Rovers v The Nob Ends

[khmerblue]

Cardiff could be dark horses,there paying the lad from Liverpool all his wages.If we won our game in hand we will be above them, that's not likely to happen. I've not seen rovers on tv since the Brum game,what has gone wrong we just don't seem to take our chances.Why don't we try Armstrong and AN other as a strike duo.A big guy and a little guy,the young lad McBride is doing ok in the u23,why don't we try 3 at the back. We need a shake up.

 

[Drog]

Our playing style can be scintillating if our opponents allow it to be. Our early season form when we caught our opponents by surprise provided many of us with a false dawn. However ever since Barnsley sussed the way to play against us various teams with PNE being the latest have emulated them. We seem to only have one way to win and that must be expanded upon.

 

[Alan]

From Lancashire Live..............
"Meanwhile, Mowbray refused to accept his side's performance in the first-half and his frustration was clear.
“We played the wrong game," he said. "We played to our forward targets second half, got more deliverers of the ball onto the pitch, pinned them back and deserved to probably get an equaliser from the pressure late on. “But it wasn’t to be. It was more like us the second half and more like a team that I recognised."

What he means is that Neill won the battle of the Managers and the tactics. PNE pushed onto our defenders and pressurised our midfielders to stop us building from the back, we were then forced to play long balls to a short centre forward. Simples.... and hardly rocket science. Question the Rovers coaches need to figure out is how to change our tactics in order to counteract those tactics and compete. Barnsley started it and lots of teams will have taken note of our struggles to cope with such and will copy it. Maybe Gallagher up at No9 (cos we all know that BB can't / won't / doesn't compete in the air with centre halves) and Armstrong in the hole? I dunno but anyone with any other thoughts might like to post em to TM c/o BRFC.

Gallagher isn't the answer. We need a proper old fashioned centre forward. We don't have one and now it's too late to get one unless there is one in the youth set up. Another wasted season.

 

[Drog]

Wasted season is a bit harsh Al. Personally speaking I do see improvement every season. That's a plus given that we don't have parachute payments or big crowds to rely on. Also it's the opinion of many including me that the Championship is the hardest division to get out of.
Just as an aside promotion to the Prem has to be the aim because of the silly money swilling around but as a spectator and a supporter I prefer the competition and unpredictability of the Championship. imo Being in the top third of the championship is far better than being in the bottom third of the Prem. Beginning every season knowing that the only incentive is to survive a relegation battle with over a dozen other teams is soul destroying.

 

[Alan]

It is wasted in terms of promotion which must be the aim in order to get the cash necessary to be independently viable.
My personal ambition is only to be better than Burnley and we need the Premiership money to achieve that. They were way behind us and they did it. Why can't we?

 

[khmerblue]

Football is a game of swings and roundabouts,I remember having a apprentice who was Burnley mad,I used to say to him when we won the premier it would not suprise me if Burnley became the No1 club in East Lancs.Unfortunatley it became true.

 

[steve w]

Wasted season is a bit harsh Al. Personally speaking I do see improvement every season. That's a plus given that we don't have parachute payments or big crowds to rely on. Also it's the opinion of many including me that the Championship is the hardest division to get out of.
Just as an aside promotion to the Prem has to be the aim because of the silly money swilling around but as a spectator and a supporter I prefer the competition and unpredictability of the Championship. imo Being in the top third of the championship is far better than being in the bottom third of the Prem. Beginning every season knowing that the only incentive is to survive a relegation battle with over a dozen other teams is soul destroying.

Agree 100%
The premiership is by far the most competitive elite league in the world, but it is still only going to be the top 6 clubs that win everything.
Our only real excitement was staying clear of relegation!! The hope of a bit of luck in the cup!! Or a surprise win against one of the big boys!!

I have reached the point of thinking being a club like Norwich or WBA is the ideal (A promotion, with the joys of plenty of wins and nail biting excitement) followed by a couple of "exciting relegation battles" whilst earning loads of dosh and getting to play the big clubs.

If money wasn't the issue - with regards to long term security - playing in the Championship is much more FUN to me

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

Wasted season is a bit harsh Al. Personally speaking I do see improvement every season. That's a plus given that we don't have parachute payments or big crowds to rely on. Also it's the opinion of many including me that the Championship is the hardest division to get out of.
Just as an aside promotion to the Prem has to be the aim because of the silly money swilling around but as a spectator and a supporter I prefer the competition and unpredictability of the Championship. imo Being in the top third of the championship is far better than being in the bottom third of the Prem. Beginning every season knowing that the only incentive is to survive a relegation battle with over a dozen other teams is soul destroying.

And the lack of VAR

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

Football is a game of swings and roundabouts,I remember having a apprentice who was Burnley mad,I used to say to him when we won the premier it would not suprise me if Burnley became the No1 club in East Lancs.Unfortunatley it became true.

They may be temporarily above us but when you look at their lack of ambition on and off the pitch (think about the wooden stand and not buying players) then you cant say they are the number one club in Lancashire. They aren’t and they never will be.

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

Agree 100%
The premiership is by far the most competitive elite league in the world, but it is still only going to be the top 6 clubs that win everything.
Our only real excitement was staying clear of relegation!! The hope of a bit of luck in the cup!! Or a surprise win against one of the big boys!!

