Rovers v Bristol City - 17/03/21

[chaddyrovers]

4 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

I think the selection of four central midfield players on the bench in Bennett, Trybull, Buckley and Evans suggests a manager serously struggling with conviction and forward planning.

He made some bold changes and got a draw but he has to start weeding out those without a future at the club and pushing those that might. He did, at least, demote Downing who seems to lack pace, these days, to fit in anywhere on the pitch.

 

Signing Downing for this season was a waste and mistake. 

We dont need 4 centre midfielders on bench. 2 or 3 is enough.so why not give Burns or McBride a chance from bench. 

[booth]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Why didnt we put McBride or Burns on bench instead of Bennett or Nyambe? 

If he'd signed him for £7m he'd feature in every match whether he was good, bad or on his arse for most of the time.

[@roverseas]

Miserable display tonight.  Choice of subs baffling... Evans to win in the closing stages?  Madness.  I was optimistic we would win this one, and have been let down.  Only a cheeky win against the canaries can make up for it.

 

 

[JacknOry]

Dunno how anyone can find our style of play entertaining. I fell asleep with 10 minutes to go. Its just passing for the sake of it and so predictable. I know where we gonna pass before it happens. Then it finally gets somewhere near the box and we "run out of ideas/play a poor final ball/run into an oppo player" - rinse and repeat. 

Then at some point we just gift them glaring chances. We pass around for the entire match and have 80% possession but they still have more efforts on goal and have the better chances to score.

Is it any wonder teams just let us have the ball? They get more chances to win anyway. We are toothless up front and always likely to misplace a few passes at the back to let them in. We take risks playing at the back (especially on such a fcked up pitch) and teams are now taking notice of Kaminski and trying to punish him. How many times in recent weeks has he been lucky not to gift a goal?

[RevidgeBlue]

5 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

The club has option to renewal their contracts so the players can't reject it. I do think he is miles better than Rankin Costello at all. Both have different attributes to their games. 

For me, I would keep Rothwell and renew his contract. 

If we do have options in the case of Nyambe and Rothwell, but they won't sign new long term deals, then surely that only means we'll secure a modest fee for them when they are sold in the summer as opposed to them being  here for another 12 months?

JRC hasn't signed a new contract yet either  but as he seems to be Mowbray's latest love child no doubt he'll be offered a deal befitting of his talents unlike Nyambe.

[RevidgeBlue]

6 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

We are on the highway to nowhere under Mowbray. We need a new manager/head coach with new director and plan asap

Now you know why you were getting so much flak for insisting you would keep Mowbray until the end of the season for so long!

[OldEwoodBlue]

Still no "Mowbray Resigns" headline.

Hardly honourable.

[arbitro]

What a dreadful game of football that was. With everything that is going on at the club watching Rovers play and looking forward to a game was respite for some but now even that looks like the players have fallen into the club malaise. Mowbray and his staff certainly have.

[Stuart]

8 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

He wants locking up in a padded cell. Yet more drivel:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19168231.find-answers---mowbrays-verdict-bristol-city-stalemate/

Does he really believe the stuff he says? The LT doesn’t even need to criticise him - not that they ever would - they just need to keep printing his nonsense.

 

“The team has got an identity, the team is playing a brand of football that if we take our chances we win pretty comfortably and everyone gets excited about the team as they were at the start of the season,” Mowbray said.

He really thinks we have a winning brand of football? At least I presume when he’s talking about “the team” he means Rovers.

 

“At this moment it’s a bit more difficult, and teams at the top end of this division have players with a bit more individual craft that can turn a tight football match.

He talks about individual craft - but forgets that he picks up and drops individual talent until the learn the Mowbray way. Dolan is going the same way that Rothwell has, and Klopp must be alarmed at the reverse that we are now seeing in Elliott. The confidence and belief we had earlier in the season has evaporated.

We were on of those teams at the top end, challenging for the play-offs, and now he has taken us backwards it’s somehow difficult to compete.

