Millwall

[G Somerset Rover]

Good to get the 3 points and a clean sheet to boot. Do wish Tony would stop with his unnecessary tinkering though - yes we were winning 1-0 at half time but it was extremely fortunate and that was due to the manager setting us up like that. The Dack false 9 thing simply has to stop too.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Ossydave]

It was never gonna be a classic was it, I'll take a 2-0 against that lot any day of the week. 

[Swanson]

Well I think that Armstrong never will be a good player at this level. So many strange decisions.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Swanson

[darrenrover]

Just now, Swanson said:

Well I think that Armstrong never will be a good player at this level. So many strange decisions.

Agreed, we spunked £12 million in transfer fees on him, Brereton and Gallagher plus their annual wages and there doesn't appear to be a decent player if you were to combine all 3 into 1.

Strange in the extreme!

[Ossydave]

Just now, darrenrover said:

Agreed, we spunked £12 million in transfer fees on him, Brereton and Gallagher plus their annual wages and there doesn't appear to be a decent player if you were to combine all 3 into 1.

Strange in the extreme!

I wouldn't call it spunking money on Armstrong he was cheap enough. The other 2, whilst not amazing are continually being played in stupid effing positions I'm honestly losing patience in it

[Gary C]

Let's take the positives a win. Three points and a clean sheet. 

[Exiled in Toronto]

Three essential points.

4th clean sheet for Walton (vs.Raya’s 2).

No serious effort on goal by Millwall.

Two memorably very good goals.

Good day at the office.

 

[darrenrover]

Just now, Ossydave said:

I wouldn't call it spunking money on Armstrong he was cheap enough. The other 2, whilst not amazing are continually being played in stupid effing positions I'm honestly losing patience in it

Me too Dave (patience). Where would you play Armstrong? He's been played wide on both sides and off a striker but couldn't hit a barn door from 2 yards. I won't start on the other 2!

[Riverside under the drip]

A comfortable win. We vastly improved when Rothwell came on and we put an actual forward up front. Armstrong looked very poor. Hard to choose MOTM but I'd give it Williams. Who knew such a weak left back would be so immense in the centre?! Wish we'd have gone hard at them at the end instead of easing off though.

[Angry_Pirate]

Comfortable 2-0 win in the end where we missed 3 clear chances and took our foot firmly off the gas last 15.

2nd half much better than the 1st (Buckley a passenger?) and defended most of it well (we did have 5 defenders and Johnson tbf).

Bennett maybe had his best game of the season - he also wasn't at RB all game and did miss a very good chance.

Rothwell... how he isn't in the XI I don't know. Dack ran the 2nd half. Tosin seemed okay but had very little to do.

Mahoney was pony. ?

[m1st]

On 10/09/2019 at 07:45, Alejandro Tapia said:

Well pals a very importantmatch to us we are on a bad position on table but we only need 3 more points to be on top again...

I know that much of you aren't happy with the development from our Rovers by far but let's face it what did you spect against many of the stongest rivals in this division...i think we had showed actually that we have a enough competitive squad and that we can aspire to top 10 this season...

Millwall is the first of some much more doable matches i belive on my colors and i know we can do it.

We only need to pass the ball constantly and quick enough keep focus the complete 90 minutes and they will be lost...

We have better offensive and midfield 

I spect another great macth from Downing and a victory from our Rovers by 2-0 

#ImRoversTillIDie 

#COYBB 

#TheMexicanRover 

Ay, caramba; why do I not have ^ this man's faith?!?

Even though I could have topped up my tan at the front of the Riverside, I let the 'International weekend blues' and domestic jobs which needed doing because I - and I'm sure I wasn't the only one - feared a terrible 0-0 draw.

From what I've read on here, it sounds like we still aren't firing on all cylinders, but "3 points are 3 points". #shakesheadinamazement

[Tom]

Not a great game but a very good win, we created a lot in the second half and could have had a few, they were probably the better team first half.

Buckley was very poor and the shape in the first half didn’t look right nothing stuck up top.

Rothwell very lively along with Gallagher when they came on, Armstrong a passenger 

[BankEnd Rover]

Think Mowbray with Armstrong will be similar to the Evans & Smallwood issue last season. He will continue to start him and it will take him to the end of this season to realise he isn't good enough. Sigh

[Ossydave]

37 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Me too Dave (patience). Where would you play Armstrong? He's been played wide on both sides and off a striker but couldn't hit a barn door from 2 yards. I won't start on the other 2!

Honestly? I think Armstrong's best position is sub. Not just being a nob towards him I just think he's better off the bench running at tired players. Unpopular opinion I bet but Rothwell also plays better as a sub, tin hat on.

[rovers11]

4 clean sheets out of 5, ten points from the last five games, and Dack scores in back to back games. That’s excellent when you consider we’ve had tough fixtures and we haven’t hit top form yet. 

