v Burnley (h) - 4/1/2025

[M_B]

Not going to knock anyone today, we know where we're short and this coach needs backing. The reason why so many turned up today is that they felt we'd a chance, it's a long while since we could say that, and it's kudos to Eustace.

There honestly didn't look anywhere near £100 million (or whatever it is) between the teams, they took their one chance, we missed ours.

[danger19_80]

2 minutes ago, Neal said:

Owen Beck letting crosses in the box in 2nd half of games is really crippling us, I like the lad but he's costing us points at the moment. 

The cross for their goal came from our right, their left. So nothing to do with Beck?

[Exiled_Rover]

16 minutes ago, danger19_80 said:

Felt sorry for him today. He won several excellent headers up top but had no support or anyone anticipating or gambling on a flick on to take advantage.

He carried the ball 30 yards only to see Cantwell offer him no pass (then give up running after the ball he tried to play). He also held his run waiting for Cantwell to play him through and never got it.

Was his goal offside?

Edited Saturday at 16:27 by Exiled_Rover

[Exiled_Rover]

1 minute ago, M_B said:

Not going to knock anyone today, we know where we're short and this coach needs backing. The reason why so many turned up today is that they felt we'd a chance, it's a long while since we could say that, and it's kudos to Eustace.

There honestly didn't look anywhere near £100 million (or whatever it is) between the teams, they took their one chance, we missed ours.

They'll be straight back down without almost an entire new starting XI you'd think. 

[roverandout]

Roberts did my head in. Soft cunt. Went down after every challenge 

[Tom]

3 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He carried the ball 30 yards only to see Cantwell offer him no pass (then give up running after the ball he tried to play). He also held his run waiting for Cantwell to play in through and never got it.

Was his goal offside?

Yes Cantwell was lazily stood way offside, it was needless as well as he would have likely been in still if he timed it 

Edited Saturday at 16:21 by Tom

[RevidgeBlue]

4 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Gueye gets far too much stick on here. 

He gets no service, but was causing their two CBs problems. Once he went off our attack went with him. 

I agree.

I had no beef with the starting line up, thought it was quite positive from Eustace. It wasn't as though they over-ran us as a result.

As for subbing Gueye and ACD off and bringing on players like Weimann, Hedges and JRC when we're losing - I think it makes us less likely to score.

Highlights the desperate need for reinforcements.

[K-Hod]

43 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Atkins on BBC Radio Lancs was talking about how the three paid to score goals aren't good enough (Gueye, Ohashi and Leonard).

I'm not ready to write any of them off until they get some actual service. Hedges, ACD, Dolan and Weimann as wide options is piss poor. 

If we could get a replacement loan in I'd send ACD back after his last two performances. I think he'd be a good player at this level for a team that's always on top (think Kompany's Burnley team) - in and around the box he's quite dangerous because he can shift it and shoot (similar to Markanday). What he can't do is run at and beyond players - he's about as quick as Dolan. 

For a team that plays 90% of the time on the counter he's useless. We need fast wide players that can stretch the opposition and run beyond them. 

I mean, he’s not wrong.

They’re paid to score goals and they don’t.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Well that keeps up my 100 per cent record ……. Still yet to see Rovers win this season

Some thoughts

Hate to say it but Burnley were a class above, a standard of player in a different league to ours. They’ve spent money - and it showed

Rovers need a revamp, 3 or 4 new players, ones who can create and score goals. As it stands we will be lucky to finish in mid table
 

The Burnley goal and Rovers’ only chance in the first half came from beautiful lcrosses delivered at pace behind defenders, traditional and effective wing  play. So much for inverted wingers

 

 

They also got to play us at exactly the right time. At the end of a run of tightly packed fixtures that will always benefit the teams with the bigger squads. The Millwall game were we lost both of Travis and Pickering to medium/ long term injuries topped off by losing Ohashi to a bad tackle at Leeds gave us a real mountain to climb. It’s not just that they are missing but then the “ bench “ players become starters and you get kids on the bench. Given  a full squad to pick from I’d have been really fancying our chances today. Instead we were left hoping for the best.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Tom said:

Yes Cantwell was lazily stood way offside 

Not way off but he was just off. 

Again in that sort of situation you have to be alert and time your run perfectly.

[Exiled_Rover]

7 minutes ago, Tom said:

He’s obviously not good enough to be a one man match winner and I tend to think his best use is from the bench but not sure he could have done much more today, won some great headers but the number 10 was too deep to pick up on them

I'd have taken Cantwell off at half time and brought on Weimann - he's far more likely to try to pick up those knock downs. 

You could see the Burnley CBs were desperate to get Gueye off the pitch - they were giving him loads of aggro when his number came up. Bad substitution by Eustace I felt. He's an awkward player, but he causes problems - it's just a shame nobody picks up the second ball and our wide players offer no service (I think ACD put in ONE good cross all game and that was the only ball into the box we saw until Gueye went off). 

