v Derby County (h) - 15/3/22

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, Paul Mellelieu said:

I too thought TM should go this summer, but I think the bile aimed at him is wrong and unfair.

it`s not bile or vitriol,just deserved criticism

[Dan]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Trying Johnson up front should have been tried out in a practice game, even if it was only 45 minutes, not in a real game. That’s just amateurish.

Worse than amateurish. When would it ever work?  

[Dan]

1 minute ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Yes indeed, so when they play well I guess it's down to TM too.  

Not tonight by the looks of it. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

18 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

To be fair it's football 101 though. Playing defensive midfielders up front when they really can't play that position is absoluteley beyond amateur. If we can all see that's not going to work why can't he?

Who'd have thought though that playing a winger on the wing and a striker up front would lead to goals being created 🤔

Tactical. Fucking. Genius. 

 

Literally nobody is calling him that though, and I agree that the Johnson positioning was bizarre.

I'm just saying that if we're in the position of not giving the manager any credit for a positive result which came off the back of his changes, then that is strange to me. Especially seeing as we're all happy to stick the boot in for the bad results which come off the back of some pretty decent performances, as has happened over our recent run.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Admiral Nelsen

[Paul Mellelieu]

12 minutes ago, Dan said:

Johnston. False 9. 

Dan, you're a difficult man.  We've just won 3-1, stand fourth in the league.  TM said he got it wrong tonight first half and I agree it was an odd selection.  

[Mercer]

Just now, Paul Mellelieu said:

Yes indeed, so when they play well I guess it's down to TM too.  

After over 5 years in charge, if his signings / selections had played consistently well then we would be in the PL.

We have yet to finish a season in the top 6 of the Championship under Mowbray after 5 years in charge.

That, IMO, is not progress.

[Dan]

12 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Did he miss the chances against Millwall or Bristol City?  We would be home and dry if the players had done their jobs.

We didn’t have players on the pitch or in the correct positions to do their jobs. We didn’t sign a goal scorer and play our only CF on the wing. 

Edited March 15, 2022 by Dan

[Paul Mellelieu]

12 minutes ago, Dan said:

Not tonight by the looks of it. 

I'm not sure what makes you say that.  Guessing, I guess.

 

Anyway, nighty night.

[Angry_Pirate]

Would you rather:

1) Have Gavin Ward referee every Rovers match for the next 4 seasons.

Or

2) Mowbray (and friends) snake into new 4 year contracts.

 

Gavin Ward, all day. At least his ineptitude has a 50:50 chance of winning you the game.

[Admiral Nelsen]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That’s great header and about time some of the defenders chipped in.

100% 

 

Nobody expects your centre backs to be expert finishers at this level, but the amount of first contacts that Lenihan and Wharton get, both of them should be on at least 3/4 by now in my view. Maybe a bit churlish of me seeing as they've done their job in spades at the back, but when you think of the fine lines in games since Christmas - it could've made all the difference in keeping us in the race for the top 2. 

[USABlue]

6 hours ago, CambridgeRover said:

I feel a 3-1 win, I dont know why but just get a feeling we will finally do something up front

PM me the winning lottery numbers would you.

[tomphil]

5 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Yes indeed, so when they play well I guess it's down to TM too.  

All we know here is he set that team up first half and it was embarrassing. He spent the half bawling at Johnson and Dolan = as usual. And flinging his arms up in the air when his hands weren't on his head, we went one nil down and he hid in the dugout.

Second half he hid there all  along virtually with allegedly a face like a slapped backside whilst the reorganized re energized team got set about tearing Derby a new one.

Doesn't bode well for all things rosy does it, maybe Ben Benson should take over as the keeper coach and Venus seemed to be directing the second half. Which just happened to be the best one for donkeys years.

[garnersfags]

I think it's pointless diving straight into the Mowbray in/out debate at every opportunity. He's not going anywhere. 

I do feel that he will only change things when he has absolutely no choice, so after a 7 nil, and now after the most abject 45 min of the season(when the crowd were about to revolt).

