Rovers V Bristol City

[RevidgeBlue]

8 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

High expectations and spending means risk and puts his job on the line. Mowbray's probably on his last decent job - he's going to spin it out as long as possible.  I don't know how much he is on but if he can spin a line about "consolidating" and "slow but sure progress" then he should eke out another 2 seasons and boost his bank balance by £x million. Cynical view but this is football

Those were my thoughts as well jim. In the Henry Winter article TM went on about the demands of being a football manager and how he wished he could spend more time with his family but that he wanted to give his family a good standard of living and put his son through Uni etc.

If he manages to lower expectations and convince everyone there is a slow burn long term plan etc then there is a better chance he will make it to the end of his contract or even beyond which would no doubt be mission accomplished as far as securing his family's future is concerned. If he starts setting ambitious targets and fails to meet them then there's a greater risk of his employment being terminated early.

[Fraserkirky]

13 minutes ago, Butty said:

I’ve been out since after the game and too be fair I came on here expecting a lot worse than I’ve seen. The playoffs are gone so hopefully we can just pick up as many points as possible till the end of the season. If we can finish between 9th-13th then it’s been a good season. This summer is absolutely massive for us, Sheff united have shown with an organised team with a bit of quality you can achieve in this league, I think with the right signings we can do the same next season. Right this season off because we aren’t going down and we aren’t going up... All about next year.

Absolutely, which is why a few more wins and we should be playing Rothwell and Brereton and taking a look at the Under 23s. Need to think to next season, and figure out 3/4 spots in the starting 11 that we need to improve. Tony also needs to see if there is a better formation. So sick of 4-2-3-1.

[RevidgeBlue]

46 minutes ago, Butty said:

This summer is absolutely massive for us, Sheff united have shown with an organised team with a bit of quality you can achieve in this league, I think with the right signings we can do the same next season. Right this season off because we aren’t going down and we aren’t going up... All about next year.

Yep, summer transfer window is massive. If we're unable to secure Reed and Rodwell permanently the squad will look a bit desperate and even if we are able arguably we'll still have to cram two windows worth of business into one.

Edited February 10, 2019 by RevidgeBlue

[DeeCee]

2 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Yep, summer transfer window is massive. If we're unable to secure Reed and Rodwell permanently the squad will look a bit desperate and even if we are able arguably we'll still have to cram two windows worth of business into one.

Thought the idea was to build slowly/steadily adding quality at every window for 3 or 4 windows, that's what ToMo's been preaching?

[JacknOry]

8 hours ago, JeffRover said:

To get better players than the ones we have, substantial transfer and agents fees will have to be spent. I hope you realise this?

What like a Pukki, or that Beranio fella that played against us for Brentford? There are plenty of steals to be found out there both domestically and abroad that would not cost a lot in transfer fees and wages. 

The problem is that our scouting at the moment seems to amount to players that have already worked under TM or are at one of his former clubs. The January window for instance looks like we put all of our eggs into the SG basket with no alternative targets lined up if we didnt get him over the line. 

DG will be a year older next season, so his position is one that really needs strengthening (it already did this season but we spunked the money on a 'project' signing instead). CB needs strengthening, LB needs strengthening. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by JacknOry

[philipl]

Utterly frustrating.

Bristol City are nothing special despite their run and the fact they can win 8 on the bounce shows this league is there for the taking this season. That game offers us fans another what might have been.

This squad is not as good as the best squad Bowyer had available and Rovers were more ordinary than the visitors yesterday.

I thought a few looked less than 100% fit but the reality is we have too many players who blow hot and cold are not quite adaptable enough when circumstances change game to game or within a game.

Williams did better than normal - all credit for getting where he did for our two best chances, no credit for what he did when he got there. It was sensible to have him on the pitch given the lack of central defense back-up. In retrospect probably would have been better to start with Rothwell and bring the unfit Dack on as an impact sub. I really thought Travis was getting a second yellow- he had to be subbed off but again made far too many silly mistakes. Smallwood was solid but unimaginative which is a comment applicable to most of the team.

No idea what went wrong for their goal but it was the epitome of winning ugly.

But we still miss the snarling brute of a Mr Motivator out there. I think this lot would respond to having someone like that on the pitch and we wouldn't get so many variable individual performances.  

