1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

On the ball, Travis isnt perfect and definitely needs improvement but hes certainly competent on the ball as this shows.

 

And he passes forward too, not scared to give the ball away trying something.

21 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

I kind of hope Luton beat Rovers, Charlton get something at Leeds and Derby turn Birmingham over.

I'd like to see 'big club' relegated, I've no time for them whatsoever.

I'm looking at it in terms of who are looking like the easiest to take points from next season - hard to see any of them being in a position to really kick on to be honest, but it looks as though Birmingham will be scaling back, even after getting the big fee for Bellingham 

2 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Jason Steele - The return !  ?

Don't!

I'd rather have Walton back on an 8 year deal.

14 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Suprised the Venkys are trusting Tony with a 15 million striker deal after Brereton and Gallagher

Joking aside, will be interesting who has that sort of money to throw around at Championship level. 

The Cowleys have been sacked by Huddersfield.

Not paid enough attention to see if their sacking was justified or not, but amazing how quickly you can throw away a hard earned reputation. Sure they'll be able to get a good job in L1, but less clear that another Championship club would take a risk. 

17 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Simply looking at their similarities.

I notice you removed the most damning ones.

There are legitimate criticisms, and I accept that not everyone is going to have the same positive view of the manager as I do. 

I was pointing out that even if were to accept those similarities to be true (clearly not objective, but putting that aside) there's a world of difference between whatever degree of under-performance that we might arguably be going through presently and the unmitigated catastrophe of the Kean years. 

If I have shares in a company and they lose value, it's very easy for me to complain and apportion blame without comparing it to the Wall Street Crash. 

If yesterday is anything to go by, this could be any score in either direction. Luton won't be as open and won't let us create at will like we seemed to against Reading. Equally, they don't have the likes of Swift who will can pick out the bottom corner from 25 yards with their first shot.

I'd back both teams to score, other than that, no idea. 

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Jamie Vardy came up that way also but I suspect he's got more desire and pure will to win than Amstrong, There's no lost causes with Vardy.

A rare player and character is Vardy. He doesn't have the same backstory but you could put Ings in a similar bracket, albeit not quite as good.

I don't expect that Amra will ever get the top flight career that those have had (or certainly that Ings would have had bar injuries) but equally I don't think he's too far away from being able to score a decent number of goals at that level, albeit in the right set-up.

1 minute ago, Atko's Engine said:

 

Would've been great to see Vale hit that shot 6 inches lower to round things off.

 

Try half an inch!

That aside your post is exactly how I saw today. Can't over interpret an end-of-season dead rubber, but it was an enjoyable game nevertheless, and there were promising cameos from young players, some of whom will need to step up next year.

2 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Has improved and needed to as, IMO, looked a League One player out of his depth.

Huge step up to PL for an attacking player.  Compare him to most of the PL attacking players and, IMO, he's still miles off the mark.  IMO, not an intelligent footballer.

I was thinking similar at times early last season to be honest. Looked at his goals record for Bolton and Barnsley and heard some of their fans talk about how he might as well not be on the pitch when they played him out wide. Suspected that he might never have the intelligence, all round game (or in our case, service!) to make the most of his goal-scoring talents. Perhaps wouldn't go as far to say that he looked like a L1 player, but certainly one dimensional in a way that is chalk and cheese to his contributions of late. 

Take the point about the massive step up, but equally there are plenty of examples of forwards taking to the step up like a duck to water. I suppose a common theme is that they often have physicality which Arma doesn't, but this isn't always the case. Another year of improvement at the rate of the last 12 months, we might be having a different conversation. 

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

I forgot about Davenport as well who's been here 2 seasons but who can't get a chance either.

TM will play the youngsters if there's no other choice but he doesn't appear to trust them.

Come on now, Davenport's injury record at Rovers has been horrendous, most of those two years he was on the treatment table! 

