v Swansea (h) - 28/10/23

[AllRoverAsia]

We were ok until Brittain missed.

Burnley and Preston both lost. I take my comfort wherever I can find it.

[AllRoverAsia]

25 minutes ago, superniko said:

2 big chances for Leonard. If I can pay him a complement, they just wouldn’t have materialised if he wasn’t on the pitch. His movement and positional sense is the best of all our forward players

Let’s get some minutes into his legs, and the goals will come. 

You make valid points, plus he actually runs and looks like a footballer.

For our sake I hope he succeeds.

Edited October 28, 2023 by AllRoverAsia

[yankfan]

Although recent results have been better we haven’t really played well in a month. To me that’s more troubling than todays result. We’ve been much more sloppy in our possession and not creating nearly as many chances as we were before. 
 

still think something is off with Siggy. Far cry for the player he was when he recovered from the groin. 

[WacoRover]

I couldn’t watch today, but I saw we had 20 shots. How many of those by Sig’s & Sammie?

[yankfan]

Just now, WacoRover said:

I couldn’t watch today, but I saw we had 20 shots. How many of those by Sig’s & Sammie?

Siggy was hooked at half. Didn’t have it today. Either he didn’t care or he’s still carrying and injury. Looked nothing like the player that scored 3 from his first 4 appearances 

[miqaayil]

simply put ...JDT was clueless ...the over reliance on sammy is putting unwanted pressure on him and ffs dolan is not muller ...he cannot pull off a false 9... i seriously don't believe semir can be any worse...this blind loyalty is screwing us. Bad performance all round 

[booth]

7 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

We were ok until Brittain missed.

Burnley and Preston both lost. I take my comfort wherever I can find it.

Heroes to zeros with their respective fans, Lowe and Kompany. And people say we're fickle!

[booth]

3 minutes ago, miqaayil said:

simply put ...JDT was clueless ...the over reliance on sammy is putting unwanted pressure on him and ffs dolan is not muller ...he cannot pull off a false 9... i seriously don't believe semir can be any worse...this blind loyalty is screwing us. Bad performance all round 

Blind loyalty? Weird take.

[BankEnd Rover]

What’s happened to Sigurdsson? Literally not brought anything to the last 3 games! 

[BlackburnEnd75]

18 minutes ago, booth said:

And this is why we needed a decent striker. On days like this they can nick a point.

As poor as we were, we created enough chances today to score at least 1 goal. 

I like Leonard, he looked sharp when he came on and his movement is very good. Should've buried one of them but he's worth sticking with imo. 

Thought Szmodics should've come off in this off for ennis. He looks to be carrying an injury to ne that's possibly a hernia.

[jim mk2]

22 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Resorting to semantics so yeah I’ll leave it there.

Creating a false argument by misquoting isn't clever

It's also normal to quote a member in a discussion - how am I to know you replied?

I'll leave it there

[jim mk2]

7 hours ago, Atko's Engine said:

I actually think other fans would look at that team & feel it's quite decent, just missing a proven goalscorer as we know.

Young highly rated international keeper, highly rated right back, one v good CB, solid LB, high quality holding midfielder with a young superstar, in-form midfielders in Brittain, Dolan & SS.

Not our strongest 11 granted, but stronger than you would have us believe.

Do you still think this Rovers team is strong after today's pathetic, ineffectual performance - and not for the first time this season? This is a poorish team with so many glaring weaknesses and today confirmed my belief we will end the season nearer the bottom of the table than the top.

 

[G Somerset Rover]

30 minutes ago, DE. said:

Yep, we haven't played well but a half decent striker and we, at the very least, get a draw out of today's game. 

Terrible performance overall though. Another home defeat. Hull, Sunderland and Swansea have all turned us over at Ewood now, which is really disappointing. Leicester I can accept, even though the scoreline was unnecessary. 

Four losses at home already and we’re not even in November. ‘Fortress Ewood’ this season it is not. 

The ‘if you can’t win, make sure you don’t lose’ philosophy means nothing at Rovers. As with last season, it’s win or bust. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Hasta]

Back to what I said a few weeks ago. Looked  like what it was for most of the game. A team full of midfielders with no focal point or incision.

[martonrover]

There’s no dressing it up, that was utterly dismal, and I think we were fortunate not to lose by more.

Realistically, the current team / squad is midtable, at best, and we will lose at least as many as we win

However, it was the lacklustre nature of the showing that really rankled.

One eye on Wednesday, perhaps? (from the players, not the coaching staff)

[OsloRover]

Terrible performance, not sure a single player can be happy with himself today. Maybe Hill and the two subs. How did Tronstad get MoM, misplaced far too many passes.

[booth]

17 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

As poor as we were, we created enough chances today to score at least 1 goal. 

I like Leonard, he looked sharp when he came on and his movement is very good. Should've buried one of them but he's worth sticking with imo. 

Thought Szmodics should've come off in this off for ennis. He looks to be carrying an injury to ne that's possibly a hernia.

Yes he looked injured, he was holding his side. We shouldn't be relying on Leonard to score goals, he's only just turned 20 but Ennis and Telalovic have looked some way off match fitness.