I really worry about going to a back 4, but I agree something had to change. 

I assume he'll play Buckley instead of Dack for 45 at Reading,  and then switch to the team that started the 2nd half tonight. Or vice versa. 

I really think he has missed a trick not replacing Pickering with Giles, which would retain the defensive solidity whilst still providing the assists Giles is known for. 

The passion and unswerving commitment is what really won it for us, tho, and you can't teach that from a touchline ring-binder....

Edited March 15, 2022 by garnersfags

[Dan]

6 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Dan, you're a difficult man.  We've just won 3-1, stand fourth in the league.  TM said he got it wrong tonight first half and I agree it was an odd selection.  

Sorry, I’ve not watched his interview. I don’t watch or listen to him after last season, I really can’t bare him. 
 

Hopefully he is true to that and has learnt a lesson*
 

 

*I doubt he has. 

[SuperBrfc]

Relieved to get the win in the end as things were looking bleak at half time. The idea to play Johnson as a false nine was alarming and I'm glad that got binned off at the break. He can't be given more time to try out these bizarre experiments. Enough is enough.

Going off the angry look on Mowbray's face for all of the second half and his post match interview, I think it's fair to assume that the players took things into their own hands during the half time break. It sounds like something went off as he didn't look happy at all.

Dack and Gallagher were the key men for us in that second half. Quality cross from Dack for Dolan's goal, it was instinctive and right on the button. What I liked was seeing us pile the pressure on them for a spell and break the door down with two quick goals. That hasn't happened for a while.

Winnable game to come on Saturday. Let's hope he decides to stick with Giles on the left and Gally down the middle for that one.

[Admiral Nelsen]

2 minutes ago, garnersfags said:

I think it's pointless diving straight into the Mowbray in/out debate at every opportunity. He's not going anywhere. 

I do feel that he will only change things when he has absolutely no choice, so after a 7 nil, and after the most abject 45 min of the season(when the crowd were about to revolt).

I really worry about going to a back 4, but I agree something hadn't change. 

I assume he'll play Buckley instead of Dack for 45 at Reading,  and then switch to the team that started the 2nd half tonight. Or vice versa. 

I really think he has missed a trick not replacing Pickering with Giles, which would retain the defensive solidity whilst still providing the assists Giles is known for. 

The passion and unswerving commitment is what really won it for us, tho, and you can't teach that from a touchline ring-binder....

 

Wouldn't shock me if we see the same system against Reading, but with Giles on instead of Pickering. 

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Wouldn't shock me if we see the same system against Reading, but with Giles on instead of Pickering. 

im`e not to concerned about pickering,granted he`s not brilliant but he holds his own,we`ve got bigger problems at right back,jrc needs to be taken out of the firing line,i think this league is a bit above his ability tbh,if we do play a back four at reading,lenihan is ok there as a temporary measure,you certainly ar`nt going past him easily

[DE.]

Great to finally get out of the horrible rut we've been in. Just have to hope the past three months or so haven't done too much damage. Our buffer is gone so it's about handling pressure now, which typically hasn't been our strong suit in the past. 

[Tom]

Always easier to say after a win but the ref was good tonight. Let a lot go, but consistently so rather than blowing for every slight touch.

[Darwen Rover 007]

Pounds like it was explosive at HT.. much needed and yes Tony 'it got the job done'.. personally think it's what's missing in society.. the occasional bollocking and slap! 

[JHRover]

Tonight was an extreme version of the Rovers I have become used to seeing at Ewood Park under Mowbray's management. An atrocious first half performance with absolutely nothing of positive note to report, followed by a significant improvement and upturn in the second half. Another occasion where we only turn up for part of the game rather than the full 90 minutes, but if we win who cares.

Lets be honest it is quite frequent for us to spend the first half of games at home asleep or uncomfortable/poor, only for them to come out second half when attacking the Blackburn End and there to be a massive improvement. 

I think the only real difference tonight was just how bad we were in the first half. Really bad. And the Johnson selection - I knew he would throw a curveball into the equation but that has to be up there with his most random of all time.

