Let's talk about the Blackpool game

[GazLaz]

Not sure how Middleton gets a start over Haks and Gibson. They are both ahead of him.

[jmt23]

Wasn’t too sure about the tactics today? Obviously glad we won though.
We seemed to just go very high and long in the first and constantly to the left - was this a ploy to cross so the sun was in the keepers eyes?

Pearson was just lumping it high at every chance, even when a simpler pass was on, I’m not having this wasn’t a tactic, I am just wondering what would have sparked that, as they won every header ( apart from the one that mattered

[moses]

To be fair to Blackpool, they'd played in London on Wednesday night, but they didn't offer much.

Pearson today showed what he can, and cannot do. Exemplary in the air, blocking etc, coupled with terrible distribution.

Delighted for Haks to get that goal. He gave the ball away twice as soon as he came on and you could hear folks getting on his back, but he then showed what he's all about.

I would rather Pearson hit it first time to clear than tried to control it and pass. Lower risk and not much difference in the outcome.

[StocksArmy]

They were a terrible side. Has any side come to the Eco-Power this season with less attacking intent?

We did a professional job today against exactly the type of side we struggle with. Gotts was superb. Pearson and Byrne did well against the massive beanpole they had up front.

It was a copy of the game on Boxing Day apart from it was roles reversed. We were as bad that day.

[Armthorpe mickler]

Put some work in today against a big team . To negative in second half when 1-0 but luckily awful marking on Adelakun for the second .

[Chris Black come back]

Quite noticeable how much McCann has gone off Gibson. Has started only once in the league this year and was subbed in that game.

[Usher wide.]

Owen Bailey had ‘no right’ to get his head on that ball for the opener with a Blackpool player’s arm wrapped around his neck!

He just wants it so much more, as my brother rightly said at the time.

Robbie Gotts, what an unbelievable asset he is in that midfield. He tackles, looks to pass forward quickly, mixes it with players two foot taller & somehow comes away with the ball. A proper battler with great vision of how the game is panning out around him. My Man of the Match.

[Filo]

Gotts has been a revelation since he’s been played in the correct position

[adamtherover]

Wtf was sterry doing for their goal, he had a chance of a simple clearance, but let it bounce ffs..they tap it across then a close range rap in, panic time!!

[DearneValleyRover]

Not sure how Middleton gets a start over Haks and Gibson. They are both ahead of him.

Gibson isn’t because he doesn’t apply himself and the same goes for Haks since the Bradford game

[Iberian Red]

AJA, Smyth
If only Haks had bacon for breakfast.

[rich1471]

To be fair to Blackpool, they'd played in London on Wednesday night, but they didn't offer much.

Pearson today showed what he can, and cannot do. Exemplary in the air, blocking etc, coupled with terrible distribution.

Delighted for Haks to get that goal. He gave the ball away twice as soon as he came on and you could hear folks getting on his back, but he then showed what he's all about.

I actually think he was instructed to play it high and long by the management team you could see grant telling him we're to put it

[GazLaz]

Not sure how Middleton gets a start over Haks and Gibson. They are both ahead of him.

Gibson isn’t because he doesn’t apply himself and the same goes for Haks since the Bradford game

Doesn’t apply himself to what? Do you see them in training every day?

[drfchound]

Owen Bailey had ‘no right’ to get his head on that ball for the opener with a Blackpool player’s arm wrapped around his neck!

He just wants it so much more, as my brother rightly said at the time.

Robbie Gotts, what an unbelievable asset he is in that midfield. He tackles, looks to pass forward quickly, mixes it with players two foot taller & somehow comes away with the ball. A proper battler with great vision of how the game is panning out around him. My Man of the Match.

The pass inside the defender to Haks for the second goal was sensational.

[CJK]

Thought Blackpool were poor and only showed anything when Fletcher and Bowler came on. Honeyman seemed to find pockets of space between our defence and midfield but wasn't really effective. Was disappointing to give away a clean sheet and make the last five minutes needlessly nervy.