Promising signs. Having a solid defence makes such a difference, it gives us a chance to win games even when we’re not playing that well. 

Edited September 14, 2019 by rovers11

[davulsukur]

Clean sheet ✅

3 points ✅

Job done ✅

[Gary C]

Yep we created more in the 2nd half. Were not quite firing on all cylinders but I can see us turning someone over for 4 or 5 in a few weeks time

[arbitro]

We had to work hard today and the effort was one of the most pleasing aspects for me. The game was poor in quality and at times lacked any real tempo but the bottom like is three points and a clean sheet so it's difficult to be too critical. One area where we looked like we have improved is game management and seeing games out. Little fouls here and there, little injuries and keeping possession have got us through several games now where possibly in seasons last we may have dropped points.

[tomphil]

Serial tinkermon tinkered correctly today so well done on that.

Usual awful first half but thankfully didn't concede and for once someone pulled a pearler out the bag to settle the nerves.  Good solid effort in the end against a v tough side hopefully these become routine type victories.

Williams mk2 = Impending cult hero status  - Ooo Derrick Williams !

[Yonder12]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

I wouldn't call it spunking money on Armstrong he was cheap enough. The other 2, whilst not amazing are continually being played in stupid effing positions I'm honestly losing patience in it

Gallagher changed the game when he came on and looked a threat,

Edited September 14, 2019 by Yonder12

[OJRovers]

How did Tosin look?

[Yonder12]

Interesting stat,

Only one team in the championship today completed more passes, and also more passes in the attacking 3rd than us . And they are top of the league.

424 completed passes 

107 completed passes in attacking 3rd.

 

Looked more fluid second half, we could of scored 5, but their keeper played well, I believe we looked at him in the summer, I would of took him over Walton tbf.

 

All in all we got the job done, but personally I don't like the look of tosin, he has the turning circle of a tank and looks lazy like bell.

 

[Yonder12]

Just now, OJRovers said:

How did Tosin look?

Lazy & Nervous and his technique was awful

[roversfan99]

Fairly comfortable win today against a really poor side, our players were simply better than theirs, and we built again on a solid defence.

Have to say that I feel that Mowbray is somewhat tactically confused and no nearer to finding a consistent solution. 3 at the back only works if used consistently, it was obviously done to help us play from the back which strangely we opted against on a few occasions, with Walton waving his defenders away to hoof it to Armstrong or Dack. The balance of the 5 in front was not right at all, we looked toothless aside from Williams' screamer. Then we went with this Dack false 9 split strikers nonsense, and it was when Rothwell came on, Gallagher went up front, Dack back to the 10 position that we seemed best. He deserves credit for some things, the improved defence and some of his signings have undoubtedly improved us but we need to have more of an identity.

Thought Walton, aside from his strange kicking choices (its not like Raya repeatedly slicing them into touch, but makes no sense hoofing it to Dack) looks so much safer in general and dealt with things with minimum fuss. Centre backs again a huge plus, Lenihan was the pick for me and his assist was superb, Williams again impressed and scored a worldie and Adarabioyo was good at breaking the lines with his passing and slightly unfortunate to come off. Bennett should have scored but in general, coming from a big critic, I thought he put in a good performance in both aspects. Cunningham is a superb signing, would love him to sign permanently, I can't believe some people thought Bell was good enough but Cunningham is a major upgrade and a very accomplished left back at this level.

Johnson I thought had a poor game today. As much as he is a proven central midfielder at this level, he is a strange signing for a manager who professes to want to play from the back, he cannot play on the half turn and is not good on the ball. Buckley was again whilst tidy at times totally ineffective and weak, and was understandably taken off. Downing showed some real quality throughout, so economical with the ball and technically good, and if Mowbray chose to go 3 at the back and wanting to play the ball out, then for me Downing and Travis are perhaps the best choice in there, much better on the half turn and a nice mix.

Dack deserved man of the match, in spite of playing in a role that doesnt suit him at times. Did a few things today that made people get off their seats, was a pleasure to watch and deserved his goal. Armstrong was really poor again, his finish in the second half was simply not good enough. Rothwell on the other hand was a breath of fresh air when he came on, full of energy, technical ability, has a lovely chemistry with Dack, 2 good players on the same wavelength, I would love to see him, Dack and Downing all linking together regularly. Gallagher I thought was pretty poor again, doesnt hold the ball up or win enough headers for me.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Ossydave said:

Honestly? I think Armstrong's best position is sub. Not just being a nob towards him I just think he's better off the bench running at tired players. Unpopular opinion I bet but Rothwell also plays better as a sub, tin hat on.

Disagree on Rothwell, he has only been given one league start, but he showed in a regular spell towards the back end of last season that with regular starts he puts in high levels of performances. His link up with Dack is terrific too.