PLAYER WATCH v Derby County (H)

[tonyoz]

PLAYER WATCH v Derby County (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

Half time scores are in purple, full time in black:

Kaminski                         ****  **    (4)   4                               

R-Costello (45)               ******    *********   (-7)   -7

Lenihan                           ***************  *****    (5)   16     

van Hecke                       *********************  ****      (13)   25

Wharton                         ********************  ********     (3)   24

Pickering                        ***********  ********    (-2)   2

Travis                              ***************  ****     (3)   11

Johnson (45)                  ***  *****    (-5)   -5      

Rothwell                         ***************  ***     (9)   18   

Khadra (79)                    ******* ******     (4)   -2

Dolan                              ********** ******    (2)   7

 

Gallagher(45)                 ***********  **    16

Dack (45)                        **  *    3

Giles (79)                        ***  *     4

 

Highlights and Lowlights 

(A justification for the main ratings given above)

 

I’m trying to be positive: this is a big game and a test of character all round. Buckley and Gallagher out Dolan and Johnson in.

02 Khadra goes on a decent run and tries his chances from over 25 yards but it’s weak and  the keeper saves comfortably. Johnson’s playing up top!

06 Hmmm. No real pressing from Rovers up front. No sense of urgency. Derby seem very happy to play it around at the back.

09 Pickering fails to stop a cross into the box.

11 Rothwell remembers the Fulham lad and tries a shot from the halfway line…it bisects the right post and the corner flag! There’s nothing much at all happening here!

15 Khadra, on the right wing whips in a dangerous looking cross to the near post and the defender nearly makes a mess of it but the keeper collects. No attacker in the vicinity….as we’ve come to expect in recent times.

16 Ebiowei beats Pickering too easily on the edge of the box and Derby ping it around our box.

18 Wharton gives the ball away just outside the box and Derby attack. They’re into the box but van Hecke and Wharton win the ball back.

20 Blimey, Derby are boring as they pass it from one defender to another around their box.

23 Another bad pass from Wharton gives the ball to Derby in the centre-circle. Lawrence’s shot is poor, however. Nevertheless, Derby look the more dangerous side.

24 A nice run by Dolan sets Khadra off and he drives square across the box but again there’s no end product as his tame attempted shot rolls wide.

25 A nice pass from Rothwell sets Dolan one on one with the defender but he falls over on the edge of the box!

26 JRC loses the ball in the Derby half. Ebiowei rolls Wharton on the centre spot then Morrison beats Wharton near the box. Pickering blocks Knight’s shot and Travis’s attempted hook clearance is fluffed and falls straight to Lawrence but his attempted through ball is booted out of play by van Hecke. What a shambles! From the throw, JRC fails to prevent Buchanan’s cross….it’s an easy clearance for Wharton but for some reason, Johnson puts an awkward pass back to Travis in our box. Travis mis-controls with his face and Lawrence robs him. Van Hecke holds him up but Ebiowei gets it on the edge of the box and turns Pickering inside out before shooting. He hits van Hecke’s leg and the rebound hits a prone Pickering allowing Byrne to square along the 6 yard line where Morrison pokes it into the net. The most chaotic defending I’ve seen for many a long while. We had multiple chances to clear up but panic removed all semblance of clear thinking.

Well we’re in trouble now……..Derby deserve their lead.

32 Dearie me, Derby stroll the length of the pitch under no pressure. Ebiowei does Pickering all ends up again before feeding Byrne on the edge of the box. Big danger but his through ball is deflected and reaches Buchanan. JRC puts it out for a throw and a breather!

34 Derby stroking the ball around at a leisurely pace, no attempt to close down from Rovers. Bird breezes past Wharton effortlessly on halfway, they’re playing with us! The fans are booing!

38 Dolan gives the ball away and Travis fouls the Derby man midway in our half. The cross comes in and Wharton can only head into the air, falling to Morrison 15 yards out who volleys it powerfully past the left post! Another let off, Kaminski was beaten.

40 A Rovers corner, Wharton loops a header towards the 6 yard box where Dolan and van Hecke battle with several Derby men, it’s chaos but the defender gets his boot there first.

41 JRC leaves Buchanan in acres of space on the wing and the Derby man is free to move into the box where his decent shot flies across Kaminski’s goal. This is embarrassing. Lenihan gives JRC a rollocking.

44 A nice ball into the box from van Hecke to Khadra’s feet but he’s offside!

45 A terrible backpass from Pickering goes directly to an unmarked Lawrence on the edge of our box but Kaminski is out quickly enough to block the shot. Derby should be 3 up!

The whistle goes, the fans boo and that’s the worst performance I’ve seen for a long time.

 

45 Dack and Gallagher on, Johnson and JRC off. It’s very unusual for Rovers to make half-time subs but it’s desperate times. We’re going to a back 4 and an attacking front 4. Gallagher wins a nice flick on from Kaminski’s long clearance and the fans roar their approval.

46 Khadra foul throws when in an attacking position!

48 Gallagher slides to partially charge down the keeper’s clearance and the ball runs out for a Rovers throw. Khadra curls in a decent cross…just too high for Dack. Now Derby attack and Ebiowei crosses from their right wing to Buchanan and van Hecke takes him out in the box with a cumbersome and risky challenge but it paid off as another Derby man puts his shot wide.

49 Whoa! Now we’re pressing!! But Derby attack again and Travis breaks it up, then commits the dumbest of “pull-back” fouls just outside the box. Fortunately it’s a poor delivery.

