5 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I only use the term 'bottled' when I think players are talented enough, but lack the nerve.

We simply don't have any goal scorers in the team. 

Dack can finish. Dack is fit. Dack was our best attacker for 2 months of the season. Dack must play.

If results stay as they are and west brom norwich is a draw then we could get away with a point vs Luton. There's no other way for us to get in other than beating Millwall. 

In fact in the above scenario beating luton makes no difference to a draw. All it would do is open up a route to 5th place which I'm not sure is particularly advantageous to us.

                 Kaminski

Jrc   Carter.  Hyam.    Pickering

           Travis.  Wharton.

                    Dack

Hedges.      Szmodics.    Brereton

Subs: Pears, Philips, Edun, Brittain, Thomas, Leonard, dolan 

             Kaminski 

brittain. Carter.  Hyam.  Pickering

       Travis.  Wharton. JRC

Hedges.     Szmodics.     Diaz 

Subs: Pears, Phillips or S.Wharton, Edun, Morton, Thomas, Dack, Leonard.

1 hour ago, RoversTilliDie said:

We played dolan up front against Preston, why not try shzmodics up front, he takes his goals well when given the chance. Thomas has to start against Burnley, he gave the Preston full backs nightmares at time.

We played Szmodics up top and dolan left. Or was I watching a different game?

10 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I'd compare his intelligence and reading of the game at such a young age to Harvey Elliott. Very exciting potential, now Rovers and Adam just have to make the most of it.

There's things he does that remind me of Tugay. And in my book there is no higher praise. I could watch him all day.

19 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

My eyes...

 

 

Dull team selection today. Late subs with little impact, just painful to watch...Just start with Hedges, Gallagher and Sorba up front next match and tell them to cross at will. Smodicz and Travis to feed off the scraps.

 

Too much sideways and backwards. Dolan carrying the ball out of Hull's third and playing it backwards on how many occasions? All in our own hands, but how are we going to score against Coventry on Wednesday?

Start with Gallagher...

No, neigh, never no more

Pears needs to be dropped for 2 reasons:

Kaminski is a better keeper

His performances have dropped off after his initial very impressive form.

1 hour ago, Hasta said:

Brereton. The one shot on target we had was Brereton centrally coming across his man, cheating the ball down and getting a shot away.  Something Gally just doesn't do .

He plays there for Chile. Its fucking obvious to me.

I also don't see how the management don't see this either 

We certainly need to freshen things up.

Whartons cameo highlighting what pretty much everyone already knew that he should be playing ahead of the gutless and regressing morton.

I'd drop Gally and play Brereton through the middle, but they don't seem to see that as an option. You could drop both as both have been poor for a while.

Kaminski back in for Pears. He's a better keeper end of.

You'd drop Hedges for thomas but he can't play vs Huddersfield. That and morton were the poor selection choices from JDT.

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It’s not just the lack of a killer pass. Not one of our centre midfield got beyond the striker yesterday. It’s not really Travis’s strength and when did you ever see Morton run past an opponent ? Szmodics should be doing that but yesterday he was ineffectual for large parts of the game .

What we really need is a Dunn or Berkovic or a Bohinen who can run with the ball from our half into their half and commit defenders. We’ve got players in central midfield who can run after the ball but none who can run with it.

Nah not for me. Not in the system we are playing. We just a centre mid who can pass and control the game and at the same time not be such a pushover in the middle.

15 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Dack up front.

Is that you, Tony? 

Dack 10 and Szmodics up front would be better than the other way around.

The problem we've got is that the 2 players that need to be dropped don't have replacements.

Gally needs dropping but we don't have another striker fit and JDT doesn't want to try Brereton there. Gally was completely anonymous today, didn't show the willingness he has done last few games. 

Morton also needs dropping. But we need a technical midfielder who can take the ball of the centre backs, it's the vital role in that midfield. Travis can't play that role, Garrett isn't good enough on the ball to do that. Buckley is out injured and hopefully could get back if we made the playoff ls but I think I'm being overly optimistic. Adam Wharton is the obvious suggestion but doesn't seem to have been in favour since his injury.

1 hour ago, Upside Down said:

To be fair the run of games he played last season he was good as well. He just had such a disaster against Wigan that it overshadowed the other performances.

I'm not sure I'd agree with that. 

I think we have to factor in Kaminskis form was being hampered by his injury. Pre world cup and the last 2 seasons he's been brilliant for us. In fact pre world cup he'd be my player of the season. 

He's a better keeper than Pears. Pears is doing very well atm and most think he should keep the shirt for Birmingham, that's fine but I wouldn't equate that to him being a better keeper.

Personally think Pears has got an absolute howler in him, see reading at home during the lock down season, Wigan away last season, Stoke away this season.

I also think he's benefited from the increased pragmatism that JDT has shown with our playing out from the back, he's letting the keeper put his foot through it more which I think kaminski was not being allowed to do so much earlier in the season (that's conjecture on my part). 

