Rovers away at Villa this Saturday: 30th March - KO - 3pm

[Mattyblue]

Outplayed first half.

Huffed and puffed second half. 

 

[rigger]

Just now, Biz said:

Watched an entirely different game to me.

It was the same game I watched. We were lucky to only lose 2-1

[Bigdoggsteel]

22 minutes ago, rigger said:

Thanks for clearing that up. My original post was to say that the linesman was miles behind the play and could not have given any correct decision.

I think you responded to the incorrect post there 

[JBiz]

1 minute ago, rigger said:

It was the same game I watched. We were lucky to only lose 2-1

I guess that’s why football can garner so much discussion. Overall for me, a fairly equal game in chances, they took theirs - we didn’t. We had long periods of possession, more dangerous the longer it went on. We also worked hard, matching their intensity. Rothwell/Armstrong could’ve/should’ve equalised and I still think the foul given against Brereton was a penalty.

Ofcourse the aspiration was 3 points, but my expectations against one of the league’s form teams was lower than the performance given.

[rigger]

22 minutes ago, Biz said:

I guess that’s why football can garner so much discussion. Overall for me, a fairly equal game in chances, they took theirs - we didn’t. We had long periods of possession, more dangerous the longer it went on. We also worked hard, matching their intensity. Rothwell/Armstrong could’ve/should’ve equalised and I still think the foul given against Brereton was a penalty.

Ofcourse the aspiration was 3 points, but my expectations against one of the league’s form teams was lower than the performance given.

I will not have a football discussion with anyone who honestly thinks we deserved anything from that game 

[Mattyblue]

Bloody hell Biz!

They battered us first half!  Took their chances? If they had have taken their chances it would have been a right old thrashing.

[JBiz]

31 minutes ago, rigger said:

I will not have a football discussion with anyone who honestly thinks we deserved anything from that game 

Then don’t quote and reply then.

 

11 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Bloody hell Biz!

They battered us first half!  Took their chances? If they had have taken their chances it would have been a right old thrashing.

My opinion from what I saw, no need for the sarcastic response. Armstrong had plenty of chances first half, punctuated by Conway hitting the bar. They started better but a half is 45 minutes, not 10.

 

[JHRover]

48 minutes ago, Biz said:

Then don’t quote and reply then.

 

My opinion from what I saw, no need for the sarcastic response. Armstrong had plenty of chances first half, punctuated by Conway hitting the bar. They started better but a half is 45 minutes, not 10.

 

What do you class as a 'chance'?

Shed loads of possession and passes along the half way line, or actually having attempts on goal and giving their keeper something to do?

If it's the latter then we didn't have many chances at all.

[Mattyblue]

I’m not being sarcastic in the slightest.

As I said, if they’d have taken their chances first half they’d have been out of sight. Indeed, they should have scored right on the whistle, with whoever it was in the offside position getting involved when it was going over the line anyway.

[JBiz]

Just now, JHRover said:

What do you class as a 'chance'?

Shed loads of possession and passes along the half way line, or actually having attempts on goal and giving their keeper something to do?

If it's the latter then we didn't have many chances at all.

I’d call striking the bar moments after a having a close range drive blocked two perfectly good chances to score.

Both from Conway, both in the first 20 minutes, whom I felt performed well yesterday.

[BlackburnEnd75]

Having watched the goals back. Mulgrew doesn’t cover himself in glory for either 

[philipl]

Having watched the Villa's edited highlights, Villa were the more incisive but we were far more in the match than it felt like at the time.

I guess it is a case of seeing what you expect when you are on a run as bad as our's is now.

[Mattyblue]

Not for me. 

Their pass and move football was far superior to ours. Though to be expected when they have better players.

[benhben]

9 hours ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

Having watched the goals back. Mulgrew doesn’t cover himself in glory for either 

Apart from taking set pieces does he ever anymore?

Edited April 1, 2019 by benhben

[JHRover]

11 hours ago, Biz said:

I’d call striking the bar moments after a having a close range drive blocked two perfectly good chances to score.

Both from Conway, both in the first 20 minutes, whom I felt performed well yesterday.

