v Stoke City (a) - 10/3/23

[47er]

1 minute ago, joey_big_nose said:

A good effort to get two late goals but they felt really more a product of Stoke stopping the press that had done so well. Over the 90 we were well and truly beaten, well played Stoke. You can bet every team we play now will try to replicate their approach 

Didn't see much to show we have many ideas about how to handle the next team that do that to us aside from starting Brittain and BBD.

I do feel we need more of a tactical plan B. We push so many players up we are  so exposed at the back if the opposition is smart as they were tonight.

Neill's pre-match comments were spot on as were his tactics. As you say, we didn't change anything to counter it.

We started that second half pretty well, if only that screamer from Travis had gone in.

 

[DE.]

3 minutes ago, PotterLog said:

Eeem.. phew. 
 

Not a massive amount to say about that that you won’t already know, I’ll not rub anything in.. the Chilean Stokie finally scores against his boyhood club at least…

thanks for having me, best of luck going for promotion, see you next time.

Your lads deserved it tonight. Looking like you're building a decent foundation for next season with Neil in charge. Expect you'll be in and about the top six again next season, the benefits of having a manager who has been there and done it in the recent past.

[neophox]

We won the second half but lost the game...take the second half to Wednesday and produce a lethal performance for the fans.. 10 massive games to go!

[booth]

I predicted a draw with this one as I thought there would be the same effort as the previous four games, so disappointed to come away with nothing in the manner they did.

For anyone who doesn't know what the problem is, some of the players just can't be arsed sometimes and need a goal lead to motivate them. It happened under Mowbray and it's happening now. The positive is we've just had a decent run which I didn't think I'd ever see with these players.

Had the recruitment team delivered in January we could have gone for it, as it is I think we'll fall short this season as we just don't have the players.

[superniko]

29 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Can he play all 11 positions at once?

The post quoted the midfield, only 2 of them in there and he’d probably do a better job on his own. 

[superniko]

14 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

He scored tho but no comment? 

always willing to criticise any one tho? 

He was fucking terrible and he scored with his shoulder.
Absolutely baffling some of you lot.  

[jim mk2]

4-1 Stoke would have been a more true reflection of the game but it just goes to show with those 2 late goals that we might have stolen a point if we hadn't given away that pathetic 3rd goal. Tomasson should show that to his players and ask how one man can go past 4 players from out on the touchline without a tackle going in. 

Rovers continue to frustrate. I thought "performances" like that were consigned to the past

[LDRover]

Worth mentioning that Stoke looked a good side tonight regardless of how shit we were. Got a good manager and look like they have a good style of play going forward. I think they will end this season well and go close next year.

[johnradfordsubbuteo]

5 minutes ago, Dolly blue said:

Hate, hate hate Pearson…we should have signed him. EVERY time he plays against us.. he’s the man we are BOYS .

Hedges , Gallagher , JRC …nothing short of embarrassing for their third goal…can’t think of one player who deserved the shirt….as for Morton, Buckley …can cope with lack of ability..can’t cope with lack of balls many didn’t even want a 60/  40 ……..

Just  soooo glad I didn’t travel ….thoughts are with those who did ….

 

Yes Pearson - the poor man's Savage.

[Angry_Pirate]

That performance was lifted straight out of an earlier part of the season. What an abhorration from the past 10 games.

The highlight at 2-0 was watching 4 Rovers players moan about time wasting, get gifted the ball, and then proceed to pass it backwards to Pears in 5 passes. 

[AllRoverAsia]

Neils pre match comments and tactics are not the reason we looked like strangers who had just met up for a park kick about.

Like others I cannot fathom how our performance across the whole team and age groups within it can fluctuate so wildly.

We were off the pace from the start and then got worse.

[booth]

1 minute ago, superniko said:

He was fucking terrible and he scored with his shoulder.
Absolutely baffling some of you lot.  

Like I said earlier, it would have ended up 2-2 but for Gallagher prancing about at the back.

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, LDRover said:

Worth mentioning that Stoke looked a good side tonight regardless of how shit we were. Got a good manager and look like they have a good style of play going forward. I think they will end this season well and go close next year.

There's genuinely nothing in this league. If you're organised you'll win a lot of games.

People saying Blackpool are the worst team to play at Ewood this season - I'd both their CFs and their LB without even blinking. 

[Hasta]

8 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

It's genuinely a talent thing. 

The system doesn't help - in the sense that it asks a lot from the players and isn't designed to cover their weaknesses - but for a lot of the guys in this squad, if they're not playing near their capacity then they're a passenger.

