

Is it a coincidence that Bennett was out during almost the entirety of our slump in form, and since he's returned we've suddenly improved? It's obviously not all down to him but his contributions are grossly underappreciated imo. Maybe the reason Bennett is in at right back ahead of Nyambe is because TM feels he needs experience on the pitch, rather than young heads who have proven themselves to be mentally weak when they have to defend a lead? Again not a knock on Nyambe specifically as he's obviously been a part of a lot of good moments in the past couple of years, but I can see where Mowbray is coming from as far as getting Bennett onto the pitch, even if it isn't in his preferred position.

[donnermeat]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

He'd get run ragged by any decent wide player, would offer nothing bringing the ball out of defence and wouldn't provide an overlap either. It's a ridiculous idea. Why are people even suggesting it? 

We don't have a left back that overlaps as it stands anyway. It's a big criticism of Bell from me.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

Is it a coincidence that Bennett was out during almost the entirety of our slump in form, and since he's returned we've suddenly improved? It's obviously not all down to him but his contributions are grossly underappreciated imo. Maybe the reason Bennett is in at right back ahead of Nyambe is because TM feels he needs experience on the pitch, rather than young heads who have proven themselves to be mentally weak when they have to defend a lead? Again not a knock on Nyambe specifically as he's obviously been a part of a lot of good moments in the past couple of years, but I can see where Mowbray is coming from as far as getting Bennett onto the pitch, even if it isn't in his preferred position.

Ya I'm on the fence about it. Bennett is the right man to captain the team when Mulgrew is absent and he gives us all thing things you mention. I just wonder against a better team, would Nyambe make more sense defensively 

[SBlue]

58 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Regarding Mulgrew, its a difficult situation. I dont think theres anyway that he could play as a left back or midfielder anymore, but its very difficult to leave our captain out. Lenihan and Rodwell have been superb keeping clean sheets but lets be fair, the 2 sides they have faced have been pretty toothless. That being said, they have still been outstanding. When Mulgrew comes back (any doubt and we have the freedom of being able to not rush him) I suspect that the best suggestion would be potentially to move Rodwell forward one alongside Travis. 

I know we are a bit suspicious of it, and with good reason - but I can really see the 3-5-2 working now with those three. 

TM said in his post-match that Charlie may not just walk back into the team anyway...

Edited January 20, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[DE.]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya I'm on the fence about it. Bennett is the right man to captain the team when Mulgrew is absent and he gives us all thing things you mention. I just wonder against a better team, would Nyambe make more sense defensively 

I don't think Nyambe is a great or even particularly good defender anyway, so I'm not sure it would make much difference. Nyambe's plus points are his athleticism, strength and ability to relentlessly bomb forward which is more important as an attacking wing back than a full back. If we hadn't been conceding late goals for fun over the Christmas period I think Mowbray may have been braver and put Nyambe at RWB yesterday, but if he feels he needs experienced players on the pitch to minimise errors and ensure games are being seen out correctly then I can't say I blame him. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

Just now, DE. said:

Is it a coincidence that Bennett was out during almost the entirety of our slump in form, and since he's returned we've suddenly improved? It's obviously not all down to him but his contributions are grossly underappreciated imo. Maybe the reason Bennett is in at right back ahead of Nyambe is because TM feels he needs experience on the pitch, rather than young heads who have proven themselves to be mentally weak when they have to defend a lead? Again not a knock on Nyambe specifically as he's obviously been a part of a lot of good moments in the past couple of years, but I can see where Mowbray is coming from as far as getting Bennett onto the pitch, even if it isn't in his preferred position.

Partial co-incidence, in my view. Quality of the teams we played in December probably had more to do with it.

That said, I rate Bennett a lot. The tricky part is getting him in a position where we can make the most of his strengths. The best performance I remember from him this season was I think Brentford at home, where he played at number 10 and his engergy and drive rubbed off on the whole team.

Clearly, he isn't going to replace Dack, so he's probably going to be somewhere on the right. Personally, I'd have him on the wing with Nyambe at the back when everyone's fit. Given that Nyambe's had hamstring issues and played big minutes midweek, think the lineup yesterday was right, but going forward I'd rather have Bennett on the wing.

[roversfan99]

8 minutes ago, DE. said:

Is it a coincidence that Bennett was out during almost the entirety of our slump in form, and since he's returned we've suddenly improved? It's obviously not all down to him but his contributions are grossly underappreciated imo. Maybe the reason Bennett is in at right back ahead of Nyambe is because TM feels he needs experience on the pitch, rather than young heads who have proven themselves to be mentally weak when they have to defend a lead? Again not a knock on Nyambe specifically as he's obviously been a part of a lot of good moments in the past couple of years, but I can see where Mowbray is coming from as far as getting Bennett onto the pitch, even if it isn't in his preferred position.

I think as a one on one defender, he often proves a liability with his tendency to dive in. Quite simply, he is not a right back and it shows with regularity.

I dont like shoehorning players in unnatural positions, even if it is an attempt to bring in experience or keep certain characters in the team. We need to be far more ruthless if we want to progress. 

I dont want that to come across as a criticism of Bennett. Like I said, for me his versatility is considerably overestimated, possibly due to his character. He is a midfielder and should be played there unless theres an injury crisis. Playing anyone outside of their natural position makes it difficult to judge.

So the question then becomes, does Bennett deserves a place in his natural position? Armstrongs place in the side is I would suggest pretty safe considering his excellent recent form. I also though Rothwell gave Mowbray something to really think about with a superb impact off the bench yesterday. That being said, Bennett has made 3 quality contributions to goals in the last couple of weeks, so for me Armstrong and Bennett would get the wide roles v Hull, with Rothwell as an impact sub breathing down their necks.

