PLAYER WATCH v Millwall (H)

[tonyoz]

PLAYER WATCH v Millwall (H)

Each incident in the match was rated on the following scale: 

+5 GOAL 

+4 Excellent play 

+3 Very good play 

+2 Pleasing/good play 

+1 Decent play 

  0 Routine stuff 

-1 Sloppy play 

 -2 Disappointing/poor play  

 -3 Very poor play 

 -4 Terrible play 

 -5 Own goal 

The ratings for each player were then combined to produce a measure of the players overall contribution to the match. 

 
Ratings       

Key incidents per player = coloured stars              Overall contribution = numbers

Kaminski                         ****   ****     0                               

R-Costello                       *************    ***   14

Lenihan                           *****************  *****     15     

van Hecke                       *****************  ***      20

Wharton                          *****************  *****     14

Pickering                         *******  ***    4 

Travis                               ************  ******     9

Buckley (76)                    **************  ***    16      

Rothwell                          ***************  *****     15     

Giles (76)                         *********** ***     13

Gallagher (85)                 ********* ************     -4 

 

Dolan(76)                        ***  *     2

Hedges (76)                    *  **    -1

Vale(83)                         0

 

Highlights and Lowlights 

(A justification for the main ratings given above)

This is big. We can’t score from open-play, Millwall have won 5 on the trot and this is the first of a home triple header. We are are in big danger of dropping out of the top 6.

04 Nothing of note to report yet. Giles just made it to the byline, turned back to his left foot and tapped it straight to the keeper!

06 Nice flicks from Giles, then JRC gets the ball to Travis who moves into the right corner of the box before laying a nice ball across the 6 yard box….but there’s no Rovers’ players anywhere near and the defender clears. We win a corner. Travis gets it 30 yards out and launches an accurate ball towards the left edge of the 6 yard box where Wharton, under strong challenge, does well to square it across goal but the defender gets his foot in and clears. Wharton was clattered there.

12 Three Rovers in the box but Wharton’s cross, under no pressure, goes sailing into the stand.

15 A lovely 1-2 between JRC and Buckley puts JRC free in the box. He only has the keeper to beat but from the right corner of the 6 yard box he puts the ball across the face of goal and about 2 yards wide of the left post. Bad miss after some great approach play. The Rovers players have their heads in their hands!

18 A Giles corner reaches van Hecke, central and just inside the box, but his header is a yard wide.

Millwall don’t look very good so far. How have they won 5 on the bounce??

20 Van Hecke brings the ball forward, waits for the midfielders to come to him before bypassing them with a neat pass. Nice.

Lenihan wins his header and Buckley and Giles interpass nicely allowing Buckley to slot a lovely ball into the right side of the box to Gallagher. Sam squares the ball across the penalty spot but, of course, there’s nobody there to meet it. Pickering almost dispossesses the defender but Millwall clear up.

24 Buckley picks up midway in the Millwall half, waltzes round the defender and advances to the right edge of the box before stroking a nice shot on goal, it grazes the outside of the left hand post with the keeper beaten. That came from nothing!

25 Wallace is away from Wharton but Lenihan is well-positioned and takes it off Afobe’s toes as the cross comes in.

27 Gallagher takes a shot from outside the box but it’s weak and straight at the keeper.

28 A terrible free kick by Wharton goes straight through to the keeper.

31 Rothwell attempts to lob the ball forwards into the box…..but why? There’s no Rovers’ player anywhere near.

38 Van Hecke strides forward again and feeds Buckley 38 yards out and he launches a superb lofted ball to the right corner of the 6 yard box where an on-rushing Gallagher butchers a peach of a chance. He pushes the ball a foot past the right upright. Well may he hold his head!

Half Time. Millwall have had zero attempts on goal.

 

48 Pickering puts in a decent cross and the goalie collides with his own man and drops the ball but Gallagher is looking the wrong way and Millwall survive.

50 Rothwell runs the ball over half the length of the pitch before feeding Giles on the wing. He beats the full back and runs into the box before crossing square. It hits a defender and falls to Buckley on the 6 yard line. He shoots but it’s too weak and the keeper saves with his arm. Gallagher heads it back into the danger area and there’s panic until it falls to Pickering just inside the box and his shot is blocked for a corner. The best chance of the match so far!

They take it short and Giles pumps in the cross…….Lenihan has a clear header from 6 yards but he puts it over! We are never gonna score at this rate!

54 Buckley’s influence is waning as that’s 2 poor passes in one minute!

A sloppy clearance from Kaminski. Oh! Now he’s put the goal-kick straight into touch! I reckon most fans are thinking…..we’re set up for a “sucker-punch” here!

58 An all-round press from Rovers forces the goalie to rush his clearance into touch and the Blackburn End roar their approval! You’ve got to say there’s a lot of effort but unfortunately there’s no teeth!

60 A promising Rovers attack comes to nothing when Travis puts a poor pass into the box.

61 Millwall have every man back.

63 Turgid at the moment……..no quality on the ball.

64 Rothwell goes on one of his runs and enters the box before falling down. No penalty!

70 Well, that was almost the sucker punch as Millwall attacked down their left but Wharton was well-positioned to cut out the cross and it’s a corner. Travis heads clear. Then Travis wins the ball again and that’s a very nasty challenge from the Millwall man. Yellow card.

