v QPR (a) - 4/2/2025

[bluebruce]

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

No one can see a win at West Brom and unfortunately a Mowbray/Armstrong combination might feel like the hammer blow.

I don't see what Mowbray has to do with it, he's a bog standard manager. Armstrong I fear, Mowbray, I really don't. WBA will beat us because they have a better side, not because they have a better manager.

[M_B]

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

We wont make the play offs, we will scrape the odd game to feel like we are still in but weve seen it all before.

We have been massively boosted by a 6 game spell where we conceded only 1 goal and everyone was playing well beyond their usual level. To be here now is one thing but a typical spell of terrible results means that there is a considerable cluster of teams all trying to be top 2 in a mini league. To try and get to the play offs, over 15/16 games we will probably need to consistently play at top 2 level to finish top 2, ie 5th or 6th.

The usual standard of players is revealing itself. Pears has reverted back to being error prone. Our defence is no longer rock solid. Our midfield is off the boil without 1 of only 2 Championship levels midfielders that we have. And now our consistently poor attack cant get away with nicking 1 goal a game.

No one can see a win at West Brom and unfortunately a Mowbray/Armstrong combination might feel like the hammer blow.

Said earlier today, it'll be another "but we're only 6 points off the play offs" finish to the season.

To be fair, we'd all have taken that in August.

[davulsukur]

We've lost too many games (12), at least twice as many than anyone else in the top 6, WBA with the next highest amount of losses (6). Unless we can start turning some of those losses into draws, it seems inevitable that we will slide down the table.

Won't be a shock to discover that we've conceded the most goals and scored the fewest of all the teams in the top 6.

We've pissed away a good number of fixtures now that we could have got points from, so unless the new boys really bring something good to the table, it's a midtable finish for us.

[superniko]

10 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Hedges has one assist all season, Dolan has 4.

Dolan has an assist every 538 minutes over the last 2 seasons (every 6 games)

Hedges has an assist every 714 minutes over the last 2 seasons (every 8 games)

Neither particularly worth noting (to put it kindly).

For what it’s worth, I hope we keep Dolan - I think he is good enough for the Championship. If he was elsewhere and playing against us I think we’d be saying he looks good, and to be frank, we couldn’t afford his transfer fee if he was elsewhere.

Hedges on the other hand, isn’t and never has been Championship standard. He’s okay as a squad player on low wages, but the reality is he’s started 24 of the 30 games this season - that shouldn’t be happening. 

Edited February 5 by superniko

[roversfan99]

13 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I don't see what Mowbray has to do with it, he's a bog standard manager. Armstrong I fear, Mowbray, I really don't. WBA will beat us because they have a better side, not because they have a better manager.

I never said he was. I dont fear him either, West Brom just have a better team and squad.

Edited February 4 by roversfan99

[RoversClitheroe]

Sadly went tonight.

Hedges, Dolan, Pears & Hyam

I really hope they never play again.

Absolutely terrible.

 

[arbitro]

Just on train home now and the disappointment is palpable. It's really frustrating that we got ourselves back into the game, looked like we were capable of going on to win it only to throw it away. Like Friday against Nobbers I thought our first two changes actually weakened us particularly Cantwell who contributed nothing. I fail to see anything he offers to us. 

Throwing points away will certainly come back to haunt us.

I was amazed to see Beck picking up Frey on set pieces. He is so powerful in the air and the first goal would have been avoided had one of the centre halves or Gueye had picked him up. His free header in the six yard box was an awful goal to concede. That nonsense must be on our set piece coach. Here's a tip for him - let our big lads pick their big lads up.

Hopefully the new signings can hit the ground running otherwise our season will just fizzle out.

[RoversClitheroe]

3 minutes ago, arbitro said:

was amazed to see Beck picking up Frey on set pieces.

Me too.

Zonal doesn't work.

[den]

Quite clear to me and about 99% of posters on here.  This manager and this squad of players is being asked to do far more than is reasonably possible. These guys would have to be supermen to get rovers into the play offs, never mind into the PL. They aren’t that. They’ve (the players and manager) been badly let down AGAIN by those with the ability to help out, going missing. Hiding - making excuses or misleading the fans or anyone who simply wants to know what the hell is going on.

Unless these things change there’s no real future.
 

 

[Exiled in Toronto Mk2]

2 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Just on train home now and the disappointment is palpable. It's really frustrating that we got ourselves back into the game, looked like we were capable of going on to win it only to throw it away. Like Friday against Nobbers I thought our first two changes actually weakened us particularly Cantwell who contributed nothing. I fail to see anything he offers to us. 

Throwing points away will certainly come back to haunt us.

I was amazed to see Beck picking up Frey on set pieces. He is so powerful in the air and the first goal would have been avoided had one of the centre halves or Gueye had picked him up. His free header in the six yard box was an awful goal to concede. That nonsense must be on our set piece coach. Here's a tip for him - let our big lads pick their big lads up.

Hopefully the new signings can hit the ground running otherwise our season will just fizzle out.

Me too Tony re Frey - couldn’t believe it. It was planned though, Beck picked him up again on a corner two minutes later. Didn’t help of course that, for the second time in a week, Pears vacated the spot where an easily save-able ball crossed the line. And for the second time in a couple of weeks he got a full hand on a fairly central shot and it still went in.

I’m convinced our only chance is for Eustace to make big calls: Cantwell, Pears, Hedges, ACD will only keep letting us down. My big worry last season was he didn’t make any big personnel or formation calls; maybe he’s too big into the togetherness thing to be able to do it.

[Exiled_Rover]

22 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Just on train home now and the disappointment is palpable. It's really frustrating that we got ourselves back into the game, looked like we were capable of going on to win it only to throw it away. Like Friday against Nobbers I thought our first two changes actually weakened us particularly Cantwell who contributed nothing. I fail to see anything he offers to us. 

Throwing points away will certainly come back to haunt us.

I was amazed to see Beck picking up Frey on set pieces. He is so powerful in the air and the first goal would have been avoided had one of the centre halves or Gueye had picked him up. His free header in the six yard box was an awful goal to concede. That nonsense must be on our set piece coach. Here's a tip for him - let our big lads pick their big lads up.

Hopefully the new signings can hit the ground running otherwise our season will just fizzle out.

We've dropped too many points in January. The season has fizzled out.

[Upside Down]

Well that was totally predictable.

[J*B]

Adding a name to my long list of footballers I’ve written off ever being anymore than lower Championship at best:

Aynsley Pears

Joe Rankin Costello

Harry Pickering

Dion Sanderson

John Buckley

Adam Forshaw

Ryan Hedges

Trhys Dolan

Makhkar Gueye

NEW: Amario Cozier-Duberry

 

 

[Penwortham Blue]

4 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

We've dropped too many points in January. The season has fizzled out.

If we lose at the Hawthorns, which I think is almost a nailed on certainty, that will just about end any silly notions that we might make top six play off spot.

[ruggles1995]

Got to say we were poor first half. And 2nd half we looked good for a 10 minute spell when we got the penalty. Then cantwell came on….
I don’t know if cantwell is injured but it was like playing with 10men when he was on. Just casually trotted around for the duration he was on, didn’t break a sprint. Poor old gueye was done after 70mins ish. He had a 33 year old who to be fair to Weiman does try to run but doesn’t have the legs and then a cantwell walking around, I saw on countless times Gueye running past both his partners during the game, he had nothing left after around 70/75, and then Gueye looks poor towards the end as he had no energy left. 
for the 9 minutes  kargbo got in total it was nice to see him beat a man in a 1 v 1! Not one other player in a rovers shirt has been able to do that. Got what we deserved, need the newbies up to speed quick, think I’d throw them in the deep in asap. 
 

As frustrating a player as he is, was a surprise to see Dolan get subbed. He seems to be at least running, and chances seem to come his way. Was at least in the thick of it more than hedges. Think hedges and cantwell need to stay out the team for a bit 

[wilsdenrover]

6 minutes ago, J*B said:

Adding a name to my long list of footballers I’ve written off ever being anymore than lower Championship at best:

Aynsley Pears

Joe Rankin Costello

Harry Pickering

Dion Sanderson

John Buckley

Adam Forshaw

Ryan Hedges

Trhys Dolan

Makhkar Gueye

NEW: Amario Cozier-Duberry

 

 

                                       Pears

JRC.            Sanderson.        ?                Pickering

                    Forshaw.              Buckley 

ACD.                              Dolan.                 Hedges

                                      Gueye 

One place left…

 

[bluebruce]

49 minutes ago, superniko said:

Dolan has an assist every 538 minutes over the last 2 seasons (every 6 games)

Hedges has an assist every 714 minutes over the last 3 seasons (every 8 games)

Neither particularly worth noting (to put it kindly).

For what it’s worth, I hope we keep Dolan - I think he is good enough for the Championship. If he was elsewhere and playing against us I think we’d be saying he looks good, and to be frank, we couldn’t afford his transfer fee if he was elsewhere.

Hedges on the other hand, isn’t and never has been Championship standard. He’s okay as a squad player on low wages, but the reality is he’s started 24 of the 30 games this season - that shouldn’t be happening. 

That still makes Hedges 33% worse at providing assists than Dolan, even ignoring that this season the figures have shifted far less kindly for Hedges. Given the original post was suggesting Hedges is better at providing, I think I'm still happy with my response to it.

[bluebruce]

50 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I never said he was. I dont fear him either, West Brom just have a better team and squad.

You said a Mowbray-Armstrong combo. Mowbray is irrelevant.

[bluebruce]

44 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I was amazed to see Beck picking up Frey on set pieces. He is so powerful in the air and the first goal would have been avoided had one of the centre halves or Gueye had picked him up. His free header in the six yard box was an awful goal to concede. That nonsense must be on our set piece coach. Here's a tip for him - let our big lads pick their big lads up.

Completely agree, we haven't worked well on our defending set pieces against this lot, and it's possibly cost us the game.

[RoverCanada]

Yeesh, that was pretty awful. Away end view at Loftus Road is pretty great anyway...

