v Rotherham United (a) - 14/1/23 k/o 12:30pm

[OldEwoodBlue]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yep, we got hammered all right.

Sky said we got thrashed.

Which is worse ? 🤣

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Fuck me Remy we've sold this project to these mugs, another three years of this lark.

Honestly if he's not backed in January he'll probably walk in the summer.

He didn't walk away from league titles and Champions League football to play Gallagher and Vale upfront. 

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, OldEwoodBlue said:

Sky said we got thrashed.

Which is worse ? 🤣

So did the BBC - but the quality of journalism has been in the gutter for years, sadly. 

[Hasta]

4 minutes ago, booth said:

Who scored?

So you are saying we are 4 goals worse defensively without Brereton and Szmodics? 
 

Personally I think it’s more down to managers now knowing that they just need to press us and close us down. And that’s what is happening. And yet Pickering still plays a suicide ball for goal 1 and Gallagher, one of the centre halves and JRC all fail to just clear it for goal 2. Why? Well because we need possession, cos that’s how we increase value and JDT increases his reputation.

I can accept losing, but In my eyes that’s the 2nd most embarrassing defeat since the Kean days, and it’s down to tactics, line ups and attitude.

 

 

[Gav]

5 minutes ago, tomphil said:

I'm amazed we still retain that kind of away support given what it gets back for its time and money investment.

Some teams who get relegated will have better away form than us.

Agreed.

Football still matters in the town and surrounding areas, which gives me real hope that eventually these disgusting owners will sod off and the club will rise again. 

Keep the faith, but it’s bloody hard at times. 

[AllRoverAsia]

2 minutes ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

Remy,  I just farted and made David feel sick.

Is that David LOW as named on the club's website.

 

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, booth said:

Yeah but no one can tell me that when they saw Morton and Garrett as the heartbeat of the team it filled them with delight. That was my point.

Morton would be fine if we weren't relying on his efforts so much. Same as Garrett would be fine to bring in for the last 15 to get experience. We shouldn't be starting him. I've never known a Rovers team to rely on teenagers so much.

I'd honestly rather play Garrett than Morton. He might not be technically as good, but at least he's at least taken a game by the scruff of the neck - I've yet to see Morton put in that kind of performance. 

Morton has to be dropped for the next match. 

[J*B]

58 minutes ago, booth said:

No, I don't think you can have a plan B with these players.

So we play with different players, it's a little easier on the eye, which I doubt, but who scores the goals?

And with the two fullbacks we have we'll still concede plenty.

Okay so we replace the fullbacks with Carter and Mola. Awful.

We replace the two midfielders today with Edun and Travis. Awful.

We replace a couple of forward players with Dolan and Markanday. A slight upgrade, but both are wingers not goalscorers.

Relying on too many kids, too many passengers. Midfield options have been awful since we kicked off the season. We don't have one decent number 9 at the club. Shit squad with a handful of good players, and a few players who step up now and again.

If we wanted to muddle along with that squad, why bring in a manager who wants to play football? Sounds like a stupid Venkys instruction like they did with Kean. A more direct manager wouldn't be able to work with this squad with nothing upfront.

Despite the result today, I’m relatively hopeful for the future.

I’ve said all season we won’t finish anywhere near 3rd. The squad isn’t strong enough and the start of this season doesn’t accurately reflect a full season. I understand why the manager is playing down promotion chances… because he realises we have a very limited chance unless our first eleven are fit and firing every single week.

I really think Gregg Broughton needs to have better communication with the fans to explain ‘the plan’ because I really think that ‘they’ (the DOF and head coach) are moving in a different direction and/or have a different mindset to the fans. The fans see us third and don’t understand that under the budget rules set out by Waggott, based on the limitations of FFP, we can’t do what sounds sensible in principle and ‘go for it’ despite our current position.

So we’re back on ‘the journey’ - which is a phrase they should stop using because Mowbray has tainted it by sending us on a journey which didn’t ever look like getting us anywhere apart from potentially (although there where plenty of warning signs) the first 4 months of his final season. 

