Pre-Season

[Guest]

Take the results element out of it @roversfan99, We play much better, attractive, attacking and potent football against teams in the Top 12 than the Bottom 12. We cannot break teams down in the bottom half.

I didn't refer to the teams I referred to because of their league position, more because of their play style. Brentford, Reading, Swansea, Cardiff all try and play football - we've done well against those teams this year. Luton, Charlton, Wigan, Birmingham don't try and play football and we've done miserably against those types for season upon season.

Take the league position and the actual result out of the equation and analyse the way we play, the fluidity, the chances we create - I'd much rather face Swansea tomorrow in a fixture than Wigan Athletic. Because I know what we're like against those two types of teams.

[roversfan99]

12 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Take the results element out of it @roversfan99, We play much better, attractive, attacking and potent football against teams in the Top 12 than the Bottom 12. We cannot break teams down in the bottom half.

I didn't refer to the teams I referred to because of their league position, more because of their play style. Brentford, Reading, Swansea, Cardiff all try and play football - we've done well against those teams this year. Luton, Charlton, Wigan, Birmingham don't try and play football and we've done miserably against those types for season upon season.

Take the league position and the actual result out of the equation and analyse the way we play, the fluidity, the chances we create - I'd much rather face Swansea tomorrow in a fixture than Wigan Athletic. Because I know what we're like against those two types of teams.

Surely results are all that matters though? I do think we struggle v the lower teams but I definitely do not think we play "much better, attractive, attacking and potent football" against the top teams. Certainly not potent, and often quite defensive.and pragmatic, Brentford at home being the perfect example. But ultimately results wise that is all that is important, and we arent particularly good against the top teams either.

I am not sure that Cardiff particularly try and play football, they are quite pragmatic but effectively so. They play actual wingers too.

[RoversClitheroe]

2 hours ago, JoeH said:

 analyse the way we play, the fluidity, the chances we create 

Did you watch how awful we've been this season? 

It's been anything but fluid, all it's been is hoof ball to Arma and passing around the 2 centre backs. 

There has been very little fluidity.

Very few chances created majority of Armas goals were from outside the box with very little chance of going in.

[oldjamfan1]

I understand that we are trying to fix up a friendly with Celtic, the sticking point is that the 20/21 SPFL season starts on Saturday. I doubt the Celtic skipper would play in it if it comes off but it would be good to see young Travis have an hour or so up against Scott Brown.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Did you watch how awful we've been this season? 

Yes... We struggle to break down teams who defend well, or at least defend in numbers, and we aren't capable of dealing with counter attacks from opposition set ups. I watched that and have watched that for the last two years. Personally I believe if we can learn to beat the Luton's and the Charlton's and the Barnsley's of this world consistently, we'll have a great shot at the top 6. 

If we lose to a Brentford we lose, they're a TOP team, but it's actually quite rare that we do. We have decent records against the "better" teams. Taken significant points from West Brom, Leeds, Brentford in the last few seasons

[oldjamfan1]

Just now, JoeH said:

Yes... We struggle to break down teams who defend well, or at least defend in numbers, and we aren't capable of dealing with counter attacks from opposition set ups. I watched that and have watched that for the last two years. Personally I believe if we can learn to beat the Luton's and the Charlton's and the Barnsley's of this world consistently, we'll have a great shot at the top 6. 

If we lose to a Brentford we lose, they're a TOP team, but it's actually quite rare that we do. We have decent records against the "better" teams. Taken significant points from West Brom, Leeds, Brentford in the last few seasons

We took 1 point from four games against those first two teams this season. Hardly significant really. There's no real pattern to who Rovers might gain or lose points against as far as I can see, and it often depends which version of Rovers turns up and less about how the opposition plays.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

We took 1 point from four games against those first two teams this season. Hardly significant really.

West Brom and Leeds the best two teams in the division, so a little unfair as not many teams did take points from them. But over a two year period, evidence suggests that we take points from teams who try and play football on the floor against us, rather than lumping it forward and sitting 10 men behind the ball against us.

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, JoeH said:

West Brom and Leeds the best two teams in the division, so a little unfair as not many teams did take points from them. But over a two year period, evidence suggests that we take points from teams who try and play football on the floor against us, rather than lumping it forward and sitting 10 men behind the ball against us.

Fulham ?

[Guest]

Just now, rigger said:

Fulham ?

Not really a play it on the floor side, they lump to Mitrovic and then make sure they don't concede any. That's at least how I personally view them. I'm not talking about "we do well against the best teams", I'm saying we do okay against the "footballing" teams. Brentford, Leeds, West Brom, Reading, Swansea, Cardiff etc... 

Millwall, Fulham, Boro, Birmingham, Stoke, Huddersfield, Wigan aren't the worst teams in our division at all, but we struggle against them because they're direct, they sit back on leads and very often don't really try and play out. 

[rigger]

Just now, JoeH said:

Not really a play it on the floor side, they lump to Mitrovic and then make sure they don't concede any. That's at least how I personally view them. I'm not talking about "we do well against the best teams", I'm saying we do okay against the "footballing" teams. Brentford, Leeds, West Brom, Reading, Swansea, Cardiff etc... 

Millwall, Fulham, Boro, Birmingham, Stoke, Huddersfield, Wigan aren't the worst teams in our division at all, but we struggle against them because they're direct, they sit back on leads and very often don't really try and play out. 

No, they play to their strengths. Either on the floor through midfield, Or a more direct tactic if they are having no success through midfield.