There's no cruising through games at 70-80% for these players, they're simply not good enough - which is why we struggle when the fixtures pile up. 

Agree. I certainly don’t think we’re less talented than Stoke though.

Against Leicester and Sheff United the players looked like they knew they had to be at 100% in order to get a result. Tonight, like at Rotherham and against Wigan and Swansea, we looked as though we were going through the motions and presuming 70% would be enough and superior talent would overcome. They simply aren’t good enough for that.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Hasta

[neophox]

1 minute ago, booth said:

Like I said earlier, it would have ended up 2-2 but for Gallagher prancing about at the back.

You do wonder why Gally was down there but JRC could had breaked it too.

[1874]

The only 2 times we tested their back up keeper we scored. He didn't have to make a single save.

[BigBar]

16 minutes ago, ben_the_beast said:

Oh fuck off referee. The ball was in play for about 90 seconds of that 5 mins added time. Spends his entire time pointing at his watch and blows on 5 minutes. Absolute twat. Its no wonder so many games are such a shit watch when the referees are such spineless fuckheads.

Thought exactly the same and was being unbiased. There were 2 fouls and they took about a minute over each one and then with their goal kick and the throw ins it was barely on the pitch. Credit to them I suppose but still frustrating 

[Hasta]

Just now, neophox said:

You do wonder why Gally was down there but JRC could had breaked it too.

Brereton could actually have blocked the shot but he kind of just jumped across him

[1874]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

There's genuinely nothing in this league. If you're organised you'll win a lot of games.

People saying Blackpool are the worst team to play at Ewood this season - I'd both their CFs and their LB without even blinking. 

The worst team to play at Ewood was us v Preston

[joey_big_nose]

1 minute ago, booth said:

I predicted a draw with this one as I thought there would be the same effort as the previous four games, so disappointed to come away with nothing in the manner they did.

For anyone who doesn't know what the problem is, some of the players just can't be arsed sometimes and need a goal lead to motivate them. It happened under Mowbray and it's happening now. The positive is we've just had a decent run which I didn't think I'd ever see with these players.

Had the recruitment team delivered in January we could have gone for it, as it is I think we'll fall short this season as we just don't have the players.

Can't really agree, it was as stonewall tactical victory as Ive seen in 25 years of following Rovers. Neill had obviously watched our last five games in detail and knew we would play the same way to a man (as when a team is on a run you always know they will replicate their approach) and set his side up absolutely perfectly to counter.

Only positive (if you can call it that) is that due to the comprehensive nature of our defeat there will now be doubt put into Readings mind about if we will go the same way on Wednesday. 

[neophox]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

Can't really agree, it was as stonewall tactical victory as Ive seen in 25 years of following Rovers. Neill had obviously watched our last five games in detail and knew we would play the same way to a man (as when a team is on a run you always know they will replicate their approach) and set his side up absolutely perfectly to counter.

Only positive (if you can call it that) is that due to the comprehensive nature of our defeat there will now be doubt put into Readings mind about if we will go the same way on Wednesday. 

Well he did the same at Sunderland....Tombola Tonys tactics were outclassed and Stoke won 5-1 away...

[roverandout]

21 minutes ago, neophox said:

Think Gally worked hard all night...Garrett showed some great energy coming on...the rest can do slot better... hopefully Diaz scoring again could be crucial!

Gallagher didn't work hard at all. He was an embarrassment 

[neophox]

Think Stoke will now go on a run and hopefully they can beat our promotion and play-off rivals....

 

They play Boro on tuesday and then Norwich and Coventry.

Edited March 10, 2023 by neophox

[booth]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

Can't really agree, it was as stonewall tactical victory as Ive seen in 25 years of following Rovers. Neill had obviously watched our last five games in detail and knew we would play the same way to a man (as when a team is on a run you always know they will replicate their approach) and set his side up absolutely perfectly to counter.

Only positive (if you can call it that) is that due to the comprehensive nature of our defeat there will now be doubt put into Readings mind about if we will go the same way on Wednesday. 

I'm pretty sure we weren't set up tactically to repeatedly lose possession and for some players to lazily stroll about generally not being arsed.

[Exiled_Rover]

2 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Can't really agree, it was as stonewall tactical victory as Ive seen in 25 years of following Rovers. Neill had obviously watched our last five games in detail and knew we would play the same way to a man (as when a team is on a run you always know they will replicate their approach) and set his side up absolutely perfectly to counter.

Only positive (if you can call it that) is that due to the comprehensive nature of our defeat there will now be doubt put into Readings mind about if we will go the same way on Wednesday. 

Agree to disagree there - the only 'impressive' thing was having their RB run on Dolan for both goals.