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roversfan99

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Posts posted by roversfan99

  1. 1 hour ago, JoeH said:

    Pears

    Nyambe Lenihan Williams JRC

    Holtby Trybull Rothwell

    Elliott Brereton Dolan

    Its a conundrum if Armstrong misses out but Gallagher has to play centrally for me, Brereton isnt a centre forward, that is for sure. He has absolutely no goalscoring instinct, he is always on his heels in the box never anticipating anything (Gallagher is hardly Gary Lineker but he will score a few goals at least and can win headers) and his attributes suit the wide role he now plays in.

    58 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

                               Stergiakis

                Magloire  Wharton  Williams

    Nyambe                                           JRC

                                 Trybull

                   Elliott                      Holtby

                       Brereton  Gallagher

    As much as I appreciate the want in an ideal world to drop Lenihan (although for me Williams is getting away free of warranted criticism) the risk outweighs the reward until Ayala returns, Magloire didnt look like he could head a ball last time he was in the team and a minimal spell in League 1 doesnt change that really.

     

    • Like 1
  2. Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, not to sign him because hes a good player, but to sign him now.

    We have just had a run of games in which Buckley has played and looked lost and a few in which Evans has played a totally unfamiliar position.

    Why the hell has the deal only been done now?

    • Like 1
  3. 2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

    Yes, that was in the offing.

    Must not have had many decent offers in this Country.

    McCarthy falls into a category of old school manager with proven track record who doesnt entertain the idea of passing it along the backline, thus his popularity has waned with teams more interested in winning the possession battle than the match it seems.

    • Like 5
  4. 1 hour ago, rigger said:

    Again I disagree, a droppable striker, misses scoreable chances.

    Andy Cole missed loads of scoreable chances, still he was one of the top scorers in the league every season.

    A poor striker lacks the anticipation to get into goalscoring positions.

    Surely you can see how illogical it would be to drop the top scorer in the league for not scoring enough. 

    • Like 5
  5. 3 minutes ago, rigger said:

    I disagree, good strikers may miss occasionally. All players in our team, at the moment should have it in their minds that they are not producing enough to guarantee being picked

    Im not saying that Armstrong cant be more clinical but a poor striker is one who doesnt even get into goalscoring positions. He is the joint top scorer in the league with Toney and at has at least 3 more than anyone else, for a team in the botton half, he is the one player whose selection should be guaranteed.

    • Like 1
  6. 3 minutes ago, rigger said:

    something needs to be done. He has also missed more good chances than he has scored. This season in the games he has missed chances we have had bad results. Try something new it can't be much worse.

    Absolutely no chance whatsoever that you can drop the sole goalscoring threat that we have who has so many goals already this season.

    All good strikers miss plenty of chances, im not saying that Armstrong cant become better in front of goal because of course he can but the fact that he keeps getting into goalscoring positions tells you a lot.

    The very last player in our first team whose selection could be questioned.

    • Like 3
  7. 2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

    Rankin Costello playing right back in certain games has worked like Wycombe and Derby games. 

    Yes you could have Williams at left back I guess with Wharton at centre back could have been an option. 

    I agree on your Davenport point. Evans got forward yesterday and didnt he has a chance or two to score. 

    On Downing, We offered him a contract which he didnt accept. I don't think we should be sign him now either, No training and proper match fitness so would be a pointless signing for me

    Lewis Thompson is the under 23's left back at the minute I think. Good prospect 

    Drop Armstrong after he scored 9 goals in 10 games? how logically is that to drop your best striker and the player who has been scoring goals?

     

    Just look at Social media comments on Facebook, twiyyer and on Rovers fans sites where I would say the majority of fans are backing Mowbray. 

    Thompson is often mentioned and I have never seen him play but he must be a million miles from the first team. When we had no left backs last season he never even made a 9 man bench and again on Saturday we had to play a right footed winger at left back.

    Evans did have a chance but never in a million years did anyone think he would take it, his shooting is so weak. 

    16 minutes ago, philipl said:

    Forgot about Bell. That's eleven out.

    Kaminski

    Bennett Ayala Johnson Bell

    Vale Travis Douglas

    Dack Butterworth Rothwell

    OK some Mowbray-esque out of position options you may disagree with but the Rovers "crocks when they get fit" XI would give the Rovers "team that played at Swansea" XI one heck of a good game. 

    Vale and Butterworth have both played one solitary cameo off the bench in a dead rubber, counting them is just getting the number up. Bell and Bennett have been the weaknesses in our side since promotion so crying over their losses seems a little bit backwards too IMO.

