v Birmingham City (a) - 1/4/23

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Disappointing result but not surprising. The four games played against the Blues this season have generally been quite tight. We are crying out for some muscle and creativity in midfield and someone who can put the ball in the net with his eyes closed.

Watched the Luton/Watford game and really impressed with Luton. They absolutely battered Watford! I wish we had some of their players, particularly up front and in midfield. Even Amari Bell is flourishing. 

Easter is critical, as losses to Norwich and Huddersfield will surely end our play off challenge. On the other hand, a couple of wins will boost it. 

 

 

[RoversTilliDie]

Unfair comments in my opinion, Rovers have played well against Sheffield United and Birmingham. If it wasn't for their keeper we would have took the 3 pts, the shot from Hedges would have been goal of the month if it wasn't for their keeper getting a hand to it. Were 4pts clear of Norwich with a game in hand, if we can get back on track at Ewood on Good Friday we will be in a healthy position. So lets get behind JDT and Rovers and roar them on to victory.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Absolutely RTD.

We will of course get behind the team. That’s what Rovers fans do.

Will be hoping for a win against Norwich which is achievable and just down the road from me at the John Smiths stadium. 

[simongarnerisgod]

we did`nt play to badly today,though we looked to have sunk back in to walking football mode at times,it`s was still better than some of the horror showings from before christmas

on the negative side,morton is frankly,a weedy little boy who gives the ball away by the dozen,i sincerely hope jdt is`nt going to try and blow his budget on him in the close season,he seems to like him to much imo

gallagher was as ever very willing but does`nt have the mindset of a centre forward,got to have a goalscoring centre forward in next season

[only2garners]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

we looked quite ordinary against a Birmingham team who have been struggling recently

That’s their third win in the last 4 games arbitro. We’ve played them 4 times now. We were a bit fortunate to beat them at home in the league and the two cup games needed an own goal for us to win after 210 minutes of football. And today we were a bit unfortunate not to get a point.

I thought there must have been traffic problems when there were only 2 coaches there by 2.45.

I thought we played decently for the first hour. It wasn’t fluent but we kept winning the ball back when we had no right to. But we didn’t take the chances we made, not many but they were there. Then Khadra scored something from nothing. We made changes and started unsuccessfully trying to play long balls to Thomas and Diaz. And when they did get through nothing much happened. We seemed to have been surprised that having scored Birmingham would sit back and frustrate us.

[47er]

71% possession! Doomed!

[philipl]

The whole team need to move that ball quicker.

Tyler Morton,  that is what they do at Liverpool ...

[Leonard Venkhater]

 

I was watching on a continually buffering stream, but even that couldn't hide the fact that much of our possession was in our own half/final third even.

71% possession? Where is Fr Merrin, when we need him?

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, RoversTilliDie said:

Unfair comments in my opinion, Rovers have played well against Sheffield United and Birmingham. If it wasn't for their keeper we would have took the 3 pts, the shot from Hedges would have been goal of the month if it wasn't for their keeper getting a hand to it. Were 4pts clear of Norwich with a game in hand, if we can get back on track at Ewood on Good Friday we will be in a healthy position. So lets get behind JDT and Rovers and roar them on to victory.

And if the shot  that got slightly deflected and the jutkiewicz shot had gone in first half we would have been 3-0 down. Other than the Hedges shot, we had no real chances until the last 5 minutes once Brereton and Dack had come on. The last 10 minutes of that game are clouding people judgement.
We got what we deserved, and if we play like that for the rest of the season, with that lack of midfield tenacity or cutting edge, we will fail. 
 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Hasta

[DE.]

29 minutes ago, 47er said:

71% possession! Doomed!

Not a surprise. Give us a lot of possession and we tie ourselves in knots. We're far better when it's the other way around. Not sure if Brum did it on purpose, mind, as with an actual striker on the field we would have won today.

[M_B]

We didn't play well but we've generally bounced back from a poor performance this season. 

I don't really see the need for all The End Is Nigh comments, with 8 games left, 5 of them at home and one in hand on everyone else, we're in the best position since we went down. 

With the league as weak as it's been for ages, this is probably our best chance for some time to come, there are only 4 teams that wouldn't swap positions with us. A win on Friday puts Norwich out of the running. 

Edited April 1, 2023 by M_B

[lraC]

7 hours ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

The problem we've got is that the 2 players that need to be dropped don't have replacements.

Gally needs dropping but we don't have another striker fit and JDT doesn't want to try Brereton there. Gally was completely anonymous today, didn't show the willingness he has done last few games. 

Morton also needs dropping. But we need a technical midfielder who can take the ball of the centre backs, it's the vital role in that midfield. Travis can't play that role, Garrett isn't good enough on the ball to do that. Buckley is out injured and hopefully could get back if we made the playoff ls but I think I'm being overly optimistic. Adam Wharton is the obvious suggestion but doesn't seem to have been in favour since his injury.

 

 

I am beginning to wonder what is happening with Adam Wharton. The rumors about his spat after the Burnley game, are perhaps true, as he simply seems to have been frozen out ever since. I know he has had an injury, but why was he not at least on the bench?

From the limited times I have seen him, he deserves another go and think he could well have done a better job than some in this game and definitely want to see him play some part in the next two.

If there has been a fall out, surely that can now been forgotten and forgiven. Let’s get him involved and see if he can build on his good, albeit limited start. 

[AllRoverAsia]

5 hours ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

 

I was watching on a continually buffering stream, but even that couldn't hide the fact that much of our possession was in our own half/final third even.

71% possession? Where is Fr Merrin, when we need him?

Boyle Sports TV sucks

[AllRoverAsia]

7 hours ago, Andy said:

100% not true.

