How bad were we?

[Norfolk N Chance]

That has the rank as one of our worst performances in modern times.

The passing and ball retention were akin to a park team.

Basically it was "You can have the ball as much as you want and see if you can score!!""

Is that really what we become ?

Special mention to the back 4 and indeed Gary Woods but the rest were totally awful!

Saunders you need to sort that midfield out ....Husband did more in 3 mins than Bennett did all game!

[mjdgreg]

I agree. Can't help but feel Saunders does not instil confidence in the players to try and retain possession. It's like they are conditioned into thinking the ball is a hot potato and must be got rid of as quickly as possible.

[JBRover]

But is it better than playing great footbal and losing??

That has the rank as one of our worst performances in modern times.

The passing and ball retention were akin to a park team.

Basically it was "You can have the ball as much as you want and see if you can score!!""

Is that really what we become ?

Special mention to the back 4 and indeed Gary Woods but the rest were totally awful!

Saunders you need to sort that midfield out ....Husband did more in 3 mins than Bennett did all game!

[Norfolk N Chance]

But is it better than playing great footbal and losing??

That has the rank as one of our worst performances in modern times.

The passing and ball retention were akin to a park team.

Basically it was "You can have the ball as much as you want and see if you can score!!""

Is that really what we become ?

Special mention to the back 4 and indeed Gary Woods but the rest were totally awful!

Saunders you need to sort that midfield out ....Husband did more in 3 mins than Bennett did all game!

Really do think fans need to look beyond results

If you let the other team have 80% of the ball the chances is they will score.

Be very very interesting to see how we approach the game on Saturday against a very inform Stevenage side.

Midfield dosent work but to be fair the CH were just banging it up field to brown on his own so many times we simply couldnt put the foot on the ball.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Just out of interest Mick, what was the last match you attended in person?

[SoundbiteBarmyArmy]

Who cares about performance? We got a result in their back yard! We have bragging rights this morning! Morons!

[Rovin Reporter]

That has the rank as one of our worst performances in modern times.

The passing and ball retention were akin to a park team.

Basically it was "You can have the ball as much as you want and see if you can score!!""

Is that really what we become ?

Special mention to the back 4 and indeed Gary Woods but the rest were totally awful!

Saunders you need to sort that midfield out ....Husband did more in 3 mins than Bennett did all game!

you will look back at this performance as to reason we got promoted straight back to Championship , A Clean after taking all that punishment , guts , nerve, bravery, stamina, not bad for pub team from Donny. Long Season ahead games like that are what this leagues all about .

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Yes of course Saunders sent them out to hope they can hang on.  What a load of rubbish talked on this thread.  We didn't pass it very well and struggled to find an out ball second half so had to defend against a team who saw more of the ball which we did as a team unit (something severely lacking for the past 2 seasons.  That for me is an improvement, it wasn't a strategy of hoping to hang on, but when that time comes you have to be able to do it and we were.

The key is making sure through midfield that these games are the exception rather than the norm.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Last night we played the biggest club by far in this division. They racked up 90 points last season. They are the bookies' favourites by a mile to win the league.

And we restricted them to pointless lobs into the box, and not a single dangerous shot.

We will not get promoted if we can't play better attacking football than last night, that's for sure. But the flip side of a successful side is that they have the physical and mental resilience to shovel shit when there's shit to be shovelled. To go into hard-to-beat mode when the attacking strategy is not working.

Last night we looked like we have a spine of strength in the side. Physical and mental strength. From the two superb centre halves, through Keegan who chased down everything, to Brown who put in a very brave shift. We haven't had that for years. The biggest failing of O'Driscoll's sides was precisely that lack of steel. So, we rarely resisted for 90 minutes when under the cosh. Last night's resilience is a platform to build on. It shows that, at the very least, we will be competitive in this league. What's now required is perhaps a bit of creativity nous in the middle of the park to direct the attacking operations, and a bit more close support to feed off Brown's ball winning and holding.

Paul Green, Brian Stock and Billy Sharp out to do the job...