I think they’re sat around Brockhall looking at a squad for the 2025 season and saying:

OK, well our squad will be made up of…

Kaminski; Brittain, Phillips, Hyam, Wharton Batty; Garrett, Buckley, Wharton, Dolan

Plus 14 others made up players we have bought ourselves and grads from the academy and that’s when they will be able to ‘go for it’ because the first team will predominately be made up of players we’ve developed ourselves, meaning what money we do have can be spent on specific players.

 

As it stands we have too much shite knocking around to mount a serious campaign:

Pears - has proven he can’t be relied upon 

JRC - has had three years of underwhelming displays despite his relatively decent form currently

Edun - totally useless

Mola - like Hirst has no future here after his performance against Burnley

Vale - still can’t name one thing he’s very good at

And too many players that have at best a question mark against them:

Ayala - coming to the end of his career

Pickering - Mr 6/10 

Brown - not a standout at Stockport

Carter - hasn’t shown us why Pompy rated him so highly yet

Barnes - seriously injured

Szmodics - can see why they bought energy but hasn’t stood out for us yet

Dack - arguably our best player but 6 months on his deal, big wages and two huge injuries

Travis - seems to have regressed 

Gallagher - at best a squad player, an expensive one 

Markanday - only glimpses shown so far

TDLR summary

I’m not surprised we’ve been smashed 4-0 by Rotherham and an inevitable crumble down the table is ahead of us. Our first 11 is good but beyond that we either have players with question marks against them or players proven not to be good enough. We don’t have game changing options on the bench and a few injuries opens big wounds. 

[bigbrandjohn]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Honestly if he's not backed in January he'll probably walk in the summer.

He didn't walk away from league titles and Champions League football to play Gallagher and Vale upfront. 

He knew what he was  signing up for. Presumably he was given assurances of some sort. He hasn’t had a proper window yet. Let’s see what the crack recruitment regiment brings in. 

[tomphil]

1 minute ago, J*B said:

Despite the result today, I’m relatively hopeful for the future.

I’ve said all season we won’t finish anywhere near 3rd. The squad isn’t strong enough and the start of this season doesn’t accurately reflect a full season. I understand why the manager is playing down promotion chances… because he realises we have a very limited chance unless our first eleven are fit and firing every single week.

I really think Gregg Broughton needs to have better communication with the fans to explain ‘the plan’ because I really think that ‘they’ (the DOF and head coach) are moving in a different direction and/or have a different mindset to the fans. The fans see us third and don’t understand that under the budget rules set out by Waggott, based on the limitations of FFP, we can’t do what sounds sensible in principle and ‘go for it’ despite our current position.

So we’re back on ‘the journey’ - which is a phrase they should stop using because Mowbray has tainted it by sending us on a journey which didn’t ever look like getting us anywhere apart from potentially (although there where plenty of warning signs) the first 4 months of his final season. 

I think they’re sat around Brockhall looking at a squad for the 2025 season and saying:

OK, well our squad will be made up of…

Kaminski; Brittain, Phillips, Hyam, Wharton Batty; Garrett, Buckley, Wharton, Dolan

Plus 14 others made up players we have bought ourselves and grads from the academy. 

As it stands we have too much shite knocking around to mount a serious campaign:

Pears - has proven he can’t be relied upon 

JRC - has had three years of underwhelming displays despite his relatively decent form currently

Edun - totally useless

Mola - like Hirst has no future here after his performance against Burnley

Vale - still can’t name one thing he’s very good at

And too many players that have at best a question mark against them:

Ayala - coming to the end of his career

Pickering - Mr 6/10 

Brown - not a standout at Stockport

Carter - hasn’t shown us why Pompy rated him so highly yet

Barnes - seriously injured

Szmodics - can see why they bought energy but hasn’t stood out for us yet

Dack - arguably our best player but 6 months on his deal, big wages and two huge injuries

Travis - seems to have regressed 

Gallagher - at best a squad player, an expensive one 

Markanday - only glimpses shown so far

TDLR summary

I’m not surprised we’ve been smashed 4-0 by Rotherham and an inevitable crumble down the table is ahead of us. Our first 11 is good but beyond that we either have players with question marks against them or players proven not to be good enough. We don’t have game changing options on the bench and a few injuries opens big wounds. 

