Wigan Athletic (A) - Saturday 27th June (3pm)

[DE.]

Just now, superniko said:

Yes, I agree, we can certainly do better. The fact Leutwiler is the number 1 keeper on our books speaks volumes.
This alongside having to play Bennett at left back makes you scratch your head given we had 5 strikers in the match day squad today. 

Tony's penchant for overloading the team with strikers has been a consistent trait throughout his career - which is odd when you consider he played as a defender. I'm struggling to think of many permanent defensive additions he's brought in that have improved us. Raya, Lenihan, Nyambe and Mulgrew were already here. Downing I suppose you could count as he did make a good contribution, but other than that I'm struggling to think of anybody. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Marshall saved a very similar one to the cross Walton dropped for their first. The difference being Marshall held onto it. 

Walton is probably a net negative for points at this stage 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, RoversClitheroe said:

Downing a 7?!? He did absolutely nothing slows down the tempo completely. He also was at fault for the final goal. 

He was caught one on one ,he's 36 and not a defender. Harsh to blame him for it. 

[booth]

5 minutes ago, unleaded said:

This manager has his favourites and the thing is they are totally crap . how Bennett is captain is outrages & TM is a very defensive minded old school manager.

He Lined Up for a 0-0 V Wigan ... 

...Venkys backed him for our forward positions and he wasted 10 million plus on 2 duds and now he keeps playing them ......

Hes going to milk this club as long as he can cause the people around him are all asleep and worship him ...

 

Yep he went for a nil nil against a crap team, with a prayer we may snatch a win and once again dropped a bollock.

Got two forwards who can’t score week after week and left the man who scored last week sitting on his arse.

[bluebruce]

22 minutes ago, RV Blue said:

How can Mulgrew be worse than Bennett at left back?

Because he is dog slow and has no positional sense. Bennett needs to not be at left back, but we have plenty of better options there than Mulgrew.

[Ewood Ace]

The goalkeeper is quite frankly an embarrassment, he is quite possibly the worst keeper I have seen at Rovers. I didn't rate Raya but he is like Yashin compared to this clown. At both ends of the pitch we have Gallagher and Walton two men over six foot tall yet when the ball is in the air they look about 5 foot. 

Bennett was appalling as is par for the course with him. You have to wonder what Mowbray see's in him. I appreciate that we have injuries at left back but we all know how hopeless he is especially at full back. Why not give Thompson a game, he's nearly 21 just been given a new contract yet even when Williams, Bell and JRC are injured he still can't make the bench. Why bother giving him a new contract if he is not deemed a better option than Bennett.

Gallagher and Brereton are not good enough for this level, pure madness from the manager to not start Armstrong today, we looked more of a threat going forward within 5 minutes of him being on than we had in the previous 65. 

I'm afraid that this group of players and the manager simply lack the winning mentality for us to make the play offs let alone get promoted. Every time the playoffs are in sight we buckle. If have genuine aspirations for promotion we need some new faces on the pitch and in the dugout.  We need some winners, some strong characters in the dressing room to shake things up a bit, Mowbray's comments this week about spending money to keep two players who haven't played a minute this season sums up the cosy club that we currently are. 

[booth]

7 minutes ago, Riverside under the drip said:

Holtby - 5                   Tried but failed.

Agree with everything but this. I thought he was one of the ones who put a shift in. Absolutely baffling substitution.

[Mum63]

Not sure if it’s true but someone on Twitter said Armstrong had Covid 19 so 10 days behind on fitness 

[G Somerset Rover]

Evans has fractured his toe. Awful skull fracture aside, it’s a case of rinse and repeat with him in a Rovers shirt isn’t it?

Edited June 27, 2020 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

30 minutes ago, Bohinen 22 said:

Toothless toothless toothless. And a crap goalkeeper. Not a good combination.

Exactly what my son said and he watched the game. I didn't but once I saw the team I knew it was going to be one of those days.

[JPTSwindon]

Positive - controlled good parts of the game, and some nice football.  Had we taken one of the chances, we’d have deserved 3 points, but fine margins... Travis, Rothwell, Bereton and Nyambe all tried.

Negative - Walton again soft hands, but this time cost us, he has gone backwards this season.  Countless strikers (Armstrong aside), including big wage Graham and Gallagher who simply aren’t cut out for this level - Samual is probably League Two. Bennett hopeless and Davenport needs to find his passing range, which is hard without game time.

Decent keeper and off-load lots of our ‘strikers’ to get one or two who can shoot and we will be ok next season.

