Tony Mowbray Discussion

[JacknOry]

Yeah difficult to get carried away just yet although we have been playing some lovely stuff. Wycombe will get beat by most this season and Derby have been in freefall post-lockdown. 

Think we have just found better positions for some of our players and they have hit form early. Holtby in that deeper role for one, Rothwell has been immense in CM and is starting to get a bit of end-product with an assist. Even Breo admittedly looks a different player. 

Still, though unlucky, Bournemouth showed that we will still concede goals against the better sides. 

I then worry about our depth in some positions. Lenihan, WIlliams and Nyambe always spend time out with injuries as does Holtby. 

We do have some kids coming through that should help but in defence in particular is a worry for me. 

Do think we will beat Cardiff and Forest though (on current form of the teams) and our next real test will be Watford.

[Dreams of 1995]

Best football we’ve ever seen? 
 

Come on man, far from it actually. It’s been fantastic to watch the last 5 games, even the losses we performed well, but it is by no means a sign that this squad plays the best brand of football. 
 

Souness early 2000s and Mark Hughes after both played nicer football. There’s not a passer in this team that remotely resembles Tugay. Holtby is good, but he’s a league below. They have some way to go to match them squads.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

The Holy Trinity of Gayle, Garner and Kennedy > Dolan, AA & BB?

[arbitro]

There are a few getting giddy here. Whilst the football has been good (and long may it last) to say that it's the best football is hugely stretching it. As many have said parts of the Souness era was terrific from a football point of view but for me the Jim Smith team with Waggy, Taylor, Bailey and Hird was the most exciting, attacking play I have seen. There was so much attacking intent and natural width in them four encouraged by a like minded manager.

[philipl]

12 minutes ago, arbitro said:

There are a few getting giddy here. Whilst the football has been good (and long may it last) to say that it's the best football is hugely stretching it. As many have said parts of the Souness era was terrific from a football point of view but for me the Jim Smith team with Waggy, Taylor, Bailey and Hird was the most exciting, attacking play I have seen. There was so much attacking intent and natural width in them four encouraged by a like minded manager.

Agreed about that Jim Smith team. I was too young to see Rovers before 1966 so the Jim Smith team is the bar. I will also happily take their 5th place now! 

 

[LDRover]

I think there's a collective feeling among Rovers fans that we desperately want us to be the real deal after the last decade, hence the, IMO, over reaction of some.

However, there's no doubt that the quality of football is hugely improved and our talented players are showcasing their skills in a formation that suits them. Cautiously optimistic should definitely be the case for us all so far.

[Paul Mani]

4 hours ago, tomphil said:

I'd send him to the doctor pronto.

Best football we've ever played imo was the first half season under Woy until him and his methods got found out. It's not always about the easy on the eye stuff though it's how it functions as a team. He might want to remind himself the more successful Rovers sides operated like well oil machines and didn't play in pretty patterns.

All that being said 'pound for pound' this side is now shaping up nicely if they did somehow pull of the impossible it would have to rank as one of the best ever achievements by a Rovers side and manager.

Yessss! I agree. The football in that first season with Roy was class!

FYI - we’re talking about the football being played not the success. 

[Paul Mani]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

There are a few getting giddy here. Whilst the football has been good (and long may it last) to say that it's the best football is hugely stretching it. As many have said parts of the Souness era was terrific from a football point of view but for me the Jim Smith team with Waggy, Taylor, Bailey and Hird was the most exciting, attacking play I have seen. There was so much attacking intent and natural width in them four encouraged by a like minded manager.

Before my time that unfortunately 

[roversfan99]

I struggle to totally seperate performance and results to be honest. I didnt overly enjoy the Bournemouth and Newcastle performances because we lost, the former was quite even and the latter was a game where much of our possession was not in harmful positions, I didnt feel that we really battered the door down.

The main enjoyment from the last 2 has been the thrashings handed out. The style was key but the main thing was watching us win so convincingly. 

It is difficult not to get carried away with 2 thrashings but it is far too early to be making such hyperbolic statements I think.

That being said, there are certainly quite a few things to be cautiously optimistic about.

In terms of the style, nothing is more entertaining than seeing Rovers win. The reason that I like the current style is, perhaps with a few tweaks at times, it suits many of the players we have.

[Miller11]

The thing I like about the football at the moment is we seem to be trying to score every time we get hold of the ball. We were accused of being direct and ugly when we won the league, but I loved it. It was exciting because we always looked like scoring. That’s why Allardyce was hard to watch.

Hard not to get carried away just now. Fingers crossed this is the culmination of Mowbray’s three year plan. 

[Waggy76]

2 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Before my time that unfortunately 

 

6 hours ago, arbitro said:

There are a few getting giddy here. Whilst the football has been good (and long may it last) to say that it's the best football is hugely stretching it. As many have said parts of the Souness era was terrific from a football point of view but for me the Jim Smith team with Waggy, Taylor, Bailey and Hird was the most exciting, attacking play I have seen. There was so much attacking intent and natural width in them four encouraged by a like minded manager.

