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

[Paul Mellelieu]

34 minutes ago, Hasta said:

I’m really pleased with a win however it came about. But don’t talk shite. Whilst we had more of that play and the better positions, they had as many chances as we did in that first half. 
 

Us grinding that out by a solitary goal was about the right result.

 

Not from my viewpoint, close the Darwen End, first half.  We had far more of the ball and controlled the game - they got a couple of breaks, due in part, to poor passing from us.  Manners next time big boy.

[had.e.nuff]

great to win but boy was it boring only another 8 points to safety

[RoversTilliDie]

2 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

All the forwards are out of touch. Iv watched a couple of games on the Tv over the last week or two and it’s less obvious until you see them live.

Today I say the front four trying desperately to spark…Dack was slightly off the pace at times but played some nice passes which weren’t picked up by Gally and BBD who are not making the movement at the right times. The decision making in the final third is absolutely atrocious. They need to play themselves back into form asap and get some fresh blood in there. Dack at full flow would really help as he is the glue and can feed team with assists too…🙏🏽

I missed the last 2 home games due to illness all Christmas I am recovering on a course of antibiotics but have seen all the others so far this Christmas. When theres no injuries and there on form at Ewood its worth the ticket money but its so frustrating when they return to  average football the following game. I think your right new additions required in the January transfer window, hopefully one of them will be a decent winger.

[J*B]

2 hours ago, Ossydave said:

Looked like a Glute strain the JRC injury, if so at least a few weeks out. 

Very bloody uncomfortable, that. 

[Hasta]

32 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Not from my viewpoint, close the Darwen End, first half.  We had far more of the ball and controlled the game - they got a couple of breaks, due in part, to poor passing from us.  Manners next time big boy.

If you think that Rovers could have won that game by half time at a stroll then I don’t know what to say. I was sat towards the Darwen End and, although we had more of the ball in their half as you expect as the home side, the chances were pretty even. 

I’ve also flicked through the Sky coverage and at half time most of the chances focussed on are theirs, and the opinion is Cardiff are doing well but need a cutting edge.

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by Hasta

[Gaz85]

Very hard watch that. We lack a midfielder with any composure or the ability to pick out that killer pass in the final third. Our strikers very erratic in front of goal summed up with our goal taking a big deflection.

As delighted as I am with the win today and 3 points, I left Ewood very frustrated. Arguably the worse side I’ve seen this season, we made bloody hard work of it. 

[Underground, Roverground]

3 points all that matters really. 

It may be dull, but given that many wrote this season off as transitional in the summer why are we too worried. There aren’t many championship teams playing flowing champagne football as the premier league clubs hoover up and hold much of the talent. 
 

Personally I’m happier with where we are than if we’d won 8, lost 8 and drawn 10 with a bunch of 2-2 draws in there to liven it up. 

[roversfan99]

I still cant fathom why people would "write off" a whole season, especially considering the standard and the fact that we have made the short term focused decisions to keep our best player with a year left on his deal as well as signing a mixture of reasonably experienced players and loanees.

It can be boring and also satisfying if we win. 

[Paul Mellelieu]

24 minutes ago, Hasta said:

If you think that Rovers could have won that game by half time at a stroll then I don’t know what to say. I was sat towards the Darwen End and, although we had more of the ball in their half as you expect as the home side, the chances were pretty even. 

I’ve also flicked through the Sky coverage and at half time most of the chances focussed on are theirs, and the opinion is Cardiff are doing well but need a cutting edge.

 

Some better decision-making in the final third, from Gallagher's first chance, across the front players, plenty of great situations not taken.  We could have put the game to bed at half time if we'd converted our overall play and pressure into goals.

Not sure Sky are the arbiters of truth either.  

[Ossydave]

So we were 3rd at this stage last season I think after a dogshit 0-0 against Huddersfield.

Were we better than season? I would say probably yes up to now although cracks were appearing.

We went on to lose another 10 games, won 6, and drew 5.

The way this season is going i think that would even be enough to stagger into the play offs 😳 Crunch time now though and there's a few teams below us that surely will pick the points up.

