[Archived] MK Dons (away) Easter Monday

[rigger]

19 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Has anybody criticised Mowbray after today's game?

He's done a good job and brought in some decent players but the job isn't done yet.

The job is never done.

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Gav said:

We are top of the league, having won 24 games and scored more goals than I can ever remember, why will Mowbray be asking any questions other than the best route to Sheff Weds, Norwich and QPR?

I think he has to be asking questions GAV. At half time I was thinking we have it top form, our best of the season, at just the right time. Then I spent 45 minutes in agony. 

The team just don’t seem to know what to do at 2-0 up. It’s happened time and again and even at this point Tony needs to be finding the answer to that. It could be his influence or a nerves in the team. Whatever it is at 2-0 we have to kill the game with a third. 

[Gav]

Just now, Paul said:

I think he has to be asking questions GAV. At half time I was thinking we have it top form, our best of the season, at just the right time. Then I spent 45 minutes in agony. 

The team just don’t seem to know what to do at 2-0 up. It’s happened time and again and even at this point Tony needs to be finding the answer to that. It could be his influence or a nerves in the team. Whatever it is at 2-0 we have to kill the game with a third. 

I don't have a problem with questioning the manager, I was doing more than that for the last 20mins I can tell you!!!

But we don't have any balance, it's hard to find a thread praising Mowbray for another away win, more goals and top of the league, that's my point.

[Mattyblue]

As long as he and the team are getting support in the ground (which they are), who cares that a few dozen faceless folk on a message board arent giving the correct amount of praise?

[Tom]

18 minutes ago, Paul said:

I think he has to be asking questions GAV. At half time I was thinking we have it top form, our best of the season, at just the right time. Then I spent 45 minutes in agony. 

The team just don’t seem to know what to do at 2-0 up. It’s happened time and again and even at this point Tony needs to be finding the answer to that. It could be his influence or a nerves in the team. Whatever it is at 2-0 we have to kill the game with a third. 

There was an interesting quote in his post match interview about how we don’t take any team lightly or disrespect them - that’s good, but I think at times we show other teams too much respect.

At times we could afford to be a little more arrogant and really put teams to the sword, instead I feel potentially the manager has a natural cautious side and that comes through in half time team talks when we are leading.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Or, conversely, Dominic Samuel missed the biggest sitter of the afternoon.

[Gav]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

As long as he and the team are getting support in the ground (which they are), who cares that a few dozen faceless folk on a message board arent giving the correct amount of praise?

It's a valid point, one I used to make myself, but decent posts make it all worthwhile, or we'd be better just giving up.

New Zealand 3 down now, come on England.

[jim mk2]

We were cruising at half time. MK looked a very poor side (though they could have scored from a free header).  I was looking forward to a stress free second half with us going on to seal an emphatic victory. But the second half was predictable as we sat back and let them come into the game. MK will feel they deserved an equaliser in the last 15 minutes. 

Mowbray's a worrier without a doubt. Watching him on the touchline every game seems like agony to him. He' likes his teams to play good football but he's naturally cautious and seems to prefer to defend a lead rather than kill the opposition off. Does this fear transmit itself to the players ? 

This isn't really a criticism - most fans would never have dreamt we'd be in this position back in September.

[AllRoverAsia]

Highlights, sorry about the music.

MK Dons manager post match "we ran out of time"

 

[Roverthechimp]

Thing is we could quite easily have won 5-1 with better finishing. Likewise it could have been 2-2.

Not always the managers fault and the game isn't played in a vacuum - MK Dons changed the way they played 2nd half in response to our dominance first half. Still had chances with Graham and Samuel whilst Armstrong was close to a third...

[Paul]

7 hours ago, Gav said:

I don't have a problem with questioning the manager, I was doing more than that for the last 20mins I can tell you!!!

But we don't have any balance, it's hard to find a thread praising Mowbray for another away win, more goals and top of the league, that's my point.