[arbitro]

7 hours ago, frosty said:

I'm wondering if he's been told to stay on his line a bit more after his cock ups against Birmingham and Brentford when coming out. However he needs to know when to come and when not to.

It's one of his inherent weaknesses. His decision making on balls into the box is poor and has been since he broke into the team. I'm not sure how that can be coached out of him, it's more instinctive to me. He has some terrific assets but once his failings start to cost goals regularly then he simply has to be dropped. I guess the big question is does Mowbray trust Leutwiler enough.

[Ossydave]

18 hours ago, Stuart said:

I know what you mean. If only the club employed people to look for players in order to fill areas of the squad that are lacking...

Regardless of that who can YOU name?

At least people have stopped harping on about a pacey frigging winger now.

[martonrover]

1 hour ago, DeeCee said:

Thought the idea was to build slowly/steadily adding quality at every window for 3 or 4 windows, that's what ToMo's been preaching?

Very easy for Mowbray to say that, much harder to actually achieve.

Has he been able to do that at any previous clubs he's managed? 

I would argue the answer is "no".

Fair play to him for getting us back to where we were pre Coyle.

I see mid Championship as being our level for the next few years, (at least).

 

 

[Stuart]

59 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

Regardless of that who can YOU name?

At least people have stopped harping on about a pacey frigging winger now.

Don’t be silly, Dave. “Regardless of that” is the start of a lost argument.

Our scouts are the ones paid to find these players, not me. If they can’t then I’m afraid they are surplus to requirements.

[jim mk2]

5 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Those were my thoughts as well jim. In the Henry Winter article TM went on about the demands of being a football manager and how he wished he could spend more time with his family but that he wanted to give his family a good standard of living and put his son through Uni etc.

If he manages to lower expectations and convince everyone there is a slow burn long term plan etc then there is a better chance he will make it to the end of his contract or even beyond which would no doubt be mission accomplished as far as securing his family's future is concerned. If he starts setting ambitious targets and fails to meet them then there's a greater risk of his employment being terminated early.

The fact Mowbray is able to keep spinning his long term plan line also means he is probably under no pressure at Ewood to achieve promotion - or in fact achieve anything at all. It could well be he and his superiors (?) are happy to bumble along in this league in their well paid jobs  while at the same time keeping the owners happy by telling them it will all come right in the end. That's today's conspiracy theory anyway.

What cannot be denied is that this team is worse than the one under Bowyer yet with better management than Mowbray's might still be in the top 6 and that from the outside there appears to be a clear lack of ambition - eg, the lack of activity in the January window when we were well placed to have a shot at the top 6. 

Watching Burnley demolish Brighton on MotD last night was heart breaking really. That could and should be us.  It's horrible to say it but Burnley are a brilliantly run club with an excellent manager and a fine example of what we should be aiming for

Edited February 10, 2019 by jim mk2

[Ossydave]

Just now, Stuart said:

Don’t be silly, Dave. “Regardless of that” is the start of a lost argument.

Our scouts are the ones paid to find these players, not me. If they can’t then I’m afraid they are surplus to requirements.

A lost argument? I'm asking your opinion and you seem incapable of answering.

January is not the time to make decent signings, most of Europe has shut up shop for the winter break prior to the window anyway.

[Ossydave]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

 

Watching Burnley demolish Brighton on MotD last night was heart breaking really. That could and should be us.  It's horrible to say it but Burnley are a brilliantly run club with an excellent manager and a fine example of what we should be aiming for

What fighting relegation with a decrepit stadium is what we're aiming for?

[jim mk2]

1 minute ago, Ossydave said:

What fighting relegation with a decrepit stadium is what we're aiming for?

Their stadium is irrelevant.  Burnley won't go down and have been playing in Europe this season after finishing 7th last year. If you think we're in a better place financially, in the boardroom and on the pitch than them you need to open your eyes. 

[Ossydave]

1 minute ago, jim mk2 said:

Their stadium is irrelevant.  Burnley won't go down and have been playing in Europe this season after finishing 7th last year. If you think we're in a better place financially, in the boardroom and on the pitch than them you need to open your eyes. 

They're a massive, massive 3 points clear of the relegation zone after failing to qualify for the Europa league. We're not in a better place financially but if our board refused to spend like theirs does there'd also be mass cry baby attitudes on here. 

[Stuart]

Just now, Ossydave said:

A lost argument? I'm asking your opinion and you seem incapable of answering.

