v West Bromwich Albion (a) - 13/1/24

[DeeCee]

Absolute fucking disgrace.

[ageoftherover]

A few thoughts after watching the extended highlights:

Leo obviously has to go asap. I think there's the glimmer of a player in there, but a keeper with confidence as shot as his must be atm is no good to anyone, least of all himself. I wouldn't loan him to a L1/L2 club either. Even if a club wanted him, you're still dunking him in cauldron full of loud, passionate fans and very real competition. Let him get his rhythm back with the youth team. Much lower pressure environment, with and against kids of a similar age. 

I'm not sure Pears does a whole bunch better. The defensive line, as a unit, is completely shot. Yes, Leo being shaky contributes to that, but I'd argue the poor protection he gets is a factor in his poor performances. The defense/goalkeeper confidence relationship is a 2 way phenomenon. Either way, Pears has a huge job coming back into this mess, if he was prime Buffon thatd be one thing, but he's a guy who's had his own issues with shaky play/poor confidence and has now had an extended lay-off. Hope and pray for all concerned his first half of play goes very very well.

We need a tough, experienced defender in the setup asap. Someone to shake things up and put some fight back into that area of the pitch. A guy who throws every pound of flesh at a long throw in and gives an absolute shredding to anyone who didn't do the same, captain or otherwise. Every other post in the transfer thread mentions a striker, I dont think is even remotely close to as big an issue as the defense. 

Related to the above, there appears to be a general lack of fight and hunger on the pitch. I think this is a much bigger issue than our tactics, which are largely unchanged from those that saw us in the playoff frame last year. That does not absolve JDT. Hes an erudite, well spoken, charming man with a decorated history on the field, but does he have the ability to get a group of men out of the depths and into the fight? On today's evidence it doesn't look like it.

Garrett has to feature more prominently. What an incredible strike that was. Likes getting stuck in too. We have a gem there for mine.

Edited January 14 by ageoftherover

[Michael123458]

Having just watched the highlights the first goal is ridiculous where is the centre half heading that long thrown ball out it bounces all the way to the far post and headed in on the line. 
 

funny thing is we will be there on the piss week after week watching the boys. Well some of us. It is a drug that we can’t stop taking football. 

[philipl]

I didn't have our play-off prospects to be at an end at 4.45 on 13 January when looking forward to the 23/24 season last August.

But here we are.

To go down, all of Huddersfield, QPR and Wednesday have to win at Ewood so being realistic a long tail of mediocrity is what we have to look forwards to unless the Cup can lift our spirits.

I never expected I would be desperate for the return of Pears but here we are. Goals 1 and 3 only needed Wahlstedt to grab a ball in easy reach. A keeper on top form makes a decent attempt at stopping 2 and 4 also.

I understand the experiment of Brittain and Carter at full backs but it didn't work and doesn't say much for Chrisene as a loan signing.

Garrett has got to keep his place and Moran lose his. Garrett was the only bright spark yesterday.

Gally showed us what we have been missing. Physical presence and a first touch which breaks down our forward momentum.

Oh dear.

 

 

[MarkBRFC]

7 hours ago, DE. said:

Not sure I agree that you can't replace Gallagher for that kind of money, when you look at some of the top scorers in the league. Morgan Whittaker was around £1m. Jack Clarke reported to be £750k. Crysencio Summerville reported to be around £1.25m. Conor Chaplin around £750k. Our own Sammy Szmodics was £1.8m according to the Peterborough chairman.

Good deals can be done if recruitment is up to scratch. Our current recruitment team's record on strikers is pretty appalling thus far though, so would I trust them to find a decent striker with £1.5m? Probably not. Besides of which, we'd probably see none or barely any of the money anyway, making selling Gallagher a pointless exercise.

The question should have been how do you replace Gallagher with £0?  Because if we get 1.5m for him we won't be seeing any of it.

Might aswell keep him and have an experienced striker on the books, we're in enough trouble as it is on the pitch.

[Lancaster Rover]

As I’ve said many times, I thoroughly enjoy JDT’s style of play and his philosophy but have become dismayed with his lack of flexibility, plan B or ability to recognise when things need to change.

