Rovers v Canaries. Sat 12th Dec 3pm

[tomphil]

1 minute ago, LDRover said:

And the so called fans on Facebook

Yes they say that but if the gates were thrown open tomorrow and covid was declared gone how many would pitch up ?

How many of these happy fans would stump up their 30 quid or snap up STs to see Tony's revolution for the rest of the season ?

[Gone to seed]

Douglas, apart from his set piece crossing into the danger area, looks a spent force. Like someone who used to believe he could cut it at the top level, but now accepts he is on a downward trajectory. Doleful and (when shooting at goal) woeful.

Rovers had a few games where they had the rub of the green, but once the green has worn off, there doesn't seem to be the belief to push on.

Tactically inept, is perhaps the best I can say about TM choice of subs today. What the fook was he thinking?

[Ulrich]

I never thought I would be getting jip of a canary supporter..... 

Need a win next match for sure now. 

[RevidgeBlue]

3 minutes ago, booth said:

You know it's a dropped bollock when one of the more positive posters on here says it like it is.

How do you drop three of your defence because that's what needs to happen? Lenihan wouldn't play the next game under a proper manager after that showing.

The only one of our centre halves to consistently look the part this season has been Wharton imo.

When fit he'd be my first one in with probably Ayala alongside - if he can be bothered. Failing that didn't think k the combination of Wharton and Lenihan looked too bad.

[Stuart]

22 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

And Douglas is crap as well.

Bell's been far better this season.

Players come and go and there are always several who seem to get worse. There is one common denominator here.

[chaddyrovers]

16 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Douglas has been a big disappointment, but I suspect that Bell is benefiting from not being in the team and people forgetting how bad he is aswell.

I agree on Douglas point and disagree on Bell. I would recall him for next game

11 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Quite a few managers have said similar this year and it is exactly what we do not want to hear. Managers smug after a win giving us credit while we sit here with no points. We want opposition managers to hate playing v us, not loving us being a soft touch.

Cos we are playing better football and causing their teams more problems then in the 2 previous years. We have completely change from playing direct style with Graham has the focus to a more attractive possession style with Armstrong has the 9, Skillful players like Elliott and Rothwell plus Brereton 

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

1 hour ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Played three relegated teams, no points,

I dread to think what'd happen if we did somehow get promoted, we'd get absolutely pumped every week. 

[slowmo]

I as much as anyone is frustrated at not being able to break the glass ceiling of the top 6 .Whenever we get close , we lose , repeat , repeat. But to say the manager is a joke , I feel a sense of perspective is needed. A couple years ago we were lost without a hope and at least now we are getting pissed off that we are not beating Norwich and co to get into the premier. There is progress there and at least we are top of one league, the future is looking brighter than the recent past and for that I am grateful.

 

[roversfan99]

4 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I agree on Douglas point and disagree on Bell. I would recall him for next game

Cos we are playing better football and causing their teams more problems then in the 2 previous years. We have completely change from playing direct style with Graham has the focus to a more attractive possession style with Armstrong has the 9, Skillful players like Elliott and Rothwell plus Brereton 

Bell is shit, hes proven so across his Rovers career. The left back position seems to have been an afterthought in the last 2 windows, two temporary and injury prone loanees brought in on the final day.

Depends what you define as better football, and if you are wowed by possession stats and merely creating more chances. My definition of better football would be getting better results, and it is clear as day that we are not doing so, even with a few improvements (Kaminski, Elliott etc) we are getting basically the exact same number of points and continue in mid table mediocrity. I wont be getting too excited over this "attractive football" while we continue to repeatedly lose to anyone half decent and fail to push on to challenge the top 6.

Opposition managers who have played Rovers and beat us and then praise us post match is not what I ever want to hear.

Edited December 12, 2020 by roversfan99

[Ewood Ace]

3 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Cos we are playing better football and causing their teams more problems then in the 2 previous years. We have completely change from playing direct style with Graham has the focus to a more attractive possession style with Armstrong has the 9, Skillful players like Elliott and Rothwell plus Brereton 

But it's still losing football however you try to dress it up and we are no higher up in the table.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Ewood Ace said:

But it's still losing football however you try to dress it up and we are no higher up in the table.

Thats the key and the truth you cannot escape, 100%.

Another thing, Mowbray has had as much time as anyone in the division (bar maybe Ainsworth at Wycombe) hence why 4 years in taking positives in certain aspects of performance from defeats when failing to challenge the targets set by the manager this season is acceptable. Had he been in the managers chair for a short period of time then maybe.

