v Birmingham City (h) - 29/11/23 - 7.45 pm

[Sweaty Gussets]

54 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Odd that anyone ‘wrote Tronstadt off’.

Started the first game of the season, looked neat and tidy even then, if a little off the pace. 

It was only last week that Leonard was written off as 'not Championship-level'.

 

 

 

[BigBar]

9 hours ago, only2garners said:

It’s perfectly allowed for you to state your opinion, just as it is for me to tell you’re wrong about Pickering.

Nah bud you are wrong. He doesn't have to be abysmal every game to be considered substandard. He'd been rinsed more times than I care to remember. Rarely scores or assists even for a left back. He's poor.

[Mattyblue]

4 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

It was only last week that Leonard was written off as 'not Championship-level'.

 

 

 

Definitely seen folk being overly-harsh on Leonard. Tough gig being a young striker in the one up top modern game, and perhaps the Vale/Hirst memories of last season clouding their judgement.

But Tronstadt? Can’t say I’ve seen much of that. Did ok, had a spell out the side, came back as the real deal. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

It was only last week that Leonard was written off as 'not Championship-level'.

 

 

 

If everybody was fit he probably wouldn’t even make our bench. So it’s a bit early to say he’s made the grade.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Sweaty Gussets]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If everybody was fit he probably wouldn’t even make our bench. So it’s a bit early to say he’s made the grade.

And very early to say he isn't good enough.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Sweaty Gussets

[roverblue]

My fingers were too frozen to type last night, enjoyed the result and see us rise up the table.

I thought performance wise we looked good for about 30mins and awful for 60mins. The parts we looked good in were fantastic and Birmingham had no answer with 3 quick goals, also should have had another 2-3 in the opening 10-15 mins.

The Dolan injury was the catalyst for the first half crumble, then in the 2nd half after we scored the third the lads heads went thinking it was over and Brum dominated the remainder of the game.

Birmingham also showed how to use a subs bench and change the game, something JDT needs to learn about. How Garrett didnt get on for the last 20mins after Saturdays showing whilst our players flagged is beyond me.

Sammy with another great performance and Carter and Hill kept the strikers quiet. We got murdered at our right back by Dembele what a player he could have been for us if Mowbray had got his way.

 

[arbitro]

Harry Leonard has started thirteen games this season, scored three goals and has two assists. He is improving before our eyes and most importantly is nineteen years old. I find it difficult to be mildly critical of him and his potential is huge. Anybody writing him off clearly doesn't understand the game.

[Torgeir]

4 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Harry Leonard has started thirteen games this season, scored three goals and has two assists. He is improving before our eyes and most importantly is nineteen years old. I find it difficult to be mildly critical of him and his potential is huge. Anybody writing him off clearly doesn't understand the game.

Has he put on muscle/weight? Looks stronger, but also heavier - mustn't become too sluggish. I was sceptical towards him but this season he's convinced me he'll become a good player at this level. 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Torgeir

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Harry Leonard has started thirteen games this season, scored three goals and has two assists. He is improving before our eyes and most importantly is nineteen years old. I find it difficult to be mildly critical of him and his potential is huge. Anybody writing him off clearly doesn't understand the game.

I don’t think anybody is “ writing him off “. As I said earlier all things being equal he would be behind Gally, Ennis and Dolan for a place in the team so pretty unlikely to be getting much game time.

With all those players probably missing on Saturday he should get a start. Let’s see how we go on.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[47er]

6 minutes ago, roverblue said:

then in the 2nd half after we scored the third the lads heads went thinking it was over and Brum dominated the remainder of the game.

 

This happens so often you've got to think tired legs and nothing on the bench. Its why we concede so many late goals as well imo. The squad is too thin.

[cesus]

2 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Harry Leonard has started thirteen games this season, scored three goals and has two assists. He is improving before our eyes and most importantly is nineteen years old. I find it difficult to be mildly critical of him and his potential is huge. Anybody writing him off clearly doesn't understand the game.

Agreed, Leonard and to a certain extent Telalovic are exactly where they need/should be. Our lack of cash and forwards shouldn't be heaped on them.

[Gamst21]

Worth the cold weather last night, did not expect 6 goals after the first half! I think Leonard will grow into a fantastic player for us. His first game against WBA I thought he bullied Kipre and Ajayi and for a 19 year old, really impressive stuff. He's looked really good every time he's come on as a sub and that pass for Sammie's goal was unbelievable. Cannot believe how well we are doing at the minute with our squad so stretched.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, 47er said:

This happens so often you've got to think tired legs and nothing on the bench. Its why we concede so many late goals as well imo. The squad is too thin.

We’d be ok if we could get the injured guys back out there. I can’t remember a time when we had so many players out for months at a time.

[47er]

4 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Harry Leonard has started thirteen games this season, scored three goals and has two assists. He is improving before our eyes and most importantly is nineteen years old. I find it difficult to be mildly critical of him and his potential is huge. Anybody writing him off clearly doesn't understand the game.

