v Watford (h) 23/12/23

[roversfan99]

I personally wouldnt agree that the fans around me anyway were overly protective of Mowbray and comparatively harsh towards Tomasson, more the opposite. So maybe it depends on location.

[Sweaty Gussets]

16 minutes ago, booth said:

Interesting to see people saying Ennis was well off it. Obviously he's not fully match fit but I thought we suffered when he went off.

Opinions and all that, but I just thought Watford were more at it 2nd half. They closed us down a lot more aggressively from the start of the half. I don't think Ennis lumbering around slowly up front had much of an impact on the game in either half. 

[Gav]

Why was our 2nd goal ruled out? Looked fine to me in real time?

Happy for Wharton, who was exceptional at times yesterday, great strike from a tight angle apparently and no I didn’t miss it and no I was wasn’t walking up the steps as the ball hit the back of the net 🤥

[Mattyblue]

3 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I personally wouldnt agree that the fans around me anyway were overly protective of Mowbray and comparatively harsh towards Tomasson, more the opposite. So maybe it depends on location.

Really? You think the fans at Ewood were in any way critical of TM over five years of plodding?

 

[joey_big_nose]

22 minutes ago, booth said:

Interesting to see people saying Ennis was well off it. Obviously he's not fully match fit but I thought we suffered when he went off.

Yeah agreed. Quite looking forward to seeing how he links up with Szmodics. Reckon they could compliment each other quite well.

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Really? You think the fans at Ewood were in any way critical of TM over five years of plodding?

 

There was certainly a lot of frustration and annoyance in the second half of that last season and also at a point during the season prior to covid. He was also lucky that his worst season here was behind closed doors.

I have never sensed at all anything that suggests that people around me are in any way pining for Mowbray back or are dissatisfied with Tomasson. 

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

Or perhaps, he isn't that good a manager at our present level.

rubbish. JDT is the best manager we had since Hughes. His style of football is a joy to watch and the players clearly enjoyed working under him. Maybe listen to Sigurdsson's interview after he signed a new contract last week to understand the players enjoyed it so much under him? 

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

Mate, Leo couldn't walk back from the brew machine without spilling it.

rubbish. He made a couple of good saves and caught the ball several times yesterday. I don't blame him for yesterday cos if we scored the 2nd goal like we did but bizarrely the ref gave a foul on keeper for no reason then we would have won the game that we dominated the vast majority of 

Edited December 24, 2023 by chaddyrovers

[LDRover]

2 hours ago, Rogerb said:

Bloody Chorley are exploiting well and up to third.

With Paul Caddis's Hereford just behind them

[Riverside under the drip]

9 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

rubbish. JDT is the best manager we had since Hughes. His style of football is a joy to watch

As ever, a joy to watch is a subjective opinion. I would argue that the lack of atmosphere is directly linked to the lack of goal-mouth action throughout the majority of the game which means we don't ever finish teams off as we simply don't create enough chances to do it. I don't find it particularly joyful to watch endless slick passing that never results in shots on goal no matter the coaching required or how much the players enjoy doing it.

My personal opinion is that JDT is a good manager who could get an already decent side to improve but who is finding it tough to get effective play from our bag of youngsters and freebies. To borrow from that phrase, he needs some spare silk to make a purse but we still just have a sow's ear. The likes of Millwall recently, Luton last year and Hull this find ways to win regardless of their budget or ability.

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Easy to criticise Benson, but whilst it may seem ‘trendy’ to punch these days, it’s regularly costing us points, so someone needs to coach this kid to actually catch a bloody ball. It’s not like he isn’t tall so can’t leap with both arms. 

Our lack of quality between the sticks is galling.

he did the ball several times yesterday actually

1 hour ago, rigger said:

And still not a killer instinct between the lot of them.

isn't Szmodics top scorer in the league? 

Hedges, JRC, Brittain, Pickering and Dolan all add quality to our team and improve our team

1 hour ago, CambridgeRover said:

I think people would be surprised by the number of fans in the ground who want JDT gone. Had a debate with one guy who wanted him sacked in the morning. 