I have reached the point of thinking being a club like Norwich or WBA is the ideal (A promotion, with the joys of plenty of wins and nail biting excitement) followed by a couple of "exciting relegation battles" whilst earning loads of dosh and getting to play the big clubs.

If money wasn't the issue - with regards to long term security - playing in the Championship is much more FUN to me

So where do the likes of Leicester fit into that theory?

 

[Drog]

They may be temporarily above us but when you look at their lack of ambition on and off the pitch (think about the wooden stand and not buying players) then you cant say they are the number one club in Lancashire. They aren’t and they never will be.

I dread to think of the state of Ewood without a certain Jack Walker's input. I wonder how many stands would be open now? The Nuttall St was wooden floored I think and the Darwen End was a shed. Prob just the two ends.

 

[OnlyOneTugay]

They may be temporarily above us but when you look at their lack of ambition on and off the pitch (think about the wooden stand and not buying players) then you cant say they are the number one club in Lancashire. They aren’t and they never will be.

Success tends to go in cycles but if anyone ever asks me who is the number one club in Lancashire I just point them to the Rovers trophy cabinet . None of the traditional town clubs ( in Lancashire or the world ) come anywhere near The Famous Blue and White Halves .

Success is temporary, history is permanent

Up the Rovers

 

[AllRoverAsia]

It is wasted in terms of promotion which must be the aim in order to get the cash necessary to be independently viable.
My personal ambition is only to be better than Burnley and we need the Premiership money to achieve that. They were way behind us and they did it. Why can't we?

My personal ambition is only to be better than Preston and has been that for a while now.

 

[AllRoverAsia]

We are not seeing improvement every season and the stats confirm that.

Specifically about the team how can improvement be claimed or sustained when it is largely on the back of loans?

It is the progress equivalent of Russian Roulette. Only a matter of time until that goes horribly wrong.

Championship - 3 teams get out of it each season, we in reality never really get close.

And the same old excuses are being trotted out as they are season after season under Venkys, under Mowbray.

Do I have an answer. NO. I accept that we are and have been well fucked.

Just wait until the summer sales begin and don't say you weren't told.

 

[steve w]

So where do the likes of Leicester fit into that theory?

Same place as us! Do you think we can ever duplicate it?
That was my point about it being such a competitive elite league. It is possible if all the top teams crap out all together as they did that season - but otherwise it ain't happening.

 

[Alan]

Agree 100%
The premiership is by far the most competitive elite league in the world, but it is still only going to be the top 6 clubs that win everything.
Our only real excitement was staying clear of relegation!! The hope of a bit of luck in the cup!! Or a surprise win against one of the big boys!!

I have reached the point of thinking being a club like Norwich or WBA is the ideal (A promotion, with the joys of plenty of wins and nail biting excitement) followed by a couple of "exciting relegation battles" whilst earning loads of dosh and getting to play the big clubs.

If money wasn't the issue - with regards to long term security - playing in the Championship is much more FUN to me

Agreed but money is the issue for me. We need it to be above Burnley which is, above all, my raison d'etre.

 

[Drog]

We are not seeing improvement every season and the stats confirm that.

Specifically about the team how can improvement be claimed or sustained when it is largely on the back of loans?

It is the progress equivalent of Russian Roulette. Only a matter of time until that goes horribly wrong.

Championship - 3 teams get out of it each season, we in reality never really get close.

And the same old excuses are being trotted out as they are season after season under Venkys, under Mowbray.

Do I have an answer. NO. I accept that we are and have been well fucked.

Just wait until the summer sales begin and don't say you weren't told.

I don't think any of us will be surprised to see a few go through the exit door. If a Prem club comes a calling then Arma will go. So too might Kaminsky although I'm not sure his goalkeeping is as good as his outfield play, however a football playing GK appears to be high on every Prem teams agend these days. No prizes for guessing who will be staying though.

As for improvement we are the Divisions 3rd highest scoring team which I don't recall us ever threatening that table before.

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

I dread to think of the state of Ewood without a certain Jack Walker's input. I wonder how many stands would be open now? The Nuttall St was wooden floored I think and the Darwen End was a shed. Prob just the two ends.

I bet the turd looked eve worse then!

 

[AllRoverAsia]

I don't think any of us will be surprised to see a few go through the exit door. If a Prem club comes a calling then Arma will go. So too might Kaminsky although I'm not sure his goalkeeping is as good as his outfield play, however a football playing GK appears to be high on every Prem teams agend these days. No prizes for guessing who will be staying though.

As for improvement we are the Divisions 3rd highest scoring team which I don't recall us ever threatening that table before.

Agreed and the polar opposite of the story being told of a ''slow build journey''.

A third of our goals were scored in just 3 games quite early in the season v Wycombe, Coventry and Direby.

Goals 'For' per game since early December average out at just about ONE.

Rovers after 28 games -

Season 18/19 - 40 points, 6 off playoffs

Season 19/20 - 40 points, 5 off playoffs

Season 20/21 - 39 points, 7 off playoffs - due to their superior GD we need 8 points more to overtake Bournemouth for 6th place, but we have played at least one game less than all the clubs above us bar Swansea.

 

[Drog]

Well done ara, I was looking to make that comparison and struggled to find then data.