v Middlesbrough (h) - 29/12/22

[Mercer]

13 minutes ago, garnersfags said:

Think we need more explanation of the truth in these comments about AW, as they seemed to be accepted as fact by many on here. 

The question is whether there is an actual 'stand-off' between JDT and AW, and how we know if this is the reason he is not getting minutes on the pitch.

Honest answers, please, so we can move on.  

Thanks. 

The Whartons lived in Salesbury and it's surprising what information gets passed around in the smaller Ribble Valley communities particularly amongst like minded people (in this instance football orientated folk including supporters etc).  Would not think @J*Bwould post without foundation.

[Sparks Rover]

10 minutes ago, Mercer said:

The Whartons lived in Salesbury and it's surprising what information gets passed around in the smaller Ribble Valley communities particularly amongst like minded people (in this instance football orientated folk including supporters etc).  Would not think @J*Bwould post without foundation.

If that is the case then, I'd be leaving in January...can't get a ticket to watch, what a load of shite.....!  If thats serious then as an agent I'd be getting my client on the radars of larger clubs.

 

[Bbrovers2288]

I just don’t enjoy this rovers team or for a good decade tbh, it just never feels like we are quite “right”, always feels like we are in the back foot, we create so little and have nothing in our squad to get fans out their seats. It really is a hard watch for me at the moment and sadly we seem to be on sky all the time stinking the place out. Non rovers supporter mates thought I was so unambitious by saying we have no chance of going up when we were riding high but I saw the performances and they just never filled me with anything other than we are a very poor footballing team 

[AllRoverAsia]

4 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Boro were bottom of the league not long ago; if our next result goes as we fear and they win, they’ll go above us. 

And so will WBA after a few more games.

[lraC]

2 hours ago, DaveyB said:

 

I don’t want to argue with Arbitro’s experience, but are we sure that it warranted a red card? According to the laws of the game, it should have been a yellow unless it was thrown with excessive force - I’ve watched it a few times now and really not sure that it can be classed as excessive…

 

Link for anyone wanting to check for themselves: https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/fouls-and-misconduct/#disciplinary-action

It wasn’t even reckless, let alone thrown with excessive force. Like you, Arbitro is more qualified to make comment on it than me, but does anyone think that ball was thrown even slightly forcefully? 

[AllRoverAsia]

4 hours ago, arbitro said:

Buckley's lack of discipline cost us tonight. We played some good stuff in the first half and the big diagonals and cross field passes had Boro in real trouble as we stretched their defence and got in behind. We could have gone in two up at half time although Boro had a couple of chances of their own. We were caught cold at the beginning of the second half as Boro came out of the blocks quicker than us. I still thought we would go on to win but Buckley really killed that notion with his infantile behaviour. Boro stepped up and got their second and it was going to be tough from there but credit to our players who pushed for an equaliser and had a couple of chances. I was annoyed with Tomasson for taking off our two most creative players and replacing them with two defensive midfielders but my real anger is towards Buckley whose idiocy cost us tonight.

Due to an internet failure overnight I've not seen the game yet but reading the BBC match report the highlighted action with the subs jumped out as weird.

Were we shoring up to protect the defeat?

What is the purpose of having a striker like Hirst on the bench?

Plain strange.

[lraC]

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

The Whartons lived in Salesbury and it's surprising what information gets passed around in the smaller Ribble Valley communities particularly amongst like minded people (in this instance football orientated folk including supporters etc).  Would not think @J*Bwould post without foundation.

I am sure Josh can defend himself on this, but I’m certain he hasn’t made it up. Expanding on it and maybe quoting the source (if that doesn’t compromise someone) will no doubt clear this up.

We are being robbed of seeing an exciting talent, who is one of our own, at the minute, so it needs sorting and fast. 

[AllRoverAsia]

4 hours ago, Ianrally said:

Of course not, but it’s all this “we are third” that does my head in. 

Best prepare early for the plaintive cries of "we were 3rd at Christmas" followed by "We were in the top 6 in January", they are coming.

[RevidgeBlue]

For me Gallagher is the new Corry Evans. Stealing a fortune off the Club by being one of the top earners whilst conversely being absolutely shite week in week out, month in month out and season in season out.

And even more bizarrely being picked by multiple managers. If we're ever to succeed we need to overperform slightly by having eleven players pulling their tripe out and performing to their maximum potential every single game. The Championship is so tight and competitive you can't afford to be carrying any passengers like Gallagher or before him the likes of Bennett, Evans and Lowe et al.

[Upside Down]

51 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Due to an internet failure overnight I've not seen the game yet but reading the BBC match report the highlighted action with the subs jumped out as weird.

Were we shoring up to protect the defeat?

