Let's talk about the Ipswich Town game

[sedwardsdrfc]

I agree confidence is huge which is why i find it weird we are instant on playing out from the back. Which is great when everyone is full of confidence. When your already lacking it then a few dodgy touches or a determined press forcing mistakes and confidence will drain further.

Wasn't the problem today because Ipswich let us play by defending so deep but in this poor run it's been the story. That and conceding easy goals

[scawsby steve]

Complete over reaction to the game from some on here.

Goals win games. Simple as that.

You need to explain that first sentence, Campsall. Most people are saying that our possession football is good, but we're awful at both ends of the pitch, which is true; and that 1 point from 15 is very worrying, which is also true.

In what way is any of that an overreaction?

[vaya]

We are losing games because defensively we are nowhere near good enough. We have conceded first in half of our league games this season. We have kept 6 clean sheets out of 28 league games. It’s just nowhere near what we need to be credible promotion candidates.

We're the third highest scorers in the league, having played fewer games than everyone else.

It's safe to say our defensive record isn't up to that level.

[sedwardsdrfc]

When we went up as champions i'm pretty sure we would be in the bottom half of teams in a "good football" ranking in the league but games are won in both 18 yard boxes which is where we're finding it hard atm. Ipswich knew this so settled to let us win the possession game knowing they'd take advantage where it mattered.

I don't take much note of bossing possession when that's what the opposition wants.

[Campsall rover]

Complete over reaction to the game from some on here.

Goals win games. Simple as that.

You need to explain that first sentence, Campsall. Most people are saying that our possession football is good, but we're awful at both ends of the pitch, which is true; and that 1 point from 15 is very worrying, which is also true.

In what way is any of that an overreaction?

A couple of people have said we played badly.  We could have had at least 4/5 goals today if we had been more ruthless. It’s very simple we outplayed Ipswich for 75 mins of that match. Goals win games. We scored 1 and Ipswich scored 2
Yes we need to be better agreed in both penalty areas at the moment. That is plainly obvious.

We were too narrow in the second half and Apart from the one occasion when Taylor ran at their goal and scored he was a waste of time. What is the point of having a player with pace to burn if all he is going to do is pass the ball backwards. There were 5/6 opportunities for him to take his man on in a 1 on 1 and get to the by line and deliver a killer ball.  But no he doesn’t seem interested.
On the other side we were far too narrow and Fej was a big disappointment. Reece James never did any overlapping 2nd half for what reason I don’t understand.
If Bogle doesn’t get any service from out wide then he isn’t going to score many goals is he.

So so frustrating I am furious that we didn’t bury Ipswich today. They were there for the taking.

[tyke1962]

The poor run of late comes from a poor second half 45 minutes at Fleetwood , a game if memory serves me right you were winning in the first half .

Sunderland then gave your central defence a real going over in the next game if again my memory serves me right , you could probably add Hull City to that too last Saturday .

Obviously I don't watch you guys and I'm only looking at this from a distance but to me this poor run seems to be a mental issue and the confidence levels are pretty low right now .

The ability of this young group wouldn't worry me if I was a Rovers fan but the mental side most certainly would .

To be successful teams have to come back from periods of adversity , dig themselves out of it , find a way .

This to me seems to be the issue right now .

It's still there for Rovers to have a successful season , there's certainly enough points still to play for but the group in my opinion need to man up , become stronger in the head because if not the season could easily slip away from you over the next month .

[Campsall rover]

We are losing games because defensively we are nowhere near good enough. We have conceded first in half of our league games this season. We have kept 6 clean sheets out of 28 league games. It’s just nowhere near what we need to be credible promotion candidates.

We're the third highest scorers in the league, having played fewer games than everyone else.

It's safe to say our defensive record isn't up to that level.

It was before the last 5 games. We had one of the 3 best defensive records in the League.
Losing Anderson was massive. Butler played a couple more games he should have. Cameron John should have taken Anderson’s place when he was concussed imo.  John And Wright would have given us more mobility imo. But what do I know. DM is the man who picks the team. It’s easy being a manager on an football forum.

[Campsall rover]

Stick to that starting 11 today.