There is no financial obligation for us to play Morton.

After such a statement show us the absolute proof.

Liverpool have an, alledged, history of punitive loan terms for players not getting appearances.

[chaddyrovers]

10 hours ago, Neilbristol said:

What are our alternatives for cm? They were poor today but so were the wingers, attackers, pretty much everyone was disappointing. Such a shame. First 20mins looked like we could be 3-0 up if anyone had any clinical quality. Just kept passing it in the box and passing it to Ruddy. Poor. Poor poor game. 

I would play Jake Garrett there with Travis for next game

Birmingham sat in and deep. Allow us to have the ball and that why we end up with this slow tempo football. 

8 hours ago, Andy said:

100% not true.

There is no financial obligation for us to play Morton.

thanks Andy. 

7 hours ago, 47er said:

71% possession! Doomed!

What we would give for Tugay in centre midfield who could pick a pass for us

[philipl]

Put my finger on what makes me feel so uneasy after yesterday. 

On paper, we had the strongest bench we have had all season.

Far from having a positive impact, we were far worse after the substitutions were made.

Thomas easily the worst 20 minutes in a Rovers shirt.

And we played don't pass to Brereton and Dack.

[arbitro]

8 hours ago, DE. said:

Not a surprise. Give us a lot of possession and we tie ourselves in knots. We're far better when it's the other way around. Not sure if Brum did it on purpose, mind, as with an actual striker on the field we would have won today.

And that is the story of our inconsistency for me. Pressing high, high tempo, low possession football is when we are getting results by invariably playing forward. If opponents sit in and let us have the ball in our half we simply don't have anybody capable of picking the killer pass so most of our play is safe play, keeping the ball but going nowhere. The evidence is there in that when we have the bulk of possession we lose.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

13 minutes ago, arbitro said:

And that is the story of our inconsistency for me. Pressing high, high tempo, low possession football is when we are getting results by invariably playing forward. If opponents sit in and let us have the ball in our half we simply don't have anybody capable of picking the killer pass so most of our play is safe play, keeping the ball but going nowhere. The evidence is there in that when we have the bulk of possession we lose.

It’s not just the lack of a killer pass. Not one of our centre midfield got beyond the striker yesterday. It’s not really Travis’s strength and when did you ever see Morton run past an opponent ? Szmodics should be doing that but yesterday he was ineffectual for large parts of the game .

What we really need is a Dunn or Berkovic or a Bohinen who can run with the ball from our half into their half and commit defenders. We’ve got players in central midfield who can run after the ball but none who can run with it.

[BlackburnEnd75]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It’s not just the lack of a killer pass. Not one of our centre midfield got beyond the striker yesterday. It’s not really Travis’s strength and when did you ever see Morton run past an opponent ? Szmodics should be doing that but yesterday he was ineffectual for large parts of the game .

What we really need is a Dunn or Berkovic or a Bohinen who can run with the ball from our half into their half and commit defenders. We’ve got players in central midfield who can run after the ball but none who can run with it.

Nah not for me. Not in the system we are playing. We just a centre mid who can pass and control the game and at the same time not be such a pushover in the middle.

[Sweaty Gussets]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

And that is the story of our inconsistency for me. Pressing high, high tempo, low possession football is when we are getting results by invariably playing forward. If opponents sit in and let us have the ball in our half we simply don't have anybody capable of picking the killer pass so most of our play is safe play, keeping the ball but going nowhere. The evidence is there in that when we have the bulk of possession we lose.

The burden of goals/assists falls to the 'fluid front 4' with the way that JDT likes to play...in that way. The FB's also have a responsibility to get forward. 

The 2 CM's just sit in and move the ball on quickly for the most part (well, that's the theory at least).  Buckley has the long pass in his locker but he's the only one capable of picking it up off the back four and launching a 40 yard pass forward and putting someone clean through. 

We had the same problem under Mowbray, teams would sit in and we'd struggle. We do it to other teams though, we've sat in multiple times at home when we've been 1-0 up and not conceded. It's hard to break teams down when they defend deep, there's few teams in the Championship that have the players of sufficient quality to overcome it.

I have no idea of the personnel he used at Malmo, but with the signing of Sorba it suggests he prefers wingers to 'wide forwards'. So maybe in the summer he'll recruit wide players who can beat a man and create chances, and strikers who can stick the chances away? I think that's what we lack.

We're one-dimensional. I think we're good on the break, and have he pacey front men to make it work, but beyond that, when the onus is on us to create, we struggle. That said, I think we're better at it now than before Christmas. 

 

[rigger]

43 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

Nah not for me. Not in the system we are playing. We just a centre mid who can pass and control the game and at the same time not be such a pushover in the middle.

In my opinion we need to be playing three midfielders in midfield. Not two and two wide players. I would play, 3 central defenders, 3 central midfielders, 2 wing-backs, two central forwards.  Just my opinion.

Edited April 2, 2023 by rigger

[tomphil]

These consistently poor away results and lacklustre performances in the league along with the poor Morton and JDT's 'sorry for the fans' rhetoric is getting a bit nauseating now.

If they turn in performances he needn't feel sorry but seems like we only do it in the cup !

Big big reaction needed at the weekend.

Edited April 2, 2023 by tomphil

[Crozzy]

17 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Yep, a look over to Deepdale and you would see the type of midfielder we need.  Not this little scraggy shite scouser.

Your pal had a good game for them yesterday

[jim mk2]

edit- wrong thread

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by jim mk2

[Crozzy]

17 hours ago, Hasta said:

It’s not down to luck.

It’s bizzare, contrast that with Dack who just seems to read where the ball will fall and always gets himself in the right positions for chances