West Brom Away

[arbitro]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Mowbray said after the game that Cunningham should have cleared it.

Lenihan should have clear the ball instead of doing what he did. Basic comman sense. 

But lets blame Mowbray when we dont know what he says to the players

I read his on the Rovers website interview and he doesn't mention mistakes. I don't listen to every interview and comment on what I read.

Do you know what he says to the players?

[Leonard Venkhater]

31 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Why is he going to leave Schalke for us? 

Why do you want him anyway? 

So we can vent our spleens every week for that team selection at Birmingham..Never forget lol

[dingles staying down 4ever]

For those saying Baggies' first goal was a foul. No way Cunningham was not strong enough. There is too much of this trying to shield the ball when a player should concentrate on clearing the ball rather trying to stop the opposing player from getting it.

As for the third, what was Johnson doing? He only started to try and cover once Lenihan failed to foul. Upto that point he seems unaware there is a problem. If he had reacted as soon as Lenihan had lost the ball then he would have been in a position to deal with the situation.

[RoversClitheroe]

Anyone stating that Buckley wasn't great - he changed the game completely. 

Those saying he's too lightweight, he doesn't need to use strength to dribble round players effortlessly - he doesn't hold back on tackles either.

He was probably one of our best players yesterday - bar 1 or 2 mistakes.

Key players made 3 mistakes that led to goals.

Buckley should be starting games - he's shown to me and a lot of people he's ready - Sheffield United shows this too.

[joey_big_nose]

Did Johnson get subbed tactically or due to injury?

[arbitro]

Just now, RoversClitheroe said:

Anyone stating that Buckley wasn't great - he changed the game completely. 

Those saying he's too lightweight, he doesn't need to use strength to dribble round players effortlessly - he doesn't hold back on tackles either.

He was probably one of our best players yesterday - bar 1 or 2 mistakes.

Key players made 3 mistakes that led to goals.

Buckley should be starting games - he's shown to me and a lot of people he's ready - Sheffield United shows this too.

I agree entirely. His turn of pace and ability to play on the half turn is far more important than him not being built like Johnson. He keeps a decent tempo to the game when he has the ball and is constantly on the move.

He will make mistakes but these will be highlighted because he is young and inexperienced.

[BankEnd Rover]

Armstrong should not be starting. No player drives me up the wall more than him. Hes had one stand out game for us. That was Leeds last year. Other than that he's absolute dog turd. Rothwell won't start because Tony doesn't like him. We need Chapman!

[Atko's Engine]

28 minutes ago, 47er said:

We're only 3 points off 6th because we've only played 6 games!

"Only played 6 games" is exactly why I'm saying let's stick with TM and give him the chance to gel what is a good, young, promising squad into something we can be proud of.  Those 6 games were widely viewed as a tough start on paper & so it's proved. But we're not rooted to the bottom on nil points as many on here predicted we would be after Charlton & Fulham, we're a couple of points off from people saying we've had a really good start. Fine margins can go either way of course, but a 3-2 away defeat to round off a tough opening sequence of games is not "sack TM and bring in Wagner / Hughton /Jokanovic / insert-name-of-any-other-manager-who's-achieved-promotion-in-the-last-5-years-here" material.

Far more sensible & less reactionary to see where we are at the start of the next international break, once the league's settled down a bit and we've had a fairer spread of matches across which to properly assess our progress (or lack of, as the case may be).  I reckon we'll be significantly higher in the table than 17th by then, if not then I'd agree that serious questions need to be asked.

 

[Hasta]

Watch Armstrong for the second goal. Gets skinned easily on the touchline and then starts trotting back towards goal. At the last minute he sees the danger right infront of him and bursts into a sprint to close the man down but it's too late. Just lazy. Having been done so easily he should be busting a gut to get back after the guy.

[tomphil]

22 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Mowbray said after the game that Cunningham should have cleared it.

Lenihan should have clear the ball instead of doing what he did. Basic comman sense. 

But lets blame Mowbray when we dont know what he says to the players

Lets not accuse people of blaming Mowbray when they haven't mentioned his name.

Don't we have a coaching team ?   

Don't we have a recurring theme of conceding avoidable goals under this coaching team and manager ?

Don't we have a manager who's said he wants us to retain the ball more wherever possible this season ?

Why has Cunningham gone from looking like a good steady left back to a hesitant shaky one in the space of a couple of weeks ?

