1 minute ago, Darrenbot said:

We still have to sort out the problem of the drab 1st half, in everygame we never look like scoring until 60+ mins into a game,if only we could hypnotise the players into thinking the start of the game is actually the 2nd half 😀

We were excellent for the first 20 minutes.

6 minutes ago, superniko said:

Certainly favourites over Stoke, Boro, Bristol City. Not sure if we can catch any of the 6 in there currently though. Screams out 7th and another season for Mowbray to me. 

Bournemouth are on a terrible run. 6th place is possible. 

Good scrap today. The back 5 all really impressed.

And excellent sub appearances from Dolan and Gallagher.

4 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

That's not the law as it stands.

Can't remember the Evans incident but Raya got accidentally injured diving in at someone's feet. There's a massive difference between that and what happened yesterday, you've a right not to be kicked in the face six feet in the air hence the current regulations requiring you to take care for another player's safety and not requiring deliberate intent.

The Raya incident looked more deliberate. 

And 4 feet isn't 6 feet.

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Douglas has been awful since signing here. Thought he was awful/not good today. Gave away too many silly free kicks. Missed a great chance to score. 

We need a long term left back in. I suggested Manning and Pickering in the summer instead of Douglas 

We have a bid for him according to Crewe manager 

Those stats are important for a left back cos you want a player who good at going forward and can defend. I've seen those stats plus small highlights but guys on Rovers Chat have seen more of him. Ask them that question on twitter. 

Lol! He was good today. Yes, shouldn't give away free kicks when getting elbowed in the face 

5 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I agree chaddy but it isn't going to happen as we missed the deadline for sending Douglas back.

Thought in the main he looked a liability again today, albeit he played a great ball out to Nyambe leading up to the goal.

Douglas was very good today.

Raya and Evans needed their faces rebuilt; don't remember the aggressors being sent off.

The young lad should've had a yellow card; it was accidental.

5 hours ago, Borofan87 said:

Boro fan coming in peace here.

I can't believe some people say it could be a yellow card not a red, although most accept it was a red.

If you go in studs showing in that manner on someones leg, its a red card no question, so how is there any doubt 6 ft in the air with someones face its a red card or not?

There's no way to prove it but as a fan watching, especially the rest of the first half, the incident made me totally switch off from the game and my head wasn't in it. I can only imagine how the players felt seeing it happen to a team mate and for me, I think it effected both teams in the first half. 

I think we came out the 2nd half probably after Dael had said to go out and win it for him, wanting it more and the better team, then the goal totally deflated that momentum and we could have lost by more.

The point is forgetting the penalty and red card, I think the incident massively changed the game psychologically for the players - although I can't prove that and we were terrible in our last game against Birmingham so we'll never know.

We've had two players needing their faces rebuild for kicks in the head. neither were sent off. It was a penalty, but not a red in my book. 

Boro is the team we have had by far the most luck against all season; sorry about that. 

Solid performance I thought.

Kept Middlesbrough at bay with ease. Of course some here think we are AC Milan.

Douglas is clearly doing much better, and Trybull deserves to be starting.

15 hours ago, JoeH said:

For me Bradley Dack hasn't warranted a start. He's far from ready & he doesn't suit the system that has got 17 goals for Armstrong so far this season. Bring him on later on in the game if and when needed, much like Dolan & Rothwell too. Travis & Davenport to match their physicality.

Kaminski

Nyambe
Lenihan
Branthwaite
Douglas

Holtby
Travis
Davenport

Elliott
Armstrong
Brereton

For me Travis doesn't merit a start either.

I'd pick Davenport, Holtby and Trybull.

Imo Trybull has been good in the few chances he's had; much like Davenport.

3 hours ago, Ossydave said:

I can see a fair bit of tinkering for this game given his paddy about the pitch last game. Its classic Mowbray to do something completely random just to try and prove a point. Gallagher up front on his own and long balls pumped up aimlessly would be most likely. 

He looked pretty injured to me. Don't expect to see him or Rothwell. 

Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Branthwaite Douglas

Davenport Holtby Trybull

Elliot Armstrong Brereton

50 minutes ago, Wood26 said:

I thought we was getting a good LB in Douglas but something just isn’t right there.

The way the Leeds fans love him, I believe the hype. Then realised it’s probably same way we showed love to Smallwood when he left.

Right now I think Bell is a better option and I don’t say that lightly.

Douglas was my main of match. 

Brilliant tackle yo set up our first goal.

And solid throughout.

Douglas and Branthwaite were best for me.

And Holby and Buckley obviously did extremely well when coming on.

Nyambe was good as always. 

Big Ben made a big difference, and not sure why he didn't start.

Davenport was solid.

Elliot was again very disappointing for me.

And, I said before the game I wouldn't start Dack or Travis.  

14 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Certainly needs to be given a chance.

Trybull should have been sent back along with Douglas.

Trybull has been one of our best midfielders in the last few games. Douglas was our best player today imo.

Brilliant tackle yo set up our first goal. F##k that ref! 

25 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Mmm. You would probably have to ya, going off his record. The end of his tenure over Ireland was very grim though and he got very cranky. He was constantly fighting and being narky with reporters. The football was dire as well,but you could make the case he was playing the hand he was dealt and over his tenure, he did deliver a major tournament and we look a long way from that happening again anytime soon. 

If he came back with a pep in his step, definitely,plus if he brought Keano 😉🙂 That would be ideal. He would certainly stamp out any holiday camp mentality. A tough task master is Martin. 

