roversfan99

We will not make progress then.

Just listening to the podcast now @Bigdoggsteel and it is a very good listen. Quite a funny guy, thanks for the link. Agree with you on what he did for the club too. Extreme example but I don't get people holding grudges and disliking Shearer either, before my time sadly in terms of his Rovers career unlike Duff but impossible not to look with fondness.

Yeah if I've worked it out, starting at the Brentford game. I remember ahead of that game seeing numerous people saying it wasnt must win, which obviously it wasnt, but almost accepting defeat before it happened. People were very welcoming of a draw when we was 2 up which I found very defeatist but it wasnt terminal. 0.9 points per game over the 10 games following probably wasnt what people had in mind though! Not good enough, relegation form.

Covid or no Covid, everyones affected but it doesnt give them an excuse although I am sure advocates will use it! Especially considering that they never prioritise us and theres always delays.

Very true but defensively, Lenihan is the better of the 2. Adarabioyo is so composed on the ball but considering how our increased possession doesnt amount to anything tangible anyway, maybe hes a little wasted here. Lenihan has missed 9 games this season, 6 with injury, 2 with suspension and 1 due to the birth of his child. Out of them, we lost 6, drew 2 and won only 1. Adarabioyo has missed 8 games, of which we won 3, drew 3 and lost 2. I know it isn't as straightforward as that but I think Lenihan is more important. I bet we have a downgrade on Adarabioyo next year.

And quite ironically will be one of the last in which the manager becomes aware of his budget.

A player who is versatile is by definition almost equally competent in various roles. Bennett does come into that category if you add the letters "in."

I stand corrected and hold my hands up. He must have really stood out! Either way, interesting to see you on here correcting pedantics and giving the Mowbray and Millwall threads a wide berth...

For the reasons I have outlined. Our window starts in 2 months when Venkys realise that they own a football club. Then Mowbray can commence signing a further lorry load of crap.

The thing is, his energy especially in cameos is often counter productive. I have never seen a player give away so many free kicks in dangerous positions. Even as a midfielder, he doesnt score enough or assist enough as a winger, even when in League 1. That was the start of the rebirth of this supposedly versatile favourite son. I dont know if maybe a serious knee injury when at Norwich has removed him of his main asset but he is not a competent winger at this level. And he is nowhere near competent enough to play in central midfield. That one game v Shrewsbury is not indicative of what he can do there, indeed his last performance there I think was at Villa against an admittedly impressive McGinn but I cant recall a player looking so far out of his depth since I saw Edinho playing up front for us!

When you consider that we are on 60 points again, you see that the "progress" and "improvement" is more about perception and more th Last year, we started quite well, then had a spike around new year but had a terrible run (in which the points accumulation wouldnt have been much lower if at all than our current run) and a nice run near the end which window dressed the season somewhat. This year, we started awfully, then went on a good mid season run. Because of other teams results, we have appeared closer than we actually have been considering in the last 11 games, we have collected 10 points, yet people have always had this outside "if we win every game" chance that was never realistic.

Undoubtedly there is raw ability there, but he did his usual thing yesterday. Can he beat people? Yes. Often unnecessarily. He is 25 and didnt join as a player who had regular end product at Oxford. Even when we played them on the last day he wasnt even starting for them. He just strikes me as a player who looks far better on the eye than he actually is.

We still have to wait until our owners wake up before Mowbray is allowed to bring in another batch of players that wont address the positions that need addressing. Those dates are irrelevant.

The reason that Bennett became this "versatile" and "trusty" teachers pet was because 2 and a half years ago, in a lower league, when playing in his natural position out wide, he was not scoring at all and he was rarely assisting. He was not standing out even at a lower level and wasnt contributing anywhere near enough from an attacking sense, something even at the time I remember arguing. Because he wasnt that important in his natural position, he was expendable enough to move around if need be. His performance with Smallwood v Shrewsbury is his Emerton v Wolves moment. It was full of energy and I think it fooled people into thinking he was a capable central midfielder going forward, but he doesnt have the intelligence or the technical ability to do that role either, energy and work rate is not enough. Thus, he then was moved to right back to over Nyambe near the end of the season, around the time of promotion, everyone was happy, the fist pump was born, and his inadequacies in that position were covered up. As a full back, central midfielder or winger, he is not good enough.

I would disagree with that, for all of Adarabioyo's additional composure, Lenihan has always been the glue there, and for all of his rashness and imperfection, he is the dominant one and by far the best defender. When Williams played next to Lenihan, we kept winning. When Williams played with Adarabioyo during Lenihan's absence, and when Nyambe did during Lenihan's suspension, we reverted back to our flimsy self. That being said, we will probably have to play him because of how neglected that area is. Unless we give Carter a do.