What is the purpose of having a striker like Hirst on the bench?

Plain strange.

Better than having him on the pitch.

[AllRoverAsia]

3 hours ago, JHRover said:

I thought the performance tonight, first half particularly, was more in keeping with our efforts earlier this season. I thought we did well and thought it was a good game, probably should have had a second through Dack or Gallagher.

Second half we got caught out early, but then you really need calm collected heads, Buckley's act of petulance not the first time he's been in trouble and he needs to get a grip. I can tolerate red cards when they are necessary or part of managing a game but when for ludicrous things such as tonight or that one at Derby the other year he needs to reflect on it carefully.

By the letter of the law a red which will get the officials off the hook with it but if I had the time I could go through Championship games this season and probably find dozens of similar or worse incidents in plain view of the referee or linesmen where nothing is given. So it comes back to consistency again. Can't argue with Buckley but then I expect to all such acts sanctioned in the same way. We all know it doesn't happen which is the part I can't accept.

It seems Eltrincham was the one who gave it, which he did well to see in between his match-long discussion and conversation with Carrick and Woodgate. I wasn't sure the 4th officials' task was to analyse and explain every event to the management team of one club but that's what he was doing. Then when they had a corner and committed a foul at the DE he wasn't even looking as he was too busy talking to Woodgate. No doubt in my mind influenced by their theatrics after our first goal.

A frustrating one as at half time I felt quite good about things and confident of getting back to winning ways.

Where do we go from here? Well we've three 'attractive' looking games now - Cardiff, Rotherham, Bristol City - need a good chunk of points there or excuses will be thin on the ground. 

End of the day though we can all see that reinforcements and options are needed - a look at the bench tonight shows how limited we are and it would be negligent of ownership and management to not bring people in quickly. The existing players deserve help and yes we are in a good position to approach the 2nd half of the season from.

I doubt we will get such business because the owners don't know nor care about where we are or what we might do, that's where the problem starts and ends.

And if the owners won't back the Club (they didn't last January) in this healthy position with such a glaring need for options then are they ever?

The project has been broadcast time and time again as one that revolves around developing players and using the academy. Most people seem happy with that. Don't think you can really be too surprised then if experienced tried and tested pros aren't added to the squad or the young lads fall away as the season goes on. 

Which in no way resembles a project to be a PL sustainable club.

It says the opposite and that a real go at promotion is not on the agenda.

Furthermore, and unless you spend big of fees and wage contribution to attract top quality, you cannot build a team via loans or by making a loanee the undeserving fulcrum of the team.

The treatment of the Wharton's is getting beyond belief and the manager needs to be called to account and explain. His conceit will not allow that to happen.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

6 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

It's just like Buckos penalty giveaway a few days ago, questionable decision but he gives the ref a decision to make.  Strange really.

I am glad you mentioned the penalty - watched it on Sky and not one person mentioned he actually touched the ball.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

8 hours ago, toogs said:

It was to ensure we saw out the game with a 2-1 defeat 🤪

I am sorry - pointless having creative players on the pitch if you are being overrun. We needed fresh legs to close them down quicker.

[Paul Mani]

We played well first half and probably should’ve had a couple more but for bad decision making in the final third. Typical of us to concede so quickly after the break and the Buckley thing was just bizarre! What was he even thinking!? 

We’re just not good enough. Far too reliant on a few players, all of whom are clearly out of form at the minute. S.Wharton, Trav, BBD, Gally.

My worry is that the lads just aren’t having JDT very odd that so many are not playing well at the same time. I’m probably overthinking it. 

Crazy that we’re still third considering we’ve lost 4 of the last 5 games. Had we picked up another 2 wins in that cluster we’d be sat 5 points off automatic and 9 points clear of 7th…what a waste! 🙈

[AllRoverAsia]

54 minutes ago, DavidMailsTightPerm said:

I am glad you mentioned the penalty - watched it on Sky and not one person mentioned he actually touched the ball.

Or that the Sunderland player bought the penalty by jumping into Buckley's path whilst making no attempt at playing the ball.

That sort of cheating goes on all the time and is ignored by incompetent referees who find it acceptable a bit like the use of arms and hands to obstruct and shirt pulling all of which go largely unpunished.

Which brings me on to the latest feck up by the match officials. It appears that Buckley was sent off for a mild offence that the rules say can be punished by a yellow on the word of the 4th official, who shall remain nameless as I do not want to cuss, who had absolutely no clear view of the incident, absolutely none, unless he was also looking at a monitor. He guessed under pressure from his Boro mates.

[MarkBRFC]

The red card has given this lot the perfect excuse. It was obvious after the first 30 seconds of the second half that there was only going to be one winner and we were on the verge of another complete no show. The red makes it all acceptable though, oh and that we are 3rd 🙄

What JDT said to them at half time who knows.

