[Archived] End Of The Season

[Hasta]

I'm quite happy with the final position and it is excellent for a club of our size. However I can't help thinking that we've shot ourselves in the foot enough times. Had we not done that it could have been a great season. Having said that I'm sure Villa and several other fans can say the same.

I know this is for another thread but unless we seriously alter the midfield I can't see us doing any better next season.

[elwaxo]

A mixed season for me, not a failure but not a huge success, somewhere inbetween.

Its been good that we challenged with the resources we have available but at the same time thats offset by disappointing exits in both the FA Cup and Europe. Then there was the erratic league form and i've lost count the number of times we shot ourselves in the foot and as a result dropped points.

I'm with you RVR, took the words out of my mouth!!!

[Rovers Air Force]

For my self the season was a mixed bag, we started the season brilliently, then after christmas the team fell apart and could not win to save their lives, then however we started to make a stab at Europe and played much better. The it was the middle of the season were we lost any realistic chance of 5/6th place and not the abject display on sunday!

To make a realistic attempt at Europe and the top four positions we need to challanging for every game and become much more consistant:

Our defence is inexplicably shakey at times, getting cut open like they are not there and standing by as a 17/18 year old debutant runs rings past them to head in a parried shot...

Our midfield is to attacking minded, as was clearly shownb on sunday!!! we need a playmaker to win the ball and make plays in and arround the centre circle such as savage and tugay did/can! bentley and MGP want the ball played to feet along the line so that they can cut in or send in crosses behind the back four... they can only do this with someone winning the ball and makeing that foot perfect pass!

Our strikers are great, but not consistantly so... they sometimes forget were the net is and for me that is telling! the number of games were Rovers have been unable to put the ball in the back of the net when given gilt edged chances is depressing,

OK yes Roque has had a mega season, as did benni last, but how often have the players then made good the next... it appears that each of out MEGA buy/bargins have a fantastic season when they arrive, raise their and the clubs profile then fall back into the masses of other premiership wannabes!

what we need most of all is to get this stupid small team punching above their weight tag well and truley out of our heads, pompy and villa (and spurs next season) do not have this title, and we should stop wrapping ourself in a fantasy cotton wool world when results don't go our way! WE WERE THE 7th BEST TEAM IN THE COUNRTY THIS SEASON!!! WE ARE NOT A SMALL CLUB! .. it is results that count! we have fantastic players who for the most part are the envy of the teams in the same position as ourselves, but these great players have to maintian their performances and the club must have the bottle to replace those who can't, wont or who don't want to.

£10M (even £15M) in this day and age is not alot to spend, and MH is not the kind of manager to plashout his entire allowance on a single player... I expect that we will see 3/4 exits with 2/3 new guys comming in... I doubt any of these will come from the english prem!!! and yet again MH will look to the lesser known european clubs to bring in a new star with mega potential.

my only hope is that we can find a central midfielder or two who can boss the game and make telling passes (sorry but on the games I have seen so far Reid and Vogel are not upto scratch), sort out our defence, and get the strikers to regain their scoring boots... pretty much what every team needs to do eh?

[thenodrog]

the minority is sometimes right; the majority always wrong

or how about:

whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect

Crikey you'll be gobbing off about seagulls following the trawler soon! Tell you what eddie it's time to leave Paris you've lived there that long that I think you're turning into one.

[philipl]

More opta- this time team performances. Rovers most fouling and almost the most fouled.

This statistic combination might well explain why Rovers' games didn't flow this season- we must have heard way more whistle than any other set of fans.

Also Rovers have the fewest number of players to have provided an assist. That in part probably explains why Benni was so off the boil.

More stats- Roque king of the headers!

[LeChuck]

More opta- this time team performances. Rovers most fouling and almost the most fouled.

Interesting that we were awarded joint 2nd most penalties this year, we can't be treated that badly by the men in black for that to be the case.

Everton's stat of having 18 players get an assist is amazing when you consider they only used 23 players in the season (one more than us). Sounds like they're playing 'total football' down at Goodison...

[roversmum]

More opta- this time team performances. Rovers most fouling and almost the most fouled.

This statistic combination might well explain why Rovers' games didn't flow this season- we must have heard way more whistle than any other set of fans.

