v Rotherham (a) - 12/08/2023

[Miller11]

24 minutes ago, philipl said:

Daft as It may seem, I would be reasonably OK with playing reasonably similarly to last season provided we convert our chances and cut out the brain dead defending which gifted them their chances and goals.

Anyone looking at the overall match stats without knowing the score would never guess the home side had won 4-0.

What I am hoping for is some real devilment in Rovers play to go with the improvement in moving the ball around at pace. 

Stoke showed how it needs to be done against Rotherham on Saturday but even they gifted the Millers a goal.

 

 

That’s completely daft Philip. Our display against them at their place last season was disgraceful and embarrassing. I’m guessing the stats show we had lots of possession, which was 90% centre backs playing one-two’s. We didn’t put a tackle in all afternoon and were completely hopeless in the final third.

I’ll be furious if we ever turn in a performance reasonably similar to that one ever again.

[philipl]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11747/12785672/rotherham-4-0-blackburn-hakeem-odoffin-oliver-rathbone-shane-ferguson-and-conor-washington-upset-high-flying-rovers#:~:text=Rotherham scored three goals from,the edge of the box.

Rotherham.    /      Rovers

         Total Shots

8	89	9
Shots on target
4	43	3
Blocked shots
2	23	3
Shots outside the box
5	54	4
Shots inside the box
3	35	5
Shooting accuracy
50.0%	50.0%33.3%	33.3%

Possession
22.8%	22.8%77.2%	77.2%
Duels success rate
46.3%	46.3%53.8%	53.8%
Aerial duels won
37.8%	37.8%62.2%	62.2%

[Miller11]

All that shows is that relying completely on stats leads to delusion. They deservedly hammered us that day. We were shite.

[Danny O.Brien]

Hopefully alot of the players will still be hurting from the result there last season and will want to prove a point. In this league you can't tell how a game is going to turn out but I'm hopeful we will be more consistent this season. If we want to be competing at the top we need to steamroll teams like this. But given last season I'll take a win.

[philipl]

5 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

All that shows is that relying completely on stats leads to delusion. They deservedly hammered us that day. We were shite.

I will take 77% possession again on Saturday now if you are offering...

We are using it much better now.

 

[ben_the_beast]

Every game is important but this feels even more so.

The week we've just had really lifted the dark cloud which had descending onto the club over the last month. We have a tough run of games after the international break. A win here would keep the positive momentum going and give us some breathing space to bed any new signings in. 

We surely have some cash in the bank too and though it's very early doors in the season, a positive start can help to make us that bit more appealing. Especially when looking at loan signings. 

[Colt Seavers]

I wonder if this can be streamed on Rovers TV?

I may have to Visit Phong Nha or some such far flung land.

 

[OsloRover]

20 minutes ago, Colt Seavers said:

I wonder if this can be streamed on Rovers TV?

I may have to Visit Phong Nha or some such far flung land.

 

Can never be completely sure, but as far as I can tell it should be on Rovers TV. The game is not selected for pay TV broadcast.

[chaddyrovers]

              Pears

JRC   Carter   Hyam   Pickering

    Travis Tronstad Szmodics 

Hedges   Leonard   Dolan

Subs: Wahlstedt/Hilton, Brittain, Wharton, Wharton, Garrett, Buckley, Ennis, Glisenan, Markanday. 

Rovers to win 2 nil. Leonard and Szmodics with the goals  

[CambridgeRover]

                   Pears

Brittain   Carter   Hyam   Pickering

        Travis       Tronstad 

             Szmodics 

Hedges   Leonard   Glisenan


 

[joey_big_nose]

Great game to see how we compare to last year. I imagine same side as against WBA,. with Ennis and Hedges coming on around the hour mark.

One advantage we have this season is in Ennis and Leonard it looks like we have some strikers who we can play it up to centrally and they can make it work in a congested penalty box when the opposition is sitting deep. Against the Rotherham and Lutons  of the world you really need that.

