Any chance of some middle ground?

[NickDRFC]

Rovers lose - same predictable posts as the same predictable posters come out of the woodwork.

Rovers win - same predictable posts as the same predictable posters crow at the previous posters going back into the woodwork.

Would be good to hear some insight into what actually happened…

[jmt23]

There was only team in it once we scored, then they scored a breakaway goal, a total sucker punch and out of the blue. From that point we lost composure, we made the wrong substitute taking Faal off, which even the Harrogate comms found odd,( he was causing them problems) Ironside was totally flat, he looked like he’d run a marathon before the game.
Molyneux should have scored once or twice, Faal should have scored an easy header…
Their number 9 caused issues at the Eco Power, we never learnt and game him loads of time and space. Good goal from him though.

[pib]

We looked the better footballing side for the most part but Harrogate looked dangerous on the break. They are a percentage team up until the final third where they come to life and move the ball around quickly and incisively. That undid us for the first goal but thankfully we got back in it straight away.

Remainder of first half and start of 2nd we were pushing and looking more likely, but we defended poorly for the 2nd goal and after that we didn’t look like we had any resilience to come back again. Basically we fell apart after the 2nd goal and failed to respond.

I don’t think it was a 1-3 performance for most of the game, but if you don’t take advantage of being on top, defend as we did 2nd half, and then go to pieces after going behind you’re going to lose these games.

Very deflating and disappointing. Another season is dissipating again IMO.

[Prez]

It’s the manner of the defeat why there’s probably a bit of anger on here now. No way should we have lost that game.

[moses]

We had a good spell at the beginning of the second half. Once we went behind it knocked the stuffing out of us. Am not sure many of the players  want to risk a forward pass for fear of losing it.
Compare the players receiving the ball to their number 9 when he dropped deep. Ours have three touches and then pass it backwards. No 9 turned and ran at our defence.

[Redroy]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first hour we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

[BillyStubbsTears]

The header by Faal was difficult because he was reaching backwards. You score from those one time in 10 if you're lucky.

[In the box]

Rovers lose - same predictable posts as the same predictable posters come out of the woodwork.

Rovers win - same predictable posts as the same predictable posters crow at the previous posters going back into the woodwork.

Would be good to hear some insight into what actually happened…

No wants to loose but emotions are predictable. We should I except be used it by now . I was excited for today after last weeks 3-0 and the prospect of new signings showing up for a few minutes with point or three in the bag . But we do not do things the easy way.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We had a good spell at the beginning of the second half. Once we went behind it knocked the stuffing out of us. Am not sure many of the players  want to risk a forward pass for fear of losing it.
Compare the players receiving the ball to their number 9 when he dropped deep. Ours have three touches and then pass it backwards. No 9 turned and ran at our defence.

And that's precisely what McCann talked about, taking that fear out of their thinking and taking those risks.

We just don't seem to cope well, when things don't go our way in games. Was there any sign of any of the players trying to rally each other?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first half we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Agreed it wasn't abysmal overall. But the total inability to be consistently resilient in defence is precisely the reason why we get battered on the scoreline so often in games like this.

The defending for the second goal was just awful. They'd telegraphed where the move was going down the wing and no-one covered. Then when the cross came in, once again there's a free striker on the six yard line. How many times this season? 12? 15?

And don't get me started on the third. Odoh is a middling to poor Div 4 trier. And he's totally bamboozled Olowu.

[RoversInSpain]

We looked the better footballing side for the most part but Harrogate looked dangerous on the break. They are a percentage team up until the final third where they come to life and move the ball around quickly and incisively. That undid us for the first goal but thankfully we got back in it straight away.

Remainder of first half and start of 2nd we were pushing and looking more likely, but we defended poorly for the 2nd goal and after that we didn’t look like we had any resilience to come back again. Basically we fell apart after the 2nd goal and failed to respond.

I don’t think it was a 1-3 performance for most of the game, but if you don’t take advantage of being on top, defend as we did 2nd half, and then go to pieces after going behind you’re going to lose these games.

Very deflating and disappointing. Another season is dissipating again IMO.

Spot on…exactly as I saw it. Especially the quick and incisiveness when they attacked, with really good movement around our area, whereas we looked more clunky and scrappy, and missed 2 big chances.
Let’s Hope Colchester lose and perhaps a draw at Salford vFGR.

[Redroy]

After the MK win where we won without dominating the ball, Gaz posed the question of whether or not we'd be sucked into the possession game and get done today against Harrogate. There was our answer.

[Filo]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first hour we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Olowu could do no other than back off, the moment he steps in the lad skips by him, some folk have a fixation regarding Olowu, he wasn’t at fault for any of the goals but I’ve now seen two posters blame him for two of them

[Redroy]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first hour we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Olowu could do no other than back off, the moment he steps in the lad skips by him, some folk have a fixation regarding Olowu, he wasn’t at fault for any of the goals but I’ve now seen two posters blame him for two of them

Send him outside onto his weaker foot.

