v Middlesbrough (h) - 29/12/22

[benhben]

After watching the shambles vs Sunderland, and 4 abject performances out of 5 my enthusiasm is quickly waning. I cant fathom how we've been so crap for long periods and are still 3rd. Despite all the issues, were still in a great place and a few additions in January could cement a play off spot. The top 2 are miles ahead. 

Out of everyone, Buckleys performance was an abomination the other day. Bad attitude and bad ability. Hes 100% out and back to the U23s for me. Gallagher wasnt much better. Midfield is just trying something different, and two players who might actually run abit. Weve not seen Markanday much, he cant be worse than Hirst. Pretty damning that apart from Hyam, none of the summer transfers are anywhere near the squad. Desperate for some investment in Jan to keep it going. 

 

                       Kaminski

         Hyam       Ayala    Wharton

Hedges        Garrett     Travis    Pickering

                           Dack

                 Markanday  BBD

[Uddersfelt Blue]

3rd or 23rd means nothing if we aren’t performing to standard. 

The performances and results recently have generally been dire with opposition managers working us out quite easily (Norwich’s ex-manager being the exception).

There is clearly something not working and the manager needs to put it right quickly or 3rd will soon be a distant memory
 

 

[Mercer]

41 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

Was Carrick even in for Rovers job? I haven't read or seen anything that says Carrick was in for the job. 

Rovers are 3rd in the league and you think we are mess. I give up with people attitude like this.  

Understand Carrick was interviewed.

Read Sharpe's article in LT - makes an argument that Rovers in a false position.

I'll offer you a £50 bet that Rovers don't finish in top half.  Loser donates £50 to charity of winner's choice.

[rigger]

18 hours ago, RoversTilliDie said:

Rovers need to stay calm and not panic, we have lost to Forest in the league cup and an injury time winner in the Championship to Sunderland.Lets put it right against Boro and Cardiff at home and get some pride back at Ewood. By the way i have had a wonderful Christmas in bed with laryngitis lost my voice for days, hopefully i will be back in full voice at Ewood Thursday cheering Rovers to a 3-0 win.

The only problem with staying calm and not panicking, is the fact we are playing shit.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, AllRoverAsia said:

The manager was on about progressive passing, going forward to have shots and goal chances. That is not happening.

We have his Dutch Disease full blown and he appears to have no cure.

Sooner or later the stats will show in our league position.

Performance over results is his mantra. Deluded gobbledegook.

On your last point. We have got neither

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, scotchrover said:

It’s because we’re abysmal to watch. My dad fell asleep watching us against Sunderland. 
 

I have a season ticket which is probably going to stay in the draw tomorrow, as things stand. I’d rather watch the borefest in the warm. 

I will be there as per usual. 

1 hour ago, den said:

 

3rd in the league in December means nothing. You have to look at the full picture unless you’re happy to kid yourself.

being third gives us a good chance of making the playoffs this season and keeping BBD for the rest of the season which is our best chance of promotion with him in the team. 

1 hour ago, K-Hod said:

You seen any of the matches or results recently? We are third for now, but the season finishes in May…

Of course I seen every game recent and all season whether its at Ewood Park which I never missed a game or watching away games live on Sky Sports or Rovers TV the day after. 

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Understand Carrick was interviewed.

Ok then. 

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Read Sharpe's article in LT - makes an argument that Rovers in a false position.

Well at least you and Rich Sharpe might agree on someone. 

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

I'll offer you a £50 bet that Rovers don't finish in top half.  Loser donates £50 to charity of winner's choice.

Not interested in betting with yourself Mercer. 

[BigBar]

This argument of "we are 3rd" Vs "we are shit" is getting old. We are third largely down to the ineptitude of others in this league. We have been scarily bad in alot of games, like league one standard or less at times. Clumsy, panicky, frantic, errors galore, lucky, wasteful, clueless, fearful, the list goes on and on. Not descriptions you would normally associate with a team 3rd in any division. 