Delusional imo. But crazy how some people close their eyes at the real problem. 

totally delusional these people blaming JDT. To be honest, He is doing a brilliant job and the players are enjoying working under him plus we have a clear identity and playing well

1 hour ago, Bethnal said:

You could just as easily look to the fans that do leave when we go behind and wonder if that affects mentality for the players on the pitch.

Average age of the 11 on the pitch when we conceded the two goals is 22.9 years old. The 23-year-olds that work for me tend to need a helping hand and a bit of encouragement when things aren’t going well, not being stormed out on and written off as not being good enough.

Different strokes, I suppose.

You make a fair point to be honest that fans walking out when we conceded late when actually they need some backing and encouragement at these times. Yes its a young squad that needs the fans in these difficult moments. Fans go early as the norm at Ewood Park whether we are winning, drawing or losing 

[chaddyrovers]

6 minutes ago, Riverside under the drip said:

As ever, a joy to watch is a subjective opinion. I would argue that the lack of atmosphere is directly linked to the lack of goal-mouth action throughout the majority of the game which means we don't ever finish teams off as we simply don't create enough chances to do it. I don't find it particularly joyful to watch endless slick passing that never results in shots on goal no matter the coaching required or how much the players enjoy doing it.

Plenty of goal mouth action yesterday - Wharton's goal, Sigurdsson first half shot, Wharton second half shot and Carter shot with the follow up, Garrett effort that should have scored then his free kick effort plus Sigurdsson goal that should have stood. 

I enjoyed out style of play and if people don't then fine but just look at the quality of the passing and movement in the first half when Sigurdsson should have scored with his shot the keeper saved, do you not agree that was quality piece of play by Rovers? 

6 minutes ago, Riverside under the drip said:

My personal opinion is that JDT is a good manager who could get an already decent side to improve but who is finding it tough to get effective play from our bag of youngsters and freebies. To borrow from that phrase, he needs some spare silk to make a purse but we still just have a sow's ear. The likes of Millwall recently, Luton last year and Hull this find ways to win regardless of their budget or ability.

I think JDT is a quality manager and some people will only realise then when he moved on. 

[roverblue]

51 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

The amount of anti Tomasson feeling at Ewood isn’t surprising when you consider how many games we’ve lost. Most fans don’t travel away and the home form has been poor - fans are fed up seeing defeat after defeat.

There’s a middle ground. Just as fans calling  for him to go is over the top so is the love in with Tomasson on here. The reality is he’s a good manager doing a good job in difficult circumstances but is not quite the second coming some fans believe him to be. 

Been saying the same thing for a few weeks with the usual suspects refusing to accept any criticism of the guy.

he’s an ok manager who now has lost more games at home by Xmas then Owen Coyle did the season we went down.

He has gotta learn but seems more interested in the vanity project of purist football than getting points on the board.

All it would have taken for 3 points yesterday was to go defensive and close out the game for the last ten minutes but instead we kept going for more, leaving gaping holes for the additional attackers Watford threw on.
 

[chaddyrovers]

4 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Been saying the same thing for a few weeks with the usual suspects refusing to accept any criticism of the guy.

he’s an ok manager who now has lost more games at home by Xmas then Owen Coyle did the season we went down.

He has gotta learn but seems more interested in the vanity project of purist football than getting points on the board.

All it would have taken for 3 points yesterday was to go defensive and close out the game for the last ten minutes but instead we kept going for more, leaving gaping holes for the additional attackers Watford threw on.
 

would you have brought on Gamble for Moran for example to see the game out or Weston for Wharton? 

[rigger]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Of course he is. Look at that bench, should this squad be doing better?

Not the way they are playing at the moment.

[Mike Graham]

2 hours ago, NeilInBristol said:

Are you suggesting we can't buy any players in January without raising money in the club?

