Wigan Athletic (H) - Monday Night Football (urgh..)

[Gone to seed]

I noticed Nyambe seems to have difficulty trapping the ball dead, as it invariably bobbles up every time it is passed to him.

Cobblers of a performance from the Rovers this evening. But as they say, in football you have to beat the team that's in front of you on the park. We didn't beat, hurt, unsettle, worry or upset Wigan's game plan one iota this evening and if anything, they might feel more aggrieved not to have won than us.

Onwards and upwards chaps and chappesses.

[Amo]

Just now, jones_rover said:

2) Desperately need some genuine width in the side when we come up against teams like Wigan today.

 

We have a winger. He won't make the matchday squad until he learns the "seriousness of football".

[SoldierMo]

On the bright side if their is one...dack may stay next season and we can make a real push for promotion with this team next season

[scotchrover]

Well that was bloody awful. That first half was such a half arsed display, it was unreal. Thousands of fans returning to Ewood for the first time since the Oxford game, and what did we do? We didn’t turn up until after half time.

The ref was absolutely awful too- he killed any tempo due to his love affair with the sound of his own whistle. The fact he put his foot on the ball to stop us pumping it forward, in injury time, summed him up. I can’t ever remember an official doing that. 
 

On the flip side of the coin, we’d have probably lost that a few months back- Charlton and Luton spring to mind. The Brum game will be far tougher though. A game that should be winnable will be hard going, due to the longer rest period they’ve had. 

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, Amo said:

We have a winger. He won't make the matchday squad until he learns the "seriousness of football".

is this mowbray speak for "stop going past defenders you flash git!!"

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I must have seen a worse first half but I can't remember one. We were out enthused again. They wanted it more, ran harder, ran further, won most of the second balls. bullied us when they needed to. We had a good five minutes, after that it was a disjointed shambles with our manager stood there like a bloke waiting for the last bus home.

Second half was a slight improvement but nowhere near good enough to win the game. Walking football won't beat running football ever. Too many players were talking the ball stood still, not enough movement, not enough balls played into a space for players to run on to etc etc. Totally underwhelming performance.We got murdered in midfield, the two " wingers " never got in the game and playing both of Travis and Evans in midfield at home against the bottom of the league club tells you all you need to know. No link between attack and defence. Made to look 2nd best for large parts of the game by the bottom club at home - again.

Walton 8 Good save at the death bit allowed himself to be knocked over near the end. I'm not convinced.

Nyambe 6 Defended ok but no end product going forward.

Lenihan 7  Our best defender.

Williams 5 Is this guy colour blind ?

Downing 6 Not his best game but got no help from those around him.

Armstrong 5 Hardly in the game.

Travis 7 Worked hard but doesn't get forward enough.

Evans 5 Normal service resumed.

Rothwell 5 Did next to nothing

Dack 5 Same as Rothwell.

Graham 6 Came closest to scoring

Subs Johnson 5 Hardly in it. Holtby 7 Made a difference when he came on. Gallagher 5 Hardly in it.

 

[BlackburnEnd75]

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Awful performance, again stumbling against a poor team at home and the Dack injury as our only source of goals is surely the end of any play off hope.

Walton possibly our best player, made 3 saves none of which were overly difficult but he was safe in net.

Williams is not good enough, made one decent block but dreadful on the ball, Lenihan looked a different player without Adarabioyo. Nyambe frustrated the life out of me, he gets so far and has no subtelty or creativity to do the final part and turns back. Downing had one of his poorest games for us if not the poorest, his crossing was awful.

Evans and Travis lost the midfield battle. Rothwell again was totally anonymous, not taking his chances. Armstrong again very poor and Dack quiet but we certainly need to sign an attacker now. Our only source of goals in a side that is misconceived to be good in attack and bad in defence has now been taken from us. Graham quiet but good movement and so unlucky with his header.

Holtby was bright when he came on and needs a run as a number 10 although he had to score. Gallagher was stupidly played wide and did nothing and Johnson was incredibly clumsy.

 

Think your giving Lenihan a free ride there, thought he shocking in possession tonight.

Armstrong was very poor and looked a yard slower than usual. But thought Rothwell was good second half after barely touching the ball in the first half.

Evans was poor in possession, dack wasn't really in the game before his injury, Holtby gave a bit of hope.