That team sent out today was more than capable of getting something.

If you think they are sat in Brockhall looking at the team in two years time i politely suggest you need your bumps feeling. Anything can and will happen between then and now and when we have finished 8th then got ourselves 3rd the following season it is time to strike whilst the iron is hot.

If you are sold on the shoulder shrugging jam tomorrow from these lot i'll again politely suggest that is part of the problem here. 

[tomphil]

3 minutes ago, bigbrandjohn said:

He knew what he was  signing up for. Presumably he was given assurances of some sort. He hasn’t had a proper window yet. Let’s see what the crack recruitment regiment brings in. 

Yeah his assurances will be he won't get sacked if he toes the line and the owners like him.

Hence constant project talk, shrugging of shoulders and laughing and joking with his mummified right hand man at two or three nil down.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, Hasta said:

Our most embarrassing defeat I can remember since Oldham away in league one. Smell the coffee lads.

I was at the Oldham game, this was much worse.

[G Somerset Rover]

There’s more chance of me waking up in bed with Megan fox tomorrow than us going up. Therefore I’d start playing our best youngsters - Phillips and Wharton - pretty much every week unless they have me a damn good reason otherwise. I see little to gain now in starting Ayala every week as he’ll be off in the summer, and as for Morton being a shoe in despite his consistent dross (certainly of late), don’t get me started. If ‘increasing value’ is the name of the game, play our bloody better youngsters and stop doing favours to other clubs.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[booth]

5 minutes ago, J*B said:

I’m not surprised we’ve been smashed 4-0 by Rotherham and an inevitable crumble down the table is ahead of us. Our first 11 is good but beyond that we either have players with question marks against them or players proven not to be good enough. We don’t have game changing options on the bench and a few injuries opens big wounds. 

I agree with all that but I reckon even with everyone fit our first 11 is imbalanced due to the lack of firepower and weak in  centre midfield.

Relying too much on kids, too many passengers and not enough goals. It was never going to sustain itself. And we all knew that, you only have to look back on what people were saying at the end of last season and in pre-season.

Sorry if anyone thinks I'm being too objective. Inside I'm crushed.

[J*B]

9 minutes ago, tomphil said:

That team sent out today was more than capable of getting something.

If you think they are sat in Brockhall looking at the team in two years time i politely suggest you need your bumps feeling. Anything can and will happen between then and now and when we have finished 8th then got ourselves 3rd the following season it is time to strike whilst the iron is hot.

If you are sold on the shoulder shrugging jam tomorrow from these lot i'll again politely suggest that is part of the problem here. 

I don’t think they are capable of getting something. 

JRC - not good enough

Morton - not experienced enough

Garrett - not experienced enough

Vale - not experienced enough 

Gallagher - not good enough 

The only players in todays squad I would say are clearly good enough are Kaminski (who had a shocker), Hyam (who had a shocker) and Dack. Every other player in todays squad I think needs replacing or developing.

Our wage budget is in the bottom third of the league. 

Our revenue is tiny compared to the majority of the clubs in the league. 

We’ve had to sell our training ground just to scrape through FFP after Covid decimated our income. 

The manager is openly saying we don’t have the same money as other teams. 

What are you suggesting we ‘strike whilst the iron is hot’ with? Offer 250K for Gyokeres? Sign Van Hecke for 300K? I’m sure the manager would love to go for it but clearly there isn’t the money. 

[Hasta]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I was at the Oldham game, this was much worse.

I’m not sure. I was at the Oldham game, we were inept and that felt like rock bottom just before we turned the corner. To hardly land a glove in a team 19th in league one. 

However, the fact we are debating this speaks volumes.

[J*B]

3 minutes ago, booth said:

I agree with all that but I reckon even with everyone fit our first 11 is imbalanced due to the lack of firepower and weak in  centre midfield.

Relying too much on kids, too many passengers and not enough goals. It was never going to sustain itself. And we all knew that, you only have to look back on what people were saying at the end of last season and in pre-season.

Sorry if anyone thinks I'm being too objective. Inside I'm crushed.

