Home V Fulham 08/02/2020

[Pedro]

9 hours ago, Parsonblue said:

I think there have been times in a number of games this season where one can see the progression that Mowbray is trying to make in terms of the style of football.  Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday away were two games when it clicked for the majority of the game.  In other games there have been spells when we've played well but lacked the finishing touch in the six yard box.  I think the football has been better this season than last despite the loss of Dack, who to be fair had been very in and out prior to his injury.  

I didn't have a problem today when we started to go long in the final stages of the match.  It seemed to be the tactic that unsettled Fulham the most - although I thought Michael Hector was outstanding for them at the heart of their defence.  

For me, we are still very much a work in progress in terms of transitioning from a long-ball, direct style, to a more possession based style.  It's clear the players are very much with Mowbray and what he is attempting to do.  Ultimately, he will need the new emphasis on European scouting to come up with the goods in the summer to improve the team.  It was clear from the meeting on Thursday that the domestic market isn't going to work given the club's welcome, if belated, decision to impose a sensible wage structure.

I see no work in progress and I don't see players on board with this ridiculous imaginary masterplan.  What I do see, week after week (two or three performances apart) is:

Confusion.

Terrible (BASIC) passing.

Cagey play.

Players out of position.

Physically weak players.

Shirking challenges and headers.

Us clearly second best until we simplify things and get the ball higher up the field.

A complete lack of energy and intensity  by the majority.

Backing off and allowing teams to walk up to our area.

Awful quality of crosses into the box.

Us running the clock down when losing or drawing.

 

Give me the much more effective wing play or direct style over this mundane Mowbray crap.  The guy hasn't remotely  got the know-how, scouting or finances to create his Barcelona on a budget.  I honestly don't think that's what any self-respecting Rovers fan wants either. We want a competitive side that gives their all and bloodies the nose of the opposition if we lose.  When we awoke for ten seconds before the referee blew his whistle - you could sense the crowd waking up and getting behind them once they finally but their bodies in for challenges. 

Players where they should be. Higher intensity. Move that ball quicker and more soldiers and less piss artists, Mowbray. Simple.

 

 

[Paul Mani]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Stoke have the biggest budget in the league and they are trying to stay out of the third division. It’s not as simple as you seem to make it.

No, it’s not simple. There are lots of different reasons and I’m not saying we’re perfect or even very good. I’m saying that the people who are so disgusted about yesterday could do with looking at some of the wider context.

[Paul Mani]

Just now, Pedro said:

I see no work in progress and I don't see players on board with this ridiculous imaginary masterplan.  What I do see, week after week (two or three performances apart) is:

Confusion.

Terrible (BASIC) passing.

Cagey play.

Players out of position.

Physically weak players.

Shirking challenges and headers.

Us clearly second best until we simplify things and get the ball higher up the field.

A complete lack of energy and intensity  by the majority.

Backing off and allowing teams to walk up to our area.

Awful quality of crosses into the box.

Us running the clock down when losing or drawing.

 

Give me the much more effective wing play or direct style over this mundane Mowbray crap.  The guy hasn't remotely  got the know-how, scouting or finances to create his Barcelona on a budget.  I honestly don't think that's what any self-respecting Rovers fan wants either. We want a competitive side that gives their all and bloodies the nose of the opposition if we lose.  When we awoke for ten seconds before the referee blew his whistle - you could sense the crowd waking up and getting behind them once they finally but their bodies in for challenges. 

Players where they should be. Higher intensity. Move that ball quicker and more soldiers and less piss artists, Mowbray. Simple.

 

 

Agree with much of what you’re saying but none of the stuff highlighted. If we had done all of that we’d have been under siege and lost 0-5.

 

[Doogs]

Which ever way you look at it, we are simply not good enough. We are nothing more than mid table. I thought Fulham had an easy ride yesterday. Tony set us up to contain them, rather than have a real go from the start. Not nice to watch..

[chaddyrovers]

15 minutes ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

Watching the Sky highlights to see the disallowed goal again, only to find it isn't included. Must mean it wasn't a highlight.

Bell has improved recently.

JRC was out of his depth yesterday. In hindsight (maybe) Bennett should have played there.

Was that Tosin who was flummoxed by Mitrovic for the goal ?

Why bring Ben on with 2 minutes left ?

Walton was MOM yesterday.

Travis didn't do anything of note apart from play them in for the goal. Walton basically stopped it finishing 3-0.

Graham still our best striker and only physical presence. Fantasic attitude as well.

 

Very poor overall. Attendance was also dire. Tuesday is likely to be the lowest actual attendance of the season. 