Edited December 23, 2019 by BlackburnEnd75

[benhben]

Really poor game. Cant think of anyone who had a good game or many positives to take. Couple of the main issues I could see:

1. The distribution of Lenihan and William's was abysmal. William's was consistently shocking with the ball all game. It's as if hes blind in one eye and cant see the easy pass to the left back. Lenihan almost cost us the game two or three times passing it to their strikers. How long is Tosin out for? Desperate for another centre back. 

2. Whilst we talk about the defence needs to be a priority some of our attackers are just plain not good enough and never will be. Armstrong was woeful. Rothwell excited but never seems to produce anything. Graham never had anyone near him. A fast tricky winger who stays wide and runs at teams would have been useful today (isn't there one of them in the reserves already??)

3. Shows how close the league is. Not much between Wigan and Swansea Us or Brentford from that...apart from about 10 points. 

Not a good result but could be worse. Nice to sit in a pretty full Jack Walker stand. 

losing Dack is the main downer. 

ps. The Wigan fans and team look a bunch of scummers. Feining to give the ball back only to try a through ball? and who cheers an injury like that? 

 

Edited December 23, 2019 by benhben

[Scotland1]

Just got in will post a report on the game in the morning.

Thought I’d have a gander on There forum, wish I hadn’t...

Gloating about Dack and the amount liking the guys post. Vile.

 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

We seem to lack the physicality to play Wigan.  They've bullied us since league 1 -invariably getting the better of results over last 3 years.  

To a man though, we were poor all over the pitch (Walton aside). Downing's fabled delivery was appalling tonight.

[roversfan99]

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

nyambe was hamstrung by bloody armstrong disapearing inside and not backing him up or overlapping,same with rothwell on the otherside,neither are to intelligent football wise but can do two things,run and dribble,why the **** they keep going inside is beyond me,i think id`e end up throwing the tea urn at both of them

Armstrong was crap but Nyambe has constantly had a problem in terms of being fronted up by a defender. His crossing ability is almost non existent and he is a bit of a one trick pony in terms of unless he can touch it round his defender and sprint he struggles to beat a man.

[Scotland1]

14 minutes ago, aletheia said:

Dack injury, watch carefully. Morsy’s hip smashes into knee as he bundled Dack out of play. Not obvious. Rovers too polite. What is that chimp thing Mowbray does on the touch line?

Clear as day on purpose he tried it earlier on in the game leaving one in on him or Travis after the ball had gone.

[BlackburnEnd75]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I must have seen a worse first half but I can't remember one. We were out enthused again. They wanted it more, ran harder, ran further, won most of the second balls. bullied us when they needed to. We had a good five minutes, after that it was a disjointed shambles with our manager stood there like a bloke waiting for the last bus home.

Second half was a slight improvement but nowhere near good enough to win the game. Walking football won't beat running football ever. Too many players were talking the ball stood still, not enough movement, not enough balls played into a space for players to run on to etc etc. Totally underwhelming performance.We got murdered in midfield, the two " wingers " never got in the game and playing both of Travis and Evans in midfield at home against the bottom of the league club tells you all you need to know. No link between attack and defence. Made to look 2nd best for large parts of the game by the bottom club at home - again.

Walton 8 Good save at the death bit allowed himself to be knocked over near the end. I'm not convinced.

Nyambe 6 Defended ok but no end product going forward.

Lenihan 7  Our best defender.

Williams 5 Is this guy colour blind ?

Downing 6 Not his best game but got no help from those around him.

Armstrong 5 Hardly in the game.

Travis 7 Worked hard but doesn't get forward enough.

Evans 5 Normal service resumed.

Rothwell 5 Did next to nothing

Dack 5 Same as Rothwell.

Graham 6 Came closest to scoring

Subs Johnson 5 Hardly in it. Holtby 7 Made a difference when he came on. Gallagher 5 Hardly in 

Think you've overrated lenihan a lot and you've been too harsh on Rothwell who did well second half.

[arbitro]

The tempo we had at Bristol just wasn't there as our slow play allowed Wigan to keep their defensive shape as we were far too predictable. This changed when Holtby came on and his fast feet and movement allowed him to find space which was previously elusive. I have to say that the pitch didn't help our cause as it looked bone dry and didn't allow for any of the really slick passing like we have recently seen. 

