Swansea City (A) - F*ck it, let's make it five!

[Exiled_Rover]

4 hours ago, Stuart said:

That was not, by any stretch Of the imagination, a very good match. Two poor teams, Rovers second best and could barely string two passes together.

Once again, our lack of squad depth was laid bare. The players looked knackered and we will have to rest one or two.

Assuming Dack’s one match ban is immediate we won’t be able to field an unchanged XI again but a couple of changes are required.

Personally I’d put Rothwell into Dack’s role and Holtby in on the left. Putting Bennett on so as to push Downing further forward is a really poor move but seems to be Mowbray’s new pre-planned substitution.

It’s looking like we are about to have a wobble. Let’s hope we can stay in the pack and some other teams can do us a favour.

What exactly is #Top10Season anything to #rejoice though? Play-offs are the target. Despite this recent purple patch, if we miss out then it will be down to the poor runs that we seem to get sucked into.

He's got £12m of striking talent sat on the bench. That's what will get him sacked, if anything.

Why Chapman isn't an option to come off the bench each week too is beyond me. We lack pace and skill, which he has in abundance 

Agree that the team looked tired last night - has Mowbray fallen out with Johnson? He'd have played for me last night.

[Nelsonthedog]

11 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He's got £12m of striking talent sat on the bench. That's what will get him sacked, if anything.

Why Chapman isn't an option to come off the bench each week too is beyond me. We lack pace and skill, which he has in abundance 

Agree that the team looked tired last night - has Mowbray fallen out with Johnson? He'd have played for me last night.

Chapman has been underperforming since returning to Rovers.. has a lot to do to get back into first team thinking.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Nelsonthedog

[Nelsonthedog]

One poor display and some folk want wholesale changes to the team! Ok.. ?

[Bigdoggsteel]

19 hours ago, JacknOry said:

I dont think so, i think most would accept that a 34 and a 35 year old are not going to be able to play every game. I think it is more the like for like replacements coming in instead of players out of position (yes, i know Downing is technically out of position too but at least he has shown he has the intelligence to play numerous positions to a high standard). At LB, weare pretty doomed whoever takes Downings place tbh - none of Williams, Bell or Bennett fill me with confdence there. Up front should be straightforward with Gallagher dropping in - please nothing nonsensical such as Dack playing up there.

You musn't be on Twitter or Instagram, because it will certainly be said! 

Ya, Gallagher for Graham and Holtby for Dack would make sense Saturday. As you say the real conundrum is Downing, as he is so much better than the other options. Isn't it genuinely amazing that a 35 year year old winger is by far our best left back .It's a credit to him to be fair. Form is temporary, class is permanent. 

Edited December 12, 2019 by Bigdoggsteel

[Sparks Rover]

27 minutes ago, Nelsonthedog said:

Chapman has been underperforming since returning to Rovers.

Has he? Name a game this season where he's underperformed? Reserves don't count in front of 25 kids down Leyland with a team of average teenagers to play with. 

[Parsonblue]

I must admit that I travelled back - and what another awful journey - very happy with a point.  I thought we did OK against a side who looked very impressive but without the striking power of a WBA.

I'm not Walton's biggest fan but I thought he did very well last night.  I thought Lenihan, Travis and Evans were very good and Graham took his goal well.

This was another away game when Rothwell failed to get involved and I would think his place must be in doubt for Saturday.  The lad has talent but seems unable to deliver it with any consistency.  Likewise Armstrong, gets into good positions and can deliver some decent balls but all too often he finds a defender rather than a fellow Rover.

However, as a whole I thought the application of the team was good and we've turned a corner.  I don't expect a top six finish - I've never believed these players are good enough to deliver the consistency required at the moment - but we are definitely getting there.  As a work in progress we look to be heading in the right direction and hopefully a top half finish is well within our capabilities. 

As for the ref last night - at least he was consistently awful for both sides.  If he is Championship standard I dread to think what the standard is like in the lower divisions.

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

Evans is a barometer. He looks well when his partner plays well but he looks poor when his partner is poor. He is an ideal midefield partner but is not the leader who'll drive the team by himself.

