18 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I'm glad he did or we'd have lost Phillips for peanuts. 

2.56 million in today's premiership market is peanuts

2 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

Perhaps we should just join in 😁

 

or just not look at the transfers bit. It has always happened, Im so excited that Ray Wilkins is about to sign as he's bought a house in Wilpshire. He has been doing it up for 30 years now so must be about to move in it by now. He'll add valuable experience. 🙂

At this moment, a 1-0 win would be a great result. Minimum is requirement is a win but a clean sheet would restore a little bit of confidence in the defence

Regarding Leo, all I say is fair play to Watford. Once they brought the subs on, they targeted Leo. They suspected he couldn't handle being targeted and they were right. Once he was hit hard, which there forward picked a booking up, he became hesitant which IMO effected Leo.

Earlier in the game he caught crosses but once he was hit he returned to how was earlier in the season and started flapping at crosses and pushed the ball back into play rather than concentrating on what he was doing he was fearful of being hit again. Hopefully he will toughen up or opposition managers will target him all the games.

Yet again a hard man centre half like Kevin Moran would offer him protection but the whole team is a soft touch all over the pitch. 

Even though the ref made a truly terrible decision for the disallowed goal, he was playing the rule of probability that there were contact. If Leonard hadn't jumped the keeper would have made contact with him giving the ref an even harder decision as the probability rules would be that the keeper has blocked teh forward. Another reason Leonard shouldn't have jumped he should have been more agressive and let the keeper know he is there. There keeper looked shakey as well.

1 hour ago, jodrell said:

What is the point of the line's man or whatever they're called? He had a perfect view of the incident and did nothing. I'm convinced the ref was conned Hamer fumbled the ball and hit him in the face and made a meal of it.

The ref made all the calls all the game, even throw ins. The assistant running the Riverside did not raise his flag all game until after the ref made the call. The bloke in front of me, I can only presume was his dad, tried defending him but there was no defence.

12 hours ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

There was another verse, B-side...

" I never felt more like painting the town.

The Rovers up, The Burnley down..

Oh, Rovers, ...etc"

I thought there was also a verse about flying a kite because Burnley were a load of Sh*te?

Couple of memories....Ally Dawson playing at full back being beaten by David White's pace in the first couple of minutes. In the next few minutes Dawson 'did' White off the ball and you never saw White again.

Andy Morrison on his debut ducking under John Fashanu's elbow attempt taking one pace forward and smashed his elbow into Fash's face. Fashanu was like a mouse after that.

Somebody has already mentioned Nicky Reid. I remember Vinnie Jones trying to intimedate Reid early in a game only for Reid leave Jones in pain while attempting to slide tackle Reid at shin height.

Suprised no one has mentioned Mark Hughes yet

35 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Haaland can fit into a passing, pressing style of football. 

I want to more of goal scoring threat from the right and someone like Liam Cullen would be a good fit which he shown his ability against us. 
 

4. plus we hit the woodwork twice. 

Dolan plays the role as false 9 and not a focus point like PNE strikers. Leonard gives us movement and a striker who will run in behind and should have move goals this season. Ennis and Telalovic are work in progress and lets see what impact and game time after the international break

 

Cullen had a good game against us and scored a good goal but Hedges scored a worldie against Watford. Cullen's record is hardly inspiring.

Woodman made four saves of which none were anymore than routine. Granted Moran was unlucky with his chance but if Sigurdson had taken his chance with his left it would have been a more routine chance that some would say he should have scored.

I genuinely hope one of the three comes off sooner rather than later and I know that Dolan is a false 9 but I hate that modern term. 

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

It's nothing to do with JDT's comments but how I want us to play and what suits our playing squad. 

sadly we didn't have £50m to sign Haaland. 

I think we need stregthen in other areas than up front where we have 5 options already. Right wing and a couple of defenders would be whether I would be looking to strengthen in January 

I don't think it did stop working cos we were still getting into good positions, having shots and creating chances until the end of the game

By your opinion Haaland wouldn't get into the team as he doesn't suit the style of play so its just as well we didn't sign him. Why right wing as you say we are creating chances, but we have no one to finish them. We have options there in Sigurdson, Brittain, Rankin-Costello and Hedges have all started wide right this season all ready.

Its all very well having shots but how many times have you thought bloody hell their keeper had a blinder. How many saves did Woodman make on Friday night? Its all very well having 5 options up front if all 5 are having zero effect in games. Dolan had a good game Friday but when did he actually look like scoring? 

I would say our play up to the box is great but it usually fails when we try walking it into the back of the net

16 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

It was working against PNE, we were creating chances, getting into good positions, etc. 

But eventually it stopped working. Whether that was us running out of steam or PNE changed tactics.

What we cant do is change tactics.

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Gallagher isn't the type of player either and can't play like Evans. 

We don't play any sort of tactics under JDT that suits the type of player that Evans is. We have a set pattern of play and our signings have been made to fit that tactic and style of play. 

As usual, you're missing the point that disagrees with the head coach's words.

I know Gallagher isn't that type of player that is bleeding obvious. What Im saying is that for his stature he should be able to bully centre halves to the benefit of the team.

Like wise I know we dont play anything like the tactics PNE employed but there are times when a plan B of a big centre forward who can cause mischief would be a relief. How many times have we struggled to get out of our own defensive third to get the ball clear and it comes straight back. With centre halves like Hill who can actually pass a ball up to someone who can stand up to a physical presence from a centre half can be effective. We need more options than what we've got. Even the footballing genius of Pep realises that.

On 12/11/2023 at 07:55, chaddyrovers said:

 

Steve Eyre on Radio Lancs was going on about the Evans effect and the way every championship team fear him and players. I was totally baffled by that comment then. 

