Reading v Rovers. March 2nd 2021, 8pm.

[den]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Part of the problem is where we're playing Armstrong. He's not a " hold the ball "type of striker. We're crying out for somebody who can keep the ball down the other end.

I’ve been saying it for quite a while now, but we’re playing without a centre forward.  We don’t have anyone in the club capable of playing that position effectively.

 

[47er]

5 hours ago, yankfan said:

There’s certainly an element of possession that can lead to success but possession for the sake of possession is worthless. In his post match comments he seemed to be pleased with the volume of crosses and “how we got behind the defense so many times”. I must have tuned into the wrong match on the tele because I didn’t see but one or two half chances. I certainly didn’t come away thinking our stack was anything but toothless. 

We had lots of possession but nothing happened where it matters. Only need 1 goal to beat us these days.

Mind-numbing as ever.

[den]

35 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

It was Keith Andrews. I thought he spoke a lot of sense about us last night.

He has us and Mowbrays layout weighed up. 
 

Open, expansive game leaving us wide open. Nothing up front. 

[Exiled_Rover]

56 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Trybull is quite possibly the worst Centre Midfield I have ever seen in my life.

You've clearly seen Evans and Smallwood play. I'd hope you saw Andrews play too. 

[47er]

1 minute ago, den said:

I’ve been saying it for quite a while now, but we’re playing without a centre forward.  We don’t have anyone in the club capable of playing that position effectively.

 

Bang on. Stuff the pseudo science and find us a goal-scoring centre-forward----a big one!

[RoversClitheroe]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

You've clearly seen Evans and Smallwood play. I'd hope you saw Andrews play too. 

Yep.

[tonygreenbank]

We even got our own game report in the Times this morning.

I quote: “Reports from India say that Venky’s, the Rovers owners are displeased with the situation but a change of manager is not thought to be imminent.”

First time I’ve read about Venky’s “concern” but no explanation as to these “reports”. What will not help the fans’ mood is what Mowbray said next “ We move on to the next game and hope our luck changes”.

I can’t believe we’ve gone from play off contention to a relegation scrap in a few short weeks. The parallel with Hull is very worrying.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, den said:

I’ve been saying it for quite a while now, but we’re playing without a centre forward.  We don’t have anyone in the club capable of playing that position effectively.

 

If we going to become hard to beat keeping the ball down the far end is the first requirement. Didn't Big Sam bring in Diouf to do that out wide ?

[Bigdoggsteel]

21 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Hes also scored more goals than all but Toney, so it seems to have had some success. Considering our next highest scorer has 14 less goals, I think its safe to say that out of various problems within our team, Armstrong is right at the bottom.

Massive overreaction. Trybull shouldnt have played but hes miles better than any of them.

56 more shots though.....56. Five , six. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

6 minutes ago, tonygreenbank said:

We even got our own game report in the Times this morning.

I quote: “Reports from India say that Venky’s, the Rovers owners are displeased with the situation but a change of manager is not thought to be imminent.”

First time I’ve read about Venky’s “concern” but no explanation as to these “reports”. What will not help the fans’ mood is what Mowbray said next “ We move on to the next game and hope our luck changes”.

I can’t believe we’ve gone from play off contention to a relegation scrap in a few short weeks. The parallel with Hull is very worrying.

In huge danger imo. I was thinking of Blackpool's fall way back in '78.

TM's interview last night was very sad really. The working class Blackburn bit won't win him many friends, as if our fans should lie down and accept mediocrity and suspended animation.

Even a blind man can see that this team is going down, unless something changes quickly.

[Mattyblue]

8 minutes ago, tonygreenbank said:

We even got our own game report in the Times this morning.

I quote: “Reports from India say that Venky’s, the Rovers owners are displeased with the situation but a change of manager is not thought to be imminent.”

First time I’ve read about Venky’s “concern” but no explanation as to these “reports”.

.

That’s a word for word copy of a Jaquob Crooke tweet from last week

[Parsonblue]

7 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If we going to become hard to beat keeping the ball down the far end is the first requirement. Didn't Big Sam bring in Diouf to do that out wide ?

Absolutely correct.  Diouf was excellent at holding the ball and winning free-kicks to run down the clock.  This is what Graham could do and Armstrong can't.  We've badly needed that type of player all season to give some variety to the attack and relieve the pressure on a paper thin defence.

[roversfan99]

29 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Part of the problem is where we're playing Armstrong. He's not a " hold the ball "type of striker. We're crying out for somebody who can keep the ball down the other end.

I dont necessarily think that the striker has to be a hold up player and in fairness, in the last few weeks I have actually been quite impressed by how Armstrong has linked the play with his back to goal, possibly unselfish work that has stunted his overall effectiveness in front of goal.

He needs to have players running in beyond him though when he does that, we need Dack close up to him, players like Brereton, Rothwell and Elliott all do not run in beyond him and he ends up isolated.

11 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

56 more shots though.....56. Five , six. 

