v Cardiff City (h) - 1/1/23

[Sweaty Gussets]

17 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Sarcasm does not become you.

Happy New Year anyway.

And to you. 

[Gav]

8 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Gallagher plays because the team's record when he starts is better than when he doesn't.

Over 3 points a game with Gally starting, if that is maintained we'll go up this season.

Edited January 1, 2023 by Gav

[superniko]

Delighted with the 3 points. 
Despite my pessimism about our performances and expectation for us to collapse into mid-table, it has to be said this top 6 is there for the taking. Add a bit of quality in January please and get 3 points in all these ‘easier’ fixtures to build on a decent total we have now. 
 

Kaminski, Hyam, Ayala, Hedges and Dack are the first names on the team sheet for me. Diaz I guess has to be there too, though he’s looked more like Brereton the last few months. 
Some more depth at full back needed and a real quality CM who can improve our starting 11.

[harryhealless1928]

Quite happy if our best players are our defenders. 

Garrett MOTM for me. 

On Gally, would say hes a great defensive centre-forward and a good athelete, just very poor at the goalscoring end. Kevin Davies had those sort of qualities as well.

[booth]

Next three league games.

Rotherham

Bristol

Blackpool

An excellent opportunity to cement themselves in the play off spots. Will they take it?

[SK49er]

Great to get three points. Decent in the first half but not good enough in the final third. Didn't like formation change in second when JRC went off and use of subs generally.

Wasn't thrilled to see Garrett starting but I think he did well overall. Dack good too but most of his best work was a bit deeper for me.  Not enough from BB and Gallagher again. Really can't fathom how Markanday wasn't worth 10-15 at the end.

As others have said it will be interesting to see what, if any, moves are made in Jan. In the meantime could be opportunities for some in the FA Cup.

[RevidgeBlue]

6 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Gallagher plays because the team's record when he starts is better than when he doesn't.

Lies, damn lies and statistics etc.

If you extrapolated that back to last season under Slowbray I'm pretty certain you'd find that the opposite was the case. 

A really switched on Head Coach/DOF would be moving heaven and earth this January to cut our losses slightly, get him off the wage bill and give us a bit more wiggle room.

[AllRoverAsia]

14 minutes ago, Staffordshire Rover said:

Buzzing with that win, not the greatest performance but it’s a win. Garrett, Dack and Hyam were the standouts for me.

How poor were the officials again! Also glad we never signed Kipre, he is a liability 

When Morton was hobbling off the Ref ran after him to point to the shortest route. The change would have shortened the walk by all of a yard.

Morton, bless him, completely blanked him.

Watching EFL officials makes me yearn for VAR. That's how bad they are.

 

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Gav said:

Over 3 points a game with Gally starting, if that is maintained we'll go up this season.

You keep saying this, are you deliberately taking the **** to wind people up?

Happy New Year to you and Debs BTW. 👍

[AllRoverAsia]

2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

You keep saying this, are you deliberately taking the **** to wind people up?

Happy New Year to you and Debs BTW. 👍

I assume we automatically get 0.50 of a point before kick off if Gallagher is starting. That's added to whatever points the game produces 

Edited January 1, 2023 by AllRoverAsia

[iacok]

5 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah - if you like your black fruits you'll love this one.

Just uncorking a 1999 Duhart-Milon to celebrate a long overdue win. Might be past its best!

Anyway what a relief. 

Thought Dack looked better. Maybe he has realised it's a short career and needs to put a shift in. 

[Proudtobeblue&white]

I will take a play off place, done.

[Gav]

9 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

You keep saying this, are you deliberately taking the **** to wind people up?

Happy New Year to you and Debs BTW. 👍

You may not like it but facts are facts.

HNY to you and the family pal.

Edited January 1, 2023 by Gav

[RoverCanada]

44 minutes ago, BigBar said:

Shout out to the unsung hero in Ryan Hedges. His work rate and engine is top class and he is technically better than he gets credit for. Brilliant.

To me, he's interesting to watch. He's maybe not consistent enough, but every time he has the ball I'm curious what he's going to do with it. He's 'fun' haha.

Edited January 1, 2023 by RoverCanada

[tomphil]

Thought we coped well today with lively opposition and a heavy surface.

Neither team got going up top but we competed well all over the park, Garret did well although i was convinced he'd end up walking after the booking.  Tactically and subs i thought was right today given the circumstances. Did fear he was about to try shut up shop again too early but we ended up finishing strong and kept looking to kill it off.

Don't really care about performance if we compete and get something and today it was just about getting something. So so much better though with less messing around at the back and more forward balls.

Hedges MoM for me

Edited January 1, 2023 by tomphil

[superniko]

8 minutes ago, booth said:

Next three league games.

Rotherham

Bristol

Blackpool

An excellent opportunity to cement themselves in the play off spots. Will they take it?

Wigan after that too. 
We need to be on 50+ points after those 4 (30 games) 

[Exiled in Toronto Mk2]

Not unlike a lot of our wins this season: superb at the back, scab a goal up front.