[tomphil]

Tactically very unastute yet again today and the lack of intensity most of the game was abysmal.

He then went for the youth and legs of Leonard instead of Ennis i presume, another poor call.

A bad day at the office and one to forget, especially the 'young inexperienced side' excuse that will no doubt be trotted out again. We are, can do and must be a lot better than that it's not defeat that hurts so much but the manor of everything today.

Positive ?   Only one actually officially conceded, the forward line failed.....again.

[dallydally]

Every time we have a real chance to progress up the League we cock it up! Oh for a striker who can take half chances never mind the gilt edge stuff squandered today. Mid table players I'm afraid!

[Miller11]

That was pretty dire. We should’ve been 2 up within 15 minutes but it didn’t take long for Swansea to figure us out and completely control the game. Once they realised they just needed to be a bit more aggressive they had us beat.

Sigurdsson with another poor game. Brittain was dire even without the glaring miss and should’ve been subbed after the third time he did the same stupid flick straight to the opposition - cowardly play. Szmodics was woeful and should not have completed the 90, his captain attributes seem to be whingeing at everyone around him. Scott Wharton started well but went to pieces, but we had bigger problems than him today.

Not sure why Dolan got subbed off. Markanday will never be effective enough. Speaks volumes about both Ennis and Telalovic that they were unused subs. Leonard bright but needs some finishing practice, Adam Wharton needs to play, Moran looked good. Hill my MOTM. Not looking forward to Chelsea half as much as I was this morning.

[Sweaty Gussets]

First 10 minutes we were good. Two poor decisions in the last 3rd cost JRC two tap-ins....Brittain taking it off his toe, and then 5 minutes later Hill delaying the cross when all he had to do was roll it across goal. JRC cut a very frustrated player and spent the first half bollocking Brittain. 

Rest of the half we were shite. Credit to Swansea, they were first to every ball and passed it well... ex-Rover Grimes was very good. 

Brittain and Siggy were rightly subbed at H/T. Siggy is having a nightmare. He couldn't even control the ball. Brittain looked every inch the full back today. 

Moran and Markanday improved us a bit, as did adding AW to the midfield. That pass to Leonard that put him through was class. 

There were a few positives:

Leonard's movement is class. He's a proper striker that plays on the shoulder of the last defender. His quality of his movement puts him through on goal but the worry is he consistently misses good chances. Then again Ennis and Gally have missed a few when clean through. 

S Wharton did well, that one slip aside. Thought he was dominant in the air and his passing was generally good. 

Hill was good defensively again. 

Dolan was better again. 

Problem is up front. Sammy was poor again, Siggy was shite, Dolan did ok but isn't a striker. 

Basically we lack quality where it counts. That can be traced back to the summer window. 

We need Gally, Leonard and Ennis to get fit and stay fit if we're going to get anywhere near the play-offs, and even then it will be a tall order.

 

 

 

 

[harryhealless1928]

Probably too many players had their minds  on the midweek match against Chelsea. The real positive (perhaps only one)is that Potter is not our manager after his abysmal showing with Chelsea.

Oh and also I really dont think there is  any way we get relegated this season.

 

 

[roversfan99]

Absolutely shocking game, deserved defeat and the highlight was being able to go home.

You look at the side we had out at the end, there is just a lack of quality and ability sadly. Probably wouldnt have scored had we played all night.

Says so much that neither of our strikers signed in the summer came on. Brittain was awful, the centre backs were bomb scares, Markanday put in as bad a sub appearance as youll see, Sigurdsson was useless again and Moran didnt improve us. Szmodics and Dolan did nothing, Leonard gets into good positions but more often than not misses good chances.

[R0verb0y]

1 hour ago, DE. said:

We've seen it under numerous managers over the past decade plus - the common denominator, Venky's. Their low standards seep through the entire club like a poison. JDT's ambition has already been undermined this season by Waggott proclaiming we're a development squad who will be happy to simply stay in the division, alongside the owners tearing apart our recruitment plans by slashing the transfer budget. Lack of true ambition from the top unfortunately leads to performances like this. 

Can't help wondering if Venky's are also involved in organising the Cricket World Cup at the moment?

Given all the complaints about ticketing arrangements, etc, it's got a horribly familiar ring. (Not from personal experience, you understand; just what I've read in the papers!😉)

[Exiled_Rover]

15 minutes ago, dallydally said:

Every time we have a real chance to progress up the League we cock it up! Oh for a striker who can take half chances never mind the gilt edge stuff squandered today. Mid table players I'm afraid!

This is the problem - I can't really fault the players or the manager, he's playing with half a deck and they're doing their best. The tactics are good, the play is good - we're creating chances, but short of JDT lacing up his boots there's not much more he can do. 

Leonard showed why JDT didn't fancy him last year - movement is good (and he's a good, if not exceptional, athlete), but good god he should have buried both those chances. 

I don't think we were awful - I think Swansea took their one chance and were lucky not to concede 3 or 4. They were well drilled though - their manager quickly worked out that we have no pace, so he quickly switched to an incredibly high line and asked his team to pressure our CB / CM / FB triangles, which led to errors.