Rovers v Charlton

[Ewood Ace]

Well a new season but the same old dross being served up by Mowbray, still showing the opposition to much respect, still the same terrible back 4, still playing numerous players out of position, still tinkering with formations and Rothwell and Nyambe still on the bench. 

Walton- I thought it was Raya in goal as he made some good stops but despite his height was very suspect under crosses. 

Bennett- It really does beggars that Mowbray thinks he is our best right back. His main attribute is acting like a court jester if we win but in terms of footballing ability he has none of the attributes that a good full back would have. He's as bad in possession of the ball as he is when defending. And if he is searching his own name on twitter then it just shows how insecure he is.

Lenihan- Get's cut a lot of slack because he is the best of a bad bunch at the back but for me he looks a poorer player now than he did when he was playing at this level in the Coyle season.

Mulgrew- Time to hang them up Charlie. I haven't seen many footballers lose it as quickly as he has. He's never been a fantastic defender but he was decent enough the first half of last season but since he came back from injury in February he has completely lost it. And his positional play is awful, so many times he gets caught under a high ball.

Bell- He's a very poor defender who is playing a level of football higher than he should be. I've never seen a full back like him before he shows no desire to stop a cross coming into the box.

Travis- Started alright but faded. Nodded of for the winning goal. But the pairing of him and Johnson was just about the brightest spot of the day.

Johnson- I liked what I saw strong and physical exactly what we need in midfield.

Armstrong- His better performances always come on the right, so of course Mowbray started him on the left. Moved to the right and looked better so of course then Mowbray took him off.

Dack- One half chance other than that you wouldn't have noticed he was out there. Needs to step up his game after a disappointing end of last season.

Downing- He was neat and tidy and a good set piece delivery. But does he still have the legs now to beat a player and really worry a defence? I'm not so sure.

Gallagher- Given the chance ahead of our best player last season and he disappointed. Then moved to the wing and showed that he is certainly not a winger. 

 

None of the subs had a great influence but I though when we made the subs we looked as though we didn't know what system we were supposed to be playing.

If I was Rothwell and Nyambe I would be asking my agent to get me a move before the window shuts. At their ages they should be playing first team football not being kept out of the team by a 35 year old in Rothwell's case and in Nyambe's case by a nearly 31 year old failed winger.

Finally I've seen a lot of people on here that one more centre back and it will be a successful window. One new centre back is not going to get close to solving our defensive issues, we need a new left back, a new right back and at least 1 but probably 2 centre backs otherwise the defensive frailties will continue.  

 

[tonygreenbank]

I don`t know if anyone has mentioned this already but we`ve not won our opening game for the last 9 seasons which is some achievement! 4 of those were home defeats! That is why I agree with posters like Parsonblue that over the years you have to be fairly sanguine when following our team; you hope for something better next time.

My match day experience these days (except when I can get to Ewood)  is sitting in front of the TV watching Soccer Saturday with Jeff Stelling from 3 till 5pm praying that the goals go flying in for us. Yesterday when the focus was on the Championship I was able to get a bit more of a feel of the game as Bianca Westwood was summarising for Sky from the depths of the Riverside Stand. 

What was clear was the ebb and flow of 90 minutes and how Rovers were in the ascendancy for the most part, "dominating possession" or "throwing everything at the Charlton defence " in the second half. Even Jeff Stelling in the studio made a reference to Tony Mowbray showing anger at Mulgrew for missing a header in the first half. 

So I`m not in the Mowbray out camp  as there were positives from yesterday but if he could add a couple of players this week it might help to reboot the new season optimism amongst the fans.

 

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, renrag said:

On 28/07/2019 at 13:51, Mercer said:

No ifs, no buts, Charlton should be like lambs to the slaughter.

They are newly promoted and seem to have more defensive problems than even us.

It has to be a home banker.

Highly likely we will concede so it's just a question of how may goals we can rattle in.

Piled on at evens for Rovers win and a 'fun' bet of Rovers to win 4-1 at 45/1.

Think my comments on 28 July show just how bad we were yesterday.

Were Charlton a good team: No

Were Charlton organised: Yes

Were Charlton motivated and spirited:  Yes

Did Charlton look dangerous: Yes because our defence was so disorganised and staffed by players nowhere near good enough.  God only knows how many we would have conceded against a good team with a potent attack.

Charlton's game management was also good seeing out the game comfortably and we didn't remotely look like scoring.

I'll say it again, any half decent team that was well organised and drilled and with £15million of strikers either playing, or sat on the bench, would have seen Charlton off comfortably.

