ROVERS v Boro

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

"Lamb rogan josh with chips" - bloody hell Chaddy, chips with lamb rj, show a bit of class man!  Anyhow, enjoy!!!

You wanted Paul Hurst to replace Mowbray - wow, are you drunk?

I did enjoyed it. Cheer me up at least. 

No Im very happy with Mowbray in charge. 

[JHRover]

Same problems, different day. 

First half absolutely terrible but then again, how many decent first halves have we had at home this season? Hull and Leeds? Either by remarkable coincidence, or by design, we nearly always witness abject first half performances. Time after time we are devoid of any real creativity or intensity in the first half and don't show anything of any note until into the 2nd half. I'm sick and fed up with it. Countless times the opposition look brighter, bolder, quicker, and we go into half time with a zero next to our name and very little excitement. Turgid stuff.

I've been concerned for some time that Mowbray is tying himself in knots with his selections and tactics, and today took it one step further. It seemed half the players had no idea what they were supposed to be doing, half the team was moved around the pitch into various positions and formations. That might appeal to those who like to play Football Manager but I prefer to see a team well drilled, organised with a game plan that is stuck to and players who know their roles in the team. When i watch Rovers I don't see that, I see a team and manager all over the place, constantly chopping and changing, often for no real reason or to give people a rest etc. 

You get your best XI, get a formation that suits their skill set, and train them to understand their jobs. Numerous times Harrison Reed came running over to the technical area to speak to Mowbray and Mowbray was waving his arms around shouting. Seemed to me Reed was struggling to understand what the latest roll of the dice was. It must get confusing for people like him and Bennett when playing in 3 different positions and in 3 different formations, each changing by the game. 

The fact that we appear so confused, so disorganised and unclear as to what we are trying to do is solely the manager's responsibility. He has spent the season making needless changes, moving people around, changing formations and it looks like he's no nearer arriving at a set system or team which is very alarming. 

The speed with which we have disintegrated from being 2-0 up at Brentford and occupying a top 6 position to this shambles is very concerning, as has been our form since November, with the exception of that purple patch in January. Too many defeats and too many goals conceded - only going to end one way - if not this season then next - unless surgery is carried out.

I'd say it is time to go 'back to basics' but I don't think we are capable. We'll be missing players so it will be another case of shuffling the pack and coming up with some other weird selection to accommodate it. Two tough away days coming up. Can we 'do a Bolton' and grind out a win at Birmingham? Rotherham will be a dogfight as they desperately fight for survival and aren't bad at home. Could easily be looking at 6 defeats on the bounce here.

Special mention for the referee. The same one who booked Harrison Reed for 'timewasting' on a throw in at Bolton earlier this season managed to avoid sanctioning Middlesbrough., who took an age for every throw. Absolute disgrace. 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, JHRover said:

Either by remarkable coincidence, or by design, we nearly always witness abject first half performances. Time after time we are devoid of any real creativity or intensity in the first half and don't show anything of any note until into the 2nd half. I'm sick and fed up with it. Countless times the opposition look brighter, bolder, quicker, and we go into half time with a zero next to our name and very little excitement. Turgid stuff.

Spot on. It was the same last season too. The really good performances stand out because they are so rare.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Anybody who's ever played football knows that teams don't like travelling away. Even top pro's prefer to be at home. The time to get at teams when you're at home is right from the off. The first 5 or 10 minutes. Get your foot on their throat  and keep it there. When did we last come out full of running and aggression ? 

Edited February 17, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[BlackburnEnd75]

Another game when I looked at the starting lineup and knew we weren’t getting anything.

my guess on Tony’s plan is that the idea was to get in round the side of boro’s back 3 and the wing backs using the two repurposed strikers out there. Williams inclusion I think was due to his Ariel ability against a big side when we lack big Cb’s. Bennett at right back I can’t get my head round because he’s proved every week that he’s not a right back, my guess he trying to mould him into a right back as a long term option. 