I agree - and I’m equally as crushed. People might think the plan is insanity, but it looks clear as day to me. They’re plugging gaps, developing the younger players and planning for 3 years down the line. 

[Guest]

Not one of Morton, JRC, Vale, Gallagher and Garrett would get into any other starting 11 in the league. They’re all absolutely piss. Sack JDT, don’t sack JDT, it doesn’t matter, the midfield, and more importantly squad, is awful. 

[Darrenbot]

Just now, J*B said:

I agree - and I’m equally as crushed. People might think the plan is insanity, but it looks clear as day to me. They’re plugging gaps, developing the younger players and planning for 3 years down the line. 

3 years down the line any good players we bring through will be sold for a profit and Gregg and JDT will be patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

[Gav]

1 minute ago, J*B said:

I agree - and I’m equally as crushed. People might think the plan is insanity, but it looks clear as day to me. They’re plugging gaps, developing the younger players and planning for 3 years down the line. 

Our academy is ok, but it’s no Southampton, Brentford or Norwich.

3yrs down the line we’ll be in exactly the same position, if we are lucky.

[tomphil]

6 minutes ago, J*B said:

I don’t think they are capable of getting something. 

JRC - not good enough

Morton - not experienced enough

Garrett - not experienced enough

Vale - not experienced enough 

Gallagher - not good enough 

The only players in todays squad I would say are clearly good enough are Kaminski (who had a shocker), Hyam (who had a shocker) and Dack. 

Our wage budget is in the bottom third. 

The manager is openly saying we don’t have the same money as other teams. 

What are you suggesting we ‘strike whilst the iron is hot’ with? Offer 250K for Gyokeres? 

Well we now have a highly regarded DoF, recruitment bloke and dept so money is invested there so i expect to see some sort of return on it. Starting in this window otherwise what is the point of it, seriously what do think the team will actually be by 2025 ? 

Some sort of Fulham Brentford or Bournemouth all because they are planning it now in Brockhall having written off this season ?

Give it a wobble pal we'll be still the same then as now, all they really want to do is fill it with kids from the academy and beyond to increase its book value. Anybody worth anything or on more than ten grand will be gone.

Edited January 14, 2023 by tomphil

[Hasta]

2 minutes ago, Hasta said:

I’m not sure. I was at the Oldham game, we were inept and that felt like rock bottom just before we turned the corner. To hardly land a glove in a team 19th in league one. 

However, the fact we are debating this speaks volumes.

I’ve just looked and we started Antonnsonn and Samuel up front with Dack and DG on the bench 🙈

[booth]

4 minutes ago, tomphil said:

That team sent out today was more than capable of getting something.

If you think they are sat in Brockhall looking at the team in two years time i politely suggest you need your bumps feeling. Anything can and will happen between then and now and when we have finished 8th then got ourselves 3rd the following season it is time to strike whilst the iron is hot.

If you are sold on the shoulder shrugging jam tomorrow from these lot i'll again politely suggest that is part of the problem here. 

I've been watching Gallagher for long enough, and enough glimpses of Vale to know we'd struggle to score today.

Seeing two kids in midfield also gave it away for me.

I feel sorry for you if you walked into that one without realising what you were getting into.

[J*B]

Just now, Darrenbot said:

3 years down the line any good players we bring through will be sold for a profit and Gregg and JDT will be patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

I agree, Maybe. But maybe they’re right on the edge of the big money Championship to Premier League transfer and our standout players taking us to promotion. It’s all a gamble. 

[BigBar]

15 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Honestly if he's not backed in January he'll probably walk in the summer.

He didn't walk away from league titles and Champions League football to play Gallagher and Vale upfront. 

Two chances of that I'd say...he can't believe his luck I'd say. Nice cushy manager job in England with little to no pressure. Nice salary and zero expected of him, good old laugh on the bench today and a carefree attitude. Struggles to even fake caring in interviews these days. Like alot if our recent managers they will milk this gig til the cows come home and who could blame them?

Once the funds don't come and rightly or wrongly they can't improve the squad and they realise their stock or appeal is quite low, it's bunker down, cozy up to the owners once or twice a year and prop up the pension fund. Lovely jubbly.