Tonights game (blackpool)

[Al4475]

Bizarrely, I thought rovers did ok tonight, there were few times when it was a bit scrappy or a bit unlucky but I always felt they had another gear to go to whereas Blackpool didn't - however, as it transpired b'pool got the lucky break and made rovers pay.

I appreciate I haven't been for a few seasons (and therefore I've probably just witnessed the worst performance to date) so it was interesting to look at it from my perspective - bar 10 mins rovers were better and unlucky to lose.

That said - clearly a big, powerful unit of a striker would be a great addition.

[redarmi66]

I thought Ennis battled well but was bullied a little physically. Im a big fan though,his work rate is fantastic and he will score plenty. However just imagine his impact tonight if he was playing off a big solid number 9. Not fair to ask the the lad to do that job week in week out. RTID

[Campsall rover]

If Sheaf was any more laid back he would be horizontal, he was very poor tonight and May looked like the Alfie May of last season rather than the new Alfie.

Sheaf is steady away but I've seen nothing to suggest he's brilliant as some have portrayed and he has a lot to learn.

May, Sheaf and Halliday all poor tonight, Ennis battled well and was so unlucky not to score. Whiteman was unusually average and Anderson and John didn't look as solid as we've come to accept.

You are having a laugh aren’t you. Ben Sheaf was man of the match tonight imo.
You were watching a different game to me.

All were guilty of giving the ball away. Our passing and movement wasn’t as good as previous matches but we were never going to go all season without losing were we. What is important is how we react on Saturday.
I do think tactically and selection/subs DM got it wrong for the 1st time in this game.
But it’s easy for us to be critical after a defeat isn’t it. There were two teams playing and Blackpool are a well organised outfit as you would expect under Simon Grayson’s management.

Onwards and upwards.

[Alan Southstand]

So well organised, they’ve just been on a 3 match losing streak.

We were totally found out tonight. Lack of quality in the final third cost us, massively. Ennis hasn’t got a prayer of making an impression when the 3 behind him are clueless.

Trouble is, there was nothing on the bench, either! Lack of options are going to cost us - big style, this season.

Lest we forget, we had bids in for 2 strikers that we couldn’t get across the line. Go figure.

[Campsall rover]

So well organised, they’ve just been on a 3 match losing streak.

We were totally found out tonight. Lack of quality in the final third cost us, massively. Ennis hasn’t got a prayer of making an impression when the 3 behind him are clueless.

Trouble is, there was nothing on the bench, either! Lack of options are going to cost us - big style, this season.

Lest we forget, we had bids in for 2 strikers that we couldn’t get across the line. Go figure.

Here we go Alan. Soon as we get a defeat your off.

Squad not good enough, no strikers, no quality in final third etc etc.
We had a bad day at the office. It happens.
Strange isn’t it we were world beaters on Saturday at Ipswich. Tonight we are not good enough.
Bit of perspective needed again i think, instead of the usual knee jerk reaction.

[Spud]

Didn’t think the performance was that bad.

We should have exploited the left more as James and Taylor showed some great link up play in the first half but we seemed to keep going down the right hand side.

Both bens were good as you would expect.

Halliday is terrible, new right back needed ASAP.

Rubbish. Completely disagree. Seems as though some on here can’t live without a scapegoat.
He played very well. Final ball not great but he did more than James tonight in offensive play.

Wonder if we can compile a list of scapegoats for every season.

Was Crawford last year, he massively went up in everyone's estimations when we let him leave 😂
& also Andrew, until he started knocking free kicks in.

[Bentley Bullet]

I thought we were the best team tonight and very unlucky to lose.

[bpoolrover]

So well organised, they’ve just been on a 3 match losing streak.

We were totally found out tonight. Lack of quality in the final third cost us, massively. Ennis hasn’t got a prayer of making an impression when the 3 behind him are clueless.

Trouble is, there was nothing on the bench, either! Lack of options are going to cost us - big style, this season.

Lest we forget, we had bids in for 2 strikers that we couldn’t get across the line. Go figure.

Here we go Alan. Soon as we get a defeat your off.

Squad not good enough, no strikers, no quality in final third etc etc.
We had a bad day at the office. It happens.
Strange isn’t it we were world beaters on Saturday at Ipswich. Tonight we are not good enough.
Bit of perspective needed again i think, instead of the usual knee jerk reaction.

to be fair everytime we have won you have come on the board goading people who were doubtful, it’s glaringly obvious we had no one 2 come on upfront and have any impact

[NewDonny]

Sadlier has to play either wide left and be given freedom to take his player on or come inside or of you are going to play him in the 10, you don't then tell him to mark the oppositions ball player (Spearing) as he was having to tonight, in the second half those two just cancelled each other out and we lost our most attacking threat.

