Marquis up front on his own..

[Donnyjim]

At home, in a local derby. Any idiot could see it needed changing at half time. Fergie set his team up not to lose. Hats off to Darren, he achieved it, with 0 shots on target.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Jim

Tot up how many clubs and countries play one up front.

The world's moved on from 4-4-f**king-2.

[selby]

  DonnyJim,  look at the stats over the last six games on the lets talk about the Fleetwood game thread,it is working,dont change it.

[drfchound]

The no shots on target stat is a joke as well.
The one Marquis had that hit the defenders arm was on target for certain.

[RoversAlias]

Another Donnyjim wind up.

[Bentley Bullet]

What happens when Alfie's fit?

[since-1969]

Marquis is fastly becoming over paid and under worked . He isn’t able or capable to run the show he needs a partner to work off . Williams is in dog house Mandeville isn’t the finished article , May is only just getting to grips with his new roll and poor Alex must be itching to get on the pitch ( next season) so either January has a new face coming in or it’s more results like Rotherham. 

[the vicar]

like a fish out of water in my view

[BillyStubbsTears]

I wonder what the average age of the people slagging off Marquis is?

[the vicar]

i'm not slagging him off, he is not a loan striker he was very much isolated against Rotherscum, it was as plain as the nose on your face

[Donnyjim]

Marquis has definitely lost his mojo, but it is thankless task up front on your own. We'd have been more of an attacking threat if he had some support. I could tear my hair out with the negative tactics of modern managers.

[The Red Baron]

I think when Alfie May comes back we will play 3-5-2. It might mean a few more opportunities for Marquis. FWIW I thought he worked hard on Saturday, but his awful 'clearance' in the lead up to the equalizer did him no favours. He should have lashed it down the park or kicked it into the West Stand.

[steve@dcfd]

For those who wanted two strikers in the side who would you leave out and what formation would you play.

[BillyStubbsTears]

TRB. He couldn't lash the ball down the park. That was physically impossible, given his body position and the position of the ball. Have a look at the video.

Regarding hammering the ball out of play, no player is ever going to do that in those circumstances. You don't know how long is left of the clock. So you're not going to wilfully give a throw-in to the opposition 30 yards out from goal and give them the initiative. That could equally well have led to a goal. Especially since they had someone who could throw the ball 40 yards, and a centre forward who had 4 inches on any of our defenders. Marquis would have been castigated for that.

His only really safe outlet would have been to turn round 180 degrees and lay the ball back to Toffolo. But that would have required him to have eyes in the back of his head. And not to slip up, withfour Rotherham players around him.

What he did do clearly didn't work, but there are lots of Monday Morning Quarterbacks on here saying it's obvious he should have done something else. And it wasn't obvious. Neither at the time, nor now.

[since-1969]

Marquis inability to do what required in defence did not cost us the game as drew , but his inability to take a shot when presented may have cost us a win .

[steve@dcfd]

Marquis inability to do what required in defence did not cost us the game as drew , but his inability to take a shot when presented may have cost us a win .

Who would you play from our current squad in his place?

[drfchound]

TRB. He couldn't lash the ball down the park. That was physically impossible, given his body position and the position of the ball. Have a look at the video.

Regarding hammering the ball out of play, no player is ever going to do that in those circumstances. You don't know how long is left of the clock. So you're not going to wilfully give a throw-in to the opposition 30 yards out from goal and give them the initiative. That could equally well have led to a goal. Especially since they had someone who could throw the ball 40 yards, and a centre forward who had 4 inches on any of our defenders. Marquis would have been castigated for that.

His only really safe outlet would have been to turn round 180 degrees and lay the ball back to Toffolo. But that would have required him to have eyes in the back of his head. And not to slip up, withfour Rotherham players around him.

What he did do clearly didn't work, but there are lots of Monday Morning Quarterbacks on here saying it's obvious he should have done something else. And it wasn't obvious. Neither at the time, nor now.

BST

That is the best summary of the situation JM found himself in at the time.

