I got pissed after yesterday's debacle. Not happy pissed, but pissed off pissed, hence not commenting until now. This season is becoming a carbon copy of last season, and the season before. High expectations followed by dismal performances. This group of players are the same ones who did so well in the 2nd half of last season, yet they look totally different. Why is this? We are toothless in attack and now we're making serious mistakes at the back. Conceding two goals from set pieces is just not good enough. We've had 12 shots on goal with only two on target. One a penalty and the other a powder-puff dribble from Clarkson. That tells its own story. All due respect to Daggers, but their players are paid a fraction of ours. Our home crowds (for now) are four times as big as Daggers, yet their team played with desire, a game plan and carried a threat, whilst ours seemed to go through the motions - plenty of pocession but carrying precious little threat. Are our ex-loanees who now have comfy, well-remunerated contracts now happy to sit back and take their money whilst applying the minimum of effort? The stat that CJS dug out that it's 72 games since we came from behind to go on and win is very telling. Where's the passion and determination that used to be hallmarks of Rovers' teams? John Ward said that there was no money for loan signings, yet he goes and signs Andy Bond, a central midfielder. We already have JJOT, Gill, Norburn, Lockyer, Clarke and soon Clucas who play in the middle. Why was this money not spent on an experienced wide player to help out our youngsters, who clearly lack experience and whose heads go down too easily? This just isn't good enough and I don't really know where we go from here. We are one-paced and one-dimensional and can't seem to break down well-organised teams. I am quite sure that our appalling away performances will very soon start feeding into our home form, and when that happens we are ****ed. It's been three and a half years since Elliot Richards broke into the first team and yesterday he was playing up front off of a big centre forward, which should be ideal for him, but yet again he produces very little. I think he needs to go out on loan and get some experience away for the club, because at the moment he's not the answer, whatever question you ask. Harrold seems to be a shadow of his former self and needs to rediscover his touch and his desire. I'm prepared to give Ward more time but he really needs to put a rocket up those players. He also needs to stop chopping and changing players and positions during a match as he's clearly confusing them and nobody seems to know what they are doing. We just can't change managers yet again midway through a season, but something needs to happen, and fast.
Can't add too much Bb. It's all deja-vu. If JW wasn't so popular we'd all probably be screaming for his head. I can't see what's wrong..other than the bleedin' obvious!
good post. im confused by it all tbh. same players as last season that hit automatic promotion form and on top of that we have had some of our injured players return too. only players we have lost is anyinsah, hitchcock and tounkara. at home we are ok as its the best start at home for 8 seasons. but the football is still not good enough. we get the goal and switch to ultra defensive mode. away from home we are more concerned at keeping a clean sheet than score a goal. even when were losing we dont change tactics. we remain defensive and dont do enough to get back into the game. cant find stats vs exeter but only 3 on target at newport, 3 on target at plymouth and 2 on target at dag & red (1 was the penalty). this shows we are not doing enough in the final 3rd. we have scored 1 league goal away from home and that was at exeter 1st away game. im even more confused about our wage cap. were told no room left for any loans. then we get 007 agent bond in from colchester who is a CM. we have lots of CM's already. gill hasnt even featured yet and needs minutes on the pitch to get match fit. we need a winger who has experience. especially as we have no idea what will happen to harrison. we need a striker as we lack pace. these are urgent areas that need attention. but were told we have no room for loans but we get a CM in as a loan and then plays him as a winger on both wings. i just dont get it. the stat about 72 games, i stole that from sky sports soccer saturday show. jeff stelling read it out.
I'm with you guys on this. I am really fed up with the form this season. However, I think the cause of of the Rover's problems was evident last season and despite the good results at the back end of last season, has carried through to this one. Take the City game for example. In the second half, we stopped letting City play unchallenged, airy-fairy possession football; attacked the player in possession and their game fell apart. We then played the ball along the ground and looked really good at times when in possession ourselves. Our game broke down the minute we got anywhere near their penalty area. Why did we abandon the style of play that had got us so far up the pitch? Our attacks petered out into harmless chips into the box; scuffed shots which dribbled into the goalie's hands etc..... We are constantly overworking our defence. I remember being impressed in Smithy's first game at Wimbledon I thought how dangerous he looked when carrying the ball up the wing! He can't do that if he is constantly pressed back in defence. I prefer Blunt up front because he can collect the ball and turn his defender really well. If he is given time paired with Harrison, that could work. I still can't understand why JW doesn't get the injury recovered players on the pitch instead of warming the bench, How good are they? Unless they are given match time he/we will never know.
It appears to be a problem the players take against the manager we lose a string of games drop into the danger zone the supporters call for the managers head,directors change the manager due to these poor results and the underperforming players suddenly spring to life,work there socks off to impress the new guy and play for a new contract or to be retained it happened for McGhee and now Ward. As for taking the opportunity to play the players returning from Injury,I dont think that they fit the Ward mould and some of them Gill Kenneth etc are paid far to much as bench warmers and have secure contracts (3 years agreed by prev managers). My view is that Ward would wish to get them off Rovers books but they are not good enough and Very hard to shift with the new wage % cap in place and prob too expensive (wages wise ) this would free lots of dosh for Ward to spend more wisely. I would have thought that Ward wishes to pair JJOT and Bond together given they were both at Colchester in the middle when he was the manager but needs to work with them in training and not disrupt the team.Agree we need some wide players Harrison may not be the answer as a striker his form has dipped possibly due to the intense pressure of the alleged offense, so playing him at the mo is not helping the team unless he gets his head back in the game. Both our wide midfielders Santos Lockyear ,whoever they are do not provide enough defensive cover for either Smith or Brown which means they are more cautious about getting caught too far forward As for our non existant strikers Clarkson,Harrold,Brunt,Richards,Harding and Harrison Both Brunt and Harrold are coming back from injury and how fit are they? Richards blows hot and cold I think regretably its time to loan him out or let him go.Harding A youngster learning his trade,Harrison still young not played in a true striking roll and as said above has other things on his mind.Clarkson hmm recovering from injury he should fly at this level given he was Championship or at least L1 level but its not happening for him,cant see him scoring too many funny he is joint top scorer (2) though. Apart from Brunty they all seem well below par low on confidence and unwilling to pull the trigger or run at defences,Harrold although well liked is not anywhere near as fit fast or sharp as he was maybe the injury. When Harrison was on form the ball was often whipped across the box no striker took a chance or rarely got onto the ball to stick it in the net.Is that down to confidence or the managers rigid formation. Agree with Saph we could do with a wide player and a proven goalscorer striker who can also hold the ball up when needed.With little or no money Harrison appears to be worth a try with Brunty (if fit) Harrold is in my opinion a bench player at the moment.Play Bond or Lockyear with JJOT in the middle. Its a conumdrum COR
