West Brom at home

[Commondore]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

Not done yet

12th seems about right given our performances this season, the real question is if we can push on next year? Without at least one of Dack and Armstrong, I doubt it. 

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, DE. said:

I don't think it's anything to do with the training ground, it's just the mentality of the players we've brought in. They struggle to handle the pressure of being favourites but can deal with being the underdog - a team very much in the image of their manager.

maybe your right,the ultimate answer is to get rid of the deadwood and get in better quality players,though with our owners and tony`s grasp of the transfer market im`e not geting excited

[Admiral Nelsen]

Players who have (correctly) come in for a bit of stick showed glimpses of their potential today. Even apart from the goal, Rothwell looked as productive as he has for some time. Gallagher showing that he has the attributes to cause full backs issues, even if his position isn't out wide. 

Disappointed, as even three wins will probably see us fall just short. 

[RevidgeBlue]

5 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Considering the injuries we've had this season to key players I'm more than happy to have reached 60 points with still three games to play. 

Don't really understand why your expectations for us are so low Parson.

It's been another desperately disappointing season in my book.

[DE.]

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

maybe your right,the ultimate answer is to get rid of the deadwood and get in better quality players,though with our owners and tony`s grasp of the transfer market im`e not geting excited

Better players would be a start but we also need to bring in some aggressive lads who won't accept mediocrity. Until we have a few of those dotted around the team we're destined to be nearly-rans. Too many nice lads in the team at the moment who wouldn't say boo to a goose. 

[yankfan]

14 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Davenport only needed to go for either corner and instead went down the middle (probably unintentionally). Think it was a bit of a bottle job, having been out for so long, waiting for his chance, then having the opportunity to beat possibly the best side in the league with one touch...

Gally actually played well, one of his best showings. He and Rothwell looked motivated and tidy, stark contrast to how they've been lately.

Both seemed to need a boot up their arse and motivation to compete for their place.  Gally in particular might have been too comfortable seeing his name on the sheet every day.  

[chaddyrovers]

25 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Last sentence is only there to wind people up, Chaddy and you know it.  We are 12th, i don't think that's progress. Proper little wind up merchant you are..

I don't wind People up Sparks. Very strange comments. Not me at all. It's my opinion that this team under Mowbray has made progress under him. That's my opinion if you disagree fine by me. But that's my opinion. Put Dack back in the team with a quality keeper, partner for Lenihan and good left back and we can make top 6. Must keep Armstrong and Travis. Play Davenport next to Travis. 

20 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Their goal offside?

Yes. Dack said in the commentary on Ifollow

Edited July 11, 2020 by chaddyrovers

[Stuart]

24 minutes ago, Tugay's Right Foot said:

Feel for the lad Davenport. Has done decently since he came on with some fight. Should have scored though

He made a real difference when he came on. If we can get a full back and keep Jacob fit* we should be saying our thank-yous and goodbyes  to Bennett.

I’m sure I’m his biggest critic (ha!) but I’ll give Mowbray credit for those positive substitutions, and taking the game to West Brom. He did enough today to earn three points. If one he has take this approach against Wigan and Barnsley we’d be in pole position right now.

Our lack of consistency through a constant squad rotation policy has cost us our chance of a targeted top 6 berth.

The reason we looked good in the second though is because we attacked the opposition. You can’t assemble such a poor defence/gk and be able to sit back. Dack also hinted as much early in commentary when he said if we were to score first he hoped we would go for a second and not try to hold.

Props to JRC today too who has certainly been a big improvement.

Travis is our MVP right now and just needs to learn to avoid suspensions.

Such a shame this squad is likely to be broken up rather than keeping the decent loanees and ditching the deadwood.

* lack of fitness being another key feature of Mowbray’s squad. I guess when you spend all of your budget on two duds, having to shop in the bargain basement will result in that.

[rovers11]

So frustrating not to win it at the end but a draw was probably a fair result. 

The subs changed the game. There's had a negative influence on their performance whereas ours took us up a level. Who was that striker that came on? He was called Gallagher or something like that. He looked very good! 

Holtby was outstanding when he came on. Rothwell and Davenport also impressed. 

I like the look of Rankin-Costello. Good on the ball and athletic. 

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

I don't wind People up Sparks. Very strange comments. Not me at all. It's my opinion that this team under Mowbray has made progress under him.

You know what you are doing....

