Cardiff (H) - Saturday 3rd October 2020

[Paul Mani]

Was always going to be a difficult game. The stats tell us, as do my eyes, that we were by far the better team. Having said that I thought that was the least fluent we’ve been since preseason. Though I’d put that down mostly to Cardiff’s Defensive skills than us being poor.

Was always going to come down to a couple of good chances, which we had and didn’t take. Arma and Gally had guilt edged chances. On another day, one of those snapshots from the likes of Arma, Holtby, Rothwell or Johnson outside the box flies into the top corner.

In these types of games you have to take your chances. That’s why top quality like Mitrovic is so revered. Maybe Dack would’ve found a way?

7pts and +8 gd from four games is a solid start from what looked like a tough set of fixtures when they were released. 

[USABlue]

15 hours ago, AdamRochina said:

Really poor performance today. Shame.  Would of been Great to see us into the international break after playing really well in the last three games 

Well, we have another poor one coming first game after the break too.

[moerpho]

What a weird time to be alive! I went into this one 100% we would lose after those two brilliant performances. I swear it is written in a book somewhere - win 2 on the trot with magnificent numbers and thou shalt lose the next one to poorer opposition! Still....getting a point at home in a game where I expected us to get zilch still leaves me feeling av bit deflated. Then I take a step back, remember that earlier key players like Lenihan, Travis and Dack are all out injured and things aren't looking quite so bleak. Then take a look at how the other teams are doing in this batshit league and I can't help feeling a bit optimistic. Then it's onto this board and that deflated feeling is back. Weird times indeed and that is without thinking about corona or the state of the world.....

My general view of the game: We were never under the kosh and it never felt like we would lose this one. Concede? Probably! Get one back? Definitely! Score a winner? Not in a million years. Just one of those games. It feels like last season we would've lost this one. Onwards and upwards! To bad with the break - just hope we can keep the momentum going. COYB!

[K-Hod]

On reflection, I think if we’d had Dack, we’d have nicked it yesterday. That’s exactly what we were lacking. I love Arma, but I thought he was poor yesterday. Why didn’t he just smash it when 1 on 1, instead of that attempted chip?

[USABlue]

14 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

The real pleasure I took from that drab affair was seeing Tomlin sent off, a fat git who spends his time time trotting about making niggling little fouls and mouthing off at all and sundry. On the downside it made the oversized and quite physical Cardiff outfit even more defensive and difficult to breakdown. The ball seemed to be up in the air a lot!

Gallagher .... I actually don't like lambasting anyone in Blue and White so I'll leave that hanging. The positive is that he makes BB look like Pele.

We play decent possession football but our lack of creativity and some atrocious shooting and plain finishing cost us today.

Our Keeper looks the part and Ayala had a decent debut.

 

Anyone else notice how after distributing the ball really well in the first few games he suddenly started to kick out wide, couple times straight into touch.  (Walton & Rayaesque) Has he been told to do this?  Is he being prepped to support ToMo's genius tactic of a 6ft striker on the wing?  Had to wonder.  Nyambe off today but who can blame the lad, dropped for no reason (although can't.argue with the results) the lad must have had about enough now.  I am sure it is in his head that no matter how well he plays he get's dropped so why bother bustin his arse.  I think he runs down his contract and starts playin a blinder toward the end of it, then he's off.  Piss poor man management/motivation by Mowbray, he has form for it.

[USABlue]

15 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Buckley coming on nicely in mens football now I feel...looked good when he came on. Chapman not so much.

Couple of very sweet passes, showing good vision and the technical ability to back it up.  Got to say the lad is growing on me, I had my doubts, thiught he was over rated, sometimes looks to be thinking two steps ahead of his teammates.

  Chapman was poor today.  That was his chance to take the hero status from young Dolan, more so after his rave reviews for the under 23's but he came in and muffed just abiut everything he tried to do.  Was he tryin to hard?  Maybe just me but I was very disappointed with him.  Don't understand why we did not hammer Cunningham on a yellow, fresh back from a long lay off you know his timing is not there.  Is ToMo too much of a gentleman, not ruthless enough to play that way, I think that may be why..

Edited October 4, 2020 by USABlue

[geedog13]

3 hours ago, K-Hod said:

On reflection, I think if we’d had Dack, we’d have nicked it yesterday. That’s exactly what we were lacking. I love Arma, but I thought he was poor yesterday. Why didn’t he just smash it when 1 on 1, instead of that attempted chip?

