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

[Stuart]

Just now, Biz said:

Scraping the barrell with that Stuart.

You just stole my joke!

But if I scrape enough barrels I’ll warrant a full one soon.

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, perthblue02 said:

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

 

Keeper deflected Armstrong's shot.

Keeper pushed out Mulgrew free kick.

Keeper beaten by Bell.

That's 3, not counting a couple on target that were blocked and the one by Conway that hit the bar.

BBC - British Bollocks C????

[AllRoverAsia]

Mulgrew has got a righful slagging for both Villa goals.

Lenihan is not much better on both too.

Nyambe on the first is plain f'ing useless.

Raya and Conway both had decent games, I felt I needed to say that.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

10 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Mulgrew has got a righful slagging for both Villa goals.

Lenihan is not much better on both too.

Nyambe on the first is plain f'ing useless.

Raya and Conway both had decent games, I felt I needed to say that.

One of the things I learnt regarding full back play is that you have to be looking over your shoulder constantly. This means every couple of seconds when the opposition have the ball. That way you don't get ambushed on the back post.

[tomphil]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

One of the things I learnt regarding full back play is that you have to be looking over your shoulder constantly. This means every couple of seconds when the opposition have the ball. That way you don't get ambushed on the back post.

So many of them seem to fail at this level with a serious lack of that very thing and even some experienced centre backs like Mulgrew have abandoned it.

That's why to me it's a silly philosophy thinking you can rely on converting people like Williams and Rodwell into regular good centre halves later in their careers because they just don't have that nous it's never been drilled into them so it's too late to start now.

As for young fullbacks Henley and Bell are classic examples of having zero awareness whereas Nyambe has developed a bit as he's going along but he also possess other attributes.

[DE.]

Still very unconvinced by Nyambe.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/276649/Show/Ryan-Nyambe

This stats page doesn't make for very good reading, although I'm not entirely sure how their ratings are calculated. In terms of their average calculations over the season:

Raya: 6.54
Nyambe: 6.53
Mulgrew: 7.02
Lenihan: 7.04
Bennett: 6.83
Williams: 6.83
Bell: 6.78
Rodwell: 6.48

So make of that what you will, but it's more the 0 goals and 0 assists for Nyambe that worries me. To compare, Bell has scored 3 and even Del has one assist to his name. 

[rigger]

Just now, DE. said:

Still very unconvinced by Nyambe.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/276649/Show/Ryan-Nyambe

This stats page doesn't make for very good reading, although I'm not entirely sure how their ratings are calculated. In terms of their average calculations over the season:

Raya: 6.54
Nyambe: 6.53
Mulgrew: 7.02
Lenihan: 7.04
Bennett: 6.83
Williams: 6.83
Bell: 6.78
Rodwell: 6.48

So make of that what you will, but it's more the 0 goals and 0 assists for Nyambe that worries me. To compare, Bell has scored 3 and even Del has one assist to his name. 

But as a defender of the 3 of them I think Nyambe is the best.

[DE.]

Just now, rigger said:

But as a defender of the 3 of them I think Nyambe is the best.

That's not really saying much, though. I think we need better than all of them. 

[Miller11]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

One of the things I learnt regarding full back play is that you have to be looking over your shoulder constantly. This means every couple of seconds when the opposition have the ball. That way you don't get ambushed on the back post.

You also need some help from the players in front of you. Ours don’t generally get that.

[rigger]

20 minutes ago, DE. said:

That's not really saying much, though. I think we need better than all of them. 

I agree but I would keep Nyambe for the squad 

[Ewood Ace]

46 minutes ago, DE. said:

Still very unconvinced by Nyambe.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/276649/Show/Ryan-Nyambe

This stats page doesn't make for very good reading, although I'm not entirely sure how their ratings are calculated. In terms of their average calculations over the season:

Raya: 6.54
Nyambe: 6.53
Mulgrew: 7.02
Lenihan: 7.04
Bennett: 6.83
Williams: 6.83
Bell: 6.78
Rodwell: 6.48

So make of that what you will, but it's more the 0 goals and 0 assists for Nyambe that worries me. To compare, Bell has scored 3 and even Del has one assist to his name. 

Nyambe started the season well but ever since Mowbray singled him out (unfairly in my opinion) his performances have taken a significant dip.

[Don Said]

57 minutes ago, DE. said:

Still very unconvinced by Nyambe.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/276649/Show/Ryan-Nyambe

This stats page doesn't make for very good reading, although I'm not entirely sure how their ratings are calculated. In terms of their average calculations over the season:

Raya: 6.54
Nyambe: 6.53
Mulgrew: 7.02
Lenihan: 7.04
Bennett: 6.83
Williams: 6.83
Bell: 6.78
Rodwell: 6.48

So make of that what you will, but it's more the 0 goals and 0 assists for Nyambe that worries me. To compare, Bell has scored 3 and even Del has one assist to his name. 

You allude to it, but those stats can be massively irrelevant.

On Saturday at Villa, I saw our best player on the opta stats was Bennett. He was awful, stand out worse player by a mile for me. Similarly Corry Evans one season was rated as one of the best central midfielders in the league. At the time I couldn't remember anything he'd actually done.

On Nyambe, I really like him. Season to season, since a howler of a debut at home to Barnet (I think) in the cup I think he's come on leaps and bounds. Granted he makes a few mistakes but he looks a lot more defensively solid than he did. The progress made, weighed up with his age, the scope he has for further development and his current performances/abiity for me totally justify his spot as the clubs number 1 right back. Unlike left back, in which we need to sign a new starter, I genuinely think we only need back up at right back. To stifle a 21 year old talent like him now when we have priorities elsewhere on the pitch would be needless and counter-productive, he can already play in this league and will only get better.

