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Championship
Rotherham v Rovers: 12th August 2023
- Thread starter Barmitzvah Boy
- Start date
... for Markanday, Travis and Leonard. Seems to me that Gallagher has been pushed down the pecking order. Prob to make him feel that he's not rated by JDT and not wanted in the squad. Unfortunately for all it appears that not many other squads feel the need to buy him.
blueandwhitehalves
Senior Member
Or just that he's at the stage of his injury where bringing him on after 57 mins would be unwise (given there's about 40 mins of the game left at that point under the new rules).
Been driving since it started (at a services) so only the BBC match stats to go off but 74% possession and 0 shots on target indicates a lack of quality in our attacking players.
Which frankly is exactly what I expected after the bad summer news. The positions that cost money in football are the attacking ones, having a guy Preston let go, along with other free transfer try-hards, doesn't score goals.
There's a good reason JDT kept playing Brereton last season even when he couldn't be arsed, without that type of quality up front we'll likely be easy to defend against this season.
Been driving since it started (at a services) so only the BBC match stats to go off but 74% possession and 0 shots on target indicates a lack of quality in our attacking players.
Which frankly is exactly what I expected after the bad summer news. The positions that cost money in football are the attacking ones, having a guy Preston let go, along with other free transfer try-hards, doesn't score goals.
There's a good reason JDT kept playing Brereton last season even when he couldn't be arsed, without that type of quality up front we'll likely be easy to defend against this season.
I'm not able to watch but it speaks volumes that for all our possession (26:74) it's now 70 mins through the match, we've been v 10 men for 20mins and still no shot on target! I'm not there but I can guess we are taking 2-3-4 touches instead of 1 or 2 and passing square balls in their half. Generally we sound to be guilty of over footballing the attacking situations. I suppose that that Rotherham are now in a 1-5-4 formation? The manager and squad still must not be getting the message that slow ponderous attacking and possession play win nowt! The buzz word at Brockhall has to be that 'speed deceives'.
However hope springs eternal and Szmodics after missing a pen, getting booked has now made it 2-1.
However hope springs eternal and Szmodics after missing a pen, getting booked has now made it 2-1.
6th place but a late 97th minute Armstrong pen at Southampton (after what must have been a hell of a match with Norwich) made it 4-4 and we have slipped to 7th.
Memo to JDT......... Penalty practice down at Brockhall at the end of training all this week.
Memo to JDT......... Penalty practice down at Brockhall at the end of training all this week.
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1SimonGarner
Senior Member
Each to their own but as corny as it may sound, I'd have given Szmodics the captains armband at half time and said go out and put that half behind you, I've 100% faith in you. Szmodics will have known better than anyone that he was poor in the first half, dragging him off would do nothing for his future confidence in games, a few genuine mistakes is no reason to start dragging a class player off. If he's being half arsed or petulant or something similar, then fair enough, but when you start singling players out for making mistakes you're going to shatter their confidence long term and long term is the most important thing.
People are just way too reactionary these days. Glass half full ..... 4 points from 2 games, already a point gained from 2 down in a game, played some good stuff at times, JRC like signing a new player from this time last year and there's loads more positives.
This is a new season, people need to stop de faulting to the negative and dragging up the past when things start to go wrong. We'll have ups and downs this season STAY POSITIVE. Negativity helps nothing and no one.
COYB BOYS - Hope I can cheer you on next Saturday!
People are just way too reactionary these days. Glass half full ..... 4 points from 2 games, already a point gained from 2 down in a game, played some good stuff at times, JRC like signing a new player from this time last year and there's loads more positives.
This is a new season, people need to stop de faulting to the negative and dragging up the past when things start to go wrong. We'll have ups and downs this season STAY POSITIVE. Negativity helps nothing and no one.
COYB BOYS - Hope I can cheer you on next Saturday!
goozburger.
Senior Member
A lot to dissect! I'll start with my player reviews.
Pears
Didn't have a lot to do except pick the ball out of the back of the net. Plays out well from the back. Came well for one of their corners to punch away the danger. Not convincing, aerially.
Rankin-Costello
Superb when attacking, especially from midfield. You can tell he wants to play further forward. Perhaps I'm wrong about not wanting to move him away from the right-back position. He was an attacking player during his younger years, and he clearly knows how to do it.
