Can we make the Playoffs?

[Mattyblue]

I’m not that down about it because I knew we wouldn’t be getting 6 out of 6 from these two games.

I currently have more confidence in us as an away side, trying to break down struggling sides at Ewood is something we are piss poor at.

Lets see where we are going into the late March international break, these are the games running into it:

Swansea H, Derby A, Bristol City H, Wigan A, Barnsley A

That’s a run of fixtures that says we could be in the mix by Easter. If we aren’t then that’s that and we obviously just weren’t good enough, but there’s no point chucking in the towel with a 4 point gap in February.

[MarkBRFC]

Yeah I think the above is fair.

If we're still 2/3 points off before we play Leeds on the 4th April then of course it's all to play for in the last 6 games.

Anymore than that and it will be too much I think.

 

[roversfan99]

Our home form this season is the 8th best where we have won 10 more points than our away form which is the 11th best.

[roversfan99]

13 hours ago, philipl said:

This squad is easily good enough to make the play-offs.

But not good enough to make the play-offs handicapped by dropping at least ten points because of the Manager's mistakes..

If we were good enough to do that, we'd also be good enough to go up automatically and the squad isn't that good.

Absolutely no evidence of that being the case, never in the top 6 and I think youd struggle to have this squad down as top 6 quality individually, especially with Dack and Holtby out. Ultimately we do have weak positions which are down to Mowbrays transfer recruitment, but I dont think we are underachieving with the players we have.

[chaddyrovers]

Still yes we can make playoffs 

[JHRover]

Half the teams in the division do. Anyone above Reading can still do it, although unlikely without a winning run.

That's the point of the playoffs. In February half the division will be in the race or thinking they can be with a couple of good results. 

Being in our position is ok but it is clear there is another step we need to take to actually get in there, never mind stay there. Sadly what I've witnessed against Brentford and Stoke doesn't give me confidence that we have that extra thing in our lockers. Can't hold a lead away from home and can't overcome the poorer sides at home are longstanding issues which have come to the surface again.

[bluebruce]

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Absolutely no evidence of that being the case, never in the top 6 and I think youd struggle to have this squad down as top 6 quality individually, especially with Dack and Holtby out. Ultimately we do have weak positions which are down to Mowbrays transfer recruitment, but I dont think we are underachieving with the players we have.

Do you think that Mowbray selects the team, tactics and subs correctly most of the time?

Edited February 27, 2020 by bluebruce

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Do you think that Mowbray selects the team, tactics and subs correctly most of the time?

To be fair, im not sure on that. Constant mistakes like the wide strikers rubbish are to the detriment of the team. But I dont think the current squad is a top 6 squad by any means.

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

To be fair, im not sure on that. Constant mistakes like the wide strikers rubbish are to the detriment of the team. But I dont think the current squad is a top 6 squad by any means.

I feel like you're forcing your conclusion in there to be honest, good poster though you are. If playing wide strikers is a detriment, and we have been doing it all season, surely you believe we would have more points if we weren't doing that and the other 'constant mistakes' from the manager? And we are only 4 points short of the top 6.

For me, we either think the manager isn't good enough tactically and the squad would be doing better with one who was, and is therefore top 6 capable, or you think the manager is tactically astute, maybe even brilliant considering the injuries.

For the record I think he tactically isn't good enough and the right team selections, formations, subs and tactics would see us currently sat in the top 6, even if only just. The transfer failings are a separate issue.

[philipl]

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Absolutely no evidence of that being the case, never in the top 6 and I think youd struggle to have this squad down as top 6 quality individually, especially with Dack and Holtby out. Ultimately we do have weak positions which are down to Mowbrays transfer recruitment, but I dont think we are underachieving with the players we have.

So Luton Charlton Wigan Stoke Birmingham at home weren't under achievements with wrong selections tactics and substitutions?