If it leads to more goals, then so be it. I suspect you are in for a shock post Armstrong as to how easily goalscorers are to get. He is on 19 goals, 1 of only 5 to get past 10.

Edited March 3, 2021 by roversfan99

[Exiled_Rover]

25 minutes ago, 47er said:

Exactly---he was a spectator on a footballer's wage!

I have an irrational hatred of Andrews. It's not his fault that Ince dragged him two leagues above his ability, but his constant pointing whilst contributing nothing of note boiled my piss.

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont necessarily think that the striker has to be a hold up player and in fairness, in the last few weeks I have actually been quite impressed by how Armstrong has linked the play with his back to goal, possibly unselfish work that has stunted his overall effectiveness in front of goal.

He needs to have players running in beyond him though when he does that, we need Dack close up to him, players like Brereton, Rothwell and Elliott all do not run in beyond him and he ends up isolated.

If it leads to more goals, then so be it. I suspect you are in for a shock post Armstrong as to how easily goalscorers are to get. He is on 19 goals, 1 of only 5 to get past 10.

Well it's not really just "so be it" , because it's unsustainable than he will keep having that many more shots than everyone else. So he is going to need to become far more clinical. 

[Exiled_Rover]

31 minutes ago, den said:

I’ve been saying it for quite a while now, but we’re playing without a centre forward.  We don’t have anyone in the club capable of playing that position effectively.

 

I'd give Brereton a run there, but that wouldn't be a popular option on here as he's still the worst player evah to some.

 

[den]

24 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If we going to become hard to beat keeping the ball down the far end is the first requirement. Didn't Big Sam bring in Diouf to do that out wide ?

Yes Tyrone, but it’s not just that. We haven’t got that centre forward to get on the end of things in the area, to knock centre halves about, to win the flick ons that turn back fours towards their own goal.  We’re completely sterile up there - and wide open at the back.

Edited March 3, 2021 by den

[roverandout]

Brereton reminds of Ashley ward. All effort and endeavour but very little quality

[arbitro]

eWe are just so easy to play against and since our early season flurry (albeit against teams out of form and with ten men) it seems that teams are generally happy to let us have the ball in our own half but squeeze us as soon as we advance forward. We haven't really got anyone in defensive or midfield positions who can accurately pass the ball over any distance which invariably means safe, easy and short passing which just doesn't hurt any teams. Our offensive set pieces are poor. It just doesn't look like any work on them. Two corners yesterday ended up back in our own half.

[TimmyJimmy]

46 minutes ago, den said:

I’ve been saying it for quite a while now, but we’re playing without a centre forward.  We don’t have anyone in the club capable of playing that position effectively.

 

Brereton is a number 9 no question. In the crazy world of TM though we have him somewhere around the left wing.  Complementing the other insane selection of Gallagher on the other wing.  Perfectly logical (not) to stick your shortest slightest player as centre forward, but what do I know?

I've been banging on about horses for courses for ages now. We don't have 11 available players who are good enough to play Mowbray's system. Lack of skill, lack of fitness, lack of availability through injury it doesn't matter the cause, we don't have 11 of them so why stick to the same approach.

Rocket Science Alert - if we're leaking goals make the defenders defend and not spend most of their time in the oppositions box, they should be in and around our box locked into a solid defensive 4 that moves as one.

But that's just me. Brereton for centre forward.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

32 minutes ago, den said:

Yes Tyrone, but it’s not just that. We haven’t got that centre forward to get on thwee end of things in the area, to knock centre halves about, to win the flick ons that turn back fours towards their own goal.  We’re completely sterile up there - and wide open at the back.

We have IMO. Gallagher thrived in a shite tem that put crosses in. I think he'd do well under the right manager. 

[RoverKyle]

I thought Trybull was our best player when he came on against Coventry & deserved his start yesterday. Granted he didn't do a lot with his chance but then again that's been a theme of our season. I think he's a slight improvement on Evans, who has flattered to deceive in his time with us. As for some of the names being mentioned as being better than Trybull, I've needed a laugh this morning 👍

[Bigdoggsteel]

I think Kaminski and to a lesser degree Trybull have been dragged down by Mowbray. Kaminski in particular, he looks a bag of nerves and really, can you blame him? He is expected to have more touches than Adam Armstrong, all whilst playing in-front of a brutal defense and malfunctioning attack. 

[Boroblue]

We really are becoming a slow motion car crash we can’t defend and can’t attack two of the basic principles regardless of more intricate philosophy.

I have no personal animosity for Mowbray but business wise he is failing. Excuses  don’t solve problems they attempt to explain them. We need solutions and quickly before time runs out. 

[47er]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I have an irrational hatred of Andrews. It's not his fault that Ince dragged him two leagues above his ability, but his constant pointing whilst contributing nothing of note boiled my piss.

TBF he did once head it off the line and prevented a certain goal. I don't remember him doing anything else positive.

He also had his supporters on here at the time who saw things the rest of us couldn't!