    Dack is a big miss but one we have been without for quite a while. Travis again is a big loss as is Kaminski although Mowbray did get to pay 2 fees for goalkeepers this summer so it shouldnt be as problematic as it is. Ayala and Douglas came with big red flags over their injury record, and Douglas was really poor against Reading, whilst many were suggesting that Williams and Lenihan are the best partnership at the club a couple of games ago. Rothwell has had his best time here whilst on his sick bed after flattering to deceive throughout his Rovers career, would he make a huge difference? And Johnson has been in and out, 3 poor games for every good.

    Its obviously a blow to have some absentees but Mowbray using the number 11 is whilst numerically true perhaps painting a slightly false light on the situation.

  8. Absolutely massive game and a huge blow if Armstrong misses, which I imagine he will as you cant risk a hamstring as Mowbray seemingly did yesterday for 60 minutes.

    With or without Armstrong, I think the 4-3-3 formation shouldnt be assumed anymore, 20 points in 18 games shows that it hasnt been a platform for success as much as I dont overly focus on the formation itself.

    If Armstrong is out then Gallagher is the only option, it is a big worry at a lack of a goal threat in Armstrongs absence but it makes it even more imperative that we dont play so openly because even if we do create lots of chances we will be even less likely to take them. One source of frustration and a sign of a side not being managed to maximum efficiency is its set pieces, our corners have been dismal this season in the main (why was Douglas not on set pieces when he played?) with stupid and disorganised short corners usually not even leading to a cross coming in. Stop that bollocks, Warnock knows how to deal with set pieces and Mowbray needs to be able to.

    Sadly, I expect some stupid nonsense like Gallagher wide and Elliott down the middle.

    Assuming that Gallagher starts, I would go with Elliott down the left in a 4-2-3-1, a natural left footer with a good delivery as shown for a chance created for Gallagher at Coventry and also a great cross for Armstrong v Reading. I am less fussed with who plays right, I have not seen any signs that Dolan has a good cross necessarily but he would give a nice balance down the right.

    The question then comes as to who plays with Trybull and Holtby and how the middle 3 are set up. I think that Evans has been a little hung out to dry by being played further forward, I dont think ideally he would be playing for us but as a secondary player sat deeper breaking up play he can be effective as he was with Travis, so I would consider doing that and giving Holtby a free role off Gallagher. The other option would possibly be to have Holtby next to Trybull and Brereton behind Gallagher but I am not convinced that Holtby and Trybull would provide the necessary protection for a defence that we have no real alternative but to play the 4 that played on Saturday in front of a dodgy keeper.

    • Like 1
  9. Has there been anything reported on Armstrongs injury?

    I expect now from the various media sources that Mowbray will be given an easy time on the nonsense he comes out with, not being worried about his decisions, just one of those days etc, as well as his repeated tactical mishaps notably Gallagher out wide, but surprised not to see nothing on the Armstrong injury. If he is injured, we are fucked.

  10. 7 minutes ago, DavidMailsTightPerm said:

    And who would you have played at left back ?

     

    4 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

    So who would you play at left back and centre midfielder then if Rankin Costello and Evans shouldnt play those roles? 

    Considering the players we have unavailable at the minute

    The left back choice was admittedly very limited today, the only real alternative was Williams LB, Wharton CB. My point regarding the full backs was regarding the choice prior to today to at times choose Rankin Costello or indeed Bennett over Nyambe at full back.

    If there was little choice but to play Evans, firstly that would add further questions over the signing of Davenport, who Mowbray paid money for and hasnt started in 2 and a half years now. 2 options, play Buckley there, who I question the readiness of, or play Evans but in a midfield 2. The 4-3-3 shouldnt be above reproach, the results show that, and Evans is very limited, so have him and Trybull sitting deep and allow Holtby more scope to go forward perhaps.

    I think we should have signed Downing early in the summer who would have been a better option in either position. But of course that wasnt a choice today.

    All in all, the full back issue was one relating more to games prior to today, and the Evans point was more a shape issue, and again not really key to the overall points I was making.

    • Like 1
  11. 14 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

    My view has been/is to give Tony this season and then assess.

    I never really understand people giving such specific and definitive time frames to be judged upon.

    Firstly, what are the expectations in terms of decision making come next summer? Is it promotion or sacked, top 6 or sacked, is it more flexible, is 10th ok if we suffer too much from injuries or the style looks nice, how does it work?

    Secondly, does it not at all depend on progress within that? If we lose our next 6, if we pick up 2 points from our next 8 games, if we are in the bottom 3 come new year, if we sit 18th at christmas, if the "nice football" stops yet the results stay poor between, is it still stick until the summer regardless? Surely there is a point in which it becomes untenable before?

