v Huddersfield Town (h) - 5/11/22

[jim mk2]

I liked the Travis of a few years ago but the player I saw at Coventry in midweek was a shadow of that player, even allowing for the fact he was playing out of position. I think the Mowbray years have affected his game. He needs to go back to the Travis of a few years ago ,the more dynamic player who bossed the midfield and got up and down the pitch alot more. And he needs never to play at full back again

[J*B]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Playing just Travis and Morton in central midfield was a mistake. Not the first time it’s happened this season. Hudds out numbered us there. We need three not two.

Seems as obvious to me as it does to you, I suspect. 

As things stand out best team involves playing Kaminski; Brittain, Hyam, Ayala, Wharton, Pickering; Travis, Morton, +1; Brereton and Gallagher in a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2.

There’s only one position up to grabs for me and that’s the third midfielder. Wharton or Szmodics … or Dack, if the bust up with JDT can be repaired. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

I don’t judge armband wearers on captaincy at all, just their playing ability. Bit of a non job in football.

However a good one is worth their weight in gold.

[Mattyblue]

Leaders are leaders. Hyam and Ayala are the leaders in that team and they don’t need a bit of cloth on their arm.

[Sparks Rover]

17 minutes ago, J*B said:

This is so, so boring. Two completely different players, you’re judging by one stat and ignoring the other 8 posted.

For what it’s worth, I’d take Travis over Whiteman every day of the week from what I’ve seen. I think he’s underrated and gets a rough time on here. He’s one of the few in this squad with any sort of battle in him, is incredibly frustrating to the opposition and is arguably our most successful captain for a long time so far. 

Once again, I never brought this up....

He's too slow for what it's worth Travis.  Yesterday he was terrible 

[jim mk2]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

The passing in the first half was laboured, turgid and un imaginative. Lots of the time we were playing walking football. Always in front of the opposition and so rarely around the sides. So easy to play against, even for a team at the bottom of the league. We should have teams shaking in their boots when they’re walking out at Ewood yet yesterday we let them play themselves in with no problem at all. We never go for the throat straight from the kick off. The couple of times we went out of character and played route one balls we caused them real problems.

The last 30 minutes of the second half had me pulling my hair out. Nearly all the game was played out in our last third of the pitch. Yes, we defended really well and restricted Hudds to speculative efforts most of the time. That was because they are really blunt up front, better teams will make the most of playing 30 minutes in our half. Anybody who thought that last half an hour was entertaining - come around to my house, I’ve got a hammer and some nails - you could knock them through the back of your hand. 

 

I wasn't there yesterday but the 5 games I've seen this season (we've lost them all) this sums up my frustration with the Tomasson regime. I applaud the pragmatic way we eke out wins in the same way I did with Allardyce but, dear me, it's agony to watch in a way that Sam's teams never were. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, J*B said:

Seems as obvious to me as it does to you, I suspect. 

As things stand out best team involves playing Kaminski; Brittain, Hyam, Ayala, Wharton, Pickering; Travis, Morton, +1; Brereton and Gallagher in a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2.

There’s only one position up to grabs for me and that’s the third midfielder. Wharton or Szmodics … or Dack, if the bust up with JDT can be repaired. 

If Wharton was a couple years older he’d be my choice in a middle three. Unfortunately he’s not fully developed strength wise and this is a league were physical strength counts for a lot. Three or four grafters will always get the better of two footballers even if the two are better players.

I accept JDT has to go with the players to hand but yesterday wasn’t the first time we’ve been made to look ordinary because we were light in midfield.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Sparks Rover]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If Wharton was a couple years older he’d be my choice in a middle three. Unfortunately he’s not fully developed strength wise and this a league were physical strength counts for a lot. Three or four grafters will always get the better of two footballers even if the two are better players.

I accept JDT has to go with the players to hand but yesterday wasn’t the first time we’ve been made to look ordinary because we were light in midfield.

One good quality sitting midfielder and one Cameron Archer and we definitely play offs in my opinion 

[Oldgregg86]

4 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

One good quality sitting midfielder and one Cameron Archer and we definitely play offs in my opinion 

Agreed unless you start factoring in injuries to kaminski, Brittain, Pickering, etc

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

6 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Agreed unless you start factoring in injuries to kaminski, Brittain, Pickering, etc

You can’t really set out your transfer strategy on those lines. Do we have to sign two more full backs just in case ?

[AllRoverAsia]

56 minutes ago, J*B said:

This is so, so boring. Two completely different players, you’re judging by one stat and ignoring the other 8 posted.

For what it’s worth, I’d take Travis over Whiteman every day of the week from what I’ve seen. I think he’s underrated and gets a rough time on here. He’s one of the few in this squad with any sort of battle in him, is incredibly frustrating to the opposition and is arguably our most successful captain for a long time so far. 

I'm stuck on Travis winning aerial duels, I must have blinked or its a percentage based on 1

FTR I have watched Preston quite a few times in past 2 seasons. I would have Whiteman ahead of Travis in every facet of the game, but accept that I am just a know nowt keyboarder who should not challenge stats 

Edited November 6, 2022 by AllRoverAsia

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Sparks Rover said:

Lewis Travis - Career goals 5

Whiteman has 5 in last 12 months in this league and 37 altogether in his career. Same age.

