That was a hard watch

[Chris Black come back]

Olowu was a colossus again. What an improvement this season. Well done Joseph.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Maxwell was much better than Sterry if they wanted a fullback to compare against.

They were both good and both our best full backs.

[PDX_Rover]

We are 2nd in the table only if Salford, Crewe, Wimbledon and Notts Co don't win all the games they have in hand.
We could equally be 6th which is quite different.
Just a simple fact, and we need to improve now we are in the second half of the season.

And if my auntie had b*llocks…

A very intelligent response to a valid point. We haven't all played the same number of games.

Obviously. Points on the board are the only stat that matters.

[Prez]

All the defenders played well today, but why is Grant still instructing them to play out from the back when TSL has the ball. Its football suicide, and its not only us who do it. What happened to channeling the ball. Very nearly cost us yet again.

Poor performance overall, but a welcome 3 points.

[NickDRFC]

We are 2nd in the table only if Salford, Crewe, Wimbledon and Notts Co don't win all the games they have in hand.
We could equally be 6th which is quite different.
Just a simple fact, and we need to improve now we are in the second half of the season.

And if my auntie had b*llocks…

A very intelligent response to a valid point. We haven't all played the same number of games.

Obviously. Points on the board are the only stat that matters.

In isolation maybe (it’s certainly the most important thing today), but it’s myopic to think like that overall. SOD used to focus on the performance and say that if you get the level of performances right then the results will take care of themselves, and the same’s true if you’re consistently underperforming but scraping points together. Whatever he’s saying publicly I’m sure that McCann knows we need to improve.

[mushRTID]

I thought we were absolutely useless today.

I also think it’s perfectly reasonable to be happy winning, being 2nd AND be concerned about performances.

[Padge_DRFC]

2 CMs needed asap and a left sided player. Cliftons biggest thing is 'having legs' Broadbent just isn't cut for a promotion team.

Some people obsess over Hurst but slate Gibson!

We were never going to play well with that 3 combo in midfield especially at home v an organised alright team

[McCammon egg n chips]

2 CMs needed asap and a left sided player. Cliftons biggest thing is 'having legs' Broadbent just isn't cut for a promotion team.

Some people obsess over Hurst but slate Gibson!

We were never going to play well with that 3 combo in midfield especially at home v an organised alright team

100% need more weight in midfield.

[dickos1]

Agreed it’s another really poor performance masked by Billy Sharp doing what Billy Sharp does best. McCann did say he had a team that will go to the very end and that was proven today. A couple of new faces and a win on Saturday could really kickstart the season.

We’re sat in 2nd, the season doesn’t need kickstarting

How many threads do you wanna post on til you realise the performances won’t keep us the? Happy clapper.

You keep saying that, but we’ve got 7 points from 4 games over Xmas.
You keeping hoping it won’t keep us there and let’s just wait and see, we’re nowhere near as bad as you’re making out, nowhere near

[dickos1]

We are 2nd in the table only if Salford, Crewe, Wimbledon and Notts Co don't win all the games they have in hand.
We could equally be 6th which is quite different.
Just a simple fact, and we need to improve now we are in the second half of the season.

And if my auntie had b*llocks…

A very intelligent response to a valid point. We haven't all played the same number of games.

Obviously. Points on the board are the only stat that matters.

In isolation maybe (it’s certainly the most important thing today), but it’s myopic to think like that overall. SOD used to focus on the performance and say that if you get the level of performances right then the results will take care of themselves, and the same’s true if you’re consistently underperforming but scraping points together. Whatever he’s saying publicly I’m sure that McCann knows we need to improve.

Sod used to say that because we were struggling in the table, how people keep banging on about false positions and we’re lucky etc etc after 24 games is beyond me.

The Saunders team struggled in most games yet won the league, maybe we’ve realised that in thru league it isn’t pretty football that gets you success

[Lesonthewest]

I thought we were absolutely useless today.

I also think it’s perfectly reasonable to be happy winning, being 2nd AND be concerned about performances.

I thought we were absolutely useless today.

I also think it’s perfectly reasonable to be happy winning, being 2nd AND be concerned about performances.

Absolutely spot on.

[danumdon]

The lack of quality in any of our play today was palpable, we "escaped" from that game with all the points after given them a leg up with their goal. two half's of virtually 45 mins of abject numbness with 60secs of relief tagged onto each end.

For a team with pretensions of being champions i'm just not seeing it.

For all the talk of being in 2nd gear and when we get it together, the lack of any semblance of a game plan that will worry the better teams in this league is stark.

We played a team today who were every limited and they managed to make us stink the ground out. Just remember this the next time we play a team who played like Chesterfield did for example, we rode our luck today and got away with it.

It won't happen too many more times this season. I'm happy to except any win but my concerns grow stronger, we are disjointed and our "quality players" have become as weak and wasteful as little boys, if we don't inject some quality into our side then expect the rest of the season to resemble games like this, only without the injury time winner to bail us out again.

Nothings we are currently attempting to do gives me any assurance.

[Bills view]

But for the last gasp goal, I couldn't see where the chance would come from.

We just hufffed and puffed. The fact is that performances have dipped. We need an injection of quality in a few areas especially midfield to gain renewed momentum.

[Pliskin]

Yep. Happy with the win, but the performances haven't been at all convincing.

Creating chances seems like such hard work for us, the quality just hasn't been there. We didn't really threaten Fleetwood much other than the goals.

Not to mention giving sloppy goals away.  Fleetwood did nothing in the 2nd half and we still gifted them an equaliser.

