Stoke City home

[DE.]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Hes dismal isnt he. People have been suggesting that hes a different player lately, I must be watching different games! His excellent is average to anyone else. I just hope we dont give him a new deal.

The standard in this league is often poor enough that Bell can get away with looking decent in some games, but in games like tonight when we need some quality from our full backs against a stubbornly resistant team you can see it just isn't there. Worth noting that whilst Nyambe has improved considerably as of late he also remains on no goals and no assists for the season, and didn't get any last season either. Even Cunningham managed one assist in his brief time here, and Bennett has 4 assists this season.  

[jim mk2]

We've taken three points from home games against Stoke, Huddersfield, Wigan, Charlton and Luton. 

That's 12 dropped at home against struggling teams. You can't do that and expect to go up

[LDRover]

Just now, DE. said:

The standard in this league is often poor enough that Bell can get away with looking decent in some games, but in games like tonight when we need some quality from our full backs against a stubbornly resistant team you can see it just isn't there. Worth noting that whilst Nyambe has improved considerably as of late he also remains on no goals and no assists for the season, and didn't get any last season either. Even Cunningham managed one assist in his brief time here, and Bennett has 4 assists this season.  

Yeah I don't really get the Nyambe love in. A proper unit and fine athlete but lacking in fundamental ability for me.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

39 minutes ago, Wood26 said:

Imagine the outrage 10 minutes to go tonight and we put a CB on.

Downing's set pieces were terrible.  He could have played cm for last 10 mins.  Also shoving a cb up top like Samba/Hendry used to work ok.  Tosin surely worth a punt last 5 mins.

[Wood26]

36 minutes ago, Inglorious basturk said:

Because this has happened several times before . We have to go with something fresh . Mowbray is in a loop . There have been some wise imaginative appointments that have got teams out of this league , also he has spent a good amount of Money with little result 

Personally I think he’s doing a good job. Out of league 1, transition season, and the current where we have 11 games to go and are well in mix for play offs. Baring in mind he lost 2 signings Holtby and Cunningham for season who would improve us greatly and our best player Dack.

He deserves the rest of this season at the very least.

 

 

[DE.]

Just now, LDRover said:

Yeah I don't really get the Nyambe love in. A proper unit and fine athlete but lacking in fundamental ability for me.

I think Nyambe has all the attributes to be an excellent right back, but whilst he has the speed and drive for the wing back position it's no good if he can't create good chances for his team mates from out wide. Today we were very reliant on our wing backs getting high up the pitch, but there was once again nothing produced. Neither Bell nor Nyambe have a single league goal or assist to their name and we need our wing backs to at the very least provide some assists, especially on nights like tonight when we can't get through the middle. 

Nyambe is young and talented enough that with the right training he can improve this side of his game - whereas I don't see Bell getting any better than he is right now. 

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, LDRover said:

Yeah I don't really get the Nyambe love in. A proper unit and fine athlete but lacking in fundamental ability for me.

he`d be better if he had a genuine wide player backing him up to offer an overlap,on the negative,he can`t cross a football,literally,it goes anywhere but the middle

[bluebruce]

13 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Hes dismal isnt he. People have been suggesting that hes a different player lately, I must be watching different games! His excellent is average to anyone else. I just hope we dont give him a new deal.

He has been a different player. Less of a liability at the back and a bit more adventurous. Still not good enough to be our first choice LB though.

Tbf we probably can't afford to just let him go in the summer, or else we will need two LBs amongst our many, many other needs. We are likely going to settle for one, and activating the 1-year extension option on Bell to use him as backup. I don't see it going any other way realistically, as nice as it would be. At least we can do the 1 year extension instead of a whole new contract...

[chaddyrovers]

Bell is lacking confidence going forward. 

[The Mighty Chaffinch]

Our play in the first ten minutes could never be sustained for 90 minutes, but it was disappointing how quickly we dropped off from that intensity and incisiveness. Having said that, Stoke noticeably pushed up and went tighter after we'd carved them open a few times early on. For me, Rothwell should be hugging the left touchline rather than Bell. Rothwell is at his most dangerous when cutting in from the wing, something that Bell just hasn't got the confidence to do (I think the ability is in there somewhere but unlocking it???) The same issue to a lesser extent happens on the right as the out ball is always to Nyambe, who has improved immensely but still doesn't offer the kind of delivery or trickery that a genuine wideman would. A frustrating night but not a disastrous one 

[Sparks Rover]

Utter shit. Not good enough: Lenihan, Nyambe, Bell, Gallagher,  Rothwell......same old tony performance when we need a win.

No passion, no skill, no idea

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

17 minutes ago, Pedro said:

It's the lethargic attacking. Pissing about knocking the ball across our own box or along the halfway line whilst the opposition reset themselves. It's nothing short of pathetic.  We need to hit these teams quick, stretch them and get the ball up the other end in three - five touches - not twenty to thirty.

It's why we're more effective away from home. 

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Bell is lacking confidence going forward. 

Ability is the missing ingredient.

[Sparks Rover]

1 minute ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

It's why we're more effective away from home. 

Half our games are at home though. Mowbray has no tactical nous

I cant believe he sits there picking his team and thinks " Yeah  Gally, he's got to be in my starting 11.." I just don't understand what goes through his mind. DS did more in 5 mins than donkey did all game.

[Mercer]

Woeful, woeful and woeful.