Rovers have posted online highlights or Sky Sports have done highlights of each game for 15 mins on Sky Football channel

[MarkBRFC]

43 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

Well we do know cos our manager has commented on it unless you think he lying guys. He was on side by 2 or 3 yards according to Mowbray last night. Even at the time he look on side to me. Cos Lenihan ran on to the ball from just outside of the box whilst Fulham defenders are static on edge of the ball or 17 yards out from the goal line. 

 

You said it was onside because you saw the footage back on Quest. That footage didn't give any conclusive verdict either way.

Now you are saying it was onside because Mowbray said it was, then had the nerve to ask if we think he is lying.

I'm not going to blindly accept something because Mowbray says so, he also said earlier in the season when he was getting a bit tetchy, that Gallagher scored two against Preston, and it was a "load of crap" that his first went down as an own goal. It was an own goal, if it didnt hit the keeper on the head then it doesn't go in.

Sky didn't mention it, it didn't get a mention in the Quest analysis, that enough tells me that nobody really saw it as a big deal and would make me lean towards it being off rather than on.

[chaddyrovers]

12 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Stoke have the biggest budget in the league and they are trying to stay out of the third division. It’s not as simple as you seem to make it, otherwise why bother competing? As you can see throughout this league with some of the clubs towards the top and bottom, and the one above with Sheff Utd riding high.

Stoke problems are deep rooted for the last 4 years. How much have they spent since being in Championship and gone backwards? Look at what Michael O'Neill and his staff have done since taking over. Playing players in the right positions, getting rid of players, rebuilding Butland confidence with a new GK coach appointed. 

[Mattyblue]

The ‘attendance’ will be 11,000 on  Tuesday. Near freezing and blustery is the forecast, so a real crowd of 7/8 (thousand, not hundred).

[Mattyblue]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Stoke problems are deep rooted for the last 4 years. How much have they spent since being in Championship and gone backwards? Look at what Michael O'Neill and his staff have done since taking over. Playing players in the right positions, getting rid of players, rebuilding Butland confidence with a new GK coach appointed. 

They are in a relegation battle. Mani was taking about budgets and seeing it a wondrous thing that we kept it to 1-0 yesterday.

PNE’s budget is one of the smallest, Stoke’s is massive and look at them both. 

[OldEwoodBlue]

5 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Agree with much of what you’re saying but none of the stuff highlighted. If we had done all of that we’d have been under siege and lost 0-5.

 

I agree with most of it including the points you highlighted Paul.

Tbf Walton stopped it being at least 3-0

 

Was quite a bit of shirking challenges and headers yesterday. Maybe it was psychological not wanting more injuries. Travis in particular pulled out of a few first half making me think hes avoiding picking up a yellow by instruction.

The passing is poor in that everything up top is too static. Passes should be played into space for players to run on to. See how quickly pretty much all PL sides get the ball from one end to the other. Prime example on the highlights just before the Gally header. Ball gets played wide behind the man who has to go back to collect it. That is very basic passing. Too many times the ball can be played into a channel but instead we wait and play to feet. Way too static and predictable. 

[chaddyrovers]

1 minute ago, MarkBRFC said:

You said it was onside because you saw the footage back on Quest. That footage didn't give any conclusive verdict either way.

Now you are saying it was onside because Mowbray said it was, then had the nerve to ask if we think he is lying.

I said at the time in the match that it was onside. Also post that after the match before any Quest highlights were seen. After reading Mowbray's post match comments back up my point..

1 minute ago, MarkBRFC said:

Sky didn't mention it, it didn't get a mention in the Quest analysis, that enough tells me that nobody really saw it as a big deal and would make me lean towards it being off rather than o

Sky do show it on the highlights they show on their Sky football channel. Plus on their highlights on Rovers official site. Have you seen either? 

[Oldgregg86]

I agree bell has improved over the last few weeks although yesterday he seemed reluctant to run and drive into the space in front of him, again his main quality and attribute. Not blaming bell because he was clearly under instruction but the amount of times he stopped and played it back to the CBs when he could of drove forward was irritating 

[Pedro]

1 minute ago, Paul Mani said:

Agree with much of what you’re saying but none of the stuff highlighted. If we had done all of that we’d have been under siege and lost 0-5.

 

The stuff you put in bold are my main gripes.  It was well on show yesterday. Gallagher, Bell, Johnson shirked tackle after tackle.

We ARE a physically weak team. When we line up, we are visibly smalker and our biggest lad (Gallagher) is nothing shy of a shitbag. Our bravest player is Travis and Nyambe is our strongest but often limps off as he can't cope either with pain or fatigue.  Dack and Graham certainly put themselves about - the likes of Brereton and Bell look like they have a tickling strangers fetish.  

