v Sheffield United (h) - 4/3/23

[Exiled_Rover]

23 minutes ago, booth said:

We've got a decent run of winnable games now with Norwich (h) and Coventry (h) standing out as the tough ones. Then we have Burnley (h), Luton (h) and Millwall (a).

Three tough games to end the season on. Four if you include Preston away before the Burnley game.

SU have Reading next week, then a few tough games coming up. Luton (h), Sunderland (a), Norwich (a)... And erm Wigan... But then Burnley (a). On paper they have easier final games than us.

Looking at the fixtures for us, SU and Boro I can't see us challenging for the automatics, but play offs are looking good if JDT and the team can keep it up.

We've got a really difficult run in, but technically that also means it's all in our own hands - and a lot of the harder games are at Ewood.

[Crozzy]

Great performance today, thought we were really up for it! Looks like we’ve got right and spirit back which is great! Great goal as well, thought we deserved to score another and thought we did well to keep them at bay. we seems to have clicked really well as a side with the football JDT wants to play. Much better transitioning from defence through midfield now. 

Sheff Utd a bunch of dirty c***s, ref was poor letting them away with a lot. Couldn’t believe the one on Pickering didn’t even get a booking. Was right Infront of me, he went studs up straight down Pickering’s shin. 

Well done Ryan Hedges for throwing that towel away, how we even allowed that towel to be placed there at our home ground is beyond me and how we let it go for 35 minutes is a joke  

 

special mention to my friend who jumped up a couple rows behind us to the older gentleman who collapsed and helped give CPR, thankfully the guy came round soon after and walked away with the medics  

 

[CambridgeRover]

Drop Brereton for the season based on merit. He needs to win his place back but he looks bad every game

[wilsdenrover]

2 minutes ago, booth said:

I can't disagree with that.

Which is where a bit of ‘luck’ can also come in handy, as I don’t think JDT makes those changes without the injuries.

[Exiled_Rover]

16 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Could we afford Thomas if we don’t go up?

Depends if they stay up I reckon.

[wilsdenrover]

3 minutes ago, Crozzy said:

Great performance today, thought we were really up for it! Looks like we’ve got right and spirit back which is great! Great goal as well, thought we deserved to score another and thought we did well to keep them at bay. we seems to have clicked really well as a side with the football JDT wants to play. Much better transitioning from defence through midfield now. 

Sheff Utd a bunch of dirty c***s, ref was poor letting them away with a lot. Couldn’t believe the one on Pickering didn’t even get a booking. Was right Infront of me, he went studs up straight down Pickering’s shin. 

Well done Ryan Hedges for throwing that towel away, how we even allowed that towel to be placed there at our home ground is beyond me and how we let it go for 35 minutes is a joke  

 

special mention to my friend who jumped up a couple rows behind us to the older gentleman who collapsed and helped give CPR, thankfully the guy came round soon after and walked away with the medics  

 

Well done to your friend - an amazing skill to have. It’s great news that the gentleman appears to be okay 

Edited March 4, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[speeeeeeedie]

1 minute ago, aletheia said:

Cracking game. Thanks lads, really enjoyable.

It’s the simple things:

·       Dolan’s simple pass for the goal. He has learnt to get his head up, think. You have to know when to go and when to keep it simple. Good coaching?

 

·       Travis back to his rollicking best after a rest. But he too is thinking of little forward passes as well as the crunch stuff. Good coaching?

 

·       Sorba getting good crosses in –not rocket science. Can’t remember many under the gurning one’s regime. Good coaching? I think it was his pull back from the by line that led to Dolan hitting the bar?

 

·       Several goal kicks just went long. Good move when you are a goal up, and perhaps need to conserve energy after a hard cup game. Good coaching?

 

·       And on a similar note, a general switch to a mixed game –that is, some nice, neat short stuff but also some early balls into the channels as well. Sam may not be a worldbeater in terms of finishing but he offered something we needed today up top as a contrast. Defensive headers too from corners

 

.

And that 20 minute spell in the second half when the players and fans were absolutely rocking with the Blades on the ropes. Such a shame that great shot from Sammie hit the woodwork. The players looked as though they were enjoying it.

A determination not to concede. It was always going to be long balls/crosses into the box from them for the last 15. Thought we might tire but they kept going and no doubt in my mind we would have conceded late on previously. No doubt there were several head in hands moments and nails bitten but just a cracking win. Hyam was excellent here.

 

Very much my thoughts. If Szmodics' effort would have gone in it would have been a nice quiet last 15 (well, 20 with all the added time) yet, it was not so. I was a bit worried when Hedges gave away that daft free kick in the 95th minute but a good defensive header, then a poor corner saw the game out.