Oh I agree Mowbray and the team don’t get the praise and respect they deserve from some quarters. I thought we hit absolute top form for the whole of the Bradford game and the first 45 minutes yesterday. Perfectly timed at this point in the season to accelerate away from Wigan or Shrewsbury. Based on the Bradford performance I didn’t expect anything other than more of the same in yesterday’s second half. 

I’m very happy with the manager and team but the point was “Mowbray has questions to ask” and I think this is true. It becomes more important with every game that we stop the habit of having the dodgy 45 minutes when we should be killing the game off. TM needs to keep examining this aspect of our game.

For me over Easter we’ve looked like we have the basis of a decent Championship side. A few weaker players out, Samuel for example, and good solid replacements in and we would be OK. 

It’ll be criminal if this side doesn’t go up. 

[RevidgeBlue]

Brilliant posts from jim and Paul, bang on the money. I think everyone wants TM to succeed, he seems a smashing bloke and a genuine football man but I Don't understand the concept that you can't question any of his tactics or decisions. It's only recently that we blew a 2 goal half time lead at home against Wigan by being far too passive in the second half and whilst I wasn't at yesterday's game it would appear the same thing very nearly happened again.

TM had done brilliantly overall this season after a terrible start and We've earned ourselves a bit of wiggle room but things are still relatively tight and if any of the three managers get it wrong on the run in it could prove fatal.

That said, as things stand at the moment I think we should definitely go up and probably wiĺl. I think we've got the best squad albeit I'd rather be in Wigan's position and have the potential one point lead.

[arbitro]

8 hours ago, Gav said:

 

I never said anybody had criticised Mowbray?

But reading your post, which gave no credit to the manager/team whatsoever, I was asking why? and you've now put that right above and rightly so.

 

 

You haven't said that today but in previous threads you have gone on about it ad infinitum.

I praised the team in my original post and without going back I think I used the word scintillating for some of the first half play. If you were there and are happy with the second half performance then I would suggest you are in a vast minority.

What we all agree on though was that the result was the most important thing.

[G Somerset Rover]

Two absolutely fantastic blocks yesterday; typifying the spirit in the Rovers ranks at the moment. Looks like being Evans first half and Smallwood near the end of the match (could be wrong on the former). Fantastic to see bodies being put on the line.

[blueboy3333]

Having now watched the Bradford game twice  if anyone that is absolutely top form they must have very low standards. 

[Gav]

59 minutes ago, arbitro said:

You haven't said that today but in previous threads you have gone on about it ad infinitum.

I praised the team in my original post and without going back I think I used the word scintillating for some of the first half play. If you were there and are happy with the second half performance then I would suggest you are in a vast minority.

What we all agree on though was that the result was the most important thing.

The manager gets hardly any praise at all on here, which is completely at odds to the match day experience thankfully.

But yes you're spot on, the results at this stage are the most important thing, and if we continue in the same vein we'll be promoted for sure.

 

[47er]

11 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Because we are still not clear from the other two, surely it is TM’s job to keep looking for small improvements, who knows something he works on could make the difference in a forthcoming match.

So right. This will probably be settled by fine margins so we need to get all our ducks in a row. 

[DE.]

44 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Having now watched the Bradford game twice  if anyone that is absolutely top form they must have very low standards. 

The Bradford game hinged on the substitutions Mowbray started to make around the 65 min mark. Before that our attacking play was being disrupted by Samuel up front and our best chances were falling to Corry Evans. We were dominant without looking particularly threatening. I thought we were far more impressive and composed during the first 45 mins against MK. Graham being on the pitch made a massive difference (Samuel never makes those passes, nor is he even in those positions). 

[blueboy3333]

29 minutes ago, DE. said:

The Bradford game hinged on the substitutions Mowbray started to make around the 65 min mark. Before that our attacking play was being disrupted by Samuel up front and our best chances were falling to Corry Evans. We were dominant without looking particularly threatening. I thought we were far more impressive and composed during the first 45 mins against MK. Graham being on the pitch made a massive difference (Samuel never makes those passes, nor is he even in those positions). 

