Let's talk about the Manchester United u21s game

[Spud]

Quite enjoyed that game, more positives than negatives

I always enjoy the games vs the Big Boys u21's, I know a lot on here don't agree with em being in it but they're always a good spectacle imo.

[RoversInSpain]

Shame that, as Rovers played well upto 70 mins, then they nipped out bought some wrapping paper a few ribbons and totally gifted the game to them.
As for the equaliser, not one of our defenders attacked the cross in, that was defending from 2 years ago.
Very annoying end result.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Quite enjoyed that game, more positives than negatives

I always enjoy the games vs the Big Boys u21's, I know a lot on here don't agree with em being in it but they're always a good spectacle imo.

Yeah, I think it works for both clubs youngsters.

[ForsolongaRover]

Lawlor dived the right way at least 4 times and was still unable to get across to the far post when their shots were not as firmly struck as they might have been. The Man U keeper was more athletic and got to the left side of his goal and made the save, having nearly saved Molyneux’s

[Wiltshire Exile]

Not a single mention on BBC Five Live regarding the six E.F.L.Trophy games this evening. Anybody know why not?
Just asking!

[Timbo042]

Lawlor not good enough, just seemed to chuck himself into a corner instead of making some effort to produce a save…..don’t rate the guy…. If you hadn’t guessed lol .

[dknward2]

Could have had a foot in the next round now we will need results to go out way in other games unless we can beat Barnsley at end of October.

[Spud]

Lawlor got close to one, the other 4 pens absolutely no chance.

[dknward2]

Will say one thing thought man u penalties were very good dunno if TSL would have done better with him being younger

[Filo]

The big irony of PL U21 sides is that if we could get one of these lads on loan we would expect great things of him - the Craig/Harry Kane/Ramsey effect. Put a team of them together and you might expect them to just sail past L1 and L2 sides!

Why don't they?

Most will never make it above L1 level

Harry Kane managed to be better than L1 level.

Most doesn’t mean all

[Silkscarf]

What position did Tommy play and how did he look?

[Dutch Uncle]

Am impressed with Josh Emmanuel

Sponsors' MoM

[Reg of the Rovers]

What position did Tommy play and how did he look?

Tommy played usually centre half but drifted out wide at the back and then in to midfield later second half. Best player on the pitch by some distance.

I thought we were poor throughout, Kelly who I usually like was absolutely awful, but not many lads should hold their head up after that. Man U the worst U21s I’ve seen down here. We should have been out of sight and threw it away. We need to be much much better on Saturday or Chesterfield will hammer us.

[mushRTID]

When people say it’s the inconsistency in officiating which is frustrating, summed up the last 2 games.

Saturday, despite MK dons wasting 50% of the 5 min injury time the ref couldn’t wait to blow his whistle as the clock hit 90+5, robbing us of a corner.

Tonight the clock hits 90+5 and the ref lets them take it.

Irritating but I quite enjoyed that game.

[adamtherover]

Who was the donut who threw the ball into our crowded penno area for their soft 2nd?

[drfchound]

The big irony of PL U21 sides is that if we could get one of these lads on loan we would expect great things of him - the Craig/Harry Kane/Ramsey effect. Put a team of them together and you might expect them to just sail past L1 and L2 sides!

Why don't they?

Most will never make it above L1 level

Harry Kane managed to be better than L1 level.

Most doesn’t mean all

Filo, did you notice HARRY Kane.

[roversdude]

Who was the donut who threw the ball into our crowded penno area for their soft 2nd?

Kelly unfortunately (yet to impress me)

[Scooter]

We needed better game management. Deep in extra time senior did a great overlap to the corner flag and should have held the ball there to run down the clock but he whipped a cross in.
We deserved to win that game but hey ho! Beat the dingles and it doesn’t matter

[Dagenham Rover]

Comment of the night oldish bloke sat in front of me was when a replay was being shown on the big screen "Oh they must have camera's "

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Just seen their equaliser and it's not good viewing. Their keeper should never have been the first to the ball....at his feet..in a central position. The balls travelled a long way without a Rovers player getting near it.