I also disagree with the poster who said that he can't think of many kaminski would've saved that we have conceded with pears. I'd have to go back through but I do think he's a better shot stopper. But pears hasn't conceded many at all.

Pears has done everything asked of him, kaminski is a better keeper. What's better for the team now? What message would dropping pears show, the other players? would it be seen as ruthless or unfair? Allowing the inform player to retain the shirt or bringing back the established no 1 who has been a very good player for the club. Only one can play. That's why it's the most interesting selection decision we've had in years.

2 hours ago, BankEnd Rover said:

I really want to see A Wharton start this one! 

I find it interesting that Edun, Brittain, Garrett, Scott Wharton and Dolan have all started this afternoon for the under 21s but not a.wharton

6 minutes ago, Crozzy said:

My only guess for VAR not getting involved is because he slightly touches the ball but it’s still a yellow card tackle 

But the ref looks like he's about to book him then changes his mind. Presumably he's  bottled it

Don't think this has been emphasised enough but how did Robinson evade a 2nd yellow for his tackle on Hedges?

I've had a bit of time to process what was a cracking cup tie and watch the highlights.

I personally would defend JDTs tactical switch. I felt something was coming and we were already starting to fall back too deep. We had in my eyes run ourselves out a bit. My only gripe was perhaps dolan could've come on for either Diaz or gally after 70 mins. They had another striker on, I felt we could benefit from a more orthodox right back/wing back and the extra cb made sense to me at the time. Brittain and Wharton did however look rusty when they came on

Obviously their 2nd is what's done us really and tbh I felt it was more due to individual error than anything else. I counted 5 players who should've done better for it. Brittain on the initial ball in, Carter shouldn't get turned, Travis mightve nicked it once he's turned him. Hyam could block it and Pears could save it. No horrendous error but each one could've done a little better on it. Just my opinion but I can see why some are disappointed with the goal coming so close to the changes.

Watching the highlights, the penalty is really obvious and im not sure how he's escaped further punishment.

Gally really messed up for their 1st. Terrible header and the deflection felt avoidable.

I just hope we take positives from it because there's no reason why we still can't make it to Wembley. Aim now is cement 4th or 5th place I'd prefer to avoid boro and sheff utd over 2 legs but I think we could take either on the day in a final.

3 minutes ago, bboy said:

Theoretical question.

 

Would you rather finish 7th and make the semi final ( no guarantee how we progress after) 

Finish 6th and lose Sunday. (No guarantee how we perform in playoffs.)

 

In this theoretical It's tough. If you guaranteed we'd finish 4th or 5th and not have to face boro and Stoke I'd take playoffs because then I think we'd have a great chance against whoever else. 

I think Wembley for a playoff final would trump a nice day out at Wembley to get beat by city or united.

Saying that there's obviously no reason we can't do both.

14 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I couldn’t understand why there was acres of space in the old left back position. They exploited it all the first half. Why Pickering thought he needed to get pulled inside all the time is a mystery. If he was told to play there - why. If he wasn’t told to play there as you say he needs to be dropped.

What is really worrying is that nobody on the pitch did something about it. If the bench haven’t wised up, somebody goes down “ injured “ for a while and the captain has a quick  heads up to sort it out. We seem to lack leaders/thinkers out on the pitch.

For at least one of those goals Pickering is about 1 yard away from Hyam. He isn't marking anyone, there was no need for him to be that far across. He leaves a huge space for their fullback to attack into. I'm not sure their fullback would've made the run if that space didn't exist. 

On Dolan for one he loses concentration and the fullback puts the burners on and he can't get back at him and the second he tracks him but not very well, gets the wrong side and allows the fullback to loose him. 

I still think we need to try Brereton up front. I thought Gally was exceptionally poor last night. He at least scored late on (but he shouldered it).

JRC and Dolan were very poor last night also but have been brilliant the last few games. So calls to drop them feel premature. What doesn't help JRC is he has Brittain breathing down his neck who I really rate and is a more orthodox full back. Could JRC be the cm who takes the ball off the back 4? I'd also leave dolan in and bring Brereton in up front.

1 hour ago, goozburger said:

I agree on that. Brittain seemed to back off into the six yard box for Barnes to run at us for their goal, although he was looking for some help to defend the middle. Still, he should have got closer to Barnes to stop him getting into a lethal area.

Pickering has improved this season, and certainly should not be dropped based on recent performances.

I don't think Brittain did a lot wrong for that goal. They'd beaten the press and we were massively stretched. I felt Carter needed to come across sooner and help block him coming inside. 

6 minutes ago, booth said:

If he picked out Hirst then it's for the best.

I don't think he was in place for the summer transfer window.

23 minutes ago, Aqualung said:

Gallagher looks better knowing BBD will probably be departing. 

I still think BBD in for gally up top if it happens could kick us up to another level.

Gally stays for stoke  as he's earned it with his last 3 performances. Really led the line in the last 2 which we'd been crying out for him to do and poached some goals at qpr which he doesn't do often enough.

Don't sit back here. Keep doing what we've been doing because we've been excellent.