v Watford (a) - 26/10/2024

[BankEnd Rover]

17 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

No January transfer thread yet but Nixon posting this.   I wish 🙏 🙏 

 

 

A poster mentioned we were looking at Poku...Hopefully true but imagine someone will come in with a better offer than us.

[M_B]

11 hours ago, DE. said:

I'm not sure about Mak. He's a striker by trade but he's not very good at scoring, which isn't ideal. 3 assists so far is OK, but he'd need to contribute a lot of those to negate the lack of goalscoring. He started off well but the red card really seemed to derail his momentum. There is talent there, but a non-scoring striker is rarely a good thing in the long run.

Yuki is a solid, hard-worker. He'll chip in over the course of the season, but he's not a regular game-changer in the way Szmods, Arma or BBD, for example, could be when they were on form. When we lost that in Arma, BBD unexpectedly stepped up (for half a season per season anyway). When BBD left, Szmods unexpectedly stepped up in a massive way. We're finally at a point where the unexpected hero just isn't there anymore, so, as you say, we need to adapt - and that means everyone has to contribute more and we need to remain defensively resolute.

Eustace seems to have, for the most part, got the defensive part nailed down. We aren't conceding many as of late. Unfortunately, offensively, we aren't getting the 'everyone contributing more' part of the equation - instead we have people missing chances they should be taking, and at best playing at their level rather than above what we're accustomed to. The only person who's scored more than 2 goals so far is Yuki, with 4. In terms of assists Mak leads the way with 3, but Cantwell and Brittain are more impressive with 2 from 7 and 6 appearances respectively - Mak's had 11 apps and his 3 assists all came before his red card - he's also never completed a full game for us, with 65 mins the longest he's been on the pitch for.

If we're relying on Yuki as our main scoring threat then we will probably struggle unless we keep a very, very tight defence for the rest of the season. It feels like Cantwell, Brittain and Dolan will be the main source of assists. Cantwell is still an unknown quantity at the moment whilst Brittain and Dolan have not exactly been consistent performers over the course of their careers here.

I think we've overachieved based on the team we have thus far, and will need to continue doing so to be comfortable. Eustace seems to have found a working formula, at the moment, for our matches at Ewood. The issue will be if teams find a way to compromise that formula - and in that case we will need to make sure we've found something that works on the road too in the event we need to readjust what we're doing at home.

There's nothing to panic about at the moment, but I think the warning signs are there and there's work to be done to ensure we stay stable. Eustace has a lot to think about and it'll be a real test of his abilities as a manager. If he places us in mid-table by the end of the season I think he'll have done a very good job. I don't consider playoffs realistic, regardless of our start, so I'm not going to judge him based on us being in the top six. I appreciate the limitations he's working with, and hope that he can find ways to get the absolute best out of what he has to keep us safe for this season.

For the record, I don't like that this is my level of expectation, but... Venky's.

Ohashi has a chance, as does Leonard, but both would have benefited from Gallagher still being here. To lose both him and Szmodics at the same time was always going to be a stretch with our "budget".

Considering the resources compared to other teams, Eustace and his team have had a great start.

 

[Penwortham Blue]

15 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

What a great life that lad lives 🙈

[Herbie6590]

11 hours ago, den said:

2nd sentence. The position of his hand/arm was a consequence of his body movement. It had to be, his arm was already there before the ball was headed onto it.

more importantly, it plainly wasn’t intentional.

Any time a defender has arms above shoulder height or away from their body they are giving the ref the opportunity to give a penalty under the current laws/guidance. In European games it’s even worse, I’ve seen penalties given in much harsher circumstances. 
The handball law (& its interpretation)is at best a muddle.

As others have said, Hyam & Weimann had chances to make it irrelevant. 

[chaddyrovers]

13 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

What did for Hirst was missing the late penalty opportunity at Cardiff, unfortunately there was no coming back from that as all confidence was gone. Had he scored it could have been very different as confidence plays a big part in being a goal scoring CF.

Yes that's did little for him. 

13 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Most decent strikers score on their debut or within the first couple of games, if they don’t it is usually ominous.

It's fair valid point 

Gueye has scored 2 goals in the cup but since the Burnley game his confidence seems abit gone 

13 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Corrado Grabbi had real ability and was very unlucky in early games, should have had a hatrick against United but he just couldn’t score and then you see a downward spiral, especially players in a foreign country. On this basis, I am really now beginning to worry about Gueye.