McCanns not going to be happy not seeing the game out, particularly when more experienced players came on as subs (other than SSB) who should have the nouse to close the game out.

[ravenrover]

Clif had to restrain him at the end, before the pens

[Butchers Red]

Too many blinded by the result when giving opinions about individual players - yes of course we should have seen it out and the fact we didn't was far more down to their never say die attitude and a bit of luck here and there.

The fact is against a technically strong and fit side we played very well for large parts and there were some strong performances, Olowu is different class for me and MUST start alongside Jay week in week out. Broadbent sees and plays killer passes through the eye of a needle the rest of our midfielders could only dream about,Yeboah was class and a real handful all game. It was an enjoyable game of football all the way through and all adds grist to the mill as Grant works his way through determining our strongest side.

The best is yet to come.

[mushRTID]

Too many blinded by the result when giving opinions about individual players - yes of course we should have seen it out and the fact we didn't was far more down to their never say die attitude and a bit of luck here and there.

The fact is against a technically strong and fit side we played very well for large parts and there were some strong performances, Olowu is different class for me and MUST start alongside Jay week in week out. Broadbent sees and plays killer passes through the eye of a needle the rest of our midfielders could only dream about,Yeboah was class and a real handful all game. It was an enjoyable game of football all the way through and all adds grist to the mill as Grant works his way through determining our strongest side.

The best is yet to come.

I am starting to like Yeboah. Yes he’s very raw but he seems to be offering more than Hurst and Gibson.

[Spud]

Too many blinded by the result when giving opinions about individual players - yes of course we should have seen it out and the fact we didn't was far more down to their never say die attitude and a bit of luck here and there.

The fact is against a technically strong and fit side we played very well for large parts and there were some strong performances, Olowu is different class for me and MUST start alongside Jay week in week out. Broadbent sees and plays killer passes through the eye of a needle the rest of our midfielders could only dream about,Yeboah was class and a real handful all game. It was an enjoyable game of football all the way through and all adds grist to the mill as Grant works his way through determining our strongest side.

The best is yet to come.

I resisted biting to some comments on this, you'd have thought Scawthorpe under 10's had just beaten us.
For 75/80 minutes we were good, yes we should have seen it out but hey ho I'm sure everyone's aware of that.
I thought Broadbent had a great game, as did the (biased according to some) Sky commentator,, only thing he did wrong was have his pen saved. Olowu & Kasper good, I agree with Grant the booking was harsh to say the least, Moly was a constant threat when he came on, Yeboah did well in parts & took his goal well, Sam Straughan-Brown looks like a future fans favourite to me.
All in all a good game & a draw for our second string mainly, against a good side.

[ncRover]

I thought the decision to continue with an aggressive press all over the pitch when 3-1 up gave them a way back in to it

[BobG]

This is the Utd highlights of the game;

https://youtu.be/2axBgxmNUq0?si=9qRRiKY8YnwYwjqN

BobG

[selby]

  I thought that one of our players Emmanuel or Olowu was grabbed from behind by the shoulders and stopped from having a chance of blocking the keepers shot.
  Also thought the Ref had a good view of it.

[ForsolongaRover]

I thought the decision to continue with an aggressive press all over the pitch when 3-1 up gave them a way back in to it

Our team had all the experience, yet ultimately we played into their hands. The starting 11 let the talented footballing U21s play their fancy close passing stuff which was largely ineffectual and we countered with a more strategic sensible style. The way the U21s persisted riskily trying to play out from the back was illustrative of their naivety in contrast to Rovers' more direct approach and, despite the eulogising commentator, we were well on top.

Once the first-teamers came on, instead of consolidating that approach they gave the U21s space and paid the price. Obviously Lawlor, whose main attribute seems to be his confidence in blaming the defence when he is too slow to react to shots that pass a few feet in front of him contributed, but the subs were clearly culpable.

To regard this as another learning experience (at the hands of a bunch of youths) by a team on its way to the league title is thinking on lines which is beginning to stretch my optimism beyond its limits.

We played some good football up until the substitutions and most of the latter ought to start on the bench on Saturday.