I believe we've only kept 1 clean sheet since early October. Considering that we're not free scoring, it's also been a problem for us.

[Arsenal Of The North]

The midfield 3 played like they had just met each other for the first time 10 mins before KO, we can’t dominate a game without controlling the middle of the park


I don’t think Broadbent, Bailey or Clifton strung more than 5 passes between them all game, they don’t work and the balance between them 3 is just not what is needed to dominate games.

IMO, this is what is holding us back massively at the moment, win midfield and the rest takes care of its self.

[danumdon]

They had the shortest keeper i've seen in years, did we actually get him to do anything in that game (bar kick the ball out of the net twice)?

[dickos1]

The negativity is unbelievable on here,
New Year’s Day and 2nd in the table, we would’ve  been over the moon with that in July

[Filo]

The negativity is unbelievable on here,
New Year’s Day and 2nd in the table, we would’ve  been over the moon with that in July

We can be both happy for the win and and our position in the table but concerned about the performance at the same time

[danumdon]

The negativity is unbelievable on here,
New Year’s Day and 2nd in the table, we would’ve  been over the moon with that in July

Felt like sh*t for a week, went to the match, froze my tits off got soaked and had to endure that!

The three points hardly feel like any sort of recompense for my ordeal today. Should of stayed in bed.

[DRFC_AjA]

The negativity is unbelievable on here,
New Year’s Day and 2nd in the table, we would’ve  been over the moon with that in July

We can be both happy for the win and and our position in the table but concerned about the performance at the same time

Exactly. We're 2nd which is brilliant. That was awful football, as it has been for many a game, which is not brilliant. Simples. You aren't negative or as someone said ridiculously that you're unhappy Sharp scored for simply pointing out that what we witnessed today was awful football for the most

[colincramb]

League position is all that matters, but until all the other teams catch us up in games played it’s kind of irrelevant. For me, we are still far from convincing and nobody can tell me that was a good performance today and that we were in control of that result, because we weren’t. Billy rescued it with a typical poachers goal, but overall we looked pretty devoid of ideas.

Still not sure what the game plan is and midfield looks like it will cost us in the games against better opposition as we don’t appear to be able to control or dictate play.

Absolutely we have taken 2nd on New Year’s Day, but anyone that thinks we are convincing needs to think again about the actual performances.

[BobG]

We are 2nd in the table only if Salford, Crewe, Wimbledon and Notts Co don't win all the games they have in hand.
We could equally be 6th which is quite different.
Just a simple fact, and we need to improve now we are in the second half of the season.

Add MK Dons to that list.

BobG

[BobG]

Somebody commented in the Lucky Pint that the Rovers looked, and played like they were disorganised. If that is true then, after a full pre season AND now half a competitive season, then, sonewhere, there is something wrong.

We might play 3 or 4 different formations but they've  had 6 months now to learn 'em. 

The obvious candidate for a problem is the coaching. But there are other possibilities of course. It doesn't really matter. But what does matter is that a team that set out wanting to win the league can be described, half way through the season, as being disorganised.

In my eyes that description of how we are playing is ominous.

BobG

[mpc123]

Difficult to watch as you say, I think it's difficult and frustrating as we all know what the team players are capable of.

Yes that frustration is the exciting thing. Get ready for the 2nd half of the season when we add more quality and start to get it right, remember last season? Yet we are 2nd in the league..... yippppeeee

[ravenrover]

For me unless we sign a better holding midfielder Bailey starts in the position
Any 2 from the others maybe Kelly and Clifton until Zain is fit.
Not seen it mentioned but TSL had a good game dominant on crosses and made an excellent save 2nd half.
Somebody mentioned  the breakaway from Hurst, he ran in a straight line didn't work the full back at all and paid the price with a tackle from said defender
But we're 2nd rode our luck and got 3 points need to follow it up with a better display on Saturday against a sinking Port Vale

[dickos1]

We are 2nd in the table only if Salford, Crewe, Wimbledon and Notts Co don't win all the games they have in hand.
We could equally be 6th which is quite different.
Just a simple fact, and we need to improve now we are in the second half of the season.

Add MK Dons to that list.

BobG

By the time they play the games in hand they could make zero difference to the table, just be happy for how it looks today

[Ryaldinhio]

Disorganised

Poor

Slow

Not up to this league

Well below last years standards












And second in the league, so let's try and be a little positive, there are fans of 22 other teams that will possibly be moaning more than you boring lot

    

[ravenrover]

If that's the best you can come up, with you boring lot, then it's time to do what you threatened did you think that was a classic game of football? At times it was like watching both teams play Sunday morning football after a New Years eve on the p!ss

[Drover]

I'd rather be 2nd in the table and not playing to our full potential than be playing brilliantly but 2nd from bottom

[StocksArmy]

Agreed it’s another really poor performance masked by Billy Sharp doing what Billy Sharp does best. McCann did say he had a team that will go to the very end and that was proven today. A couple of new faces and a win on Saturday could really kickstart the season.

We’re sat in 2nd, the season doesn’t need kickstarting

How many threads do you wanna post on til you realise the performances won’t keep us the? Happy clapper.

You keep saying that, but we’ve got 7 points from 4 games over Xmas.
You keeping hoping it won’t keep us there and let’s just wait and see, we’re nowhere near as bad as you’re making out, nowhere near

Why on earth would I hope we don't stay where we are? Just because we disagree does not mean I want us to fail. You are actually more ridiculous than I thought you were. The fact is we are very likely to not be in the top 3 IF performances remain as they have been for quite some time now. And yes we are actually playing THAT bad. Happy clapper.