I've never seen such a spineless team in all my time watching Rovers. From the management all the way down to the players.

[RevidgeBlue]

9 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

My worry is that the lads just aren’t having JDT very odd that so many are not playing well at the same time. I’m probably overthinking it. 

Looking at it purely from the outside and the demeanour of the players in recent games I'd say it's a valid concern. Possibly they're not having the way they're being asked to play than JDT personally. Or maybe both? Who knows

[Paul Mani]

9 hours ago, Ianrally said:

Norwich are four points behind us with a game in hand. They were quick enough with a decisive move to get rid of Dean Smith. It will be interesting to see whether us or them finish the higher at the end of the season. 

If they do finish above us (which they should) , then it’s probably more likely to do with the £50m difference in annual budget, rather than the point they changed manager.

[Paul Mani]

14 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Looking at it purely from the outside and the demeanour of the players in recent games I'd say it's a valid concern. Possibly they're not having the way they're being asked to play than JDT personally. Or maybe both? Who knows

I hope I’m overthinking it…

My ‘non football loving’ wife sat next to me on Boxing Day watching the Sunderland game and just blurted out…

”Paul, why on EARTH do you watch this? It’s awful. It’s like watching a kids game, no one knows what they’re doing”

She went on to say that because I always have football on the tv she’d actually began to watch it (it’s taken 20yrs) and she could see now the excitement and enjoyment it brings. But watching Rovers was “nothing like that” 🙈

”Paul, why don’t you just support someone else? You’d be miles happier!!”

Me….”If only I could…”

Shes got a point though…😩

Edited December 30, 2022 by Paul Mani

[arbitro]

7 hours ago, Inferi said:

The standard of refereeing in this league is horrific. In order to be sent off for throwing the ball at an opponent, "excessive force" is required. Was excessive force used? In no way was the opponent endangered. We should definitely appeal.

 We can moan about it until the cows come home but in law the referee was absolutely correct. The villain here is Buckley.

Edited December 30, 2022 by arbitro

[Mashed Potatoes]

9 hours ago, alcd said:

Judging from JDT's post-match comments he's thrown Buckley under the bus and exonerated the officials. Looks like they won't even be contesting the red card so a 3 match ban stands. An idiotic approach that certainly won't go down well with the players.

I'd like to think it's Buckley's lack of discipline which won't go down well with the players.

[Crimpshrine]

28 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

If they do finish above us (which they should) , then it’s probably more likely to do with the £50m difference in annual budget, rather than the point they changed manager.

I don't disagree that Norwich have many advantages over us due to parachute payments etc but there is more to it than that.

Norwich may have more money and better players than us but we beat them.

We beat them because they didn't play well and the manager was not getting the best out of his players. Maybe there was some conflict between the players and the manager. The fans certainly didn't like the manager.

So, as a normally functioning, well run club with ambition, the Norwich board assessed the situation and decided to act. It will probably turn out to be the right decision and I would expect them to be in the playoffs without having to spend heavily. The fans, the club and probably the players will all feel that it was done in the everyone's best interests with the aim being to get promoted this season.

That's the difference - We have no board to speak of, we have no ambition, we have nobody behind the scenes responsible for the best interests of the club. We just have the fabled 'journey'. The £50 million will obviously help but being well run and decisive, as a club, is just as important. That is our main problem.

In theory, we have an opportunity to spend a chunk of money this window due to the profit declared last year but we all know it won't happen. Rovers need mending from the inside before we will progress.

Venky's out

 

[Mashed Potatoes]

7 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

If that is the case then, I'd be leaving in January...can't get a ticket to watch, what a load of shite.....!  If thats serious then as an agent I'd be getting my client on the radars of larger clubs.

 

I can't see any larger club being interested in a Big Time Charlie who at the age of 18 thinks he can challenge the authority of the manager.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

People questioning the officials over the sending off should remember that it is just stupid and unprofessional to give a ref a decision to make.

If Adam W is sulking about a managerial decision then again it is unprofessional.

I could go on about unprofessional things at this club an they should be dealt with by the management but as the biggest crime of being unprofessional is not changing tactics when it is clear they arent working there is little chance.

[Ossydave]

57 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

The red card has given this lot the perfect excuse. It was obvious after the first 30 seconds of the second half that there was only going to be one winner and we were on the verge of another complete no show. The red makes it all acceptable though, oh and that we are 3rd 🙄

 

Not really sure how you jump to that conclusion. Yes they scored early in the second half but no way we were dead and buried at that point. In fact the only stat Boro really came out on top on was they had more possession, oh and corners.