January is not the time to make decent signings, most of Europe has shut up shop for the winter break prior to the window anyway.

“Incapable?”. That term should be reserved for our scouts. We have money. We pay these people to find players. Any research I put in is almost irrelevant - although right now it’s looking like the club would be better off paying me to look as our current scout team can only seem to link us with players who have already played for us - or kids for the youth team.

We were within reach of the play-offs following a great January after a poor December. We could and should have strengthened. We only get two opportunities per year to do so. If January isn’t a time to strengthen - for a team competing for a play-off place - then they should scrap it completely because nobody would ever buy anyone. Or is it just Rovers that excuse applies to?

Having not strengthened we are still fielding makeshift teams and looking like having a February which look like falling away. In the good old days, being safe from relegation was the time to let the players off the leash, not remain ultra cautious. Taking off Travis yesterday was a sign of that caution. Are we going to do that every time he gets a yellow? Because if I was an opposition player I’d make it my mission to get him booked. Another example is us losing a ready-to-go player in Palmer, due to lack of game time, and replacing him with an unfit crock who has barely played for 12 months - just because he had played for us before.

[Ossydave]

1 minute ago, Stuart said:

“Incapable?”. That term should be reserved for our scouts. We have money. We pay these people to find players. Any research I put in is almost irrelevant - although right now it’s looking like the club would be better off paying me to look as our current scout team can only seem to link us with players who have already played for us - or kids for the youth team.

We were within reach of the play-offs following a great January after a poor December. We could and should have strengthened. We only get two opportunities per year to do so. If January isn’t a time to strengthen - for a team competing for a play-off place - then they should scrap it completely because nobody would ever buy anyone. Or is it just Rovers that excuse applies to?

Having not strengthened we are still fielding makeshift teams and looking like having a February which look like falling away. In the good old days, being safe from relegation was the time to let the players off the leash, not remain ultra cautious. Taking off Travis yesterday was a sign of that caution. Are we going to do that every time he gets a yellow? Because if I was an opposition player I’d make it my mission to get him booked. Another example is us losing a ready-to-go player in Palmer, due to lack of game time, and replacing him with an unfit crock who has barely played for 12 months - just because he had played for us before.

The only valid point you make is that yes the transfer window should be scrapped. 

If players aren't available they aren't available and 9 times out of 10 if you ARE available in January there's one reason, you're shite. 

I'm glad we didn't panic buy and cut into our summer budget to be honest 

As for the unfit crock, its not hard to build fitness through intense training. Sadly you are injury prone when you're a pacey winger people were whining on about

[the original david brent]

Read through and agree with the general consensus - we were lacklustre, tired and too many players below par. It was the kind of performance you would excuse after a midweek cup replay going into extra time! 

It is also a game of fine margins and we could easily have nicked the win from a set piece. Indeed if Derek Williams knew how to head the ball in an attacking sense we probably would have won! I recall two examples of his terrible attacking heading; he does well to find positions but the end product from his head usually ends up in row z of the Blackburn end! I find it really frustrating as his defensive heading is fine. 

[JeffRover]

2 hours ago, JacknOry said:

What like a Pukki, or that Beranio fella that played against us for Brentford? There are plenty of steals to be found out there both domestically and abroad that would not cost a lot in transfer fees and wages. 

The problem is that our scouting at the moment seems to amount to players that have already worked under TM or are at one of his former clubs. The January window for instance looks like we put all of our eggs into the SG basket with no alternative targets lined up if we didnt get him over the line. 

DG will be a year older next season, so his position is one that really needs strengthening (it already did this season but we spunked the money on a 'project' signing instead). CB needs strengthening, LB needs strengthening. 

I agree. My point was that with the current scouting setup at the club the likelihood of finding hidden gems abroad was pretty much nil (because we don’t even look for them!). This means that with the current setup the most likely way we would improve unfortunately is spending heavily on proven Championship talent.

[JeffRover]

One of the things that irks me is that fans talk about playoffs like they are the land of milk and honey. Was anybody alive during the 80’s? Was it 4 or 5 times we missed out (I lost count!).

Edited February 10, 2019 by JeffRover

[K-Hod]

When I saw the starting lineup ahead of the game, I was concerned to say the least. 

Travis had his worst game for us so far and Mowbray made the right call in hooking him before he was sent off.