I think tombola man struck again - no excuses, the buck rests with Mowbray tonight.

I would have started either Graham or Samuel before Gallagher.  I think the signing of Gallagher almost rivals the signing of Brereton for incompetence and the sheer waste of money.

To me, Buckley should have started and would have had a much better opportunity to thrive tonight in comparison to what happened at Brentford - compare the possession stats for the two games.

This is a game we had to win and I am convinced we would have won if Mowbray had got his starting eleven right.

I think it's very obvious Mowbray is not the man to take us to the next level.  IMO, dull, unimaginative and tactically, nous free. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Mercer

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

1 minute ago, Sparks Rover said:

Half our games are at home though. Mowbray has no tactical nous

I cant believe he sits there picking his team and thinks " Yeah  Gally, he's got to be in my starting 11.." I just don't understand what goes through his mind. DS did more in 5 mins than donkey did all game.

I agree wholeheartedly.  

[Tom]

Funny how we all see it different, Bell was one of our better players for me, put 4-5 really decent balls into good areas that just weren’t attacked and won a few corners on top.

Both he and Nyambe looked our most likely route to something happening 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just now, Tom said:

Funny how we all see it different, Bell was one of our better players for me, put 4-5 really decent balls into good areas that just weren’t attacked and won a few corners on top.

Both he and Nyambe looked our most likely route to something happening 

We picked up the lack of aggression  in the box. The 'forwards' didn't attack any crosses. 

[JHRover]

A completely predictable performance, game and result. I think all of us knew, deep down, that Stoke would be resilient and hard to break down and this team wouldn't have an answer for it. 

We simply don't have that extra string to our bow of being able to grind out the wins when teams make it tough for us. Lets not pretend that it is a result of injuries, lack of options or just that Stoke offered something unexpected. We had the same way back against Luton and Charlton and even going back to League One v Wimbledon and co. at Ewood. The reason that Preston are on course for the play-offs and us a mid-table finish is that they have snatched wins from these sort of games by finding a way to finish teams off at home - even if that means going direct, bullying teams or cheating. We don't do any of that, we just persist with the same slow build up play hoping that sooner or later it drops for us.

It does irritate me to see people 'taking the point' or claiming there's no harm done because other results were favourable this week. I think those people need to realise that we have a chunk of points to make up to those in the top 6 and we aren't going to do that if we celebrate not losing ground on them. Next news is we'll be quaking at the prospect of tough sides in Swansea and Derby.

My regular mention for the laughable Darren Bond and his performance tonight. I challenge anyone to explain to me how he could arrive at 3 minutes injury time after that second half, and sadly was all too happy to allow Stoke to slow the game down at every opportunity. Just a shame we didn't get such luxuries at Brentford when the referee was on to Walton at every goal kick to get moving.

Lenihan's upcoming absence surely means Mulgrew has to at least be on the bench, yet I suspect there's more to this particular scenario than people believe. It seems the Telegraph are assisting with the propaganda that Mowbray has 'moved on' from Mulgrew but with our options he simply has to be called upon. A refusal to do so gets me thinking if there are non-footballing issues in play here, again.

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, Tom said:

Funny how we all see it different, Bell was one of our better players for me, put 4-5 really decent balls into good areas that just weren’t attacked and won a few corners on top.

Both he and Nyambe looked our most likely route to something happening 

Both flatter to deceive.  I was a Bell fan but I see no real improvement, going backwards under Mowbray 

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, JHRover said:

 

Lenihan's upcoming absence surely means Mulgrew has to at least be on the bench,

No, Mowbray will bring Del and Ell in and settle for a 8th or 9th place finish now. Another year on the pension pot.....Go now Mowbray. No ambition to get up

[jim mk2]

32 minutes ago, Pedro said:

It's the lethargic attacking. Pissing about knocking the ball across our own box or along the halfway line whilst the opposition reset themselves. It's nothing short of pathetic.  We need to hit these teams quick, stretch them and get the ball up the other end in three - five touches - not twenty to thirty.

Good post. Seen it so many times at home under Mowbray. It will be the same against Swansea. Unless we score in the first 10 minutes another 0-0 is on the cards. 

[JHRover]

It's also a nonsense to keep harking on about how 'dominant' we are. Dominance to me is not having the majority of possession at home but producing nothing with it. Teams like Stoke will be more than happy for our midfielders and defenders to keep passing it around in circles before sending it back to the keeper whilst their banks organise and nullify our few threats. 

Dominance is actually making things happen and creating proper goalscoring opportunities, not being limited to a handful of mainly long range shots that the keeper deals with comfortably.

[Fraserkirky]

I'm afraid we just don't have good enough players available to be in the top 6. 

Mostly down to the recruitment efforts of Mowbray.

[Mercer]

16 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

No, Mowbray will bring Del and Ell in and settle for a 8th or 9th place finish now. Another year on the pension pot.....Go now Mowbray. No ambition to get up

Sadly, I think Mowbray and his team of coaches are as dull and as flat as the proverbial witch's t1t.  

I don't see any passion or fizz in the home technical area.

With managers like Klopp, you see and sense the passion, the personality, the charisma and the way they effect the game from the touchline.  The players see and feel it and so do the fans.  Watching our technical area during a game, IMO, you could be forgiven for thinking the stooges sat there were sat in a church awaiting the arrival of the hearse.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Mercer