v Sunderland (h) - 20/9/23 - 19:45

[cesus]

We have been atrocious when they have been moving with the ball.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Can't believe we are 2-1 down to a TM team.

[JohnD]

Wharton making Bellingham look like Jude

[DE.]

Just now, BankEnd Rover said:

We’ve defended well! It’s our midfield who keep giving the ball away.

We've conceded two (again). They've had two on target and scored both. Doesn't really matter if we defend well generally but continue to give away goals. 

[joey_big_nose]

Generally weve played so well, can't believe we're behind. 

Wharton though has an absolute stinker. With him and Travis both on yellows we need to change something there.

[JohnD]

Wharton and Moran off for JRC and Garrett 

[1864roverite]

Missed chances will haunt us all season

[TugaysMarlboro]

Wharton's been poor the majority of this half. Both him and Trav go sliding in or to the ground too often for my liking and get bypassed. 

Edited September 20, 2023 by TugaysMarlboro

[Bethnal]

Managed to negotiate with the Virgin Atlantic WiFi to let me watch this one (so far!).

Standard of play on our side has been very high. As I’m writing this, Sunderland have nicked their second, but it’s a robbery. They’ve looked totally unable to keep up with the attacking play. Heroics from their centre back have halted an early-stage demolishing.

Results matter - at the end of the season, they’re the only thing that matters - but this game is the best example of how far we’ve come on the football front since Mowbray. We should be ahead, undoubtedly and we may yet lose this game, but the standard of play is so much higher, compared with the five years he was here.

Leonard is a season away from being the type of player that has premier league clubs tapping him up, his goal was hard work and he was unlucky not to have another earlier.

I’ll watch season after season of application such as this and it really won’t take too long for everything to click. 

[ItsRoverZ]

Wharton off please, unreal we have our player of the season last year JRC on the bench,  hook Wharton for JRC

[SamTheShrew]

Poor last 5 minutes there, very sloppy, especially Wharton. Saw that coming sadly. Should have been about 3 up. All went to sleep 

wouldn’t be surprised to see Wharton pulled at half time now he’s on yellow.

[yankfan]

The first 35 min was about as dominate performance as you’ll see…just can’t put the ball in the net. 
 

The last 10 were full of poor passes and giveaways from Wharton and Trav. Wharton in particular played poorly the last 10. Hedges has been typical hedges. Gets the ball in good positions but makes the wrong decision most of the time and buggers it up when he does make the right choice. Squad player. 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

I'd have Garrett and JRC in middle second half and sub Wharton/Travis.  Sunderland midfield bossing it.  

[yankfan]

2 minutes ago, DE. said:

We've conceded two (again). They've had two on target and scored both. Doesn't really matter if we defend well generally but continue to give away goals. 

To be fair one was a pk from a winger lazily clearing the ball and the second was poor defending. It’s the turnovers as we go forward that have been the problem 

[pick32]

Don’t know how we are losing when should of been 3-0 up again, Wharton losing the ball and you can see players reluctant to give it him, get JRC on in midfield 

[Ossydave]

Not ideal having your 2 midfielders in yellows is it. Wharton needs hooking for JRC I think. Possibly even Trav for Garrett too. Mowbray will have them diving all over the place looking for a red now 

[Cherry Blue]

Heads are down. We could have been three up but some bad player decisions have cost up. We looked all over the place so we need a response quick.

[ItsRoverZ]

1 minute ago, Bethnal said:

Managed to negotiate with the Virgin Atlantic WiFi to let me watch this one (so far!).

Standard of play on our side has been very high. As I’m writing this, Sunderland have nicked their second, but it’s a robbery. They’ve looked totally unable to keep up with the attacking play. Heroics from their centre back have halted an early-stage demolishing.

Results matter - at the end of the season, they’re the only thing that matters - but this game is the best example of how far we’ve come on the football front since Mowbray. We should be ahead, undoubtedly and we may yet lose this game, but the standard of play is so much higher, compared with the five years he was here.

Leonard is a season away from being the type of player that has premier league clubs tapping him up, his goal was hard work and he was unlucky not to have another earlier.

I’ll watch season after season of application such as this and it really won’t take too long for everything to click. 

Yes but we have fucked off JDT to much, you may say you will watch season after season of application of this, but JDT won't be here by the end of this season and we could go right back to square one.

Not bringing in a striker (an experienced one) will cost us dearly this season, we can play amazing football and create so many chances but if we can't finish them what's the point 

[BankEnd Rover]

3 minutes ago, JohnD said:

Wharton and Moran off for JRC and Garrett 

Moran off?! Are you mad??

[AllRoverAsia]

Travis and Wharton are both awful, both booked and both red cards waiting to happen. I have lost count of the number of bad passes and lost possession those 2 have caused.

Feck we have a paper thin squad meaning they stay on.

Moran disappeared after a bright start.

And we are still incapable of putting chances away, that our good early play deserved.

Leonard took his header well, I hope Dolan was paying attention, from a great cross.

It has been a long time since we had a keeper able to deal with low shots from distance.

Edited September 20, 2023 by AllRoverAsia

[rovers11]

Excellent going forward, but the shape of the team defensively is awful. It's literally all out attack from minute one. Yes, it's exciting, but I don't see it being the way we're gonna win more than we lose. We don't have good enough finishers to play this way. 

I'm not sure I like this style or not, although undoubtedly exciting to watch. 

[CambridgeRover]

Travis is often missing in defense

[DE.]

1 minute ago, yankfan said:

To be fair one was a pk from a winger lazily clearing the ball and the second was poor defending. It’s the turnovers as we go forward that have been the problem 

So far we've conceded two or more against Walsall, Rotherham, Hull, Plymouth and now Sunderland. JDT has to find a way to make us better defensively - whether it's midfield or defence, something needs to be tweaked. Even with better strikers a solid defence is really important. We aren't going to score as many as we'd like this season because we don't have any real quality up top, so it's imperative to focus on keeping the ball out of our net. Especially as we struggle so badly with getting any kind of result if we concede first.

[JohnD]

3 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Moran off?! Are you mad??

Clearly not if you disagree

[smiller14]

1 minute ago, JohnD said:

Clearly not if you disagree

Moran been one of our better players imo. Although like some others he faded as half wore on, although not as dramatically as Hedges.