Rovers are a very resilient team. Something clicked after Rotherham. Before then it was massive swings; good followed by awful.

@West Yorks Rover posted in the Championship thread that 2nd is probably a bridge too far. I agree with him. Sheff Utd could be 9 points ahead of us if they win their game in hand. Boro don't look like slowing down either.

I am still smarting over the disasters that were Wigan and Cardiff away. Those games should have both been wins, 

[Mercer]

What a sensational week for Rovers.

For years, I thought my fire and passion for Rovers had been doused for good.   Feckin hell, this is like the 'good old days'.

Make no mistake Sheffield United are right up there for a reason - a very good side with aggression and a touch of nastiness (ridiculous they finished up with 11 still on the field).

Rovers today were everything a supporter wants to see in their team.  Gritty, determined, passionate (the essentials) but structured, exciting and skilful.

To a man, we were excellent with no one worth less than an eight and a number worthy of a nine and even pushing for a ten!

Defensively excellent.  Pears now looks sound, and JRC and Carter look revelations, Pickering much improved whilst I can only assume Nicola Sturgeon selects Scotland's football team when the magnificent Hyam is not part of it!

Travis is reborn and even Buckley looks half a player!

Thomas and Szmodics give us great energy, Gallagher is contributing far more to the team in his rightful position as a centre forward and Dolan is just sensational and I think he will get better and better.  

Been a helluva a day so far and goodness knows what state I'll be in following dinner out tonight and further bevvies! 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Mercer

[Exiled_Rover]

15 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Not even a booking! Ridiculous decision that. Thought it was bad as soon as I saw it, turned round to watch the replay on the telly at the back of the Riverside and it’s an obvious straight red. They really lost their cool as the game went on. 

That's miiiiiles away from me in the ground, but I thought from the reaction of the players that it was a red.

Said to the guy next to me "I reckon the ref has bottled that - he knows it's a red if he produces a card". I was right. 

[Officer Barbrady]

Another great win from the boys. Dolan to Pickering was superb and really should have won by more goals. Loving how JDT is getting the best out of these guys and how confident everyone looks on the pitch.Not just in themselves but in their teammates.Worlds away from what Mowbray was getting out of them the latter part of his tenure.

Proud of the guys and now on to Stoke which I think another 3 points will be ours.

Just keep on cementing that place in the playoffs boys.

[wilsdenrover]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Depends if they stay up I reckon.

It’s not looking good for them at the moment…

[booth]

5 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Which is where a bit of ‘luck’ can also come in handy, as I don’t think JDT makes those changes without the injuries.

To be fair there aren't many managers that would drop Kaminski and Brereton.

[wilsdenrover]

1 minute ago, booth said:

To be fair there aren't many managers that would drop Kaminski and Brereton.

Absolutely, it wasn’t a dig at JDT - just a comment on the part that luck can play

[RTM08]

Boy, have things flipped! At the end of January we were looking rudderless, devoid of ideas and as I made vocal on here I was all for punting JDT, but the last month has been a breath of fresh air! Somehow, despite no real investment he has turned it around and made us somewhat attractive. The cup run as well has only boosted everyone involved with the club. 

That said, I won't be getting carried away, it's a close race and we have one of the hardest run-ins in the league (at least as far as league places go). If we take it a game at a time there's no reason we can't secure a play-off place, and if we can beat Sheff Utd again in the cup that could be a huge psychological bonus if they end up getting caught by Boro who are a different beast at the moment. 

Each game is going to be tough and I'm glad that someone on the commercial side has clearly used their brain cells to pull people in to Ewood with incentives. I only wish I lived closer to take advantage of it! 

[Exiled_Rover]

18 minutes ago, matt83 said:

I beg to differ. A few months ago we were  obsessed by pointless possession almost exclusively around the back 4 with suicidal passing to boot. We still have that in our locker to be fair but recently we’ve still been passing but happy to go more direct and most critically passing forward. Off the ball there was zero pressure on the opposition players recently you might say there’s something resembling pressing high that he eluded to when he took over. Also we were very ponderous and slow off the ball and on it and recently we’ve been noticeably quicker and sharper. 

The players are simply being braver on the ball and are moving it quicker. We were slow and ponderous because Morton kept on passing it back to the CBs rather than turning and running with it (or at least playing it sideways to a FB). 

It's no coincidence that since Morton has been dropped and replaced with Buckley we're starting to boss the game in midfield (it also helps that Carter is significantly better on the ball than Ayala too...). When was the last time you saw Travis playing intricate 1-2s?

Szmodics allows you to press as a front 4 (with the CMs cleaning up any loose passes) - for all the goodwill Dack has with the crowd, he simply can't press with that kind of intensity for 90 minutes. He's incredibly immobile these days, sadly. 

