v Sheffield Utd (a) - 23/2/22 - Match Preview

[CambridgeRover]

The formation going forward is just horrendous at this point. Buckley false nine, Gallagher on the wing. No wonder the goals dried up

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, CambridgeRover said:

The formation going forward is just horrendous at this point. Buckley false nine, Gallagher on the wing. No wonder the goals dried up

As predicted by many on here. I wish the lottery was as easy.

[Gav]

13 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Dembele isn’t a striker - he’s another winger/forward type that TM loves to stockpile.

You can’t honestly say that we’ve not made one massive balls up in not bringing in a true striker during January. It’s clearly costing us massively, and very likely will cost us a play-off space as outside of BBD and Dack not one of them can put the ball in the net. Other teams have brought in useful options, even during January, yet we just stood still despite the huge warning signs and having the full month to rectify things. It’s infuriating.

Nope, its costing us alright Gavlar, he was unlucky with Dilan Markanday, I'd wager that ate up all the budget.

[Commondore]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

It may have been mentioned before why didn't they try to get Armstrong back on loan? He’s not playing at Soton and I assume he’s not injured. 

No chance he'd go for it, he's been working his way back to the PL for years and won't give it up after less than six months.

Most sickening loss in years, couldn't sleep last night. Last time I felt this bad after a Rovers game might have been Sunderland in the relegation season when we threw away a 1-0 lead. Hard game to analyse, more than the fact that strength and size will take you a long way in this division. I still think the system looks effective, but since it's so tailor made for the current, very thin squad, we suffer when key components go off the boil (BBD, Rothwell, Buckley). I still think there's a Tugay-esque midfielder in Buckley if he'd play a bit deeper in midfield, he has immense passing ability but finishes like Jason Roberts.

[Mattyblue]

4 minutes ago, Gav said:

Nope, its costing us alright Gavlar, he was unlucky with Dilan Markanday, I'd wager that ate up all the budget.

When you’ve got potentially a £100 million plus prize just four months away, was a 20 year old who’d never played a first team match the way to go with your budget for a forward?

Edited February 24, 2022 by Mattyblue

[booth]

25 minutes ago, Gav said:

He tried to sign Dembele and Obafemi didn't he? 

He was clearly priced out of both deals if memory serves me correctly?

But he didn’t, and Dembele isn’t even a goal scoring option. He’s scored less than Hedges.

[Sparks Rover]

6 minutes ago, Gav said:

Nope, its costing us alright Gavlar, he was unlucky with Dilan Markanday, I'd wager that ate up all the budget.

You back him whatever Gav.  He should have got Dwight Gayle.  Now sat on bench and not playing football.  He'd have scored last night.

[Gav]

7 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

When you’ve got potentially a £100 million plus prize just four months away, was a 20 year old who’d never played a first team match the way to go with your budget for a forward?

You can't buy much on our budget Matty, I'm surprised we managed to get Markanday to be honest, he must have been on peanuts.

[tomphil]

That forms part of the valid argument with the Markanady signing obviously being another for the future to polish. To most the eyes and the money should have been on the present and what we really needed right now.

Being totally honest at this stage of his career with very little if any pro experience he'd have been another Khadra / Povenda hit and miss player.

If they put all their eggs in that basket they've learned nothing. However midtable comfort zone developing players suits this management and structure far better than where we managed to get to, that's obvious.

[Gav]

6 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

You back him whatever Gav.  He should have got Dwight Gayle.  Now sat on bench and not playing football.  He'd have scored last night.

😄

He's on £40k a week.

[Mattyblue]

7 minutes ago, Gav said:

You can't buy much on our budget Matty, I'm surprised we managed to get Markanday to be honest, he must have been on peanuts.

I’ve no problem with signings like that generally, it’s the model the club has chosen and that’s that.

However, when you are handed an enormous chance like what had unfolded by January, but then there isn’t even a hint of some short term bolstering of a key position, it shows that there isn’t really any ambition from the owners down to actually go for it. 

Edited February 24, 2022 by Mattyblue

[Sparks Rover]

5 minutes ago, Gav said:

😄

He's on £40k a week.

So?

[Gav]

10 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I’ve no problem with signings like that generally, it’s the model the club has chosen and that’s that.

However, when you are handed an enormous chance like what had unfolded by January, but then there isn’t even a hint of some short term bolstering of a key position, it shows that there isn’t really any ambition from the owners down to actually go for it. 

I've been saying that all season Matty.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

It appears that opposition managers have identified a real weakness in Kaminski from corners and are exploiting it. I have just seen the goal and it confirmed my thoughts at the time (and for some time now) that he is poor under pressure when opponents get around him. 

OK, so put a couple of our shorter forwards on the half way line for corners. It’s not like they’re much use as defenders anyway. Bringing everybody back just enables them to crowd the keeper. They’d have to bring two or three players, probably defenders, back to cover our players. Then you’ve got room for your keeper to play his normal game

[tomphil]

32 minutes ago, CambridgeRover said:

The formation going forward is just horrendous at this point. Buckley false nine, Gallagher on the wing. No wonder the goals dried up

Only one person to hold accountable for that, some might argue it did work once over but it clearly hasn't for a long time now. How long ago is it the debate about Buckley not being capable of false 9 started ?