Add Fulham at home and Huddersfield away.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

3 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I feel like you're forcing your conclusion in there to be honest, good poster though you are. If playing wide strikers is a detriment, and we have been doing it all season, surely you believe we would have more points if we weren't doing that and the other 'constant mistakes' from the manager? And we are only 4 points short of the top 6.

For me, we either think the manager isn't good enough tactically and the squad would be doing better with one who was, and is therefore top 6 capable, or you think the manager is tactically astute, maybe even brilliant considering the injuries.

For the record I think he tactically isn't good enough and the right team selections, formations, subs and tactics would see us currently sat in the top 6, even if only just. The transfer failings are a separate issue.

Totally agree with you, As I said before we are up as high as we are despite Mowbray not because of him. Wednesday night was a caxe in point. When plan A wasn't working lets stick with plan A then try lets change it to plan A with different people and if that does not work lets try plan A by moving people around.

He very very rarely changes formation and go for a game. It is always stick with what we've got.

[Inglorious basturk]

You don’t deserve the playoffs if you can’t figure out how to deal with stoke at home 

[MarkBRFC]

1 hour ago, Inglorious basturk said:

You don’t deserve the playoffs if you can’t figure out how to deal with stoke at home 

Do WBA not deserve to be top then?!

Edited February 28, 2020 by MarkBRFC

[Inglorious basturk]

40 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Do WBA not deserve to be top then?!

I’m sure you get the point I’m making 

[MarkBRFC]

1 minute ago, Inglorious basturk said:

I’m sure you get the point I’m making 

Yes of course. 

Results like this happen, hell we beat Newcastle twice the year we got relegated to league one and they won promotion easily.

It wasn't necessarily the Stoke game that bothered me, I think it's the overriding frustration that we have played all the bottom 7 at home, and only won 2 of them.

[roversfan99]

7 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I feel like you're forcing your conclusion in there to be honest, good poster though you are. If playing wide strikers is a detriment, and we have been doing it all season, surely you believe we would have more points if we weren't doing that and the other 'constant mistakes' from the manager? And we are only 4 points short of the top 6.

For me, we either think the manager isn't good enough tactically and the squad would be doing better with one who was, and is therefore top 6 capable, or you think the manager is tactically astute, maybe even brilliant considering the injuries.

For the record I think he tactically isn't good enough and the right team selections, formations, subs and tactics would see us currently sat in the top 6, even if only just. The transfer failings are a separate issue.

It is a difficult one. I dont think that our squad is top 6 quality necessarily maybe even with Dack and Holtby. It is lacking in too many areas and I dont know how many of our current squad would get into many if any of the teams above us. 

Part of it is down to not necessarily just the managers utilisation of the current squad, it is with the recruitment that has led to certain areas being desperately short. For example, the wide strikers rubbish is probably the worst possible thing that Mowbray could do to come up with a solution, but he has recruited that area for a couple of years now so we dont have many if any reasonable alternatives either way. At left back we have an absolute liability, Mowbray did find a massive upgrade, unfortunately he got injured so got sent back but wasnt replaced.

We should be a real danger with 15m+ plus of attacking talent going into the business end of the season, something 2 or 3 of those above us would love in terms of the resources, but ultimately we feel a little toothless.

[stinny1]

Head says No but heart say yes .January  will hurt us in the end not strengthening  will cost a playoff place. Top ten will be seen has progress  but the summer  will be a real test for TM can he hold on too Travis, Nyambe ,  Armstrong  , Dack if he's  back in training . Walton and Tosin will leave other players are out of contact . And too add too this we are in need of reinforcement  right winger a stricker a keeper two Defenders and a creative midfielder . Bennett , Williams Smallwood Evans need too be offloaded and we need  somebody in who can get the transfer  over the line TM admitted its not he's  strong point

[Inglorious basturk]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Yes of course. 

Results like this happen, hell we beat Newcastle twice the year we got relegated to league one and they won promotion easily.

