Today's performances

[since-1969]

As for "fans favourite" Alfie May.....Kiwomya is fit for next week and that could spell the end for him I'm afraid
[/quote] I am highlighting this comment as it’s based on a player no one has seen play yet , but you think will “spell the end” for Alfie May your other assessment comments like wise  were just too stupid to be taken seriously!

[The Red Baron]

A few points.

Defenders all did their best but tough in that line-up. Centre halves vital no doubt.

Blair excellent but what a miss.

Rowe as ever played well he is our best player imo.

Whiteman had a good game his finishing let him down but he did well.

Kongolo did the job asked and did ok I thought.  Not great or poor but ok.

Coops - as horrible as it is to say it he's been poor now for some time.  Has some good flashes but let's be honest he's becoming a passenger in that position now.

Beestin did well again clearly improving.

Marquis had a good game took his goal well first time and worked as ever.

May - didn't touch the ball did he?

Mandeville lively and linked up well. Still think he's worth a run.

I thought Kongolo was very poor. As last week at Shrewsbury he seems afraid to run with the ball.

[RugbyRover]

As for "fans favourite" Alfie May.....Kiwomya is fit for next week and that could spell the end for him I'm afraid

I am highlighting this comment as it’s based on a player no one has seen play yet , but you think will “spell the end” for Alfie May your other assessment comments like wise  were just too stupid to be taken seriously!
[/quote]
er....what makes you say no one has seen the young lad play? I've seen him a couple of times playing for Crewe. so I think your comment makes you look rather stupid 

[since-1969]

Not for us you haven’t 

[drfchound]

There were some signs today that players like Beestin, Garrett and Mandeville are maturing nicely but with our defence decimated by recent injuries it is always going to be difficult to win games.
I wish Whiteman would put his boot through his shooting opportunities as of late most of his shots are like passes to the keeper.
If we had taken one of the chances that came our way to get it to 2-2 I think we could have gone on to win the game.

[DonnyOsmond]

Hopefully Mandeville starts next week. He deserves a chance. Him up top with Marquis, Beestin behind and Houghton/Whiteman in midfield.

[Jonathan]

I’m assuming Houghton was left out today as he looked a bit jaded at Scunthorpe and was fairly ineffective in that game. But we need him back in the team and on form.

If you look at the midfield today then we had Kongolo who is still learning the game and positionally unsure. He’s been criticised a bit today for not pushing on more but I’d argue that he had to be disciplined as elsewhere in the midfield we had:

Whiteman - who I thought played very well but is far better going forward than holding.

Coppinger - who has never been a conventional central midfielder as his qualities are all about getting on the ball in attacking areas.

Rowe who always threatens in the attacking third and rarely helps the full back out at the other end.

So that was the protection we offered to a defence comprising of three full backs and a winger.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Hopefully Mandeville starts next week. He deserves a chance. Him up top with Marquis, Beestin behind and Houghton/Whiteman in midfield.

Agreed! given our defence isn't going to be great for a while we actually need to have a chance of scoring the chances we create, given a run of games i reckon Mandeville will put them away 

[Pancho Regan]

I think marking players out of 10 is not only futile but is also asking for trouble! For example to rate Garratt above Blair today is bizarre in the extreme.

I’d prefer to talk about the team today rather than peg ‘scores’ on individuals.

We were unlucky to lose that game. You’ll go a long way to find a better performance on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.

When Joe went off, I turned to my brother and said “this could be a disaster’.

Actually it wasn’t. We lost our way for 15 minutes after Joe went off, and conceded the equaliser, but otherwise we were the better team today.
The chances we had...... on another day we’d have won 3-1 instead of losing 3-1. Nobody could have argued had that score been reversed.

Now we need to see DF’s ability in the transfer market before Wednesday.

As for the negative comments about Alfie May.... I yelled my head off in encouragement when he came on, along the lines of “Come on Alfie, win it for us!”
He was ineffectual. My old doubts about him have returned I’m afraid.

But all in all, I left the ground not depressed or down-hearted but actually encouraged by the performance, and feeling sorry for our players, who didn’t deserve to lose today.

[The Red Baron]

I agree Pancho. I think we deserved at least a point although I am frustrated by the number of chances we missed.

Losing Joe was a huge blow and with him on the pitch I'm sure we'd have got a result.

The officials were a disgrace but I think we have to take that as a given. I was chatting to a Bristol Rovers fan when I stopped at the services on the way home and he agreed how bad referees are at this level.

I'm disappointed with the result but I actually thought we played better than we did at Shrewsbury where we got a point. But I am worried that we might see a repeat of two years ago. If we stay up Fergie needs to realise that you need some bruisers in this league.

[mushRTID]

May wasted his cameo.

Really do think his time here is over. Offered nothing again.

He’s rubbish, Fergie has even realised now I think.

[andysly]

Other than a 15/20 period when the team lost their way after JW went off we were by far the better side. Bristol looked dangerous on the break at times but Rovers were dominating play.
The defence was obviously shaky with only Garrett in an accustomed position, but he seems totally lacking in confidence on the ball at the moment. Alcock started poorly and improved as the game went on until his error gave away the 3rd goal, though I wonder how much the clattering he’d just had affected his judgement there.
Mason is becoming a decent player at this level, seems to have found his feet and I was surprised he didn’t start.
Kongolo’s took some stick on here but I thought he did a job and kept the ball moving, nothing spectacular but that ball needs to be on the move something we’re guilty of doing too slowly at times.
I’m afraid Copps just looked knackered, can’t remember seeing him ever give the ball away as often.
Blair/Rowe did well apart from MB’s horrible miss.
Beestin is going to be a very good player, did well again.
Marquis did what he does, worked hard gave defence a headache. That early penalty shout I actually thought he just lost his footing, I was just waiting to see ball in back of net and he went down. Whiteman’s had better games & just couldn’t get a clean strike despite a couple of openings.
Mandeville looked sharper today, May ineffective.

[Donnywolf]

Beestin has moments of absolute class, prime Coppinger esq. He’s not as smooth as Copps was but the end result is as good at times. He’s also got the vision of a exceptional player.

I agree. Maybe in a couple of years with experience he'll be as good or better than Copps?

I would settle for "as good as" right now. Plenty to come from him in the future when be fills out a bit