We’ve reached the nadir we did under Bowyer where we have the players but don’t have the manager and coaching team to get the best out of them. 

Instead of reacting to protect the players, both in team progression and individual value, our owners - and their people at Ewood watch as the whole thing falls apart before starting again.

If Venkys are still wondering why failure costs so much then either they really have learned nothing - or it is exactly how they want it.

You know things are bad when the LT comments section turn against you. Obviously there are still apologists around but I expect even their devil’s advocacy is becoming harder to construct with a straight face.

[RevidgeBlue]

15 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Does he really believe the stuff he says? The LT doesn’t even need to criticise him - not that they ever would - they just need to keep printing his nonsense.

 

“The team has got an identity, the team is playing a brand of football that if we take our chances we win pretty comfortably and everyone gets excited about the team as they were at the start of the season,” Mowbray said.

Of course he doesn't believe it. He can hardly come out and say "We were absolutely terrible but I'm powerless to do anything about it as the players aren't responding to me and I'm completely out of ideas".

(Although he has been hinting as much with his "the owners will have to decide if I've become a burden to the Club" comments recently)

It doesn't annoy me that he comes out with such guff per se, although I feel compelled to point out what nonsense it is where  necessary.

It does infuriate me that some people do seem to swallow it hook line and sinker though!

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Now you know why you were getting so much flak for insisting you would keep Mowbray until the end of the season for so long!

What flak? Everyone has a different opinion and people respect each other opinions then no problem 

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

What flak? Everyone has a different opinion and people respect each other opinions then no problem 

You were getting a bit hot under the collar at the time though!

"Why do you keep asking me the same question every week Mercer?"

🙂

[chaddyrovers]

4 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

You were getting a bit hot under the collar at the time though!

"Why do you keep asking me the same question every week Mercer?"

🙂

Yes Mercer did keep asking the same questions. I kept my promise that when I change my mind I posted detail post why I change my mind and who I put on my shortlist. 

And no I didnt get hot under the collar at all. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Looking at the players Instagram's, I wonder do they get sick of writing "not the result we deserved" after every game? 

Mowbrays excuse culture deeply ingrained in the club now. They genuinely think they have been hard done by and conspired against this season. 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Bigdoggsteel

[tomphil]

I notice quite a few now saying retaining Downing for another season was pointless.

Pity it wasn't a belief held as widely in summer !   Quite simply another old pals act there. Ok son you've no club nobodies come in after we've waited around so here's ten grand a week take it or leave it.

Utterly utterly pointless he was never going to contribute the same this season the signs were there last. So so Mowbray though.

Now why wasn't that wage put elsewhere ?

 

[tomphil]

8 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Looking at the players Instagram's, I wonder do they get sick of writing "not the result we deserved" after every game? 

Mowbrays excuse culture deeply ingrained in the club now. They genuinely think they have been hard done by and conspired against this season. 

That's what it is great, great description.

EXCUSE CULTURE/MENTALITY

All comes from the main man he gets them in every week before a ball is kicked.

[G Somerset Rover]

15 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Looking at the players Instagram's, I wonder do they get sick of writing "not the result we deserved" after every game? 

Mowbrays excuse culture deeply ingrained in the club now. They genuinely think they have been hard done by and conspired against this season. 

Good point and one that irked me last night. I’ll forgive Kaminski with his ‘clean sheet’ post as he’s about the only one with any credit in the bank, but Holtby et al need to keep schtum until we start doing the business on the pitch. I don’t want to hear crap about ‘onto the weekend’, ‘we put the point in the bag’. Enough. Operation downgrade as you say isn’t in full swing, it’s here and settled.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[den]

"I hear every week from other managers how good our team is, but generally that is on the back of a 1-0 defeat.”
 

TM thinks we’re playing really well, that’s obvious. That’s a big problem for him, for the players and for us.

Losing football isn’t good football. Someone needs a big rethink here.

[den]

It’s also noticeable that many of the Rovers fans on Twitter who used to take the piss out of those fans who wanted Mowbray out, have now quietly changed tack. They are mostly fed up with the football and quickly falling out of love with the club.

