v QPR (a) - 25/2/23

[chaddyrovers]

26 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

not sure,but he should be scouting for potential players,thats what he`s here for is`nt it

Rovers are scouting and researching for signings for next season whichever league we are in

[bluebruce]

48 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

hopefully greg the egg has already got the targets for next season sorted,though judging his performance so far thats rather optimistic

It's not lining up the targets that's the problem, it's actually landing them.

[RoversTilliDie]

We could'nt have asked for more from Rovers in Febuary, unbeaten in 7 matches and 3 straight wins. With some harder matches to come, Leicester and Sheff utd were in a decent position. Somebody called Sam Gallagher useless on this site before the match, what a way to respond 2 goals and could have had a hat trick. I thought Dolan had another decent game and what a run from Costello to set up Sams 2nd.

[simongarnerisgod]

2 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

It's not lining up the targets that's the problem, it's actually landing them.

hopefully lessons learnt from the o`brien fiasco,looking on the bright side,if there was money to pay his wages,and he must be on big money at forest,the cash is there for jdt to spend

[bluebruce]

39 minutes ago, Gav said:

Its been a very good run of results since the debacle that was Wigan at home and taken in isolation even that wasn't a bad result given the latest haul of points.

 

Taken in isolation, it certainly was. Drawing at home to the bottom side in the league is a bad result.

[Exiled_Rover]

15 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Taken in isolation, it certainly was. Drawing at home to the bottom side in the league is a bad result.

Well if our £20m Chilean striker had slotted away that sitter or a competent ref had given a penalty for the foul on Pickering we would have won.

Wigan didn't lay a glove on us.

[Miller11]

I think one of the factors in our collapse last season was the churn of players in January. We brought in Zeefuik, Brown, Hedges, Markanday, Giles. Carter, Magloire, Butterworth and Clarkson (who had all played) went out. Let’s also not forget the baffling situation with Chapman where he came back briefly, played, and then went back out on loan.

None of those coming in made any real impact (although Hedges is now an integral part of the squad and was probably under utilised by Mowbray). Mowbray having more options was pretty disastrous and he utilised a couple of these really badly. Injuries were also a factor, but the core 11 that had done well started to get regularly disrupted and we went to pieces.

Fast forward 12 months and our January signing is proving to be effective - he’s brought something different, cemented his place and is being picked week in week out in his actual position. If we’d got O’Brien the same would probably apply.

I suppose what I’m getting at is the quiet January window doesn’t look to have done us any harm. The players who have been on the fringes have really stepped up when we’ve had to turn to them. Obviously we’ve been left lighter up top than anyone would’ve liked (again), but we seem to be dealing with it a lot better. Keeping a tight knit group together has its benefits.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Miller11

[jim mk2]

31 minutes ago, RoversTilliDie said:

We could'nt have asked for more from Rovers in Febuary, unbeaten in 7 matches and 3 straight wins. With some harder matches to come, Leicester and Sheff utd were in a decent position. Somebody called Sam Gallagher useless on this site before the match, what a way to respond 2 goals and could have had a hat trick. I thought Dolan had another decent game and what a run from Costello to set up Sams 2nd.

First goal was a header from a couple of yards. He was in the right place but then a decent centre forward should be. 2nd goal was laid on a plate by JRC

Let's not get carried away. He had one of his better games but his all round general play was again not very good. He needs to score more regularly to make up for the deficiencies in the rest of the game. 

Edited February 26, 2023 by jim mk2

[bluebruce]

12 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Well if our £20m Chilean striker had slotted away that sitter or a competent ref had given a penalty for the foul on Pickering we would have won.

Wigan didn't lay a glove on us.

Be that as it may, it was a poor result and that was my only point.

That wasn't a foul on Pickering though for me, or at least it would have been soft. Seen them given but hardly cast iron. Then someone has to put it in too.

[chaddyrovers]

3 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

I think one of the factors in our collapse last season was the churn of players in January. We brought in Zeefuik, Brown, Hedges, Markanday, Giles. Carter, Magloire, Butterworth and Clarkson (who had all played) went out. Let’s also not forget the baffling situation with Chapman where he came back briefly, played, and then went back out on loan.

None of those coming in made any real impact (although Hedges is now an integral part of the squad and was probably under utilised by Mowbray). Mowbray having more options was pretty disastrous and he utilised a couple of these really badly. Injuries were also a factor, but the core 11 that had done well started to get regularly disrupted and we went to pieces.

Fast forward 12 months and our January signing is proving to be effective - he’s brought something different, cemented his place and is being picked week in week out in his actual position. If we’d got O’Brien the same would probably apply.

