QPR Away / Mercer’s Wine Club

[Rogerb]

5 minutes ago, StevenSK said:

He’s a bit shit in midfield for though

Does better when Gewurtztraminer is alongside

[rovers11]

4 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Mowbray explains Elliott positioning in Rovers' defeat at QPR | Lancashire Telegraph

Tony needs a drink. He gets a bit tetchy under questioning. 

Genuine question: have we ever won (or even scored?) when we’ve played a false 9? 

Cant fathom why it’s ever used unless you don’t have a fit striker. 

[darrenrover]

3 minutes ago, StevenSK said:

Mercer what you recommending a chadonnay? Easy on notes but feckless

Chablis or any other Bourgogne whites are lovely Chardonnays.

[Exiled in Toronto]

2 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

That what happens when you have a manager who doesn't play with winger's. Nyambe is being asked to cover the whole of the right hand side in attack and defence. 

He doesn’t have a clue positionally though: too far forward when we don’t have proper possession and usually no idea where his man is when defending.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, Proudtobeblue&white said:

He should come on here for suggestions?

I think Mercer might recommend a nice aromatic Arsenic, zingy on the palate, completely relaxes you in minutes. 

[Exiled in Toronto]

I also think Elliott’s one-footedness has been figured out by opponents. Dolan currently offered more variety up front and better defending

[StevenSK]

2 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

I think Mercer might recommend a nice aromatic Arsenic, zingy on the palate, completely relaxes you in minutes. 

Should have made it to half time 

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Just to finish off the sporting day, we are losing at Rugby.

[Ewood Ace]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

He doesn’t have a clue positionally though: too far forward when we don’t have proper possession and usually no idea where his man is when defending.

He's our best defender even though he is having to do the jobs of 2 men. We have plenty of problems but Nyambe is not one of them.  Although he will be come the summer when he leaves for a pittance of what he is worth thanks to Mowbray's shoddy treatment of him.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

2 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

Genuine question: have we ever won (or even scored?) when we’ve played a false 9? 

Cant fathom why it’s ever used unless you don’t have a fit striker. 

His rationale is in the article -  AA up against Dickie cos he's slow. But he could have done that without playing a false 9, he could have just played Gally in his preferred position. Mowbray unfortunately views himself as a tactical innovator. 

I think playing a false 9 in the Championship is utter nonsense. 

[tonygreenbank]

4 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Just to finish off the sporting day, we are losing at Rugby.

I’m not sure which is worse watching us lose today, reading some very childish posts on here or watching the Rugby. It’s been a horrible day!

[StevenSK]

6 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Just to finish off the sporting day, we are losing at Rugby.

You mentioned sport but then rugby 😉

[Bigdoggsteel]

We don't need a bloody false 9. We need our midfielders to get on the ball and push forward. Does any other team in the division play a false 9? It's just nonsese. Did someone buy Mowbray a Barcelona dvd for Christmas one year or something. He's got it bad with this crap. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, GHR said:

It's so frustrating, he'll have an odd game, usually off the bench these days, where he makes a genuine difference (see the quick thinking v. Luton last week), but he'll then spend the next four or five games completely anonymous or absolutely crocked. Still a hell of a player (at this level anyway) on his day, but I fear as he gets older and no less prone he's basically spent at the level and consistency we require for a genuine promotion push.

In a weird way, my complete and utter belief that we would not win today on account of our nosebleed / glass ceiling past has actually made this loss hurt a bit less than usual. I would love to know just what gets into their collective mindset when the top six is within touching distance, I am utterly baffled by it. If we were twelfth with nowt to play for we'd have won 3-1 today I'll bet.

Is he a hell of a player at this level really though? Really like? Nice pass against Luton last week, but he doesn't contribute enough goals or assists for me. I suppose he probably is better than a lot of what we have. Davenport underwhelming today. Rothwel had one of his performances where you might forget he's playing. Travis good, but he has a different job. 

It's all just very clunky and without method. Good players helping us a lot at times. Idividually. 

[Paul Mellelieu]

21 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Chablis or any other Bourgogne whites are lovely Chardonnays.

This is the correct answer.  Also, spending £50 on a red would have be heading for Burgundy too.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

I've watched/played/loved our beautiful game for over 50 years, what the fuck is a false 9?

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

I've watched/played/loved our beautiful game for over 50 years, what the fuck is a false 9?

You play without a striker in the middle, he drops deep. Worked with Messi once. 

[StevenSK]

1 minute ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

This is the correct answer.  Also, spending £50 on a red would have be heading for Burgundy too.

If you have it Paul available to spend why not? I do

[Proudtobeblue&white]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

You play without a striker in the middle, he drops deep. Worked with Messi once. 

To my knowledge TM has never signed Messi?

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, matt83 said:

Another point to make the people who said 5 games ago (and will say it again) we’re only 6 points, etc, off the play offs. Well prior to today we had amassed a very credible 10 points from 12 and Bournemouth in free fall. Well currently we are 6 points off the playoffs. When chasing playoff/promotion at this stage that sort of gap is pretty much insurmountable. This season has been over since before Xmas. 

So in your opinion, the top 6 now in Feb will be the exact same top 6 at the end of the season? Because that almost never happens. The only team closer to top 6 than us is Boro. They're a whole 1 point ahead of us and have played a game more.

In 3 games time, it's perfectly possible to find ourselves in the top 6. It won't happen of course. But the points gap isn't what's insurmountable - it's the mental and tactical gap we can't overcome.

Only one man bears overall responsibility for that.

Edited February 6, 2021 by bluebruce

[darrenrover]

5 hours ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

This is the correct answer.  Also, spending £50 on a red would have be heading for Burgundy too.

You're right too Paul.

Having lived between Bordeaux and Cahors for 10 years almost, I was spoiled with choice of reds costing less than 10€ a bottle!

Problem being it gives me chronic gout, so had to knock reds on the head unfortunately!

Edited February 6, 2021 by darrenrover

[Paul Mellelieu]

20 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Just to finish off the sporting day, we are losing at Rugby.

Good - public school muppets.

[davulsukur]

Had a load of stuff to do today, so missed the game and purposely didn't check the score until full time.

No surprise we lost, getting close to the top 6 and could have made up some ground at least but as always, failed to take the opportunity.

Standard Mowbray.

[rigger]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

You play without a striker in the middle, he drops deep. Worked with Messi once. 

So basically your main goal threat is playing in midfield ? I cannot see any positives to that system.

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Is he a hell of a player at this level really though? Really like? Nice pass against Luton last week, but he doesn't contribute enough goals or assists for me. I suppose he probably is better than a lot of what we have. Davenport underwhelming today. Rothwel had one of his performances where you might forget he's playing. Travis good, but he has a different job. 

It's all just very clunky and without method. Good players helping us a lot at times. Idividually. 

I think Holtby perhaps benefits from being a player who has the mystique of playing most of his career abroad and of course with a couple of international caps at the start of his career with a very strong country, albeit possibly when they had a weaker side than they do now. Look through the fine print and we signed him as a free agent past the transfer window having been playing for Hamburg in the second tier in Germany. Even in the Prem for Spurs and Fulham he struggled in the main.

He definitely technically is better than most at the club but his Rovers career has almost summed up the team as a whole. He is constantly injured and struggles to show enough robustness to put a consistent run of form together. He has not contributed enough in the final third and his exact role is still not nailed down, first he played in a wide role, then as a number 10, then deeper, but you question even now if he gets in our best side.