Blackburn v Doncaster, FA Cup, Sat 9th Jan

[USABlue]

How bad was it, I stopped watching with 15 mins left, I don't think I have ever done that before.  What a useless keeper.  That aside we still did not score.  Donny looked far more dangerius than us.  Disgraceful from the grass all the way up.  ToMo gotta go but we all know he won't until it is far too late and all the best iut if work mamagers have new jobs.  Today is a new low to me.  We have been worse but we still had players gave all for the shirt.

[riverholmes]

Though Pears should have saved the shot, the midfield failed to protect the back four & GK for the Doncaster goal. For some reason, no one was in the DM position, leaving Richards the freedom to collect the ball in front of the Rovers defence, turn and run at them. Lenihan et al had little choice but to back off. The positioning really was a very basic error, especially, when both Travis and Trybull are mean to be defensively minded CMs.

[Doogs]

Dusty Bin would do a better job than boring Tony....Out of both cups  15th or so in league. Once again all talk...

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

Though Pears should have saved the shot, the midfield failed to protect the back four & GK for the Doncaster goal. For some reason, no one was in the DM position, leaving Richards the freedom to collect the ball in front of the Rovers defence, turn and run at them. Lenihan et al had little choice but to back off. The positioning really was a very basic error, especially, when both Travis and Trybull are mean to be defensively minded CMs.

The Donny player picked the ball up in his own half, ran forward unchallenged for about 40 yards, whilst 5 Rovers players backed off. A total lack of organisation and leadership.

[Bigdoggsteel]

14 minutes ago, GHR said:

The only positive in any capacity today was that it was free to watch.

The saddest thing for me is that even with all of the firepower we had at our disposal off the bench, I never genuinely felt we had the capability to produce that moment of magic to get back in the game. Elliot then Dack obviously came very close, but aside from that briefest of flurries across the 90 minutes we never once knocked on their door. Arma came on and vanished into thin air. Brereton I fear has lost a little spark since his injury, though I am sure it'll return. Elliot is unfortunately looking increasingly wasted with us: that kid is a mile above anyone else on his day. Dack looked like a man who'd not played for a year. I love Dolan and the lad has scores of potential, but I fear right now he is still a bit undercooked, being rapid and skillful is only of use when it creates meaningful chances.

I would love to know what instructions the substitutes were given today, or what the lads were tipped off about at half time. It seemed to me we just brought on more and more people who have increasing ability to score as the game went on, with little regard for how they actually fitted together in cohesive tactics.

The only other point worthy of mention today was that Stewart Downing was pissed off when he was substituted. That outburst of anger and whatever else to me is worth a thousand "We go again next week [pointless emoji" tweets afterwards. It has been said on here a lot, but it is completely true: how we miss the likes of Todd, Short and Savage - not the most naturally gifted of players but ones who would have died if it meant three points. 

Ya Downing is the only one who regularly isn't afraid to give out. 

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Well a full house on the Mowbray bingo. A textbook Mowbray performance with just about every ingredient on display today.

 - Bright(ish) start to the game for the first 10-15 minutes but alas no goal to show for it

 - I said to my dad when the clock hit 15 that I'd have any bet going that we wouldn't score until the second half at the earliest, and probably wouldn't score all afternoon.

 - Rapid regression into mind-numbing rubbish for most of the game after the clock reached 15 minutes.

 - Bundles of possession but precious little to show for it yet conning viewers into thinking we are in control or dominating the game simply by having lots of passes.

 - Opposition that manages to contain our 'threats' with ease 

 - Opposition that got forward on only a few occasions yet each time carved open our defence with relative ease and only needed a couple of passes to do so  - they should have had two goals before they scored and shamefully allowing their player half the Ewood pitch to run with the ball unchallenged.

 - Once we fall behind the manager then proceeds to chuck on every attacker he has, presumably the logic being that because we need a goal throwing on everyone of an attacking instinct will increase our chances of scoring - only there seems to be no plan or strategy to this approach, it rarely works and we end up with a mess and a ridiculously imbalanced side.

- Could still be playing now and I wouldn't have expected a goal

 - A squad bereft of options and ideas, created in no small part by the manager and his poor recruitment and failure to address important positions.