There can be no excuses whatsoever for yesterday's shambles.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Mercer

[aletheia]

There are always excuses that are made and we all know what they are. You know how it goes –chill, at least we are not Bury or Bolton. It’s the first game.  Tony is a nice guy and saved us. We are Rovers and it’s part of the package, just get behind the team. Relax, mid table consolidation will suffice this year. Got to give it time to ‘bed in’, be positive. No need for panic, knee jerk reactions. And so on.

 

But given all this, despite any mitigating circumstances you care to elicit, serial consistent underachievement is undeniable.

 

Were any kind of coherent plan or steady upward change be in hand, then such excuses may be warranted. I haven’t seen any such improvement for some time now and the feelings of frustration on this board both with the manager and unfounded optimism are entirely legitimate.

[Leonard Venkhater]

3 hours ago, tonygreenbank said:

I don`t know if anyone has mentioned this already but we`ve not won our opening game for the last 9 seasons which is some achievement! 4 of those were home defeats! That is why I agree with posters like Parsonblue that over the years you have to be fairly sanguine when following our team; you hope for something better next time.

My match day experience these days (except when I can get to Ewood)  is sitting in front of the TV watching Soccer Saturday with Jeff Stelling from 3 till 5pm praying that the goals go flying in for us. Yesterday when the focus was on the Championship I was able to get a bit more of a feel of the game as Bianca Westwood was summarising for Sky from the depths of the Riverside Stand. 

What was clear was the ebb and flow of 90 minutes and how Rovers were in the ascendancy for the most part, "dominating possession" or "throwing everything at the Charlton defence " in the second half. Even Jeff Stelling in the studio made a reference to Tony Mowbray showing anger at Mulgrew for missing a header in the first half. 

So I`m not in the Mowbray out camp  as there were positives from yesterday but if he could add a couple of players this week it might help to reboot the new season optimism amongst the fans.

 

I am sure Mrs Lincoln saw positives that day in the theatre-impressive set, good acting, nice wine in the interval etc

OK,  we did have a lot of possession, but so much of it was sterile and aimless...,in our own half, in our own penalty area, even.

The was no craft or guile, no cutting edge, no method, no final ball.

Then, so predictably the same old, self-harming, glaring defensive errors.

Jeff Stelling, John Masefield, even Leonard Cohen couldn't re-frame that.

You really had to watch to get the enormity of the frustration.

Rant over!

[Boroblue]

Positives first game and still transfer window left to make the defensive changes needed.

Having had a day to reflect and take on other people’s observations.

I feel a little sorry for Bennett who is a standard championship midfielder who I suspect out of a desire to serve the team and Mowbray is being repeatedly asked to do a job he is not capable of. His commitment can’t be questioned but Mowbray should do better by him because in repeatedly picking a solid championship midfielder at right back the crowd has turned on Bennett who is just doing his best.

Mulgrew is a midfielder by trade who unfortunately is at this level past his sell by date. For me boro at home and the bouncing ball was the final straw.

Bell is league one he lacks vision. There was a point yesterday in the first half he was in acres of space and all he needed to do was roll the ball wide but he dithered and lost possession.

That leaves lenihan who I can’t or won’t past judgment on due to what’s around him.

Mowbray is a strange one. He on the one hand recognises the need for change then doesn’t do it. Its an anomaly and I find it impossible to answer. If he was the manager of any business and he saw the weakness common sense says change it.

I don’t have an answer statistically our defence was appalling last season. He says that is not the problem. Coventry’s defence appalling and a recognition after the event change was needed.

Its not even that I have a desire for the worlds greatest defenders. Competent would be ok

lets see what this week brings. Probably 3 more attackers

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, aletheia said:

There are always excuses that are made and we all know what they are. You know how it goes –chill, at least we are not Bury or Bolton. It’s the first game.  Tony is a nice guy and saved us. We are Rovers and it’s part of the package, just get behind the team. Relax, mid table consolidation will suffice this year. Got to give it time to ‘bed in’, be positive. No need for panic, knee jerk reactions. And so on.

 

But given all this, despite any mitigating circumstances you care to elicit, serial consistent underachievement is undeniable.

 

Were any kind of coherent plan or steady upward change be in hand, then such excuses may be warranted. I haven’t seen any such improvement for some time now and the feelings of frustration on this board both with the manager and unfounded optimism are entirely legitimate.

10/10.

[Exiled in Toronto]

OK, watching the extended highlights has altered my view on a couple of things.

Bit harsh to blame Bennett for their first. He was up by their 18-yard line; that shouldn’t result in a goal, but it did because of Downing. Tracked the man with the ball back half the pitch, when the guy stopped and cut inside to pass, Downing also stopped. When the guy then set off into our area, Downing didn’t move or even look at him. Add to that his earlier miss, which at the time I thought he’d had to snatch at, but he didn’t! He was running toward it seeing it the whole way. So he cost us two goals in my book, and it doesn’t matter what else you do, that’s a stinker of a debut.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

OK, watching the extended highlights has altered my view on a couple of things.