Anyone listening Rovers?

[roversfan99]

8 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

The club has option to renewal their contracts so the players can't reject it. I do think he is miles better than Rankin Costello at all. Both have different attributes to their games. 

For me, I would keep Rothwell and renew his contract. 

Armstrong wont fit after missing a series of games.

No one has said Dolan is the answer but he is raw talent that needs developing and pursuing. He isnt a striker but better on the right wing. Personally you are way over critical of him in his 1st professional season and he is 17/18 years old. 

Doesn't say for Mowbray last 3 years planning and signings then

Exactly, I think we have a squad desperately lacking in quality that our manager has assembled which for some reason people felt was capable of a top 6 push.

Regarding Dolan, I was specifically arguing that he is not a striker which is where you suggested that we played him last night. I do think that due to his commendable enthusiasm and coming from Preston that he is a little overhyped and that there is little of substance but thats not a slight on him, this is his first season in senior football whereas the majority of the rest have had more than enough chances.

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, Stuart said:

Does he really believe the stuff he says? The LT doesn’t even need to criticise him - not that they ever would - they just need to keep printing his nonsense.

 

“The team has got an identity, the team is playing a brand of football that if we take our chances we win pretty comfortably and everyone gets excited about the team as they were at the start of the season,” Mowbray said.

He really thinks we have a winning brand of football? At least I presume when he’s talking about “the team” he means Rovers.

 

“At this moment it’s a bit more difficult, and teams at the top end of this division have players with a bit more individual craft that can turn a tight football match.

He talks about individual craft - but forgets that he picks up and drops individual talent until the learn the Mowbray way. Dolan is going the same way that Rothwell has, and Klopp must be alarmed at the reverse that we are now seeing in Elliott. The confidence and belief we had earlier in the season has evaporated.

We were on of those teams at the top end, challenging for the play-offs, and now he has taken us backwards it’s somehow difficult to compete.

We’ve reached the nadir we did under Bowyer where we have the players but don’t have the manager and coaching team to get the best out of them. 

Instead of reacting to protect the players, both in team progression and individual value, our owners - and their people at Ewood watch as the whole thing falls apart before starting again.

If Venkys are still wondering why failure costs so much then either they really have learned nothing - or it is exactly how they want it.

You know things are bad when the LT comments section turn against you. Obviously there are still apologists around but I expect even their devil’s advocacy is becoming harder to construct with a straight face.

So between the lines he's absolving himself yet again, implying he's coached the team to play good football but they aren't good enough to turn it into wins.

Well maybe it isn't the right brand for these players then, no ?

The guy is a complete fraud he's given himself yet more get out of jail cards with this statistical possession football.  All it needs it craft and skill to turn it into winning football apparently, but we haven't go any.

He bleated years ago defenders were coming but they didn't.

He then said we need to be looking to replace DG and Dack if he left. The owners backed him, he brought in Brereton & Gallagher.

Next excuse was team is too young it's lacking experience and leadership. Owners backed him and allowed wages for - Downing, Johnson, Holtby and now Trybull and Douglas.

A defender came in the shape of already unfit 3 year contract Ayala, he played shite then disappeared.

Now it seems he thinks all we need is craft despite having the likes of Elliot, Dolan, Brereton, Holtby, Armstrong in his ranks.

No Tony your team was sussed after the first few months this season it's as simple as that. And your bull was sussed by fans a long time before that. You are the most fortunate manager in this division working under this ownership.

Covid might have made your job that bit harder, it has for everyone but it's made your matchday experience a lot more comfortable !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

58 minutes ago, tomphil said:

I notice quite a few now saying retaining Downing for another season was pointless.

Pity it wasn't a belief held as widely in summer !   Quite simply another old pals act there. Ok son you've no club nobodies come in after we've waited around so here's ten grand a week take it or leave it.

Utterly utterly pointless he was never going to contribute the same this season the signs were there last. So so Mowbray though.