[roversfan99]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18940547.mowbrays-verdict-rovers-defeat-leaders-norwich-city/

The usual rhetoric from Mowbray after a defeat. He was talking about "trusting the numbers" in the LT this morning, now its saying how he doesnt think we are far away. Thrown in the League 1 card for good measure. Suspect that he wont be questioned on being in the exact same position as in the previous 2 seasons.

[Mercer]

6 minutes ago, CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber said:

I dread to think what'd happen if we did somehow get promoted, we'd get absolutely pumped every week. 

Think we would be relegated by Christmas.  It would be carnage.

Think Mowbray would be saying we need to give these lads who got us promoted a chance (as he did when we came up from League 1).

[garnersfags]

This seems to be controversial, but I repeat for the umpteenth time in 4 seasons, we will not progress if we have to play Williams. 

I would play Ayala and Lenihan until Wharton is back, because although Ayala is not perfect, he may improve and we won't lose anymore games than when we play Williams. 

This isn't necessarily a reflection of today's game, but a considered view over a number of seasons. 

There is more chance we will improve with Ayala, but in my opinion, we won't improve with DW. Sorry. 

No win against a top half side before xmas. This means building for next season, but next season we won't have AA, Elliott, Kaminski, and possibly  Dack/Holtby. 

I'll be more optimistic when we wallop Rotherham, but we are the epitome of a mid-table side. 

Some will be ok with that, but I still maintain TM periodically stumbles over the winning formula, rather than knowing what will work week on week. 

Result > mid-table....

[alcd]

The successful teams build from the back. Mowbray seems to regard defenders as an afterthought. In nearly 4 years he's stockpiled midfielders but even now with only 3 central defenders for the remainder of the season he has no intention of making any defensive recruitment in January. Moving Nyambe to the middle is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

[Mercer]

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18940547.mowbrays-verdict-rovers-defeat-leaders-norwich-city/

The usual rhetoric from Mowbray after a defeat. He was talking about "trusting the numbers" in the LT this morning, now its saying how he doesnt think we are far away. Thrown in the League 1 card for good measure. Suspect that he wont be questioned on being in the exact same position as in the previous 2 seasons.

“We’re on a journey to get better. We have an ambition to try and push on and be around the top six in this division and after 46 games we’ll see whether we’re good enough.

“We were in League One only two-and-a-half years ago and we’re trying to build and grow".

 

I just wish Mowbray would feck off.

Sick and tired of what, IMO, is just bullsh1t, followed by more bullsh1t.

Sadly, our owners and happy clappers seem to buy it.

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by Mercer

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Bell is shit, hes proven so across his Rovers career. The left back position seems to have been an afterthought in the last 2 windows, two temporary and injury prone loanees brought in on the final day.

Well I did suggested Ryan Manning who cant get a game at Swansea. We missed the boat there. He was the one to get. 

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Depends what you define as better football, and if you are wowed by possession stats and merely creating more chances. My definition of better football would be getting better results, and it is clear as day that we are not doing so, even with a few improvements (Kaminski, Elliott etc) we are getting basically the exact same number of points and continue in mid table mediocrity. I wont be getting too excited over this "attractive football" while we continue to repeatedly lose to anyone half decent and fail to push on to challenge the top 6.

I define it by keep possession, creating more chances, Using skillful players. More shots at goal. 

Mowbray build a team to get us promoted from League 1 using a direct style and keep us up in our 1st season. Then Mowbray has rebuilt the team to make us more possession based using skillful players and created alot more chances and shooting chances. 

I want us to develop this 4-3-3 formation playing the possession based using skillful players and created chances after chances. 

[roversfan99]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Well I did suggested Ryan Manning who cant get a game at Swansea. We missed the boat there. He was the one to get. 

I define it by keep possession, creating more chances, Using skillful players. More shots at goal. 

Mowbray build a team to get us promoted from League 1 using a direct style and keep us up in our 1st season. Then Mowbray has rebuilt the team to make us more possession based using skillful players and created alot more chances and shooting chances. 

I want us to develop this 4-3-3 formation playing the possession based using skillful players and created chances after chances. 

Fair enough. Results and improvement in league position can be an afterthought to pretty sideways passing. 

[Ewood Ace]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18940547.mowbrays-verdict-rovers-defeat-leaders-norwich-city/

The usual rhetoric from Mowbray after a defeat. He was talking about "trusting the numbers" in the LT this morning, now its saying how he doesnt think we are far away. Thrown in the League 1 card for good measure. Suspect that he wont be questioned on being in the exact same position as in the previous 2 seasons.

Deluded. The same old clichés about League 1, about seeing where we end up and about being on a journey.

Also the lack of challenging questions to him from the local media is a disgrace, they are supposed to be journalists not PR men for Mowbray. 

