Sheffield Wan**rs v Rovers: 16th March 2019

Rothwell gets a start
Magloire continues in defence.
Arma dropped

Rovers: Raya, Reed, Nyambe, Magloire, Williams, Bennett (c), Travis, Evans, Rothwell, Dack, Graham.

Substitutes: Leutwiler, Smallwood, Armstrong, Brereton, Nuttall, Conway, Buckley.

On paper that looks quite a decent side . A big test for Williams , Magloire and Nyambe though . Hope they match the commitment and the organisation of Sheffield United’s defence .

Is Rothwell a starter or more an impact substitute ? I’ve always felt he’s the latter . Hope I’m proved wrong .

Up the Rovers

Any improvement from Brereton yet?

Armstrong is a bloody good impact sub too OOT

Hey great to see you posting again Al . Hope you’re feeling better .

Brereton has been hopeless but some goals with Damian Johnson’s young guns have hopefully gone some way to restoring his confidence.,

1-0 already
Bloody ex-dingle Fletcher

HT 1-0
Rovers have had more possession and more shots but we are behind in the only stat that counts.

2-0

2-1

Come on Rovers

Craig Conway

That didn't last long
3-1

About as long as usual. We are soooo brittle aren't we? The opposition hardly need to threaten and we capitilulate.
Lots of decent play and it all goes to waste because of comic cut defending......fckc 4 as I type.
4-2 now Bennett.

FT 4-2
7 defeats in 9 ouch!

Possession 59%for rovers

Shots on target sheff wed 4!!!!!! Says it all

Fairly predictable.

Rovers score 2 away from home and have 60 % of the posesssion . TM must be doing something right .

Unfortunately they’ve let in another bagful so he’s doing lots wrong .

Two quotes from the Telegraph live text of the game :

“ That's shocking "marking". Free kick finds an unmarked Nuhiu, all 6'5 of him, to head in from six yards. (2-0)”

“ Size difference really apparent here - Wednesday look a team of giants compared to Rovers “

This Rovers performance is the opposite to that ugly win by Sheffield United at Leeds . Hopefully TM knows what he needs to do in the close season and do it !!

I really hope so OOT.
I keep thinking back to something a West Brom supporting mate of mine said when we first appointed ToMo.
"We all loved Mowbray and he would still be Albion's manager now but he could never sort out our defence".

Highlights
Their third goal was a little fortunate in that it bounced kindly for the lad but the other three were shockers and what the heck Raya was doing with the last goal is beyond me.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11667520/sheff-wed-4-2-blackburn

That shambolic 4th goal reminded me of the last goals v PNE at Deepdale and Wigan away. They were a rabble.

Williams (who is getting worse every week) took as long to go down as the Titanic for their first and Raya timidly remained rooted to his line as the ball passed him on the 6 yard line.

2nd goal for Sheffield was Neuhu's first touch when he was shamefully left unmarked for that free kick. However I'm pretty sure he was offside. Similarly I think the same player may have been offside when he challenged for the free kick for the 3rd goal.

Wilpshire Blue said:

I really hope so OOT.
I keep thinking back to something a West Brom supporting mate of mine said when we first appointed ToMo.
"We all loved Mowbray and he would still be Albion's manager now but he could never sort out our defence".

Click to expand...

That’s worrying WB . I think TM has or should have banked lots of goodwill with Rovers fans . He’s done as well as anyone could have expected since he joined the club . Keeping Rovers up this season will be an achievement . Next season is s big test for him .

However let’s hope his tenure doesn’t end because he fails to learn the lesson from his time at WBA . If he can’t sort out the defence he needs to employ a defensive coach . Then give that coach the responsibility of identifying hardened , experienced and physically competitive defenders for next season .

So weird for an ex centre half to have such a leaky defence isn't it?