Rovers were ok, not as good as Tuesday night, but still showed more than the opposition. I like Middleton but he struggles to be effective because he's not suited to playing the inverted winger. It was evident in the short time Haks was on that he can be more effective in that role by cutting inside and scoring.

Its relentless, another Tuesday-Saturday week coming. We seem to have found a formula recently. The ball spent a lot of time in the sky today, obviously under instruction.

One for the statto's; when did a substitute last come on and score?

[Filo]

Owen Bailey had ‘no right’ to get his head on that ball for the opener with a Blackpool player’s arm wrapped around his neck!

He just wants it so much more, as my brother rightly said at the time.

Robbie Gotts, what an unbelievable asset he is in that midfield. He tackles, looks to pass forward quickly, mixes it with players two foot taller & somehow comes away with the ball. A proper battler with great vision of how the game is panning out around him. My Man of the Match.

The pass inside the defender to Haks for the second goal was sensational.

It was decent, allowed by some terrible defending by Blackpool

[Lesonthewest]

Gotts was up there with Jack Senior for me, both were excellent, great 3 points.

[Scooter]

Thought Blackpool were poor and only showed anything when Fletcher and Bowler came on. Honeyman seemed to find pockets of space between our defence and midfield but wasn't really effective. Was disappointing to give away a clean sheet and make the last five minutes needlessly nervy.

Rovers were ok, not as good as Tuesday night, but still showed more than the opposition. I like Middleton but he struggles to be effective because he's not suited to playing the inverted winger. It was evident in the short time Haks was on that he can be more effective in that role by cutting inside and scoring.

Its relentless, another Tuesday-Saturday week coming. We seem to have found a formula recently. The ball spent a lot of time in the sky today, obviously under instruction.

One for the statto's; when did a substitute last come on and score?

Hanlan at Rotherham?

[DearneValleyRover]

Not sure how Middleton gets a start over Haks and Gibson. They are both ahead of him.

Gibson isn’t because he doesn’t apply himself and the same goes for Haks since the Bradford game

Doesn’t apply himself to what? Do you see them in training every day?

On the pitch where it actually counts.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

To be fair to Blackpool, they'd played in London on Wednesday night, but they didn't offer much.

Pearson today showed what he can, and cannot do. Exemplary in the air, blocking etc, coupled with terrible distribution.

Delighted for Haks to get that goal. He gave the ball away twice as soon as he came on and you could hear folks getting on his back, but he then showed what he's all about.

Matty 'Ave it!" Pearson was the epitome of kick it or head it as far away as possible from the danger area. None of this namby pamby football malarkey, and was exactly what we needed today. We saw precious little quality out there today but fortunately,  what there was, came from us when it mattered.

The game wasn't helped by a nit picky ref who made it easy for the players to prefer to go down with minimal contact leading to a stop start game for the whole 90 mins. 

If Pearson was resolute then Jack Senior wasn't far behind him for a good show of no nonsense defending.

[CJK]

Thought Blackpool were poor and only showed anything when Fletcher and Bowler came on. Honeyman seemed to find pockets of space between our defence and midfield but wasn't really effective. Was disappointing to give away a clean sheet and make the last five minutes needlessly nervy.

Rovers were ok, not as good as Tuesday night, but still showed more than the opposition. I like Middleton but he struggles to be effective because he's not suited to playing the inverted winger. It was evident in the short time Haks was on that he can be more effective in that role by cutting inside and scoring.

Its relentless, another Tuesday-Saturday week coming. We seem to have found a formula recently. The ball spent a lot of time in the sky today, obviously under instruction.

One for the statto's; when did a substitute last come on and score?

Hanlan at Rotherham?

Ah yeah, ok, before that then?

[Fal]

Thought Blackpool were poor and only showed anything when Fletcher and Bowler came on. Honeyman seemed to find pockets of space between our defence and midfield but wasn't really effective. Was disappointing to give away a clean sheet and make the last five minutes needlessly nervy.