Couldnt see a topic specifically on this, but surely the time has come now to move on Bennett. I think Mowbrays reasoning for selecting Bennett over Nyambe, that the latter has lacked confidence is a joke. That isnt going to help! Mowbray also said that "Bennett brings some character and personality to our team and takes the game-plan on to the pitch." Absolute rubbish. The game plan wasnt evident and certainly didnt work. Its such a feeble reason to select his favourite player. I have a stat which I saw on Lancs Live which sums up how much of a liability Bennett is and why he needs not only to be dropped but moved on as soon as is possible: Bennett has captained 26 games this season, we have lost 13. Lenihan has captained us 14 times, we have lost once. I dont think its because Lenihan was wearing the armband. It is because how much of a weakness Bennett becomes when he plays. Does anyone think he should stay even as a squad player anymore? He is as much of a liability as Mulgrew is. Further reason why its time for a change of manager too.

The issue is the problem goes back a year too and it isnt even the success or lack of when judging individuals. Its the lack of signings made that can help us on anything but a temporary basis. Its the positions that have been repeatedly neglected. Adarabioyo has been an 8 out of 10 loan, has fit in well but has only stuck a plaster over that problem and for all of his composure he isnt of the defensive quality of Lenihan. Downing has been again an 8 out of 10, altbough again its a short term solution and I think that age has started to creep up on him. Cunningham would have been good but didnt play enough to rate really. Thats for the good signings. Holtby is a 5 out of 10 for me in again his usage. Hes had good games, Wednesday away, Huddersfield at home but when Dack was fit he struggled to find a home, whether it be from the right or deeper, neither of which he was effective from. And post Dack he himself struggled with niggles over Christmas and New Year and most recently has been tried farcically as a false 9. Johnson for me at a push a 4 out of 10. Hes been bar one or two very impressive exceptions, been not average but really poor and a liability. He doesnt look fit, i question his committment but moreso why for someone so poor on the half turn why he was signed considering Mowbrays tactical direction. I was excited when he signed but hes been a huge dissapointment and I suspect one on big wages. Walton is a 3 out of 10, you cant have a keeper making into double figures in terms of mistakes leading to goals. Not only a downgrade on the eccentric Raya but a temporary alternative to a previously long term solution. And Gallagher, 1 out of 10. A poor striker misused as much as anyone. Last night summed it up. No strikers down the middle, Gallagher within feet of the cut outs in the stand. I think the recruitment horror show goes back since we came up to be honest. You look at least season, add Reed to impressive loan signings, although one totally misused. Rodwell was a fairly poor and again misused freebie. Palmer a poor temporary addition. Rothwell, Chapman and Davenport all pointless additions judging thus far. Brereton the worst of them all. And Armstrong the sole addition that we know can help us moving forward, or more so, sideways.

Another thing, going into next season you would say only Lenihan, Nyambe, (maybe) Evans, Travis, Armstrong and Dack are first teamers. Only the latter 2 are Mowbray signings. To have only 2 of your own signings in your team, 20m and 3 years down the line is piss poor. The only player that has advanced the team post promotion has been Armstrong who was already here on loan. Its not progression, its not good enough. No one could guess the formation either.

How much of an easy time does he get from journalists too? Just for my sins listened to his Radio Lancashire interview. No questions about the tactical horror show, the constant lack of clean sheets, 2 shots on target, the lack of a striker in the second half, the weird new formation. Spit off a few cliches, and on you go.

Careful all, the screen grabber is on his game.

Are we making progress? 60 points again. 10 points in 11 games, is that acceptable? Have his signings been good enough this season? Do you agree with this false 9 shite? Do you agree with this wide striker shite?

Dismal performance. Totally chaotic, bizarre tactics, no positives, the final straw.

Time to go Tony. Your tactics get more and more bizarre as the games go by. Chasing a game with no striker might make sense in your head but not in reality. False 9s, wide strikers, 2 number 10s, all bizarre ecperiments. We havent made progress. 60 points last year. At this rate 60 this year. And the main difference is replacing a centre back who kept being responsible for goals leave and loaning one in. So that problem is back again in 2 games. 10 points in 11 games. 12m spent on shite. That clown back captaining us.Thanks for the promotion and the stability but you cant take us forward.

Absolutely fuming with this inevitable show of total disinterest and inability. For all of the talk of progress, what does Mowbrays Rovers actually do? Long ball from the start against Millwall, did Mowbray consult Appleton before coming up with a game plan today. Team is all wrong. Then as the half wore on plenty of slow and sideways passes with zero threat. Thats what apparently we "want" to do. Samuel with the sort of non performance you get out of him 99% of the time. Graham cant move. Get shut of both after the Luton game. Adarabioyo cant be arsed. Bennett constantly out of position. Dont get the hype around Rankin Costello, constantly looks terrified. Walton woeful with the ball at his feet. Johnson clumsy. Travis petulant and sloppy. Downing ineffective. Armstrong fairly half arsed.

Simple. We dont play 433 when it doesnt suit our best player.