Carter
Good on the ground, and comfortable with the ball. Not so good in the air. I don't think he won any of his headers today.
Hyam
Nothing notable. Solid, as usual. I have a slight feeling that he is slightly tired. I don't think he got much of a summer break with his duties for Scotland.
Pickering
Was quite good going forward today. Nearly scored a beauty with a volley towards the end. I think there are some aerial communication problems, however. Notwithstanding the Millwall farce in the final game of last season, he clattered with Hyam in the first-half, and was hesitant in a hairy moment with Pears in the second-half. His aerial defensive capabilities, or anticipation, concern me. Otherwise, I think he's starting to show some savvy positioning to make up for his lack of pace.
Travis
Usual bits of shit-housing, and lots of effort with a dash of a skill. Not the player you need when playing against ten men, so I can understand why he was substituted.
Wharton
Endless penetrating passes into the opposition's penalty area, particularly in the second half. Yet again, though, he was prone to giving the ball away cheaply in dangerous positions in the first-half. Perhaps this a price to pay for his otherwise great qualities on the ball.
Szmodics
It feels odd to have him as my Man of the Match after a dismal penalty miss and gifting the first goal to the opposition, but it can be forgiven when he bags a brace to make up for it. This is a man with character, determination, and quality.
Dolan
Crap.
Markanday
Ineffective.
Leonard
Didn't get any service whatsoever, largely due to the two wide-forwards. Did he even touch the ball? Feel a little sorry for him in a game like this. Refuse to judge.
Brittain
Very good offensively. Not afraid to attack, and chipped in when we were piling the pressure on. Didn't need to do any defensive work, which I feel is the weaker part of his game.
Gallagher
Didn't really notice him when he came on, but I think our shape adapts whereby our other attacking players perhaps have more time on the ball when Gallagher distracts the central defenders.
Buckley
Not enough time on the pitch for me to notice anything.
Hedges
Our biggest effect on the game after Rotherham went down to ten men. It's a bit predictable as to what he's going to do on the right-flank when he is left-footed, but he created a lot of chances that could have won us the game.
Ennis
Very good when he came on. He likes to run the channels and get into the box when it matters. Had a couple of opportunities to score the winner. A sharper Ennis probably would have bagged one of those.
We started off very well but we are simply lacking in attack, particularly in the wide-forward areas (which seems an odd thing to say given that we've been talking about a striker all summer). After a poor penalty from Szmodics, followed by a dismal follow-up from Dolan, our heads dropped, Szmodics was clearly affected by it, and he ended up giving away Rotherham's opener.
Our woeful set-piece efforts saw us go 2-0 down, and it took Rotherham to shoot themselves in the foot for us to believe that we could get something out of the game. I'm absolutely delighted that we didn't roll over to an apathetic defeat as we did last season, and we summoned our courage to get something out of it. That's the biggest plus sign for me. We need more of that.
Now, the big talking point will be the officiating. I say there should be no quarter for players gesturing for a card, or "innocently" booting the ball away. The rules have been made clear to all EFL clubs, and if the clubs haven't briefed their players and trained them to stop doing this shit, then they get their comeuppance. It's disheartening to hear the cliches from the RoversTV commentators: "The game can't go on like this...". No. It can't go on how it has been stupidly allowed to go on for years. The ones that broke it now have to fix it. I have no time for anybody who thinks that the status quo should remain in place. It is utterly boring to watch. Book the bastards. Tomasson is clearly on board with it all, and it's fairly clear our players have been briefed well. More fool Rotherham if they haven't done their housekeeping.
All in all, a good point for us where we'd have got nothing in previous seasons. The poor first-half might also do us some good, rather than thinking everything is hunk-dory. Come on you blues!
Pears
Didn't have a lot to do except pick the ball out of the back of the net. Plays out well from the back. Came well for one of their corners to punch away the danger. Not convincing, aerially.
Rankin-Costello
Superb when attacking, especially from midfield. You can tell he wants to play further forward. Perhaps I'm wrong about not wanting to move him away from the right-back position. He was an attacking player during his younger years, and he clearly knows how to do it.
Carter
Good on the ground, and comfortable with the ball. Not so good in the air. I don't think he won any of his headers today.