When we win it's rare we are electric or set the pulses racing. The football is scattergun, laboured and stale. Hard to watch and it's down to the manager for forcing players to do what they are not comfortable with. It's not "challenging" them, it's never going to work. The set of players we have are too limited technically. Heart in mouth stuff every time we are forcing it around the back which usually ends up conceeding possession or hoofing it long after dicking about for 20 needless passes.

The midfield has been an issue all season. I highlighted it soon as last season ended. Morton is ok, Travis has been terrible, the worst features of his game now seem to be his only features. Can't say anything positive. Buckley is woeful, offers nothing. Casually saunters around the place conceeding possession and now penalties with his powder puff "tackles". The midfield is the issue, strengthen there and we could actually take the gift of a lucky start to the season and make it worthwhile. Persist with Travis and Buckley and we will drop like a stone in the new year.

Very frustrating to feel like this when we are in a great position, can't stomach another capitulation. If you editing out the goals from each match and watch the games not knowing the results you would think we were a team in about 16th-18th. Bizarre stuff.

[Mattyblue]

You can have two thoughts at once.

I.e after half the season we are third because we deserve to be, as we’ve won more games than anybody below us. 

However, we are currently 18th in the form table and we obviously look like a team about to fall away.

[den]

4 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

You can have two thoughts at once.

I.e after half the season we are third because we deserve to be, as we’ve won more games than anybody below us. 

However, we are currently 18th in the form table and we obviously look like a team about to fall away.

The damning statistic for me Matty is the 11 defeats. Good teams simply don’t lose that many games before the new year. 

[Crozzy]

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

You seen any of the matches or results recently? We are third for now, but the season finishes in May…

Second at Christmas last year and we all knew it was a false position. Same again here. Not good enough, look how compact the league is, if we have our usual February slump we’ll be out the top half. Hope it doesn’t happen but look at our form last 4 games. Been woeful. Norwich was a good result yea but we were shit really. 

[Crozzy]

Last decent performance I remember seeing was Watford at home. I watch most games and I can’t say I’ve seen a performance like that since 

[Mattyblue]

4 minutes ago, den said:

The damning statistic for me Matty is the 11 defeats. Good teams simply don’t lose that many games before the new year. 

They don’t, and the defeats are often shockers too.

And as we’ve also not convinced in many of the wins either we are highly likely to fall away as they dry up.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t currently deserve to be third, as it’s a results business and we’ve had more of them than anyone 4th and below…

[BigBar]

6 minutes ago, den said:

The damning statistic for me Matty is the 11 defeats. Good teams simply don’t lose that many games before the new year. 

A crazy statistic that we are that beatable. It doesn't get enough attention because we have won more but you have to be drawing at least half of them. 11 at the half way stage is crazy.

[Sweaty Gussets]

The number of defeats is fairly irrelevant. It's a bang average league where anyone can beat anyone. It always has been. And we haven't lost many more than the teams below us. Take away the top 2 and pretty much everyone else in the top 12 has similar stats - similar GF, similar GA etc. It's just we win more. Not sure that's something to be criticised!

Of course we may soon find ourselves in mid-table if we don't improve quickly. But for now the main criticism is the shocking performances. The results are actually very good for this stage of the season. 

 

[Sweaty Gussets]

Also, this season may well require a lower points total than normal to reach the Play-Offs. Last season the team in 6th got 75 points. On current trajectory, the team in 7th will get less than 70pts. 

So, 10 more wins and we're halfway to Wembley!

Cheer up FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited December 28, 2022 by Sweaty Gussets

[Guest]

To be fair, all that matters at this point of the season is points on the scoreboard, so that we can ensure we are safe in the division. Once safety is assured, then I think we may see a little more experimentation with options and the players will relax, which may pay its own dividends.

Having said that, it is very strange to be the only club in the 92 to be without a draw, and the marmite form is baffling if not downright infuriating. It used to be you could turn up to watch Rovers and worry that perhaps one or two players might have an off day, to the detriment of the team. But this complete inability to deliver any consistency is baffling, especially with so many also-ran teams in the division.