[Ewood Ace]

19 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Not really a play it on the floor side, they lump to Mitrovic and then make sure they don't concede any. That's at least how I personally view them. I'm not talking about "we do well against the best teams", I'm saying we do okay against the "footballing" teams. Brentford, Leeds, West Brom, Reading, Swansea, Cardiff etc... 

I'd hardly call Cardiff a footballing team. Far from it in fact. Also very wrong to suggest that Fulham just lump it up to Mitrovic, they are a good footballing side. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Ewood Ace

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

40 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Not really a play it on the floor side, they lump to Mitrovic and then make sure they don't concede any.

Utter nonsense. 

[roversfan99]

Fulham have had over 58% possession (only Leeds have higher) on average and indeed often over play if anything. So saying that they are anything other than a "play it on the floor side" is nonsense.

Cardiff on the other hand have the second lowest possession stat. Reading the 6th lowest.

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Surely results are all that matters though? I do think we struggle v the lower teams but I definitely do not think we play "much better, attractive, attacking and potent football" against the top teams. Certainly not potent, and often quite defensive.and pragmatic, Brentford at home being the perfect example. But ultimately results wise that is all that is important, and we arent particularly good against the top teams either.

I am not sure that Cardiff particularly try and play football, they are quite pragmatic but effectively so. They play actual wingers too.

Harris has done a good job but it isn't very watchable for their neutral fan. Mendez Laing is a quality player

We took 4 points from Brentford which should have been 6 points without that dodgy penalty. Did you think we played defensive when we played them at Griffin Park? 

 

[Ewood Ace]

5 hours ago, JoeH said:

 We cannot break teams down in the bottom half.

Nonsense. Goals scored against bottom half teams 38, goals scored against top half teams 28. Games failed to score against bottom half teams 5. Games failed to score against teams in the top half also 5. Not to mention the fact that we took 38 points of the teams in the bottom half whereas we only took 25 points of teams in the top half.

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Harris has done a good job but it isn't very watchable for their neutral fan. Mendez Laing is a quality player

We took 4 points from Brentford which should have been 6 points without that dodgy penalty. Did you think we played defensive when we played them at Griffin Park? 

 

I dont think you have really grasped the argument. 

Brentford away I think we were dominated which I expected even before we got an early goal. We got a dodgy penalty, as did they.

But I think we definitely do have a problem against lower teams, 15 points in 14 games v the bottom 7 is really poor. That being said, our record against the top team isnt great either. The 4 points v Brentford came in good performances but defensive ones. We certainly dont play "much better, attractive, attacking and potent football" against them, thats for sure!

All that matters is results. Harris has done an excellent job even if he is a prick.

[chaddyrovers]

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont think you have really grasped the argument. 

Brentford away I think we were dominated which I expected even before we got an early goal. We got a dodgy penalty, as did they.

But I think we definitely do have a problem against lower teams, 15 points in 14 games v the bottom 7 is really poor. That being said, our record against the top team isnt great either. The 4 points v Brentford came in good performances but defensive ones. We certainly dont play "much better, attractive, attacking and potent football" against them, thats for sure!

All that matters is results. Harris has done an excellent job even if he is a prick.

our Pen was clear cut, Another Raya mistake. 

I agree we have problem against Lower teams who bullied us in midfield then we stop controlling the games. 

Harris has done a very good job were Warnock couldn't get them going. His tactics are very simple and play to strength of that team. Still think they lack an Quality Striker and they don't have plan B as we found out against us

 

[Oldgregg86]

I don’t know or look at stats but it seems we struggle more against the perceived lower, less attractive /footballing teams. I don’t know if this is down to expectations more than anything. When you expect or should be beating teams and don’t they stand out more than say a win against Bristol city  if that makes sense. I haven’t looked at the stats in other posts so I might be talking shite ??

[Scotland1]

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Fulham have had over 58% possession (only Leeds have higher) on average and indeed often over play if anything. So saying that they are anything other than a "play it on the floor side" is nonsense.

Cardiff on the other hand have the second lowest possession stat. Reading the 6th lowest.

We can’t be that far off being the lowest 

[AllRoverAsia]

7 hours ago, Scotland1 said:

We can’t be that far off being the lowest 

How can any team at any level of football only commit an average of 1.3 Fouls per game?

When we factor in today's over-fussy, whistle happy Refs and diving players it's an amazing stat.

OR are these stats for the Rovers Under 5s girls team?

[Mattyblue]

They can’t be right, Travis makes at least 5 fouls a game on his own...

Edited July 28, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Rogerb]

Decimal point in wrong place perhaps more like 13 fouls a game

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

15 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Harris has done a good job but it isn't very watchable for their neutral fan. Mendez Laing is a quality player

We took 4 points from Brentford which should have been 6 points without that dodgy penalty. Did you think we played defensive when we played them at Griffin Park? 

 

They got Mendez-Laing from Rochdale for next to nothing.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

15 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

our Pen was clear cut, Another Raya mistake. 

I agree we have problem against Lower teams who bullied us in midfield then we stop controlling the games. 

Harris has done a very good job were Warnock couldn't get them going. His tactics are very simple and play to strength of that team. Still think they lack an Quality Striker and they don't have plan B as we found out against us

 

They tried for a quality striker but the lad died in that plane crash in the Channel.

[roversfan99]

They have Robert Glatzel who they signed from Germany who started to settle towards the end of the season.