Yesterday, Lenihan, Johnson, Travis, Bell, Nyambe, Gallagher's distribution was poor for large parts of the game.

Yesterday, first half, too often we'd win the ball back but nobody committed forwards, so we were snuffed out at the edge of the box.

We do back off and back off without people closing the ball down. We often concede this way and it is usually when we lose the ball around the halfway line.

As for running the clock down, how often do you see a series of pointless sideways passes on the edge of our box whilst the opposition resets themselves? Far too often.

 

Some of our best goals recently are when we hit teams on the break and have a quick interchange of forward passes and tap in from 8 -10 yards out.  But no, we choose the non-committal, lethargic approach as Plan A. 

[Pedro]

13 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Rovers have posted online highlights or Sky Sports have done highlights of each game for 15 mins on Sky Football channel

Have you seen it?? I only saw it in real-time and it was nowhere near offside.

[chaddyrovers]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

They are in a relegation battle. Mani was taking about budgets and seeing it a wondrous thing that we kept it to 1-0 yesterday.

PNE’s budget is one of the smallest, Stoke’s is massive and look at them both. 

Right. Look at WBA, Leeds, Fulham and Forest budget? All bigger than ours and in top 6. Brentford model is unique and something I like and would like to see us. Preston are 6th at the minute but I.dont see them making playoffs. Bristol City were 6th before yesterday games. What their budget like? 

[Oldgregg86]

2 minutes ago, Pedro said:

t - the likes of Brereton and Bell look like they have a tickling strangers fetish.  

??I think you do because that tickled me 

Edited February 9, 2020 by Oldgregg86

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, Pedro said:

Have you seen it?? I only saw it in real-time and it was nowhere near offside.

I've seen all highlights out there. Plus in real time. Not offside which is point! Another EFL poor linesman 

[Pedro]

Just now, Oldgregg86 said:

??I think you do because that tickled me 

? Shhh!

[G Somerset Rover]

9 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

That is absolutely embarassing.

Mowbray got away with murder on those two at the fans consultation.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Mashed Potatoes]

36 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Interesting that you mention those two. The only two in the top six who have a similar budget to us. I think we’re very similar in squad quality and depth to PNE. There’s not a lot of difference between us and my guess is we’d finish very close to them all things being equal. I still don’t think we’ll finish far from them this season.

The Brentford model is absolutely mustard. Fair play to them. They’re the exception to every rule and I’d imagine there’s clubs with far bigger budgets than us looking over admiringly at them.

But there’s no similarity in quality between us and Fulham. Whilst I too am aghast at the waste around SG and BB, unless we had Brentford’s model (which goes FAR beyond just transfers and has been being built for 5+ years), then £11m wouldn’t stand a chance of us standing toe to toe with Fulham. We would’ve had to try and out work them...which I think we could’ve done and maybe won with a bit more quality on the pitch.

 

Worth bearing in mind that Brentford are in their sixth season since promotion to the Championship. How many people on here would be that patient so as to wait until 2024 ?

[matt83]

To maximise our chances of getting out of this division we need a big budget to bring in good players or a good manager working on a shoe string.

Sadly we have neither.

 

[Mattyblue]

5 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Right. Look at WBA, Leeds, Fulham and Forest budget? All bigger than ours and in top 6. Brentford model is unique and something I like and would like to see us. Preston are 6th at the minute but I.dont see them making playoffs. Bristol City were 6th before yesterday games. What their budget like? 

I know they are too 6, as they should be all being equal. Budgets are important, but not everything, as the table proves.

Our budget is certainly competitive, £12 million on two players would come in handy for two thirds of the sides, you’d imagine....

[47er]

Just now, matt83 said:

To maximise our chances of getting out of this division we need a big budget to bring in good players or a good manager working on a shoe string.

Sadly we have neither.

 

That's as true as it gets.  

[Oldgregg86]

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

Worth bearing in mind that Brentford are in their sixth season since promotion to the Championship. How many people on here would be that patient so as to wait until 2024 ?

Almost all of us if we could see a clear plan that was in progress and working. We are three years into Tony’s and we have to start again in July 

Edited February 9, 2020 by Oldgregg86

[OldEwoodBlue]

10 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I said at the time in the match that it was onside. Also post that after the match before any Quest highlights were seen. After reading Mowbray's post match comments back up my point..

Sky do show it on the highlights they show on their Sky football channel. Plus on their highlights on Rovers official site. Have you seen either? 

I can't see it on the rovers site. Is it subscription only ?

Don't have Sky sports. Can you video it with your phone and post ?