Bit harsh to blame Bennett for their first. He was up by their 18-yard line; that shouldn’t result in a goal, but it did because of Downing. Tracked the man with the ball back half the pitch, when the guy stopped and cut inside to pass, Downing also stopped. When the guy then set off into our area, Downing didn’t move or even look at him. Add to that his earlier miss, which at the time I thought he’d had to snatch at, but he didn’t! He was running toward it seeing it the whole way. So he cost us two goals in my book, and it doesn’t matter what else you do, that’s a stinker of a debut.

Bennett lost his head once he lost the ball and charged right across to the left hand side. Had he ran back into his position rather than chase the ball like a dog bounding after a tennis ball, their left wing back wouldnt have been totally unmarked.

[RoverAbroad]

6 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Can you imagine Dack and Danny sat together on the bench and not slagging mowbray off.......mowbray has to be careful here.  He could lose the dressing room very quickly. 

In that last six months we've averaged less than a point a game.

The dressing room has been lost already and for some time. It's if Mowbray can get it back (an quickly) that is the issue.

[DE.]

It's strange to me how in the build up to the first goal one of the Charlton players has acres of free space in the middle of the pitch to run directly towards our penalty area. Where exactly have our central midfielders disappeared to at that point? Bennett is literally the only one anywhere near the guy, and he's a right back. Why has our shape completely dissolved? 

[Ricky]

4 hours ago, Mercer said:

Think my comments on 28 July show just how bad we were yesterday.

Were Charlton a good team: No

Were Charlton organised: Yes

Were Charlton motivated and spirited:  Yes

Did Charlton look dangerous: Yes because our defence was so disorganised and staffed by players nowhere near good enough.  God only knows how many we would have conceded against a good team with a potent attack.

Charlton's game management was also good seeing out the game comfortably and we didn't remotely look like scoring.

I'll say it again, any half decent team that was well organised and drilled and with £15million of strikers either playing, or sat on the bench, would have seen Charlton off comfortably.

There can be no excuses whatsoever for yesterday's shambles.

TBF Mercer, you posting that made everyone on the forum look at a Charlton win.

[chaddyrovers]

Bennett wasnt to blame for the first goal. The ball was given away by Bennett but Downing gave chase and cover the right back slot then for some unknown reason move over in a centre of the pitch. But then Johnson move into the right back slot making us back 4. Bennett chased down the Charlton number 8. cos Travis and Johnson werent there. Travis should have tracked their left wing back but didnt. And Johnson should have stayed in the right back slot in the back 4. First Johnson was in the right back slot where he should have until the ball went out of play. Travis should have tracked their left wing back. I do have pictures to prove my points but it wont upload them for some reason

[DE.]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Bennett wasnt to blame for the first goal. The ball was given away by Bennett but Downing gave chase and cover the right back slot then for some unknown reason move over in a centre of the pitch. But then Johnson move into the right back slot making us back 4. Bennett chased down the Charlton number 8. cos Travis and Johnson werent there. Travis should have tracked their left wing back but didnt. And Johnson should have stayed in the right back slot in the back 4. First Johnson was in the right back slot where he should have until the ball went out of play. Travis should have tracked their left wing back. I do have pictures to prove my points but it wont upload them for some reason

Thanks, that pretty much answers my question. Although I hope Tony doesn't look at that scenario and think "if Corry and Richie had been on the pitch, that never would have happened".

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Bennett wasnt to blame for the first goal. The ball was given away by Bennett but Downing gave chase and cover the right back slot then for some unknown reason move over in a centre of the pitch. But then Johnson move into the right back slot making us back 4. Bennett chased down the Charlton number 8. cos Travis and Johnson werent there. Travis should have tracked their left wing back but didnt. And Johnson should have stayed in the right back slot in the back 4. First Johnson was in the right back slot where he should have until the ball went out of play. Travis should have tracked their left wing back. I do have pictures to prove my points but it wont upload them for some reason

So it was Travis who stood still and let the Charlton player amble past. I was blaming Downing for not tracking the scorer on the first goal.

Bennett is culpable. He gave the ball away with a shoddy pass and then ran after the ball like a school kid, no offence meant to any school kids reading this, and did not 'chase down' anyone, he never got near.

Lenihan was too busy fouling to get in a meaningful attempt to head clear.

Complete shambles.

[DeeCee]

2 hours ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

I am sure Mrs Lincoln saw positives that day in the theatre-impressive set, good acting, nice wine in the interval etc

OK,  we did have a lot of possession, but so much of it was sterile and aimless...,in our own half, in our own penalty area, even.