With arma i started to worry when I watched the interview with him on YouTube and the guy talking to him was like " so you bookes favorite for the golden boot this season" then the next game ( derby away ) he is one on one with the keeper and fails... and yesterday every shot at the keeper. Just hope he can shake it off over the break, the international break for me is like pulling teeth as I'm Scottish by birth !!!!

[Gone to seed]

Loving those clean sheets!

Edited October 4, 2020 by WIR Second Coming

[USABlue]

13 hours ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

Yup think Tony got it wrong today, and sadly more options fries his brain too much. We tried with armstrong up top, the small nimble striker, it wasn’t getting us much success so why not go for the opposite and get gallagher up top with chapman and Dolan either side to swing balls in. Hey it might not work, but it’s something different which the fans would appreciate the through process. We all know gallagher on the wing doesn’t work 

I was hopin he might do that, or with Arma wide but nope, tallest guy has to play on the wing.  Had hopes of swinging in some crosses and Gally at least get a knock down for someone else to bang in.  At least put those defenders under some pressure.  Why oh effin why does Mowbray persist with this crap.

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, USABlue said:

I was hopin he might do that, or with Arma wide but nope, tallest guy has to play on the wing.  Had hopes of swinging in some crosses and Gally at least get a knock down for someone else to bang in.  At least put those defenders under some pressure.  Why oh effin why does Mowbray persist with this crap.

We had 20 attempts at crossing the ball with 4 deemed a success.

Then we need someone on the end of them who knows where the goal is.

BB and SG are not that person.

Bringing SG on set us back and it would have been better to have left BB on - if it's that necessary to justify money spent. 

.

[USABlue]

10 hours ago, Ossydave said:

You can tell when people haven't played football at a decent level. Playing against 10 men is quite often harder than playing vs 11.

So I wonder why more teams don't get themselves a player sent off on purpose, just to make it more difficult for the opposition.

[USABlue]

4 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

We had 20 attempts at crossing the ball with 4 deemed a success.

Then we need someone on the end of them who knows where the goal is.

BB and SG are not that person.

Bringing SG on set us back and it would have been better to have left BB on - if it's that necessary to justify money spent. 

.

I had no idea it was THAT poor, holy crap.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, USABlue said:

So I wonder why more teams don't get themselves a player sent off on purpose, just to make it more difficult for the opposition.

I get your point, but you have to understand that if a team is coming to Ewood to get a point, and then they get a man sent off, they’re literally going to sit all 10 men behind the ball.

10 men is harder to beat because they just block you out. If you’re 1-0 up and the other team gets a red, off to the races we go. See Sheffield Wednesday away last year.

[Atko's Engine]

8 hours ago, philipl said:

Extrapolate it and that's 80 points and a positive goal difference of 100.

That's a bit optimistic philipl, even for me; I'll settle for a goal difference of +90!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'm surprised we didn't go to a more aggressive approach once it was still 0-0  after an hour or so, especially after the red card. Dolan and Chapman on the wings and Gallagher or Brererton up front along side Armstrong. A sort of 3-3-4 line up. Lets face it, they didn't have much going on up front for us to worry about. I just think Mowbray is too cautious at times like this.

Armstrong isn't physical enough to be the focal point of the attack in games were the opposition shut up shop and are happy to defend their penalty area for long periods of time. When teams are trying to match us on football terms that's not too obvious but on days like yesterday it's pretty clear. David Speedie or Paul Dickov he isn't. We needed a plan B. Just hoping for a lucky bounce of the ball in a packed penalty area isn't a plan.

[Boroblue]

Watched the game yesterday and thought Cardiff where a well organised upper championship team who came with a game plan to restrict our attack and did it excellently. I also feel come the end of the season they will be top 6 or very close. I’ve been spoilt recently and probably would have found 3 v 0 an anticlimax. On reflection however I think 0v0 is not a bad result and a fair reflection of how much we’ve improved this season. We have some of our better players injured and fingers crossed I also think we will be in the mix at the end.

[chaddyrovers]

13 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

@chaddyrovers based on ifollow or on radio commentary?

I thought Rothwell was a big disapointment. Needed to really impact the game especially v 10 men. No end product as is the case most of the time.

