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

[Boroblue]

This is live on sky so I predict Armstrong to shoot from anywhere and everywhere from the first minute to the last. Due to the fact that according to the commentators he is very clinical we will lose 3v0.

[windymiller7]

Called a draw on Saturday, although I did say 2-2, not that it matters much, it's still 1pt and 0 GD.

I can't see anything other than defeat tomorrow unless a miracle happens & we sack Mowbray & appoint a new guy today, meaning that the players will at least give their all trying to prove something to the new guy.

However, back in the real world, it'll be 6 defeats in 7, Lucas Joao will score a hat-trick then go & sit on the (naughty) steps sucking his thumb whilst pointing & laughing at Mowbray.

We generally do tend to score at least one, so I'm saying 4-1 Reading (serious about the Joao hat-trick btw). Armstrong to get it back to 2-1 in the 75th min to have Neil Yardley & Warren Lucy creaming themselves about how we've got 15 mins to get 2 goals and go on to win it keeping our play off dream alive, before the inevitable capitulation as Reading score 2 more. For that reason, I'll be watching on Sky!

Mowbray out!

[joey_big_nose]

Reading play 4231 (not our kryptonite of 343) and are a bit hit and miss so actually think we've got a reasonable chance of scraping a win here. 

Personally I have reached the point of thinking a loss wouldn't be so bad if it meant we just moved on with our future (ie. remove Mowbray). Obviously want us to win, but if not and Mowbray goes it's not a terrible outcome.

[dallydally]

10 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Reading play 4231 (not our kryptonite of 343) and are a bit hit and miss so actually think we've got a reasonable chance of scraping a win here. 

Personally I have reached the point of thinking a loss wouldn't be so bad if it meant we just moved on with our future (ie. remove Mowbray). Obviously want us to win, but if not and Mowbray goes it's not a terrible outcome.

Sadly he's going nowhere even if we lose

[den]

To have any real optimism for these games, we need to know we have the ability - at least sometimes, to keep the game very tight.  To know that we “can”  keep clean sheets. Unfortunately the chances of us doing that are as close to zero as it’s been with any rovers team in my 60 yrs of watching Rovers. 

I don’t know how anyone can think we’ll win this one.

We probably will now. (No we won’t).
 

 

[jim mk2]

On past form it's at low points like this that Mowbray turns it around and we go on another unbeaten run. 

However, it feels different this time. The team looks listless and disinterested. I'd be amazed if we avoid defeat

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

10 minutes ago, den said:

To have any real optimism for these games, we need to know we have the ability - at least sometimes, to keep the game very tight.  To know that we “can”  keep clean sheets. Unfortunately the chances of us doing that are as close to zero as it’s been with any rovers team in my 60 yrs of watching Rovers. 

I don’t know how anyone can think we’ll win this one.

We probably will now. (No we won’t).
 

 

Best way to keep a game tight is to get the ball in your opponents half. We don't seem to be very good at that. We like to pass the ball around in our half until we lose it.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

On past form it's at low points like this that Mowbray turns it around and we go on another unbeaten run. 

However, it feels different this time. The team looks listless and disinterested. I'd be amazed if we avoid defeat

I think the players are like most of us, they've seen through him and now they're just looking after No1.

[Richard Oakley]

I'd go with yet another back 4, though an extra day of training would have helped. I'd give Dan Pike his debut. The alternative is to play Travis as a RB. I'd play Downing at LB and Lenihan and Nyambe as central defenders. Nyambe seeming inability to head the ball is more than a mere concern. In midfield I'd play Elliott and Dolan, wide with Travis and Rothwell in the centre. If Travis were played at RB, Trybull in the centre of midfield. Up front Armstrong and Brereton.

We all know that Mowbray is a developed of youth talent, don't we? So, Pike is a definite? Okay, that would be a no.

Anything other than a convincing Reading victory would be an upset.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Reading play 4231 (not our kryptonite of 343) and are a bit hit and miss so actually think we've got a reasonable chance of scraping a win here. 

Personally I have reached the point of thinking a loss wouldn't be so bad if it meant we just moved on with our future (ie. remove Mowbray). Obviously want us to win, but if not and Mowbray goes it's not a terrible outcome.

Until we have gained enough points to be safe, I hope that we win every game, regardless of what it means to the management positions.

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, dallydally said:

Sadly he's going nowhere even if we lose

I can't see the owners taking unlimited number of defeats. 

It's a popular view to say Venkys are disinterested and will not take action, but they have signed off a lot of checks, so obviously they are making a significant investment. Might take them a while to wake up,  but they will wake up eventually.

He's going at some point between now and the end of the season. I am sure of it.

I guess part of the issue if they decide to move on from Mowbray (potentially already happened) how do they actually execute that?  They will know finding the right manager is difficult, and they are open to getting rinsed again by agents etc. So they need to figure out who is to find out the replacement. 

Do we know who selected Mowbray for Venkys?

[Lucimo]

10 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I can't see the owners taking unlimited number of defeats. 

It's a popular view to say Venkys are disinterested and will not take action, but they have signed off a lot of checks, so obviously they are making a significant investment. Might take them a while to wake up,  but they will wake up eventually.

He's going at some point between now and the end of the season. I am sure of it.

I guess part of the issue if they decide to move on from Mowbray (potentially already happened) how do they actually execute that?  They will know finding the right manager is difficult, and they are open to getting rinsed again by agents etc. So they need to figure out who is to find out the replacement. 

Do we know who selected Mowbray for Venkys?