Isn't this defence coached and told what to do by this manager and his coaching team ?

Why numerous times yesterday did defenders hesitate instead of just clearing or tackling ?

 

[RoversClitheroe]

A shout-out too goes to Armstrong and reiterating @Hasta 's point. Armstrong looked as if he didn't give a shit and arguably cost us a goal, by letting his man leave him and him literally jog back having given the ball away.

In my opinion - Rothwell, Costello, Buckley all should be ahead of him.

At least these boys would show more drive and passion, and arguably are better than him.

[Blue blood]

How are two rookie managers, a bog standard lower championship team, a weakened league 1 team in the first 6 games, coupled with 2 admittedly tougher games, classed as a tough start? A myth defending an average to indifferent start from TM saying it has been a tough run of games. 

[Hasta]

Just now, Blue blood said:

How are two rookie managers, a bog standard lower championship team, a weakened league 1 team in the first 6 games, coupled with 2 admittedly tougher games, classed as a tough start? A myth defending an average to indifferent start from TM saying it has been a tough run of games. 

It wasn't. It's an average block of Championship games. Fulham admittedly will be up there but West Brom fans think they are weaker than last year and they couldnt beat Millwall or Reading at home so far this season.

[arbitro]

Just now, Hasta said:

Watch Armstrong for the second goal. Gets skinned easily on the touchline and then starts trotting back towards goal. At the last minute he sees the danger right infront of him and bursts into a sprint to close the man down but it's too late. Just lazy. Having been done so easily he should be busting a gut to get back after the guy.

There were several other occasions when the West Brom right back bombed on and Armstrong was nowhere. Mowbray identified this (too late in my opinion) and swapped him with Downing. I could accept his failings a bit more if he offered something at the top end but he doesn't. At the moment he is a passenger.

[Blue blood]

Just now, Hasta said:

It wasn't. It's an average block of Championship games. Fulham admittedly will be up there but West Brom fans think they are weaker than last year and they couldnt beat Millwall or Reading at home so far this season.

Agree. In other words it was a good time to play Fulham. And West Brom definitely are weaker than the free scoring side of last year. A team with top 6 ambitions would've been eying up points at Albion. 

[Stuart]

Just now, Blue blood said:

How are two rookie managers, a bog standard lower championship team, a weakened league 1 team in the first 6 games, coupled with 2 admittedly tougher games, classed as a tough start? A myth defending an average to indifferent start from TM saying it has been a tough run of games. 

Look, I’m as cynical as the next man and I still don’t think Mowbray is the man to take us further but Fulham, Boro, Hull, Cardiff, West Brom certainly constitutes a tough start. To dismiss some as having rookie managers is a little disingenuous. The only game so far that I’m disappointed with (on paper) is Charlton.

 

[Hasta]

Just now, Stuart said:

Look, I’m as cynical as the next man and I still don’t think Mowbray is the man to take us further but Fulham, Boro, Hull, Cardiff, West Brom certainly constitutes a tough start. To dismiss some as having rookie managers is a little disingenuous. The only game so far that I’m disappointed with (on paper) is Charlton.

 

Disagree Stuart. Hull have been poor for a while and I think Boro are going to be nowhere near top 6 this year. Cardiff I thought would do well but they haven't started particularly well at all. It's not easy but it's not tough.

 

Edited September 1, 2019 by Hasta

[Atko's Engine]

Just now, Blue blood said:

How are two rookie managers, a bog standard lower championship team, a weakened league 1 team in the first 6 games, coupled with 2 admittedly tougher games, classed as a tough start? A myth defending an average to indifferent start from TM saying it has been a tough run of games. 

There are no myths. Pretty much everyone on here felt our first 6 game sequence was tough, to say otherwise is rewriting history.

Fulham are more than just a team with a rookie manager; they spent £100m and still have a core of players starting that got them promoted last time. 

Boro are an established top half championship side, albeit on the decline / in transition.

Same with WBA, except they have a manager with a very strong pedigree.

Cardiff are a big, strong team that work well as a unit, did better in the Prem than most expected & were perhaps (tragically) only a striker away from surviving. They won at OT convincingly last game of the season, and have a manager most on here would have like a shot.

Hull was a winnable game; we won it.

The only real surprise was Charlton. Given where they are in the table, had that been our 6th game and not our first then maybe we'd have been less expectant of an easy 3 points. Plus we should've won that game anyway and have since replaced 2 of that game's back.