Plus a young Noel Brotherston , that team played wonderful football for several months ! 

Several stand out results especially Southampton at home and the Turf !

[Paul Mani]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I struggle to totally seperate performance and results to be honest. I didnt overly enjoy the Bournemouth and Newcastle performances because we lost, the former was quite even and the latter was a game where much of our possession was not in harmful positions, I didnt feel that we really battered the door down.

The main enjoyment from the last 2 has been the thrashings handed out. The style was key but the main thing was watching us win so convincingly. 

It is difficult not to get carried away with 2 thrashings but it is far too early to be making such hyperbolic statements I think.

That being said, there are certainly quite a few things to be cautiously optimistic about.

In terms of the style, nothing is more entertaining than seeing Rovers win. The reason that I like the current style is, perhaps with a few tweaks at times, it suits many of the players we have.

I remember watching us win 1-0 in the last few minutes at home under Big Sam having endured 80 odd minutes of turgid crap football and walking out feeling awful. 

[Paul Mani]

7 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Complete nonsense, especially after two games. Now if we go through the season playing like this and stuffing teams 3, 4 & 5-0 every week then I might change my mind.

I still say that Hodgson's sides at the start of the 97 season was the best "pure football" I have seen from a Rovers side, followed by Souness's side of 02-03.

Obviously if we're combining the whole package, then the side of 95 had it all, good football that could mix it up, and where everyone played as a team.

 

Great call on the Hodgson team. Was a brilliant footballing team that...

fyi - I don’t think the 94/95 team was a brilliant footballing team. They were amazing in so many ways and constructed beautifully with some top players. But I think they were much more functional than attractive to watch.

Hughes’ Rovers we’re likewise very good but primarily we’ll functioning.

in my lifetime I’d go Hodgson first season and then Souness which came up as the best brand of football I’ve seen. Give me a season of what I’ve seen in terms of football in the last four games and it will run very close. Very easy on the eye!

[Mattyblue]

Winning always comes before ‘good football’, it’s the winning that improves the club.

You combine the two? Then even better.
But that often isn’t possible if you want to win consistently in the PL on a low budget... so would I feel ‘awful’ after yet another home PL win? Never as I knew what not winning games can lead to for a club of our size, alas too many didn’t...

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

10 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

I remember watching us win 1-0 in the last few minutes at home under Big Sam having endured 80 odd minutes of turgid crap football and walking out feeling awful. 

Its never been something that I can understand that to be honest. If we win, I am happy on Saturday evening, if we lose, I am gutted. I dont ever remember any exceptions. Unfathomable to me personally that you could see Rovers win a game and come off feeling anything but joyous.

I get that there is the entertainment factor but for me it only because an issue when you are losing games.

With Big Sam, there was a short term necessity to stay up, with an under funded squad and a needs must mentality.

Going off on a tangent, I think that there is an unprecedented amount of snobbery these days in regards to styles offootball. If a manager does not embrace playing out from the back, although passing it across the defence is hardly exhilarating, the manager is behind the times apparently.

Going off on a tangent, but ask someone about Dyches Burnley v maybe Potters Brighton, one is a boring Northern snooze-fest and one is a modern, forward thinking approach. Media perceptions aside, Burnley scored more goals and finished higher up.

The current style is one that I can get behind but more so because it suits the squad we have rather than anything else, if there was an alternative that could get more points, I would prefer that.

[tomphil]

I never walked out feeling awful more like elated that enduring the total percentage game had paid off again and made the grind worthwhile.

I'm hoping like others that what we are seeing now is a genuine attempt to ramp it up a notch come what may. Just no point spending another season sitting back tip tapping sideways all the time and finishing midtable even if it's a point or 3 better than last time.  Might as well give it a go we'll finish somewhere in the middle anyway but at least it'll be more entertaining and make better use of our bolder players instead of carrying others.

I still think even with a decent left back we are another season away from genuinely challenging so i agree with Mowbray in that regard. Best way to find out though is have a go and see where we land.

That's all i really want to see from any manager.

Edited September 30, 2020 by tomphil

[Mattyblue]

We win a crap game with a scrappy goal off Darragh’s arse - I get a Sunday paper, study the tables, next fixtures, ‘ooo where can we go with a win next week?’ watch Quest, watch the Sky highlights, watch Super Sunday, generally loving life.

We lose an ‘entertaining’ game and Quest will be deleted and I’ll try and avoid anything football related till at least Monday.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Paul Mani]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

Its never been something that I can understand that to be honest. If we win, I am happy on Saturday evening, if we lose, I am gutted. I dont ever remember any exceptions. Unfathomable to me personally that you could see Rovers win a game and come off feeling anything but joyous.

I get that there is the entertainment factor but for me it only because an issue when you are losing games.

With Big Sam, there was a short term necessity to stay up, with an under funded squad and a needs must mentality.

Going off on a tangent, I think that there is an unprecedented amount of snobbery these days in regards to styles offootball. If a manager does not embrace playing out from the back, although passing it across the defence is hardly exhilarating, the manager is behind the times apparently.