Anyways Mowbray lost us that game with some poor tactical decisions, they completely overran us in midfield and we didn’t have a single touch in their box in the 1st half let alone a shot, pathetic. Then when he did change the shape after 25-30 mins we had Reed as a RWB, Bennett as LWB, Dack In CM and Armstrong and Brereton floating behind. IMO he wasn’t bold enough he should’ve changed the personnel if he was committed to changing shape.

Better 2nd half, down to 10 against a tough side to break down we created 2 good chances and should’ve taken one, although they had enough good chances to run away with the game ( fletcher is a handful and rubbish at the same time) 

Mulgrew was dreadful today and I hope it’s just a blip rather than the beginning of the end.

thought Rodwell wasn’t decent before he went of but I may be wrong

Williams should’nt play for us again

Dack was shunted about too much to make an impact didn’t help that he had to run about more, didn’t look sharp.

Evans was poor, Travis was better.

Brereton after playing okay on Wednesday went back to looking like he’d won a competition, the fans around me were starting to get on his back tooo which is a worrying sign. Id put him in the under 23’s and promote Butterworth.

Reed has tailed off but doesn’t help that he’s constantly plays for of position.

my hope is that when Chapman and Davenport are fit they come straight in along with the promotion of some of the under 23’s. Give Rothwell a start next week.

tine to start more aggressively fading some of the old guard out

[Ewood Ace]

Just now, JHRover said:

Same problems, different day. 

First half absolutely terrible but then again, how many decent first halves have we had at home this season? Hull and Leeds? Either by remarkable coincidence, or by design, we nearly always witness abject first half performances. Time after time we are devoid of any real creativity or intensity in the first half and don't show anything of any note until into the 2nd half. I'm sick and fed up with it. Countless times the opposition look brighter, bolder, quicker, and we go into half time with a zero next to our name and very little excitement. Turgid stuff.

I think it's 5 goals in 17 first halves at home. We just seem to lack any motivation and desire to get on the front foot at home and take the game to the opposition, instead we seem happy to go in at half time 0-0.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Ewood Ace said:

I think it's 5 goals in 17 first halves at home. We just seem to lack any motivation and desire to get on the front foot at home and take the game to the opposition, instead we seem happy to go in at half time 0-0.

Even Mowbray's stopped lying about us 'starting the game on the front foot' like he did all last season. 

[JHRover]

Just now, Ewood Ace said:

I think it's 5 goals in 17 first halves at home. We just seem to lack any motivation and desire to get on the front foot at home and take the game to the opposition, instead we seem happy to go in at half time 0-0.

To be fair I think we sometimes start the first half well - for the first 10 minutes or so - and look dangerous at times - but then after that we very quickly regress and it becomes a borefest. No coincidence that the better performances like Hull and Leeds came after we managed to grab a goal inside those critical first 10 minutes - from there confidence flowed. When we can't get our noses in front early on we end up spending 10-45 minutes on a road to nowhere. 

[arbitro]

41 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

So we’re going to be playing Nyambe and Mulgrew at centre half in all likelihood at Big Club. All while Paul Downing is on loan at Doncaster. Madness.

Wharton, Grayson and Platt are all out on loan too. Hopefully Magliore will get a call up, at least he is a centre half.

[Tom Stinny]

It's simple

 

Home team

 

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell 

Reed Travis 

Bennet Dack Armstrong 

Graham

 

Subs: Goalie, Williams, Rodwell, Evans, Rothwell, Chapman, Brereton

 

Away team 

 

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Rodwell Bell

Reed Smallwood

Armstrong Dack Rothwell

Brereton 

 

Subs: Goalie, Williams, Mulgrew, Evans, Travis, Chapman, Graham

 

Everyone in or around where they should play. No Bennet at six positions crap. Give younger lads the chance to just go for it away with home games being the more experienced team.

 

Obviously when Lenihan is fit he plays. Williams stays on the bench and goes in the summer.

