den

Body language suggests we’re beaten already.

Surely not.

Our problem isn’t the manager or onfield tactics. Changing either of those won’t make any difference IMO. Relegation can usually be put down to a number of factors but not in this case. The squad is one of the worst, if not THE worst Rovers squads I’ve seen in 60+ years.

Just my attempt at humour Arbitro. More than anything I’m baffled how any scout could see anything at all in the lad that made them think he could be effective at this level.

I can’t see him improving that much Arbitro.

No Jim, I can’t.

0-2 against one of the worst sides ever.

If you don’t score, the other team will.

I don’t think it helps in judging whether any particular player is a good header though. I don’t think for one minute that he is. He’ll win some headers for sure but every player does.

To be a good header of a ball you need timing. Timing of the leap to meet the ball at at your highest point - and timing of the forehead on the ball to give you the power. You don’t need crosses coming into the box to see if a player has that. Being tall has nothing to do with it either.

Not a striker of name to be seen anywhere at the club. Not a front runner anywhere in the club either, who can effectively hold the ball up then bring others into play. We have nothing up front, absolutely nothing. Cantwell is the only player of above average technique to be seen. There’s little to no creativity outside Cantwell. The squad also lacks pace throughout. All the result of selling anyone worth anything and not financing replacements. I can’t see where we go from here. If we were suffering injuries to our best players, or if we were just suffering a temporary loss of form there’s something you can take forward - but what is there to take forward? Won’t be long - if this carries on - before the crowd will turn on players and manager. Who at the club has the ability, means or desire to arrest all of this. That’s something else I don’t hold out much hope for.

We’ll just have to agree to disagree on him then. No problem.

It’s not true that we haven’t been crossing the ball into the box. Of course we have. He’s not a good header of the ball and never looks like scoring off those crosses.

I haven’t seen any attributes.

Yes, they do to an extent. All the good strikers I’ve ever watched create most of their own chances though. They can burst through the middle with pace, or create chances by movement in the box, they can time a leap for the ball and get power and accuracy into their headers. Some of them aren’t prolific goalscorers but their technique creates chances for others. Sometimes they are just penalty box predators and little else. I don’t see any of that.

Gueyes’ abilities or otherwise are really nothing to do with our wingers or anyone else’s weaknesses. If you’re a good player, you’re a good player no matter who else is in the team.

He doesn’t look better than anyone we’ve ever had IMO. Dont forget that Brereton was 19 when he signed.

I guess this could come under “nostalgia “. Went to the legends night at King Georges hall last week. Tim flowers was recalling the Southampton game at Ewood when Matt Le Tissier scored two pearlers against his old team mate. When they were walking off Le Tiss was giving it large to Flowers about the two goals. Flowers replied (and this got a lot of laughter) “what are you on about? We’ve just beaten you 3-2 ya big nosed twat.” 😀

I’ve seen nothing to suggest he’s even a good header of the ball. Being tall doesn’t mean you’re good in the air. I know I keep going on about him, but I don’t see anything whatsoever in him. That leads to the question, what exactly did our scouts see in him to believe he would be a success in the Championship? 26 yrs old. Ohashi is 28. There’s not much in either of them that we haven’t already seen.

I know Wilsden, I’ve read them.

Why don’t refs give a free kick whenever the ball hits a hand?

unintentional handball has never been an offence.

Exactly. “Giving the opportunity” that doesn’t mean it should be an automatic infringement. It isn’t an automatic infringement either. If the ball hits someone’s outstretched arm from just 12” away, normally it wouldn’t be penalised. This is just a guidance to supposedly help the referee make a decision on whether it’s deliberate handball, or not. Its a ridiculous clause. It has to be deliberate handball. That’s not guidance, that’s the law.

2nd sentence. The position of his hand/arm was a consequence of his body movement. It had to be, his arm was already there before the ball was headed onto it. more importantly, it plainly wasn’t intentional.

Which of our “strikers” would people back to score, say, 15 goals this season?