It is a good point that you make about the Monday morning quaterbacks.
Much the same as the stick Heffs got for not kicking the ball out of the ground against Arsenal.

[mrfrostsdad]

I agree with the majority of comments on here about Marquis (BST, I know you don't, that's fine, it's all about opinions at the end of the day)
Personally, I would have taken Marquis off in Saturday and brought on the old dear who sits in front of me in the west stand.
The 'mistake' that led to the equaliser was a mistake that a 10 year old wouldn't make. And Billy, it doesn't matter how old you are, or what era you played football: 5 minutes into injury time when you're winning 1-0, that ball should have been out of the ground. Give the defenders time to re-group and pick up their man.

I don't know what's happened to Marquis. He's a shadow of the player he was last season. At first I thought it was because we are playing at a higher level, but now I'm not sure. He refusal to shoot is baffling. And yes Billy, I know you reckon that's not necessarily the main job of a striker these days. Well, call me old fashioned if you want.........
I want Marquis to prove me wrong now and get a hat trick on Saturday

[selby]

  If you cannot see that Marquis is the best leader of the line we have had since Brown at his best,dont put in for the job as a Sky pundit.
  You have to Know something about football to do that job.
   And by the way he has scored goals at a decent average per game with us as well.

[mrfrostsdad]

  If you cannot see that Marquis is the best leader of the line we have had since Brown at his best,dont put in for the job as a Sky pundit.
  You have to Know something about football to do that job.
   And by the way he has scored goals at a decent average per game with us as well.

Ok, my opinion is different to yours so I must be wrong.
Terrific argument

[BillyStubbsTears]

MFD. 

You keep going on about Marquis not shooting. So does 1969. 

I really don't know what instances you are in about, but I do recall Marquis having a powerful shot in target that hit an arm and should have led to a penalty, and another excellent shot on the turn that skimmed over the bar. That doesn't sound to me like a player who chooses not to shoot.

Whatever the occurrence is that you keep hammering on about, do you think there may have been something about it that you didn't see? Maybe a player blocking the route to goal?

To be honest, if you really think that ANY player would have booted the ball into touch in that incident that led to the goal, it doesn't give me much confidence that you understand how footballers make their split-second decisions.

[selby]

  MFD,just pointing out your job prospects mate (joke),you are more than entitled to your opinion, we all see different things in players,thats football and this is a discussion forum,I want to read other peoples opinions,it is the only way I can learn about the game.
  Nobody sees everything that goes on on the field of play,we are making mistakes in games as a team that are frustrating to the fans and the management,again that is part of the beauty of the game.
   What I will say is that if I was a defender playing against us,the strikers I would not like to mark would be Marquis and Mandeville.The reasons being Marquis can play with his back to goal and bring other players into the game while drawing defenders around him,Mandeville can collect the ball and turn you and then carry the ball at speed and is capable of playing the through ball.Alfie and Williams run the channels and need an extra  touch to control the ball (in my opinion you may disagree) in the box and miss more chances because of the way defenders block the shot nowadays. It is only a personal choice,we have the best all round strikers we have had for years with hopefully another good one getting nearer to fitness.

[mrfrostsdad]

MFD. 

You keep going on about Marquis not shooting. So does 1969. 

I really don't know what instances you are in about, but I do recall Marquis having a powerful shot in target that hit an arm and should have led to a penalty, and another excellent shot on the turn that skimmed over the bar. That doesn't sound to me like a player who chooses not to shoot.

Whatever the occurrence is that you keep hammering on about, do you think there may have been something about it that you didn't see? Maybe a player blocking the route to goal?

To be honest, if you really think that ANY player would have booted the ball into touch in that incident that led to the goal, it doesn't give me much confidence that you understand how footballers make their split-second decisions.

Ah, again, my opinion is different to yours so I'm wrong. Ok

Two specific incidents in the second half.

1) Ball played to him on the edge of the box. No-one in front of him and could have carried it a few yards and shot. Passed it instead: straight to a Rotherham player.