Smallwood and Bennett were alright, I don’t think anyone emerges from the game with any credit really. Though the criticism of Graham continues to be really bizarre.

It didn’t seem like either team would score if we played all week, then they notched  from a corner.

A bad day at the office that needs to be rectified next week at home to ‘Boro.

[blueboy3333]

22 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

When I saw the starting lineup ahead of the game, I was concerned to say the least. 

Travis had his worst game for us so far and Mowbray made the right call in hooking him before he was sent off.

Smallwood and Bennett were alright, I don’t think anyone emerges from the game with any credit really. Though the criticism of Graham continues to be really bizarre.

It didn’t seem like either team would score if we played all week, then they notched  from a corner.

A bad day at the office that needs to be rectified next week at home to ‘Boro.

The criticism of DG in general is bizarre  but I think he was poor yesterday. Johnson has praised his CB's after yesterday and with good reason. They didn't give DG or Dack a sniff. Bennett and Rodwell were our best players IMO. Travis and Reed probably our worst. Poor day all round and the atmosphere was non-existent. 

I fear for us against Boro. They are good away from home and without Lenihan they'll probably score off every corner they get. I like to stay positive! 

[SBlue]

Apologies if already mentioned but TM was fuming with Nyambe for the goal and singled him out.

Something like “we had a substitute come on and not do his job”

He had a mare there did Ryan, but could it have been a foul?

 

Nice to have Charlie back, thought he did well as did Smallwood.

[Neal]

If the aim is promotion then we have some way to go I think. 

 

After last week it was obvious Bennett shouldn't be first choice right back, TM said so the day before. So of course the right decision was to leave him at right back and drop Bell instead (wtf?). Bennett didn't play badly yesterday to be fair but this favroutism of picking certain players ahead of better or developing players really irks me at times. Nyambe needs to play, learn and be allowed to make mistakes, especially now at this stage of the season, the season is over for us anyway so we might aswell play our young players. 

 

Same goes for Rothwell, fair does to TM for signing him up but come on mate, have some bloody faith in him. Looked good again when he came on yesterday, what does he have to do get a start? When I'm seeing likes of Conway and Smallwood playing ahead of him I'm left scratching my head. Rothwell has turned in far better performances in his few starts than either of those 2. He's simply a better player, so why not play him? I just don't get it. 

 

An unpopular opinion I have... I'm not convinced David Raya should be our out and out 1st choice keeper. Don't get me wrong, I like the lad, good shot stopper but he's pretty quiet on the pitch and I don't find him a particularly commanding presence. There's something about him that just seems to make a us a bit soft. 

 

I wasn't left to dissapointed yesterday. After last week I'd accepted that it's season over for us, we don't have anything to play for really and we're going achieve what we set out to do... Which has exceeded my expectations. What I want to see now is more faith in the likes of Nyambe, Rothwell, Brereton, Chapman and maybe even Dan Butterworth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JeffRover]

Just now, Neal said:

If the aim is promotion then we have some way to go I think. 

 

After last week it was obvious Bennett shouldn't be first choice right back, TM said so the day before. So of course the right decision was to leave him at right back and drop Bell instead (wtf?). Bennett didn't play badly yesterday to be fair but this favroutism of picking certain players ahead of better or developing players really irks me at times. Nyambe needs to play, learn and be allowed to make mistakes, especially now at this stage of the season, the season is over for us anyway so we might aswell play our young players. 

 

Same goes for Rothwell, fair does to TM for signing him up but come on mate, have some bloody faith in him. Looked good again when he came on yesterday, what does he have to do get a start? When I'm seeing likes of Conway and Smallwood playing ahead of him I'm left scratching my head. Rothwell has turned in far better performances in his few starts than either of those 2. He's simply a better player, so why not play him? I just don't get it. 

 

An unpopular opinion I have... I'm not convinced David Raya should be our out and out 1st choice keeper. Don't get me wrong, I like the lad, good shot stopper but he's pretty quiet on the pitch and I don't find him a particularly commanding presence. There's something about him that just seems to make a us a bit soft. 

 

I wasn't left to dissapointed yesterday. After last week I'd accepted that it's season over for us, we don't have anything to play for really and we're going achieve what we set out to do... Which has exceeded my expectations. What I want to see now is more faith in the likes of Nyambe, Rothwell, Brereton, Chapman and maybe even Dan Butterworth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fair and very accurate appraisal of the current state of play.