Yes. The owners are not allowed to put any other monies into the Club whilst under investigation.  Presently they can only put money into the Club for statutory payments and wages if interim relief is agreed by the High Court; the next application to the Delhi High Court is in January.

[Mike Graham]

1 hour ago, Parsonblue said:

Another frustrating afternoon at Ewood.  I love the football we play but, ultimately, the only way fans will return on a regular basis is with winning games.  Seven home defeats in the first half of the season is a difficult sell to fans - no matter how cheap the tickets.  At the end of the day those who aren't die-hards, want to see winning football - not unique to Rovers, it's the same at every club.

Personally, I think we've been fortunate with the previous manager and the present one.  Mowbray did a good job steadying a club that look beyond hope and JDT has built on that and produced some superb football over the last eighteen months.

Recent results have simply highlighted the threadbare nature of our squad.  It's all very well relying on an Academy to produce players but it's unrealistic to expect the Academy to produce three or four players every year who are up to the required standard.  Looking the bench in the past three or four games shows just how unrealistic that aim is.

We are crying out for some experienced, older heads, to help the younger players and in particular to help see out games when we are in a winning position.  A couple of 29 or 30 year-olds who've been around the block would make all the difference to this squad. 

Until we get the right mix of youth and experience I think we will continue to struggle for consistency.  Young players are still learning and will make mistakes - Leo being a good example yesterday.  He made some excellent saves but, ultimately, two errors late in the game cost us.

With little or no money available in January it's difficult to see how things change.  At the moment we are a decent mid-table Championship team but no more than that.  Financially, we are falling further and further behind from the club's who have realistic chances of a top six finish.

Nonetheless, congratulations to all concerned in helping to get the crowd figure up yesterday.  It was a great effort.

Spot on.

[roverblue]

8 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

would you have brought on Gamble for Moran for example to see the game out or Weston for Wharton? 

Yep. Or ask the existing team to sit in and stop committing forward as much. It’s basic football management.

[NeilInBristol]

31 minutes ago, Mike Graham said:

Yes. The owners are not allowed to put any other monies into the Club whilst under investigation.  Presently they can only put money into the Club for statutory payments and wages if interim relief is agreed by the High Court; the next application to the Delhi High Court is in January.

Thanks. So with this context.. we won't be spending any money in Jan?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, Riverside under the drip said:

As much as our 'brand' of football could be entertaining, with our current squad it is just plain boring for long sections of the game. Once or twice a game, our quick passing tears teams apart. Mostly, we flick it off our ankles onto a defender's shin. A handful of normal corners have resulted in genuine chances and goals yet we persist in losing the ball easily from short passing most of the time. WHY?!

With 10 seconds left, we were still passing it around defence. This isn't good football without a better class of player who can pass more effectively. Can we afford them? No.

10/10

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

3 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Don't blame anyone. When we go behind at Ewood you might aswell go home.

Since we have been back in the ground after Covid, Rovers have gone behind 21 times at Ewood.

We have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 18 of those 21 games.

1 point from losing positions in the last 16 games we have gone behind in at Ewood.

A pathetic mentality around the club.

Jesus christ,didn't realize it was that bad!!😵

[Exiled in Toronto Mk2]

2 hours ago, Gav said:

You're describing a mid table championship keeper to me booth?

I was at the game so haven't seen the highlights, but the keeper was exposed time and time again in 2nd half because we were knackered and Watford brought of 4 pairs of fresh legs, we were lucky it was only 2-1 in the end.

Case in point being the first goal: 5 players got sucked in toward the ball over by the away dug out, they were all within feet of the ball and the middle was empty when Watford wriggled the ball out - mental tiredness. Panic stations, no-one to close down the shooter...

The sevond was all Leo though.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 hours ago, Riverside under the drip said:

As ever, a joy to watch is a subjective opinion. I would argue that the lack of atmosphere is directly linked to the lack of goal-mouth action throughout the majority of the game which means we don't ever finish teams off as we simply don't create enough chances to do it. I don't find it particularly joyful to watch endless slick passing that never results in shots on goal no matter the coaching required or how much the players enjoy doing it.