So I'd call that a reasonably decent start? Can we follow it up? TM deserves the chance to prove we can.

[Stuart]

Just now, Hasta said:

Disagree Stuart. Hull have been poor for a while and I think Boro are going to be nowhere near top 6 this year. Cardiff I thought would do well but they haven't started particularly well at all. It's not easy but it's not tough.

I'd say for this league those 6 games were average, the next 6 are easy and then the following 6 will be tough.

It’s all about opinions.

Next 6: Millwall (+5), Reading (+), Luton (+2), Forest (+7), QPR (+9), Huddersfield (-6)

Following 6: Birmingham (+8), Preston (+10), Leeds (+14), Barnsley (-4), Brentford (+3), Stoke (-7)

Much of a muchness really.

(Brackets are places ahead or behind us).

Edited September 1, 2019 by Stuart

[tomphil]

Any opposing manager looking at a side who managed a solid midtable finish last season and have since signed good but ageing championship names like Downing and Johnson and have 'invested' c 15 million in strikers in the last 12 months should really be the one looking at Rovers and saying 'tough game' as well.

[OldEwoodBlue]

End of month 1 progress report

Mowbray (Bowyer mk2) now has only 4 MUST WIN games to save his job, before the "judge after 10 game" barometer gets reset to the "judge at Xmas" baramoter.

Fortunately we already have Samuel and Chapman (LycaNewSigning) lined up for the January Window.

Top 6....

How is the season ticket drive going ? When is the draw for the 10 grand ?

 

[Hasta]

Just now, Stuart said:

It’s all about opinions.

Next 6: Millwall (+5), Reading (+), Luton (+2), Forest (+7), QPR (+9), Huddersfield (-6)

Following 6: Birmingham (+8), Preston (+10), Leeds (+14), Barnsley (-4), Brentford (+3), Stoke (-7)

Much of a muchness really.

I know. I started doing a match up and then realised I was wrong so edited my post but you obviously already had already quoted me. ?

I do think we should be looking for 10+ points from the next 6 though.

[Atko's Engine]

Just now, Blue blood said:

A team with top 6 ambitions would've been eying up points at Albion. 

Sorry, did Rovers not eye up points there yesterday? That's not my reading of it, as if we weren't eyeing up points why did we high pressed them from KO, force an error & score inside 30 seconds?

Ok we ended up losing, but even at 3-1 down we pushed on, got a 2nd, had a 3rd disallowed & hit the post.

Hardly signs of a team consigning a game to defeat...

 

[the original david brent]

Watched it on a live stream and literally struggled to tell the 2 teams apart with a ridiculous colour clash! I don’t know if it looked worse on tv than in the ground. It may well have helped though given their player passed it to Dack for the opener. 

I suspect the grey kit was the best option of a bad bunch as the other 2 kits would have clashed with Albion’s as well. 

I thought the ref favoured Albion - I didn’t  think there was anything wrong with the disallowed equaliser - the ref couldn’t wait to give that decision. 

On the basis of the first 6 games it looks like a season of mid table again - perhaps with the odd run to get us on the brink of the play offs. I hope I’m wrong. Disappointing as the standard of the Championship really isn’t great this season. Albion are nothing special and are seen as one of the top teams. The fact Charlton are up there speaks volumes.

There will never be a better opportunity to get promoted out of this league. I thought I saw something in the the way we played at Hull that we could be up there this season - I’m not sure after the last 2 league games. 

 

 

[frosty]

Even though the quality is low, you could make a case for most Championship games being 'tough' if you really wanted to. Let's take the next three games.

Millwall have already been to WBA - a place where some don't mind a 3-2 defeat - twice this season and won and drawn. Only lost once out of six. Can already hear them being dubbed a 'tough nut to crack' or similar.

Reading away. They've also been to WBA and drawn. They also beat Cardiff at home 3-0.....some people were happy with the 0-0 draw we had against them last week. We lost there last season, so a draw there would be an improvement, etc etc.

If Luton have a couple of decent results before we play them their 'promotion bounce' will no doubt be mentioned, and you could go on and on.

At the end of the day it's all nonsense because there's zero to fear and, if our aim is to make the top 6 like Mowbray and the players told us all summer, we should be going out to win every game and not being content with dropping points against teams we're supposed to be aiming to be up there with.