Let's not get carried away about how bad Rovers are, and how we should easily beat them. They are now 4 points behind us with 2 games in hand, so the 2 teams are equally midtable.
Let's not get carried away about how bad Rovers are, and how we should easily beat them. They are now 4 points behind us with 2 games in hand, so the 2 teams are equally midtable shite
One of those games you're grateful that you didn't waste shed-loads of time and money travelling to. Bolder substitutions were needed as by 60 minutes it was obvious we needed to change things around. But the bench is currently very lightweight...
A performance to let the air well and truly out of our tyres. Watching a mediocre side like Bristol Rovers do the double over us is hard to stomach, although I thought they were worthy winners today.
There wasn't much in a low quality game but Rovers defended well on the few occasions they had to and controlled midfield in the last half hour, winning most of the 50/50s and moved the ball much better than us. Fraser and Morgan are very lightweight when they're off their game (as are our wingers) and with our young forwards well shackled, we offered nothing up top until the last 5 or 10 minutes.
Barton got it right tactically although, in fairness to Dean Holden, he hasn't really got much on the bench capable of changing a game. As we all know, the squad is shallow and we need 5 or 6 new players who can make an impact over 40 odd games next season if we are to seriously challenge. It's a rebuilding job broadly equivalent to that successfully undertaken in the summers of 1985 and 2011 and will require a combination of finance and nous, both of which are currently in extremely short supply.
We need to replace at least 6 of our worst players with 6 that are better than we already have.
Pwr. Dipped in and out of the game today. What concerns me a little was how long Holden left it before changing things up. From what I saw of it their right back had Campbell in his pocket. He could have played all day and got little out of him. It just wasn't happening, so the choice to leave the substitutions as late as he did was a little baffling
Why does Holden take so long to make changes? We kept doing the same thing (badly) over and over no hint of a tactical change until we went a goal down.
Barton seemed to work out pretty quickly that Shrewsbury was an exception rather than the rule and made an early change as it was clear we were no threat.
75% of this squad needs to be gone.
Because everyone on the bench was worse than those on the pitch.
Why does Holden take so long to make changes? We kept doing the same thing (badly) over and over no hint of a tactical change until we went a goal down.
Barton seemed to work out pretty quickly that Shrewsbury was an exception rather than the rule and made an early change as it was clear we were no threat.
75% of this squad needs to be gone.
Your final sentence probably answers the question posed in the first sentence.
Why does Holden take so long to make changes? We kept doing the same thing (badly) over and over no hint of a tactical change until we went a goal down.
Barton seemed to work out pretty quickly that Shrewsbury was an exception rather than the rule and made an early change as it was clear we were no threat.
75% of this squad needs to be gone.
I agree with this, except when we have these pockets of wins and results like last week, complacency sets into our fan base imo. If you look back through the post match comments against Shrewsbury, all of a sudden Inniss is worth keeping on because he’s like a different player under Holden. Morgan could offer something if he carry’s on playing like he did today, Terrell Thomas has looked capable at right back etc etc. I find it really hard to keep reading this sort of thing after a couple of good results. It’s becoming a pattern. Jackson’s run as caretaker, followed by a dip when he got made permanent manager, then a win against someone like Rotherham and it’s all positive again. The same this season. Garner’s 3 wins in October, then Holden wins 3 from New Year’s Day, then another 3 out of 4 up until today. It’s not good enough. Yet we get comments like ‘on our day’. You don’t win things with a team/squad of players that can do something ‘on their day’. You get what we have now, which is like being fed a largely bland diet with the occasional bit of sugar to give you a high (if you can call it that)
I really like Dean Holden, but it seems like the majority have made their mind up and he’s a ‘top bloke’. The truth is, we don’t know if he’s got what it takes. Fair play to him for going down the Oak and mixing it with fans etc, buying them pints and giving us soundbites about no dickheads next season, but we’re an easy mark and in some ways we’re like baying seals that just need to be thrown a fish and we think everything will be okay. Holden was going nowhere before he got the job with us. He would’ve seen the state we’re in and in many ways he’s got nothing to lose. No one expects anything, we’re so starved of any sort of direction and positivity that it’s quite easy to come in and buy us all a few drinks and we’re going home with him. I’m not questioning his actions, just an observation I think we’re too soft and easily pleased. Remember when David Brent was down the Oak last season. The fawning was pathetic. Now look at us under him.
We need to zoom out. All this ‘a win is a win’ and ‘we got 3 points today, so I’m happy’. We’re literally eeking our way into a similar finish to last season, a fourth on the spin in this league, we’ve got far too many poor players, literally one or two consistently good players, a potential incoming owner who according to a few in the know on here is going to try and build a team based on frees, youngsters and loans and we’re miles off anything that looks like a team capable of promotion for the second season running (third imo). What do you actually expect is going to happen to change this, based on all of the above?
We all have our opinions, mine is very bleak and I hold my hands up if it comes across as too negative, but for me, this is a consistent pattern of mediocrity now and it’s not changing. Unfortunately, I genuinely feel that come October next year, or whenever Aneke is fit to give us his first 10 minutes off the bench or whatever, we’ll still have comments like ‘cheat code’ and so on, and we might have spell where we get 3 wins on the bounce against Burton, Portsmouth and Northampton for example, and we’ll all (myself included), be going round in circles, typing the same old bollocks we have been for the last 2 years
Apologies to the Albie Morgan fan club, but just saw Rovers penalty again. Rovers number 22 has the ball out on the touchline, there's no danger, with Morgan "marking" him. He runs away from Morgan doing a one two, Morgan lagging behind and Dobson has to come across to pick up Morgan's man & Dobson's handles.
Apologies to the Albie Morgan fan club, but just saw Rovers penalty again. Rovers number 22 has the ball out on the touchline, there's no danger, with Morgan "marking" him. He runs away from Morgan doing a one two, Morgan lagging behind and Dobson has to come across to pick up Morgan's man & Dobson's handles.
It was a pretty innocuous situation, and Dobbo handled the ball. Dobbo's fault entirely
That was hopeless. The entire game felt like a real chore to get through. Campbell and Rak Sakyi were not at it, and therefore we offered little else in terms of attacking threat.
Enjoyed Bristol though. Found a nice spot by the harbour pre match for a drink and the weather was beautiful.
Why oh why does Campbell never cross the ball first time…..several times today he had the clear opportunity to do so but chose to take on defenders and try to go past or check back…….I find it very frustrating.🫤🫤🫤
No midfield present today, poor performances from too many players, Rak Sakayi, Campbell, Fraser drifting around with no urgency and couldn't pass to save their lives, Morgan at his worst after such a good game last week, Dobson under par. Passing was poor to non existent. The only players worthy of a positive mention, our keeper for that save before half time, Hector, Thomas, Inniss and to a lesser degree Sessegnon. Shit performance deserving of a kick up the backside.... Rovers were poor, says it all.
Showed we haven't cracked it when a team, especially a home one, is a bit cautious. The midfield dwelled on the ball and when they did pass, especially as the game went on, there was no finess. Fraser was wandering around like an old man. Shame Kanu didn't take his chance as he needs one to go in and I think he will be away and I suspect Holden held off on the subs for too long.
Pen was a pen and Dobbo, whilst he didn't mean it, needs to understand that he must be careful where he puts his arms. He was lucky last week and that shouldn't then happen again in the next game. Ref didn't seem to understand what a foul was but this affected both sides.
A game with a lot of learnings which I suppose was the only good thing about it.
Pub lunch with a pal, the lad and a pal of his who passed round a joint of 'proper weed' which I took a couple of cautious puffs from just before entering the ground, and within a minute found myself in the land of Oz with football in it. I stood on an Escher concrete terrace in the broiling heat of hell with little idea of what was happening in this Toytown setting save for the fact that whatever those people running about on that day-glo green carpet were doing, it was as dull as it was fruitless . I time travelled back to the '70s where a bearded man in Foster Grant sunglasses shouted himself hoarse that he'd seen someone crying on the tele, and then vanished into thin air. The leaden heat was thick with expletives and frustration. How long did this Dantesque pantomime of ennui run for? Then it all stopped and there was a brief moment of succour before the whole sun baked circus recommenced which, although seemingly impossible, managed to present an act that was even more pitiful than the one that had preceded it. But one thing was patently clear: it would not end well... And it did not. But then an after show party on a Georgian terrace with an uninterrupted vista of trees, hills, flora and fauna. Were we in Florence, the Loire Valley? No, Clifton, Bristol. A charming hostess glided among the guests with a plate of something; ' Would you like to try an MDMA truffle?' Noooooooooooo.
Apologies to the Albie Morgan fan club, but just saw Rovers penalty again. Rovers number 22 has the ball out on the touchline, there's no danger, with Morgan "marking" him. He runs away from Morgan doing a one two, Morgan lagging behind and Dobson has to come across to pick up Morgan's man & Dobson's handles.
Morgan had a 6/10 game last week and all of a sudden people were piping up that he should be given a new contract, ridiculous. Returned to form yesterday.
Comments
Dipped in and out of the game today.
What concerns me a little was how long Holden left it before changing things up.
From what I saw of it their right back had Campbell in his pocket. He could have played all day and got little out of him.
It just wasn't happening, so the choice to leave the substitutions as late as he did was a little baffling
Forgettable day all round really
Shame we couldn't produce some of last week's form.
I really like Dean Holden, but it seems like the majority have made their mind up and he’s a ‘top bloke’. The truth is, we don’t know if he’s got what it takes. Fair play to him for going down the Oak and mixing it with fans etc, buying them pints and giving us soundbites about no dickheads next season, but we’re an easy mark and in some ways we’re like baying seals that just need to be thrown a fish and we think everything will be okay. Holden was going nowhere before he got the job with us. He would’ve seen the state we’re in and in many ways he’s got nothing to lose. No one expects anything, we’re so starved of any sort of direction and positivity that it’s quite easy to come in and buy us all a few drinks and we’re going home with him. I’m not questioning his actions, just an observation I think we’re too soft and easily pleased. Remember when David Brent was down the Oak last season. The fawning was pathetic. Now look at us under him.
We need to zoom out. All this ‘a win is a win’ and ‘we got 3 points today, so I’m happy’. We’re literally eeking our way into a similar finish to last season, a fourth on the spin in this league, we’ve got far too many poor players, literally one or two consistently good players, a potential incoming owner who according to a few in the know on here is going to try and build a team based on frees, youngsters and loans and we’re miles off anything that looks like a team capable of promotion for the second season running (third imo). What do you actually expect is going to happen to change this, based on all of the above?
We all have our opinions, mine is very bleak and I hold my hands up if it comes across as too negative, but for me, this is a consistent pattern of mediocrity now and it’s not changing. Unfortunately, I genuinely feel that come October next year, or whenever Aneke is fit to give us his first 10 minutes off the bench or whatever, we’ll still have comments like ‘cheat code’ and so on, and we might have spell where we get 3 wins on the bounce against Burton, Portsmouth and Northampton for example, and we’ll all (myself included), be going round in circles, typing the same old bollocks we have been for the last 2 years
Rovers number 22 has the ball out on the touchline, there's no danger, with Morgan "marking" him.
He runs away from Morgan doing a one two, Morgan lagging behind and Dobson has to come across to pick up Morgan's man & Dobson's handles.
Enjoyed Bristol though. Found a nice spot by the harbour pre match for a drink and the weather was beautiful.
The usual moaners would have had to find another cat to kick.
Pen was a pen and Dobbo, whilst he didn't mean it, needs to understand that he must be careful where he puts his arms. He was lucky last week and that shouldn't then happen again in the next game. Ref didn't seem to understand what a foul was but this affected both sides.
A game with a lot of learnings which I suppose was the only good thing about it.
I stood on an Escher concrete terrace in the broiling heat of hell with little idea of what was happening in this Toytown setting save for the fact that whatever those people running about on that day-glo green carpet were doing, it was as dull as it was fruitless .
I time travelled back to the '70s where a bearded man in Foster Grant sunglasses shouted himself hoarse that he'd seen someone crying on the tele, and then vanished into thin air.
The leaden heat was thick with expletives and frustration. How long did this Dantesque pantomime of ennui run for?
Then it all stopped and there was a brief moment of succour before the whole sun baked circus recommenced which, although seemingly impossible, managed to present an act that was even more pitiful than the one that had preceded it.
But one thing was patently clear: it would not end well...
And it did not.
But then an after show party on a Georgian terrace with an uninterrupted vista of trees, hills, flora and fauna. Were we in Florence, the Loire Valley? No, Clifton, Bristol.
A charming hostess glided among the guests with a plate of something;
' Would you like to try an MDMA truffle?'
Noooooooooooo.