2) Ball passed to him about 9 or 10 yards out. No-one blocking him. Put your foot through it. If it's in target, which it should be from that range, chances are you will score. Tried to take a touch first. The touch if a donkey and went straight to a Rotherham plater.

Donny Baz Rover, who sits next to me, was I thought, going to have a stroke he was so apoplectic.
And, although my opinion is just my own, as I said in another thread, I think everyone who sits around me in the west stand, thought Marquis was pants on Saturday, so we're obviously all wrong

[BillyStubbsTears]

MFD
No. We disagree therefore we disagree.

I like to think I watch games carefully, and I regularly get frustrated by players' mistakes. But I don't recall either of those two occurrences. And no-one around me was screaming for Marquis's head.

Just like you and the people around you do t seem to have spotted the shots that Marquis did have, or the numerous times he played the target man role excellently, holding off much bigger defenders, controlling difficult passes and intelligently bringing others into the attack.

Funny game.

[mrfrostsdad]

  MFD,just pointing out your job prospects mate (joke),you are more than entitled to your opinion, we all see different things in players,thats football and this is a discussion forum,I want to read other peoples opinions,it is the only way I can learn about the game.
  Nobody sees everything that goes on on the field of play,we are making mistakes in games as a team that are frustrating to the fans and the management,again that is part of the beauty of the game.
   What I will say is that if I was a defender playing against us,the strikers I would not like to mark would be Marquis and Mandeville.The reasons being Marquis can play with his back to goal and bring other players into the game while drawing defenders around him,Mandeville can collect the ball and turn you and then carry the ball at speed and is capable of playing the through ball.Alfie and Williams run the channels and need an extra  touch to control the ball (in my opinion you may disagree) in the box and miss more chances because of the way defenders block the shot nowadays. It is only a personal choice,we have the best all round strikers we have had for years with hopefully another good one getting nearer to fitness.

Ok Selby. I respect your opinion also. But, do you know what, if I was a defender playing at this level, I'd be delighted we were playing Donny Rovers this Saturday for the simple reason our strikers are not good enough at this level.
Do you really believe the strikers we have now are the best we have had for years or was that a wind up? Ok, fair enough if you do, but here's my two penneth.

Marquis: A shadow of what he was last season (prove me wrong please John)
Mandeville: Doesn't look half the player he was last season.
Williams: Not wanted here (not surprising considering how he's played when given the opportunity) and if the truth be known, probably doesn't want to be here.
May: Injured, but to be honest, I think he has more impact coming off the bench.
Kiwomya: We have absolutely no idea.

If you rolled up all the best assets of all our strikers into one, you still couldn't make one Billy Sharp out of them. He is by far the best striker we've had in my 50 years of watching the Rovers. Alick Jeffrey was past his best when I saw him.
But at the end of the day, just my opinion

[bobjimwilly]

maybe its not our players that have gone backwards, but maybe the opposition in L1 have better players than the teams we played in L2? Just a thought...

[GazLaz]

When JM plays up front in his own we need to get midfield runners going beyond him, this doesn’t happen.

[Bentley Bullet]

If you cannot see that Marquis is the best leader of the line we have had since Brown at his best,dont put in for the job as a Sky pundit.
  You have to Know something about football to do that job.
   And by the way he has scored goals at a decent average per game with us as well.

That says more about the team's decline in player quality that the ability of Marquis.

I'm also quite surprised by people's reference to Sky Sports after it, along with its subscribers were much maligned in previous threads.

[selby]

  Agree about Sharp in the box,but our game,and the team set up was geared to him,and we had  possibly the best mid field we have had.
   The present  mid field are not as creative,something we have to live with, and are also much  less experienced,something they will get with more game time,and I do not think we have seen the best of yet this season.
 Thanks for the reasoned imput,Mandeville needs games,but his goals to minutes on the field must be the best of the strikers this season,perhaps a statto could take a look.

[keith79]

I watched the Rotherham game on sky. I am 100% sure copps had a shot and it was on target.