Moore got it wrong today

[idler]

I think that the idea was to keep it tight and maybe have a go later in the game as pressure built on the home side. Without changing the players on the pitch I don’t see how we could have had a go once we conceded so early. Making changes very early in the game was a non-starter leaving you with fewer options on the bench later.
I was as disappointed as anyone but we got it wrong and just need to move on as quickly as possible. As well as they played we made mistakes for all four of their goals.

[i_ateallthepies]

DM went with a plan based on hoping to stay in the game long enough to give it a go in the 2nd half.  Conceding in the first two minutes completely messed that up and he had no realistic choice to rejig the strategy whilst conserving energy for the Tuesday fixture.
He gambled and it didn't come off.
I'm sure every one of you saying we didn't give it our best would still 100% expect us to be giving ourselves the best chance of the three points on Tuesday night, in which case IMO, every one of you have unrealistic expectations.  DM made his plan based on realistic priorities and he called it exactly right.

[BillyStubbsTears]

6 defenders in the outfield 10, we were never set up to have a go, which was very disappointing

That was how we set up at Blackburn.

[Bentley Bullet]

Rovers play from the back in league matches and on many occasions are unable to find openings going forward, resulting in constantly playing the ball sideways and backwards, often ending up back to the keeper and starting again. Although sometimes frustrating to watch, our league position shows it is obviously a successful system and credit is due to Darren Moore for getting the best out of his squad by playing that way.

If Rovers struggle to find openings going forward against league one sides, it's obvious that they'd find it nigh on impossible against sides like West Ham. Our predictability was well exposed, and as a result, we had no answer and it looked like we froze.

[Filo]

6 defenders in the outfield 10, we were never set up to have a go, which was very disappointing

That was how we set up at Blackburn.

I know, and defended well against a Championship side, but lets be honest, we scored from a goalkeeping error and they should have really scored a few, we played well as well as got lucky then

[ravenrover]

A voice of reason BST
Pleased there are a few of us who can see the big picture.

So the rest of us don't know anything about football?

I always said you had an eye for a good player 

[ravenrover]

Some people think this forum is a place for opinion.

Others think it's a place for worship.

And some even think it's a place for talking bo!!ocks

[Bentley Bullet]

Some people think this forum is a place for opinion.

Others think it's a place for worship.

And some even think it's a place for talking bo!!ocks

You'll find that's the case with every forum. Sad thing is, those that do talk Bo!!ocks are usually the ones who are oblivious of it.

[ravenrover]

Too true BB, too true!

[Bentley Bullet]

Too true BB, too true!

Ignorance is bliss and all that!

[ravenrover]

Trouble is sometimes can't work out it's ignorance or deliberate

[Bentley Bullet]

Yes, give me an example and I'll try to help you. Great minds and all that.

[ravenrover]

I'm sure you don't need my help in finding examples

[Bentley Bullet]

I don't need YOUR help! I'm trying to help YOU out with your trouble in working out if the bo!!ocks people talk is deliberate or through ignorance. I really don't mind, it isn't a problem.

[Filo]

Another thread hyjacked and taken off topic by the usual suspect!

[Bentley Bullet]

Another thread hyjacked and taken off topic by the usual suspect!

I hope you're not referring to me here.

[LincolnDonny]

All i ever ask is at least give it a go ................if not going too...pull all our players back who are on loan and let them see what can happen to them if they just give all .......you never know 1 or 2 may shine...and be picked up for a few £££s and further their careers and help our coffers or is it coughers..........lol

[LincolnDonny]

just thinking .............looking at it another way ..i bet Man u and Liverpool were scared s**tless about playing us if we won...................

they would think they would kill us..................

just for the hell of it i would have wrote a WIN for us ................and go into equal 1st place as others would have put lose.....

[steve@dcfd]

All the teams from Championship, League 1 or League 2 or non league playing a Premier league side were beaten in round 4 of the FA cup yes we could have give it a go but we would have got the same result.

[Janso]

All the teams from Championship, League 1 or League 2 or non league playing a Premier league side were beaten in round 4 of the FA cup yes we could have give it a go but we would have got the same result.

There's absolutely no correlation between our game and others. None whatsoever.

[graingrover]

Darren Moore with these words sends the players back to training for the promotion push motivated by his words rather than demotivated by the defeat . As a club, we’re on a journey and we’ve made huge strides but it was a bridge too far on Saturday and we’ll learn a lot from it.”

[Donnybob]

Everyone is entitled to dream, or create special fantasies around shock results, but seriously, what did anyone really expect from an away fixture at an in-form Premiership club who are enjoying an excellent season and who fielded a very strong side, at home?

I was dreading Saturday. With the squad available I was hoping we might just keep the deficit to a reasonable score. My biggest fear was an early goal against. When that went in I would have taken 4-0 and said, thank you very much. In reality it could have been many more.

Credit where it's due, West Ham were superb, individually skilful, very creative and organised teamwise and did a professional job on us.