Now why wasn't that wage put elsewhere ?

 

Some of us said so at the time but got the usual shouting down. Possibly by the same people that thought signing Brererton and Gallagher were good ideas as well.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Exiled_Rover]

39 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Exactly, I think we have a squad desperately lacking in quality that our manager has assembled which for some reason people felt was capable of a top 6 push.

Regarding Dolan, I was specifically arguing that he is not a striker which is where you suggested that we played him last night. I do think that due to his commendable enthusiasm and coming from Preston that he is a little overhyped and that there is little of substance but thats not a slight on him, this is his first season in senior football whereas the majority of the rest have had more than enough chances.

The squad is lacking quality in terms of 'if we went up and didn't buy 10 new starters we'd be murdered every week'.

That said, if a manager came in and played these players in their correct positions / to their strengths we'd be pushing for automatic promotion (albeit we're probably a striker light for that).

It's a terrible league and our bench is the envy of many. That's not even including the promising Academy players he refuses to use.

[Paul Mani]

38 minutes ago, tomphil said:

So between the lines he's absolving himself yet again, implying he's coached the team to play good football but they aren't good enough to turn it into wins.

Well maybe it isn't the right brand for these players then, no ?

The guy is a complete fraud he's given himself yet more get out of jail cards with this statistical possession football.  All it needs it craft and skill to turn it into winning football apparently, but we haven't go any.

He bleated years ago defenders were coming but they didn't.

He then said we need to be looking to replace DG and Dack if he left. The owners backed him, he brought in Brereton & Gallagher.

Next excuse was team is too young it's lacking experience and leadership. Owners backed him and allowed wages for - Downing, Johnson, Holtby and now Trybull and Douglas.

A defender came in the shape of already unfit 3 year contract Ayala, he played shite then disappeared.

Now it seems he thinks all we need is craft despite having the likes of Elliot, Dolan, Brereton, Holtby, Armstrong in his ranks.

No Tony your team was sussed after the first few months this season it's as simple as that. And your bull was sussed by fans a long time before that. You are the most fortunate manager in this division working under this ownership.

Covid might have made your job that bit harder, it has for everyone but it's made your matchday experience a lot more comfortable !

It’s a VERY good point that his team was sussed out by November. Lots of people (on social media) latching onto the excuses being spewed out about defensive injuries etc...which are relevant but your defence being depleted does not absolve your manager or the rest of their team of their duty to break teams down. If you can’t defend then try to win 5-4 don’t blame the fact that you cannot break teams down on injuries to Wharton and Ayala!!?

Rovers have not played really well since November 24th, Preston away. The matches are literally the same every week. Loads of possession, no cutting edge and a stupid mistake, lose the game.

Who is addressing this? 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Paul Mani

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The squad is lacking quality in terms of 'if we went up and didn't buy 10 new starters we'd be murdered every week'.

That said, if a manager came in and played these players in their correct positions / to their strengths we'd be pushing for automatic promotion (albeit we're probably a striker light for that).

It's a terrible league and our bench is the envy of many. That's not even including the promising Academy players he refuses to use.

Why is our bench the envy of many, on the basis of what? There was nothing about a bench of Pears, Evans, Bennett, Branthwaite, Bell, Trybull, Dolan, Gallagher and Buckley for anyone to be envious about.

It is a poor league, and I do think a good manager could have us doing better, starting by getting us more organised, but which players are top 6 worthy, never mind automatic promotion pushing?! It would require a top Championship manager and a huge overachievement to have us genuinely in the discussion. That isnt a defence of Mowbray in any way, he has just built a squad swimming in mediocrity(and worse), most of which I would happily see gone ASAP.The goalkeeper is fine, the defence is patched up beyond belief, the midfield is bog standard at best and we have a crippling reliance on Armstrong to score the goals (and when he is fit, which will be a while again now, Dack) with the supporting cast not doing anywhere near their fair share.

The Premier League thing is a different debate and even Norwich who top the league will need a massive revamp.