 - Usual injury enforced substitution - beyond a joke now that every single game we lose at least one player to injury

 - Disgraceful body language from the manager most of the afternoon, making a point of sitting down in his chair saying very little and he only started to do anything for the first part of the second half. Once he'd made his changes it was back to sitting down looking bored. I want to see the manager or his staff in the techical area encouraging and instructing the players - we don't see anything of Johnson or Lowe who only appear when the subs are getting ready and Venus seems to spend his time whinging at the 4th official (no problem with that normally but today it was needless and embarrassing). Compare to the opposition who have a raft of coaches communicating and barking instructions throughout.

 - You know you've been worn down with it when the highlight of the day would have been MK Dons winning and then that solace was taken away in the last minute.

There's the full Mowbray set. You could be forgiven for thinking it is 2017 or 2018 but no it is 2021 and it is still groundhog day. Nothing has really changed and nothing will change. 

Based on this post I vote for you to take over from the hooked nosed old wart. 

Edited January 9, 2021 by CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber

[Mattyblue]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

 

 - Disgraceful body language from the manager most of the afternoon, making a point of sitting down in his chair saying very little and he only started to do anything for the first part of the second half. Once he'd made his changes it was back to sitting down looking bored. I want to see the manager or his staff in the techical area encouraging and instructing the players - we don't see anything of Johnson or Lowe who only appear when the subs are getting ready and Venus seems to spend his time whinging at the 4th official (no problem with that normally but today it was needless and embarrassing). Compare to the opposition who have a raft of coaches communicating and barking instructions throughout.

 

I don’t expect my manager to be a performing seal, and maybe it’s just a coincidence with the personalities of the managers we’ve had this past decade, but every incumbent seems to spend most of their time attached to the bench, in contract to their opposite numbers who spend the game encouraging, cajoling and yes, often getting in the ears of the officials.

To me it just seems to sum up the malaise that has enveloped the club under this regime.

[Paul Mellelieu]

2 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Were you born?

I was.  In 1963.

[bazza]

Travis was way off the pace of the game. I don't think he's fit. Perhaps that's why their scorer ran through midfield so easily.

Still Dolan flatters to deceive. No end product. Brereton was greedy and ran into blind alleys.  Armstrong and Dack were little boys lost. 

Davenport should have been given the whole game in midfield alongside Trybull and Downing. Douglas should have started at right back.

I'm clutching at straws because we all know the real problem.

 

[tonygreenbank]

Feeling very frustrated tonight along with most on here but my frustration is based on not winning that game. We should have won after dominating the majority of possession and attempts on goal.

Over 90 minutes lots of things happen on a football pitch. Some moments of exciting play and some moments of careless and mistake ridden action. A stupid error by our goalie, his only mistake of the match, cost us the game. We could and should have had 2 or 3 goals in that second half and they defended manfully throughout.

Most of the game I agree we were slow and played in front of their defence but despite playing below par we should have won it.

Disappointed in Travis and Dack who didn’t get going and nobody really stood out for us apart from Dolan and occasionally Elliott.

As for us long suffering fans, going out in Round 3 is always so disappointing and something we’re used to.

Another Saturday night ruined.

[JPTSwindon]

Poor, poor... poor.

Poor.

 

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

5 minutes ago, tonygreenbank said:

Feeling very frustrated tonight along with most on here but my frustration is based on not winning that game. We should have won after dominating the majority of possession and attempts on goal.

That's what Mowbray says after every defeat. What he's doing isn't working. 

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, JPTSwindon said:

Poor, poor... poor.

Poor.

 

And those are the highpoints

[rigger]

8 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

That's what Mowbray says after every defeat. What he's doing isn't working. 

The problem is that what Mowbray is doing, is working. It's just that Mowbrays target is far below ours. We need someone with more ambition.

Edited January 9, 2021 by rigger

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

3 minutes ago, rigger said:

The problem is that what Mowbray is doing, is working. It's just that Mowbrays target is far below ours. We need someone with more ambition.

Not sura if you're having bantz but if not I disagree. His target is play-offs, hence the change to a possession based game because in his view this has the best chance of getting top 6. He's no chance of achieving it so it's not working. The fact he keeps bringing up possession etc as somehow important when we lose tells you everything you need to know about how detached from reality he appears to have become. 

[Sparks Rover]

18 minutes ago, rigger said:

The problem is that what Mowbray is doing, is working. It's just that Mowbrays target is far below ours. We need someone with more ambition.

That's plainly not true.  At the moment we are a bottom 4/5 team in my opinion.  We lost to an under strength top 4 league 1 team.  Kind of tells me where we are.

