Let's talk about the Newport County game

[selby]

  It really doesn't matter who or how we play tomorrow as long as we win, we really need to pick up points to keep away from the scramble at the bottom of this division.

[Bills view]

Overall I have thought performances have been better this season. I have enjoyed more games.

However, we are in the bottom six, have lost more games than we have won or drawn and have the fourth worse goal difference in the league. In my view, and we all have different views and some extreme, praising too many of the old guard doesn't stack up. Under several managers most have shown to be past their best or (despite flashes of promise) not of the required standard.

If we feel we have a good manager then it has to be player quality that is seeing us in a lowly position. Get the new recruits in the team. If McCann has chosen them we must trust his judgement.

[In the box]

Your post is optimistic about the future results and McCann along with performances. Imo I’m inclined to say the same where performances are concerned , as in a few of the games even when we’ve lost we could have had points to show . But this not that strong a league if your set up is good and our hasn’t been.
McCann has struggled to get a settled  first 11 with so many new players coming in and now there’s even more new players coming in it could be 2 steps back before we get the momentum required to push on .
 I hope he puts all his new players either in the starting lineup and or the rest on the bench as the supporters want an uplift in results after too many disappointing results at home .

[DearneValleyRover]

Your post is optimistic about the future results and McCann along with performances. Imo I’m inclined to say the same where performances are concerned , as in a few of the games even when we’ve lost we could have had points to show . But this not that strong a league if your set up is good and our hasn’t been.
McCann has struggled to get a settled  first 11 with so many new players coming in and now there’s even more new players coming in it could be 2 steps back before we get the momentum required to push on .
 I hope he puts all his new players either in the starting lineup and or the rest on the bench as the supporters want an uplift in results after too many disappointing results at home .

You could be right but it’s just as possible that you’re pessimistic view could equally be disappointing (obviously for you)

[The Beast]

       Would like to see a team like this but think he’ll only start maybe 2 of the new players.


                   Jones

Sterry Olowu McGrath Senior
             
                Bailey

          Close     Craig
Waters.                       Molyneux
               Ironside

[Redroy]

Same as last week. Miss sitters, can't defend a cross from the right. Just Ironside missing them today and not Moly

[ncRover]

Who switched off for the throw in?

[Bailey Vickerage]

Another game where we were the better team and lose. Proper smash and grab.

Ironside had 2 or 3 great chances, moly had one saved and Waters had a couple and looked threatening.

A bit too slow in the build up today, maybe that’s because of the new players still settling in.

Was impressed with McGrath, him or Rowe for MOTM for me.

Fair play to Newport, came with a game plan and played it to perfection, stopping the game and stopping any momentum for us and then took their only chance.

[drfchound]

The Newport number seven looked a very useful player today.
Great movement up front and good with the ball.

[selby]

  Played for Barry Town last season and is one of this divisions top scorers this season.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Well and truly mugged yet again paying dearly for missed chances.

The back four looked pretty secure and it was good to see Jones coming out a few times to claim the ball. McGrath looked steady and did most of the basics right.

Waters looked a threat and was very good with the ball getting into some good positions.

I didn't expect Rolls Royce football with the number of changes but we kept a shape and discipline but once again, we failed to capitalise on the spaces we created. At times the ball was like a bar of soap, really fighting to get control and impose ourselves.

The times we did get something going, Newport killed the game with the stoppages.

A very safe debut for Craig, not really offering too much, although he got gradually more involved. Close and Broadbent were also distinctly average, so as a midfield unit, there was no obvious pattern of play.

Once again, a team who did very little to earn three points, kicks us in the goolies!

[drfchound]

I’ve just remembered that we should have had a pen for a two handed push in the back of McGrath in the second half.
A corner to the back post area was headed back into the middle of goal, about six yards out.
McGrath was rising to get in a header on goal but a defender clearly pushed him, with two hands in the middle of his back, away from the ball.
As clear a foul as you could ever see, unless you are an American referee.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Problem is Pancho, how many times this season have we said "If we'd just taken those half chances" or "If we'd been a bit more switched on in defence".

We're kidding ourselves. Good teams take their chances, make better ones and defend better. Poor teams don't.

Barring a brief spell of 7 or so games in the autumn, we have been a poor team all season. Other than those 7 games, we've won 13 points in the other 20. That's not due to bad luck or the odd player having an off day.

[dickos1]

Problem is Pancho, how many times this season have we said "If we'd just taken those half chances" or "If we'd been a bit more switched on in defence".

We're kidding ourselves. Good teams take their chances, make better ones and defend better. Poor teams don't.

Barring a brief spell of 7 or so games in the autumn, we have been a poor team all season. Other than those 7 games, we've won 13 points in the other 20. That's not due to bad luck or the odd player having an off day.

Every other person who’s seen that game doesn’t describe Ironsides chances as half chances. Only you, maybe that should tell you something

[pib]

Just seen the clips. The two Ironside chances in the first half are more than half chances. I’m talking about the one where Broadbent heads it back across for him and the other one from the free kick that McGrath knocked down. They’re not sitters as such as they’re both instinctive efforts, he’s just unlucky they don’t fall a bit kinder for him really, but they are chances that would quite often result in a goal I suspect, given the proximity to goal, position, and only really having the goalkeeper to beat.

[Chris Black come back]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

[CaptainStock]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

I noticed in the second half, when we won a free kick, he was fuming at Moly for taking his time getting to his feet rather than jumping up, taking a quick one down the line to create a 2 on 1 opportunity for us.