Not 100% but I thought it was Paul Senior 

[TimmyJimmy]

I want the same for this match as I've wanted for our previous matches.  I want a defensive UNIT that stays together and defends.  I don't want to see our defenders attacking.  They aren't good enough to do both and time and again the full back positions are where we concede goals from.  It's old fashioned but I'm old fashioned, give me the George Graham mentality any day.  If we had different players then maybe play something different, but we haven't.  Please give me a solid defensive back four.

IMO we have one creative player of talent, Rothwell.  I want to see him in the MIDDLE of the park  and I want to see him breaking forwards left right and centre.  I want to see him tucked in behind the attacking front 2 or 3.

Behind Rothwell I want to see two destructive players, players who protect the back four, win the ball and release it for others to be creative with, Travis and Johnson when both are fit.

The rest of the positions look after themselves, especially with 5 substitutes.  We're always capable of scoring one goal, the trick is not to concede one.

There's not a snowballs of any of this happening so I predict a loss and more banging of heads on brick walls murmuring Mowbray out.

He should go IMO opinion because he's making footballing mistakes, end of!

[martonrover]

33 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Do we know who selected Mowbray for Venkys?

Probably his agency.

[Tormund]

2-0 Reading, we’ll go down 1-0 early on I think and that’ll be it. Players aren’t up for it with Mowbray in charge. 

[Stonesrick]

I can't see us getting anything from this game and interested to see what excuses will be used post match.

I think this injury situation of having 11 players out injured doesn’t tell the full story and gives the impression to those outside of the fan base and the outside media that we have been decimated by injuries.

If we look at the starting 11 plus Dack on Saturday against Coventry, how many of those would be displaced by any of those 11 injured, by TM or by an overall average person on this message board.

Defence – At centre-back, Wharton maybe who had started to play well with Lenihan before his injury, Ayala (never fit to be considered), Derek (regularly picks up injuries and prone to errors)

TM may include JRC, who he seemed to rate above Nyambe before he got injured, even though after the last couple of games Nyambe has become Cafu Mk 2 in TM’s mind, having been hung out to dry by him a couple of times earlier. (Hoping to cash in this summer?)

Midfield and Attack – Travis, a certain starter when fully up and running. Evans – manager more or less always picks him whenever fit. Holtby (a few good games but always injury prone). Elliott - a certain starter. A choice between Dack and Rothwell, but Dack when fully up and running, a certain starter. Then, it’s either Brereton or Gallagher as a wide forward or fitting Rothwell in somewhere along the line. Armstrong – a certain starter and now showing he is Premier League quality, according to TM, now that the goals have slowed down somewhat, but earlier in the season still had several areas to improve on, despite banging then in regularly. (Hoping to cash in this summer?).

In summary, of the 11 injured players at the weekend, only maybe 2 or 3 would be considered probable starters, when fully fit in our best available 11.

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, Richard Oakley said:

I'd go with yet another back 4, though an extra day of training would have helped. I'd give Dan Pike his debut. The alternative is to play Travis as a RB. I'd play Downing at LB and Lenihan and Nyambe as central defenders. Nyambe seeming inability to head the ball is more than a mere concern. In midfield I'd play Elliott and Dolan, wide with Travis and Rothwell in the centre. If Travis were played at RB, Trybull in the centre of midfield. Up front Armstrong and Brereton.

We all know that Mowbray is a developed of youth talent, don't we? So, Pike is a definite? Okay, that would be a no.

Anything other than a convincing Reading victory would be an upset.

The alternative to playing Pike at RB isn't to play Travis there. Neither of those things will happen. Nyambe will play RB unless rested. He won't play CB. One of the two CBs we have loaned will, and Nyambe will play in his best position. I'm expecting Branthwaite to line up beside Lenihan.

Apart from the comedy show (Preston was it?) Branthwaite has mostly looked solid with the more experienced head of Lenihan beside him. With THB they both looked like what they were, children. Lenihan has he odd rush of blood game, like the comedy show I mentioned, but when he keeps his cool they have worked alright together. THB just looks crap so far.

Edited March 1, 2021 by bluebruce

[G Somerset Rover]

Joao is going to send Branthwaite back to the under 18's.

They've lost their last 3 at home but will have far too much for us. I predict 3-1 Reading.

[Darrenbot]

I have a feeling this is going to be high scoring,no real reason really,just a feeling 5-3 to Reading

[Leonard Venkhater]

2 hours ago, Lucimo said:

Not 100% but I thought it was Paul Senior 

He certainly made that claim,...but.....

[Gone to seed]

I hear he doesn't train the team on set pieces. I hear he doesn't do tactics. I hear he doesn't listen to popular opinion. I hear he doesn't big up our chances against even the lowliest opposition.

Question then...

What DOES TM do for his wages??

Yup.. that's right...

 

2-0 Reading 😞

Edited March 1, 2021 by WIR Second Coming
He's smooth, he's round, he gurns without a sound T.Mowbray, T.Mowbray..

[4000Holes]

Reading, player for player similar level to us.  Organisation and tactics they are light years ahead.

[Gone to seed]

5 minutes ago, 4000Holes said:

Reading, player for player similar level to us.  Organisation and tactics they are light years ahead.

Which is doubly galling and mystifying, as in recent seasons the positions were reversed. What has changed at Reading? What has changed at Rovers?

[JacknOry]

We gonna get done 4-1

[Richard Oakley]

2 hours ago, WIR Second Coming said:

Which is doubly galling and mystifying, as in recent seasons the positions were reversed. What has changed at Reading? What has changed at Rovers?

Reading had a takeover and a new manager. Rovers haven't.