Edited June 27, 2020 by JPTSwindon

[RoverKyle]

11 minutes ago, aletheia said:

This result tells you all you need to know about the Rovers team and Mowbray. Third time in a row I’ve seen us lose to an inferior Wigan side. Told the missus during the second half as we were playing some reasonable stuff that Wigan would win.

I said exactly the same thing. And that we were more likely to lose 2-0 than get a goal back, with how we were playing.

[Cherry Blue]

Bennett played one good cross but for the rest of the game he did nothing that deserves him being first choice on Tuesday.

But TM has already penciled him in the team.

 

[Riverside under the drip]

3 minutes ago, booth said:

Agree with everything but this. I thought he was one of the ones who put a shift in. Absolutely baffling substitution.

I agree he put a shift in but can't remember anything he did to help us score. Again, those types of players get higher marks in a win. 6 is better than average but I really thought he was average today. It is our weakness as a club that any player who puts a shift in gets praised. That is the bare minimum for all players surely?

[jim mk2]

It looked a poor lineup and that's how it turned out. Bennett at left back is ludicrous and why does Mowbray play no-hopers such as Rothwell?  He'd be first out of the door for me

[RoverKyle]

22 minutes ago, Riverside under the drip said:

Walton - 4                    Weak keeping cost us.

Nyambe - 8                 Drove down the wing and did his job.

Tosin/Lenihan - 6.5     Looked like a comfortable afternoon. When you win, they get 7. Lose and out come 6s

Bennett - 3                  No left foot so had to turn infield every time. Gave the ball away many times. Passed back repeatedly rather than cross with his left. Truly awful.

Travis - 8                    My god he is vital to us. Without him, there was absolutely nothing in midfield in possession or out. MOTM.

Downing - 7               Sprayed the ball around and decent set pieces but didn't get a free ride without two defensive partners.

Rothwell - 5               Tried but failed.

Holtby - 5                   Tried but failed.

Brereton - 5               Tried but failed.

Gallagher - 4             Failed.

Armstrong/Samuel/Graham - 5 Too little time.

Mowbray - 4             When your team bosses the midfield but can't come close to creating a chance and you have 5 subs to play with, don't wait until the hour mark to change things.

Thank you. Just given me a good laugh with the "tried but failed" leading up to Gallagher. 

[bazza]

We have a fairly good squad when you consider the younger players. A decent manager would sort it all out and have us much better. I mean Bennett at left back.........again??????

Give me strength!!

[davulsukur]

4 point gap now.

Barnsley, Leeds, Cardiff up next and you'd say we have to win all 3 to keep any aspirations alive.

Needless to say, it's not happening

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, davulsukur said:

4 point gap now.

Barnsley, Leeds, Cardiff up next and you'd say we have to win all 3 to keep any aspirations alive.

Needless to say, it's not happening

 

Got 2 points written all over it 

[TurkishDelightFan]

39 minutes ago, booth said:

Typical Rovers. Getting beat 2-0 by an awful Wigan team.

We were better before Holtby went off. Baffling sub. Bennett is now becoming Keith Andrews levels of bad. How Gallagher keeps getting picked I don’t know. Some nice football from Brereton but he still doesn’t look like a goal scorer, never mind an expensive striker. We are still paying the price for that luxury and Tony not strengthening were necessary. Bennett should have been replaced years ago.

I understand we are stuck with Bennett but how Gallagher gets a starting place I’ll never know. Same with buying him.

Buying Brereton & Gallagher and not replacing Bennett. Ultimately those decisions will likely cost us a play off place.

 

 

Andrews was awful. 

[cesus]

We really do have some issue with getting into the Championship play offs, everytime we get anywhere near we throw in the worst possible performances!

[alcd]

4 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Got 2 points written all over it 

As many as that?

[superniko]

6 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

4 point gap now.

Barnsley, Leeds, Cardiff up next and you'd say we have to win all 3 to keep any aspirations alive.

Needless to say, it's not happening

 

Need 6 points from it, with 3 of them at Cardiff. We’ll still have a sniff if we get that. Not holding my breath though. 

[Fraserkirky]

Everyone was doing well enough before any subs, bar Gallagher and Bennett who were horrific. Folk on here pelting Rothwell and Holtby, I thought they were decent, and controlled the middle of the pitch. 
 

Bring on the youngsters on Tuesday and let’s see what we’ve got.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It sounds like we were " out enthused " again by a pretty poor team. If I'd a £ for every time that's happened over the last ten years I'd be a rich man. I can take being out skilled but being out enthused - never !

Edited June 27, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces