v Wigan Athletic (h) - 6/2/23

[booth]

2 minutes ago, A Northern Horde... said:

We look a shambles of a side,the level of Arte et Labore is shocking to see

God help us next season.

Our new recruitment team haven't been able to bring in a goalscorer for two windows now. I've no faith that it will ever change. Even at our lowest ebb we've been able to bring in strikers. Teams with less budget than us can bring them in. I'm genuinely worried we'll be a dead cert for relegation if we're going into the season with Vale and Gallagher as our main two forwards.

[Exiled_Rover]

10 minutes ago, 1874 said:

It's not the players, it's the system. 2 man midfield will never work with the midfielders we've got. It actually makes them look worse than they are

Technically it's the lack of athleticism we have at FB that is hindering the system - well that and not having a #9.

The FBs are meant to provide the width, but neither JRC or Pickering can do the job properly as if they go they can't get back (e.g. today where they adapted the system when in possession so JRC could roam upfield). 

[had.e.nuff]

12 minutes ago, Inferi said:

A very poor performance against one of the worst teams in the league. As mentioned previously, the pitch looks terrible. Is this pitch standard compatible with the "project"? 

the pitch does not look as bad as the team, it should be the best pitch in the country with that much sh*t on it every week

[Aqualung]

33 minutes ago, BigBar said:

I absolutely hope not. Especially the latter 🤢

I wouldn't mind provided they bring a few million of their own brass to spend on new players!!! 

Silly I know. 

[Exiled_Rover]

8 minutes ago, Tricky said:

Yeah his confidence and motivation is shot, he'd have probably missed the penalty we should have got last minute too... 

He a darn sight better than Jack Fail and Sham Gallagher though it wouldn't hurt to try Leonard and Dolan up front next time. 

I don't think Leonard is seen as the next big thing, but if we're trialling Academy players upfront we might as well give him a shot next match. Vale was awful again tonight.

[Staffordshire Rover]

If the ref had given that pen at the end I certainly wouldn’t have been confident Diaz would of finished it

[Leonard Venkhater]

.Again

[JHRover]

All the ingredients were there. Night match, Sky TV, struggling side coming to Ewood, Wigan who always seem to raise their game and performance levels when playing Rovers.

So to be totally honest there's an element of relief that we didn't fall behind and lose it.

Disappointing but not surprising. They were well up for it and were quicker in attack, we were once again too slow, ponderous and round the houses in our approach.

I thought there were 3-4 decent performances by recent standards. CBs did a solid job, I increasingly like Carter who doesn't do much wrong. Travis had a decent game with some good forward play especially in the first half. Thomas a good debut and nice to actually have a winger to get the ball to and deliveries in. Pears continued his solid run of appearances.

The Club gave up on any aims of promotion in January so a point keeps us ticking over on the road to nowhere., so we might as well accept it and take the point. Good news for those who run the club with zero ambition.

 

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, booth said:

Our new recruitment team haven't been able to bring in a goalscorer for two windows now. I've no faith that it will ever change. Even at our lowest ebb we've been able to bring in strikers. Teams with less budget than us can bring them in. I'm genuinely worried we'll be a dead cert for relegation if we're going into the season with Vale and Gallagher as our main two forwards.

The annoying thing is Hyam, Brittain, Szmodics (sorry, I like him) and Thomas are all very good pieces of business. Broughton and co can clearly spot a player - they just can't find a striker. 

[arbitro]

Our decision making at times is atrocious. I actually laughed when we had a free kick in a decent position in the second half, sent the centre halves up, loaded the box then contrived to knock it back to Pickering some thirty yards who unsettled a couple of pigeons nesting high up in the Blackburn End with an awful shot. What goes through players minds to do something so stupid.

[Miller11]

That was absolutely painful.

Travis was much more like it first half, got up and down the pitch box to box like any half decent midfielder should, never mind this CDM/CAM tripe. Had to go pound shop Sav late on though and blot his copybook.

JRC is fast becoming one of my favourite players, respect him for becoming the hard man of the team, but it’s laughable really.

We have put ourselves in an impossible position with Brereton. He was shite tonight but we have to play him from now until the end of the season or else why didn’t we sell him (or at least encourage or accept bids before anyone says he might have refused a move).

Jack Vale summed himself up on 25 minutes. Thomas was running with the ball, down the wing, trying to make space for a cross. Vale ran across and onto the outside of him. Baffling. Couldn’t care less if he dragged a player over, he ensured Thomas had no target to cross to.

Sorba Thomas had a few jitters to start, but a really good debut. Looked hungry, grafted. A proper winger! I’m worried slightly as his performance was a bit like Giles against Swansea last year where he crossed all day to nobody, or at least nobody who could do anything with them.

Feel for Dack getting hooked - didn’t look happy. Dolan should be unhappy not getting a look in. Sick of Morton - him and Hedges should never be allowed another set piece ever again. Most of the rest were pretty average.

Broughton - aside from the debuting Thomas, the 10 players who started the game were all here this time last year. Pretty damning of our recruitment.

Tomasson - I hate this football. It’s completely dull and uninspiring. Feel for him in terms of being let down in the window, but don’t know what difference personnel would make when we play like this.

”Wee with the willy we’ve got” is a popular phrase amongst Rovers fans… Tomasson appears to want to use his willy to do something completely alien to it. He’s forcing shit out of it.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Miller11
Forgot to add a bit about Gallagher being shit, aside from a couple of flick ons on the half way line when we panicked and actually played the ball forward with a bit of purpose in the dying stages.

