roversfan99

He wasnt at an advantage that his squad had been cut down. He created a way of playing and a tactic that saw us get an impressive points total over the course of the season. I know people are reluctant to praise Mowbray in any way but he did well considering specifically in that season, as has Tomasson since. If people cant bring themselves to give him any praise then fine but IMO thats not balanced. Point being though, the squad since the cuts prior to Mowbrays final season have left us with a thin squad that gets less and less experienced each summer ever since. Mowbray for 1 season and Tomasson for 1 and a half season so far have done well in spite of that but in the last 2 seasons, results have sadly dipped as the seasons have gone on with that small squad catching up on us. I cant help but forsee history repeating itself.

Your predictions are particularly wide of the mark to be fair.

Theres no way that anything other than maybe the odd (IMO misguided) individual is not coming to night games because of the manager. Midweek, winter, red button football. Was ever thus. Miracles is a bit much but Tomasson is certainly doing a good job all things considered. We have been ill prepared to compete for 2 and a half seasons in particular now.(well, for the whole of Venkys reign in reality) If you dont consider how drastic the dip was, and people will struggle to admit this, Mowbray did very well to finish on 69 points in his final season here, the squad had been massively cut in the summer and we could only bring in loans. It was obviously right to change and Tomasson IMO is an upgrade for sure but that last season saw an impressive points tally considering what he had to work with. Ever since, the stance seems to be try to replace who leaves, never addressing that lack of a deep and competitive squad because the owners wont allow it. Tomasson had the luxury of being able to bring in 3 buys, all players who have done well but all replacing the 3 that left, not adding to it. He also did very well to merely match that 69 points total with a similarly thin squad, and again the season saw a massive decline in the last few months with a long run without a win. We had assumed it was just a Mowbray dip, obviously it was as well, but that may just be par for the course nowadays when we are expected to compete with too thin and young a squad regardless of the manager. This season, again we have a small squad, even less experience, we are winning and losing in equal measure, very competitive in the top half, and again its hard to not forsee a similar pattern as the season wears on with signs of fatigue already plain to see. The question is what sort of job will Tomasson go to next. Many assume it will be a big club in a big league, but assuming we dont get top 6 this season, from on outsider perspective, would his job attract such a club?

It doesnt seem to lead to accurate predictions regarding who is going where. Still waiting on Alex Neil to show up.

The thing is, the benchmark for those years is so low. Tomasson is doing really well but you could argue that our club at the moment typifies the issues. We have a good manager and retain the shoots of a very promising academy and we have a small squad of players who clearly give their all with some talent in there too. But equally, we are still being strangled by those same owners. The talented manager and core of young players is not being given the help it needs to have a genuine shot at promotion. We have that leg up from the academy but due to aggressive budget slashing, they dont have the help and guidance they need from a bigger squad and more experience. It feels like we will never go past being "just shy." I have never allowed my hate of Venkys stop me from attending but equally I can understand why people have become so disenchanted.

He has previous regarding ducking out of challenges but didnt see that tonight. He also had energy to the end when others didnt. He offers a goal threat that others dont too. Wonder whether he will sign longer term as he could now feasibly sign a pre contract. Rich Sharpe said there was something in place until 2025 and his contract at CSKA ends in May and not June but I wonder if the budget slashing may impact any deal? Seems a no brainer on a free even if he hasnt always convinced, its an extra goal threat.

Are there any clubs that you dont have connections to?

Very satisfying, gritty win from a really poor quality game against perhaps the worst team to come to Ewood this season. The small squad looks to be catching up on us with fatigue evident throughout but good spirit to get over the line. Sigurdsson got the man of the match but that was a strange pick, aside from a nice finish he wasnt particularly good. I compared him to a less effective Brereton at the weekend, his general play can be quite scruffy and he is prone to losing the ball but unlike anyone bar Szmodics, he actually provides a goal threat so is certainly worth a start for that as we sorely lack it otherwise. Wahlstedt was man of the match in my opinion, made a few key saves, he had one unnecessary flap but I loved his commanding catch before full time, exactly what was needed. I also think Tronstad and Wharton continue to impress as a pairing, the former is so consistent in protecting the defence and the latter plays with one or two less touches than anyone else because he is a step ahead. The striking situation is clearly less than ideal. Ennis looked like a player understandably rusty and his repeated tendency to be caught offside broke down attacks. That said, compared to Leonard who is so lightweight, he uses his body well and brings others into play. It might be a case of using Ennis as much as is deemed possible without over exerting him and rotating with Leonard until Gallagher is back. Szmodics was really off it all game, he is desperate for a rest. Moran was really poor too. Pickering was typically steady, Carter and Brittain were both fine, Scott Wharton is such a threat from set pieces but both on the ball and on the turn he is a liability.

Not only does Johnson come across as a prick, but his managerial record isnt very good either. Currently 21st having lost his last 5 games by either a 3-0 or 4-0 scoreline.