  12. A Birmingham fan and junior journalist has assured us however that we should just give the manager a free pass for the time being.

    Every team at the moment has absentees, its not an excuse.

    The manager needs time, hes only had is it 4 years? So could do with a few more months and on the off chance that every single player is available at some point, which rarely happens to anyone.

     

    • Like 3
  13. Absolute shite, anyone banging on about possession, "playing well", attacking football etc after the first time or two against decent opposition and going down the hard done by route has clearly awoken to the managers inability to get results against these teams.

    Pears looks shite, a little boy lost and for me his positioning for both goals was poor. How on earth does Rankin Costello sometimes play over Nyambe, the latter was our best player, Rankin Costello simply cannot defend as we saw for the second goal following a woeful defensive display midweek, he should never play that role other than in an emergency, but it seems that Mowbray is deluding himself into thinking that we are the Championship Liverpool. Williams as ever is not someone you want in the trenches, Lenihan is but hes all over the place at the moment.

    Trybull read danger a few times well and is neat and tidy, although very immobile and you can see why he was never a guaranteed starter at Norwich. Evans again was stupidly played in an alien role, he was neat and tidy and didnt do much wrong but to be honest didnt do much at all. Not sure what to make about Holtby, he is technically very good, loves a nutmeg, does he do enough overall? Not sure he does.

    Up front, no surprise that we are solely reliant on Armstrong to score all of our goals. He clearly was injured throughout the game but had to stay on otherwise any goal threat went, he missed chances and is not the most prolific finisher but he gets the goals, no questions there, where else do the goals come from? Brereton resorting to bumbling fool, every touch all over the place and zero goal threat, hes got his seasonal goal now so thats him done. Elliott had his quietest game too. The Gallagher on the wing shite made another ugly appearance too.

    Manager is massively at fault which I will mention in his thread. Stagnation is the best word.

    • Like 4
  14. Evans should be asked to sit with Trybull and give more solidity, play him where he has been playing and he will not do anything.

    He shouldnt be playing but we dont have much depth there, the alternatives are Buckley and Davenport who arent very convincing either. We should have signed Downing at the start of the summer.

    Have to win today, weve had a crap start and cant feel sorry for ourselves, there is plenty of senior experience there to get a result.

  15. 16 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

    I see where you're coming from but there are always one or two surprise teams every year and Reading will prob be one of those. Once they get a few injuries, they will start to struggle a bit but top 6 is a realistic possibility for them if their best players stay fit for most of the season. 

    You don't expect Nottingham Forest and Cardiff to be around the top 6 because they are currently sitting in lowly positions after 8 games? That's just nonsensical imo. 

    I never said that, it just seems illogical to consider teams fancied in pre season "underachieving" and teams not fancied "overachieving" both as top 6 rivals seems a bit contradictory.

  16. 7 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

    Less than 10 games gone!! They will both be up there come the end of the season. 

    Man City are 13th and Man Utd are 15th but both will be top 6 come the end of the season. 

    But if that is the case, Reading surely arent? Not sure its fair to class games as "top 6 contenders" for both those not expected to challenge but currently in the top 6, as well as teams that are struggling but were predicted to do well. We faced Forest when they were pointless, not sure that can be classed as a defeat v a contender!

  17. 17 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

    Really tough game tomorrow. I really rate Swansea and think they'll be top 6 this season. It feels like we're playing a lot of the top 6 contenders at the moment - Bournemouth, Watford, Notts Forest, Cardiff, Reading, now Swansea and then Boro. We've come up short in all of these games so far. 

    Reading was by far our worst game of the season and was a real reality check. We need a win tomorrow to get us believing again. It feels all too familiar at the moment despite a good transfer window. 

    I think it will end up being a draw. Nyambe will come back in and JRC will probably replace Evans in midfield if Rothwell isn't fit. We need some legs and energy in midfield and JRC would offer that. 

    Notts Forest are in 21st and Cardiff are in 14th. Not sure that they can be classified as contenders. 

  18. I do find this very strange. Not an innocent young Birmingham fan and recent junior journalist asking the question on the back of a decent window on paper but one in which we (understandably) didnt actually spend much at all. But the replies. I still cant grasp that not being out of business is reason to be thankful, the lowest of expectations.

    • Like 3
  19. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18833297.no-lasting-defensive-tactical-concerns-rovers-boss/

    Seems that Mowbray is naive to the vulnerability we currently have against anyone half decent on the counter attack. He doesnt think it is anything that he has done.

    Play with 2 full backs as wingers and 2 of 3 central midfielders high up in the current manner and we will keep conceding against half decent sides. 

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