Interesting transfer window coming up, if I'm honest I expect a poor one though like last season....

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

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.

with 3 games in 6 days and the team not able to rotate much today game was just of those games which would be dull and a goal or 2 would settle it. Surprised how negative Cardiff played. 

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

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.

Limited on the ball? he played some very clever short passes and good long passes. Plus he tackling in there was good to see. I have no idea why you would loan out someone who has performed like that. Would be a waste not to use him here now and the fiture. 

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

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.

what do you expect after 4 games in 21 days on the pitch, plus they have been training on during the freezing weather then rain in the last few days plus having the under soil heating on. 

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

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.

About 12k Rovers fans on today. where they some empty seats near you from season ticket holders? Good effort to nearly 3k walk ons fans today considering early kick off, New Year Day and the weather conditions. 

[chaddyrovers]

3 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

My take on the game..

Back four and keeper Solid. Now a little worried about how serious JRC’s knock is.

Midfield - Garrett’s best performance in a Rovers shirt. Broke the play up and range of passing was very impressive. Morton was decent. Trav tried when he came on but was still a little ineffective and rash for me. Little cameo from A.Wharton was good value. He prob should have had a goal at the end when BBD blazed over.

Forwards - All out of form. Dack the closest to his game, Hedges decent but BBD and Gally look miles off it.

My opinion - if the forwards can get going then we’ll go on a run. We should’ve been 3 up at half time vs Boro and BBD could’ve easily had a hat trick today.

We need to find a solution in midfield and get this front quartet firing! New options in both area would help 👍🏼

 

Morton and Garrett suits each other games. Morton is good in tight situations with the ball at his feet. He had a decent game. 

BBD looks miles off it today. In form BBD scores 2 of those chances today

3 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

We don't play as if much emphasis is put in training on combinations and patterns of play in attacking areas. Dack has intelligence beyond any of our other attackers and often initiates one twos and flicks around the corner but otherwise it is all lacking in ideas.

Contrast that to (usually, the last 2 defeats aside) when we don't have possession, we appear well drilled and like the players are comfortable in terms of knowing what they are doing.

They do work on it on pattern of play in attacking areas and combinations as you see at times during the games. When we keep the tempo of passing high you can see it clearly

2 hours ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

 I didn't really get this boring tag - I had to move today because some fall was moaning when we were playing it around the back trying to create space.

 

Yes I heard a couple of people moaning alot in the first half about keeping the ball and trying to create space and play forward

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Obviously Tomasson deserves to continue, it is a crazy view of a very small minority who would actively want him sacked with us 3rd in the league.

But I don't totally take in the view point that Tomasson has been dealt with a really bad hand, I appreciate that the window was particularly difficult due to the timing of the appointment, and that also Tomasson may have not had full/final say on incomings, but we have had one window nonetheless. You look at the squad today, again Brittain was injured and both Hirst and Mola cannot make the bench even when the squad is looking thin.

JDT has already said public he has the final say on whether a player signs here or not. 

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I think Tomasson seems to put a lot of emphasis into organisation off the ball, which of course is a positive. We have a healthy number of clean sheets although we have also conceded more than a number of teams in the bottom half, which shows that it is somewhat feast or famine.

10 clean sheets this season. 

On the organisation point its a very fair one to make

[Mattyblue]

Ewood the only ground to have a busy Christmas schedule?

[roversfan99]

4 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

with 3 games in 6 days and the team not able to rotate much today game was just of those games which would be dull and a goal or 2 would settle it. Surprised how negative Cardiff played. 

Limited on the ball? he played some very clever short passes and good long passes. Plus he tackling in there was good to see. I have no idea why you would loan out someone who has performed like that. Would be a waste not to use him here now and the fiture. 

what do you expect after 4 games in 21 days on the pitch, plus they have been training on during the freezing weather then rain in the last few days plus having the under soil heating on. 

About 12k Rovers fans on today. where they some empty seats near you from season ticket holders? Good effort to nearly 3k walk ons fans today considering early kick off, New Year Day and the weather conditions. 