Very good example. 

[arbitro]

3 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Any time a defender has arms above shoulder height or away from their body they are giving the ref the opportunity to give a penalty under the current laws/guidance. In European games it’s even worse, I’ve seen penalties given in much harsher circumstances. 
The handball law (& its interpretation)is at best a muddle.

As others have said, Hyam & Weimann had chances to make it irrelevant. 

That's it in a nutshell Ian. A few years ago that wouldn't have been given as it clearly wasn't deliberate but the muddied waters created by blazers with no feel for the game have killed that. Interestingly I didn't think the referee actually gave it. The delay was almost certainly because he was told over the comms. My initial suspicion was it was the fourth official but I spoke to several Rovers players at Knutsford services last night and they were told it was the far side linesman who I thought had the worst view of the four of them. I'll find out for certain this week.

[J*B]

The majority of the league are flying or travelling first class on trains, meanwhile our boys are on a coach home and have a £10/head allowance at Knutsford services. 

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, Lancaster Rover said:

I am going to go out on a limb and say Gueye is the worst forward I’ve seen in blue and white since Kaba Diawara

Yesterday I started to feel sorry and embarrassed for Gueye.

Never a good sign.

He looked so out of his depth.

[DE.]

48 minutes ago, M_B said:

Ohashi has a chance, as does Leonard, but both would have benefited from Gallagher still being here. To lose both him and Szmodics at the same time was always going to be a stretch with our "budget".

Considering the resources compared to other teams, Eustace and his team have had a great start.

 

Gallagher probably wouldn't have been fit for Yuki or Mak to benefit from tbf, so I don't think it matters much. Losing Szmodics was definitely the major blow we suffered, and I imagine we'll be increasingly feeling that loss as the season goes on. 

9 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Yesterday I started to feel sorry and embarrassed for Gueye.

Never a good sign.

He looked so out of his depth.

The thing is Mak looked the part in his first few matches. He was getting into good positions, was making defenders uncomfortable and created some good chances. Still didn't really look like scoring, but didn't look out of his depth either.

Since the red card, though, he's been struggling massively. The last thing we need is yet another player who can only contribute when he's feeling confident. We need players who, even when things aren't going their way, can give us a 7/10 performance in most matches. I feel that Yuki is capable of this, but Mak is becoming an increasing concern. 

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

Playing well and losing only goes a really small way to making me feel any better than I did after Coventry and Plymouth when we were awful.

I was annoyed after all 3 games, but I think after yesterday I absolved Eustace of any blame, which was not the case at Coventry and Plymouth. I felt the setup and the game management was OK, but the players simply lack quality.

Gueye and Ohashi stated well but almmost every Rovers fan is now questioning them to some degree.

The Weimann signing looked a good experienced head on paper, but ultimately he's been an averge Championship player for average mid-table Championship sides for almost 10 years now. This during the 'best years' of his career. Therefore at 33 what can we realistically expect from him. Even so, his decision making for that chance was poor. He had several options, and gently looping it over the bar was the worst.

 

[G Somerset Rover]

38 minutes ago, J*B said:

The majority of the league are flying or travelling first class on trains, meanwhile our boys are on a coach home and have a £10/head allowance at Knutsford services. 

At some point the suits may start questioning the pitiful away form and start to join the dots. Ah, who am I kidding.

Edited October 27 by G Somerset Rover

[lraC]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

I never thought we would lose yesterday(until the dodgy handball decision given by the ref) and if Hyam or Weimann had scored those chances we would have won the game. 

Watford were awful and look poor as an attacking team

I have to admit, I was expecting them to be better, as their results at home, have been good. 

[lraC]

1 hour ago, Penwortham Blue said:

What did for Hirst was missing the late penalty opportunity at Cardiff, unfortunately there was no coming back from that as all confidence was gone. Had he scored it could have been very different as confidence plays a big part in being a goal scoring CF. Most decent strikers score on their debut or within the first couple of games, if they don’t it is usually ominous. Corrado Grabbi had real ability and was very unlucky in early games, should have had a hatrick against United but he just couldn’t score and then you see a downward spiral, especially players in a foreign country. On this basis, I am really now beginning to worry about Gueye.