Edited February 17, 2019 by Tom Stinny

[roversfan99]

Just now, Tom Stinny said:

It's simple

 

Home team

 

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell 

Reed Travis 

Bennet Dack Armstrong 

Graham

 

Subs: Goalie, Williams, Rodwell, Evans, Rothwell, Chapman, Brereton

 

Away team 

 

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Rodwell Bell

Reed Smallwood

Armstrong Dack Rothwell

Brereton 

 

Subs: Goalie, Williams, Mulgrew, Evans, Travis, Chapman, Graham

 

Everyone in or around where they should play. No Bennet at six positions crap. Give younger lads the chance to just go for it away with home games being the more experienced team.

 

Obviously when Lenihan is fit he plays. Williams stays on the bench and goes in the summer.

Not a fan of home and away teams as it does nothing to promote consistency. Especially defensively.

But why have you gone for a more conservative choice of winger at home?

And what has Brereton done to warrant further starts every other game?

[DE.]

35 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

I think it's 5 goals in 17 first halves at home. We just seem to lack any motivation and desire to get on the front foot at home and take the game to the opposition, instead we seem happy to go in at half time 0-0.

That's an absolutely appalling statistic if true, and I think it most likely is. We've always been a 45 minute team under Mowbray and we're not in a division where we can get away with it as often as we did last season. We had a bit of momentum and a fair bit of luck at the start of the season, but it began falling apart in November and save for that brief spell in January (where, let's not forget, we played the likes of Millwall and Ipswich) it's been a really tough slog the past couple of months. The warning signs are all there, and I fear it'll only get worse in the summer when realistically we're likely looking at Dack and Reed departing. Meanwhile Graham and Mulgrew, who are already starting to falter now, will be a year older. We're suddenly looking at a lot of urgent replacements in a very short space of time, when you consider Rodwell may also be off and being brutally honest we almost need the entire back four replaced. Bringing a couple of fresh faces in during the January window would have made this process a little easier, but no, apparently that wasn't necessary. 

Personally I am very concerned as to where Mowbray is taking us. History suggests that he finds it very difficult to get out of these slumps once his teams begin to fall away.

[Angry_Pirate]

For those keeping score, the number of times TM has taken even 1% of the blame, post match, for a performance and result in his two year reign = 0

[Husky]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Already been to pick it. Just eating now mercer. Mix starter, Lamb rogan josh with chips, saag aloo and 2 garlic naan breads. Its very good quality, shame Rovers performance today wasn't. 

 

This is the Boro thread, not justeat. ?

[Bigdoggsteel]

We drop back very early in games. Try and play on the counter or long balls to Graham. A few bits of Dack magic from time to time then adds variety. Some great points made on here tonight. I think there are some worrying trends developing. I would give Mowbray the summer, and I think he will be here regardless of how this season ends up. He needs to get us mathametically safe ASAP and then start trying to change our style of play. There have been no signs of it happening and we can't continue to play the same way next season.  He needs to get Chapman and Davenport in. Some good signs from them will be like two new signings. Rothwell and Brereton too. Get them in and decide once and for all if he wants them here.

Once we are mathematically safe I will be raging if he continues to play the same way. 

I don't know what can be done with the defence at this point. Maybe play Magloire and see how he gets on once we are safe. Nyambe has to be right back. Lenihan is a huge loss now, but just shows we shouldn't have let Downing leave on loan without a replacement. I know that we don't have enough defenders who are quick, aggresive and robust enough for this league. Such a rebuilding job is required, I don't think it can be fully sorted in one window unfortunately 

Edited February 17, 2019 by Bigdoggsteel

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

So we’re going to be playing Nyambe and Mulgrew at centre half in all likelihood at Big Club. All while Paul Downing is on loan at Doncaster. Madness.

It really is bad management..

[JHRover]

The only thing that I wondered was whether the bean counters insisted on a departure before authorising the Chapman signing. Whilst I understand Downing wanted to play and don't think he's particularly good it seems lunacy to allow him out on loan along with Wharton when we're so short in that area.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, JHRover said:

The only thing that I wondered was whether the bean counters insisted on a departure before authorising the Chapman signing. Whilst I understand Downing wanted to play and don't think he's particularly good it seems lunacy to allow him out on loan along with Wharton when we're so short in that area.

It wasn't financial. Mowbray just doing the right thing by the player. Which would have been fine if he signed a replacement. We could all see it coming a mile away. Worrying that Mowbray couldn't. 