Travis, Nyambe and Raya are all examples of players who became first team regulars in their v. early 20s under TM. Loads of others have played significant numbers of games at a similar age. Not saying there aren't legitimate gripes with his selection policy (I'd like to see more of Chapman, probably like most others on here) but I don't think the aversion to young players thing stands up at all to be honest.

23 minutes ago, Mercer said:

At 26 not sure he'll improve enough for PL.

IMO, decent Championship player - full stop.

Travis has a season to prove he COULD make the step up - though surprising how younger players 'level out'.

Armstrong, IMO, technically not good enough for PL.  Will be a very good Championship player.

You could be right about that, but I'm really surprised how his all round game has come on this year.

12 months ago I was worrying whether he was a luxury at this level, pace and a good finish but not much else. Now he's just an excellent all round attacker, capable of running at players, scoring from both feet from anywhere, setting goals up. Might need to keep up the progress to get to the top flight as a starter, but I wouldn't write him off at his age. 

1 minute ago, Commondore said:

2 new assists for Holtby, when not injured he's very high Championship quality. He needs to be involved more next season, although Dack also needs to get into that midfield, and we're already shipping too many goals. It's a bit of a puzzle, but I think Mowbray deserves the chance to keep laying it. As long as you end the season higher in the table than the season before (15th, as everyone no doubt remember) it takes something extraordinary to mark it as a failure, and the dud transfers of Brereton and Gallagher doesn't qualify for that IMO. 

Hotlby is one of several players that we have who has the ability to contribute to a successful team at this level, but to a certain extent relies on having the right players around him. Don't think he quite has the rounded game to be the main man consistently, but I can still see him having a better year next time round (and that's not to say that he hasn't had some good games this season). I feel similarly about Rothwell, although his season has obviously been more disappointing. I hope we have the budget to keep Downing, as having creative midfield options of a fully fit Dack, Holtby, Downing, Rothwell all competing for shirts with Buckley, JRC and hopefully Chapman, it will mean that this is the one area of the park where we won't need to worry about recruitment!

16 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I wouldn't use sarcasm when it doesn't back up your point, Brereton has only started back to back games twice in two years, Chapman has hardly been seen since signing 18 months ago, Nyambe invariably has to play second fiddle to Bennett, Travis was on his way out on loan before Smallwood got himself suspended, Wharton and Magloire can't get a chance, Buckley only gets cameos, JRC only got in as a result of an injury crisis.

That's an incredibly choice way of looking at it. You could just as easily say that he's given at least 8 debuts to academy players in his just over three seasons and our oldest player finishing the game today was 26. Neither account gives a proper reflection.

I'm not worried about any of our lads being looked at by Prem clubs for next season (maybe Trav at a push). 

I am worried about wealthy Championship clubs with money burning holes in their pockets looking at a few of them though,

If there's interest in Armstrong, I hope we're brave enough to recognise his value. Young English forward who scores bags of goals, sets a few up and scares teams to death with his pace. Needs to be 8 figures to start the conversation. 

Wigan have put together some good form in recent months, but Cook is the same manager who had them at right at the bottom after the first half of the season. I'm not sure we'd be as forgiving about their utterly dismal away form that they've had for the vast majority of their time in this division. 

Perfectly decent manager, but there's no way that I'd either i) swap him for Mowbray or ii) want him if TM was to go for whatever reason. 

2 minutes ago, matt83 said:

He may be 35 but I reckon could do worse than David Marshall at Wigan. Jonathan Bond at WBA has been mentioned, as has Darlow at Newcastle. But as with most transfers Mowbray has an inability to get them over the line so not overly confident 

Good shout, although he was available last summer and we didn't go for him, so I assume that won't be one we'll be looking at (although I hope I'm wrong)

27 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

A tighter defence!

We criticise our attackers a lot because of the amounts spent on them, but I think our defence is our real problem. Assuming no players leave in the next window, I would be lost for words if we invested any more in attackers while neglecting our defence.