Spot on that, best assessment of him yet although maybe it poses the question of who suits this best alongside him. He seems livelier when Travis is in there, someone who puts it about a bit and yes he gives it away too much sometimes but he doesn't leave gaping holes like Lowe used to.  

[Bigdoggsteel]

26 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Has he? Name a game this season where he's underperformed? Reserves don't count in front of 25 kids down Leyland with a team of average teenagers to play with. 

Why would that not count? In fact, should he not be over performing in such company? 

From my following of the games, it seems like he has been stand out in around 2. Granted my following is restricted to Rich Sharpes tweets. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

25 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

I must admit that I travelled back - and what another awful journey - very happy with a point.  I thought we did OK against a side who looked very impressive but without the striking power of a WBA.

I'm not Walton's biggest fan but I thought he did very well last night.  I thought Lenihan, Travis and Evans were very good and Graham took his goal well.

This was another away game when Rothwell failed to get involved and I would think his place must be in doubt for Saturday.  The lad has talent but seems unable to deliver it with any consistency.  Likewise Armstrong, gets into good positions and can deliver some decent balls but all too often he finds a defender rather than a fellow Rover.

However, as a whole I thought the application of the team was good and we've turned a corner.  I don't expect a top six finish - I've never believed these players are good enough to deliver the consistency required at the moment - but we are definitely getting there.  As a work in progress we look to be heading in the right direction and hopefully a top half finish is well within our capabilities. 

As for the ref last night - at least he was consistently awful for both sides.  If he is Championship standard I dread to think what the standard is like in the lower divisions.

Who would you play instead of Rothwell? Holtby will be in for Dack 

[Nelsonthedog]

37 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Has he? Name a game this season where he's underperformed? Reserves don't count in front of 25 kids down Leyland with a team of average teenagers to play with. 

Reserves do count.. Damien duff used to stand out like a beacon at that level and earned his shot at the first team. Chapman must do the same.

[JacknOry]

58 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

You musn't be on Twitter or Instagram, because it will certainly be said! 

Ya, Gallagher for Graham and Holtby for Dack would make sense Saturday. As you say the real conundrum is Downing, as he is so much better than the other options. Isn't it genuinely amazing that a 35 year year old winger is by far our best left back .It's a credit to him to be fair. Form is temporary, class is permanent. 

You're right, i do not really use social media much these days and for that very reason. I do have a Twitter account that I log onto from time to time (mainly during transfer windows).

 

[MarkBRFC]

15 minutes ago, Nelsonthedog said:

Reserves do count.. Damien duff used to stand out like a beacon at that level and earned his shot at the first team. Chapman must do the same.

Thing is, back then it was actually reserve team football, playing against men. Now it's all academy playing against lads the same age as you save for one or two.

[Nelsonthedog]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

Thing is, back then it was actually reserve team football, playing against men. Now it's all academy playing against lads the same age as you save for one or two.

It should be easier to stand out against boys then..

[K-Hod]

Just now, Nelsonthedog said:

It should be easier to stand out against boys then..

Hi Saxo man ? 

Are you not bored of re registering under different names by now?

Edited December 12, 2019 by K-Hod

[Nelsonthedog]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Hi Saxo man ? 

Are you not bored of re registering under different names by now?

Long time since I've done so.. do me a favour though.. if you ban me, can you please post a link for Saturday?

I've no interest in causing bother on here. I just want to be able to see the games.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Nelsonthedog

[Crimpshrine]

1 hour ago, Parsonblue said:

 

I'm not Walton's biggest fan but I thought he did very well last night.  I thought Lenihan, Travis and Evans were very good and Graham took his goal well.

 

I didn't go last night so can't give an opinion but it's interesting that a number of people that attended said Travis did OK or was even very good.

However, Radio Lancs ( Bayes and Gallacher ) criticised him from start to finish because he was taking far too many touches, giving the ball away and constantly slowing down play. They said it was his worst game for a long time. 

Which view is correct ?

[Blue blood]

Pretty torn about last night. On one hand a point when not playing particularly well is no bad thing and given we've (rightly) played the same team in a hectic schedule tiredness must be setting in. We have 2 mid 30s players in the team, Graham and Downing plus 2 injury prone in Lenihen and Evans so that's a third of the team I would imagine feeling the strain of recent games. 