I said earlier in the week, we should have put our best team out from the start minus Dack as he's not ready.  Too much jolly boys outing for me.  Can't wait to add Captain Benno to the mix 🙄

[Bigdoggsteel]

15 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

That's plainly not true.  At the moment we are a bottom 4/5 team in my opinion.  We lost to an under strength top 4 league 1 team.  Kind of tells me where we are.

I said earlier in the week, we should have put our best team out from the start minus Dack as he's not ready.  Too much jolly boys outing for me.  Can't wait to add Captain Benno to the mix 🙄

The role doesn't suit Sack, no doubt about that. Has to be in the midfield 3 and see how he goes 

[Crimpshrine]

5 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

The role doesn't suit Sack,

Let's hope we hear the word Sack again quite soon in a different context

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, Crimpshrine said:

Let's hope we hear the word Sack again quite soon in a different context

It doesn't suit that sack of Dack

[Crimpshrine]

I thought Mowbray's body language was awful again today. During the closing stages of the game, anyone with a passion for the club would have been on the touchline shouting and giving the team directions and generally acting like the Tasmanian devil rather than doing a good impression of Rip Van bloody Winkle.

A very weakened Donny team won without really being troubled. 

Mowbray just doesn't seem to be able to affect a match by what he says or his subs or his tactics. The team just run around like a bunch of school kids without any common purpose or plan.

I think we are all agreed, the evidence is now irrefutable. Mowbray's race is run. He should not be allowed to waste any more time or money.

I see Hayden Carter scored the winner for Burton and they kept a clean sheet away from home. Another Mowbray master stroke.

 

[47er]

2 hours ago, Doogs said:

Dusty Bin would do a better job than boring Tony....Out of both cups  15th or so in league. Once again all talk...

Mowbray and the owners sucking the life-blood out of us. If you lived in Accrington, say, why would you drive past to get to Ewood? Nailed on fans will but new fans won't be attracted. Time is not on our side. That's why promotion for us is urgent, not some long-drawn out saga to suit Tony.

Our crowds will wither away and the Club with it.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, 47er said:

Mowbray and the owners sucking the life-blood out of us. If you lived in Accrington, say, why would you drive past to get to Ewood? Nailed on fans will but new fans won't be attracted. Time is not on our side. That's why promotion for us is urgent, not some long-drawn out saga to suit Tony.

Our crowds will wither away and the Club with it.

Not surprised at all we lost today, is that three successive losses in round 3?

Mowbray just sees Cup games as an un necessary extra irritant and a fixture to be fulfilled.

You could maybe forgive this if we were challenging strongly for automatic promotion every season to compensate but we're not even seriously threatening the play offs and are trailing in around 14th or 15th every season give or take.

Mowbray and Waggott are getting away with blue murder.

[RevidgeBlue]

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Downing's not an Howard Kendall.

 No Howard Kendall? 

Probably the understatement of the millennium! 

[RevidgeBlue]

5 hours ago, neophox said:

I think Gareth Ainsworth would be interesting or that German who was manager Wagner... Young with experience of getting the best out of players.. 

I'm not 100% convinced that Ainsworth would be the best man available were the V's to wake up and pot Mowbray but by god, if he got the role he'd treat it as the biggest and most prestigious job in the world, put a bit of pride back in the place and we wouldn't be going out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking three seasons in a row.

Especially not to opposition a division below us.

[Mercer]

For context, we were playing an injury ravaged Doncaster from League 1 so Rovers' injuries just don't cut it with me.

I think we were just horrible to watch on a horrible pitch with a disinterested manager.

My thoughts / opinions on our starting eleven:

• Pears - horribly at fault for the goal.  Unbelievable this guy has been given a four year deal.  The Greek lad must be poor if Pears is 2nd choice.
• Buckley - 'the one' will never be a footballer whilst he's a hole in his arse
• Lenihan - in regression
• Johnson - legs gone and going through the motions
• Bell / Douglas - struggle to recall two worse left full backs in almost 60 years of watching Rovers
• Downing - just why oh why did Mowbray blow his last bit of budget on this guy.  A pointless and unnecessary signing
• Trybull - not good enough for Norwich and not good enough for us
• Travis - the lad's not fit and overweight
• Dolan - flatters to deceive.  Looks busy but no end product
• Dack -   as Travis, the lad's not fit and overweight
• Brereton - gone backwards again.  Needs to try and stay on his feet more instead of trying to win free kicks/penalties

A sad, sad day.  FA Cup Third Round day historically special.  Yesterday was an abomination.