I haven't seen yesterday's game but the first half sounded like it was another planet compared to the Bradford game. I think it helps being away from home sometimes. The onus is on the home team to attack and that's when they leave the gaps for the likes of Armstrong to exploit. The MK goals were like lightening. One pass and Armstrong is clean through. Twice. When the space is there we are lethal.

The Bradford game was different. We started well, had a couple of chances early on from Antonsson and Bennett(?) and then that big scramble when we hit the bar and post. From the 15th minute to when we scored on 65 minutes we were poor. It was dull to watch a 2nd time. After the subs we looked dangerous as you say. But it was a long way from 'top form'. In many ways it was a microcosm of our season at home - largely frustrating but interspersed with some moments of real quality from our best players. For the most part that's all we've needed.

[oldjamfan1]

2 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Two absolutely fantastic blocks yesterday; typifying the spirit in the Rovers ranks at the moment. Looks like being Evans first half and Smallwood near the end of the match (could be wrong on the former). Fantastic to see bodies being put on the line.

Yep, they were superb, very Hendryesque

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

I haven't seen yesterday's game but the first half sounded like it was another planet compared to the Bradford game. I think it helps being away from home sometimes. The onus is on the home team to attack and that's when they leave the gaps for the likes of Armstrong to exploit. The MK goals were like lightening. One pass and Armstrong is clean through. Twice. When the space is there we are lethal.

The Bradford game was different. We started well, had a couple of chances early on from Antonsson and Bennett(?) and then that big scramble when we hit the bar and post. From the 15th minute to when we scored on 65 minutes we were poor. It was dull to watch a 2nd time. After the subs we looked dangerous as you say. But it was a long way from 'top form'. In many ways it was a microcosm of our season at home - largely frustrating but interspersed with some moments of real quality from our best players. For the most part that's all we've needed.

Saturday will be more of the same. It seems we miss some very scoreable chances early in these types of games and then end up making things harder for ourselves. If we score those chances, the nerves are settled and the opposition need to push out. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, oldjamfan1 said:

Yep, they were superb, very Hendryesque

Downing did a good one too. Evans and Smallowood both through their bodies there as well. Great to see. Smallwoods block near the end was the absolute definition of being "as good as a goal" 

[Pedro]

2 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

I haven't seen yesterday's game but the first half sounded like it was another planet compared to the Bradford game. I think it helps being away from home sometimes. The onus is on the home team to attack and that's when they leave the gaps for the likes of Armstrong to exploit. The MK goals were like lightening. One pass and Armstrong is clean through. Twice. When the space is there we are lethal.

The Bradford game was different. We started well, had a couple of chances early on from Antonsson and Bennett(?) and then that big scramble when we hit the bar and post. From the 15th minute to when we scored on 65 minutes we were poor. It was dull to watch a 2nd time. After the subs we looked dangerous as you say. But it was a long way from 'top form'. In many ways it was a microcosm of our season at home - largely frustrating but interspersed with some moments of real quality from our best players. For the most part that's all we've needed.

I watched the Bradford game in TV. It was a really solid performance. We protected Raya brilliantly, dealt with our injuries and absences to key players and expertly took a couple of chances - all after not playing for an eternity.  Personally, I was more than happy with that.

[Paul]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Saturday will be more of the same. It seems we miss some very scoreable chances early in these types of games and then end up making things harder for ourselves. If we score those chances, the nerves are settled and the opposition need to push out. 

If you’re talking about MK Dons from what I recall we took our early chances. Graham, the ball was stuck under his feet, and Samuel, an appalling effort over the bar, missing the chance to close the game. 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Pedro said:

I watched the Bradford game in TV. It was a really solid performance. We protected Raya brilliantly, dealt with our injuries and absences to key players and expertly took a couple of chances - all after not playing for an eternity.  Personally, I was more than happy with that.

But it wasn't the vintage 'top class' performance some have been painting it as for nearly a week now.