v Stoke City (h) - 11/02/2024

[M_B]

A much needed win, 3 good goals but when was the last time 

Brittain put in a first time cross 

Szmodics scored a header

A big bloke flicked a header on for a little un to run on to and score. 

Three unusual goals for us. 

[Exiled_Rover]

24 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

glad we`ve ditched the playing out from the back,it never worked,no coincidence that hyam looked a lot more solid today

telalovic is unfortunately a non league player and it shows,nothing against the lad,but this level is beyond him,the game is to quick for him thought  wise

I'll try and get a 'hooooooooof' chant going for you next match. 

[Atko's Engine]

1 hour ago, DE. said:

Despite getting a goal today, Stoke fans aren't too impressed with Ennis:

https://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/311905/nail-ennis

Precious buggers, they've managed to get a league goal out of him & I've seen more of him in a Stoke shirt than I did in a Rovers one!!

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I'll try and get a 'hooooooooof' chant going for you next match. 

love a good long ball i do😀,my only critiques of jdt was that we were to open and our defenders wer`nt comfortable playing football in their own area

[roversfan99]

Very important and comfortable win against piss poor opposition and even though Eustace will have had no training sessions with the team, a noticeable change in tact from Tomasson's naive tactics that were causing us self inflicted problems. Much more direct, playing on the break, cutting out the over emphasis on playing it out and putting in corners.

Dolan did well to get 2 very well taken goals, Szmodics wasnt as his very best but another important goal and Gallagher is such an important player for, missed a great chance but superb flick on for the third and offers a threat. Telalovic on the other hand is absolutely nowhere near being up to it and needs shipping out.

Hedges was a welcome return and put in a good shift on his return, Brittain showed his crossing ability albeit poor defensively for the penalty. McFadzean will have issues with pacy players but a rock at the back and Hyam also solid, Chrisene was fine too. Pears avoided a potential collapse with a crucial penalty save. Tronstad was also impressive.

[Torgeir]

A really good game. Moment of the match was Pears' penalty save, as clutch as it gets. Poor pen from DJ though, and it looked a tad soft perhaps but also clumsy by Brittain. On 3-0 I thought we would make it a party but second half was all about protecting our two-goal lead and fortunately we managed to do so.

 

Hedges came back into the team flying, thought he was excellent. Gallagher and Dolan great too after a really poor match a week ago. Top marks all around, JRC still getting back to his best but not directly poor either. McFadz looked solid and he will give O'Riordan (and others) some valuable mentorship. Loved that Eustace came into the mix when things were getting a bit nervy to make some adjustments. 

 

Huge relief.

 

Top marks also to Gavin Ward for having a good game for once. Thought he was excellent for the most part.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Did we have a right footer on the right wing and a left footer on the left wing ? Maybe this radical tactic will catch on !

[KentExile]

5 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Did we have a right footer on the right wing and a left footer on the left wing ? Maybe this radical tactic will catch on !

Left footer at left wing back, and right footer at right wing back if we are being precise about it 😉 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Left footer at left wing back, and right footer at right wing back if we are being precise about it 😉 

I like it. Wait whilst Pep finds out.

Edited February 10 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[bazza]

1 hour ago, JamieUK said:

 

Thought despite a few good individual performances we didn't look that great as a team - a lot of loose passes and space for Stoke to play but understandable given the change in coaching and tactics.

 

Someone changed the method of how we play, the set up, the tactics etc.

I don't think it was JE. So credit must be given to Johnson and Lowe for this. I suspect more Johnson than Lowe but I don't really know.

[goozburger]

5 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He'd still win everything in the air against Gallagher.

This aged well. 😄

[goozburger]

56 minutes ago, M_B said:

A much needed win, 3 good goals but when was the last time 

Brittain put in a first time cross

 

One of Brittain's first touches for Rovers was a superb deep cross which Dack scored from. Knew there and then it was one of his strengths. Not since used. Until today. And twice it came good. 🤔

Edited February 10 by goozburger

[Upside Down]

1 minute ago, goozburger said:

One of Brittain's first touches for Rovers was a superb deep cross which Dack scored from. Knew there and then it was one of his strengths. Not since used. Until today. And twice it came good. 🤔

Who would have thought banging crosses into the box would lead to goals

[harryhealless1928]

Just great to get a win. Felt like the shackles had come off for most of the team who played a football style they were more comfortable with.