Your point on the attacking sense does stand though. He does need to produce more. He is starting to burst further up the pitch getting in to decent positions when the game allows but the end product needs to be worked on. There is a team issue there though, with the midfield not contributing enough also.

[tomphil]

Evans will have good stats every season no doubt as he's tidy on the ball, doesn't give it away much and picks up a lot of loose bits and pieces.

Fact that he never does jack all with it except pass three yards sideways and backwards shirking any responsibility and rarely plays a forward pass or wins a defensive tackle somewhat clouds it but that will be outweighed by 30 passes completed per game or something similarly misleading.

[Don Said]

Just now, tomphil said:

Evans will have good stats every season no doubt as he's tidy on the ball, doesn't give it away much and picks up a lot of loose bits and pieces.

Fact that he never does jack all with it except pass three yards sideways and backwards shirking any responsibility and rarely plays a forward pass or wins a defensive tackle somewhat clouds it but that will be outweighed by 30 passes completed per game or something similarly misleading.

Phrase. The Evans (The Ev-enz) - 'To receive the ball on the edge of the box with a clear sight of goal, shyte yourself, turn and play it square losing all attacking momentum'

[DE.]

The only stats that bother me as far as Nyambe is concerned are the lack of goals or assists. Performance ratings are too subjective to take seriously.You don't expect a shedload of goals from full backs, obviously, but you do expect a few assists over the course of the season. If Nyambe ends the season with no goals or assists then combined with our poor defensive record that makes for a poor season for him imo that needs to be hugely improved on in 2019/20. 

23 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

Nyambe started the season well but ever since Mowbray singled him out (unfairly in my opinion) his performances have taken a significant dip.

Unfortunately Nyambe fits the criteria of players who TM will single out - young & inexperienced, role in the team not guaranteed. Unlike the likes of Bennett, Dack or Mulgrew who suspiciously avoid any public criticism. Well, technically Mowbray alluded to it in that post-match interview where he spoke about defenders who won't put their heads in, but to my knowledge he has never criticised Mulgrew publicly despite multiple defensive mishaps. 

[tomphil]

Nyambe also might be one they can get a few quid for if they move him on unlike Bell or Williams !

I dread to think what'll come in his place though, probably a regular starting spot for Bennett .

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

10 hours ago, tomphil said:

So many of them seem to fail at this level with a serious lack of that very thing and even some experienced centre backs like Mulgrew have abandoned it.

That's why to me it's a silly philosophy thinking you can rely on converting people like Williams and Rodwell into regular good centre halves later in their careers because they just don't have that nous it's never been drilled into them so it's too late to start now.

As for young fullbacks Henley and Bell are classic examples of having zero awareness whereas Nyambe has developed a bit as he's going along but he also possess other attributes.

Yeah, he's quick as well, that's another vital attribute !

[dingles staying down 4ever]

21 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

One of the things I learnt regarding full back play is that you have to be looking over your shoulder constantly. This means every couple of seconds when the opposition have the ball. That way you don't get ambushed on the back post.

A commanding centre half or keeper who can read the game also helps. One that barks orders and the keep the entire back four or five in position and moves to cover any potential danger of the full back being beaten. Ours just stand and usually mark space instead of anticapting that our full backs are going to get beat.

[Blue blood]

I bet with a decent manager organizing them, and ideally, but not essentially a proper leader at centre back, both Lenihen and Nayambe would improve vastly. Both have a fair amount of talent, but are being dragged down and not pushed to their best by the current set up. 

[DE.]

Lenihan is already 25 so he's likely already close to his peak potential. It's easy to still think of him as a young player but he is now a defender in his prime and will be playing at close to his full potential already. That said the raw attributes are definitely there, so an older player with more footballing intelligence could certainly benefit his game. Nyambe is only 21 so still a few years to keep improving, but I'm not convinced he's going to get anywhere in our current system. He's gotten a little better purely through the amount of game time he's had over the past couple of seasons, but I'm not sure how much he's gaining from the coaching staff. Raya is another whose development seems to have noticeably stagnated this season, whilst the likes of Rothwell and Brereton haven't kicked on at all. Travis came in on fire but a lot of that has been extinguished. 

Question marks over the coaching at this club, imo. Even our senior players are making the same mistakes repeatedly. 

[dingles staying down 4ever]

11 hours ago, Blue blood said:

I bet with a decent manager organizing them, and ideally, but not essentially a proper leader at centre back, both Lenihen and Nayambe would improve vastly. Both have a fair amount of talent, but are being dragged down and not pushed to their best by the current set up. 

Yes a decent manager is essential on the training pitch but once the game is underway you need a leader. Mulgrew isn't it. Every successful team has one leader at the back. One who can organise. Historically if we go back, Kevin Moran made Colin Hendry into a better player by the fact he organised and had the ability to read the game and mop up the mistakes.

Berg on his return was another case in point.

[blueboy3333]

On 03/04/2019 at 07:26, dingles staying down 4ever said:

A commanding centre half or keeper who can read the game also helps. One that barks orders and the keep the entire back four or five in position and moves to cover any potential danger of the full back being beaten. Ours just stand and usually mark space instead of anticapting that our full backs are going to get beat.

Mulgrew barks orders to be fair, he just can't defend. 

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Mulgrew barks orders to be fair, he just can't defend. 

He doesn't read the game though and its hard to mop up your own mistakes.