I liked Garrett, always showed for the ball from the centre halves. Dack has vision that the others don’t, execution is slowly getting back there. Hedges for me is the heartbeat of  team.

The  front two leave me speechless. Gallagher has absolutely nothing, constantly loses possession, while Brereton either does a ludicrous dive or shoots and misses. It’s hard to defend a narrow lead high up the pitch when those two are the supposed outlet.

Edited January 1, 2023 by Exiled in Toronto Mk2

[chaddyrovers]

Pleased to win that game. Not the best game for a neutral fan but a win is a win. 

 

Garrett My man of the match. Passes well whether short or long, close down and put made plenty of tackles including a goal saving tackle. Pleased for him. 

Hyam also very good. 

BBD should have square it for Adam Wharton to score. Also he should have shouted the ball solo then Gallagher would have left it..

A win is a win. Cardiff came very defensive and surprised they didn't go more attacking with their league position 

The New Year starts with a win. Well done Rovers, players and JDT. 

Edited January 1, 2023 by chaddyrovers

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

13 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

I will take a play off place, done.

That's a realistic target,would love a trip to Wembley(still not been since rebuild!).

We dont want to hear our Manager saying we are not in the race.Ever again.

Edited January 1, 2023 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Darrenbot]

22 minutes ago, Gav said:

Over 3 points a game with Gally starting, if that is maintained we'll go up this season.

Can you show me the mathematical equation where someone can be worth more points per game than what is on offer,unless i missed the day when we started giving out 4 or more points for a win. 

[roversfan99]

Great to get a win and a crucial one regardless of a poor performance against terrible opposition, clung on in the end. You'd have to be glutton for punishment to find a Jon Dahl Tomasson Rovers side to be entertaining but it is a results game.

Credit to Garrett, I was underwhelmed v Sunderland but today was his best performance, I still think he isn't a Championship top half player or even close and he is so limited  on the ball and a red card waiting to happen so for me he should go out on loan in favour of some more experience but he really gave us some energy in a game where good passing football was off the menu.

Dack is the stand out player on a different level, his flicks and one touch balls round the corner are the redeeming feature in an otherwise impotent attack at the moment. Brereton had a couple of half chances but he is off form and Gallagher was really poor again, more than once his first touch was a tackle. Hedges did some good things but is so one footed and isn't a wing back.

Hyam as ever so reliable alongside Ayala who heads everything away. 

Those who have a brew with Waggott may have been pacified but the pitch is an embarrassment, Venkys trying to cut corners by not relaying the pitch as promised. Yes the weather has not been good but we had a big break for the World Cup, the ball wasn't bouncing due to the mud.

Sky got what they deserved for sticking 2 fingers up at match going fans, so many empty seats, no atmosphere and a drab match lacking quality and drama on a boggy pitch. The standard of this league is so poor.

[BlackburnEnd75]

27 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

They did in summer to be fair  To the tune of around £6.5m. However most of it went on Szmodics, Hirst and a RB who has barely featured.

The recruitment needs to be far better this month.

 

It's was about half that as Mola, Morton and Hirst are loans. 

Hyam has been a massive success. SS is not for me and has been taking playing time away from dack and brittain I like a lot but the injurys are a concern. 

We really need another striker as Hirst and Vale aren't up to it.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

1 minute ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

That's a realistic target,would love a trip to Wembley(still not been since rebuild!)

Me neither, my youngest has been twice! Leicester, Charlton, done!

[Guest]

A difficult watch against a poor Championship side, but job done. That feeling after a 1-0 win when it could have gone either way is always satisfying.

I would have given MotM to Hedges. He was the only player of quality on the pitch today.

One of the RoversTV commentators made a remark the other day about how Valerian Ismael's sides don't need a midfield. I can't help but feel neither does ours. Our attacking play tends to consist of counter-attacking long balls, or when in possession, side to side at the back, followed by a long ball up top. Excruciatingly thin in terms of creativity and ideas.

Addendum: Lunchtime kick-offs should be banned. They suck.

Edited January 1, 2023 by goozburger

[joey_big_nose]

15 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto Mk2 said:

Not unlike a lot of our wins this season: superb at the back, scab a goal up front.

I liked Garrett, always showed for the ball from the centre halves. Dack has vision that the others don’t, execution is slowly getting back there. Hedges for me is the heartbeat of  team.

The  front two leave me speechless. Gallagher has absolutely nothing, constantly loses possession, while Brereton either does a ludicrous dive or shoots and misses. It’s hard to defend a narrow lead high up the pitch when those two are the supposed outlet.

A bit harsh on BBD for me. Thought he took he ball well on the cross field pass multiple times and beat the full back, and it was his layoff that led to the goal. Generally had a good game.

Also Gallagher was defensively superb as always, though thats hardly the main objective for a striker. Offensively he dod really struggle as per usual.

If we could unearth our own Toney or Watkins - i.e. a proper centreforward who can score goals, thata would really help. Ot should be our number one priority in Jan.