[ncRover]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

It’s Close’s job to set the tempo in the middle of the park. A kid who’s only played u23 football isn’t going to come in and do it on his debut.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Close is padding out his pass completion stats in a backwards and sideways manner so he can get a move to Crawley or something in the summer.

Westbrooke has a lot more drive about him.

Harry Wood - who I thought Grant would sign went to Grimsby and scored on his debut. Nice.

[Colin C No.3]

Who switched off for the throw in?

Just after the announcement that he was the sponsors man of the match, McGrath mistimed his jump to clear the ball which went over his head straight onto the Newport players foot which all he had to do was swing it.

Unfortunate but it was a poor game in a poor league which neither team deserved to win.

[Bailey Vickerage]

Who switched off for the throw in?

Just after the announcement that he was the sponsors man of the match, McGrath mistimed his jump to clear the ball which went over his head straight onto the Newport players foot which all he had to do was swing it.

Unfortunate but it was a poor game in a poor league which neither team deserved to win.

McGrath wasn’t gonna get that header anyway.

Poor from Biggins to stand off the man and let him cross it with his strong foot.

Nixon was goal side of the goalscorer and then switched off for a second and paid the price for that.

Bailey should’ve been closer to Nixon when the cross came in.

[drfchound]

Let’s not forget that it was a very good cross into a dangerous area and terrific movement by the player who scored.

[Bailey Vickerage]

Let’s not forget that it was a very good cross into a dangerous area and terrific movement by the player who scored.

yes it was I agree but it was avoidable from a defensive point of view.

[drfchound]

Let’s not forget that it was a very good cross into a dangerous area and terrific movement by the player who scored.

yes it was I agree but it was avoidable from a defensive point of view.

Yep, all goals are preventable.

[Lesonthewest]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

2 games recently we started with high intensity, Mansfield & MK Dons, & we were the better side in both. It's a conundrum why we don't start every game like it. We made a very poor Newport side look like Barcelona in the first 10 minutes. Newport, 1 place above us, in league 2, at home. Do certain players lack motivation, or the team as a whole. Think it's a Frant problem to sort.

[DearneValleyRover]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

We are constantly hearing this comment and yet nothing appears to be working in respect to solving it. If there are 2 more possible incomings we need it in midfield, everything stems from that area of the pitch. We are both defensively and attacking poor due to our mega poor midfield

[monkeytennis]

I notice one thing a lot. And that is other teams seem to receive the ball and know what to do with it immediately. Where their team mates are, who will be in a position to receive a pass.

Whereas Rovers receive the ball. Have a good think about what to do with it. Maybe get the ball taken away from them. If not, pass to someone who is already marked by 2 or 3 opposition players or back to the GK.

I don’t understand how GM accepts this tbh.

[ForsolongaRover]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

We are constantly hearing this comment and yet nothing appears to be working in respect to solving it. If there are 2 more possible incomings we need it in midfield, everything stems from that area of the pitch. We are both defensively and attacking poor due to our mega poor midfield

So why were we so fast out of the blocks v MK Dons? As I said on another thread we sat back in the second half (and was told this was us containing them), but you could say that we became complacent (and perhaps a bit fortunate). So, put another way, 45 minutes of pressure is about all we can manage!

Effort/intensity is not skill it’s working hard, like in any job! It’s something that the casual fan (if there are any left) will not forgive easily.

[DearneValleyRover]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

We are constantly hearing this comment and yet nothing appears to be working in respect to solving it. If there are 2 more possible incomings we need it in midfield, everything stems from that area of the pitch. We are both defensively and attacking poor due to our mega poor midfield

So why were we so fast out of the blocks v MK Dons? As I said on another thread we sat back in the second half (and was told this was us containing them), but you could say that we became complacent (and perhaps a bit fortunate). So, put another way, 45 minutes of pressure is about all we can manage!

Effort/intensity is not skill it’s working hard, like in any job! It’s something that the casual fan (if there are any left) will not forgive easily.

If we knew the answer we wouldn’t be in the mess we find ourselves in

[sedwardsdrfc]

We have no fitness to be a front foot team. McCann needs to take some blame for that after having the players all summer.

Also we are so slow at any restart that I thought it must be tactical. Aren’t your own throw ins one of the areas you are most vulnerable from or something like that?

If that’s the case it’s a bit negative and not what I’d expect from a McCann side. If he doesn’t like how slow we are it should be simple to sort in training. These people get paid to practice so let’s get some moneys worth out of it.

Sick of watching us take an ages to get the ball in play. Would be one thing if we always kept the ball nicely after taking our time but it’s never working

[ForsolongaRover]

Radio Sheffield commentary said after 10 minutes McCann was livid about lack of intensity in our opening play. McCann himself keeps coming back to this as well. We are just so rarely ever on the front foot. I get that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes is impossible but how about just the opening 9 minutes? It is more noticeable this season than most that you can tell in the opening few minutes whether we are up for it or not.

We are constantly hearing this comment and yet nothing appears to be working in respect to solving it. If there are 2 more possible incomings we need it in midfield, everything stems from that area of the pitch. We are both defensively and attacking poor due to our mega poor midfield

So why were we so fast out of the blocks v MK Dons? As I said on another thread we sat back in the second half (and was told this was us containing them), but you could say that we became complacent (and perhaps a bit fortunate). So, put another way, 45 minutes of pressure is about all we can manage!

Effort/intensity is not skill it’s working hard, like in any job! It’s something that the casual fan (if there are any left) will not forgive easily.

If we knew the answer we wouldn’t be in the mess we find ourselves in

Is the answer so elusive? Is it not just a question of application - getting “stuck in” as we used to say?