The entertainment value has been close to nil for much of the season. Stay in 3rd until the end of the season (I very much doubt we will personally but hopefully we can sustain it) and that will do me regardless. Today the game was boring again, but we won so I am happy.

The owners cut corners with the pitch, promising a full 30 year overdue revamp only to just stitch a couple of bits at both ends. 

Was in no way having a go at fans. Purely at Sky and their lack of care for match going fans.

And I never wrote off Garrett long term, and praised him today. But he isnt very good on the ball and is too rash.

[roversfan99]

9 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Morton and Garrett suits each other games. Morton is good in tight situations with the ball at his feet. He had a decent game. 

BBD looks miles off it today. In form BBD scores 2 of those chances today

They do work on it on pattern of play in attacking areas and combinations as you see at times during the games. When we keep the tempo of passing high you can see it clearly

Yes I heard a couple of people moaning alot in the first half about keeping the ball and trying to create space and play forward

JDT has already said public he has the final say on whether a player signs here or not. 

10 clean sheets this season. 

On the organisation point its a very fair one to make

I havent seen much evidence of much training ground work coming to fruition in attacking positions, thats my point. We have struggled to create many clear cut chances throughout the season, youd have to be in denial to suggest otherwise.

Whereas defensively, we regularly look well drilled.

Agree with the good thing and dismiss the bad one.

[Gav]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

I havent seen much evidence of much training ground work coming to fruition in attacking positions, thats my point.

Whereas defensively, we regularly look well drilled.

Agree with the good thing and dismiss the bad one.

Any new manager starts at the back and builds from there. Don’t forget we lost Nyambe and Lenihan, so far so good I’d say.

[roversfan99]

4 minutes ago, Gav said:

Any new manager starts at the back and builds from there. Don’t forget we lost Nyambe and Lenihan, so far so good I’d say.

Absolutely although I would have liked to see much more in the way of attacking combinations and chances created. I thought the organisation deserves praise on behalf of the manager but the attacking side is a worry.

[Hasta]

45 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Some better decision-making in the final third, from Gallagher's first chance, across the front players, plenty of great situations not taken.  We could have put the game to bed at half time if we'd converted our overall play and pressure into goals.

Not sure Sky are the arbiters of truth either.  

And if their guy had squared it instead of shooting, and then they’d got their shot away on two other occasions instead of delaying, we could have been 3-0 down. 
 

As it was we had slightly better of the first half and slightly better of the game overall. 

Edited January 1, 2023 by Hasta

[Exiled_Rover]

Watching the replay on SKY Sports now - how that's not a red card for Simpson I've no idea (they didn't show it on the highlights and I didn't properly catch it at the ground).

Disgraceful officiating, again. But they all make mistakes, right? That's why Buckley is banned for 3 games for gently bouncing the ball off a Boro player's head and Simpson can try to castrate Garrett and only pick up a yellow. Lovely stuff, EFL. 

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

So we were 3rd at this stage last season I think after a dogshit 0-0 against Huddersfield.

Were we better than season? I would say probably yes up to now although cracks were appearing.

We went on to lose another 10 games, won 6, and drew 5.

The way this season is going i think that would even be enough to stagger into the play offs 😳 Crunch time now though and there's a few teams below us that surely will pick the points up.

Interesting transfer window coming up, if I'm honest I expect a poor one though like last season....

Last season Brereton-Diaz was converting chances at a ridiculous rate - that's why we were successful. A solid, physically imposing back 3 helping to keep clean sheets and Brereton-Diaz scoring 20 goals in half a season (from like 30 chances!). He got injured and that was all she wrote, it was never sustainable.

[chaddyrovers]

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

The entertainment value has been close to nil for much of the season. Stay in 3rd until the end of the season (I very much doubt we will personally but hopefully we can sustain it) and that will do me regardless. Today the game was boring again, but we won so I am happy.

The players shown up today and dig in for the win. Sometimes the ugly wins are the best one. Plus taking into account that Rovers have played 3 games in 6 days and not much rotate in the team today was never going to entertaining affair. 

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

The owners cut corners with the pitch, promising a full 30 year overdue revamp only to just stitch a couple of bits at both ends. 

