John Eustace - our head coach

[47er]

2 hours ago, arbitro said:

Three goals conceded in his first three games is an important fact particularly after pretty much everyone said we need to tighten up defensively after conceding an average of nigh on two goals per game.

Agree. Tightening up at the back is the only way we'll stay up. Playing under JDT we created many chances which we couldn't take but it left us open at the back.

Not JDT's fault in that he was promised a striker in successive transfer windows and he didn't get one of any quality.

Nevertheless he stuck to his idea of how a team should play and would surely have taken us down.

Looking back I'm grateful to him for showing us what we could be and for giving us some excitement and a team to be proud of at various points, particularly Cup runs after all those barren years with Mowbray.

But right now, I'll settle for keeping our opponents out and getting a scrambled goal ourselves. In short, getting points.

At the end of the season, as always, is the time for review, about how we play and what we need.

A sale would be even better.

[M_B]

4 minutes ago, NeilInBristol said:

He shouldn't be near the team but wonder what JE thinks of him

Nothing against the lad, it was probably too soon for him, and a bad time to get thrown in. 

It's maybe a good thing going into the run in, at least fans know that Pears is the better keeper and can get fully behind him. 

[roversfan99]

13 minutes ago, M_B said:

Nothing against the lad, it was probably too soon for him, and a bad time to get thrown in. 

It's maybe a good thing going into the run in, at least fans know that Pears is the better keeper and can get fully behind him. 

Fans were fully behind Pears when he was playing ahead of Kaminski, regardless of whether many of us thought that the latter was far better.

[rigger]

9 hours ago, NeilInBristol said:

Interestingly in transfermrkt Leo is valued at over 2m pears valued at 900k

Both have similar stats on transfermarkt too

Neither as good as TK.

Wonder what JE thinks and if he would have his own ideas to replace these two this summer 

It might not be the case of replacing the two keepers we have, but of getting a proper first choice keeper, and letting the other two settle to the bench and the U21s

[rigger]

9 hours ago, arbitro said:

He was criticised for the Preston goal and to crticise Pears for the goal yesterday is doing a massive disservice to a terrifically well placed free kick. I don't believe Wahlstedt has any aspect of his play that is better than Pears. They both have weaknesses but for me Pears inspires much more confidence amongst the players and supporters.

My problem at the free-kick was the positioning and construction of the wall. Three Norwich players formed there own part of the wall with no one behind them, this mean't Pears had to stay to his left to cover the gap if the Norwich players peeled off, yet just to the left of them three Rovers defenders are marking one Norwich player.

Edited February 25 by rigger

[rigger]

2 hours ago, bigbrandjohn said:

I am not so sure you could call the Liverpool subs money men.

As a football fan it gave me enormous pleasure to see very inexperienced players lifting that trophy. Very much down to an extraordinary manager. As someone said, not many managers love their players. Klopp loves his players. 

I may be wrong but I am getting the feeling that Eustace has a deeper bond with the players than JDT did. He seemed more aloof and was more concerned about his own career path. 

What I do know is that money can’t buy a thriving and positive culture in a football club or any organization.

But it helps ( remember Jack Walker ).

[bigbrandjohn]

3 hours ago, rigger said:

But it helps ( remember Jack Walker ).

Jack was a hometown boy who made his money and gave it back to his community club. Perfect culture fit. The money of course helped 

Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle, not so much. 

Good culture at Ipswich now after a succession of Bobbins managers and owners. 

[rigger]

Jack Walker was a Rovers fan long before he invested his money. The Rovers would not have been as successful without the money. Your original statement was something along the lines of, money won't buy you success at all. I disagree with your statement.

[Hasta]

3 hours ago, rigger said:

Jack Walker was a Rovers fan long before he invested his money. The Rovers would not have been as successful without the money. Your original statement was something along the lines of, money won't buy you success at all. I disagree with your statement.

No it was "What I do know is that money can’t buy a thriving and positive culture in a football club or any organization." when talking about how close the Liverpool squad and Klopp all seem, and that's true. Sometimes you can bring in all the big money signings you want but it won't equate to a great team spirit. Look at the end of Roy Hodgson's Ewood career.

 

Edited February 26 by Hasta

[davulsukur]

22 hours ago, arbitro said:

Up until the Sheffield Wednesday match in early December we were fine defensively. After that we conceded far too many goals, many of which were from individual mistakes particularly goalkeeper and defenders. Without going over old ground the results fell off a cliff and that is what managers are judged on. But surely up until December you can't have been too unhappy with results.

Nar we weren't. (Assuming the data I'm looking at is correct)

We were 17th (joint with Plymouth) for goals conceded (28), we were propped up heavily by the fact we were the 5th higgest goal scorers by this point (31). 

We've been down in the lower echelons for goals conceded for the majority of the season. Clearly the wheels fell off in spectacular fashion from December onwards.