[jmt23]

Correct Filo, he held the lad up, stopped him running direct at goal. He then hits a worldie, a good goal.

[pib]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first half we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Agreed it wasn't abysmal overall. But the total inability to be consistently resilient in defence is precisely the reason why we get battered on the scoreline so often in games like this.

The defending for the second goal was just awful. They'd telegraphed where the move was going down the wing and no-one covered. Then when the cross came in, once again there's a free striker on the six yard line. How many times this season? 12? 15?

And don't get me started on the third. Odoh is a middling to poor Div 4 trier. And he's totally bamboozled Olowu.

The 2nd goal stemmed from our inability to take a throw-in properly. Again. As usual. We must be the worst team in the EFL from throw-ins, to the point where I’m starting to think we’d be better off placing someone a yard from the thrower, and then just booting it out of the ground. At least it’d stop us giving it straight to the other team and getting caught out.

[Redroy]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first half we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Agreed it wasn't abysmal overall. But the total inability to be consistently resilient in defence is precisely the reason why we get battered on the scoreline so often in games like this.

The defending for the second goal was just awful. They'd telegraphed where the move was going down the wing and no-one covered. Then when the cross came in, once again there's a free striker on the six yard line. How many times this season? 12? 15?

And don't get me started on the third. Odoh is a middling to poor Div 4 trier. And he's totally bamboozled Olowu.

The 2nd goal stemmed from our inability to take a throw-in properly. Again. As usual. We must be the worst team in the EFL from throw-ins, to the point where I’m starting to think we’d be better off placing someone a yard from the thrower, and then just booting it out of the ground. At least it’d stop us giving it straight to the other team and getting caught out.

Spot on. One of the 'sloppy in possession' moments that really cost us.

[dickos1]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first half we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Agreed it wasn't abysmal overall. But the total inability to be consistently resilient in defence is precisely the reason why we get battered on the scoreline so often in games like this.

The defending for the second goal was just awful. They'd telegraphed where the move was going down the wing and no-one covered. Then when the cross came in, once again there's a free striker on the six yard line. How many times this season? 12? 15?

And don't get me started on the third. Odoh is a middling to poor Div 4 trier. And he's totally bamboozled Olowu.

There wasn’t a striker on his own on the 6 yard line .
There was a striker that wanted it more than the defender marking him

[Bailey Vickerage]

Lack of quality shone through today. Played some nice stuff a lot in that first hour, never looked massively threatening (as opposed to against MK where in that first hour we looked like we'd score with every attack almost) despite having a couple really good chances. Then sloppy play losing possession and individuals getting beaten (Sterry on the cross, Olowu letting Odoh inside piss easily) meant we were 2 down and then we just lost control. Poor at both ends today, with a mixed bag in between the boxes.

I don't think Mo looks too threatening on the left. Ironside leggy. Moly v little end product. Overall not great but not abysmal given we actually had a few chances.

Olowu could do no other than back off, the moment he steps in the lad skips by him, some folk have a fixation regarding Olowu, he wasn’t at fault for any of the goals but I’ve now seen two posters blame him for two of them

Simple defending to keep him on the outside on his weaker foot (or even put a foot in straight away on his first or 2nd touch) which he didn’t use all game but didn’t have to cos we made it easy for him.

Someone said it on Twitter yesterday and I agreed with them, 3 years ago under Darren Moore there’s not a chance we concede that chance because Butler, Wright or Anderson would’ve sprinted over and smashed him, if they don’t win the ball they take the man and the booking and it would make Odoh worried, they would do anything to not concede. Who do we have atm that u can see putting someone “in the stands?” Only 2 i’d say are Bailey and Faulkner.

[DearneValleyRover]

We had a good spell at the beginning of the second half. Once we went behind it knocked the stuffing out of us. Am not sure many of the players  want to risk a forward pass for fear of losing it.
Compare the players receiving the ball to their number 9 when he dropped deep. Ours have three touches and then pass it backwards. No 9 turned and ran at our defence.

And that's precisely what McCann talked about, taking that fear out of their thinking and taking those risks.

We just don't seem to cope well, when things don't go our way in games. Was there any sign of any of the players trying to rally each other?

There lies the problem DBR, we don’t have any natural leaders on the pitch, not vocal, no visible rallying of players around them, not one.

[Avsuptem]

Speaking from the lofty heights of a former local league right full back I can't help obeserving that our Olowu does not seem to have mastered the technique of a straddle leg tackle.

[Canadian Rover]

I played 8 aside last Sunday and I let the forward score by me allowing them to come inside to shoot. I was pissed off!! It happens at all levels but like me on Sunday Joe defended that run badly. The problem he's having is the inconsistency in the decision making and the consistency in making costly mistakes.