I think that’s why he did his best to claim the goal that was eventually credited to Dolan. 

[AllRoverAsia]

44 minutes ago, DE. said:

Gallagher probably wouldn't have been fit for Yuki or Mak to benefit from tbf, so I don't think it matters much. Losing Szmodics was definitely the major blow we suffered, and I imagine we'll be increasingly feeling that loss as the season goes on. 

The thing is Mak looked the part in his first few matches. He was getting into good positions, was making defenders uncomfortable and created some good chances. Still didn't really look like scoring, but didn't look out of his depth either.

Since the red card, though, he's been struggling massively. The last thing we need is yet another player who can only contribute when he's feeling confident. We need players who, even when things aren't going their way, can give us a 7/10 performance in most matches. I feel that Yuki is capable of this, but Mak is becoming an increasing concern. 

He needs a goal. Any sort.  I hope he gets it soon.

We don't exploit his alleged heading ability at goal. Brittain can cross a decent ball and so can Cantwell, from the left they are inswingers but he can pick the player out.

Yesterday his first touch had gone, that's a confidence issue.

[Penwortham Blue]

15 minutes ago, lraC said:

I think that’s why he did his best to claim the goal that was eventually credited to Dolan. 

I don’t blame him one bit and just a pity that he wasn’t given it.

[London blue]

I'll be honest, I'm starting to get annoyed at the inability of our team to get crosses is.

I can cross a fucking ball and I'm so very far from a professional footballer.

The fact the likes of Pickering, Beck, Hedges, Dolan and Weiman can't when it's an essential part of their job is a joke, really.

Get them on the training pitch, put Guaye and all the CBs in the box and rinse and repeat.

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

He needs a goal. Any sort.  I hope he gets it soon.

We don't exploit his alleged heading ability at goal. Brittain can cross a decent ball and so can Cantwell, from the left they are inswingers but he can pick the player out.

Yesterday his first touch had gone, that's a confidence issue.

It is also, a not very good player issue. Did you see the item about him in training, the other two were constantly taking the piss, at how poor Gueye was.

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, J*B said:

The majority of the league are flying or travelling first class on trains, meanwhile our boys are on a coach home and have a £10/head allowance at Knutsford services. 

Train to Watford used to be the regular travel mode but very few stop at Watford Junction now and if you then travelling back out from London, they may as well travel down in the comfort of Waggott’s super bus. I’m guessing that the £10 allowance is an embellishment rather than a fact, if the latter, that really would be the end game of a once proud club.

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, J*B said:

The majority of the league are flying or travelling first class on trains, meanwhile our boys are on a coach home and have a £10/head allowance at Knutsford services. 

The coach had dropped the five of them off and they were waiting for friends or family to pick them up. I'm guessing they live in South Manchester. In general I take your point but Watford is a bugger to get to by air or rail.

[den]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

Any time a defender has arms above shoulder height or away from their body they are giving the ref the opportunity to give a penalty under the current laws/guidance. In European games it’s even worse, I’ve seen penalties given in much harsher circumstances. 
The handball law (& its interpretation)is at best a muddle.

As others have said, Hyam & Weimann had chances to make it irrelevant. 

Exactly. “Giving the opportunity” that doesn’t mean it should be an automatic infringement. It isn’t an automatic infringement either. If the ball hits someone’s outstretched arm from just 12” away, normally it wouldn’t be penalised.
This is just a guidance to supposedly help the referee make a decision on whether it’s deliberate handball, or not. Its  a ridiculous clause. It has to be deliberate handball. That’s not guidance, that’s the law.

[rock steady]

Why are people saying it has to be deliberate to be handball? That's not true right?

[den]

1 minute ago, rock steady said:

Why are people saying it has to be deliberate to be handball? That's not true right?

unintentional handball has never been an offence.

[rock steady]

Source?

[den]

2 minutes ago, rock steady said:

Source?

Why don’t refs give a free kick whenever the ball hits a hand?

 

[ABBEY]

48 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

He needs a goal. Any sort.  I hope he gets it soon.

We don't exploit his alleged heading ability at goal. Brittain can cross a decent ball and so can Cantwell, from the left they are inswingers but he can pick the player out.

Yesterday his first touch had gone, that's a confidence issue.

we saw his "alleged " hearing ability after the wasted crossbar chance ...straight at the keeper most of goal to aim at .