Lenihan isn't afraid to get stuck in, but I think he has to maintain his position better in certain situations. It's been something that I've noticed on the radar for a while, and he reminds me a lot of Grant Hanley. That's being over-critical, as comparing him to Hanley means that he 's good enough for Rovers, but he was primarily at fault for Reading's second goal today. Reading's first goal was a great free-kick, but I feel as though Walton is becoming another Rovers punchbag if people are focusin on him being at fault for the second goal, whilst Darragh gets off scot-free.

JRC is not a left-back, but he's filled-in well, and I don't recall any (or many) defensive mistakes whilst he's come into the side. Bell did improve after the New Year, but it feels like he will never maintain that form, and I think a young non-left-back in JRC has sort of put him to shame in how to defend. Next season, and assuming that we sort out the left-back position with a Cunningham or similar, I'd like to see JRC as an impact sub for the attacking wide left position. He is clearly very comfortable at that end of the pitch, and he certainly has an air of quality about him.

I get the feeling that Nyambe's injury woes took hold of his game today. I don't think he was at fault for anything, but he didn't get forward as much as you'd expect today. I like him at RB, but it always feels like a case of how often he'll be playing. For all those saying that Bennett is Mowbray's biggest chum, let's remember that Benno doesn't get a look-in when Nyambe is fit these days. If Nyambe proves to be similarly injury-prone next season, I think we have a decision to make, as we cannot rely on players who are fit for just half a season or less.

 

Whilst I basically agree, I think before the lockdown (or at least before the Derby game!) we were close to cracking it. Mid-season we were racking up a very respectable number of clean sheets, and I think we definitely looked much more solid since last season, where soft goals and late goals dogged us.

Since then we've obviously been far too easy to score against, and we can put a quite a lot of that on Walton's shoulders but blame needs to be shared around too. Not just with the back four either, as impressive as Travis is, we would have conceded two less had he not lost the ball cheaply against Leeds and this afternoon.

Obviously can't be reading too much into games like this, but Buckley showed that he has talent. Big progress from the little boy in his couple of showings. 

What an absolutely ridiculous game

Assume it's a fitness thing, went off at the weekend and he's had a propensity to pick up injuries

14 minutes ago, superniko said:

Can see a draw so we all know it’s over but Cardiff losing too so it’s still possible mathematically, leading to it all dragging on to the last week where we need about 6 results to go our way, rueing our missed opportunities. 

The end to this season is reminding me me plenty of the Bowyer season where we almost got in the play offs. I remember watching us put 4 past Birmingham away in the first half and being more concerned about 4 or 5 other teams results than enjoying ours!

In the end though it didn't matter as the horrible Yeovil and much much worse Sheffield Wednesday results took it beyond us. I expect this season will be the same with Wigan and Barnsley, but it looks like they're doing a good job of just about keeping our hopes alive by a slither until the final moment. 

2 minutes ago, rog of the rovers said:

Really close between a few for me:

Downing - Very solid signing, gets an honorable mention, but mainly between Adam Armstrong and Lewis Travis.

Armstrong's goals have been crucial, particularly in the second half of the season, since Dack has been injured, but decided to give it to Travis. I feel as though he has the potential to play in the Premier League, his work is so crucial to us and you really feel his absence when he's not in the middle of the park! 3 assist and 2 goals also! 

I'd have no qualms at all with either of those getting it, especially Armstrong the way that he has kicked on, but I've voted for Darragh. I remember seeing our win percentage with him and without him in the team a couple of weeks ago. These things can be misleading, but even so I really think Lenihan is the one player in the squad that we miss the most when he doesn't play. 

43 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Don't know where this talk of him having no final ball.

Whenever I've seen him cross it's always a really good ball.

Mowbray just doesn't want him running at players and getting the ball into the box.

Game of opinions, but I really don't see it that way at all.

I do think that he has worked really hard on his technical play and he can do a pretty good job of keeping possession high up the pitch, and it might be easy to exaggerate how bad his final ball tends to be (happy to say it's no worse than Bell's, more often than not). Even so, I can't agree that we can call his crossing good, definitely a weaker part of his game as I see it.