Not really any revamp would have stand up to them training on it in the last 2 or 3 weeks, 4 games in 21 days and this awful weather. Maybe we need to invest in a pitch at Brockhall with undersoil heating to allow them to train there and not at Ewood Park

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Was in no way having a go at fans. Purely at Sky and their lack of care for match going fans.

I never thought you were having a go at fans

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

And I never wrote off Garrett long term, and praised him today. But he isnt very good on the ball and is too rash.

I have to disagree that he not good on the ball. Played some lovely passes today whether its was short and keeping simple or long passes find the targets. 

on the rash, I disagree. He made some good well timed tackles including a last ditch tackle to save a certain goal. 

Garrett is showing the potential I have seen he got. I want to keep seeing in the first team squad whether as starter or sub

20 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I havent seen much evidence of much training ground work coming to fruition in attacking positions, thats my point. We have struggled to create many clear cut chances throughout the season, youd have to be in denial to suggest otherwise.

In some games we created a few good chances and in others granted. You see bits of the quick tempo and move and into the forward areas. Its work in progress from that viewpoint. 

20 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Whereas defensively, we regularly look well drilled.

JDT is building from back. Whilst he improve the attacking side and bring his the type of attacking players he wants and develop the young players here

20 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Agree with the good thing and dismiss the bad one.

?

[chaddyrovers]

4 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Watching the replay on SKY Sports now - how that's not a red card for Simpson I've no idea (they didn't show it on the highlights and I didn't properly catch it at the ground).

Disgraceful officiating, again. But they all make mistakes, right? That's why Buckley is banned for 3 games for gently bouncing the ball off a Boro player's head and Simpson can try to castrate Garrett and only pick up a yellow. Lovely stuff, EFL. 

Refs at this level or any level in England aren't consistence anyway. I got used to the poor refereeing here now. Time Webb sorted it out now 

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

The players shown up today and dig in for the win. Sometimes the ugly wins are the best one. Plus taking into account that Rovers have played 3 games in 6 days and not much rotate in the team today was never going to entertaining affair. 

Not really any revamp would have stand up to them training on it in the last 2 or 3 weeks, 4 games in 21 days and this awful weather. Maybe we need to invest in a pitch at Brockhall with undersoil heating to allow them to train there and not at Ewood Park

I never thought you were having a go at fans

I have to disagree that he not good on the ball. Played some lovely passes today whether its was short and keeping simple or long passes find the targets. 

on the rash, I disagree. He made some good well timed tackles including a last ditch tackle to save a certain goal. 

Garrett is showing the potential I have seen he got. I want to keep seeing in the first team squad whether as starter or sub

In some games we created a few good chances and in others granted. You see bits of the quick tempo and move and into the forward areas. Its work in progress from that viewpoint. 

JDT is building from back. Whilst he improve the attacking side and bring his the type of attacking players he wants and develop the young players here

?

We have struggled (both on the eye and backed up by admittedly flawed statistics) to create clear cut chances all season. I see very little evidence of whatever we do in training to develop attacking effectiveness is paying off, unlike the organisation which is paying off much more evidently.

I don't doubt that todays win like any was satisfying and its all about results. But equally I can say Tomasson's management is not condusive to entertainment. Hopefully Sky will click soon and leave us alone.

Why arent all pitches like ours? Revamping it WOULD have helped, but Venkys like to cut corners.

With Garrett, his yellow was an example of his rashness. The tackle was superb though. Whether he stayed or was loaned out, I still think we are dying for a proven performer. Step forward a Ben Pearson type, a proven top level Championship midfielder.

[PeteJD13]

I enjoyed today on a better pitch that game finishes 2/3 nil. I thought we controlled it quite well my only criticism is witl BBD looking off it ( or knackered ) I would have liked to have seen Markanday get on. Dack looked a lot better today. The run over christmas is about getting through it, so i am pleased we ended it with a win. On to norwich i hope we have a decent cup run

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Ewood the only ground to have a busy Christmas schedule?

The pitch has been crap for years - I don't know what's going on with the drainage, but it can't handle any significant amount of water anymore. The Preston game last year was a disaster.