😂 he has mentioned him numerous times in the last few weeks. He isnt imminently close to a return, he had a setback about a month ago. But yeah, big money transfer coming.

Wahlstedt Brittain Hill Carter Pickering Tronstad Wharton Moran Szmodics Sigurdsson Ennis Ennis is obviously not going to start and im not saying he was particularly useful when he came on at the weekend but id like to see him start and do 45-60 minutes. I am not comfortable with repeatedly starting Leonard as as much as there is talent there, he isnt ready to play game after game at this level. He has been anonymous in his last 2 games and over the course of the season he has missed most of his chances. I really hope we dont see Brittain out wide as he isnt effective there but I am unconvinced that Tomasson will drop any of Hill, Wharton or Carter.

Yeah he is definitely best suited in the role he is playing now, and the balance is right. He can dictate the game from deep, he gets plenty of the ball, he plays on the half turn and he can slip players in behind quickly which he regularly does. Tronstad is the perfect partner because he naturally is disciplined sitting alongside him and doing the dirty work. When he does get the ball further forward, he still has that quality of not needing numerous touches but he is always very reluctant to shoot.

It was the wrong call because quite simply, Kaminski is a far superior goalkeeper.

We might have had more shots in the stats, im not sure but if we are including blocked shots and half chances then its probably a case of clutching at straws. Leeds had all of the proper clear cut chances. Not sure Wahlstedt made himself as big as he could have for the 2nd.

I dont get how he can be nominated when he is older than the age category.

It does. Gallagher is an average Championship striker which is better than any of the alternatives.

Wharton suits playing deep because he has the ability to play on the half turn and dictate games and the balance is right with the more defensive Tronstad next to him. I cant see how the team would be balanced with Wharton, Tronstad AND Garrett and then Szmodics as well. Im not totally convinced by Garrett, technically limited. Travis is better than Garrett but in my opinion the Tronstad, Wharton and Szmodics combination is a good one.

I still cant believe we had a spell where Tomasson picked Pears over Kaminski.

Always skeptical of stats like these but it matches the eye test. Leonard is a poor finisher and added to that, has been anonymous in the last 2 games. Hes a young lad, clearly has something about him but I dont want him to repeatedly start as he isnt ready. Sadly we have little alternative. Maybe give Ennis a start and see if he can do 45-60 minutes and bring Leonard on then?

He isnt fit. Im sure as soon as he is, he will play as hes still our best striker.

One player I cant figure out is Sigurdsson. In the last 2 home games we have looked more balanced after half time when he has been out wide. He isnt that quick but hes more powerful and quicker than the other options and he gives us more directness and width. He offers us a goal threat much more than the other alternatives, Moran isnt a natural when it comes to scoring and Brittain has something like 1 in 5 years. Sigurdsson has 4 for us I think already and chances do fall to him, he had our best chance today and his header was decent. There are huge question marks over him too though. He shirks tackles at times, he isnt technically that good and he can be quite cumbersome, his general performance levels havent been particularly good but he does offer a goal threat that none of the other options do. He is almost like an inferior Brereton whereby he isnt the most orthodox, his general play can be hit and miss but he does offer a goal threat. I also wonder where his long term future lies. Rich Sharpe implied a couple of months back that we had some sort of agreement to extend his contract until 2025 I think. I dont have a clue if that still stands, his deal in Russia ends in May so we could now legally approach him on a pre contract. A mixture of him not necessarily excelling and the budget cuts may have changed things, no idea.

I definitely think the football is easy on the eye and there has been a clear progression. It also helps us to get the ball into good positions within the final third. The play when we get there as you say is what lets us down, I consider a game whereby basically all of the major chances go to one team is one team outclassing the other. Its hard to put that down to Tomasson either. Hes not infallible, he seems to like Brittain as a winger for one. But ultimately a lack of investment from the owners has left him so short of options.

I hope we win at Southampton and disprove this but I feel like the weakened squad compared to previous years has removed our ability to really believe that we can bloody the noses of the best teams in the league. That is sad because I feel like its not an unreasonable expectation to at least expect to be competitive with any Championship team, especially at home, but after so long treading water and with the owners negligence hitting new highs/lows, I suppose it is to be expected. Weve played Leicester and Leeds at home and neither before or during either game did I expect us to get anything. In both games we lost by more than a goal.

They won 2 nil and had all of the key chances in the game, I would consider that to be outclassed. The overall game was not the most free flowing, in midfield we did fine, but we were outclassed where it matters and barely created anything of note. Carter was fine aside from that one moment that he was very lucky not to lead to a goal. It was the biggest of 3 situations whereby our playing out from the back caused us thankfully unpunished issues. The style has massively come on and the players clearly are more comfortable now with it having worked on it so no calls to change style, but today we had an above average number of issues with it, which can happen. The biggest issue today was the poor quality in the final third, it has been before, it is down to the owners cutting the budget and us not having much quality across the frontline.

I cant understand saying scoping out all week where to drink out on an away day then spending the victorious afternoon gloating about away fans in the home ends on an opposition team messageboard.