We had 2 shots on target, 1 of them the goal we scored which once again was a direct result of Mulgrew's set pieces. Despite all our possession and pressure in the last 15 minutes their keeper could have been asleep for most of it as we turn back to the CBs as soon as we get anywhere near their area.

People moan about Allardyce football but their keeper would have been bombarded and clattered for 20 minutes in pursuit of an equaliser. I'd much prefer that than inanely passing around in circles on the half way line going nowhere.

[DE.]

15 minutes ago, JHRover said:

We had 2 shots on target, 1 of them the goal we scored which once again was a direct result of Mulgrew's set pieces.

Weren't both our shots on target from that? Mulgrew's free kick was on target, then Bell's rebound after the keeper parried it out obviously was as well.  Which would mean other than those 10 seconds or so we didn't have a single shot on target for the rest of the match. 

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

17 hours ago, Ozz said:

I'd be tempted to play Mulgrew in midfield, and get a proper centre half instead. 

I've thought this for a while as well 

[rigger]

17 hours ago, Ozz said:

I'd be tempted to play Mulgrew in midfield, and get a proper centre half instead. 

I'd be tempted just to get a proper centre half

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 hours ago, benhben said:

Apart from taking set pieces does he ever anymore?

Players can hit the wall all of a sudden. I can remember Bobby Smith playing centre forward for Spurs and England in the early Autumn of one season and playing for Brighton in the old Fourth Division at the end of the same season. One day instead of  getting to the ball nice and smoothly most of the time you find yourself sort of " reaching " for the ball. That was my experience anyway. You're just that bit off the pace of the game. It can come on over  a close season.

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

I'd be tempted just to get a proper centre half

Yup. We just can't justify carrying Mulgrew. He's poor in the air, was always not quick but has lost another yard of pace, and positionally not great. He's been at fault for so many goals. 

We need to find a top quality partner for Lenihan, move on Rodwell and Williams, play Mulgrew from bench and either sign another CB or promote the likes of Wharton to the bench.

As an aside I'm increasingly of the opinion we might get to keep Lenihan and Dack for next season. Neither are hitting the form to get clubs to pay out the big bucks for them. A silver lining of sorts.

[AndyC]

Thought we were totally outclassed in the first half, but things changed once they got their 2nd goal. We had a great spell of about 20 mins after that.

Why? Harrison Reid. He completely changed the game for me ( and the 4 villa fans I was watching the game with) 

Was he injured? Or is he not starting for some other reason? We were a completely different side after he came on....

[JBiz]

9 hours ago, JHRover said:

We had 2 shots on target, 1 of them the goal we scored which once again was a direct result of Mulgrew's set pieces. Despite all our possession and pressure in the last 15 minutes their keeper could have been asleep for most of it as we turn back to the CBs as soon as we get anywhere near their area.

People moan about Allardyce football but their keeper would have been bombarded and clattered for 20 minutes in pursuit of an equaliser. I'd much prefer that than inanely passing around in circles on the half way line going nowhere.

Out of interest how many shots did we have in total? 

Not on target, in total. It’s relevant to the point that I felt we created plenty enough to warrant a point.

Ofcourse Aston Villa had far better finishing and/or final balls into the box, however it’s a straight up lie to suggest we passed it around the back without going forward.

Without any bias - it’s obvious the opposition had higher quality where it mattered, but isn’t that an expectation of teams with generally better squads? 

Edited April 1, 2019 by Biz

[rigger]

44 minutes ago, Biz said:

Out of interest how many shots did we have in total? 

Not on target, in total. It’s relevant to the point that I felt we created plenty enough to warrant a point.

Ofcourse Aston Villa had far better finishing and/or final balls into the box, however it’s a straight up lie to suggest we passed it around the back without going forward.

Without any bias - it’s obvious the opposition had higher quality where it mattered, but isn’t that an expectation of teams with generally better squads? 

This is the best April fools joke of the day 

[JBiz]

Just now, rigger said:

This is the best April fools joke of the day 

 

[perthblue02]

57 minutes ago, Biz said:

Out of interest how many shots did we have in total? 

Not on target, in total. It’s relevant to the point that I felt we created plenty enough to warrant a point.

According to the BBC - 12 (2 on target) - Villa had 15 (10)