For the first time however last night I thought you arrogant/smug prick after watching his interview with Andy Bayes. On the one hand he’s inviting media and  fans to blame him yet when questioned about the impact of being on the touchline or sat down he states that the most important thing is winning personal duels. I accept that all footballers are arrogant and that singleminded ness is needed however last night it was arrogance bordering on delusion and a total inability to accept his role in our current failures.

I’ve seen all the stuff on Instagram about the dressing room having gone, no idea whether I believe that or not however I can’t imagine the players being too happy with him throwing them under the bus when he sat and washed his hands of them second half.

[Bbrovers2288]

I wanted Leo to work but it’s dangerous to keep him in , I have no faith in pears so I think we need to get an experienced loan keeper in. 
I’d get Phil jones in to prove his fitness also, we need some experienced heads to steady the ship , it all looks like panic stations at the back 

[NeilInBristol]

21 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

As I’ve said many times, I thoroughly enjoy JDT’s style of play and his philosophy but have become dismayed with his lack of flexibility, plan B or ability to recognise when things need to change.

For the first time however last night I thought you arrogant/smug prick after watching his interview with Andy Bayes. On the one hand he’s inviting media and  fans to blame him yet when questioned about the impact of being on the touchline or sat down he states that the most important thing is winning personal duels. I accept that all footballers are arrogant and that singleminded ness is needed however last night it was arrogance bordering on delusion and a total inability to accept his role in our current failures.

I’ve seen all the stuff on Instagram about the dressing room having gone, no idea whether I believe that or not however I can’t imagine the players being too happy with him throwing them under the bus when he sat and washed his hands of them second half.

Got a link to the interview?

[arbitro]

6 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

The multi angle views on the goals is something to behold. The first one truly unbelievably inept be the whole defence.

Try Leo as a striker, he is not and never will be a keeper.

 

If you were writing a thesis on awful defending you could use that to support the words. Absolutely shocking and all four goals look worse than they did in real time. Every one of the starting back four is culpable in some way on them lowlights, some more than others. I have said that Hyam isn't the same player since he came back from his ankle injury. His movement seems impaired and he is far too easily turned. He had some involvement in all the goals we conceded yesterday.

[cesus]

26 minutes ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

I wanted Leo to work but it’s dangerous to keep him in , I have no faith in pears so I think we need to get an experienced loan keeper in. 
I’d get Phil jones in to prove his fitness also, we need some experienced heads to steady the ship , it all looks like panic stations at the back 

It is utterly depressing to think our other option to Wahlstedt is Pears. Pears is "just" about safer on crosses, but the opposition like to tease him with balls dropped in between defence and him to make him come out on his kamikaze charges. We've got that to look forward to!

[Upside Down]

On 11/01/2024 at 10:12, Upside Down said:

Another bumming on the cards here.

WBA 4-1 Rovers

Fuck Mercer's predictions, listen to me son.

[UFF55]

I really was hoping for a decent season this time around with another play off push. This result really is a kick in the teeth without mentioning the past few games. How long before we start seriously considering managerial changes?

[MarkBRFC]

3 minutes ago, UFF55 said:

I really was hoping for a decent season this time around with another play off push. This result really is a kick in the teeth without mentioning the past few games. How long before we start seriously considering managerial changes?

Even if JDT was to go, the next appointment will just have to follow the same brief of "playing the right way" and I just don't see us being any better off.

The days of us employing an Allardyce style organiser to see us through are long gone I'm afraid.

[Mattyblue]

You can consider them all you want, just like folk on here did on TM’s death spirals, the owners however won’t be considering them at all - he’s here until he walks or his contract runs out.

[chaddyrovers]

after seeing the highlights, The first goal is shambolic defending. For me, Leo Wahlstedt should be coming to claim the throw in. He was flat footed and clearly lacking any confidence. I expect Pears back in goal for the Huddersfield game. 

The second goal is poor play by Hyam who should head it up the pitch not into the left back area. 

The third goal is just a number of poor decisions, slow to close Mowatt down, poor keeper from Wahlstedt and no one following it in. 

Fourth goal is poor defending by Carter and Hyam who neither cover the space incase Tronstad didn't win the header. 

