v Swansea (h) - 28/10/23

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, harryhealless1928 said:

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.

 

 

I can't imagine many of them will play against Chelsea. They looked tired today.

[Sweaty Gussets]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

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. 

Good post, with the exception of the Leonard bit. JDT is on record as saying they worked on Leonard all last season to polish him up. Bit harsh to say he didn't play him last season cos he can't finish. He wasn't really ready last season. He ;s only a kid. 

If he can find his shooting boots we will have a really good striker. I wouldn't write him off yet. Again, he'd just a kid. 

[roverblue]

Worst performance of the season for me, looked poor in all areas of the pitch and had a lack of ideas. Couldn’t pick out anyone worthy of a mention the whole lot played below standards 

[joey_big_nose]

3 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Worst performance of the season for me, looked poor in all areas of the pitch and had a lack of ideas. Couldn’t pick out anyone worthy of a mention the whole lot played below standards 

I agree with the one exception of Leonard who I think did very well. Could start soon I think.

[K-Hod]

Our set pieces are as bad as I can ever remember them being. We seemingly never put crosses in, either. The amount of times we get into good positions and go for a short pass. So frustrating.

(The not crossing it thing precedes JDT though, in his defence).

[chaddyrovers]

Not the result we all wanted today but we created more enough chances to score at least 2 goals today. Should have been 1 nil after 50 seconds. Then 2 other opportunities first half to score. Cullen for Swansea scored a good goal. Looks decent, supposedly someone we looked at signing in the summer. 

I was surprised that Wharton and either Ennis or Leonard didn't come on at half time. Also surprised that Markanday came on. I would have triple change at half time with Wharton, Moran and Ennis on for Sigurdsson, JRC and Brittain. 

Leonard's movement is very good and he should have scored both chances he had. Szmodics also had a great chance. 

We were sloppy today. We got 6 points from 3 games this week which is good return on those 3 games. 

Time to look forward to Chelsea and Norwich this coming week now. 

[chaddyrovers]

Also people have commented why didn't he bring on Ennis or Telalovic in the second but who were you going to take off when Leonard, Markanday and Moran have come on?

[Aqualung]

7 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

Our set pieces are as bad as I can ever remember them being. We seemingly never put crosses in, either. The amount of times we get into good positions and go for a short pass. So frustrating.

(The not crossing it thing precedes JDT though, in his defence).

Apart from Carter and Wharton (tonight) we are a bunch of hobbit. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, Aqualung said:

Apart from Carter and Wharton (tonight) we are a bunch of hobbit. 

JDT and the seven dwarves ?

[harryhealless1928]

Yes the lack of height cuts down the options. Not like a German team is it?

More like Barca(size -wise at least)

 

[arbitro]

The old adage of scoring when you are on top is really applicable today after we missed some glorious chances early on as we played some of our best football of the season. I'm convinced if we had scored first we would have won. But we didn't and Swansea grew into the game and took the game to us, had two goals disallowed and scored. It was during this period that confidence seemed to evaporate from some of our players. We were ponderous in possession, took too many touches, passed the ball poorly and generally were second best with too many passengers. In the first half I thought Swansea were better tactically than us as they passed out from the back with a spare man who we simply didn't press. The changes at half time made us better and we got on the front foot but still there were several elementary mistakes from a few players. We penned them in for much of the second half but I still felt Swansea were a real danger on the break with lots of pace in forward positions. We still contrived to miss a few easy chances and the game out me in mind of several this season when missed chances have cost us. Hopefully we can put today behind us and get a result at Norwich next Sunday

[Miller11]

12 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Also people have commented why didn't he bring on Ennis or Telalovic in the second but who were you going to take off when Leonard, Markanday and Moran have come on?

Szmodics. He was dreadful today.

[lraC]

5 minutes ago, arbitro said:

The old adage of scoring when you are on top is really applicable today after we missed some glorious chances early on as we played some of our best football of the season. I'm convinced if we had scored first we would have won. But we didn't and Swansea grew into the game and took the game to us, had two goals disallowed and scored. It was during this period that confidence seemed to evaporate from some of our players. We were ponderous in possession, took too many touches, passed the ball poorly and generally were second best with too many passengers. In the first half I thought Swansea were better tactically than us as they passed out from the back with a spare man who we simply didn't press. The changes at half time made us better and we got on the front foot but still there were several elementary mistakes from a few players. We penned them in for much of the second half but I still felt Swansea were a real danger on the break with lots of pace in forward positions. We still contrived to miss a few easy chances and the game out me in mind of several this season when missed chances have cost us. Hopefully we can put today behind us and get a result at Norwich next Sunday

Put that early Brittain chance away and it was a different game. We have started like that about 3 times now. 

[roversfan99]

6 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Szmodics. He was dreadful today.

Indeed.

But that misses the point anyway. The sub par Markanday, the neat and tidy but unthreatening Moran and a half fit Leonard were all chosen before the 2 new strikers when you need a goal. That says it all.

[simongarnerisgod]

stinking performance,only two who come out with any credit are tronstadt and hill,made worse by the fact we win three on the bounce including two away and lose at home to a nothing side

[roversfan99]

Sadly solely due to the owners, we are a nothing side. Teams wont look at any of our attacking players and fear them.

[M_B]

It's like playing with 10 men with Siggurdson in the team at the moment. 

[Aqualung]

5 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

stinking performance,only two who come out with any credit are tronstadt and hill,made worse by the fact we win three on the bounce including two away and lose at home to a nothing side

Tbh... I thought Swansea were decent. They did what Cardiff tried to do but were a lot better at it tactics wise. 

We looked tired all over the pitch. But I agree with you on Tronstad and Hill. Although it took until the second half for Hill to up his game. 

Problems for the Norwich game now.... Probably no Hyam and Carter suspended. That leaves Scott at centre back with Hill moved there probably. Just hope Brittains injury isn't to bad. 

[Aqualung]

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Sadly solely due to the owners, we are a nothing side. Teams wont look at any of our attacking players and fear them.

All our attackers were on the bench or Injured. We need to have at least one starting games now as its too much for Dolan to cope with. 

Whilst Leonard is a fine prospect I'd put Ennis in and see what he can or cannot do. Otherwise why have him here.? 

[Andy]

On 25/10/2023 at 20:08, Andy said:

It's one we should win, to make it 5 consecutive wins - and would surely push us back into the top 6.

However, in true Rovers fashion, I think this will be a banana skin and will give us a bit of a reality check.

Hope I'm wrong.

Unfortunately today was very predictable for Rovers. Could see it coming a mile off, even after our recent wins.
It's like when a striker hasn't scored for 750 games / next game Rovers / guaranteed a goal.

Do agree with Leonard's general movement and 'strikers instinct' being a plus though.
He and A.Wharton need to be given a run of games together.

[ABBEY]

.

Edited October 28, 2023 by ABBEY

[Herbie6590]

376 Bolton Road 

[chaddyrovers]

53 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Szmodics. He was dreadful today.

I thought he was ok today, not near his best tho

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

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.

How did you guess…

“We made it easy for Swansea to get momentum and were sloppy on the ball. Those things happen when you concede a goal, especially with a young team.

[Torgeir]

42 minutes ago, M_B said:

It's like playing with 10 men with Siggurdson in the team at the moment. 

I agree. Plays for himself more than the team and is struggling to settle in to the way we play. He'll come good, just needs more time. With Smods and him having an off day at the same time, we don't have enough goalscorers in the team.

Lineup was probably due for a shakeup today, but noone deserved to be dropped after three wins in a row.