But in the end we turned it around, got 3 goals and 3 points so a difficult night dealt with. I still think we have some major issues some of which are entirely self-inflicted but hopefully we can get a win at Reading which might put us back on track before the international break.

Onto Mowbray. I have watched his video interview with Andy Bayes after the game, and noted his behaviour in the dugout tonight and I have to say I'm almost worried for the bloke's wellbeing. First half he prowls the touchline in animated and excited fashion. Even throwing his jacket off in frustration half way through. Then second half makes a clear point of remaining sat down in the dugout for the entire 45 minutes except for one occasion when he spoke to the 4th official about injury time. 

This is a throwback to his behaviour in the second half of last season when he would spend some games - Wycombe away one that immediately springs to mind - sat down on the bench for the whole game whilst Venus was the one stood up speaking to the players.

I don't know what sort of relationship they have but it is very strange. It seems sometimes they are co-managers rather than boss and assistant.

Having watched his interview I must have missed the part about him accepting responsibility for getting it wrong with the team tonight. I heard him mention that they hadn't had time to prepare following Saturday's game. I heard him mention that there were some players in the dressing room who don't want to win enough and I heard him mention that we'd been on the wrong side of fine margins over the last 10 games. I didn't hear him hold his hands up and admit fault because he never does.

That interview though. Wow. He almost looks like he's having some sort of medical episode. I mean I'd expect something like that if we had lost but even then I'd expect anger rather than the look of exhaustion/weariness on his face. Head in hands, clearly unhappy, just like he was this time last year. Like he doesn't enjoy the job and doesn't want to be here. 

Edited March 16, 2022 by JHRover

[garnersfags]

15 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Wouldn't shock me if we see the same system against Reading, but with Giles on instead of Pickering. 

I think Giles for Pickering only works in a five, tho. 

That hopefully gives us the best of both worlds, but who would we leave out, and I don't trust Lenihan at right back?

To play a back 5, we would have to play Khadra or Dolan, not both.

Big decisions, very tough to call. I think interchanging Khadra and Dolan would work, replace one with the other in every game....

If we win at Reading, I predict we'll finish 6th, tho I know that's a big if....

Edited March 16, 2022 by garnersfags

[bazza]

7 hours ago, CambridgeRover said:

I feel a 3-1 win, I dont know why but just get a feeling we will finally do something up front

Well predicted. Your post was a long, long time ago; well before kick-off.

[glen9mullan]

Was very angry at Half-time, it was that bad, it was difficult to think of a positive bar only being 1-0 down.

Square pegs, round holes, no plan, no clue and a half which ended up with Rankin Costello and Lenihan playing out their own Batty and Lesaux spat, embarrasing.

Johnson asked to play false 9, Khadra who wont pass, and us at sixs and sevens.

Second half, 4-4-2, wide players playing as wide players, strikers playing as strikers and the first 15 minutes and we were like a side possessed. Closing down from the front, a desire to win the ball and a desire to not lose.

This awful run has been crying out for us to ditch the tactics which have become oh so predicatable. Suddenly we change, the players see the picture, we find 50% extra and those who have looked lost at sea, suddenly are playing like ballers epitomised by Gallagher (like a ranging bull) and some meaty tackles from Lenihan, Van Hecke, Wharton, Travis.

We've seriously got out of jail tonight, and need to have a real think about how we play going forwards. We've shown with players playing in their natural positions that we can create and score goals. 

 

[Admiral Nelsen]

10 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

im`e not to concerned about pickering,granted he`s not brilliant but he holds his own,we`ve got bigger problems at right back,jrc needs to be taken out of the firing line,i think this league is a bit above his ability tbh,if we do play a back four at reading,lenihan is ok there as a temporary measure,you certainly ar`nt going past him easily

 

Honestly, I'm just happy that JRC has got through several back-to-back starts without injury (admittedly whilst not always playing the 90). His performances look miles off - but I'd persevere with him against Reading, and with any luck Nyambe will be back after the international break.