Almost every time a Rovers player has a good game or even a good spell in a game, like Leonard last night, somebody pops up to claim the board wrote him off but they knew better. Same old shit game after game.

The vast majority on here believe they can see something in Leonard to be optimistic about and are prepared to be patient.

its like there is something peculiarly negative about our fans and its bullshit.

 

[Sweaty Gussets]

4 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Definitely seen folk being overly-harsh on Leonard. Tough gig being a young striker in the one up top modern game, and perhaps the Vale/Hirst memories of last season clouding their judgement.

But Tronstadt? Can’t say I’ve seen much of that. Did ok, had a spell out the side, came back as the real deal. 

Think it was the WBA game I saw him first. He was neat and tidy, but was blowing out his arse after 60mins. JDT took him out of the team like he did with Sammie last season. Shortly after, when asked why he was out of the side, JDT said he had to pass forward more. He said exactly the same about Bucko. Tronstadt obviously learned what was required, and Bucko didn't. 

Siggy seems to be now getting the same treatment. He won't get back in until he's up to speed and can do what JDT wants. JDT has said himself he places high demands on the players. 

[Sweaty Gussets]

7 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I don’t think anybody is “ writing him off “. As I said earlier all things being equal he would be behind Gally, Ennis and Dolan for a place in the team so pretty unlikely to be getting much game time.

With all those players probably missing on Saturday he should get a start. Let’s see how we go on.

No, they are writing him off. 'Not Championship-level' is a direct quote. 

[47er]

2 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

No, they are writing him off. 'Not Championship-level' is a direct quote. 

From 1 person? And he could have been saying "not Championship level YET." That's true isn't it? He should  not be starting every game should he? He needs to be managed.

[Exiled_Rover]

33 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If everybody was fit he probably wouldn’t even make our bench. So it’s a bit early to say he’s made the grade.

He can play any of the front 4 positions - so assuming you're starting Gallagher (yuck) with Ennis on the bench, Moran, Szmodics and Sigurdsson behind - who else do we have better than Leonard? Hedges?

He'd definitely make the bench.

[roverblue]

12 minutes ago, 47er said:

This happens so often you've got to think tired legs and nothing on the bench. Its why we concede so many late goals as well imo. The squad is too thin.

Yeah I agree in some respects, but we still had a bench full last night and JDT actively chooses not to use it unless forced to. Garrett showed the impact a sub can make on Saturday yet no minutes last night when it was crying out for some fresh legs.

Hopefully when we get a load back from injury he starts to have more faith in the subs because its a weakness of ours at the moment with the drop in performance/conceding late goals.

I also think recruitment wise we need to diversify the type of players we have, its a bench full of the same players. Sometimes you just need a hammer instead of a bench full of screwdrivers!

[Groundhog]

The great thing about Leonard is that he moves around a lot, seems to have a natural instinct to make clever runs, run the channels, get the other side of his man etc - he does remind me of Rhodes as another poster pointed out. If he can build on that with strength and more nous in front of a goal then all the better. Rovers are desperate for someone to aim at, an "out ball", and once he gets up to speed with the daily grind of the Championship he'll be a real asset. 

[tomphil]

8 hours ago, Aqualung said:

We wouldn't have taken the same numbers down there.... So fair play to the 1400 brummies who made the trip and the costs involved. 

 

Irrelevant as we don't get their home crowds from that size of city.

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, Neal said:

Can't keep signing forwards Jim when we already have 2 new ones yet to prove themselves, a lad from the academy scoring goals and Gally (when fit). Sign another one and it blocks the pathway for Leanord, Telalovic and Ennis. At some point you simply have to get a tune out of what you have. Keep gambling on forwards that may or may not score goals is not a wise transfer plan and besides, 7 goals in our last 2 games would suggest scoring goals simply isn't a problem. 

 

People are too quick to write off Telalovic. I've learned my lessons on this after writing off Szmodics and JRC. I know some who had written off Tronstadt. Now all 3 would be in everyone's first 11. Our manager is proven at developing players so we should probably hold our tongues in future. 

Telalovic needs a loan and Ennis will never be more than a bit part player anyway going off his recent past at Plymouth.

We can only really accommodate one development striker and that has to be Leonard it's pointless having 2 players sat on the bench that never get used.

[BigBar]

Haven't seen many people getting on Leonard's back, the odd person criticising a player doesn't mean it's the general consensus does it? Harry is a good little player, learning the game and has a decent future ahead fingers crossed.

[Groundhog]

Was thinking on the way home last night, trying to keep my brain warm:

If/when Gallagher is back - does he walk straight into the team? Where would you play him if so? 

[Mattyblue]

14 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Irrelevant as we don't get their home crowds from that size of city.

1400 travelling fans from the second biggest city in the country, home crowds of 18k or so.

Their support can’t hold a candle to ours pro rata.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Mattyblue