Cardiff-home

[Bigdoggsteel]

I thought this thread had been started, but I can't find it. Apologies if I missed it

Nice game to have to test where we are at. A win here and things will be looking bright. I still have concerns about our strength in depth in some areas, but I think we have a better 11-14 than last season. Huge pity Cunningham can't play, I was getting used to us having a 75% Irish backline  

A few dilemmas for Mowbray now, the left back position one, but the the main one being does he start Graham. Any word on what Breretons injury is? 

I would go with the following. I just think Bell is so shot in confidence and ultimately ineffective , that I would chance Hart. If the Cunningham signing has in any way kicked Bell up the arse, then maybe him, but I would have big doubts. The issue I am beginning to find most perplexing, even in light of improved performances is Armstrong over Rothwell. I don't know if we can hope Johnson and Downing will play every game, but it's pretty clear that the two of them are quality that we have lacked for a good few years, arguably since we went down. 

                  Walton

Bennett  Lenihan Williams Hart

             Travis Johnson

    Rothwell  Dack Downing

                 Gallagher

As for Cardiff. Neil Warnock manages them, they signed Flint. I think we all know what we can expect from them. Will be a scrap. 

[MarkBRFC]

Same team apart from I think Graham will come in for Armstrong, and Tosin will come in for Cunningham.

This won't be a pretty game, can see a 0-0 or 1-1 here.

[Sparks Rover]

He might go 3 at the back without Cunningham. Bell is a much better wing back with less defensive responsibility 

[MarkBRFC]

If he went 3 at the back though, I reckon he would use Downing & Bennett as wing backs.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

Same team apart from I think Graham will come in for Armstrong, and Tosin will come in for Cunningham.

This won't be a pretty game, can see a 0-0 or 1-1 here.

I can't see Tosin starting left-back with both Bell and Hart available 

[MarkBRFC]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

I can't see Tosin starting left-back with both Bell and Hart available 

I think he will move Williams there and put Tosin in the middle.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

I think he will move Williams there and put Tosin in the middle.

Possible alright. I hope not though, cos it exposes Williams weaknesses and I like when he is playing with confidence at CB. 

Maybe now is the time for 3 at the back with wing-backs....

[frosty]

Looking forward to this one now after the last two results and last night's performance.

Cardiff have so far shipped 3 away at both Reading and Wigan and scraped past Luton at home with a last minute winner. So, while I'm sure they'll get better especially with Warnock in charge, we should be going for a win.

I'd probably bring Bell in at LB just to keep Williams and Lenihan at CB together. Bell clearly isn't as good or well-rounded as Cunningham but we should be able to get by.

 

[joey_big_nose]

I'd be very surprised if we changed anything except a straight swap of Cunningham for Bell or Hart. Switch to 3 at the back would be very disruptive when the side is just settling down and we don't really have the personnel challenges to justify it. Plus it would mean playing much narrower up top, and I think Tony is wedded to the Gallagher at right wing thing.

We've only really radically changed formation before when going through a major injury crisis.

[BankEnd Rover]

Will be a difficult game. Much harder than the Hull game IMO. Can't see us winning 3 on the bounce. However I couldn't see us beating hull.

1-1 Graham.

Rothwell to start over arma please. For the 1000'th time he's a lot better Mowbray.

[arbitro]

In typical Warnock fashion we will face an aerial bombardment on Saturday particularly from the exocet like throw in of Morrison. Graham and Gallagher would be useful to have around to defend these so they would be in my starting eleven. 

It's going to be another tough shift and I expect it to be a game of attrition, perhaps another 1-0 squeaky bum game.

[Admiral Nelsen]

Think this will be another game with Graham on the bench. No point playing it long to a target man if you're playing a Warnock side with two massive centre halves. 

Will be a good test for our possession based approach. Very important to be getting the first goal in this one. I'm going for an optimistic 2-0, Armstrong & Gally.

 

                     Walton

Bennett  Lenihan  Williams  Bell

             Travis  Johnson

Armstrong       Dack        Downing

                       Gally

[1864roverite]

Rovers have added pressure at home games with the nervousness of the crowd getting to them UNLESS we can score early in the game. I think we can expose their defence a little with pace at our disposal. Any kind of win is welcomed against a  Warnock team. 