Based on Radio Lancashire commentary and extensive highlights I've watched last night. 

The game was never going to easy against a team thats played the way Cardiff do and their defensive shape is one we won't face much this season. Even with 10 players on the pitch Cardiff's defensive shape never change. 

On Rothwell, I think you are far too critical his performance. He tried to make things happen and take people on which is what we want him to do. But Cardiff are solid defensive team so never going to be easy against them

 

11 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

7 points from 4 games is decent to good. Excellent is 10 to 12 points IMO. Plenty of positives and happy enough? Definitely from me. Yes I mean it and I suspect I am only furthering my reputation as spreading doom and gloom.

7 points is a good start for me considering we have played 3 good teams who will be challenging for the top 6 including 2 away games. 

But its the 3 clean sheets that I am happy with so far apart from the 2 good wins so far. I agree plenty of positives so far 

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Based on Radio Lancashire commentary and extensive highlights I've watched last night. 

What channel were the extensive highlights on?

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I'm surprised we didn't go to a more aggressive approach once it was still 0-0  after an hour or so, especially after the red card. Dolan and Chapman on the wings and Gallagher or Brererton up front along side Armstrong. A sort of 3-3-4 line up. Lets face it, they didn't have much going on up front for us to worry about. I just think Mowbray is too cautious at times like this.

Armstrong isn't physical enough to be the focal point of the attack in games were the opposition shut up shop and are happy to defend their penalty area for long periods of time. When teams are trying to match us on football terms that's not too obvious but on days like yesterday it's pretty clear. David Speedie or Paul Dickov he isn't. We needed a plan B. Just hoping for a lucky bounce of the ball in a packed penalty area isn't a plan.

3-3-4 formation Tyrone? 

Not sure we need 3 at the back against 1 striker. 

I agree we need plan B but with Gallagher not being fit until recently and smaller pre-season I guess most of the work has been on the 4-3-3 formation so far, with 2 weeks gap hopefully we've got now we can work on a plan B. 

[BRFC4EVA]

Considering the conditions and the fact we have come up against a good/ well organised side, take the point and move on-probably not a game to overtly analyse. One that won't live long in the memory, I guess that's the beauty of the championship season, there are so many games that a result like this doesn't matter. Still 124 points to play for!

Edited October 4, 2020 by BRFC4EVA

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Mogga made the point that because Cardiff go direct and don't play out from the back we couldn't play to our strengths and do the high press thingy.

'Let's do the high press again' (to the tune of the Time Warp) 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

3-3-4 formation Tyrone? 

Not sure we need 3 at the back against 1 striker. 

I agree we need plan B but with Gallagher not being fit until recently and smaller pre-season I guess most of the work has been on the 4-3-3 formation so far, with 2 weeks gap hopefully we've got now we can work on a plan B. 

You need players in certain areas of the pitch irrespective of Cardiff only having one striker.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Mogga made the point that because Cardiff go direct and don't play out from the back we couldn't play to our strengths and do the high press thingy.

'Let's do the high press again' (to the tune of the Time Warp) 

That's a good point. Having said that under those conditions even the footballing  teams aren't going to chance playing it out from the back. Maybe we should have expected the game to go that way and made plans to get at them more directly.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

3-3-4 formation Tyrone? 

Not sure we need 3 at the back against 1 striker. 

I agree we need plan B but with Gallagher not being fit until recently and smaller pre-season I guess most of the work has been on the 4-3-3 formation so far, with 2 weeks gap hopefully we've got now we can work on a plan B. 

Come on, he's been here three years, if he's not got a plan B now he needs to hand his bib in. He chose not to go 4-4-2 yesterday which he could have easily done when they went down to 10 men. It was incredibly negative to leave just 1 up front, but that speaks of his obsession to control the midfield. A more positive manager would have gone for it when they went down to 10 - Gally up top with AA and put crosses in. He's an absolute moron to keep persisting with Gally on the wing - especially against 10 men. 

Edited October 4, 2020 by Hoochie Bloochie Mama

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That's a good point. Having said that under those conditions even the footballing  teams aren't going to chance playing it out from the back. Maybe we should have expected the game to go that way and made plans to get at them more directly.

Exactly, which brings us back to putting Gally on the wing. Should have gone up front with AA and balls crossed in. Incredibly negative not to that against 10 men.