Going off on a tangent, but ask someone about Dyches Burnley v maybe Potters Brighton, one is a boring Northern snooze-fest and one is a modern, forward thinking approach. Media perceptions aside, Burnley scored more goals and finished higher up.

The current style is one that I can get behind but more so because it suits the squad we have rather than anything else, if there was an alternative that could get more points, I would prefer that.

I’m with you in one respect, if we win then it really doesn’t matter how.

But as I’ve got older I’ve developed less and less tolerance for crap football. I used to watch every single match I could. Now I often stop short of watching lots of matches because I can’t stomach watching teams who can’t pass 5yrds without giving the ball away....and there’s a lot of them!

As I said from the beginning, I’m not debating if this team is better, just if it plays a better (easier on the eye) brand of football. Completely understand if you can’t / don’t want to see the difference.

[Paul Mani]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

We win - I get a Sunday paper, study the tables, next fixtures, ‘ooo where can we go with a win next week?’ watch Quest, watch the Sky highlights, watch Super Sunday, generally loving life.

We lose an ‘entertaining’ game and Quest will be deleted and I’ll try and avoid anything football related till at least Monday.

Same.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Paul Mani said:

I’m with you in one respect, if we win then it really doesn’t matter how.

But as I’ve got older I’ve developed less and less tolerance for crap football. I used to watch every single match I could. Now I often stop short of watching lots of matches because I can’t stomach watching teams who can’t pass 5yrds without giving the ball away....and there’s a lot of them!

As I said from the beginning, I’m not debating if this team is better, just if it plays a better (easier on the eye) brand of football. Completely understand if you can’t / don’t want to see the difference.

I'll take 38 (or 46) 1-0 wins and a title with poor football every day of the week.

My problem with Allardyce's brand  is firstly prioritising fixtures, for me you give 100% in every game, but also the fact that if you're only going to survive or finish mid table, you want to be entertained and watch an exciting style of football.

Sad to say,  as I like him as a personality, Big Sam rapidly seems to be becoming yesterday's man despite his attempts to keep himself in the limelight as a pundit. What could have been with England had he not chucked it all away through greed.

[roversfan99]

7 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I'll take 38 (or 46) 1-0 wins and a title with poor football every day of the week.

My problem with Allardyce's brand  is firstly prioritising fixtures, for me you give 100% in every game, but also the fact that if you're only going to survive or finish mid table, you want to be entertained and watch an exciting style of football.

Sad to say,  as I like him as a personality, Big Sam rapidly seems to be becoming yesterday's man despite his attempts to keep himself in the limelight as a pundit. What could have been with England had he not chucked it all away through greed.

I would have to say that I agree on prioritising fixtures. Ultimately he would argue that it worked but there is no need to be doing that.

One thing that is quite ironic is how Allardyce is stereotypically seen as old fashioned and behind the time, when indeed with the prozone, analysis and even looking at other sports in terms of sports science, he was actually part of the way football was revolutionised around that time. Obviously it is usually put down to foreign coaches like Wenger and Vialli.

Although I hate Burnley, I am happy to defend Dyche for his style. But if I was a Burnley fan, heaven forbid, my biggest criticism would be at how he dealt with a very rare chance at them qualifying for Europe.

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I struggle to totally separate performance and results to be honest. I didn't overly enjoy the Bournemouth and Newcastle performances because we lost, the former was quite even and the latter was a game where much of our possession was not in harmful positions, I didn't feel that we really battered the door down.

The main enjoyment from the last 2 has been the thrashings handed out. The style was key but the main thing was watching us win so convincingly. 

It is difficult not to get carried away with 2 thrashings but it is far too early to be making such hyperbolic statements I think.

That being said, there are certainly quite a few things to be cautiously optimistic about.

In terms of the style, nothing is more entertaining than seeing Rovers win. The reason that I like the current style is, perhaps with a few tweaks at times, it suits many of the players we have.

We battered Newcastle and we deserve to win that game. Which Steve Bruce agreed they were lucking to win. 

There is plenty to be optimistic about the future and the players we have currently have are so suited to this current style and formation. 

3 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

I remember watching us win 1-0 in the last few minutes at home under Big Sam having endured 80 odd minutes of turgid crap football and walking out feeling awful. 

I agree. 

[Mattyblue]

BRFCS.com Match Thread c2010

chaddyrovers ‘Last minute winner? 3 points? PL top half? Who cares? Load of shit that, was nearly skriking walking up Livesey Branch’

Edited September 30, 2020 by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

You should have seen the celebrations in my house when we lost to Newcastle but had plenty of possession.

Edited September 30, 2020 by roversfan99

[Gav]

37 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

BRFCS.com Match Thread c2010

chaddyrovers ‘Last minute winner? 3 points? PL top half? Who cares? Load of shit that, was nearly skriking walking up Livesey Branch’

What the hell Is Skriking?

I walked up Livesey Branch road for many years, I could have seen it, I might have done it, but what the fook is it 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Gav