[mjdgreg]

Like I've said before, it's too early to make a final judgement as to how things are going to pan out. However I do agree with Norfolk that we have to look behind the result. You'll be pleased to know that I am keeping an eye on things. So far, after 6 games, we are behind on all key measures of a teams performance. Hopefully things will improve as the season continues. So far, using averages, this is the picture.

Rovers first:

Possession 47.66%     52.33%
Attempts     8.00          10.33
Corners       4.00          6.16

[Red wizard]

Mickey. Do you know we a top of the table for passes completed? Who ever thought we was gunna go there and play them off the park is mad. They are a good side who we stopped and got a great point.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Like I've said before, it's too early to make a final judgement as to how things are going to pan out. However I do agree with Norfolk that we have to look behind the result. You'll be pleased to know that I am keeping an eye on things. So far, after 6 games, we are behind on all key measures of a teams performance. Hopefully things will improve as the season continues. So far, using averages, this is the picture.

Rovers first:

Possession 47.66%     52.33%
Attempts     8.00          10.33
Corners       4.00          6.16

Judging from your other thread I think your stats aren't ever correct.  BBC stated we had no corners last night, second half we didn't but I remember a few first half.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Mick

Still waiting for an answer about when you last saw us play in person.

See, had you been there last night, you would have had yet another glaring example of the fact that the BBC/PA possession stats are not worth a bucket of warm piss.

The first half was evenly matched for the first 30 mins, with Shef Utd taking control for the last 10-15 mins. At half time, the BBC stats said possession was 61-39 to Shef Utd. That was really a bit silly, but let's take it as correct.

Because in the first 15 mins of the 2nd half, we barely touched the ball. We were chasing shadows and only contacted with the ball to hoof it out of defence. Sheffield Utd were camped in the edge of our box.

Guess what the BBC figures said. After 60 mins it was 52-48 possession to Sheff Utd.

So, on that first 15 mins of the second half, apparently we had 11:25 mins possession and Shef Utd had 3:45 mins.

Ask anyone who was there if that is anything other than f***ing ridiculous.

So, two of the last three matches have had stats figures that were physically impossible. Last night had figures that were entirely incredible.

But YOU Mick still want to keep building a thesis on those figures. What does that say about you, Mick?

[RobTheRover]

Agreed.

Using the BBC as your stats source is akin to getting Ronald McDonald in as Secretary General of the United Nations.  A great idea on the face of it, but rather limited in its scope or usefulness.

[BillyStubbsTears]

PS. Just for the record, Bury have had more shots than Tranmere this so far this season.

Discuss.

[Filo]

Like I've said before, it's too early to make a final judgement as to how things are going to pan out. However I do agree with Norfolk that we have to look behind the result. You'll be pleased to know that I am keeping an eye on things. So far, after 6 games, we are behind on all key measures of a teams performance. Hopefully things will improve as the season continues. So far, using averages, this is the picture.

Rovers first:

Possession 47.66%     52.33%
Attempts     8.00          10.33
Corners       4.00          6.16

7 points from 12 away from home so far, suggest`s that we are doing something right, they`re the most important stats, and if we continue that ratio we will get promoted at a canter!

[Southboy]

I can't help thinking we miss Copps. He's the sort of 'make things happen' player last night was crying out for. Regret he went out of loan, especially since no one came in via the saved money.....

[RobTheRover]

I can see where you are coming from on that.  Copps very often was the outlet ball when we were under pressure.  The ball to the right hand side, and he's off scampering down the wing.

Benno and Cotterill need to be that now (until Copps comes back in January! )

[Filo]

Reading some of the posts on this thread, just demonstrates to me how little some of the posters know about football!

 Last night there was a reason we defended deeply, Sheff Utd had pace down the flanks, by deploying two banks of four deep and close together there was no way on Gods earth that they were going to get around the back of us, we restricted them to 30 yard hopeful punts into our box, which were bread and butter to Jones and Mccoombe, the downside to those tactic were that we were leaving Brown isolated up top, but what a fine job he did and he kept their Centre Backs busy all game. If our quick midfielders don`t break quick to support Brown, Bennett and Cotterill and to a certain extent Syers, which happened last night, then the ball will keep on coming back. For me us being the away team the tactics were almost spot on last night, we defended well but failed to break when the chance arose, that was mainly down to the midfield not giving Brown some support

[BillyStubbsTears]

Aye.