Agree with others on here, Sadlier was the only player prepared to get on the ball and take the game to Blackpool, at times he was taking up great positions in pockets of space, always moving around but we just don't find him, others should have come off before him tonight.

Too many long hopeful wasted passes out from the back down the right flank tonight for me I am afraid.

[dickos1]

Sadlier has to play either wide left and be given freedom to take his player on or come inside or of you are going to play him in the 10, you don't then tell him to mark the oppositions ball player (Spearing) as he was having to tonight, in the second half those two just cancelled each other out and we lost our most attacking threat.

Agree with others on here, Sadlier was the only player prepared to get on the ball and take the game to Blackpool, at times he was taking up great positions in pockets of space, always moving around but we just don't find him, others should have come off before him tonight.

Too many long hopeful wasted passes out from the back down the right flank tonight for me I am afraid.

Another sadlier love in post

[dickos1]

So well organised, they’ve just been on a 3 match losing streak.

We were totally found out tonight. Lack of quality in the final third cost us, massively. Ennis hasn’t got a prayer of making an impression when the 3 behind him are clueless.

Trouble is, there was nothing on the bench, either! Lack of options are going to cost us - big style, this season.

Lest we forget, we had bids in for 2 strikers that we couldn’t get across the line. Go figure.

The bench had coppinger, May, Gomes on it

[PDX_Rover]

Time to find out what’s on the end of the stick  big Vic

[Rovers91]

We need a striker and a centre midfielder for back up who has quality. I dread to think if we were to lose Whiteman to injury for a few weeks.

[Reesielad]

We need a striker and a centre midfielder for back up who has quality. I dread to think if we were to lose Whiteman to injury for a few weeks.

Whiteman had a stinker IMO, regularly misplaced passes and was only a matter of time until we were punished.


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[The Beast]

I thought we played quite well tonight against a tough decent side. They were dirty and tried to fragment the game, there were so many late tackles and the referee let them get away with it. The foul that crocked Blair went totally unpunished, along with many others. Whiteman gets named man of the match, then in the same breath gives the ball away for their goal, when we’re well on top, gutting! but it happens in football, we’re not going to roll over every team we play, it’s a very competitive league!

[Alan Southstand]

The bench had coppinger, May, Gomes on it

And?

[One_Matty_Lucas]

I thought we played very well. Looked assured, just couldn't get that goal.

Poor game management at the end for their goal, but plenty of positives to take going forward.

James was brilliant (again), thought Sheaf and Whiteman played well. Halliday's burst forward would have been on all the highlights reel if it was finished off.

[wing commander]

    For me we just don't create much other than from longer range..We've got 2 defensive midfielders in Sheaf and Whiteman playing in the centre and we've got a good player in Ennis upfront..However he's not a number 9 and is very inexperienced..Whilst that gives us a decent defensive platform which would be great playing away from home.At home we need to be a tad more adventurous..I know he is injured but I would like to see Ennis and Sterling playing as a two when he's fit..

   The striker debate was always going to stick it's head up as soon as we had a couple of blanks but the stats of shots we have compared to how many we get on target has been a concern in most of our games..Reality is we cant sign anybody from other teams on loan (god forbid) or permanent till January..So hopefully DM is looking at the out of contract players although they would need time to get match fit...

  We have the basis of a good team,and we also have a very good manager..He just needs to solve the problem in the box..
   

[drfchound]

Don’t read too much into the shots on target stats wingco.
Even the Ennis one that was header over the bar by the defender last night doesn’t count as a shot on target.
Alfie May had one on on target that was deflected by a defenders leg for a corner before it reached the keeper, that doesn’t count as one either.
Also, the first shot by Whiteman that was tipped round the post by the keeper doesn’t count as one because the ref didn’t give the corner and it was therefore classed as wide.
Only shots that are saved by the keeper count as being on target.

[wing commander]

  That's true hound but then again they don't count for other teams either in the same situations and you cant argue with the facts that our percentage over the course of the season has been low..

[drfchound]

  That's true hound but then again they don't count for other teams either in the same situations and you cant argue with the facts that our percentage over the course of the season has been low..

Yes it does count for other teams, of course.
What I am saying though is that the so called on target stats are inaccurate.
If you look at the “on target stats” for most teams, most weeks, they are very low but can’t be relied upon to be a true count.