The Gallagher one has been going on ever since he set foot in the door with virtually no evidence it works.

It's ridiculous really but we know Mowbrays blind spots by now so as long as he is here and those players are the same thing will happen.  

Never get promoted with him, drop like a stone without him - that seems to be the split of opinion.

Edited February 24, 2022 by tomphil

[Mattyblue]

7 minutes ago, Gav said:

I've been saying that all season Matty.

Me too.

The club/the owners were obviously totally caught out with what happened between Sheff Utd at home and the window opening, and weren’t remotely prepared to quickly alter plans, to go and grasp the prize, a completely transformative prize at that.

So very sad and alas I feel it will something we will look back on in utter frustration in years to come…

Edited February 24, 2022 by Mattyblue

[Gav]

6 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Me too

We missed out on almost every number 1 target in the summer due to our budget. When the owners had a chance to push on in January they failed to do so and that tells you everything you need to know about the ambition at the top.

Sparks mentions Dwight Gayle above, I agree with him he'd probably have done a job, but his wages are way beyond our means and they shouldn't be with the £100m bonanza you talk about.

Missed opportunity, the likes of we'll possibly not see again under these owners.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Gav

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I expected us to drift away from the second spot eventually and I thought we only had a 50/50 chance of staying in the playoff zone. The teams chasing us have better management teams and at the end of the day that’s what counts, everything else being more or less equal. Having said that I’m shocked that our results have fallen off a cliff like they have.

I didn’t watch last nights game as I had a prior engagement. I was prepared to give the false number nine game one last throw of the dice but now it’s time for a change. It’s a shame but one of the centre halves will have to go. When you have 8 players that rarely if ever get into the last third of the pitch goals are always going to be thin on the ground. I think it’s time to go 4-3-3 again.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Ossydave]

I don't think there's much more to add that hasn't been said, you just KNEW after that penalty miss we'd go on to lose.

Perhaps the most annoying part is we're losing against such bang average teams, along with the fact that the back 3 i the best we've had in ages and we're not capitalising on that, futhermore next season it will also be ripped apart as well so we're back to square 1.

Nyambe was dreadful last night, although why we're looking to him to be our creative outlet is beyond me, I think he's even wondering why himself.

When we go on these nightmare runs we usually manage to pluck a few results from somewhere but I'm struggling to see it at the moment.

The full season basically hinges upon the impact of Dack now but it sounds like he's still some way off.

I've never known a team with so few players who can actually shoot, to have a 'false 9' that fits that bracket is absolutely mind boggling, can someone please explain why we pursued Hedges for ages, brought him in early, yet still don't play him?

The tombola needs a full on 2 handed spin at weekend, its shit or bust time.

On another note, the pockets of our fans signing "your support is f*cking sh*t" just need to stop, the cringe is real.

 

[Mattyblue]

Especially at Bramall Lane which is one of the few Championship grounds with a big and loud crowd…

[booth]

36 minutes ago, Gav said:

😄

He's on £40k a week.

So don’t buy players you aren’t going to play then. Spend it on players that will make a difference.

[AllRoverAsia]

Dilan Markanday was bought for the future not for this season except in dire emergency.

Very limited exposure to big boys football and unproven at even Championship level.

If he was that good Levy would not have sold so cheaply or is there a buy back clause or big sell on %, apparently our preferred option.

His unfortunate injury - did he have hamstring injury history at Spurs? - cannot be used as an excuse for our dire transfer window dealings.

We have a manager who says we didn't buy a striker because we don't play that way and yet when I played, at my low level, it was common knowledge that you needed to score at least one to win a game. Just another entry in the Mowbray book of nonsense.

[47er]

3 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

If he was that good Levy would not have sold so cheaply or is there a buy back clause or big sell on %, apparently our preferred option.

There is and its a whopping 50%!

[alcd]

1 hour ago, BankEnd Rover said:

The only positive is that I think he will resign come the end of the season…fresh face will be needed as we know we wont be going up with Mowbray.

only worry is what players will be leaving…Van hecke, Khadra, Lenihen, Diaz, Rothwell, Giles…Dack possibly…

I doubt anyone will take a risk on Dack this summer. Of greater concern is that the close season looks like being chaos as Waggott would follow Mowbray out of the door so that by the end of June there will be no manager and no CEO to appoint one although in reality that probably falls to the Global Adviser Suhail Pasha. Looks like a shambolic close season  and a trolley dash for the leftovers in August. 

[chaddyrovers]

11 hours ago, Fraserkirky said:

Time to go back to the 4-3-3, couldn’t score in a brothel right now.

I agree there or even 4-4-2 

11 hours ago, neophox said:

We wanted Ismael... now he's available and does exceptionally well with youngsters....

Do we want Ismael? Wouldn't suit us at all. But his tactics are awful. Like Pulis's tactics again

11 hours ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Who picks Buckley and Gallagher?  Who refused to sign a striker? 

Where you complaining when we winning games and Buckley was playing false 9/10 role? 

We did sign a striker in Markanday but sadly he got injured. We have the squad we have gr