So, onwards and upwards. Lets hope we can wring something out of Boro (not holding my breath) and edge ever closer to the safety margin that will mean other than a completely inappropriate and potentially suicidal dash for promotion, we will at least be in the Championship next campaign.

Rovers (huff, puff but fail to strut their stuff) 1 Boro 3 (picking us off when we inevitably press self-destruct, as we all know we will)

Hey ho - COYB!

[arbitro]

46 minutes ago, Crozzy said:

Second at Christmas last year and we all knew it was a false position. Same again here. Not good enough, look how compact the league is, if we have our usual February slump we’ll be out the top half. Hope it doesn’t happen but look at our form last 4 games. Been woeful. Norwich was a good result yea but we were shit really. 

In all honesty I had far more belief at this time last season than now. We were on a great run, not conceding any goals and had a system which pretty much suited the players. Of course we'll never know but I felt with the right signings we could have gone up. Right now I have very little to inspire me into thinking we can challenge for promotion. Inconsistency, constant changes, inherent weaknesses in mentality and a manager who is talking our hope, the one thing that keeps us going, down and stifling any aspirations we have despite being third in the league.

 

[arbitro]

Swag will be creaming himself again. It doesn't appear that the Legends Lounge will be  open for the Smoggies. Did anybody hear how many Forest fans took up the generous offer?

Edited December 28, 2022 by arbitro

[Proudtobeblue&white]

26 minutes ago, arbitro said:

 

 

26 minutes ago, arbitro said:

In all honesty I had far more belief at this time last season than now. We were on a great run, not conceding any goals and had a system which pretty much suited the players. Of course we'll never know but I felt with the right signings we could have gone up. Right now I have very little to inspire me into thinking we can challenge for promotion. Inconsistency, constant changes, inherent weaknesses in mentality and a manager who is talking our hope, the one thing that keeps us going, down and stifling any aspirations we have despite being third in the league.

 

I banged the drum last year. The Loons, if they had any ambition for our brilliant club, they should have invested in January. They didn't and we tanked. More of the same no doubt.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Proudtobeblue&white

[Leonard Venkhater]

18 minutes ago, arbitro said:

In all honesty I had far more belief at this time last season than now. We were on a great run, not conceding any goals and had a system which pretty much suited the players. Of course we'll never know but I felt with the right signings we could have gone up. Right now I have very little to inspire me into thinking we can challenge for promotion. Inconsistency, constant changes, inherent weaknesses in mentality and a manager who is talking our hope, the one thing that keeps us going, down and stifling any aspirations we have despite being third in the league.

 

Yeah, on reflection, this time last year was the first time, I had any hope of promotion to the top flight, since they took us down in 2012. I knew that the transfer window would be vital and an indicator of the owners' ambition.

The death spiral that followed was the worst, since December '69 after the sale of Keith Newton.

This year, I have no belief. ....and I know what is going to happen, as results match our passive, abject no -shows.

Actually, another poor performance against Boro will probably see the crowd turn on JDT....

Cue:" But we are 5th in the table" etc.

I am old enough to know better than to let this affect my psychological well-being, but I do hate it, when we are so shit!

[Mattyblue]

14 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Swag will be creaming himself again. It doesn't appear that the Legends Lounge will be  open for the Smoggies. Did anybody hear how many Forest fans took up the generous offer?

Think you know the answer to that!

[Sweaty Gussets]

26 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

 

I banged the drum last year. The Loons, if they had any ambition for our brilliant club, they should have invested in January. They didn't and we tanked. More of the same no doubt.

Except it was Mowbray who refused to sign striker on loan even though funds were available. 

[Proudtobeblue&white]

34 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Except it was Mowbray who refused to sign striker on loan even though funds were available. 

I doubt one loanee striker would have significantly altered things. We needed a midfield enforcer for one?

Edited December 28, 2022 by Proudtobeblue&white

[Sweaty Gussets]

12 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

I doubt one loanee striker would have significantly altered things. We needed a midfield enforcer for one?

We stopped scoring and the season went tits up. Well, BBD stopped scoring. One guy we were offered went to PNE and scored about 8 goals before the end of the season. If we'd have signed him we'd have made the play-offs.