Rovers V Bristol City

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

Mowbray has to bring in at least 5 Championship oven-ready players this summer, or it will be the same story next season. No more £7m misfits who may or may not become players in the 3 years' time but solid, ambitious players who will improve this team. Otherwise he can take a hike. 

What's he going to do with all the extended contracts he handed out? Problems of his own making.

I agree about recruitment and wait on news of him needing up to 4 to 5 more windows.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Hopeless. Williams and Smallwood showcasing why they’re league 1 players. Dack showing why he’ll still be here come next season. Travis’ honeymoon period in midfield seems to have finished. Got caught out regularly.

Overall just a waste of time and money. Bristol had nothing about them but we found a way to lose. Undoes the good work in January. We couldn’t defy gravity for more than a month.

Says a lot about this division if Bristol reach the play offs based on that. So average. 

[1864roverite]

One word sums it up today

 

pathetic

[DeeCee]

We gave up in the race for the title last season and have given up in in the push for the play offs this season, or so it appears?

[RevidgeBlue]

20 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Mowbray has to bring in at least 5 Championship oven-ready players this summer, or it will be the same story next season. No more £7m misfits who may or may not become players in the 3 years' time but solid, ambitious players who will improve this team. Otherwise he can take a hike. 

Yes. 2-3 proven performers should have come in last summer and the same again this summer.

Mowbray has to get far more ruthless. In descending order Conway Williams Graham and Bennett need the chop and Evans and Smallwood aren't good enough if we want to be threatning the play off positions.

[Doug]

Well that was a poor game.

Travis had his worst game I've seen and I just hope it's a blip, but being next to Smallwood doesn't help.

Thought TM was right with the players he brought off and Rothwell coming on, surely he must be due a start soon.

Nuttall should be better than he is (if that makes sense), he just doesn't look ready for this level.

Couldn't see what happened for their goal, but it looked too damned easy, will watch highlights later.

Anyway, getting manager and player of the month certainly put the mockers on.

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

 Yes. Because Rovers just aren't good enough.

Another Saturday ruined thanks to Mowbray.

We were within touching distance of the playoffs - why on earth didn't we strengthen ? 

We're an average side. Was going to Reading in midw ek but what's the point ?

No point!

[DE.]

A team pushing for playoff contention doesn't get beaten 5-2 by a team below them in the table, then in the very next match limply lose at home to a rival. Where was the reaction to last week's embarrassment? Where's the ambition or the pride? How many of these players were really stung by last week's result? Judging by today's performance very few if any of them. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Simply, we needed to strengthen in January. To create a buzz and increase the competition. We are going to disappear with a whimper now as the season goes on. Missed opportunity in my opinion. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, DE. said:

A team pushing for playoff contention doesn't get beaten 5-2 by a team below them in the table, then in the very next match limply lose at home to a rival. Where was the reaction to last week's embarrassment? Where's the ambition or the pride? How many of these players were really stung by last week's result? Judging by today's performance very few if any of them. 

For me, the transfer window demonstrated that we weren't going for the play offs...

[jim mk2]

Just now, DE. said:

A team pushing for playoff contention doesn't get beaten 5-2 by a team below them in the table, then in the very next match limply lose at home to a rival. Where was the reaction to last week's embarrassment? Where's the ambition or the pride? How many of these players were really stung by last week's result? Judging by today's performance very few if any of them. 

Good point. But all down to the manager I'm afraid

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

A team pushing for playoff contention doesn't get beaten 5-2 by a team below them in the table, then in the very next match limply lose at home to a rival. Where was the reaction to last week's embarrassment? Where's the ambition or the pride? How many of these players were really stung by last week's result? Judging by today's performance very few if any of them. 

Unless you are excellent tactically like Howe and Hughton, have a nasty streak like warnock r an open cheque book and good contacts like the wolves manager, you won't get out of this division. 

Mowbray is a lovely man, but if he isn't going to be ruthless enough with some of the deadwood, we won't go up under him. He gets players to play for him, but he can be founf out tactically. So he needs to get quality in. 

[Stuart]

Impossible not to blame Mowbray for that one.

Calamitous substitutions and unnecessary changes that completely foxed Rovers instead of Bristol.

Travis on a yellow, and after an untidy challenge Mowbray decided he couldn’t trust him not to get a second one.