The was no craft or guile, no cutting edge, no method, no final ball.

Then, so predictably the same old, self-harming, glaring defensive errors.

Jeff Stelling, John Masefield, even Leonard Cohen couldn't re-frame that.

You really had to watch to get the enormity of the frustration.

Rant over!

Very dry ?

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

OK, watching the extended highlights has altered my view on a couple of things.

Bit harsh to blame Bennett for their first. He was up by their 18-yard line; that shouldn’t result in a goal, but it did because of Downing. Tracked the man with the ball back half the pitch, when the guy stopped and cut inside to pass, Downing also stopped. When the guy then set off into our area, Downing didn’t move or even look at him. Add to that his earlier miss, which at the time I thought he’d had to snatch at, but he didn’t! He was running toward it seeing it the whole way. So he cost us two goals in my book, and it doesn’t matter what else you do, that’s a stinker of a debut.

Disagree. Whatever occurred subsequently, the whole move stemmed from Bennett giving the ball away.

He doesn't do that, Charlton don't score.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Disagree. Whatever occurred subsequently, the whole move stemmed from Bennett giving the ball away.

He doesn't do that, Charlton don't score.

While that’s true, it’s also true that if Lenihan hadn’t punted the second kick of the game to them, they wouldn’t have scored that goal either. From where Bennett gave the ball away, they could only score from there if other players, like Downing, Lenihan and maybe the keeper, also screwed up. 

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, Ricky said:

TBF Mercer, you posting that made everyone on the forum look at a Charlton win.

So by virtue of your logic, you want me to post every match that I think Rovers will lose badly so everyone on the forum will look at a Rovers' win and Rovers will indeed deliver!?!?

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Bennett lost his head once he lost the ball and charged right across to the left hand side. Had he ran back into his position rather than chase the ball like a dog bounding after a tennis ball, their left wing back wouldnt have been totally unmarked.

Spot on. Also, have a look at Travis's involvement. When Bennett made that 'pass' and Charlton broke Travis stopped running for a second or 2 and then gave pursuit but too late.

Waggot wants money in so Rovers should make a video of that move from Bennett's 'pass' until Charlton's goal and sell it to other Clubs entitled 'How not to defend a breakaway attack'.

Almost funny how Bennett ended up alongside Bell having achieved nothing of any use.

Edited August 4, 2019 by AllRoverAsia

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

While that’s true, it’s also true that if Lenihan hadn’t punted the second kick of the game to them, they wouldn’t have scored that goal either. From where Bennett gave the ball away, they could only score from there if other players, like Downing, Lenihan and maybe the keeper, also screwed up. 

True, it was a team effort.

[47er]

1 hour ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

OK, watching the extended highlights has altered my view on a couple of things.

Bit harsh to blame Bennett for their first. He was up by their 18-yard line; that shouldn’t result in a goal, but it did because of Downing. Tracked the man with the ball back half the pitch, when the guy stopped and cut inside to pass, Downing also stopped. When the guy then set off into our area, Downing didn’t move or even look at him. Add to that his earlier miss, which at the time I thought he’d had to snatch at, but he didn’t! He was running toward it seeing it the whole way. So he cost us two goals in my book, and it doesn’t matter what else you do, that’s a stinker of a debut.

Bennett's appalling blunder when he presented them with the ball----under no pressure---that doesn't count?

Bennett was primarily to blame, there can be no argument about that. He knew it too.

 

 

[bluebruce]

Just now, Mercer said:

So by virtue of your logic, you want me to post every match that I think Rovers will lose badly so everyone on the forum will look at a Rovers' win and Rovers will indeed deliver!?!?

I think we'd just be happy if you stopped telling us your predictions. I'm not a superstitious man, and yet I can't help but notice that every time I've seen you predict a win for us, it doesn't happen. At best.

I don't actually think you're creating the results with your bets, that doesn't make any rational sense. But it's uncanny. Maybe you're just horrendous at betting on us, because you're too close and emotionally involved. I'm generally bad at betting on us too - so I stopped doing it.

[47er]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Bennett wasnt to blame for the first goal. 

Eh? You sure we watched the same game?

[bluebruce]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

While that’s true, it’s also true that if Lenihan hadn’t punted the second kick of the game to them, they wouldn’t have scored that goal either. From where Bennett gave the ball away, they could only score from there if other players, like Downing, Lenihan and maybe the keeper, also screwed up. 

I think Walton is getting off a little easily on this one. That cross came in in slow motion and he didn't move.

A lot of players ballsed up for it though. Some of them caught out a little by Benno unexpectedly gifting the ball to the opposition.

As for the second goal, why don't we put men on the posts these days? That doesn't have a chance of going in with a man on the post.