Or play Taylor instead of Fej but only after he has been read the riot act by DM
Don’t know if that’s what he needs or if it’s an arm round his shoulder but whatever it is for crying out loud Darren do it please. Him and Simms with running at defenders should be frightening league 1 defences to bits.
With Bostock, Smith & TJ orchestrating the middle of the park, our team on paper has a very potent attacking threat.
We need to have a settled team now and once we start to click which I am sure we will then we will destroy most teams in this league.
We should have come away with a 4-1 or 5-2 win today and we would all have been saying we are going to go up as potential champions. Fine lines.

We have a team on paper good enough we now need to deliver what we are capable of achieving.
Onwards and upwards. The future looks bright. Positive thinking, belief belief and more belief.

[NickDRFC]

We are losing games because defensively we are nowhere near good enough. We have conceded first in half of our league games this season. We have kept 6 clean sheets out of 28 league games. It’s just nowhere near what we need to be credible promotion candidates.

We're the third highest scorers in the league, having played fewer games than everyone else.

It's safe to say our defensive record isn't up to that level.

It was before the last 5 games. We had one of the 3 best defensive records in the League.
Losing Anderson was massive. Butler played a couple more games he should have. Cameron John should have taken Anderson’s place when he was concussed imo.  John And Wright would have given us more mobility imo. But what do I know. DM is the man who picks the team. It’s easy being a manager on an football forum.

By far, our best defensive statistics have been when Butler and Anderson have played together. Anderson and Wright together have not kept the goals out.

[scawsby steve]

Stick to that starting 11 today.

Or play Taylor instead of Fej but only after he has been read the riot act by DM
Don’t know if that’s what he needs or if it’s an arm round his shoulder but whatever it is for crying out loud Darren do it please. Him and Simms with running at defenders should be frightening league 1 defences to bits.
With Bostock, Smith & TJ orchestrating the middle of the park, our team on paper has a very potent attacking threat.
We need to have a settled team now and once we start to click which I am sure we will then we will destroy most teams in this league.
We should have come away with a 4-1 or 5-2 win today and we would all have been saying we are going to go up as potential champions. Fine lines.

We have a team on paper good enough we now need to deliver what we are capable of achieving.
Onwards and upwards. The future looks bright. Positive thinking, belief belief and more belief.

What is that belief based on, Campsall? We all know what is required to get into the play-offs, because we did it 2 seasons ago.

The truth is, that team of 2 seasons ago would bury this lot we have now.

[bedale rover]

Stick to that starting 11 today.

Or play Taylor instead of Fej but only after he has been read the riot act by DM
Don’t know if that’s what he needs or if it’s an arm round his shoulder but whatever it is for crying out loud Darren do it please. Him and Simms with running at defenders should be frightening league 1 defences to bits.
With Bostock, Smith & TJ orchestrating the middle of the park, our team on paper has a very potent attacking threat.
We need to have a settled team now and once we start to click which I am sure we will then we will destroy most teams in this league.
We should have come away with a 4-1 or 5-2 win today and we would all have been saying we are going to go up as potential champions. Fine lines.

We have a team on paper good enough we now need to deliver what we are capable of achieving.
Onwards and upwards. The future looks bright. Positive thinking, belief belief and more belief.

I don't think that Fej sees himself as a wide player

[Campsall rover]

The belief Steve is based on on what we did up to this blip in results.

We now have a stronger squad than when we went on that great run of results.
It takes a while to bed in new players. Bostock hadn’t played for months for example.

We now have a very talented squad of players but quite a bit of inexperience with some of the younger ones.
This is where Copps, Butler and Bostock are going to be so important not necessarily on the pitch but on the training ground and in the changing room.
They know what it takes to get promotion, the mentality needed.
Ability wise we have a potential promotion team, no question in my mind.
This is now a mentality thing. Get that right and we can still hit the top 2 in this league but play offs will be minimum we will achieve.
We need some serious leadership on and off the field to help the younger players through this difficult period we are going through.
DM’ managerial ability will now be tested also. He needs to install self belief and get the players to go out and show just how good they can be.