So brings him off and decides his only post-window option is to move Reed inside to cover him. This means bringing on Nyambe in order to move Bennett from right back to cover right mid. Three changes to deal with one perceived problem. (And we missed Travis when he went off!)

Brings off Dack for Rothwell, and we’re thinking that’s brave but let’s see how Rothwell does in the role behind Graham. Oh no, no, no. He still sees Rothwell as being a wide left player so he moves Armstrong to the right to make room. (Bear in mind Arma has been causing their right back all sorts of problems).

At this point Graham is looking over at the bench like “so who’s playing where, Tony?”. Not sure Tony even knows - although he spent the length of the Dack substitution explaining his master plan to Bennett, who then had to tell as many people as he could.

During this chaos, Bristol of course score, from a delayed corner due to the fussy official, and the game has changed completely. From being on top in the second half and looking like taking the game to Bristol to looking very much second best.

He then brings on Nuttall. So maybe he’s replacing Graham? Kind of makes sense. I guess. But no, off comes Smallwood - his preferred holding midfielder, presumably because having Reed in there is enough, and he is going for an attacking formation. But Nuttall doesn’t seem to know straight away if he is meant to be playing as a centre mid in a five or as a second striker alongside Graham.

It was just an absolute mess.

Yes, the ref was totally out of his depth but that game was Mowbray looking to nick a point, then throwing it away, then panicking to try to get it back.

Another bad day in the manager’s office, and the Manager of the Month hoodoo in full swing.

[jim mk2]

Just now, Leonard Venkhater said:

For me, the transfer window demonstrated that we weren't going for the play offs...

Yep, a tipping point. 

Downwards

[roversfan99]

Rubbish, limp performance that essentially ends our season not far into February.

We should never sub Dack off when we need a goal unless he is injured, to put Bennett into a 10 position (position 3 of the day) made no sense and added confusion.

Found the response to the goal particularly frustrating and disappointing, wheres that spirit when you need it...

Raya didnt have that much to do but managed to get in a fumbled cross, tipped a shot going wide back into danger and perhaps could have come for the goal, although I'd have to see it again.

Controversial but I thought Williams was pretty good and a marked improvement on Bell, but needs to learn to control his headers at goal better.

Bennett was at his best out wide, was totally ineffectual in his brief stint as a 10 (Mowbray takes sole blame for that) but overall had a good game and the most urgency out of anyone. Still insist he is never a right back.

That being said, Rodwell was surely the man of the match, reads the game so well and so composed. Mulgrew had to shake off initial rustiness but grew into it and the 2 are for me better than Lenihan, but the only issue is a lack of pace perhaps. 

Reed was ok but Travis had his poorest game was lucky to stay on the pitch, Smallwood was better but I would like to see Travis continue in there, I think it is clear that it has to be Evans OR Smallwood, that being said Reed and Evans may be an option with Bennett moving wide.

Our attacking trio were all subdued but starved of service, that being said the drop off in quality beyond them means that they have to stay on wherever possible.

The signing of Brereton is highlighted as a poor one whether he comes on or not. The game is on a knife edge, we need a goal, our 7m striker gathers dust. 

If he is not rated higher than Nuttall then there is something wrong, as he is crap.

Thought the best sub by far was Kasey Palmer, a talent mis-used here but one far better than Rothwell and co.

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

They aren’t a team of world beaters, in fact there’s only a couple of teams in this league that stand apart, we aren’t miles away and still as competitive as we’ve been since the Rudy, Rhodes and King days 

On days like today the Brereton investment seems criminally wasteful though, close to a squad that can compete and we don’t bring our £7m man on when trailing 

Let's face it, have we ever been competitive, since the takeover?

With the exception of last year in Div 1, we have spent most seasons flirting with relegation. Even with the squad at Bowyer's disposal, we weren't really in the mix.

[LDRover]

The decision not to strengthen key areas in January is looking more and more odd game by game. I read consolidation is the aim but surely if you're within touching distance of success (especially with no stand out teams at this level)  you should aim as high as possible.

Personally, I think TM is happy with what he's got and is frightened to death of high expectations which would come within the territory of spending a few quid.