It wasn't necessarily the Stoke game that bothered me, I think it's the overriding frustration that we have played all the bottom 7 at home, and only won 2 of them.

Yes exactly , I perhaps should have elaborated as that is my exact point 

[47er]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

It wasn't necessarily the Stoke game that bothered me, I think it's the overriding frustration that we have played all the bottom 7 at home, and only won 2 of them.

Bloody infuriating. Mowbray gives other teams too much respect. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

35 minutes ago, 47er said:

Bloody infuriating. Mowbray gives other teams too much respect. 

No, doesn't seem to be happening anymore. He has said we should be beating certain teams away from home recently if we have any aspirations of the play offs. Hull were one, Charlton another. 

It's like the ""Bennett always starts" shite, it takes some fans months to change the record, even when reality has moved on. 

[Blue blood]

What hasn't moved on is our inability to beat weaker teams at home or play players out of position. That's been a constant, and will be why we remain in this division.

Oh, and the constant of an unbalanced squad.

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, Blue blood said:

What hasn't moved on is our inability to beat weaker teams at home or play players out of position. That's been a constant, and will be why we remain in this division.

Oh, and the constant of an unbalanced squad.

We have beaten plenty of teams lower than us at home. Let's not exaggerate 

[Blue blood]

18 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

We have beaten plenty of teams lower than us at home. Let's not exaggerate 

Lower yes - that's not what I am saying. Logically given where we are in the table there's more teams below than above us of which we will have beaten. 

I said weaker - or to be more specific the weakest teams who come and park the bus, the teams who on paper we really should be beating. Note this is quite a bit different to lower than us. 

It's been a challenge throughout TMs tenure and whilst we have beaten a couple of them, there's a fair number we have struggled to beat and not done so. Just this season alone Luton and Charlton bear us and Wigan drew - a Wigan team without a win in 26 league games. That's terrible away form and one that we should have punished. Even the Barnsley game which we won we made heavy weather of. 

So yes, no exaggeration, we struggle Vs the weakest teams in the division. TM struggles to stop the park the bus approach. I think that's a pretty fair comment borne out by the evidence. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, Blue blood said:

Lower yes - that's not what I am saying. Logically given where we are in the table there's more teams below than above us of which we will have beaten. 

I said weaker - or to be more specific the weakest teams who come and park the bus, the teams who on paper we really should be beating. Note this is quite a bit different to lower than us. 

It's been a challenge throughout TMs tenure and whilst we have beaten a couple of them, there's a fair number we have struggled to beat and not done so. Just this season alone Luton and Charlton bear us and Wigan drew - a Wigan team without a win in 26 league games. That's terrible away form and one that we should have punished. Even the Barnsley game which we won we made heavy weather of. 

So yes, no exaggeration, we struggle Vs the weakest teams in the division. TM struggles to stop the park the bus approach. I think that's a pretty fair comment borne out by the evidence. 

We wouldn't be where we are if we couldn't beat teams below us or "weaker teams". You can pick out 1 or 2 examples this season,but it isn't the norm. 

Every club in the division struggles at times. The results show this. 

I think the board needs to look a bit more at all the positives. I'm not saying there aren't challenges,but perspective is important. 

[Blue blood]

53 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

We wouldn't be where we are if we couldn't beat teams below us or "weaker teams". You can pick out 1 or 2 examples this season,but it isn't the norm. 

Every club in the division struggles at times. The results show this. 

I think the board needs to look a bit more at all the positives. I'm not saying there aren't challenges,but perspective is important. 

Again you are missing my point although I might not be making it as clear as I think I am. By weaker I mean weakest. As I said before we struggle Vs teams that park the bus Vs us. Those are the type of teams I am talking avout. And there's more than 1 or 2 examples - this season alone I can think of 4 or 5. 

There are loads of positives too but that doesn't negotiate this weakness. In contrast I'd feel more.confident going up against any of the division away from home. But equally the negative is I worry we don't have a strategy to beat the park the bus teams at Ewood.