Yes for a Rob Jones type character in the team. That would be brilliant but I do believe Copps, Butts and Bostock need to be the big leaders at this juncture to help DM.

Positive thinking SS goes a long way. With all due respect Steve, pleased your not in that Rovers dressing room right now.
A glass always has to be half full and the positives of any performance always needs to be the focus while sensibly looking at the things that went wrong in the game and learning from them.
We have a young group of talented players and we should be absolutely over the moon with this squad that DM has assembled.

[Filo]

A few points for improvement

Richards needs to realise he can’t do it all on his own, he’s starting to get into that mindset

Smith has to cut out trying to make every pass a worldy

Fej and Bogle need to be more on their toes

Balcome needs to understand if he can get two hands in it to punch he more than likely can catch it, also he needs to stop passing it to a marked man

Put Taylor on cross practice all week

[Campsall rover]

A few points for improvement

Richards needs to realise he can’t do it all on his own, he’s starting to get into that mindset

Smith has to cut out trying to make every pass a worldy

Fej and Bogle need to be more on their toes

Balcome needs to understand if he can get two hands in it to punch he more than likely can catch it, also he needs to stop passing it to a marked man

Put Taylor on cross practice all week

Agree with all that Filo.  You missed the bit about Taylor making a run towards the byline before he then crosses it. 

[Filo]

A few points for improvement

Richards needs to realise he can’t do it all on his own, he’s starting to get into that mindset

Smith has to cut out trying to make every pass a worldy

Fej and Bogle need to be more on their toes

Balcome needs to understand if he can get two hands in it to punch he more than likely can catch it, also he needs to stop passing it to a marked man

Put Taylor on cross practice all week

Agree with all that Filo.  You missed the bit about Taylor making a run towards the byline before he then crosses it. 

Yes I did, pace to burn but rarely uses it, instead turning back and killing momentum

[Lesonthewest]

A few points for improvement

Richards needs to realise he can’t do it all on his own, he’s starting to get into that mindset

Smith has to cut out trying to make every pass a worldy

Fej and Bogle need to be more on their toes

Balcome needs to understand if he can get two hands in it to punch he more than likely can catch it, also he needs to stop passing it to a marked man

Put Taylor on cross practice all week

Agreed, personally I would bench Richards & push Smith up there who would link up play much more than Richards, he's a luxury we can't afford at the minute. Earlier in the season when Smith played there he was our most effective player, & off the ball nicking the ball off opposition defenders.

[Campsall rover]

We are losing games because defensively we are nowhere near good enough. We have conceded first in half of our league games this season. We have kept 6 clean sheets out of 28 league games. It%u2019s just nowhere near what we need to be credible promotion candidates.

We're the third highest scorers in the league, having played fewer games than everyone else.

It's safe to say our defensive record isn't up to that level.

It was before the last 5 games. We had one of the 3 best defensive records in the League.
Losing Anderson was massive. Butler played a couple more games he should have. Cameron John should have taken Anderson%u2019s place when he was concussed imo.  John And Wright would have given us more mobility imo. But what do I know. DM is the man who picks the team. Itis easy being a manager on an football forum.

By far, our best defensive statistics have been when Butler and Anderson have played together. Anderson and Wright together have not kept the goals out.

I think if you go back to Sept and October and November they did not do too badly did they. We had the 4th best defence in the league in the 1st 3 months. Then it improved even further when Butts came in and up to this last 5 games we had the 2nd best defence.
It was starring us in the face that Butts needed a rest and we look much more mobile with Anderson and Wright and their use of the ball is superior and quicker to Butts.
Defensively today they did well. Free kick you cannot defend and the other goal was not defending a second phase of a corner. Not sure who was at fault until I see it again.
Thought Joe Wright had a very solid game and Anderson did what he needed to do.
Our problem today was our complete waste of using the width that was available and getting quality into the box from wide positions.

[scawsby steve]

We are losing games because defensively we are nowhere near good enough. We have conceded first in half of our league games this season. We have kept 6 clean sheets out of 28 league games. It%u2019s just nowhere near what we need to be credible promotion candidates.