As I predicted the referee was as weak as piss and just wasn't aware of Wigans obvious tactic of slowing the game down at every opportunity. This certainly didn't help us as the game was so fragmented. I'm starting to think that we just can't play against teams who come to Ewood and play in such a way. This is evidenced by our poor results against bottom six teams at home. Mowbray has to address this and find a way to be such teams.

All in all hugely disappointing with far too many players just not performing.

 

 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just now, Amo said:

We have a winger. He won't make the matchday squad until he learns the "seriousness of football".

We have 2.  The other plays centre mid or left back.

[Bbrovers2288]

Armstrong can’t play unless it’s breakaways, he has one asset in pace, but put a defender back there to face him up and he has no skill to get past him, loses it everytime. I can’t even really blame him tho he isn’t a winger and never will be. Ohh to have a winger with a bit of trickery and an eye for a cross/ goal. To cover the dack injury I’d actually buy a winger and play gallagher/graham with armstrong up top

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Armstrong was crap but Nyambe has constantly had a problem in terms of being fronted up by a defender. His crossing ability is almost non existent and he is a bit of a one trick pony in terms of unless he can touch it round his defender and sprint he struggles to beat a man.

that why i find armstrong and to a lesser extent rothwell so frustrating,both of them drift inside,end up nowhere and don`t find space,just tell them your job consists of two things,supporting your full back and finding space out wide

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

We have 2.  The other plays centre mid or left back.

Downing isn't a winger at this point in his career - he's made a very useful left back at this level though.

To me, all of our front 4 today want to play through the middle - with Rothwell really wanting to play CM. Square pegs, round holes - reminds me of the Bowyer years where he bought good players, but not players for his system. 

[Mercer]

Can't believe that performance after our recent run.

Firstly, difficult to understand the number of unenforced changes Mowbray made.  When you are winning and have momentum and confidence, you should stick, wherever possible, with your winning formulae.

Strangely, Wigan looked hungrier and and also quicker about the park.

I think both manager and players bottled it.  Glorious opportunity to close the gap at the top missed.

Dack's injury doesn't look good.  In most instances with a serious knee injury (cruciate ligament etc), and speaking from personal experience, you get instant pain and Dack was clearly suffering.

Obviously, Dack will be a miss for such a long stretch but we did go to Bristol and turn in a real performance without him!

The Brum match will tell us a lot more about our manager and players.

 

[roversfan99]

Just now, BlackburnEnd75 said:

Think your giving Lenihan a free ride there, thought he shocking in possession tonight.

Armstrong was very poor and looked a yard slower than usual. But thought Rothwell was good second half after barely touching the ball in the first half.

Evans was poor in possession, dack wasn't really in the game before his injury, Holtby gave a bit of hope.

I agree on Lenihan, dismal on the ball, constantly gave it away.

Rothwell was ineffectual again, 9 starts, 11 sub appearances, 0 goals. The only thing he did of note was when he overran the ball in the end but the attack continued in spite of his decision making. Hes got ability but he cannot impact on games and has failed to take his chance.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Armstrong was crap but Nyambe has constantly had a problem in terms of being fronted up by a defender. His crossing ability is almost non existent and he is a bit of a one trick pony in terms of unless he can touch it round his defender and sprint he struggles to beat a man.

To be fair though, he's not a bloody winger is he.   

[Scotland1]

Just now, Scotland1 said:

Just got in will post a report on the game in the morning.

Thought I’d have a gander on There forum, wish I hadn’t...

Gloating about Dack and the amount liking the guys post. Vile.

 

Nice fans

 

[Exiled in Toronto]

Wigan came to fight and bully us, as they are entitled to do in their position, and we were lacking enough soldiers on the field. None of the front six seemed prepared to mix it, maybe with the exception of Travis.  At the end of the day, the two goalies were the best players on the pitch. 

[Stuart]

14 minutes ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

On the plus side....

Up to 8th and 2 points outside the play offs.

That’s not actually the plus side.

But it’s not too bad a minus.

Here’s hoping for a better result on Thursday.

[Ossydave]

Wow we need Tosin so so so bad. Tonight highlighted that to the extreme. Pathetic playing out from the back with the usual hoofs, not a happy man but it was always gonna happen. What a shower of shit they are too, so obviously going down.