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Fair enough. Results and improvement in league position can be an afterthought to pretty sideways passing. 

no cos I believe Results, performance quality and improvement in league position can come from playing this 4-3-3 formation playing the possession based using skillful players and created chances after chances. 

So what is answer to the problem, change of manager and the playing squad?

[DE.]

3 minutes ago, Mercer said:

“We were in League One only two-and-a-half years ago and we’re trying to build and grow".

Genuinely despise this disingenous nonsense, even worse when it's spouted by the manager. "But it's true" - yeah, but stripped of all context. We went down with 51 points which was frankly ridiculous and would have seen us safe almost any other season. We didn't have to sell a single player. Instead we bought the best player in League 1 and added to the squad. As a result we romped the league despite not playing very well at any point during the campaign. 

So, since we got relegated 8 years ago we've spent one solitary season in League 1 - which was a blip caused by the stupidity of our owners hiring a useless manager and waiting until February to sack him. That aside we've finished between 7th - 15th every season, barring the chaotic 12/13 season. 

To talk us down like we're Luton or Wycombe trying to find our way is insulting. It's embarrassing enough to hear it from our own fans, let alone the manager. No wonder we don't have the mentality to beat the top teams when the manager himself regards us in such a lowly fashion.

I can only repeat, we need a winner who understands and embraces what this club should be. 

[Ewood Ace]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

Mowbray build a team to get us promoted from League 1 using a direct style and keep us up in our 1st season. Then Mowbray has rebuilt the team to make us more possession based using skillful players and created alot more chances and shooting chances. 

I want us to develop this 4-3-3 formation playing the possession based using skillful players and created chances after chances. 

And I want us to get promoted to the Premiership and we will not achieve that under Mowbray. You can play all the lovely skilful football you like but you won't achieve anything unless you have a solid defence which we don't and never will have under Mowbray.

In regards to the change of style in the words of Alphonse Karr 'the more things change the more they stay the same' and that is certainly true in regards to our results and league position.

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

no cos I believe Results, performance quality and improvement in league position can come from playing this 4-3-3 formation playing the possession based using skillful players and created chances after chances. 

So what is answer to the problem, change of manager and the playing squad?

The thing is, because we hover between "one win from the play offs" (which never happens) and deep into mid table mediocrity, my opinion can waver and I will admit that, but I think asking me now that Mowbray's shelf life as manager as passed, I think we should look for a change and that Mowbray will never smash the glass ceiling and make us a top 6 team. There will always be inconsistency and there will always be an inferiority complex under him I fear.

The variances in style and formation have objectively not caused an improvement in results, even factoring in additions to the team like Kaminski and Elliott who are massive upgrades on what we had last year, we are mid table as we were at the same stage in each of the last 2 seasons with frighteningly identical points tallies. 

I feel that those expecting a sudden winning run to materialise are doing so in blind faith rather than using logic having been either wowed by a different style that as I mentioned has not improved results and/or have been suckered in by Mowbray and his constant string of hard luck stories and excuses.

[roversfan99]

4 minutes ago, DE. said:

Genuinely despise this disingenous nonsense, even worse when it's spouted by the manager. "But it's true" - yeah, but stripped of all context. We went down with 51 points which was frankly ridiculous and would have seen us safe almost any other season. We didn't have to sell a single player. Instead we bought the best player in League 1 and added to the squad. As a result we romped the league despite not playing very well at any point during the campaign. 

So, since we got relegated 8 years ago we've spent one solitary season in League 1 - which was a blip caused by the stupidity of our owners hiring a useless manager and waiting until February to sack him. That aside we've finished between 7th - 15th every season, barring the chaotic 12/13 season. 

To talk us down like we're Luton or Wycombe trying to find our way is insulting. It's embarrassing enough to hear it from our own fans, let alone the manager. No wonder we don't have the mentality to beat the top teams when the manager himself regards us in such a lowly fashion.

I can only repeat, we need a winner who understands and embraces what this club should be. 

The thing about the League 1 season and the performances is that as you touched on, they weren't what is seemingly seen as attractive on the eye, the football was direct, but we kept winning, and everyone loved it because we went into games expecting to win. I bet those fawning over the style now despite its inability to improve results weren't criticising the style in League 1.

I am not saying that we should revert to playing direct now, the style to me is almost irrelevant, its an end to a means. But there is a level of hypocrisy you could argue in some of the defence of the current "progress" people perceive to be seeing at the moment.

[Ossydave]

So frustrating again, but we can't just keep saying we were unlucky (we were though).

Bemused by the selection of Del over Ayala. Was he brought in to play second fiddle or is it fitness related? Baffled.

We really do need to go on a bit of a hot streak now though. One positive was some decent set pieces and at times we really opened them up, I literally cannot wait till big Ben is back though, we miss him.