Lancaster Rover

I’ve clearly missed it but what was the final diagnosis of Carters injury?

Forecast to lash it down on Saturday with the temp jumping up at around 10 ish.

Good win in the end with some great passages of play alongside some sloppy play and questionable decision making. JRC narrowly avoids another potentially game defining mistake

For all the talk of Cantwell being class, I’m yet to see him having a match winning performance. You look at Szmodics, Dack, etc who had the ability to win games in their own. I don’t think Cantwell has shown anything like that yet, he’s very good at clipping the ball from side to side under no pressure but has had little positive impact in the areas where it matters for me.

Why’s Cantwell offside there the knob

Fair play to Ohashi, his ability very early in the move to get in front of his man and set the ball is what creates the space for that goal.

That’s a very good goal

That was a prime example of what I mean about Cantwell, gives the ball away stupidly then by holding onto the ball too long letting Pickering go behind, loses it and then leaves us 3 v 1 on the left.

Cantwell misses/doesn’t touch a good chance and then tries to dribble out in a dangerous area. Which is why he needs to stay higher ip the pitch

I also don’t hate hedges at wing back

Not necessarily, a lot of European mangers have gone with a double CAM version of 3-4-3 in recent years - almost a 3-4-2-1 which I think could potentially work for us

I’ve stated previously I’m not a fan of Cantwell, having watched lots of SPL (large parts of my family are Celtic) I’ve seen TC flatter to deceive with the ball on the halfway for a couple of years. That said he looks competent with the ball in the championship, albeit mainly in areas that aren’t hurting the opposition. Now I’m not blaming our run of form on his inclusion in the team but we obviously need to find a way of winning with him in it. That starts with him either being played deep to build attacks or playing higher up and staying there as this free role means we have often have Tronstad, Travis and Cantwell all building in deep areas. Leaving us with a wonky looking 4-3-2-1 (at best), given how Beck and Brittain are instructed to stay high this is causing problems with the ball coming back at us so quickly with depleted numbers high up centrally. Injuries at CB are making it difficult to play any formation with 3 at the back, and the gaping chasm that is the quality between Pickering and Beck has also caused a problem. 3-4-3 with MacFazdean anyone?

Incredible that wasn't it, better team man for man all over the park

Chris Brown is a million times better than Gueye, he at least could control the ball and bring others in. His total lack of understanding of the game was shown again with the Leonard effort, any forward worth their salt is in that space for the ball being sent back across. Where is Gueye, hiding behind their CB toward the touch line. I'm sure he tries hard and is a nice lad but I wouldn't be unhappy if I never say him in a Rovers shirt again, it's like playing with 10 men.

Anyone who tries to argue Gueye is anything other than completely fucking useless is deluded. The one thing people have been trying to claim he does he’s gone and absolutely fucked

No, his lack of technical ability is what has led to a confidence lost.

He's not caused opposition any problems since the Dingles game, the only problems he's caused are to us when he trampoline touches the ball out of play from a throw in. Like all underpar Rovers players I'd happily eat my words should he turn it round however my view remains that he doesn't hold the requisite level of technical ability to be a success at this level.

Oh great, so instead of having 1 shit forward on the pitch we'll have 2.

Cantwells cross in the second half was as bad as Ohashi’s earlier pass.

I think we're pretty fluid with what we play and not particularly wedded to anything. We've seen everything from 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 (5-3-2), 3-4-3 and 4-1-4-1 in games this season. 3-4-3 would actually be a decent fit with the personnel we have

I wonder if it’s time to give Siggy a go as the middle of a front 3. He’s the best finisher at the club by a country mile. He can’t be any worse up there than Yuki and Gueye have been over the last month

That's my greatest concern with Gueye, whilst we've had players who've been unsuccessful from a goals point of view they've all shown the basic skills required to be a champ player. Gueye looks so far off it from a technical point of view, admittedly I'm now primed to look for his mistakes but I don't remember a single time he took the ball in and popped it off or was able to move forward with the ball on Saturday. As I've said there were at least 4 times when he's received it from a throw or simple bounce pass and he's played it straight out of play of the ball has bounced off him. I fear his touch is just miles and miles off it and at this stage in his career it's not going to change!

I've only managed 3 games this season down to the ridiculous Sky scheduling. Anyone who is involved in youth or adult football will no doubt be in a similar boat to me where you're having to pick between playing/coaching or attending games. Totally flies in the face of the nonsense that is the 3pm TV blackout when games are scheduled at 12.30 that directly clashes with grassroots football, etc.

I am going to go out on a limb and say Gueye is the worst forward I’ve seen in blue and white since Kaba Diawara

I thought we played well in parts today, was quietly impressed with Hedges who caused problems with Brittain overlapping. We’re a much more potent attacking threat with Brittain in the team. Beck was excellent again. Gueye is awful, his touch is so far from the required standard it’s almost comical. He played the ball straight into touch from throwins at least 4 times