[booth]

Just now, wilsdenrover said:

Absolutely, it wasn’t a dig at JDT - just a comment on the part that luck can play

He has dropped other players like Travis, Buckley, Wharton, Dolan, Szmod.

With Kaminski being first team goalie without question, and Brereton being the star player, and let's face it capable of scoring a goal out of nothing, they aren't easily droppable. What's more promising is that Dolan and Pears have stepped up and taken their chance, it's not something we witness a lot!

[M_B]

No doubt about it, the signing of Thomas and the way Costello has grabbed his chance has made all the difference. We're now dangerous down both wings. 

Hyam brilliant today but difficult to pick just one out. It's no mean feat to take on and outplay Sheff Utd with 4 academy graduates in the first 11,5 if you include Dolan. 

Dolan may yet turn out to be one of the most inspired signings we've seen. 

Edited March 4, 2023 by M_B

[Officer Barbrady]

1 minute ago, M_B said:

No doubt about it, the signing of Thomas and the way Costello has grabbed his chance has made all the difference. We're now dangerous down both wings. 

Hyam brilliant today but difficult to pick just one out. It's no mean feat to take on and outplay Sheff Utd with 4 academy graduates in the first 11,5 if you include Dolan. 

Dolan may yet turn out to be one of the most inspired signings we've seen. 

Agreed. He just keeps getting better and better every game and you can tell his love for playing for the Rovers is 100 percent genuine. Great crop of youngsters we have right now for sure.

[wilsdenrover]

Four point gap to seventh 

[Gav]

Shout out for the goal today. 

Classic counter attacking goal from Rovers, pace, passing and a great finish.

Superb goal that deserved to win the game. 

[roversfan99]

Fantastic win and a brilliant couple of weeks, this football is not only effective but suddenly engrossing, front foot, high pressing and engaging. Its a shame our end product is often poor because there is opportunity for more goals there.

The back 4 protected Pears very well again, we now have 3 very competent full backs and Hyam is a rolls royce. Buckley had his best game in that deep positiond next to Travis who was one of a few man of the match contenders. Szmodics has suddenly started playing out of his skin, Dolan is a different player when not playing up front and Thomas is a very useful addition. Gallagher had one of his better games too.

[tomphil]

26 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Maybe also Pears and Dolan fit the system better than Kaminski and Brereton?

This x10

Not saying there's anything wrong with either player they are both great but the side looks so much more balanced over the last 4 games.  There is also a noticeable lack of messing around at the back relentlessly, Ayala being out is a part of that as well of course.

I'd also like to think a lightbulb has gone off in the coaches room as well in regards to the dallying. We have played a few sides who've come at us as well recently which bins the need to draw them out.

[arbitro]

The last few games have been different and today the penny dropped for me as to what I think is a fundamental difference. The last few games have seen some interplay between the centre halves but not the full backs who are pushing higher up as this is happening. Invariably it's a two v one with the centre halves against a central striker.That means that our opponents can't press too high as their wide players are deeper to stay with our full backs. Prior to a few weeks ago you could have tethered our back four with a piece of string and the full backs were involved in the square passing. 

Clearly this is not the only change as I believe the tempo and intensity is far higher than it's been for some time but this and some other subtle changes have been huge in my view.

[yankfan]

48 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

We've got a really difficult run in, but technically that also means it's all in our own hands - and a lot of the harder games are at Ewood.

Getting 6 from the next two would certainly be a boost and is achievable…should also provide sone breathing room to those chasing top 6

[Groundhog]

I'm totally buzzing after that, seeing the togetherness of the fans and the players at the end, where's this belief and team spirit come from? Seeing Gallagher punching the air toward the Riverside on the final whistle, he's suddenly got the fight in him. Thought he played excellent today and led the line, he's started winning flick ons! 

Thought that was one of Dolan's best games for the club too. In the second half when he was on my touchline on the Riverside, I could see him shielding the ball when it was cleared to him, using his strength and turning his back into his opponent and winning a free kick or two. This to me is a new side to his game and he's needed it, they must have been working on it in training, since he's been picked to start recently he has to lead the line. It was great to see.

I said to my Dad before the game: if we win today I'm going to start believing, and that's what worries me, I'm scared to believe, the stakes get higher, but when it feels this good, who cares.

We seem to have got more "streetwise" too, everyone is buying time, letting the ball drift out, taking fouls - we're also putting our foot in and taking bookings, not afraid to get stuck in. In the first half of the season we hardly picked up yellows, all the best teams do it, we're finally halting opposition attacks and disrupting others - just what they do to us. It's great to see and reminds me of the early days of Hughes's reign.

COYB

Edited March 4, 2023 by Groundhog