We need to sort out this defending problems and from set pieces we are awful. JDT needs a total re think how we defend set pieces and who is in charge of coaching how we defend set pieces. Its time JDT took back over this duty from whoever is coaching them. 

[Mattyblue]

You can talk about coaching but these are supposedly professional footballers, that first goal isn’t being scored at Blackburn Combination level.

Edited January 14 by Mattyblue

[JBiz]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

You can talk about coaching but these are supposedly professional footballers, that first goal isn’t being scored at Blackburn Combination level.

Nobody taking responsibility, nobody winning their own individual battle and nobody putting their body on the line. You could’ve said that about every goal other than the Asante bottom corner one.

 

JDT either doesn’t want too, or cannot seem to make us anything but “weak as piss”. I think it’s time for him to go.

[Waggy76]

8 hours ago, JHRover said:

The highlight of my day was leaving the ground as the added time board went up and there were 3-4 lads in the concourse shouting 'we want Venkys out'. It wasn't much but in the depths of despair it was a welcome relief that at least a small number of the people who go 'get it'

I sat til the bitter end so didn't here that .. Venkys probably didn't even now we were playing, it as got to be aimed at Waggott..

Make a match day very very uncomfortable for Waggott..

[Waggy76]

1 minute ago, JBiz said:

Nobody taking responsibility, nobody winning their own individual battle and nobody putting their body on the line. You could’ve said that about every goal other than the Asante bottom corner one.

 

JDT either doesn’t want too, or cannot seem to make us anything but “weak as piss”. I think it’s time for him to go.

Football teams usually mirror their manager ...

'weak as piss' spot on !

[Ricky]

We have a group of lightweight pretty footballers so are they really going to win their battles against seasoned pros who aren’t worried about getting kicked.

The Irish Foden, that has to be a joke lol, is not going to go flying into a 50/50 with an experienced championship midfielder.

Adam Wharton will be an outstanding football but we can’t keep ignoring the defensive side of his game which isn’t just lacking, it’s non existent.

We are very luck to have a bit of a buffer. We’d be screwed otherwise. 

[Mattyblue]

Big fan of the bloke but its a results business and we are hurtling down the table. Poor results in those three winnable home games coming up and he would go at any other football club regardless of budget, how he’s been shafted and all the rest of it -but  I doubt it will even be discussed here and that is another symptom of this dysfunctional, ruinous ownership.

No pressure on results at any time from the top down cannot lead to anything but malaise and horrendous drops in form at any professional club. So we can only hope he picks up some results as players get back fit as it’s our only hope - there’s no Warnock to the rescue here.

Edited January 14 by Mattyblue

[Dolly blue]

We can talk about shocking keeping , a back four who looked like they’d been in the lash, an impotent  forward line and a strolling midfield . We can talk about possible January signings to solve some of these issues…but , as we all know this is a chairs on the Titanic job. 

Our club is dead . 

Have you experienced a match day recently? Been in “ the shop” , no stock, recently?   
Seen any positive work done  by the commercial department recently? Tried to “ buy” a cup ticket recently? Seen ANY investment in ANYTHING recently ???? 
We , as paying fans , care more about this club than the leaders,  managers and players do …sad days but true …we’re done !

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Lightweight footballers sums it up perfectly. Kids learning the game against seasoned pros. Sigurdsson too easily knocked off the ball and frightened to get stuck in.

Like him or not, we need a Travis type to give it out a bit. Oh wait! We had one but lent him out.

[JBiz]

6 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Football teams usually mirror their manager ...

'weak as piss' spot on !

We don’t even help ourselves either - I mean how many goals come from losing the ball in our own half, sometimes own final third?

The bloke is either stubborn or stupid. Surely a plan B, when we’ve a makeshift defence, would involve clearing your lines first if we’re deep in our own half being pressed. 
 

Absolutely no chance of that. Opposition managers have figured out “if we give them the ball, they’ll more likely hurt themselves”

[roverblue]

if we can’t afford to pay the heating bills then I doubt we can afford to sack him. If we did it would probably mean selling Gallagher just to pay him off.

The home form has been shocking all season and over Xmas the away form has gone the same way.

I honestly feel like it’s a relegation season. Too many drawn in by JdT’s media skills and ignorant of his failure to get the best out of the players we have.