[jim mk2]

High expectations and spending means risk and puts his job on the line. Mowbray's probably on his last decent job - he's going to spin it out as long as possible.  I don't know how much he is on but if he can spin a line about "consolidating" and "slow but sure progress" then he should eke out another 2 seasons and boost his bank balance by £x million. Cynical view but this is football

Edited February 9, 2019 by jim mk2

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, LDRover said:

The decision not to strengthen key areas in January is looking more and more odd game by game. I read consolidation is the aim but surely if you're within touching distance of success (especially with no stand out teams at this level)  you should aim as high as possible.

Personally, I think TM is happy with what he's got and is frightened to death of high expectations which would come within the territory of spending a few quid.

Maybe, he is doing a poor man's Arsene Wenger, putting the money aside for a new...er Riverside!

[Waggy76]

Just now, LDRover said:

The decision not to strengthen key areas in January is looking more and more odd game by game. I read consolidation is the aim but surely if you're within touching distance of success (especially with no stand out teams at this level)  you should aim as high as possible.

Personally, I think TM is happy with what he's got and is frightened to death of high expectations which would come within the territory of spending a few quid.

I disagree , we were not within touching distance !!!

We lack a physicality in defence and pace up front ...

Poor game today ,Bristol looked solid at the back but offered little up front ....Got a set piece with 13 mins to go and won , could very easily have happened to us !!

[DE.]

4 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Let's face it, have we ever been competitive, since the takeover?

With the exception of last year in Div 1, we have spent most seasons flirting with relegation. Even with the squad at Bowyer's disposal, we weren't really in the mix.

The only season we've been truly competitive (outside of last season) is Bowyer's first season where we only missed out on the playoffs by a point or two. We basically choked at the end of the season and that was that. We all remember that draw with Yeovil. The next season we were finished by February, and after that things slowly got worse until the inevitable relegation.

[Waggy76]

Just now, DE. said:

The only season we've been truly competitive (outside of last season) is Bowyer's first season where we only missed out on the playoffs by a point or two. We basically choked at the end of the season and that was that. We all remember that draw with Yeovil. The next season we were finished by February, and after that things slowly got worse until the inevitable relegation.

That's true but Bowyer was the problem !!!!

Should have got at least play offs that season..

 

[LDRover]

Just now, Waggy76 said:

I disagree , we were not within touching distance !!!

Points wise we were.

We were on a 4 game winning run, momentum was with us and a couple of players (money was available we're led to believe) could've really pushed us on. If we'd won our last 2 (which is not inconceivable given our prior form) we'd be 7th now, 1 point from the playoffs. Chance not taken for me...yet while we all celebrate being safe in the 2nd tier Mowbray will be happy to meander on.

[roversfan99]

18 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Unless you are excellent tactically like Howe and Hughton, have a nasty streak like warnock r an open cheque book and good contacts like the wolves manager, you won't get out of this division. 

Mowbray is a lovely man, but if he isn't going to be ruthless enough with some of the deadwood, we won't go up under him. He gets players to play for him, but he can be founf out tactically. So he needs to get quality in. 

Think thats an oversimplification, you dont have to be a particular type of manager to get promotion, you have to have a blend of everything, good players, good man management and be good tactically.

One thing you do certainly need is a good solid defensive base. Only 3 teams have conceded more goals than us, that quite simply is nowhere near good enough, or if you are Mowbray, "not a major problem.

We have an attacking trio suitable to give us a push for promotion, its just full of sticking plasters and flimsy foundations behind and around them. Spending 7m on a striker who never hardly plays and when he does, never scores, only rubs salt in the wounds when theres an underfunded defensive base supporting our season.

[Mercer]

17 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

High expectations and spending means risk and puts his job on the line. Mowbray's probably on his last decent job - he's going to spin it out as long as possible.  I don't know how much he is on but if he can spin a line about "consolidating" and "slow but sure progress" then he should eke out another 2 seasons and boost his bank balance by £x million. Cynical view but this is football

Would not disagree with you.

Some difficult games coming up and it could go even more pear shaped.

Didn't personally go today but one of my lads went and he thought we were a mess - full stop.

I've always thought Mowbray to be tactically inept and his player trading leaves much to be desired.  The Brereton signing, in my opinion, continues to look like an act of sheer folly - we need a goal and our £7million+ striker remains on the bench.  I think we've gone as far as we will with Mowbray - hope the 'hirers and firers' soon come round to realise this.

Edited February 9, 2019 by Mercer