On the flip side going ahead and having a numerical advantage yet not taking advantage of either is pretty disappointing. Regardless of the result being good on paper, the circumstances mean that the chances of getting 3 points were a bit more readily available and we didn't take it. A better team would have. 

If we don't get playoffs then there will be a lot more instances that cost us that chance over the game Vs Swansea - the games Vs Luton and Charlton at home or capitulating at PNE when 2-0 up immediately spring to mind. That said given we are playing catch up and in such circumstances letting go of an advantageous situation is disappointing and more significant. 

I feel like the result Vs Bristol will also shape how we see things and whether we view it as a positive or negative point. That said a win and loss Vs Bristol and Swansea would see us better off then two hard fought draws. However the fact we're disappointed with a point rather than resigned to not winning or relieved  to get a point suggests we are on an upward trajectory. Better than what was, but question marks as to whether it is enough imo.

[K-Hod]

3 minutes ago, Nelsonthedog said:

Long time since I've done so.. do me a favour though.. if you ban me, can you please post a link for Saturday?

I've no interest in causing bother on here. I just want to be able to see the games.

Absolutely not. Bye.

[DE.]

I feel like Swansea will be more disappointed than us by last night's result, particularly as their ten man disadvantage only lasted ten minutes and we weren't really at the races compared to previous games. It was a good chance for them to improve their home record and they blew it. 

We were always going to run out of steam at some point. The question now is how we respond to our winning run coming to an end, particularly with a difficult match coming up at the weekend.  

 

[Sparks Rover]

1 hour ago, Nelsonthedog said:

Reserves do count.. Damien duff used to stand out like a beacon at that level and earned his shot at the first team. Chapman must do the same.

Are you seriously comparing a world class player and Chapman.?  Listen, I've seen enough of Chapman over the last few seasons to know he's head and shoulders above Buckley and Brereton.  I just think it's not football related and mowbray can be a cunny funt..

[frosty]

1 hour ago, Blue blood said:

 

 I feel like the result Vs Bristol will also shape how we see things and whether we view it as a positive or negative point. That said a win and loss Vs Bristol and Swansea would see us better off then two hard fought draws. However the fact we're disappointed with a point rather than resigned to not winning or relieved  to get a point suggests we are on an upward trajectory. Better than what was, but question marks as to whether it is enough imo.

Agreed. If we win on Saturday or get a draw (assuming we don't throw away a two-goal lead to draw or anything like that) then last night is fine. Especially with winnable, back-to-back home games to follow.

Lose on Saturday though and it would have been a disappointing few days truth be told.

[tomphil]

3 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Hi Saxo man ? 

Are you not bored of re registering under different names by now?

I was trying to remember who this divisive attitude newbie reminded us of but couldn't quite place it. 

[Mashed Potatoes]

Swansea blow hot and cold but I would have thought that this was a reasonably good result - we are not going to win every game we play

[USABlue]

21 hours ago, LDRover said:

Agreed. Seems to get the ball in space, drive forward for 10 yards, loses belief then goes sideways or backwards.

Replace the bold bit with, "Remembers what Mowbary told him".  He never used to go anywhere but forwards, was dropped for a spell and then started the crab play style.  Said it before Mowbary screwed up this kids game.

[USABlue]

21 hours ago, tonyoz said:

Fortunate to get a point. Nyambe was Rovers best player in my opinion; his pace came to the rescue on a couple of occasions and he had some good moments going forward.

Dack had half time to get his head together but he let us all down. His tendency to kick out when he’s been dispossessed is pathetic. Yes he should have been subbed as we could all see where it was going.

Swansea had so much more time on the ball than we did; many Rovers taking too long to move the ball forward.

Gallagher nearly had a goal of the season....I didn’t think he had it in him!

Rothwell totally anonymous for the second game on the trot. Armstrong had some wonderful opportunities to set up a goal but fluffed them all.....except in the 3rd minute!

Walton made a great save, flying off his line to dive at the feet of the forward when the Swansea man looked favourite.

Today Tosin wasn’t the assured, quality distributor we’ve come to expect with sloppy passes putting us in danger several times. Lenihan       
was back to something like his old self second half thankfully.

 

Thought Walton had a decent game.