A bit of serious hoofball was such a novelty and Dolans goal celebrations are the best in Championship football(with due acknowledgement to Pierre Emeric Aubemeyang)!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[goozburger]

2 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

Who would have thought banging crosses into the box would lead to goals

Not the previous bloke in the dugout.

[47er]

3 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

TBH all I wanted today were the points.

Despite having 66% possession they were awful.

When we were on a good run last season we routinely had less possession than our opponents and the converse is true too, when we had more we lost!

Possession is vastly over-rated, it what you do with it that counts.

[oneandycrawford]

1 hour ago, aletheia said:

Pragmatically, for the level we are likely to be at and with the shitshow above the manager, you are probably correct. It will keep us at this level or below for ever.

JDT offered a glimpse of something better and with the correct backing and a functional club could have achieved it.

We will never go up with this kind of pragmatism and if we did would be a laughing stock. JDT's brand would not have been a laughing stock at a higher level.

Luton went up with a high degree of pragmatism didn't they? Garth Crooks laughed at them but has had to eat humble pie. Their manager knows his players aren't good enough against the top teams so they play a way that those teams aren't equipped to deal with. Look at how many goals they score by lumping the ball into the box for the big lads. I know they'll probably come back down but doing better than Vincent's mob with their clever stuff.

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, M_B said:

A much needed win, 3 good goals but when was the last time 

Brittain put in a first time cross 

Szmodics scored a header

A big bloke flicked a header on for a little un to run on to and score. 

Three unusual goals for us. 

Hopefully they will become less unusual as time goes on. Football is not a complicated game, really. 
 

[Mike E]

1 hour ago, aletheia said:

Pragmatically, for the level we are likely to be at and with the shitshow above the manager, you are probably correct. It will keep us at this level or below for ever.

JDT offered a glimpse of something better and with the correct backing and a functional club could have achieved it.

We will never go up with this kind of pragmatism and if we did would be a laughing stock. JDT's brand would not have been a laughing stock at a higher level.

Luton with Edwards? Burnley with Dyche? Bolton and West Ham with Allardyce? Stoke with Pulis? Wigan with Jewell?

[Exiled_Rover]

21 minutes ago, goozburger said:

This aged well. 😄

Scored a headed goal from a cross did he? Oh. 

[47er]

4 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

A very welcome win....... half a sigh of relief. If we can follow it up beating or taking a point at Birmingham we can breathe a bit more easily.

 

 

 

We usually do well at Birmingham.

[OsloRover]

7 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Luton with Edwards? Burnley with Dyche? Bolton and West Ham with Allardyce? Stoke with Pulis? Wigan with Jewell?

Or indeed, Rovers with Allardyce

[Paul Mani]

2 hours ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

There will be a reason why Coventry dropped him months ago but I didn't see it today. 

He had the exact qualities that we've been lacking. He's a proper organiser. That left hand side of the back 5 is pretty shaky defensively on paper but he was organising and talking the whole game. It stood out a mile as we haven't had that since ayala left in the summer. It looks like we will play with a back 5 and sit back more with a deeper line and look to play on the break a bit more which shouldn't expose him much.

From reading comments from the Cov fans, McFadz stopped being picked when they switched from 3cbs to a flat 4.

Hes exactly what we need as far as I can see!

[M_B]

32 minutes ago, goozburger said:

One of Brittain's first touches for Rovers was a superb deep cross which Dack scored from. Knew there and then it was one of his strengths. Not since used. Until today. And twice it came good. 🤔

I've doubted Brittain for quite a while, but  two crosses and two goals, the first one was as good as you'll see

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, M_B said:

I've doubted Brittain for quite a while, but  two crosses and two goals, the first one was as good as you'll see

defensively he`s not good,going forward he is very useful,needs releasing from defensive duties imo