Also Rovers have the fewest number of players to have provided an assist. That in part probably explains why Benni was so off the boil.

More stats- Roque king of the headers!

The problem is, those of us at matches know that 50/50 challenges tend to go against Rovers therefore racking up our 'fouls' total. Not much we can do about that though.

[philipl]

Just out of interest, can anyone recall a really nasty foul by a Rovers player this season (as opposed to plain stupid - Emerton at Wigan)?

[waggy]

this season has been very poor for the home fans,yet brilliant for the away fans.some off the preformances have been dire at ewood yet away from home we have been excellent.remenber we have played all season without benny mac,giving him a new contract is unbelievable in my eyes.still if we manage to hold on to sparky this close season i can see another top ten finish next year

[Daremz]

If we can get a pacey central defender, a pacy attacker (type Bellamy) and two class midfielders (type Elano), we'll win the league next season. Shocker.

Who'll leave?

Bentley, Samba, Emerton.

Don't hope so, just an idea.

[tcj_jones]

None of the options in the vote really summarize this season for me.

The final position in the league table is very pleasing and we are certainly doing well for a club of our size. However, we have very much flattered to deceive this season, playing very mediocre football ever since the end of October with only a few good performances since. At times we have been downright awful. Certain players have hugely underperformed either all season or for long spells, notably Pedersen, Nelsen, Samba, McCarthy.

If Pompey hadn't reached the final of the FA Cup and Man City hadn't suddenly imploded, we would have finished 9th. I think 9th is probably where we deserved to finish, to be honest.

We need to get shot of the dead wood and give McCarthy a huge kick up the arse and we need to add pace and creativity to the midfield and attack. I think we are crying out for a new left winger (although we have been for at least two seasons now) and a new central midfielder, maybe two.

[tony gale's mic]

Several points, I invite argument from those who choose to disagree.

1. We haven't had very much money to spend.

2. All the teams above us have better first team squads than we do.

3. We can complain all we like about the football and it has been poor at times, but this has been the first season in a while we haven't had either a playmaker, someone with pace or both playing regularly in our team. (See Tugay, Duff, Bellamy etc).

4. Either a playmaker or people with pace are really needed to create attractive football. This is why our play this season has consisted of putting balls into the box. This is why Santa (excellent with his head) and Bentley (excellent at delivering a cross) have shone particularly well this season. It doesn't make for pretty football though.

5. To put points 2, 3 and 4 right, money helps a great deal. I refer you back to point 1.

6. Had any one of the cups gone differently and another European place (or two) been given back to the league, most of you people moaning would have been singing a very different tune.

7. All these things considered, we've done an excellent job this season and have been pretty unlucky.

[daveoftherovers]

Option 2 currently summarises my view TBH

Okay, slightly bitter taste in the mouth after losing to big club, but isn't that us all over? Those of us that have followed Rovers for a considerable time KNOW this to be the case!

Highlights: Away performances ! Especially enjoyed Special K's mob & Bolton)

Roque, Brad, Bert Emerton, Warnock, Ooijer, Matty, Bentley (Until he started listening to his agent / press) started to see something in Vogel.

Downers: MGP (Until late on to be fair) Dunny, Reidy, Our Defence getting crocked / losing confidence, some of our home performances ! Seeing the last of Tugay?

Needed? Bolster defence with solidity & cover at RB (Although at times our defence did look very solid and did get left exposed by our Midfield)

Assistance for Vogel, Pace up front

All in all, for a club our size, 7th is good, although I would have quite enjoyed a Euro tour, Fair play my A*se !!!

[yellowsubmarine]

Overall it has been a good season in the league. Been the 3rd best team in England, outside of the Big 4, it's a good achievement. Although we should really have gotten 6th, if we had pushed on in our final game.

Cup competitions.. nothing much to shout about. Poor displays in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup.

[FourLaneBlue]

It is a strange one summing up our season. Looking at the league table shows we have done well but there is a niggling impression that we missed a great chance to do something more. That must be what happens when a great start peters out into indifference. Overall...great season but still...expected more somehow. Our exits from all three cups left a bitter taste in the mouth.

[tchocky]

I feel there should be an option between the "good" and "annoyed" ones.. But alas, it's a bit late now, so I went for "good".