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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Mar 28, 2015 17:39:35 GMT
I'm absolutely baffled why so many people are piling on Rovers for the first half performance - it was second half performance that was the poor bit. Any team would have struggled in the first half playing into that wind. It made it very difficult to get out of our half (something they also struggled with in the 2nd) - all they had to do was put pressure on the man on the ball and there was very little they could do with it because the wind was so strong you needed extra touches to stop it rolling back. It was very difficult to work it in those conditions. I thought we actually did pretty well to be 0-0 at HT; they only created 2 out and out goalscoring chances with the conditions in their favour. The problem was in the second half when we had that advantage we wasted it worse than they did because we played too tight and there wasn't enough movement up front. Generally, not enough people were taking responsibility on the ball to make things happen. I have some other thoughts too; Dawson was absolutely terrible when he came on - couldn't put a single foot right and nearly cost us a goal twice by giving it away in terrible positions. Taylor got a bang after half time and didn't look his normal self at all after that; he just wasn't moving and darting like he normally does. I guess Easter still can't go 90. Lockyer is not a good enough distributor of the ball to play in Centre Midfield - far too many attacks broke down with him. Lines was a big disappointment in the 2nd half. You were looking to him to dictate the game and he only really did so in the last 10-15 minutes. We looked very nervous and lacked the necessary composure to take advantage in the 2nd half. They knew what they were doing in that regard - they knew it was going to be very tough for them in the 2nd half and they stuck men behind the ball and we didn't show the patience or guile to break them down. Macc were a tough team who got in our faces a lot and played the conditions (both attacking and defensively) much better than we did. We struggled with their physicality. Our best stuff came down the left in the 2nd half but Monkhouse also made 3 poor decisions which cost us in good attacking positions. Barnet's result makes this look like a much better point than it felt at the time. Good day for Grimsby. 3 horse race now which is better than 1 and a half horse race which it could have been if Barnet had won. We're still very much in it. The conditions really did play a major role in why this was such a poor game more than any tactical decisions made by either side. The pitch was pretty bad which made switching to a passing game quite difficult, dinked balls over the top rolled away from the strikers. It was difficult to knock it around - when both teams tried they lost the ball. Some people seem to expect us to waltz through this division like the 1970 Brazilians. Please can these people point me in the direction of the last club that did this in their first year in the Conference? There's this annoying thing called the opposition and they tend to try and make life hard for you. We didn't play well today but partly that's because Macclesfield played very good 'ugly' football that we struggled to deal with. When teams go up they don't go around smashing sides 4/5-0; they do it by grinding out 1-0 wins in games they don't deserve to win. The fact we've been doing that all season is a good thing -that's how you win stuff, not by champagne football. I think that sums it up for me.
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Post by Gastafari on Mar 28, 2015 17:39:54 GMT
This just sums up how far we have fallen. How much more do we need to lower our expectations? Should we all be shouting from the rooftops because we have been struggling and failing to beat part-timers for 8 months? For me the only plus side is that we aren't losing as reguarly as we have done in the previous 5 years. Fair play to DC for making this team harder to beat, but the style of football and negative attitude that the team is set out to play is no better. If DC gets us out of The Conference at the first attempt then, I suppose its mission accomplished, and he deserves a pat on the back and I admire the fact that he's installed a good work ethic amongst the players. But imo his tactics are a hindrance to the team rather than a positive. Should we really be happy and singing Bristol Rovers praises because we aren't losing reguarly to part-timers? The football has been dross It's possible to criticise the performance and still sing the praises of progress in the greater scheme. The whole part time thing is an impossible situation. If they win 1-0 people will demand they beat part timers by more than one goal, if they win by more than one people will criticise the style of play in doing so. This is the Real Madrid mentality - but we are Bristol Rovers. I dont think there has been much progress though The way we are setting up in such a negative manner is no different to last year, for the first few months of this season I can kind of understand it with trying to build a new team, and after a poor start to the season it was important to grind out results to claw points back But we have recruited Balanta, Blisset,Easter, Dawson and Lines since then, but the way we set up and the tactics DC sends the team out with haven't changed, we should be attacking teams from the off, but we are cautious and negative If we dont get out this year then we'll be in deep s**t
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Post by brisgas123 on Mar 28, 2015 17:46:55 GMT
I hope Woking get in the playoffs as, if we have to settle for the playoffs, I would feel most confident against them out of Grimsby, Barnet, Macclesfield, Eastleigh and Forest Green.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2015 17:58:03 GMT
When teams go up they don't go around smashing sides 4/5-0; they do it by grinding out 1-0 wins in games they don't deserve to win. The fact we've been doing that all season is a good thing - Is there a penalty for teams who win and win well? Luton scored 102 goals last year, so far, with 5 games remaining we have managed 55. Drawing 15 times so far, often against teams who would be getting hammered in L2 is why we aren't already Champions and making plans for next season.
