Positives and Negatives

[scawsby steve]

Positives: We put an end to the losing sequence, and played Bolton off the park.

Negatives: No matter how well we play, we simply cannot win a game of football, and the run is now 1 win in 17.

[MachoMadness]

In some respects a point is a decent result against them but after our recent horrific run and given the way the game went and the chances missed it's still galling not to have won.

Some reasons to be cheerful, but a lot of the same old problems show no signs of being solved yet.

[Herbert Anchovy]

Positives: We put an end to the losing sequence, and played Bolton off the park.

Negatives: No matter how well we play, we simply cannot win a game of football, and the run is now 1 win in 17.

It’s an appalling stat Steve but I’m taking the view that it’ll take a couple of games to turn things around given how awful we’ve been. Maybe blind faith on my part but that’s how I’ve survived being a Rovers fan for 45+ years!

[Chris Black come back]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

[Thorney]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Will have to bring will flint back from is loan to cover

[andyst79]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Think it's done us a favour tbh. Never been a fan of Broadbent & Bailey together in midfield not a fan of Close either as people on here will know. Just think the balance and energy was miles better in midfield after we were forced into the substitution something we've missed for a very long time. Also I've been a detractor of Clifton but maybe he has a role to play in the modern game , on paper the midfield as individuals doesn't look good but as a collective I thought they were great.

[Jersey Rover]

Tactics much better today, looked better in defence, both Nixon and Senior had good games, Gotts played well in midfield both Middleton and Moly played well out wide and Hanlon through the middle was a handful if not clinical. Positive

[ncRover]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Gibson can fill in as an attacking midfield option

[Chris Black come back]

Gotts, Clifton and Gibson would all want to play that role. Not a very balanced midfield at moment. Can’t be helped though.

[drfcsteve]

Their goal was a fluke, complete miskick that fooled Lawler. We should have won but weren’t clinical enough to take the chances we created.

[Filo]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Theres a case for recalling Westbrooke

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

We were unlucky but we should have won it, frustrating but the gaps in the squad weren't disappearing overnight.

It's tough to see a way out looking at the table but we're still not a bad side clearly.  Frustrating.

[Chris Black come back]

I think Robinson is more likely to arrive. Getting Westbrooke settled at Scunny is more important, given he isn’t likely to have a future here. Break that up and offloading him becomes more difficult.

[andyst79]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Theres a case for recalling Westbrooke

What's Westbrook ever done wrong apart from getting injured? Always looked the part when he played, even back end of last season he saw us over the line with good ball retention in his cameos as a late sub. Baffling

[Bills view]

I want to see Gotts play that more holding role again. He’s sharp over short distances and appeared to be better suited looking forward rather than having his back to goal.

Gotts was great today.

[drfcsteve]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Theres a case for recalling Westbrooke

What's Westbrook ever done wrong apart from getting injured? Always looked the part when he played, even back end of last season he saw us over the line with good ball retention in his cameos as a late sub. Baffling

I said earlier in the season something must have gone on because McCann seemed to be refusing to even include Westbrooke in the squad. I’ll be shocked if we see him in a rovers shirt again.

[grayx]

I thought both full backs had good games & mcGrath was steady enough.
Unless Middleton was knackered/ injured i’d have kept him on . Sharp was a wasted sub again. We are desperate for another forward.

[donnyguy]

Bolton 1 shot on target 1 goal just our luck.

[i_ateallthepies]

For Bolton's goal, apart from the guy who played the cross in there were only two Bolton forwards in the box and five Rovers players.  Non of them anywhere near the scorer, all ball watching.

[andyst79]

I want to see Gotts play that more holding role again. He’s sharp over short distances and appeared to be better suited looking forward rather than having his back to goal.

Gotts was great today.

Been misused & played out of position all season for me. Fully agree

[Branton Red]

Looking at the game in isolation the only real negative was the result.

I thought we made a top 6 team look decidedly ordinary and limited them to only 1 shot on goal - a miskick which ended up in the back of the net. The luck of a team near the bottom.

Defensively we were solid and going forwards we asked serious questions of their defence.

The stand out for me though was Robbie Gotts in the middle of the park. Excellent. Even before he moved into the deeper role when Broadbent went off. He needs a run of games based on that performance.

[Spud]

Gotts felt like a new signing today, the Leeds fans I know rate him, hopefully he kicks on now.
Senior probably shaded motm imo.

[Ryaldinhio]

Close out for several weeks you would think and now Broadbent injured. Crew gone back to Leeds. That’s three down in central midfield now. Only Bailey, Clifton and Gotts fit at moment.

Theres a case for recalling Westbrooke

Pretty sure Westbrookes loan was only until January so he is due back any way.

[ncRover]

I think Robinson is more likely to arrive. Getting Westbrooke settled at Scunny is more important, given he isn’t likely to have a future here. Break that up and offloading him becomes more difficult.

apparently bayley mccann was with the squad today full rovers tracksuit on

[drfchound]

Gotts felt like a new signing today, the Leeds fans I know rate him, hopefully he kicks on now.
Senior probably shaded motm imo.

Senior my MoM today too.

[Reg of the Rovers]

I like Senior and Nixon, we look more dynamic and mobile with them, plus they can tackle. We weren't bad again today, couple of better performances but results still not there, a point at home won’t do. Port Vale with the new manager bounce as well won’t help us.

It’s all on this window now. We don’t need squad depth, we need battle ready signings. Rumours are McCann son sat watching us today, that’s not at all what we need, for a whole range of reasons. But I’ll reserve judgement until we get some announcements.

[DonnyRover]

Senior for me has been massively underrated by a lot, I think he’s quality, gets up well in the air to say he’s not a tall lad, has that bit more confidence going forward aswell now with a few goals under his belt.

[In the box]

Positives: We put an end to the losing sequence, and played Bolton off the park.

Negatives: No matter how well we play, we simply cannot win a game of football, and the run is now 1 win in 17.

A STRIKER … please !!

[GazLaz]

We played well today. Grant got the tactics spot on. Back four looked to get narrow with the wide man on the respective side getting back to double up on the wide men. We sat back in a good shape but pressed high sporadically at what tended to be the right time.


Missed chances cost us in the end but that happens. We need to improve in both boxes to stay up but the biggest positive is that we are on an all time horror run but the players are still having a proper go. It would be so easy to try and hide in this situation but they certainly are not.

[Chris Black come back]

And players who are being given a chance are really pushing hard. Senior, Middleton, Nixon and Gotts were probably best players today. They want to be in the side, despite odds of almost certain defeat.