 

[mhead]

The team was totally wrong from the start,with 4 forwards and none of them really players who track back. Dack's play was mystifying and Mulgrew had his worst game since Coyle's dismal period.

Go way back to Brentford Away when at 3-2 to Brentford the Manager put on forwards instead of midfield stabilisers. And Lennie V said to me " Mowbrays going for it!"

From that point the ceiling has fallen in!!

[Bigdoggsteel]

2 minutes ago, mhead said:

The team was totally wrong from the start,with 4 forwards and none of them really players who track back. Dack's play was mystifying and Mulgrew had his worst game since Coyle's dismal period.

Go way back to Brentford Away when at 3-2 to Brentford the Manager put on forwards instead of midfield stabilisers. And Lennie V said to me " Mowbrays going for it!"

From that point the ceiling has fallen in!!

Ya, what was the story with Dack today or pretty much for the last while? Is he turning into a comfortable mid table championship player? 

[Exiled in Toronto]

Two thoughts when I saw the line up: Evans and Reed is probably our best centre midfield pairing, but they’ll get no support from the wide players. Well, I was half right.

Formation wasn’t great but I felt wasn’t the reason for the worst 30 minutes I’ve ever seen. No-one was up for it and basic mistakes were everywhere. When your best player keeps passing to the ballboy you know you are in trouble.

What bugs me about our defence is that every game, at least one has a stinker and gifts a goal. Only Williams is consistently awful but all the rest have it in them to cost us the game. I can hardly remember an opponent actually earning a goal.

Going 5-3-2 stopped the rot somewhat and the 3 subs plus 4-3-2 formation in another game would’ve been quite praiseworthy, but we were goosed after the first two mins.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and I think it’s deeper than Mowbray.

[roversfan99]

13 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, what was the story with Dack today or pretty much for the last while? Is he turning into a comfortable mid table championship player? 

Mowbrays tactics ensured that he was playing far deeper than he needs to be to be effective.

[DE.]

16 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and I think it’s deeper than Mowbray.

The problem, as has always been the case under Venky's, is that the manager has too much responsibility. He has to not only select and manage the team, but also the scouting, the youth system, the transfer activity, the club christmas do... it's too much. I'm not entirely sure what Waggott does in his role, but somebody should have been questioning TM about his apparent lack of interest in recruiting in the January window whilst allowing Downing to head out on loan. Surely somebody in a position above Mowbray should have said "look, it's nice that you're trying to run a tight ship here - but we've only conceded less than Ipswich and Rotherham, and we've just let a centre back go out on loan despite our other options being injury prone and questionable in terms of their abilities. Why are we not looking to strengthen what is clearly a weak defence? What are your plans to shore the back line up if not through bringing in better players?"

Instead the manager seemingly answers to nobody, until Venky's randomly decide they don't like the way the wind is blowing this month or the meet a new "adviser" and suddenly the manager is out on his arse and the club is thrown into chaos again. The club isn't right at the very top and that's where our problems stem from. 

[RevidgeBlue]

3 hours ago, DavidMailsTightPerm said:

I actually disagree about Reed - think right midfield is his best position - in the centre he chases the ball too much and gets caught out of position. 

Today I thought Reed was very poor first half, perhaps he is becoming completely disheartened with constantly playing out of position out wide, but I also thought he played much better second half playing more centrally alongside Travis.

[MarkBRFC]

First halves have been a complete write off this season, just so poor.

Evans has reverted back to type since signing his contract, he's been having a laugh at the clubs expense since day one that lad.

I think we'll bumble on this season looking over our shoulder but picking up just enough points not to be in any real danger of going down.

I said at the time in Jan that one or two players had to come in to keep us moving forward, we were winning games and its obviously much easier to intergrate new players into a winning side, who knows where we could have ended up.

I'm concerned about next season already, think it will be one hell of a struggle, potential major surgery of the squad is needed, then we'll be waiting six months for the new players to either gel, or play in the first place knowing Mowbray.

Edited February 17, 2019 by MarkBRFC