My personal opinion is that JDT is a good manager who could get an already decent side to improve but who is finding it tough to get effective play from our bag of youngsters and freebies. To borrow from that phrase, he needs some spare silk to make a purse but we still just have a sow's ear. The likes of Millwall recently, Luton last year and Hull this find ways to win regardless of their budget or ability.

I’m with you on the “ excitement quotient “ on display yesterday. I find our lack of a cutting edge extremely frustrating to watch. The short passing around the edge of the box that inevitably breaks down when a defender just has to get a foot in gets old pretty quickly. The constantly playing in front of teams and rarely pulling them out of shape is hard to watch. Plus I find the fact that once we go behind the ref could blow up for full time right away is soul destroying.

I wonder if I ever would have become a fan if this was what football was like when I first started watching years ago. I also wonder how many “ stay  aways “ will have been enthused enough to come back for more after yesterday. Not many I suspect. Nothing I saw yesterday made me think “ Let’s try and get a ticket for the Huddersfield game “.

Win your home games and attendances will rise. Lose most of them and attendances will fall. It doesn’t really matter what you do away from home. That’s how football works I’m afraid.

Edited December 24, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[martonrover]

3 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Don't blame anyone. When we go behind at Ewood you might aswell go home.

Since we have been back in the ground after Covid, Rovers have gone behind 21 times at Ewood.

We have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 18 of those 21 games.

1 point from losing positions in the last 16 games we have gone behind in at Ewood.

A pathetic mentality around the club.

There’s a spare seat between myself and another season ticket holder.

It’s usually empty, but yesterday a guy sat there who admitted to only really having a passing interest these days.

He was fully engaged in the game and didn’t have unrealistic expectations.

To get him, (and other folk who don’t usually attend), to return anytime soon, we could really have done to hold on for the win, or at least a draw.

It was great to look across to the Riverside and see it well populated for a change.

Fair play to all the people who helped set up the day off the pitch.

As for the current state of play, I really fear for us in the next couple of games.

I think this is the most lightweight squad, physically and mentally, that I’ve ever seen at Rovers, and a dodgy keeper just adds to the problems.

Hopefully, the flat track bullies will ride again soon, but this could get pretty grim.

[jim mk2]

1 hour ago, roverblue said:

Been saying the same thing for a few weeks with the usual suspects refusing to accept any criticism of the guy.

he’s an ok manager who now has lost more games at home by Xmas then Owen Coyle did the season we went down.

He has gotta learn but seems more interested in the vanity project of purist football than getting points on the board.

All it would have taken for 3 points yesterday was to go defensive and close out the game for the last ten minutes but instead we kept going for more, leaving gaping holes for the additional attackers Watford threw on.
 

 

Tomasson's still got it all to prove, flexibility and more pragmatism on tactics, knuckling down when it gets tough, closing out matches. Knowing how to win when not playing well. It's not all about the beautiful game, the stuff you can't buy and is not the fault of the owners

Edited December 24, 2023 by jim mk2

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, martonrover said:

There’s a spare seat between myself and another season ticket holder.

It’s usually empty, but yesterday a guy sat there who admitted to only really having a passing interest these days.

He was fully engaged in the game and didn’t have unrealistic expectations.

To get him, (and other folk who don’t usually attend), to return anytime soon, we could really have done to hold on for the win, or at least a draw.

It was great to look across to the Riverside and see it well populated for a change.

Fair play to all the people who helped set up the day off the pitch.

As for the current state of play, I really fear for us in the next couple of games.

I think this is the most lightweight squad, physically and mentally, that I’ve ever seen at Rovers, and a dodgy keeper just adds to the problems.

Hopefully, the flat track bullies will ride again soon, but this could get pretty grim.

I agree, as I said the other day - the football teams will out football us and the ale house teams will out fight us. I’d take where we are now as a finishing position if we can’t seriously strengthen the team in January. When did we last sign a player that immediately impacted on our fortunes in a positive way ?