The other players are incensed!

76 Buckley and Giles off, Hedges and Dolan on. We need some spark from somewhere!

80 A good, accurate challenge in the box by JRC dispossesses the Millwall man when it was looking dangerous.

83 Oh dear! Hedges on the wing puts his cross into row Z.

Gallagher off, Vale on!

86 A Wharton header goes high in the sky but amazingly drops just under the crossbar and the keeper has to tip it over for a corner. Rothwell puts it to the far corner of the goalmouth and Wharton heads it back across goal but Dolan is an inch too short and it’s cleared.

88 Lenihan gives the ball away, Travis pulls out of a tackle and van Hecke takes a yellow for the team.

91 Another of those infuriating “going nowhere” short corners but Rothwell gets another chance. Cooper heads this one away.

93 Dolan pesters the full back and wins a corner. Pickering arcs it straight into touch! Ridiculous!

Full time. That’s so disappointing - the lack of goals is sucking the life out of me! The slide continues.

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by tonyoz

[Herbie6590]

Backs up my opinion of JPVH, who seems to have taken the Fulham game as a cathartic experience resulting in a transformation into a proper footballing defender.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks Tony, I missed the game but it doesn’t sound like I missed much.

[RoversTilliDie]

45 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Thanks Tony, I missed the game but it doesn’t sound like I missed much.

Rovers were the better team, they had Millwall on the backfoot most of the game but couldn't find the net due to some decent millwall defending. They missed one ore two chances that should have found the net. Let's hope the rovers supporters don't get disheartened, we have ten games left and an easier run in than most teams going for the top six spots.We just need our strikers back from injury.

[RoversTilliDie]

I am putting my money on Rovers reaching the play offs. Rumour had it last week that Bradley Dack is to take part at some stage in the Bristol city game saturday. Get Diaz back and were on the attack. Come on you Rovers ! never say die till the final ball is kicked.

L

[J*B]

2 minutes ago, Geoff66 said:

I am putting my money on Rovers reaching the play offs. Rumour had it last week that Bradley Dack is to take part at some stage in the Bristol city game saturday. Get Diaz back and were on the attack. Come on you Rovers ! never say die till the final ball is kicked.

L

Dacks on the bench, will come on for the last 30 I think. And probably score. 

[tonyoz]

1 hour ago, J*B said:

Dacks on the bench, will come on for the last 30 I think. And probably score. 

Now you’re talking!

[tonyoz]

4 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Thanks Tony, I missed the game but it doesn’t sound like I missed much.

No, writing this is becoming a chore! It’s the same old story (bar QPR) every week.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, tonyoz said:

No, writing this is becoming a chore! It’s the same old story (bar QPR) every week.

I’m not bulling you up but it’s invaluable. People will be able to read these reports years from now.

[tonyoz]

43 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I’m not bulling you up but it’s invaluable. People will be able to read these reports years from now.

Thanks for the encouragement. I’m gonna keep going, I still hope for the best, even though the evidence is thin!

 

4 hours ago, Geoff66 said:

Rovers were the better team, they had Millwall on the backfoot most of the game but couldn't find the net due to some decent millwall defending. They missed one ore two chances that should have found the net. Let's hope the rovers supporters don't get disheartened, we have ten games left and an easier run in than most teams going for the top six spots.We just need our strikers back from injury.

Yes, we’ve got to stay in touch until our important injured players get back. If we can make the play-offs with everyone back we’ve got a chance…..that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.

[RoversTilliDie]

12 hours ago, J*B said:

Dacks on the bench, will come on for the last 30 I think. And probably score. 

When we get Diaz back alongside dack we will be back on track for the play offs.

[J*B]

20 minutes ago, Geoff66 said:

When we get Diaz back alongside dack we will be back on track for the play offs.

I suspect Ben will be going to play for Chile against Brazil. And they’ll play him despite him still being injured. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

32 minutes ago, Geoff66 said:

When we get Diaz back alongside dack we will be back on track for the play offs.

I don’t think we will. The chance has gone. Just my opinion of course. Come back and remind me when we storm to promotion please.

[RoversTilliDie]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I don’t think we will. The chance has gone. Just my opinion of course. Come back and remind me when we storm to promotion please.

Rovers will be on fire with Dack back and Diaz is back for the Coventry game rumour has it. With Giles and his fantastic crosses into the box, I can see Dack and Diaz getting on the end of a few of them. Khadra is supposed to be fit for the Bristol city game. We haven't been playing bad, it's with injuries up front that have brought a stutter to rovers season. My prediction, rovers in the play offs come May.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 minutes ago, Geoff66 said:

Rovers will be on fire with Dack back and Diaz is back for the Coventry game rumour has it. With Giles and his fantastic crosses into the box, I can see Dack and Diaz getting on the end of a few of them. Khadra is supposed to be fit for the Bristol city game. We haven't been playing bad, it's with injuries up front that have brought a stutter to rovers season. My prediction, rovers in the play offs come May.

Will Giles still be shuffling up and down the right wing desperately trying to work the ball onto his good left foot or will Gally be back pounding the beat out there ? If only we had a manager !