[smiller14]

One of those afternoons. We've seen them for years. We tried, we did what we could, but it isn't enough. Not sure it'll ever be our day again to be honest, I just can't see a positive future for this club sadly. Eustace deserves backing but no chance

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

4 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

They'll be straight back down without almost an entire new starting XI you'd think. 

Cannon Fodder in the top flight..nothing special whatsoever about them. But very sadly we will once again have to watch them celebrate promotion from possibly mid-table.

[Exiled_Rover]

10 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Tronstad turned off for the goal. That was the only real difference between the two sides today and apart from that everyone would probably have been relatively happy with the result had it finished 0-0 irrespective of the rather obvious deficiencies in our performance.

I've no idea how you get this lot scoring though. Eustace has worked miracles to get us where we are as it is.

You're blaming our CM for their CF scoring a header?

Good lord you have it in for him. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I mean, he’s not wrong.

They’re paid to score goals and they don’t.

It’s not like they’re missing chances though is it ? If you want players that make their own chances you need to be spending real money. 

[Exiled_Rover]

13 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Well... that panned out predictably. Think Eustace got the starting selection wrong.  Left us with nothing on the bench that could change it once we went behind.  Awful set pieces  first half.  Thought Burnley mediocre as well.  Baker confirmed my opinion of him today - absolute passenger. 

Credit to Britain. Only one that offered anything going forward. 

Really poor up front.  and the wide players constantly turn back.  

What an awful festive period. 

 

I think most saw it coming. This team is based on organisation and effort. We can't perform twice a week with this paper-thin squad - we simply can't keep the work rate up. 

We have another month to suffer then hopefully we can get things back on track. The Playoffs will be long gone by then though, sadly. 

[Exiled_Rover]

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

They also got to play us at exactly the right time. At the end of a run of tightly packed fixtures that will always benefit the teams with the bigger squads. The Millwall game were we lost both of Travis and Pickering to medium/ long term injuries topped off by losing Ohashi to a bad tackle at Leeds gave us a real mountain to climb. It’s not just that they are missing but then the “ bench “ players become starters and you get kids on the bench. Given  a full squad to pick from I’d have been really fancying our chances today. Instead we were left hoping for the best.

We've somehow managed to draw Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley in this run of fixtures - it's been horrendous. 

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

You're blaming our CM for their CF scoring a header?

Good lord you have it in for him. 

He was the nearest player and should have been picking him up. Not switched on to the situation and was marking space

Did the EXACT same thing for Sunderland's first at Ewood.

[Exiled_Rover]

8 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I mean, he’s not wrong.

They’re paid to score goals and they don’t.

Serious question - how many would a prime Alan Shearer score in this team? 10. 15 maybe?

[Forever Blue]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Serious question - how many would a prime Alan Shearer score in this team? 10. 15 maybe?

In this division, about 50

Edited Saturday at 16:32 by Forever Blue

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Cannon Fodder in the top flight..nothing special whatsoever about them. But very sadly we will once again have to watch them celebrate promotion from possibly mid-table.

sheff utd and leeds will no doubt argue about that and if the smelly lot have to negotiate the play offs we all know they are a complete lottery,be sweet to see that smug **** parker with tears in his eyes and the behind evolution fans  crushed😆

nothing between the sides today,apart from the fact we have zero attacking threat and a small squad that is banged up with injuries,rest a few for the cup game at middlesboro and get some reinforcements in,none of us expected to be the top half this season so lets hope we can kick on after a rest

[aletheia]

Overachieved first half of season. Bravo JE.

Chickens now coming home to roost.

Same old.

Gave it a good go but reality biting.

 

On the things you can control:-

Crossing/set pieces woeful

I also agree JE took a gamble on selection –could have stuck to a more conservative line up with Hedges, JRC.

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, Forever Blue said:

In this division, about 50

A man that thrived on crosses with Dolan and Hedges putting the ball into the box?

I'd go with 15 just because he was so good that he'd create some on his own, but the service our CFs get is diabolical.

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

Serious question - how many would a prime Alan Shearer score in this team? 10. 15 maybe?

He would still score an absolute shitload as prior to his first injury he could do it all on his own.

That's an irrelevant comparison though, we're never likely to find another Shearer even if we had unlimited money to spend.

We do need at least one and probably two viable attacking options.

[Forever Blue]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

A man that thrived on crosses with Dolan and Hedges putting the ball into the box?

I'd go with 15 just because he was so good that he'd create some on his own, but the service our CFs get is diabolical.

We got lots of crosses in the box today. As Shearer himself used to say the wingers only need to put it in the right area and it’s up to the strikers to get on the end of them.