[matt83]

Decent draw. We’re such a bloody frustrating side. Get results against the better teams in the league but add a bit of play off pressure there’s a total meltdown against even the worst sides in the division.

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

I don't wind People up Sparks. Very strange comments. Not me at all. It's my opinion that this team under Mowbray has made progress under him. That's my opinion if you disagree fine by me. But that's my opinion. Put Dack back in the team with a quality keeper, partner for Lenihan and good left back and we can make top 6

Yes. Dack said in the commentary on Ifollow

What do you think of our tactics at the moment? All seems a little confused to me. The false 9 and wide strikers tactics I am not convinced by, then when the subs came on it was hard to really make out a shape.

That Cardiff game is the exception rather than the rule. Graham looked back to being his past his best today, Samuel out wide totally ineffective as he normally is. How do we line up on Tuesday night?

We need to find a consistent way of playing tactically, that suits our team.

It is not getting results either, our recent form is 10 points from 10 games I think which is not good enough.

[tomphil]

4 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

Was nice to see us grow into the game as time went on, rather than fade away and look tired. I thought we were solid in the first half, and defended well, save for an offside goal from West Brom. The good teams know when to contain and when to look for a goal, and I thought we did that well today. I think we've been better at that this season, instead of tiring ourselves out early on and drifting out of the game to late goals. West Brom are clearly one of the quality teams in the league, and there's no shame in a point against them, even if we are down to 12th.

Gallagher in a front-two looks so much more potent than out wide. He was our game-changer today; an assist for our equaliser, and a would-be assist for what should have been the winner. Can't be too harsh on Davenport for his finish, though, given his lack of game time. I thought he filled in well for Downing when he came on.

We still have an outside-chance at the play-offs, so at least our season is still alive. It's difficult to accept how we struggle against the likes of Barnsley, and then put in good performances against teams in the top-half, but I can see fair progression compared to last season. Imagine what a difference one or two decent and fit full-backs would have done to our season... 

Said all along that Gallagher is an old school forward or at least has some attributes for it. 442 with a decent striker and let him do the graft like Newell did for Speedie then Shearer.  Ideal for that you don't have to be the best technician in the world just graft.

Pray 442 comes back in fashion soon although god knows what TMs interpretation of it would be.

[Tugayisgod]

Bit off topic I know but did anyone have issues with I follow again? 

Don't know if it was just me but the picture was really poor and juddery nearly all game. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, Tugayisgod said:

Bit off topic I know but did anyone have issues with I follow again? 

Don't know if it was just me but the picture was really poor and juddery nearly all game. 

It made me dizzy!

[rigger]

1 minute ago, Tugayisgod said:

Bit off topic I know but did anyone have issues with I follow again? 

Don't know if it was just me but the picture was really poor and juddery nearly all game. 

Mine was ok. I will pay for mid-week Away games next season.

 

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

What do you think of our tactics at the moment? All seems a little confused to me. The false 9 and wide strikers tactics I am not convinced by, then when the subs came on it was hard to really make out a shape.

That Cardiff game is the exception rather than the rule. Graham looked back to being his past his best today, Samuel out wide totally ineffective as he normally is. How do we line up on Tuesday night?

We need to find a consistent way of playing tactically, that suits our team.

It is not getting results either, our recent form is 10 points from 10 games I think which is not good enough.

I wasn't confused by the tactics today. The 4-3-3 false 9 formation didnt work aswell as the Cardiff game but WBA are much better team then Cardiff. 

As Dack said in the commentary we move to box midfield which is 2 defensive midfielders with 2 number 10's and 2 strikers. Not seen us played it before. Seen in Spanish and German football. 

We adapt to the different formation very well. 

Millwall game team selection? I haven't thought about it yet. 

 

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

I wasn't confused by the tactics today. The 4-3-3 false 9 formation didnt work aswell as the Cardiff game but WBA are much better team then Cardiff. 

As Dack said in the commentary we move to box midfield which is 2 defensive midfielders with 2 number 10's and 2 strikers. Not seen us played it before. Seen in Spanish and German football. 

We adapt to the different formation very well. 

Millwall game team selection? I haven't thought about it yet. 