 

Oddly I think that most of the better teams will struggle with him as he is something from the past. He will battle and fight to get the ball and give more cultured centre halves a true battle which many will not have had. Billy Whitehurst would eat most of the centre halves today

Teams coming from the lower leagues wont struggle as much as there is a likely hood that those centre halves will have grown up playing the likes of Evans.

Sam Gallagher could do worse than to learn a lesson or two from Evans. The size of Gallagher he should be putting himself around like Evans. It would offer a plan B which we do not have.

12 minutes ago, DavidMailsTightPerm said:

most important a goal scoring striker who can add height and hold up the ball.

Not going to happen......even a lower league one will cost a lot more than our budget.....

....but in theory yes youre right

8 hours ago, Upside Down said:

I wouldn't have taken Dolan off. Fucking stupid decision that completely changed the game.

Not quite. It wasn't the only sub that changed the game. Evans coming on was the key to me. Before Evans came on Wharton had won every ball in the air after Evans came on not so.

We brought a kid on who had zero effect on the game as we needed a runner. Dolan had ran himself into the ground but Trondstat and Wharton were also knackered. They also needed reinforcements.

17 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Rovers v PNE has always been a big Lancs derby, same as Rovers v Bolton. Maybe it's a generational thing but the 'Burnley is the the only match that matters' thing has become a bit of a Millennial's meme!

Probably more with those that grew up in the mid to late 80s when Rovers were always two divisions above all the other Lancashire clubs but the songs about hating Burnley remained. For a moment lets enjoy the thought of at least two of them having to win to remain in the league or even apply for re-election to the league. The millennials we were in and around the same leagues

On 08/11/2023 at 11:23, Exiled_Rover said:

We would be if you replaced Szmodics with the immobile Dack.

Why Szmodics rarely tracks back beyond the centre circle? I like him staying forward as it allows to spring far quicker from defence into attack but on the rare occasions he does track back  he can be liability, prime example first goal conceded against Rotherham.

Dack used to come into defensive positions looking for the ball, it was a major problem when defenders were looking for an outlet ball. Granted his immobility then prevented him getting quickly upfield so was one of the contributing factors of our slow forward play in the past.

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

He's an CAM / Attacking Midfielder with license to bomb on. Dolan is essentially playing as a False 9, which is why our CF isn't the most advanced player. 

I love this modern day lingo. At the end of the day it boils down to the fact we are playing with two players up front.

On 04/11/2023 at 10:13, rigger said:

In my opinion being up to standard once every half dozen games, is not good enough for any professional .

Whole heartedly agree and eventually patience will run out. Then they drift out of the league.

11 hours ago, rigger said:

The big question is, which is the normal form for Dolan. The exciting player, or the no end product one. I think the norm for Dolan, is the no end product one. 

I think there is no norm from Dolan which is the frustrating part. He will do something every half dozen games or so that is why he is here not a premiership club. There are plenty of players do that. The problem is that over time people will remember the good points not the bad and they will become  better players then they actually were.

14 hours ago, rigger said:

 

If you play with two forwards, they usually play as a pair, close to each other, and right up on the central defenders. This usually pulls an extra player out of position to cover the marking defenders. If you play one forward and an attacking midfielder, the defenders are usually in their preferred positions. Playing two up front does leave you short in other areas, but if you have good enough players in those areas, they will cope. 

But how does playing a midfielder who doesnt track back very often not leave you short. Then like the first half last Saturday playing two midfielders who didn't track back leave you short. I understand that the forward midfielder arriving from deep creates space but an intelligent 2nd forward will drop off to create space. 

Playing two up top literally is just cancelled out by centre halves unless they can move and draw out and create space. 

2 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

Two teams who played 2 up front last season were Luton and Sheffield United.

I know Im being thick but whats the difference between having two playing up front and having one up front and a midfielder who rarely drops back behind the half way line, which is how we play at present?

On 01/11/2023 at 18:04, wilsdenrover said:

To someone who doesn’t attend it does sound like JDT likes committing a lot of men forward.

It seems to happen when JRC plays central. He seems to like playing further forward than his position. When at full back he goes into midfield. When in midfield he drifts upfront. Thats fine if we are playing two other midfielders as when Dunn had Flitcroft and Tugay protecting. Today though we've already got Sammie playing high it leaves us wanting in the midfield especially with Tronsdtat playing so deep.

4 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

That was a concern of mine too - more so on the left as I feel JRC could provide cover on the right (although maybe that’s asking too much of him).

First half Saturday, JRC spent all his time playing ahead of Dolan. It was the main reason we were exposed in midfield especially Sammie so advanced as well.

There was little cover for Pickering on Saturday and little for Hill once Britain was replaced. 

On 30/10/2023 at 10:17, LeftWinger said:

With the players at his disposal - you'd argue that Bowyer should have done better.

Yes he should. Any team with internationals throughout and the forward option of Gestede, Rhodes and King should have reached the p layoffs minimum.

I will defend him in that he came the club had just gone through the Kean, Berg and Appleton fiasco and so he stabilised that. People praise Mowbray for stabilising the club but Bowyer did it better IMO. I know Coyle was a disaster for the club but Mowbray still had time to prevent relegation and failed before stabilising it.

5 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

Given our lack of ‘cutting edge’ would anyone try having a second central striker?

Maybe something along the lines of…

                           Leo

Hill.         Carter.      Hyam.         Pickering

                     Tronstad

                 JRC.       Wharton A

                      Sammie

               Ennis.       Leonard. 
 

 

It would leave the Full backs very exposed but with Szmodics in the position he plays presently it is like playing with two central forwards any way