I suppose what I’m getting at is the quiet January window doesn’t look to have done us any harm. The players who have been on the fringes have really stepped up when we’ve had to turn to them. Obviously we’ve been left lighter up top than anyone would’ve liked (again), but we seem to be dealing with it a lot better. Keeping a tight knit group together has its benefits.

Some very good points there made. If Mowbray has lot of options he mind got muddled like the previous season when he had 30 players in the squad. 

 

[DE.]

Doesn't necessarily account for the multiple other miserable post-January runs Mowbray embarked on with us and other teams. Think it's something systemic in how he prepares and motivates his teams. The pattern is too consistent for it to be coincidence.

Edited February 26, 2023 by DE.

[M_B]

28 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

First goal was a header from a couple of yards. He was in the right place but then a decent centre forward should be. 2nd goal was laid on a plate by JRC

Let's not get carried away. He had one of his better games but his all round general play was again not very good. He needs to score more regularly to make up for the deficiencies in the rest of the game. 

The stats say we are far more likely to win if he plays than if he doesn't. 

Even with a fully fit squad, it would be a massive decision to leave him out. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

3 minutes ago, DE. said:

Doesn't necessarily account for the multiple other miserable post-January runs Mowbray embarked on with us and other teams. Think it's something systemic in how he prepares and motivates his teams. The pattern is too consistent for it to be coincidence.

 

I didn't really buy this until last season, but increasingly it's hard to ignore the trend.

I remember an old head of department of mine was a Cov fan. He said not long after we began our L1 season something like 'I hope you enjoy being top at Christmas and not winning a game after', or something to that effect. Took me about 4 years to realise that he was on to something!

[tomphil]

Do we look a better more balanced side will BBD out ?

There, i've said it.

[rigger]

11 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Do we look a better more balanced side will BBD out ?

There, i've said it.

Without Diaz we play a system that suits the players we have.

[jim mk2]

11 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Do we look a better more balanced side will BBD out ?

There, i've said it.

 

Possibly. Thomas isn't great but he gives the team width and Gallagher obviously has his limitations but is a more conventional centre forward than Brereton. We certainly played with more freedom and looked more potent in attack yesterday than having to rely on long balls into the left hand corner for Brereton to chase. 

[tomphil]

4 minutes ago, rigger said:

Without Diaz we play a system that suits the players we have.

That's exactly what i was thinking.

Far too much of Mowbrays time was tinkering with systems to suit one individual, Dack then Arma, then BBD but no one has ever done it to suit Gallagher.

Probably because all he can offer really is the role of a hardworking front man but sometimes that's all you need if there is width and balance.

[J*B]

42 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

Possibly. Thomas isn't great but he gives the team width and Gallagher obviously has his limitations but is a more conventional centre forward than Brereton. We certainly played with more freedom and looked more potent in attack yesterday than having to rely on long balls into the left hand corner for Brereton to chase. 

We’ve played three of the weakest teams in the league and got nine points. That’s a good return and makes a welcome change from Tony’s February, but I’ll only start being positive if we get three points and outplay Sheff United. 

Bookies make us favourites to finish eighth at the moment. 

[wilsdenrover]

4 minutes ago, J*B said:

We’ve played three of the weakest teams in the league and got three points. I’ll start being positive if we get three points and outplay Sheff United. 

Bookies make us favourites to finish eighth at the moment. 

Six points from the (last) two games he’s missed?

[roversfan99]

Brereton has been forced back into a left back position when he was playing recently, and also clearly was physically struggling. We are a better team with him in it, he is aside from a recent dry spell our best goalscorer, we are a better side with him in it.

[chaddyrovers]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Brereton has been forced back into a left back position when he was playing recently, and also clearly was physically struggling. We are a better team with him in it, he is aside from a recent dry spell our best goalscorer, we are a better side with him in it.

he was tracking their opposition full back/wing back as his job. 

 

[J*B]

7 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Six points from the (last) two games he’s missed?

Edited - my bad. 

[wilsdenrover]

1 minute ago, J*B said:

Edited - my bad. 

I’m glad it was you because I thought it might have been me 😁

[Sweaty Gussets]

Based on goals/assists per minutes on the pitch Dolan is doing an excellent job. 

BBD and SG are also not too dissimilar in terms of goals per minute. 

Edited February 26, 2023 by Sweaty Gussets

[Hasta]

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

Do we look a better more balanced side will BBD out ?

There, i've said it.

As several people have said recently, we’d be better playing that team / formation but with BBD in for Gallagher. For me that would keep the balance / fluidity, add more of a goal threat and lose nothing in ‘presence’.