Chalk and cheese mate...like I say....ones career is going up and the other is on the way down....Lewis will struggle to get a game here soon

Travis is the new Lowe

You missed out that Whiteman is cat piss, just so you’re aware.

[Guest]

For me, Travis was a stand out weak point in our side yesterday. Constantly slowing down play, passing backwards and giving possession away cheaply. I get that he breaks up opposition play and harries / gets stuck in, but if I was to be brutally honest, he doesn't dictate play and seems unable to play to his strengths at the level required for the Championship.

I'm sure JDT can see his limitations, and has a game plan to account for them. 

Weak links are apparent elsewhere of course, particularly in front of goal and whenever we allow Ayala to play with the ball.

As for yesterday's baffling approach of sitting back and inviting attack, only JDT knows if this was a deliberate ploy or not (akin to the training received by the Karate Kid, sand-a-floor / paint-a-fence) as part of some overall conditioning of the team to be able to take a battering yet still prevail. We were lucky yesterday, but with the conditions on the pitch, we were only a split second away at any point from capitulation.

I'm sure we will endure more similar afternoons in the course of the season. So much to look forward to...Meh.

[Sparks Rover]

9 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

You missed out that Whiteman is cat piss, just so you’re aware.

He's living in your head mate, you enjoy it.🤣

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

21 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I'm stuck on Travis winning aerial duels, I must have blinked or its a percentage based on 1

FTR I have watched Preston quite a few times in past 2 seasons. I would have Whiteman ahead of Travis in every facet of the game, but accept that I am just a know nowt keyboarder who should not challenge stats 

I think I agree with that but Whiteman, or most midfield players, would struggle in a central two also.

[BigBar]

1 hour ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I like Travis and never called him out before but yesterday he was abysmal 

In the same boat. Couldnt believe how bad he was. Touch was horrendous and this season he seems so lightweight. Gust of wind would knock him over. Needs dropping which is hard to say.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, BigBar said:

In the same boat. Couldnt believe how bad he was. Touch was horrendous and this season he seems so lightweight. Gust of wind would knock him over. Needs dropping which is hard to say.

He’s going to have to play next Sunday I think.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

He's living in your head mate, you enjoy it.🤣

You just can’t help but bite can you 😆

[Oldgregg86]

57 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You can’t really set out your transfer strategy on those lines. Do we have to sign two more full backs just in case ?

I think depth and cover is the difference between what league we end up in so I’d say yes. Obviously players are signed in order of priority and right now we desperately need a goalscorer more than anything but after that and another midfielder I’d say the wingbacks and a keeper to cover what we have would be of next importance

[BigBar]

15 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He’s going to have to play next Sunday I think.

He 100% will but he is gonna get found out. Can see him getting booked and maybe even sent off. They play with high energy and pace and Lewis seems so off it now I think he will struggle massively.

[Sparks Rover]

5 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

You just can’t help but bite can you 😆

Is that you trolling?  Good one👍

[Sparks Rover]

2 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I think depth and cover is the difference between what league we end up in so I’d say yes. Obviously players are signed in order of priority and right now we desperately need a goalscorer more than anything but after that and another midfielder I’d say the wingbacks and a keeper to cover what we have would be of next importance

Aye,  a injury to the keeper would be a disaster.  Can Pears play out, he struggles to catch it from my recollection.....?

[booth]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

I wasn't there yesterday but the 5 games I've seen this season (we've lost them all) this sums up my frustration with the Tomasson regime. I applaud the pragmatic way we eke out wins in the same way I did with Allardyce but, dear me, it's agony to watch in a way that Sam's teams never were. 

I think he's identified we can't see games out with the players we have/fitness levels, so gets them to dig in when we're 1-0 up and looking tired and uninspired. I see it as a hangover from five years of Mowbray and a way to get through games till these things can be rectified. We desperately need more firepower as I can't see Vale or Hirst coming on and extending leads. Dolan disappoints more often than not.

Maybe I'm that jaded from Mowbray that I'll take an annoyingly cautious 1-0 victory, over being 2-0 up and drawing 2-2 in injury time.

I found Allardyce's defending against inferior opposition frustratingly agonising at times. We had a better, fitter squad then too.

[BlackburnEnd75]

We have won every game this season when we have taken the lead this season.

In fact we have not conceded a single equaliser when we've taken the lead.

We have already won 12 games.

Thus we are good at defending leads. Very good infact. A great strength

Yes it wasn't pretty on the eye. I felt Vale in particular didn't hold it up particularly well to allow us to get up the pitch. But the above is pretty hard to deny.

Edited November 6, 2022 by BlackburnEnd75

[J*B]

4 minutes ago, booth said:

I think he's identified we can't see games out with the players we have/fitness levels, so gets them to dig in when we're 1-0 up and looking tired and uninspired. I see it as a hangover from five years of Mowbray and a way to get through games till these things can be rectified. We desperately need more firepower as I can't see Vale or Hirst coming on and extending leads. Dolan disappoints more often than not.

Maybe I'm that jaded from Mowbray that I'll take an annoyingly cautious 1-0 victory, over being 2-0 up and drawing 2-2 in injury time.

I found Allardyce's defending against inferior opposition frustratingly agonising at times. We had a better, fitter squad then too.

I agree, I suspect if you asked JDT after he finished his second bottle of wine he would say he needs two more forwards and two central midfielders.