[1874]

12 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Technically it's the lack of athleticism we have at FB that is hindering the system - well that and not having a #9.

The FBs are meant to provide the width, but neither JRC or Pickering can do the job properly as if they go they can't get back (e.g. today where they adapted the system when in possession so JRC could roam upfield). 

Surely the manager knows this already. Yet he repeats it week in week out

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, arbitro said:

Our decision making at times is atrocious. I actually laughed when we had a free kick in a decent position in the second half, sent the centre halves up, loaded the box then contrived to knock it back to Pickering some thirty yards who unsettled a couple of pigeons nesting high up in the Blackburn End with an awful shot. What goes through players minds to do something so stupid.

I still haven’t got over that pass in the first minute at Rotherham. Brain dead.

[booth]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

The annoying thing is Hyam, Brittain, Szmodics (sorry, I like him) and Thomas are all very good pieces of business. Broughton and co can clearly spot a player - they just can't find a striker. 

There was clearly a transfer roadmap of, we'll replace the defenders and attacking midfielder that have left the club. And in January we'll bring in a few loans to bolster the midfield and attack. And that was the promise to JDT. JDT agrees as it gives him a chance to get used to the players he's been given.

JDT then smiles his way through post match interviews whether win or lose, thinking things will get better.

Then the great January transfer disaster of 2023 happens, JDT feels like a right dick for believing the project was real. Mask slips. No smiles tonight.

[Waggy76]

9 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The annoying thing is Hyam, Brittain, Szmodics (sorry, I like him) and Thomas are all very good pieces of business. Broughton and co can clearly spot a player - they just can't find a striker. 

Brittan ? Only seen him 3 or 4 times , doesn't seem up to much to me ...Last seen getting hurt chickening out of a tackle ... Hopefully he will come good !

[joey_big_nose]

I have watched back the interview on the sky sports app and while JDT looks a bit cheesed off he seems a long way away from a man about to walk away from a three year contract and several million quid.

[Sparks Rover]

18 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

 

Sorba Thomas had a few jitters to start, but a really good debut. Looked hungry, grafted. A proper winger! I’m worried slightly as his performance was a bit like Giles against Swansea last year where he crossed all day to nobody, or at least nobody who could do anything with them.

 

Might sound a bit daft but Matt Smith at Salford but has played higher, cheap option and would nod them crosses in all day long.  Off the bench if desperate,  but probs start ahead of Gally and Vale

Edited February 6, 2023 by Sparks Rover

[RevidgeBlue]

19 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

Thomas looks decent. Worked hard too.

Really? Seem to be in a minority of one but thought he was useless. Hedges Mark two.

How do players like him, Hedges, Gallagher, Evans, Bennett, Lowe etc carve out a lengthy and successful career In football? They've no talent whatsoever.

As for the game Itself, dear me. Less said the better. Believe BBD hasn't signed for anyone yet so he needs to get his head back in the game. Pickering is still an absolute liability defensively. Though the much maligned Scott Wharton played well

JDT has been let down in massive fashion by GB in the transfer window but whilst thankfully he isnt Mowbray, I would have thought the jury is still our on him for many.

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Just what we need.

When you have the likes of Andy Todd and Diouf in your team, the opposition and their fans hate you.

We have far too many 'nice' boys.

I have to agree, hate him but would love him in my team. Guaranteed 100%, the edge needed and a better player than most in our team.

[Sparks Rover]

55 minutes ago, booth said:

We still wouldn't score.

We would, he'd get a big centre forward to feed of Sorba, what's the Hudderfield forward doing....?

Edited February 6, 2023 by Sparks Rover

[booth]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

I have watched back the interview on the sky sports app and while JDT looks a bit cheesed off he seems a long way away from a man about to walk away from a three year contract and several million quid.

He also looked a long way away from a man who couldn't care less about winning - as others have said on this thread.

He clearly does care and throwing his bosses under the bus was something a Venky Rovers manager hasn't dared to do since Lambert, and was much appreciated.

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, neophox said:

Think the whole Brereton situations turned bizarre.....If I was Villareal and given him a 5 year contract I would be worried.

If I was Ben Brereton, I would be signing that 5 year deal with Villa Real sharpish. If they have been watching him this last 12/13 games, they may well be withdrawing their offer. Abysmal tonight and now missing guilt edged chances every match.

[booth]

2 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

We would, he'd get a big centre forward to feed of Sorba, what's the Hudderfield forward doing....?

He'd want that, but then end up with a 24 year old who'd scored 4 goals for Port Vale 2 years ago.

[joey_big_nose]

Just my view, but a lot of people saying that we played terribly today. I don't think we did really, controlled the game largely, created a lot of opportunities. I thought it was a pretty watchable game for the first sixty minutes or so. A lot more direct than we have been playing. Quite a few players had good games - Travis, Thomas, JRC, Dack, Carter. It seemed a better all round performance than what we were managing in December anyway - albeit against the team rock bottom.

But... looking across the next half of the season I just can't see where the goals are coming from. If BBD is going to coast in we are truly fooked. We have to find a decent out of contract striker from somewhere. If we don't we maybe have 20 goals in this team for the rest of the season. We'll be reduced to giving Leonard a go just to try something.

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, yankfan said:

Even with his head elsewhere he’s still miles better than Vale andGally

Tonight, he was woeful.