51 Another nice flick on by Gallagher and Dolan sprints to the byline and crosses into the 6 yard box where Byrne gets there just before Khadra and has to put it over his own crossbar.

52 Rothwell takes the corner and Wharton runs to the near post and, unmarked, flashes his header into the net. Great goal…and a massive relief. Scott’s first goal in the league for Rovers.

54 Hmm, Lenihan must have been practising his long throws as this is the second in as many minutes. This one goes right into the box……over Gallagher’s head! It comes out to van Hecke, 30 yards out and he fires at goal and it’s deflected for another corner.

There’s some argy-bargy and the ref tells off Gallagher and Lawrence. Rothwell’s corner goes over everyone but Lawrence wrestles Gallagher to the ground. That should have been a penalty! Pickering heads it back into the box and Dolan mis-kicks in a crowded 6 yard box. It’s bouncing all over the place. Khadra somehow keeps it in play and Rothwell spreads the ball to Lenihan on the right. He lays on a beautiful cross to Wharton on the left corner of the 6 yard box and his header is powerful and on target but the keeper dives to make a good save. But it’s only parried to the unmarked Dolan, 2 yards out and unmarked, and unbelievably he heads it over the bar!

56 It’s relentless Rovers’ pressure as Rothwell rushes in to rob the defender and win a corner. Gallagher, for once, is throwing his weight around as they all jostle in the box. Dack seems to be trying to calm things down. Rothwell takes it short to Dack just inside the box and he clips a neat ball towards the far post where Dolan nods it down and into the net. Pendemonium! Fans and players erupt with ecstasy! Tony looks proper glum,however!

68 Khadra loses the ball and Derby stream forward. Van Hecke stretches but misses the tackle. Wharton manages to get back and part block the ball out for a corner. They take it short but Travis wins the ball and Khadra is off. Dolan and Rothwell sprint after him and it’s 3 against 2. Sadly Khadra’s pass lacks a yard of pace and Dolan can’t control it and it all comes to nothing. Derby attack and it looks dangerous but Knight’s shot is blocked away by Wharton.

81 Gallgher and Giles press well and we force a corner.

82 Travis is well beaten on the wing and gives away another yellow card challenge.

85 Rothwell picks up a loose ball 30 yards out and goes past 3 players into the box but his shot is disappointing and curls a yard wide.

92 Nervy times as Derby attack down their right but Wharton cuts out the low cross and Pickering clears.

94 Lenihan gives the ball away but van Hecke rushes in to clear up. Wharton is awarded the sponsor’s man of the match.

96 Pickering lobs a good ball to Giles on the left wing and he takes it forward. His cross is perfect to Gallagher, at the far post 8 yards out, and Sam beats his marker and heads the ball decisively into the roof of the net. The perfect ending. A left winger crossing to a big centre forward…can you believe it? Tony still looks glum.

98 The whistle goes and it’s loud. Great stuff after an appalling first half! All the players are embracing and enjoying the moment. Rooney shakes hands with every Rovers’ player.

Edited March 17, 2022 by tonyoz

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks as always Tony. We’re you tempted to give up at half time ?

[tonyoz]

31 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Thanks as always Tony. We’re you tempted to give up at half time ?

That’s one of the most remarkable turnarounds I can remember. Dack didn’t actually do much apart from the assist but he seems to give everyone a boost just being there……..and Gallagher was re-energized. He is the most inconsistent player we have I think. Next match it wouldn’t surprise me if he was back to diabolical! I want to see him throw his weight around every game! Oh…..and get his head on more balls……Giles can deliver them if Sam gets into the box regularly. It was a decent finish to be fair……and he often gets in decent headers in OUR own box when defending. Let’s hope for more of the same on Saturday.

[Guest]

there should be a Mowbray 'Gurn Watch' on this thread too - If your child showed half the petulance and clear signs of paddypants that the so called 'manager' showed on Tuesday night, you'd have them sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Gurning weirdo! I mean, look at his hangdog expression the minute after we took the lead... UNFATHOMABLE. Inscrutable, gurning chumpery at it's finest..

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Guest
bleeding nonsense

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

37 minutes ago, tonyoz said:

That’s one of the most remarkable turnarounds I can remember. Dack didn’t actually do much apart from the assist but he seems to give everyone a boost just being there……..and Gallagher was re-energized. He is the most inconsistent player we have I think. Next match it wouldn’t surprise me if he was back to diabolical! I want to see him throw his weight around every game! Oh…..and get his head on more balls……Giles can deliver them if Sam gets into the box regularly. It was a decent finish to be fair……and he often gets in decent headers in OUR own box when defending. Let’s hope for more of the same on Saturday.

I was saying on another thread Gallagher managed to get himself up against an opponent a foot shorter for the goal. Good play on our part, bad on Derby’s.

Gallagher reminds me of Devon Malcolm. Somebody has to get him angry before he really gets stuck in. For those who don’t know cricket Malcolm was an amiable fast bowler who couldn’t bat to save his life. In a game against South Africa they made the mistake of bowling bouncers at him against the unwritten rule at the time that you don’t bounce non batters. He got hit a couple of times. 
 

I thought at the time” Mm, I wouldn’t do that if I were you “.

 

When it was South Africa’s turn to bat Malcolm absolutely roared in bowling like a man possessed. He had them all out in no time and he had figures of about 8 for 30 ! I never saw him bowl quite like that again. Somebody had to get him mad first.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces