v Norwich City (h) - 1/3/2025

[Exiled_Rover]

30 minutes ago, Tom said:

We need more from Cantwell than a few decent chipped passes though, he was wasteful far too often, terrible delivery on free kicks and just dallied too much 

I don't really blame Cantwell for the poor corners / free kicks - he's stepping up because nobody else is. Brittain blasted one into the Blackburn End for some reason and Ribeiro barely beat the first man.

We're crying out for a dedicated set piece taker - it's easily worth an extra 5 goals a season. 

[USABlue]

How crap was Dolan today, mourning JE leaving?  Commentators calling for Red on Dennis'.first yellow, games gone mad.  He was late and caught his foot but not a.red.  The 2nd yellow the ref was looking for it.  Looked like he MIGHT have clipped his foot and the Noreich player dropped like a sack if spuds rolled around clutching his shin.  Ball was there to be win he can not just leave it.  Hyam was very very lucky with his assault on the keeper.

  Looks like that is the last we will see of the top six.  Waggot.leaning back in his chair, feet on the desk, quietly sipping Chamagne thinkin JOB DONE.

[M_B]

Only seen it live but looked a great save from Pears to keep it at 1-0, although I didn't think it would make any difference.

Turned out to be as important as the goal.

[davulsukur]

Full credit to Weimann coming off the bench and bagging the equaliser. He shows great movement in the final 3rd and makes some great runs.

Obviously we can't have him starting every week but as a player off the bench and starting the odd game, he's been great. 

Our leading scorer but the flip side of that is, he's our leading scorer with just 7 goals.

[simongarnerisgod]

noticed today that ismael appears to have shelved the passing out from the back,i good idea,nothing ever came of it and it was an accident waiting to happen

[...]

Not sure what to make of that today tbh. We looked rather mediocre. Glad Kargbo got the nod to start

[arbitro]

It certainly feels like a win given the circumstances but in truth I thought we were second best for long, long periods of the game. It was in the main a carry over from the Swansea match as too many players were way off the pace. Fortunately our back four were all decent and certainly kept us in it with some good defending.

I really expected a high press given the way Norwich play and having read that it's what Ismael prefers but we didn't and let them play through midfield where they were dominant. In fact Norwich were high pressing and forcing us to go long at times. Ironically we had a good spell after the triple change and looked to be on the front foot as Norwich looked to be tiring. Dennis however gave them a huge lift with his stupid sending off and they certainly took advantage of this by scoring a well worked goal.

I honestly couldn't see a way back but the players showed great character to get the equaliser and send us home happy. It certainly looked from where I sit that the challenge on Ohashi was in the penalty area of at the worst on the line. Perhaps this helped us as we galvanised after this and got the leveller with the players taking credit for showing great character.

It was good to get Carter (our best player in my view) and Tronstad back and hopefully this week get them up to speed for the rest of the season.

Hopefully Ismael has learned that we can't play Cantwell and Dolan in the same team. We can just about cope with one player who gives the ball away so often but having two is footballing suicide.

[Tom]

14 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

feel like a good point post match with 10 men. 

neither did much to win the game and the ref wanted to be star of the show again(more on the ref later)

First Half, Norwich created the best 2 chances but neither on target. Rovers best moments came through Karbgo, his pace and skills troubled them. 

Second Half, Norwich control for the first 15 mins and we struggled to get out at times. Ismael made 3 subs and we were better, then the 10 minutes before the Dennis sending off, we were the better chances. 

for me, the sending off is Chrisene kicking Dennis who had to go for the ball, otherwise your head coach would be going mental at him for ducking it. 

Norwich got the lead, then Rovers tried to get back the game when we should have a clear pen for the foul on Ohashi by Wright. Clear pen all day long. We finally got the goal we wanted from Weimann who is our fox in the box and good cross by Ribeiro 

Ismael made positive subs who made an impact on the game. 

Now on the referee performance who was bloody awful all game, favoured Norwich far too much, made the wrong decisions when he sent Dennis off, Missing the clear pen, Ohashi's foul on their player when it wasn't, etc. 

Its a good point after being one nil down and with 10 men, huge credit to Ismael and the players today. 

Karbgo my man of the match but Travis, Carter and Hyam good performance. 

Lets go and win at Derby now which I am looking forward to and attending it

Don’t disagree with a lot of this but how can you complain about the officials and not mention that we blatantly should have played most the game with 10 men and our goal was offside 

Objectively we favoured overall from them today 

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, USABlue said:

How crap was Dolan today, mourning JE leaving?  Commentators calling for Red on Dennis'.first yellow, games gone mad.  He was late and caught his foot but not a.red.  The 2nd yellow the ref was looking for it.  Looked like he MIGHT have clipped his foot and the Noreich player dropped like a sack if spuds rolled around clutching his shin.  Ball was there to be win he can not just leave it.  Hyam was very very lucky with his assault on the keeper.

  Looks like that is the last we will see of the top six.  Waggot.leaning back in his chair, feet on the desk, quietly sipping Chamagne thinkin JOB DONE.

Hyam was lucky but there was no malice in it - he was leaning in to stop the GK from taking it quickly and Gunn tried to con everyone. 

I'm glad we were too poor to buy Chrisene in the summer - what a non-entity of a player he is. 

[B16Rover]

If Cantwell wasn't so handsome he wouldn't be on the wages he's on nor get the number of chances he's had here 

 

I'm only half joking 

[Tom]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

Hyam was lucky but there was no malice in it - he was leaning in to stop the GK from taking it quickly and Gunn tried to con everyone. 

I'm glad we were too poor to buy Chrisene in the summer - what a non-entity of a player he is. 

Oh come on all he had to do was run across him but he’s literally elbowed him in the chin, you’d be apoplectic if that was the other way around 

[MB Rover]

7 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Full credit to Weimann coming off the bench and bagging the equaliser. He shows great movement in the final 3rd and makes some great runs.

Obviously we can't have him starting every week but as a player off the bench and starting the odd game, he's been great. 

Our leading scorer but the flip side of that is, he's our leading scorer with just 7 goals.

Looks like he did his hamstring at the end too. 

[Exiled_Rover]

5 minutes ago, arbitro said:

It certainly feels like a win given the circumstances but in truth I thought we were second best for long, long periods of the game. It was in the main a carry over from the Swansea match as too many players were way off the pace. Fortunately our back four were all decent and certainly kept us in it with some good defending.

I really expected a high press given the way Norwich play and having read that it's what Ismael prefers but we didn't and let them play through midfield where they were dominant. In fact Norwich were high pressing and forcing us to go long at times. Ironically we had a good spell after the triple change and looked to be on the front foot as Norwich looked to be tiring. Dennis however gave them a huge lift with his stupid sending off and they certainly took advantage of this by scoring a well worked goal.

I honestly couldn't see a way back but the players showed great character to get the equaliser and send us home happy. It certainly looked from where I sit that the challenge on Ohashi was in the penalty area of at the worst on the line. Perhaps this helped us as we galvanised after this and got the leveller with the players taking credit for showing great character.

It was good to get Carter (our best player in my view) and Tronstad back and hopefully this week get them up to speed for the rest of the season.

Hopefully Ismael has learned that we can't play Cantwell and Dolan in the same team. We can just about cope with one player who gives the ball away so often but having two is footballing suicide.

I just wouldn't play Dolan, he offers so very little. 

Not sure how it was a stupid sending off for Dennis - he had every right to go for that ball, it's a 50/50. The ref was clearly gagging to send him off as I'm sure the 4th official had been in his ear that the earlier tackle was a red (it wasn't). 

I'd love to see the Ohashi foul again - looked like a clear penalty and a yellow card to me (he'd got past both of them - it was a goal scoring opportunity). 

[arbitro]

16 minutes ago, Tom said:

Course I’ve seen it, never been a 50/50 and it’s 100% a red card he’s gone over the ball and come down on his ankle 

Second I’m not convinced he’s touched him but thought he was slow to it and gave the lad a chance and ref was always going to follow up 

I agree. I have only seen the first challenge in real time and my first thought was red card. It certainly ticked all the boxes for serious foul play. Then already on a yellow he was incredibly naive to give the referee a decision to make with his second challenge. 

If that had been a Norwich player I'm sure we would be saying it was a clear sending off.

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, Tom said:

Oh come on all he had to do was run across him but he’s literally elbowed him in the chin, you’d be apoplectic if that was the other way around 

I'd have booked Gunn for diving. 

[roversfan99]

23 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

feel like a good point post match with 10 men. 

neither did much to win the game and the ref wanted to be star of the show again(more on the ref later)

First Half, Norwich created the best 2 chances but neither on target. Rovers best moments came through Karbgo, his pace and skills troubled them. 

Second Half, Norwich control for the first 15 mins and we struggled to get out at times. Ismael made 3 subs and we were better, then the 10 minutes before the Dennis sending off, we were the better chances. 

for me, the sending off is Chrisene kicking Dennis who had to go for the ball, otherwise your head coach would be going mental at him for ducking it. 

Norwich got the lead, then Rovers tried to get back the game when we should have a clear pen for the foul on Ohashi by Wright. Clear pen all day long. We finally got the goal we wanted from Weimann who is our fox in the box and good cross by Ribeiro 

Ismael made positive subs who made an impact on the game. 

Now on the referee performance who was bloody awful all game, favoured Norwich far too much, made the wrong decisions when he sent Dennis off, Missing the clear pen, Ohashi's foul on their player when it wasn't, etc. 

Its a good point after being one nil down and with 10 men, huge credit to Ismael and the players today. 

Karbgo my man of the match but Travis, Carter and Hyam good performance. 

Lets go and win at Derby now which I am looking forward to and attending it

Not like you to view all of the refereeing decisions 

Just ignoring the Hyam elbow completely? Debatable Dennis straight red?

Is the clear penalty the one on Ohashi? If so, im not even convinced that it was a foul. But if it was, your eyes must be great to see exactly where any contact happened.

The ref was shit but it wasnt purely in Norwich's favour.

[Nic81]

A bit worried about Hyam and Carter as a pairing - seems Hyam prefers playing with Batth. So pleased Tronstad and Ohashi are back. Work on set pieces needed! Derby game is massive. 

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I just wouldn't play Dolan, he offers so very little. 

Not sure how it was a stupid sending off for Dennis - he had every right to go for that ball, it's a 50/50. The ref was clearly gagging to send him off as I'm sure the 4th official had been in his ear that the earlier tackle was a red (it wasn't). 

I'd love to see the Ohashi foul again - looked like a clear penalty and a yellow card to me (he'd got past both of them - it was a goal scoring opportunity). 

I disagree. He was lucky to get away with the first one in my view and incredibly silly to give the referee a decision to make. 

The Ohashi one looked like it was inside the penalty area.

[Exiled_Rover]

1 minute ago, Nic81 said:

A bit worried about Hyam and Carter as a pairing - seems Hyam prefers playing with Batth. So pleased Tronstad and Ohashi are back. Work on set pieces needed! Derby game is massive. 

Hyam prefers being the junior partner - he never takes command. 

[Lancaster Rover]

I think Dennis was getting increasingly frustrated with the ponderous speed the ball was being moved forward. He was constantly looking to get behind Chrisene and directing where he wanted it only for it to not come and is lose the ball, which I think played a part in his rashness, albeit the second wasn’t a yellow. 

[Lancaster Rover]

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Hyam prefers being the junior partner - he never takes command. 

Sits in the cuck chair 

[USABlue]

46 minutes ago, JCRovers said:

Pears 6 - Didn't have much to do throughout the game. Can't be blamed for the goal as center backs should've closed down Crnac quicker inside the box. 

Ribeiro 6 - Similar abilities to Pickering; decent crosser but lacks pace. Need Beck back into the team. 

Hyam 5 - Unnecessary foul on the keeper during first half. Hopefully won't serve a ban for it.

Carter 6 - First ninety minutes for a while. Will need a few games to get up to speed.

Brittain 7 - Looked lively on the right hand side, making several strides forward. 

Forshaw 5 - Sloppy in his passing game. Didn't venture forward much either. Positive news that Tronstad is back. 

Travis 6 - Worked hard but wasn't getting forward enough to support the attackers.

Kargbo 7 - Did well in his first start, taking on his opponent on the left and causing problems. Got a bit tired in the second for obvious reasons.

Cantwell 5 - Game didn't suit him as it was played with a fairly high intensity and he had to do a bit of chasing when out of possession. Couldn't connect or find passes to Kargbo or Gueye and was taken off for Weimann on the hour mark. 

Dolan 4 - Poor game yet again. Doesn't beat his marker for pace and often finds himself making wrong decisions in final third. Can't possibly see him retaining his place once Dennis is match fit.

Gueye 7 - Worked hard, providing an outlet for the team with his ability to hold off defenders and link-up play with his teammates. Needs to be at the end of crosses inside the box more often as he drifted out wide too much. 

Match summary: Not much between the sides to be fair. Norwich started well but Rovers grew into it at the end of first half and enjoyed a bit more possession in second. Dennis is a bit off pace; unnecessary foul/booking for the first challenge but still slightly unlucky to be sent off (second yellow) trying to get on the end of a cross. Game turned at that point but great response to get back on level terms at the final minute.

Central midfield aren't really supporting the attackers with runs into the box so feel that it's important that we get Beck back to provide a threat out wide on the left and offer Kargbo options when he's drifting inside. 

I actually thought Pears should have done better, he is always so slow to react he.never.has his feet right always takes an agentonget off the ground or get his hands up one of the worst keepers Inhave.seen.  Makes Butcher look decent.  He did make a decent stop, also got fortunate with another parried stop back into danger bouncing iff one if his defenders and close to back into the net.  He's just sub standard, get rid ASAP. 

Edited Saturday at 16:28 by USABlue

[Penwortham Blue]

27 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

If I was either Brittain or Ribeiro I’d have had Pears up against a wall for the amount of hand grenades he chucked Brittain and passes to  Ribeiro in poor areas. He takes so long to make a decision and then clips a ball to them under oressure.

I didn’t understand the pressing structure. Front line far too passive and not creating cover shadows on midfield. 2nd line stood too far off, so when they tried to apply high pressure the gaps were too big and they got popped off.

Why on earth we didn’t press Duffy who we know turns like a bus is beyond me. The few times we did they shit the bed and gave it away. We should have done everything we could to get the ball in between Duffy and the right back for Kargbo to run at them 

Thought Travis had his worst game of the season  

Good post, I was pointing out exactly the same, at no stage was Duffy pressurised when in possession and we know that he can’t handle that. Gueye needs support closer to him, without Ohashi, I think Kargbo needed to be more central and closer to big Mak.

[Herbie6590]

We are saying Dennis’ performance was better than Dolan today…😆

Send this to Dolan’s agent…

[Cherry Blue]

A typical Dolan game where he receives the ball, puts his foot on it then its taken off him. Who does he think he is!

We didn't have a mid field so Norwich carved into us be thankfully didn.t have the finishers apart from their goal. Not sure about the second yellow, think the Norwich kid was always looking for it once Dennis had been booked earlier which is a shame because I think our loan man was causing a concern.

But what a finish to equalise from quality man Weimann. 

Edited Saturday at 16:44 by Cherry Blue