Results were obviously good enough to see us sit 7th at the time but clearly the "outscoring the opposition tactic" wasn't sustainable in the long run.

[lraC]

It is only a very small snapshot at the minute, but until he increased his win percentage for the current 0% I can't be convinced about this manager.

We have 3 very big games coming up and a 7 point return, has got to be the aim.

[arbitro]

55 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Nar we weren't. (Assuming the data I'm looking at is correct)

We were 17th (joint with Plymouth) for goals conceded (28), we were propped up heavily by the fact we were the 5th higgest goal scorers by this point (31). 

We've been down in the lower echelons for goals conceded for the majority of the season. Clearly the wheels fell off in spectacular fashion from December onwards.

Results were obviously good enough to see us sit 7th at the time but clearly the "outscoring the opposition tactic" wasn't sustainable in the long run.

I have just checked. Up until the Sheffield Wednesday game in early December we had conceded 26 in 18, an average of 1.44. From then we conceded 27 in 11 (average 2.45) up until Tomasson leaving.

[davulsukur]

19 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I have just checked. Up until the Sheffield Wednesday game in early December we had conceded 26 in 18, an average of 1.44. From then we conceded 27 in 11 (average 2.45) up until Tomasson leaving.

I still get 28 in those first 18 games (undoubtedly I'll have made an error somewhere) but it's irrelevant either way, we were still conceding more goals than the majority of the league, 

I dont know if the averages above are in the normal ball park for goals conceded (deffo not the December onwards ones) but we weren't that good defensively (compared to the rest of the league) at best we were below average.

[arbitro]

24 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

I still get 28 in those first 18 games (undoubtedly I'll have made an error somewhere) but it's irrelevant either way, we were still conceding more goals than the majority of the league, 

I dont know if the averages above are in the normal ball park for goals conceded (deffo not the December onwards ones) but we weren't that good defensively (compared to the rest of the league) at best we were below average.

Undoubtedly we have conceded far too many goals all season but there was a spike from the Sheffield Wednesday game onwards. I really think most of these were from individual errors from a quite a few players but primarily the keeper.

[M_B]

19 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Fans were fully behind Pears when he was playing ahead of Kaminski, regardless of whether many of us thought that the latter was far better.

I could look back and find as many posts as you'd like asking for Wahlstedt to play in front of Pears,many were not fully behind Pears, Kaminski is history,i don't know why you'd bring him up. 

I'm thinking of this season, there is now no doubt as to who should be in goal. 

 

[Mattyblue]

This place? Of course, everyone gets pelters.

But I can’t recall the actual crowd getting on his back, which is all that matters..

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, M_B said:

I could look back and find as many posts as you'd like asking for Wahlstedt to play in front of Pears,many were not fully behind Pears, Kaminski is history,i don't know why you'd bring him up. 

I'm thinking of this season, there is now no doubt as to who should be in goal. 

 

People sharing opinions on a messageboard does not equate to whether they are behind them at the ground.

[M_B]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

People sharing opinions on a messageboard does not equate to whether they are behind them at the ground.

You've said this before, but there's no doubt that anyone who clearly isn't in favour of a player on here, is obviously more likely to give the same player stick at the match, it goes without saying. 

I was just making the point that the Wahlstedt itch has been scratched, for this season at least he isn't really a viable option, unless there's an injury obviously. 

Edited February 26 by M_B

[M_B]

4 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

This place? Of course, everyone gets pelters.

But I can’t recall the actual crowd getting on his back, which is all that matters..

Especially the one who said he wouldn't be going on Ewood again as long as Pears was in goal. 

[Mattyblue]

Not sure half the folk anonymously coming out with all kinds of tripe on here would repeat it in public.

Edited February 26 by Mattyblue

[joey_big_nose]

Really impressed with everything about how Eustace approached the cup game today. Made some innovative decisions like starting Buckley and Moran together in a two which worked very well, made us very organised and compact, and had the team well motivated.

If he carries that into the Championship games I think we might have made a very good choice as manager.

[roverandout]

Good tactician.  Can set a team up. Give him some money in the summer ffs

[Upside Down]

Good to see some of the JDT philosophy still in place with the fast movement and quick passing, Eustace has made things a bit more direct.

Very well done tonight. Phenomenal performance and we looked more at home playing a prem team than a championship one.

[RevidgeBlue]

Tonight could be the making of Eustace as Rovers manager, we just need to carry that level of performance into the League and get a couple of victories on the board.

Tonight's game might convince the JDT fan boys to get behind the new Coach a bit more as, let's face it, whilst we all liked JDT because he consistently took the piss out of Waggott and called out all the crap at the Club - he was also taking us down.

I feel a lot more confident after that performance tonight.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

If Eustace can fire this side up like that and get that level of performance then he needs backing 100% by everyone.