Rotherham United

[Old Darwen Blue]

I was advised a long time ago never to mix the grape and the grain!

Celebrated with a four pack of Carlsberg Export, Im off the wagon now.

 

[Drog]

Just seen the highlights what Lenihan and Johnson were doing for Rotherham goal god knows,2 good finishes by our lads but how many home games have we been playing 2nd fiddle,but unlike Pne we are getting results.Massive game sat I for one is glad it's away as we seem to play better.

I'd put much of the blame on Nyambe waggy. He was facing right across the line and could see Smith peeling away from Lenihan and sliding between ther pair of them and he quite simply didn't react.

 

[Drog]

posing of Rotherham. Plain fact of the matter is that we aren't as good as we think we are, and we are in

Great review - Thanks

And I completely agree with the above......We have been blinded by a couple of great results...Nothing I have seen has convinced me we are anything more than a mid table team

Cheers steve.
I know I wrote that and I meant it too but I do feel that we aren't that far off. Obviously there's the Trav and Dack issue but even so we haven't been well beaten by any of the top teams apart from perhaps Reading (Reading's manager said it was their best display of the season). In fact one could easily suggest we could have had a few more points on the board. Rem we were slightly the better team against Bournemouth, Watford the fates seemed stacked against us, that's two matches we didn't really deserve to lose, at Brentford we were winning and the better team when Lenihan was sent off and last Saturdays game v Norwich could have gone either way but for the class (and luck) of Pukki.
I believe our current slump is because of:
1. We are perhaps believing our own press a little too much. 'you are only as good as your last result'.
and
2. our tactics have been sussed by the lower teams (think Man City in the Prem) whereas the better teams tend to play their own game rather than attempt to stop us playing ours. 'Cut off the supply to Armstrong like Barnsley did ' is the battle cry from lower down and unfortunately until Elliot decided to share the glory that was our Achilles heel. Gallagher is still a weak link, only in the team imo because of his muscle and if BB is the answer as some would hope for then I'm afraid I don't know what the bloody question is. Chapman / Dolan should be utilised more than they are out on the left when Gallagher is having an off day.

 

[Drog]

We can be a good team but we need a couple of the injured players back. Dack (in my opinion) will make a huge difference. At the moment teams are closely marking Armstrong and to a lesser extent Elliot and the addition of Dack will give them a lot more to think about. Closely marking three is a big ask for any team.

I don't think that will still apply after Elliot's recent returns and the fawning of the press and media. He'll be watched as closely as Armstrong... which in turn will help Arma.
I remember ancient advice in football 'in the first 10 minutes you have to win your personal battle against your opposite number before you can win the game'. I feel other teams have taken that on board with us.

 

[Drog]

I was advised a long time ago never to mix the grape and the grain!

BB, Al and I advise you to take no notice.

 

[steve w]

Cheers steve.
I know I wrote that and I meant it too but I do feel that we aren't that far off. Obviously there's the Trav and Dack issue but even sowe haven't been well beaten by any of the top teams apart from perhaps Reading (Reading's manager said it was their best display of the season). In fact one could easily suggest we could have had a few more points on the board. Rem we were slightly the better team against Bournemouth, Watford the fates seemed stacked against us, that's two matches we didn't really deserve to lose, at Brentford we were winning and the better team when Lenihan was sent off and last Saturdays game v Norwich could have gone either way but for the class (and luck) of Pukki.
I believe our current slump is because our tactics have been sussed by the lower teams (think Man City) whereas the better teams tend to play their own game rather than attempt to stop us playing ours. 'Cut off the supply to Armstrong like Barnsley did ' is the battle cry from lower down and unfortunately until Elliot decided to share the glory that was our Achilles heel. Gallagher is still a weak link, only in the team imo because of his muscle and if BB is the answer as some would hope for then I'm afraid I don't know what the bloody question is. Chapman / Dolan should be utilised more than they are out on the left when Gallagher is having an off day.

I agree - we aren't far off and maybe Dack and Travis will swing the pendulum enough to take us to the play off area for keeps.
Again as you say, we are never battered, and with more luck we might be in a very healthy position. But there is a decent case that we have been lucky? And without that luck we could be in quite a precarious position
(Nine of our recent points could just as easily be only 2 or 3)
For once! this season we have had a decent rub of the green
Our problems stem from the old foe - TMs loyalty to some! (but I feel this is enforced from on high!), and an overall defence that is out of sync (ability wise) with our attacking options.

This league is just so even that its difficult to have a distinct edge. I don't think I could pick a team from all the clubs and feel 100% confident they would even make the playoffs

 

[Barmitzvah Boy]

Virtually ditto. White and a very large G&T whilst I penned my report.

Good to see you could type straight

 

[khmerblue]

Just realised Elliot played the ball out wide to Downing for the 2nd goal,so Harvey had a big part to play in both goals.On Rotherham goal I think Lenihan and Johnson seemed to leave the ball for one another.Month by month I'm hoping Rovers hit 2pts per game,this month having 8 games we need 16pts that means we need to win the next 3.

 

[Drog]

Good to see you could type straight

It's when speaking straight is the problem that it's time to stop and go to bed.

 

[Drog]

Just realised Elliot played the ball out wide to Downing for the 2nd goal,so Harvey had a big part to play in both goals.On Rotherham goal I think Lenihan and Johnson seemed to leave the ball for one another.Month by month I'm hoping Rovers hit 2pts per game,this month having 8 games we need 16pts that means we need to win the next 3.

A big ask waggy but not an impossible one. Two away matches and one at home. I don't really think it makes much difference to us. Home and away table. Championship - home and away tables (soccerstats.com)

 

[Drog]

Defensively I would play Williams at left back and I believe that that would strengthen the defence as an alarming number of our goals against come from that area.

Ain't gonna happen Al.
Extent of Derrick Williams' injury revealed as Blackburn Rovers may dip into the transfer market - LancsLive

 

[Alan]

Yea I've just read that. Shame.

 

[khmerblue]

Williams was all set to leave in the summer,I wonder what sort of fee he would fetch,Swansea are in the play offs at 27yr old I think 2 million might buy him.

 

[Drog]

Not my 2m that's for sure.