[sharpysharps86]

Expecting the same starting 11 as WBA. We simply have to do better there than last season and take something from the game. Really, we should be winning this but based on what happened there last season I'd take a draw. We have a naff record at Rotherham in recent years.

[Nic81]

I’d give Zak and Brittain a go from the team against WBA. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Nic81

[47er]

We were bullied by teams like this last season. Hope we can stand tall this season and give it back. Can't rely on skill alone.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

We gave them a goal start in their first attack. After that it was downhill all the way. We felt sorry for ourselves instead of getting stuck back in. JDT’s biggest task will be getting rid of the “ loser “ mentality that pervades Ewood Park. I think he’s made a start but there’s a long way to go.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Andy]

2 hours ago, Nic81 said:

I’d give Zak and Brittain a go from the team against WBA. 

Whilst there’s a risk involved (throwing a kid in), I really like the idea of the element of surprise.

I don’t want to keep digging Dolan out, but he’s been consistently poor for a while now (presses well, but little end product). Suspect teams sussed him out some time ago.

Gilsenan has given a couple of good recent showings in friendlies and the cup; give him a shot.

[philipl]

After Girona and WBA, will JDT keep his starting 11 unchanged for a third week and a distinctly different opposition?

He has more  serious alternatives available than previously but only Ennis offers the physicality that is likely to be needed but is he really ready yet?

[Exiled_Rover]

16 hours ago, Miller11 said:

All that shows is that relying completely on stats leads to delusion. They deservedly hammered us that day. We were shite.

Agree to disagree - it was a freak result. They scored 3 goal that they'll never score again (Kaminski throwing the ball into the back of his net and the two long-range strikes from mediocre players that were very much swing and hope).

[RoversTilliDie]

On 08/08/2023 at 09:03, MarkBRFC said:

1 win in 7 there since they moved to there "new ground".

I think we might see a similar pattern to last season with games like this not being for us, think Reading, Cardiff, Wigan, Coventry, Rotherham etc.

Rotherham 1 Rovers 0

I have faith in this team, showed some neat touches against Girona and w.b.a, Rotherham 0 Rovers 3.

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Agree to disagree - it was a freak result. They scored 3 goal that they'll never score again (Kaminski throwing the ball into the back of his net and the two long-range strikes from mediocre players that were very much swing and hope).

You got the Kaminski FU correct and that's all.

[lraC]

18 hours ago, Colt Seavers said:

I wonder if this can be streamed on Rovers TV?

I may have to Visit Phong Nha or some such far flung land.

 

I think the App is now showing the countries, each game is available in. As luck would have it, I could get it in Spain last week, but have found the need to nip off elsewhere now and then.

I have paid for 46 games, which at £140 is great value, even if I need to nip off elsewhere now and then.

Like you, I have needed to do it Very Pretty Niftily, but given that I have paid, that's fine by me.

[CoconutGrove]

A ground I’ve never seen us win at but seen us humiliated at a couple of times (last season and the one where Semi Ajayi scored a couple).

Same XI as last week (unless A. Wharton is ready for 90 minutes but I doubt it with it coming so soon after the Walsall game).

Dolan has his doubters but his pressing game is important to how we set up. If somebody else comes in, they need to make sure they harass the opposition as much as he does.

Heart says 2-0 Rovers, the ‘normal’ part of my brain says 2-0 Rovers, the negative part says 2-1 Rotherham.

[moerpho]

Great start to the season and despite wanting another win I’d be ok with a draw away from home even if it’s Rotherham.

[yankfan]

I think our goal scoring woes show up 0-0 and the need for a proven striker is obvious 

[joey_big_nose]

58 minutes ago, yankfan said:

I think our goal scoring woes show up 0-0 and the need for a proven striker is obvious 

Could be wrong, its only been two games, but think goal scoring may be less of an issue for us already. Compared to start of last season we get so many players forward now (6 to 8 into the final third every attack), and while Gallagher and BBD wanted to spend all their time fannying around near the touchlines Leonard and Ennis look keen to get in the box. We still need an established goal scoring striker, but I fancy us to score a couple on Saturday nonetheless.