Such has been our upturn in form, I would suggest something that may have seemed crazy a few weeks ago, that Reed may be the one to give way in the starting 11. He is far less effective wide and his form has dipped with seemingly fatigue catching up with him. Central midfield is an area we are particularly strong in at the moment. Travis is one of the first names on the team sheet and credit to Mowbray for resisting the temptation to put Smallwood back in. (who is right at the back of the queue now) Evans was tidy enough again yesterday and compliments Travis well, but if Mulgrew is fit I would be tempted to drop Evans as well as Reed to make way for Nyambe and Mulgrew, with Rodwell in midfield.

[roversfan99]

10 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

I know we are a bit suspicious of it, and with good reason - but I can really see the 3-5-2 working now with those three. 

Anyway, TM said in his post-match that Charlie may not just walk back into the team anyway...

Its a formation that needs repetitive training on though, it has proved difficult to implement in the past and we should be loathe to change a system we have won 3 on the bounce with.

[roversfan99]

9 minutes ago, DE. said:

I don't think Nyambe is a great or even particularly good defender anyway, so I'm not sure it would make much difference. Nyambe's plus points are his athleticism, strength and ability to relentlessly bomb forward which is more important as an attacking wing back than a full back. If we hadn't been conceding late goals for fun over the Christmas period I think Mowbray may have been braver and put Nyambe at RWB yesterday, but if he feels he needs experienced players on the pitch to minimise errors and ensure games are being seen out correctly then I can't say I blame him. 

Disagree on your analysis on Nyambe. I think he is a good one on one defender and its his attacking play that has improved most over time. When he came into the team he was terrified of driving forward.

[DE.]

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Disagree on your analysis on Nyambe. I think he is a good one on one defender and its his attacking play that has improved most over time. When he came into the team he was terrified of driving forward.

He always looks clumsy to me when defending one-on-one, but he doesn't often let the player past him so maybe that's just how it is. I just had a quick check and apparently Nyambe has absolutely no assists (or goals) since he started appearing in the first team, so still some improvement needed there. You'd expect him to have at least a couple of assists considering how often he's pushing forward in games. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

21 minutes ago, DE. said:

He always looks clumsy to me when defending one-on-one, but he doesn't often let the player past him so maybe that's just how it is. I just had a quick check and apparently Nyambe has absolutely no assists (or goals) since he started appearing in the first team, so still some improvement needed there. You'd expect him to have at least a couple of assists considering how often he's pushing forward in games. 

His delivery is definitely his weak point but that can and should be worked on.

[Fraserkirky]

6 hours ago, Ossydave said:

Agree on this, he doesn't half frustrate me sometimes but he's only gonna get better if we persevere rather than benching him

RE: Bell

I wish he would shoot sometimes. He makes these glorious runs at times and always picks the wrong choice. Very frustrating as you say, but it’s funny seeing guys challenging him to a foot race. His defensive work has improved in the last few weeks, and not many silly mistakes, like Williams is famous for.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Fraserkirky

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

13 hours ago, not exactly Scarface said:

I know it's a bit late in the day for post game reaction but here's my tuppence worth.   First of all that was a disappointing number we took up, I expected a few more to make the journey.   Lambert went on record as saying he'll pay for 50 of our fans to travel up, for all I know that may just have been all we took today.

Didn't see the game and missed highlights (Colin Murray's grating whiny voice sounds like seagulls fighting over breadcrumbs on our shed roof and the game was crap by all accounts so no great loss) but read reaction from our TWTD pages and while people accept we're going down they still provide Lambert with a number of plaudits and something on a level not seen since Sir Bobby Robson.   Somehow, I don't think he's all that.

Scores and performance haven't really improved since he's come in but everyone lies the blame at Paul Hurst's door or if it isn't him it's Marcus Evans or the tearoom assistants.   Never seems to be Paul Lambert's fault despite being solely responsible for team selection and "motivating" the players we possess.   Came out recently with a "I'll stick with the club even in League One" : I mean what's he supposed to say "I made a mistake coming here and will leave at the soonest opportunity.. ?"      Point I'm trying to get across is he's just another manager trying his hand here, you would have had the same thing when Lambert was with Blackburn.

Not one to live in the past but seems ridiculous right now we were a hair away from winning the treble at the start of the '80's.    There's - or was -  a certain pride in supporting this club, we did something incredible for a short time not to mention supplying the English national team with it's two most successful managers but since around 2005 we've been in near total wilderness and rarely have looked like making it back.  

Biggest concern with me is how long it could take to regain second league status if we fall out this season.   We struggle often against lower league opposition so how the hell it's going to be facing these teams on a regular basis over nine months.    All the time Marcus Evans hides up his own arse and won't invest in the club and even when he does bother to make a public appearance only comes out with half-hearted disingenuous claptrap.    Yes it's a mess and there's an awful lot to do.   People talk about being patient but have been just that for around 17 years attempting to make it back to the Premier League.    I mean how much patience do you need.  

Anyway, seems Rovers could still make the top six by end of season.   You have some good players that can make that happen and would be some achievement after coming up from League One last summer.    As for ourselves that's just where we're headed but in truth it's been looking that way for a good many months (perhaps years) now.  

 

 

Fair play to you Town fan and best of luck for the rest of the Season,we feel your pain and have been there not so long ago.

Be wary of Lambert...a crafty character who is not all he claims to be imo.