N Ireland always played decent football, so too the Irish club side O'Neill managed.

But disappointed with Stoke's play considering.

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Decent side but surely Travis and Davenport should play in CM? The shape makes sense, suits our main players more than 433.

Magloire on to chase the game?

When we are pushing forward it would be wise to have pacy defenders to avoid being caught on the counter attack.

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Nyambe is far better defensively, Rankin Costello cannot really defend and that is the primary need for a defender so I would question the competence line, but even going forward, Nyambe whilst it very much being a work in progress purely via his athleticism has started to assist goals this season, v Bournemouth, v Barnsley and v Norwich, as well as a great cross for Gallagher v Swansea in the last home game last season before lockdown.

Best left back is not a compliment with our squad but I would probably go for Douglas, just. That is again not an insult to Rankin Costello as he is blatantly not a full back, never mind a left sided one.

JRC is a footballer though. He make the right pass at the right time.

Of course Nyambe is our best defender.

Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Branthwaite Douglas

Trybull Rothwell Johnson

Elliot Armstrong Brereton

With Maglorie, Dack and Holby to come on if we are chasing the game.

Travis, Dolan and Gallagher to come on if we are winning. 

57 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He is not a competent right back defensively though. In those games he wasnt tested defensively but if you cant defend one on one you shouldnt be a full back. Well, indeed he isnt.

He's our best attacking right back and our best left back; he's clearly competent.

19 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Im unconvinced that there is a consistent criticism to be had for Mowbray's treatment across the board. I do think for some of these players there is criticism to be made but I think equally there is perhaps some praise to be given.

On Travis, he gets some unfair stick. He came in and did well for the three games that Smallwood was suspended in but he could have easily reverted back to the limited but experienced player. Travis has played basically every single game possible ever since and I think any talk of him stunting his development is totally unfair.

Nyambe is a more complex one. Most of the time he has been first choice,  but there was a decent sized spell to which Bennett was preferred despite never showing competence there. There was a game at Millwall in which Mowbray publically said that he dropped him for "lacking confidence" before putting him back in. There was also a couple of games in which Rankin Costello despite being inferior was preferred. There has also been the inability to get him to sign a new deal. So there has been plenty of game time and obvious improvement but also some scope for criticism.

As for the others, the signing of Davenport has been particularly curious. Wharton has been loaned surprisingly with success (unlike many others loaned out) and had he started this season in the first team, we would have correctly questioned recruitment. After recovering from concussion, he was also preferred to a fit Ayala before getting his injury. I think with Wharton again there seemed to be a plan and some unfortunate luck. Rankin Costello has probably played as much if not slightly more than his performances have merited, and Buckley has played far more than any promise shown. I feel like Mowbrays faults and limitations lie elsewhere in the main.

As much as I like Nyambe..JRC is far superior at passing, and was a big part of all our big wins.

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Data for defenders has very limited use. Kipre was a key reason for the improvement in the second half of the season for Wigan last season, he became a regular and they repeatedly kept keeping clean sheets. Whether he made less "interceptions" less "forward passes" less "tackles" etc is of limited use, and from numerous factors, for example, a better reader of the game will make less tackles. I saw Kipre at this level quite a few times and he was very assured.

I am amazed that there was even a day worth of footage for Braithwaite to go over. Ultimately he played 9 games at League 2 level which is obviously not very good, then 4 games in dead rubbers for Everton. Again, the data is surely almost worthless in comparing a player who played a couple of seasons in the Championship, v a player with 9 League 2 games and 4 Premier League games making up his stats!

None of our centre backs can use the ball very well, it makes no sense to play out from the back in that way.

He may prove to be a good loan signing, we do need at least one new centre back, he signed one who is made of glass, he rejected offers for another who has never been very good and again is made of glass, and a fourth one who Mowbray was unsure on who played well a couple of times before an unfortunate long term injury. If we are unable to afford Crewe players, we are seemingly in a market whereby we have to compare and take a calculated risk on an untested kid on a temporary basis with precious little to base that decision on as they wont have played much mens football between them. Its a wait and see job but its difficult to get excited over.

And Harvey Elliott is good, but he certainly isnt world class.

He has only played there a couple of times, where he looks even less competent than in midfield, but it was his poor defending that led to the Canos goal at Brentford.

No it wasn't. Buckley tracked the overlapping player. It was the other players fault.

Buckley did very well in that game.

2 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Bizzare logic. Buckley is the worst of the 3 at right back. Imagine him trying to defend against a good winger, god almighty. 

Don't misunderstand that I am saying Bennett or Douglas are good rights backs. 

He did, when we were down to 10 men against Brentford, and did pretty well.

Definitely wasn't his fault for the goal. 

Still he's an attacking midfielder imo.

1 hour ago, rigger said:

Other players mistakes do not make Buckley a reasonable full-back.

No, but they make them sh1t.

4 minutes ago, JHRover said:

But come May Ayala will still have 2 years to run and a dodgy injury record and Wharton will be barely half way through his absence with serious injury. Williams, Bell, Nyambe, Douglas, Braithwaite and Bennett all on their way meaning at least 6 decent defenders needed in the summer. 2x RB, 2x LB and 2x CB.

I have faith in some of our young players coming through. And don't see why Nyambe and JRC wouldn't still be here. 

1 hour ago, iSeeRed said:

I have never seen a single person on here praise Douglas and Trybull, quite the opposite in fact.

Trybull has been our best midfielder last few games imo.