Those clubs who competed reasonably well with much weakened Prem sides tended to do so on bobbly pitches. West Ham's was excellent. And no-one here seems to be affording them much credit for how well they actually played. Good enough to have beaten many Premiership sides and more than comfortably beat ANY League One outfit. They made us look distinctly average, because compared to them, that's what we are.

In reality our game plan was to sit back, get men behind the ball, soak up the early pressure and hope they became frustrated. Perhaps then sneak a goal on the counter attack. We were not set up to take the game to them. That would have been foolish and we would have been picked off time and again by their lightning fast breaks, punished by the sort of forwards we can only but dream of.

Mismatches like this aren't allowed in boxing. We lost gracefully whilst still trying to play a neat passing game. No clogging. No hoofball. Lost to a far superior team. No surprise. No disgrace.

Now is not the time to start castigating the team or the manager. We saw how good we need to be if ever the fan fantasies are ever going to be realised. We are so far away from that it's not true.

You can either enjoy what we have, what we can realistically achieve, or live in some fantasy world where a Billionaire pumps a fortune into the club. I suspect you will wait a long time for the latter.

We lost to West Ham, get over it. Move on. Stop bickering. Back to the bread and butter on Tuesday. That's what really matters.

[Alan Southstand]

Top post that, DonnyBob.

Let’s get back together, as we were before the West Ham game, refocus on getting behind the manager, coaches and players. Together, we can do this.

[Campsall rover]

Everyone is entitled to dream, or create special fantasies around shock results, but seriously, what did anyone really expect from an away fixture at an in-form Premiership club who are enjoying an excellent season and who fielded a very strong side, at home?

I was dreading Saturday. With the squad available I was hoping we might just keep the deficit to a reasonable score. My biggest fear was an early goal against. When that went in I would have taken 4-0 and said, thank you very much. In reality it could have been many more.

Credit where it's due, West Ham were superb, individually skilful, very creative and organised teamwise and did a professional job on us.

Those clubs who competed reasonably well with much weakened Prem sides tended to do so on bobbly pitches. West Ham's was excellent. And no-one here seems to be affording them much credit for how well they actually played. Good enough to have beaten many Premiership sides and more than comfortably beat ANY League One outfit. They made us look distinctly average, because compared to them, that's what we are.

In reality our game plan was to sit back, get men behind the ball, soak up the early pressure and hope they became frustrated. Perhaps then sneak a goal on the counter attack. We were not set up to take the game to them. That would have been foolish and we would have been picked off time and again by their lightning fast breaks, punished by the sort of forwards we can only but dream of.

Mismatches like this aren't allowed in boxing. We lost gracefully whilst still trying to play a neat passing game. No clogging. No hoofball. Lost to a far superior team. No surprise. No disgrace.

Now is not the time to start castigating the team or the manager. We saw how good we need to be if ever the fan fantasies are ever going to be realised. We are so far away from that it's not true.

You can either enjoy what we have, what we can realistically achieve, or live in some fantasy world where a Billionaire pumps a fortune into the club. I suspect you will wait a long time for the latter.

We lost to West Ham, get over it. Move on. Stop bickering. Back to the bread and butter on Tuesday. That's what really matters.

Great post Donnybob.

[jmt23]

I agree it is a good post, however, rather than picking at DM, I was left wondering are the majority of the current squad even good enough for there next level, should we get there.  How many players would we need?

You just start to believe this is a team that could go places, then you get that blast of reality.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I agree it is a good post, however, rather than picking at DM, I was left wondering are the majority of the current squad even good enough for there next level, should we get there.  How many players would we need?

You just start to believe this is a team that could go places, then you get that blast of reality.

That is a question we shouldn't bother ourselves with right now. I think we have an idea of which players are likely to be able to cope at the next level but we have to get there first and how much we have to wheel and deal in the summer will depend on that.

[Campsall rover]

I agree it is a good post, however, rather than picking at DM, I was left wondering are the majority of the current squad even good enough for there next level, should we get there.  How many players would we need?

You just start to believe this is a team that could go places, then you get that blast of reality.

Well we beat Blackburn so does that give a clue to your question? West Ham are in another league both literally and in class.
As DBR says we don’t need to concern ourselves with the step up. We have to achieve it first.

[i_ateallthepies]

I agree it is a good post, however, rather than picking at DM, I was left wondering are the majority of the current squad even good enough for there next level, should we get there.  How many players would we need?

You just start to believe this is a team that could go places, then you get that blast of reality.

I posted last week on the thread where folk were getting their knickers in a twist about the reliance on loans.  My point being that apart from the obvious advantage of getting talent greater than we could expect to get with permanent signings it provides the club with flexibility in its squad staffing.  So, with five or six loans in the squad we can flex half the starting eleven painlessly between seasons because they aren't contracted to us.

[jmt23]

Good points

[Plumbster]

I am not sure how many of our current squad could keep us in the Championship and people will have different views- I think most would agree we are over achieving and that shows what an amazing job DM is doing.  As long as he sticks around the players will also keep improving so who knows, they might all be ready for the Championship by next season!