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Alveston Gas
Brucie Bannister
Once a Gashead always a Gashead
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Post by Alveston Gas on Mar 28, 2015 18:04:34 GMT
Decent point at Macclesfield who have been top 4 most of the season and have a side who know what they are doing and with very few weak links. Rovers were poor for much of the game and that wide right position worries me. Dawson and Balanta are not the men for a battle. Easter and Taylor doesn't work if you hit it long.
Positives were the back 4 were excellent & Will Puddy had a blinder - one save in the first half was a worldie. He deserves a lot of credit for that vital point.
Finally thanks to Alfreton......
5 to go.......
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Mar 28, 2015 18:11:33 GMT
When teams go up they don't go around smashing sides 4/5-0; they do it by grinding out 1-0 wins in games they don't deserve to win. The fact we've been doing that all season is a good thing - Is there a penalty for teams who win and win well? Luton scored 102 goals last year, so far, with 5 games remaining we have managed 55. Drawing 15 times so far, often against teams who would be getting hammered in L2 is why we aren't already Champions and making plans for next season. Yes but how long did it take Luton to get to that stage. It took them 5 years to get it right!
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Igitur
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Post by Igitur on Mar 28, 2015 18:15:23 GMT
Watching the game it was obvious that the team is not good enough, mind you it has not been for most of the season.
Walking to the pub later I was composing in my head a list of what's been so bad:
DC's unswerving loyalty to Taylor. Playing players out of position. Poor team selection. Poor tactics...
Then the results came in and there is only one point in it (well two really with GD), so there's all to play for. Come on cheer up it is still possible. Believe.
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Mar 28, 2015 18:20:02 GMT
Watching the game it was obvious that the team is not good enough, mind you it has not been for most of the season. Walking to the pub later I was composing in my head a list of what's been so bad: DC's unswerving loyalty to Taylor. Playing players out of position. Poor team selection. Poor tactics... Then the results came in and there is only one point in it (well two really with GD), so there's all to play for. Come on cheer up it is still possible. Believe. You've got to be joking, right? We are 3rd, and so many poor attributive posts??? Agreed, we weren't brilliant in the 90minutes on tv, but we are where we deserve to be. A point off top. That's hardly poor, is it?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2015 18:36:58 GMT
Is there a penalty for teams who win and win well? Luton scored 102 goals last year, so far, with 5 games remaining we have managed 55. Drawing 15 times so far, often against teams who would be getting hammered in L2 is why we aren't already Champions and making plans for next season. Yes but how long did it take Luton to get to that stage. It took them 5 years to get it right! They had the right man calling the shots. After 8 games he realised that the way to put joke teams to the sword is to attack them. Meanwhile, back in BS7.......