It would have been great to have had Billy Sharp up front an all. And Jason Shackell would have been as strong as our two centre halves and a lot quicker. And Brian Stock would have pinged the passes about with all the midfield space.

Can't think why we didn't just keep all those players instead of replacing them with ones on a third of the wages.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Filo

Amen to that.

For all the Blades' possession last night, they never once turned our defence and got round the back. Not once.

That didn't happen by chance. It came because we were a very well disciplined unit in arguably our toughest match of the season.

[bradford exile]

I was there also last night...the back four were immense..if we had had Jones and McCombe last season we would not have got relegated.

Last night Blunts discovered in the first 45 that they could not go round us or through us so second half did what they usually do and resorted to hoof ball.

Woods and Keegan did what they were there to do in the first half, break play up and frustrate their midfield.. they did it so well it resulted in the afformentioned Hoof Ball.

In the second half the midfield had to be content counting stars as the ball kept constantly flying over their heads.

There was no way they were going to get past us last night. Jones, McCombe, Spurr and Quinn were all tremendous and Gary Woods had perhaps his best game for Rovers.

We took a point from the biggest team in the division, they are everyones favourites to go up.

We now have a team that will walk through brick walls for us and we still complain.

Some people should get a life 

Rant over
Regards

Ray

[mjdgreg]

Reading some of the posts on this thread, just demonstrates to me how little some of the posters know about football!

I agree, Good job I'm around to educate people.

[Filo]

Reading some of the posts on this thread, just demonstrates to me how little some of the posters know about football!

I agree, Good job I'm around to educate people.

Mick, you stick to being an expert Betterware agent, leave the football tactics to the people that know about tactics!

[neil grainger]

There was no way they were going to get past us last night. Jones, McCombe, Spurr and Quinn were all tremendous and Gary Woods had perhaps his best game for Rovers.


Regards

Ray

I'd agree with that Ray - certainly the best I've seen him play anyway.

OK, he didn't have many saves to make but what he had to do, he did well. He looked more composed than I've ever seen him, he actually shouted to his defence to leave the ball to him a couple of times, and he caught a couple of tricky crosses from corners.

I'd still feel better if we brought a good experienced 'keeper in on loan, but there was progress to be seen last night in G Woods so credit due to him.

[bradford exile]

I'd agree with that Ray - certainly the best I've seen him play anyway.

Missed you mate..see you Saturday???

Regards

Ray

[neil grainger]

I'd agree with that Ray - certainly the best I've seen him play anyway.

Missed you mate..see you Saturday???

Regards

Ray

Yeah - I only decided last minute to go last night Ray. Very picturesque drive over Snake Pass except for the driving rain!

I'll be there on Saturday mate - hope to see you then.

Let's hope for the same steely defensive display but with a bit of attacking flair on top for good measure.

Come on you Reds!

[Wild Rover]

Like I've said before, it's too early to make a final judgement as to how things are going to pan out. However I do agree with Norfolk that we have to look behind the result. You'll be pleased to know that I am keeping an eye on things. So far, after 6 games, we are behind on all key measures of a teams performance. Hopefully things will improve as the season continues. So far, using averages, this is the picture.

Rovers first:

Possession 47.66%     52.33%
Attempts     8.00          10.33
Corners       4.00          6.16

Not much different to these throughout this current campaign
Possession. 53.57     
Attempts    7.57
Corners      4.43

Guess which team those stats are from, yes, thats correct, Tranmere, top of league.

[mjdgreg]

Not much different to these throughout this current campaign
Possession. 53.57     
Attempts    7.57
Corners      4.43

Guess which team those stats are from, yes, thats correct, Tranmere, top of league.

It's early days, but as you can see having more possession than the opposition is crucial to success.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Last match you went to Mick?

I know how you pride yourself on answering every question. Surprised I've had to ask you three times.