 

we all know footballers ar`nt the brightest of people so burdening them with numerous formations is a bit silly,get them to learn how to play at home and away,keep it simple and let the opposition worry about us not us worry about them,from the great liverpool and forest sides of the 70`s and 80`s to fergies utd domination,they played the same way every week no matter who the opposition was

[tomphil]

Just now, OnePhilT said:

Only thing is, phil, we don't seem to play with wingers under any circumstance. Maybe it's out of date for a reason that we minions don't know about. I can't say I notice too many teams that play that way, these days, e.g. with a Wilcox or Rippers crossing all day long. Unfortunately, I think Gally is not going to be playing in a front-two too many times under Mogga, and I don't think he's mastered the lone-striker role, either. Assuming that we have to focus funds on defence for next season, I think we are stuck with our current crop of strikers for a promotion push - although that's not to say that they won't improve.

No i can't see it either teams or at least a lot of them set out to negate and cancel out each other and try and open up a little space elsewhere. The championship tactics wise resembles the early 90's Serie A although there isn't the quality to stand out.

Our pool of strikers will continue to be rotated and continue to flatter to deceive the only hope is be in a similar position this time next season and a couple of the hit their little purple patches.  Very much seems a law of averages system Mowbray employs and just goes in hope all the dice drop in his favour at some point if he keeps rolling them.

[roversfan99]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

I wasn't confused by the tactics today. The 4-3-3 false 9 formation didnt work aswell as the Cardiff game but WBA are much better team then Cardiff. 

As Dack said in the commentary we move to box midfield which is 2 defensive midfielders with 2 number 10's and 2 strikers. Not seen us played it before. Seen in Spanish and German football. 

We adapt to the different formation very well. 

Millwall game team selection? I haven't thought about it yet. 

 

The 4-3-3 formation is not the route IMO that we should go down. I am not a fan of the false 9 formation, Graham isnt a false 9, and before that, v Wigan, Barnsley and even Bristol City Holtby looked really unfamiliar with that position. We have Dack to return and Holtby now, natural number 10s, we should build around them. You look at West Brom, they take off a good player, on comes another one but the system remains the same. Leeds are the same.

Today I felt that we were dominated up until the last 20 minutes when it was more a case that the game was stretched and of course we had momentum from the goal, and Holtby and Rothwell changed the game. I feel like false 9s, inside forwards and box midfields is just needless over-complication.

I would go back to 4231 midweek, with Armstrong as a 9, Holtby 10, Rothwell left, Rankin Costello right, Downing left back.

[WacoRover]

50 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Disappointed not to win that game at the end. 

Pleased Rothwell scored and had impact again. 

Holtby and Davenport should have scored.

Rothwell, Holtby, Davenport and Gallagher all came on a gave a positive performance.

Progress being made by us under Mowbray. 

we have equaled last seasons wins & ties. Most of it without Dack. 
 

The difficulty, 5/11 of our starters probably won’t be with Rovers next year. Let’s hope we can hang onto our young nucleus, and maybe pickup a couple of freebies to plug in key places. 

[tomphil]

On another note Covid has robbed the club of another 18k gate today as they'd surely have brought a large following of 5k plus.

Dependent on what silly Steve did with the ticket prices of course.

[Tugay-is-God]

52 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Last sentence is only there to wind people up, Chaddy and you know it.  We are 12th, i don't think that's progress. Proper little wind up merchant you are..

While praise for Mowbray may wind up some, don't forget that the relentless criticism winds up others.

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

Progress being made by us under Mowbray. 

 

59 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

 

Considering the injuries we've had this season to key players I'm more than happy to have reached 60 points with still three games to play. 

IMO, Mowbray sells bullsh1t and mediocrity and, sadly, some buy it!

Progress - our squad is unbalanced, threadbare and with the exception of 3 or 4 players, badly short on quality.  At best, IMO, we will only finish marginally ahead of where we were last season.  If you think that's progress..................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for injuries to key players - all part and parcel of the game.  All teams suffer injuries.  That's why you have a squad of players.  If Mowbray hadn't spunked almost £20million (including wages) up the wall on two, IMO,  diabolical strikers, there would have been more resource to have a stronger squad with more quality in depth to cover for injuries.

In my book, we are treading water at best and I think we will be in for a rude awakening next season when, IMO, Mowbray's very, very poor player trading record will catch up with us and really bite us on the arse. 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Mercer

[Guest]

Won't comment on the game too much as I missed most of the first half. From what I gather it was a poor display in the first 45mins, much better second half. Nice to see Travis absolutely dominating an experienced side and getting into Livermore's head for a third consecutive game. JRC sounds like he had another competent match and Mowbray seems to claim their goal was offside.

Without being able to comment too much on how we played I'll say this, a draw against West Brom is a great result.