Rovers were ok, not as good as Tuesday night, but still showed more than the opposition. I like Middleton but he struggles to be effective because he's not suited to playing the inverted winger. It was evident in the short time Haks was on that he can be more effective in that role by cutting inside and scoring.

Its relentless, another Tuesday-Saturday week coming. We seem to have found a formula recently. The ball spent a lot of time in the sky today, obviously under instruction.

One for the statto's; when did a substitute last come on and score?

Hanlan at Rotherham?

Ah yeah, ok, before that then?

In the league, Hanlon away at Lincoln.

In the cup, Adelakun against Fleetwood in vertu, senior against Chesterfieid in fa cup.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

In the last two home games the crowds made a difference too and helped to swing momentum, we need to keep that up.

[Reg of the Rovers]

In the last two home games the crowds made a difference too and helped to swing momentum, we need to keep that up.

Agreed, I think it's also easier to see the logic on the field as well - better set up from the off so we're not chasing our tails and panicking at half time, and better changes in the game - added the legs of Clifton and creativity of Haks was a good call, so it's a better watch. Good from the crowd, even the West stand bursting in to song. Couple of exciting away days coming up - should be a good turnout at Bolton then a proper good old ding-dong with the Dingles.

[Chris Black come back]

McCann said afterwards that Blackpool are a footballing team so we had to make it hard for them to play today.

Footballing team? Surely not. Every player was taller than the next. Absolute collection of massive stiffs.

[GazLaz]

McCann said afterwards that Blackpool are a footballing team so we had to make it hard for them to play today.

Footballing team? Surely not. Every player was taller than the next. Absolute collection of massive stiffs.

Blackpool aren’t a possession team. Just an incorrect analysis. They are not the most “anti possession” team in the league, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t want to pass for passing sake.

[ncRover]

Would definitely look in to getting Ashley Fletcher if they went down. Think he’d really suit what we look for in a centre forward.

[Pancho Regan]

Well that certainly wasn’t a game for the purists.

Blackpool were very poor and we seemed to descend to their level for much of the first half.
The ball spent so much time in the air, I had a stiff neck by the end of the game.

I can only imagine that the sponsors who gave Matty Pearson the MOM award have a good sense of irony.
He seemed to be intent on finding how high he could launch the ball at every opportunity.
Having said that, he was generally effective as a traditional ‘stopper’ so I’m not complaining.

Owen Bailey showed what a warrior he is when he scored the first goal. Nobody was going to beat him to that header.

I thought Middleton had a very good game and a poster who questioned why he was picked ahead of Gibson clearly needs to give his head a wobble.

I think I also saw a negative comment about Mols, which I find incredible. He worked his socks off all day and caused them all sorts of trouble. In terms of footballing ability, he was head and shoulders above anybody else on the pitch.

As for Haks, what can you say?,
His first two touches after coming on were dreadful, but his third contribution was a glimpse of the very best he can offer, just like the Haks of old.
The match was crying out for a moment of quality and Haks delivered.

Of course it wouldn’t be Rovers if they didn’t give us fans a nervous finish and I really couldn’t believe how Jamie Sterry didn’t just hoof that ball away, choosing instead to let it bounce and allow their player to hook it off his foot and give Blackpool a possible way back into the match at the death.

But hey, at this stage of the season I’ll take a win over a performance.

Hanlan put a shift in and kept their defenders busy. How he didn’t win a single free kick is beyond me.

So, a very important win. Well done lads.

[DearneValleyRover]

Would definitely look in to getting Ashley Fletcher if they went down. Think he’d really suit what we look for in a centre forward.

I’d agree with that

[Usher wide.]

Would definitely look in to getting Ashley Fletcher if they went down. Think he’d really suit what we look for in a centre forward.

I’d agree with that

But in the meantime, shall we try & stay a tad more positive?