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danrory
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Post by danrory on Mar 28, 2015 18:50:10 GMT
Is DC able to mentally cope with the run in... I hope so.
but reading comments from those who watched today and in other recent disappointing performances I have my doubts.
i worry that there are similarities to last yesr's run in...
then he and ward's squad failed dismally, remember Torquay at home!?
the pressure is just as intense this year IMO as DC knows that anything short of promotion will be seen by the majority as just as disastrous.
however it seems as tho most feel we should have the squad to surpass Barnet and Grimsby but less are sure about the manager and his tactics time for very strong courage in your convictions dc
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Post by a more piratey game on Mar 28, 2015 18:50:18 GMT
When teams go up they don't go around smashing sides 4/5-0; they do it by grinding out 1-0 wins in games they don't deserve to win. The fact we've been doing that all season is a good thing -that's how you win stuff, not by champagne football. some truth in that I think
we're still in it to win it
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Igitur
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Post by Igitur on Mar 28, 2015 21:11:26 GMT
Did Virgo award a Man of the Match?
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Post by oviedista on Mar 28, 2015 21:23:48 GMT
Is DC able to mentally cope with the run in... I hope so. but reading comments from those who watched today and in other recent disappointing performances I have my doubts. i worry that there are similarities to last yesr's run in... then he and ward's squad failed dismally, remember Torquay at home!? the pressure is just as intense this year IMO as DC knows that anything short of promotion will be seen by the majority as just as disastrous. however it seems as tho most feel we should have the squad to surpass Barnet and Grimsby but less are sure about the manager and his tactics time for very strong courage in your convictions dc It's a totally different form of pressure, or at least it should be. It should not be fuelled by fear of failure but but thirst for success. PLaying in front of fans that think beating a part time side is nothing to celebrate but losing or drawing is shameful can make it feel that way Luckily I don't think that is the majority. The situation last year is incomparable to this one. This is his team and and he is not battling to save a sinking ship - there is a momentum and a positivity that was totally lacking this time last year. That said there are only two promotion spots and due to luck and bad days it might not happen - in which case it will obviously be down to terrible tactics and misuse of a squad that is 100 times better than any other in the division.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 12:20:02 GMT
And I've stayed up to 3:30 in the morning to watch this rubbish. Off to bed now in a very grumpy mood. did you stay up for the cricket jeff
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Mar 29, 2015 13:46:29 GMT
Yes but how long did it take Luton to get to that stage. It took them 5 years to get it right! They had the right man calling the shots. After 8 games he realised that the way to put joke teams to the sword is to attack them. Meanwhile, back in BS7....... Well I just don't agree that DC is a defensive manager particularly. I think he sets sides up for the situation and is very good at adapting his sides to different challenges. The problem yesterday wasn't how we were set up it was a set of under par performances from key players. In all games I've been to this year Taylor was our key creative outlet in terms of bringing people into the game and opening up space and for whatever reason he didn't do that yesterday. The game should have been built for Lines to pick up the swirling midfield ball and run at their defence and he only did that in the last 10 minutes. Monkhouse had a poor game, Dawson came off the bench and destroyed any momentum because he was awful. Too many players had bad days at the office. But the real point I was making is that you don't start with a blank slate. We came down saddled with contracts and players that, no doubt, in an ideal world we'd have jettisoned. It's all very well arguing that our resources should have us near the top (and we are 3rd and 1 point off top with 5 games left so it's not exactly dire) but the fact is that those resources are tied up with players who failed last season. That's why bigger clubs struggle to bounce back from the Conference - they can't fully use that natural advantage until they've wiped the slate clean. With that in mind I think we've done quite well. Luton had the players to play that way because they paid them big money for the Conference - we don't have those players, if we played that way we'd get slaughtered by a team like Macclesfield in those sort of conditions.
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JeffNZ
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Post by JeffNZ on Mar 29, 2015 22:45:01 GMT
And I've stayed up to 3:30 in the morning to watch this rubbish. Off to bed now in a very grumpy mood. did you stay up for the cricket jeff Yes.... made for a grumpy weekend all round!
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