[Guest]

My prediction: 2-2
Goalscorers: Johnson & Lenihan

Team Prediction: Walton, Bennett, Lenihan, Williams, Bell, Travis, Johnson, Downing, Dack, Rothwell, Graham

I think Arma and Gallagher will be benched for this one, and we'll aim more route one like the Boro game. Can see us becoming potent from free-kicks and corners this year, so expecting a Lenihan header from a set-piece, and Johnson to maybe nab one after coming close twice at Hull.

[FGS5635]

They must have roberto carlos at left back if he kept cunningham out every week. Becasue cunningham is looking pretty epic for us.

Interested to see how good their actual left back is

[Mercer]

Two clean sheets and wins on the bounce should have provided an enormous shot of confidence.

A stuttering start for Cardiff,  Has age finally doused Warnock's drive, hunger and passion.  Maybe, it only works for so long with the players and it gets too familar and boring.

It's a home banker for me and I'm going to bang last night's win winnings on Rovers at 11/8.

I'd go: Walton, Nyambe, Lenihan, Williams, Hart, Travis, Johnson, Downing, Dack, Rothwell, Graham:

• Nyambe for Bennett - IMO, Bennett will never be an effective right back.  For my liking, time and time again, he is beaten too easily and if Mowbray perseveres with him then I think there will be more roastings to come for our hapless skipper
• It would be folly to break up Lenihan and Williams as the two centre backs and surely Hart is better defensively than Bell
• Rothwell for Armstrong - IMO, Armstrong offers virtually nothing other than his pace (don't think the lad has it and certainly hasn't a football brain)
• Graham for Gallagher - not impressed with Gallagher when he was here before and, IMO, will never be the player Graham has been and still is.  An incredible Sky statistic that our £5million man hadn't netted in his previous 20 league games (now 21 games after Hull).

I think Mowbray has wasted the best part of £14million on Armstrong, Brereton and Gallagher and for that reason alone, should no longer be our manager.  Is Brereton injured or is Mowbray's £7million+ man so ineffective that he can't even make the bench now!? 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Mercer

[1864roverite]

He is injured Mercer, like your synopsis but please TM has and continues to do a job at Ewood. Rome wasn't built in a day and believe me Ewood and BRFC has taken some rebuilding, we are perhaps half way through the project.

[tomphil]

Think we might be on a little bit of a roll and the confidence should be taken into this game hopefully it won't be drilled out of them.  No excuse for crowd not to be behind the players from the off so come on public lets be avin ya !

Rovers  2   Cardiff  1

12.565

[rigger]

24 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

Rovers have added pressure at home games with the nervousness of the crowd getting to them UNLESS we can score early in the game. I think we can expose their defence a little with pace at our disposal. Any kind of win is welcomed against a  Warnock team. 

Any Rovers team with Bell in it, will make me nervous.

[roversfan99]

Main decisions are clear, left back, up front and right hand side. 

I would have said bring Tosin in at CB and push Williams to LB but on the back of 2 clean sheets its impossible to justify splitting up a CB partnership that has shown promise. So its between Bell and Hart, both significant and worrying downgrades, I'd go for Hart.

Gallagher doesnt deserve to start for all of his effort based on his lack of goal threat and incapability to play wide, and Armstrong has not done much to demand a shirt. Graham is a given up top for me, easy decision. Would go Rothwell right. Gallagher, Armstrong and Chapman as subs.

[Fraserkirky]

                    Walton

Nyambe Tosin Lenihan Williams 

             Travis Johnson

    Rothwell  Dack Downing

                 Gallagher

 

[Butty]

14 minutes ago, rigger said:

Any Rovers team with Bell in it, will make me nervous.

I’d give the lad Hart a run-out. He can’t be any worse. 

[tomphil]

Leave the centre backs alone and come up with something else for the LB position Lenihen and Williams are developing just nicely no need at all to break it up swapping around is daft.

[Admiral Nelsen]

Just now, tomphil said:

Leave the centre backs alone and come up with something else for the LB position Lenihen and Williams are developing just nicely no need at all to break it up swapping around is daft.

Couldn't agree more. Bell has his weaknesses but did improve last year, and should be hungry to try and get his shirt back. 

Even if we play Hart (would Downing be a possibility?) Williams absolutely deserves to keep his spot there. 

[philipl]

Got to defend those long throws- Cardiff play like a Rugby Union side kicking for touch!

Need the height of Tosin in there.