We're the third highest scorers in the league, having played fewer games than everyone else.

It's safe to say our defensive record isn't up to that level.

It was before the last 5 games. We had one of the 3 best defensive records in the League.
Losing Anderson was massive. Butler played a couple more games he should have. Cameron John should have taken Anderson%u2019s place when he was concussed imo.  John And Wright would have given us more mobility imo. But what do I know. DM is the man who picks the team. Itis easy being a manager on an football forum.

By far, our best defensive statistics have been when Butler and Anderson have played together. Anderson and Wright together have not kept the goals out.

I think if you go back to Sept and October and November they did not do too badly did they. We had the 4th best defence in the league in the 1st 3 months. Then it improved even further when Butts came in and up to this last 5 games we had the 2nd best defence.
It was starring us in the face that Butts needed a rest and we look much more mobile with Anderson and Wright and their use of the ball is superior and quicker to Butts.
Defensively today they did well. Free kick you cannot defend and the other goal was not defending a second phase of a corner. Not sure who was at fault until I see it again.
Thought Joe Wright had a very solid game and Anderson did what he needed to do.
Our problem today was our complete waste of using the width that was available and getting quality into the box from wide positions.

You don't have to see it again, I'll tell you; it was Fej, he headed it backwards straight to Norwood.

[Campsall rover]

So it was a forward making a hash of a defensive job. Can’t really blame the back 4.

[i_ateallthepies]

No point looking at Lincoln and Peterborough results now. Need to be checking what 7th 8th and 9th are doing now.

70 percent possession 60 yards from goal all game. At least Bostock looks forward. Rest shocking today.

It’s looking like Peterbro could run away with this title now.
JCH is having a good season for them.

Should have signed him when we had the chance.
Oh that would require foresight..... My bad

We have the players capable in front of goal, it's the ponderous progress from back to front that's denying our strikers the clearcut chances.

[RedRover]

We now have a very talented squad of players but quite a bit of inexperience with some of the younger ones.
This is where Copps, Butler and Bostock are going to be so important not necessarily on the pitch but on the training ground and in the changing room.
They know what it takes to get promotion, the mentality needed.
Ability wise we have a potential promotion team, no question in my mind.
This is now a mentality thing.

Sadly just because a player has been part of a side that has been successful doesn't mean they understand or know what it takes. Being successful at football, sport and life is always a mentality thing, not just now. In fact sport is more about whats going on upstairs in a persons head than technique and that's something I can often forget when judging players. I was always a outspoken critic of John Marquis as technically he's awful, he has no right to be a professional footballer, but the lad scores around a 1 every 3 games and there aren't loads of players who can do that knocking around the league. He obviously has belief in his ability to score goals.

“Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I really don't know what to make of our current position.  I didn't watch the game yesterday, weather is getting nicer and thus had other things I could do.  That probably tells you how I feel about football at the moment.

It does sound like a better footballing performance.  Decent footballing performances don't worry me as much as games where we create nothing.  Keep playing ok and it will come through.  But, you have to say we won a number of games without playing particularly well and it does feel perhaps the first half of the season was an overachievement.  We are probably about where we should be.  Some of our players don't strike me as matchwinners, those that can win something out of nothing.  Richards, sometimes Fej and Sims yes, but a lot of the others don't do it.  Bogle has impressed me but he doesn't strike me as one who can make that difference.  I hope I'm wrong.

[NickDRFC]

I really don't know what to make of our current position.  I didn't watch the game yesterday, weather is getting nicer and thus had other things I could do.  That probably tells you how I feel about football at the moment.

It does sound like a better footballing performance.  Decent footballing performances don't worry me as much as games where we create nothing.  Keep playing ok and it will come through.  But, you have to say we won a number of games without playing particularly well and it does feel perhaps the first half of the season was an overachievement.  We are probably about where we should be.  Some of our players don't strike me as matchwinners, those that can win something out of nothing.  Richards, sometimes Fej and Sims yes, but a lot of the others don't do it.  Bogle has impressed me but he doesn't strike me as one who can make that difference.  I hope I'm wrong.

I guess that makes you a fair weather fan