Will have to rewatch that 2nd goal as looked like a rocket to me (from the other side of the pitch!) that I wouldn't judge Pears too harshly on, but don't think anyone covered themselves in glory on that one. Also to double-check if Hyam had any culpability on either goal, as I thought he was solid tonight (one terrible pass aside).

Surprised no commentary on Gueye and Travis having a bizarrely animated fight about taking the penalty. Glad Dolan buried it, but almost seemed like Travis was winding Gueye up rather than being a leader. Strange. Seemed to wake Gueye up for a few minutes after, but he was quite poor after some solid performances of late.

Cantwell was terrible. If he's not carrying a knock (certainly looked like it!), he should be ashamed of that performance (and if he's hurt, why is JE bringing him on as an earlyish sub??).

Weimann completely anonymous. Has had his moments this year, but some games sure do pass him by...

To try to be kind to Hedges, he certainly does his defensive duties, but just offers nothing with the ball. Did some really good work winning the ball a couple times and then immediately gave it away.

Think Brittain needs a rest... heck, probably the whole squad. Get those new bodies into the lineup fast.

Ha, I'd actually say Forshaw did nothing wrong in his brief minutes. Good for him.

Random views from a couple neutrals who joined me, fwiw: not impressed with Gueye, one thought it looked like Buckley has talent (I was sure to tell him how he's unfortunately flattered to deceive for 2-3 years now... tonight, I thought he was awful in the 1st half but ok in the 2nd). Dolan hit-and-miss. One, who follows a L2 club, was laughing at how amazed he was at how well we and QPR passed it around, reminding him that he usually watches pretty awful football haha

Edited February 4 by RoverCanada

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, RoverCanada said:

Yeesh, that was pretty awful. Away end view at Loftus Road is pretty great anyway...

Will have to rewatch that 2nd goal as looked like a rocket to me (from the other side of the pitch!) that I wouldn't judge Pears too harshly on, but don't think anyone covered themselves in glory on that one. Also to double-check if Hyam had any culpability on either goal, as I thought he was solid tonight (one terrible pass aside).

Surprised no commentary on Gueye and Travis having a bizarrely animated fight about taking the penalty. Glad Dolan buried it, but almost seemed like Travis was winding Gueye up rather than being a leader. Strange. Seemed to wake Gueye up for a few minutes after, but he was quite poor after some solid performances of late.

Cantwell was terrible. If he's not carrying a knock (certainly looked like it!), he should be ashamed of that performance (and if he's hurt, why is JE bringing him on as an earlyish sub??).

Weimann completely anonymous. Has had his moments this year, but some games sure do pass him by...

To try to be kind to Hedges, he certainly does his defensive duties, but just offers nothing with the ball. Did some really good work winning the ball a couple times and then immediately gave it away.

Think Brittain needs a rest... heck, probably the whole squad. Get those new bodies into the lineup fast.

Ha, I'd actually say Forshaw did nothing wrong in his brief minutes. Good for him.

Random views from a couple neutrals who joined me, fwiw: not impressed with Gueye, one thought it looked like Buckley has talent (I was sure to tell him how he's unfortunately flattered to deceive for 2-3 years now... tonight, I thought he was awful in the 1st half but ok in the 2nd). Dolan hit-and-miss. One, who follows a L2 club, was laughing at how amazed he was at how well we and QPR passed it around, reminding him that he usually watches pretty awful football haha

Travis had to take the ball off Gueye for the Cantwell penalty against PNE too. 

Totally diffused the situation. 

I like that my CF is desperate to take the penalty so I have no issue with it. 

[booth]

How awful was Hedges? If nothing else he usually works hard but even though everyone was pretty poor, he stood out as the absolute worst. Then just as you think a performance can't be any worse, Cantwell steps onto the pitch...

[Silas]

57 minutes ago, J*B said:

Adding a name to my long list of footballers I’ve written off ever being anymore than lower Championship at best:

Aynsley Pears

Joe Rankin Costello

Harry Pickering

Dion Sanderson

John Buckley

Adam Forshaw

Ryan Hedges

Trhys Dolan

Makhkar Gueye

NEW: Amario Cozier-Duberry

 

 

Feel that's harsh on Gueye.

His stats aren't good, but I'd argue if he played for Leeds, Sheff Utd, Sunderland etc he'd be getting 10-15 goals a season. 

He's getting provided for by Hedges and Dolan on your list. Scraps.

And tbh I'm surprised tiktok Todd has escaped the list. Last half dozen games he's everything I naively refused to believe he was at season start. A show pony in need of the knackers yard. Sloppy, lackadaisical, and 10x better in his head than will ever exist in reality. 

[Ghost7]

Really poor from Pears, he's hardly busy and when called upon is weak in many ways.

The Twine free kick was ridiculous against Bristol, the shot tonight gets a good hand from a better keeper and the Preston goal was avoidable.

His defenders expected him to save all 3, we're quickly heading towards the Pears of last year.... and we can't afford it.

[Ghost7]

Hedges and Dolan need dropping from the team for a good few weeks.