Hyam
Nothing notable. Solid, as usual. I have a slight feeling that he is slightly tired. I don't think he got much of a summer break with his duties for Scotland.
Pickering
Was quite good going forward today. Nearly scored a beauty with a volley towards the end. I think there are some aerial communication problems, however. Notwithstanding the Millwall farce in the final game of last season, he clattered with Hyam in the first-half, and was hesitant in a hairy moment with Pears in the second-half. His aerial defensive capabilities, or anticipation, concern me. Otherwise, I think he's starting to show some savvy positioning to make up for his lack of pace.
Travis
Usual bits of shit-housing, and lots of effort with a dash of a skill. Not the player you need when playing against ten men, so I can understand why he was substituted.
Wharton
Endless penetrating passes into the opposition's penalty area, particularly in the second half. Yet again, though, he was prone to giving the ball away cheaply in dangerous positions in the first-half. Perhaps this a price to pay for his otherwise great qualities on the ball.
Szmodics
It feels odd to have him as my Man of the Match after a dismal penalty miss and gifting the first goal to the opposition, but it can be forgiven when he bags a brace to make up for it. This is a man with character, determination, and quality.
Dolan
Crap.
Markanday
Ineffective.
Leonard
Didn't get any service whatsoever, largely due to the two wide-forwards. Did he even touch the ball? Feel a little sorry for him in a game like this. Refuse to judge.
Brittain
Very good offensively. Not afraid to attack, and chipped in when we were piling the pressure on. Didn't need to do any defensive work, which I feel is the weaker part of his game.
Gallagher
Didn't really notice him when he came on, but I think our shape adapts whereby our other attacking players perhaps have more time on the ball when Gallagher distracts the central defenders.
Buckley
Not enough time on the pitch for me to notice anything.
Hedges
Our biggest effect on the game after Rotherham went down to ten men. It's a bit predictable as to what he's going to do on the right-flank when he is left-footed, but he created a lot of chances that could have won us the game.
Ennis
Very good when he came on. He likes to run the channels and get into the box when it matters. Had a couple of opportunities to score the winner. A sharper Ennis probably would have bagged one of those.
We started off very well but we are simply lacking in attack, particularly in the wide-forward areas (which seems an odd thing to say given that we've been talking about a striker all summer). After a poor penalty from Szmodics, followed by a dismal follow-up from Dolan, our heads dropped, Szmodics was clearly affected by it, and he ended up giving away Rotherham's opener.
Our woeful set-piece efforts saw us go 2-0 down, and it took Rotherham to shoot themselves in the foot for us to believe that we could get something out of the game. I'm absolutely delighted that we didn't roll over to an apathetic defeat as we did last season, and we summoned our courage to get something out of it. That's the biggest plus sign for me. We need more of that.
Now, the big talking point will be the officiating. I say there should be no quarter for players gesturing for a card, or "innocently" booting the ball away. The rules have been made clear to all EFL clubs, and if the clubs haven't briefed their players and trained them to stop doing this shit, then they get their comeuppance. It's disheartening to hear the cliches from the RoversTV commentators: "The game can't go on like this...". No. It can't go on how it has been stupidly allowed to go on for years. The ones that broke it now have to fix it. I have no time for anybody who thinks that the status quo should remain in place. It is utterly boring to watch. Book the bastards. Tomasson is clearly on board with it all, and it's fairly clear our players have been briefed well. More fool Rotherham if they haven't done their housekeeping.
All in all, a good point for us where we'd have got nothing in previous seasons. The poor first-half might also do us some good, rather than thinking everything is hunk-dory. Come on you blues!
An unlucky penalty miss, a dreadfully wasteful follow up by Dolan who should have finished easily enough.
A dreadful pass across the edge of the pen area by szmodic. Suicidal one might say, however on the video it's apparent the manager was instructing him to make that pass!
So a disastrous first half for szmodics but he showed great character to score twice and earn goozbergers mom.
A dreadful pass across the edge of the pen area by szmodic. Suicidal one might say, however on the video it's apparent the manager was instructing him to make that pass!
So a disastrous first half for szmodics but he showed great character to score twice and earn goozbergers mom.
Old Darwen Blue
Prediction Champion 2021 & 2022
Do Rovers ever do things the easy way? 7th already COYB
Got the 2-2 prediction correct though!
Got the 2-2 prediction correct though!