Negatives and positives

[champs95]

He is a better player than Lenihan. But still a little weak. He does need to toughen up. But on the ball, he plays forward balls into Dack (Who he looks to every time) he's a clever lad, a footballer.

[AucklandRover]

If that's all you noticed about Holtby then I give up. He was excellent and got mom. Be set one up, and scored the other. And was instrumental in everything good we did. In another month he won't miss that chance. He's onky just arrived. And clearly is by far our best player. In time we will improve, as will Dack, by having him around. A class act.

Nyambe I felt was mom. He was very good, and played better than Bennett had all season. No reason whatsoever for him to lose his place at RB now.

Sorry, Champs, you've misunderstood me. I wasn't being critical or snide. I just meant I hadn't heard about that particular incident, and when I saw it, I realised how easily we could have been 3-1 up at half-time.

[champs95]

It was a good chance. There was another in the second half when Armstrong hit one that went inches past Dack just before they scored.

[champs95]

Other than the keeper, the one who is starting to worry me a bit is Gallagher. He does look devoid of any confidence. I want to back him and see what happens, just he isn't looking to get in anywhere where he has a chance? If you look where Holtby put himself on Sat, for Dack to roll it into him. He isn't going into positions where he will even miss a chance. Lots of running and hustle & bustle, but it's all a bit misplaced. He isn't a menace to the CH's he comes up against. I've talked about the fact he hasn't been helped by being asked to be Graham, which he can't do. Or played out wide.
Hopefully you will get to see Tues game vrs Brum? Get the feeling he will change things round a bit. Downing can't keep playing every game. I don't mind him, but guys like him aren't making us any better. Where players like Holbty will. I'd play him, even if he plays 65 mins. Let him impact the game from the start. But we can and need to freshen to the likes of Downing up. Rothwell seemed to get a real smack on Sat. He'd only been on for a min, and was badly taken down with a terrible tackle I thought. To be fair, I think that's why he was so quiet as it did look like we'd have to take him straight off.
I'm praying Bell is back in the next 2 games, as we just can't play Bennett there, he is a disaster. Nyambe should keep his place at RB. I'd give Benno a break.

[AucklandRover]

The issue with Gallagher, though, Champs is that if he can't do the No.9 job and he is looking less successful as the extra "wide" forward this time around, where should he be played?!
To be absolutely fair to Bennett, I gather he did a much better job from the 20-minute mark onwards.
If we don't use him at all, presumably we are committed to a back-three.
I'm not sure what you mean about Downing. He has consistently looked to be our best passer. My feeling is that the problems have been in front of him.
Which of our forwards have played consistently well? I'd say, none!
A number of times, Downing has looked up, seen no runs, and been forced into a short, unthreatening pass.

[champs95]

The issue with Gallagher, though, Champs is that if he can't do the No.9 job and he is looking less successful as the extra "wide" forward this time around, where should he be played?!
To be absolutely fair to Bennett, I gather he did a much better job from the 20-minute mark onwards.
If we don't use him at all, presumably we are committed to a back-three.
I'm not sure what you mean about Downing. He has consistently looked to be our best passer. My feeling is that the problems have been in front of him.
Which of our forwards have played consistently well? I'd say, none!
A number of times, Downing has looked up, seen no runs, and been forced into a short, unthreatening pass.

if he can't do the No.9 job and he is looking less successful as the extra "wide" forward this time around, where should he be played?!

I do think he can play the number 9 position. It's either him, or Armstrong at this point vying for that. He is just devoid of confidence. He hasn't been helped by the style of play so far. But you can see we are gradually changing our style. We can't lob aimless balls into Graham anymore, as he is finished. And just hope he can use his body and back into defenders to play Dack in. There aren't many strikers about who can actually do that well. Its a unique skill, and it worked well for the past 2 seasons. That was a thing we found success from in Div 1 and last season. It simply won't work anymore, due to Graham being finished. Asking Gallagher to come in and do that, is a thankless task. As I genuinely feel this is as good as he will develop to. Armstromg IS improving. I still feel he needs to get better at being a predator/goal scorer, and I was suprised on Sat with Holtby and Dack playing, that no slide through balls where put through for him to chase? That is something I feel we will work on and develop. We clearly aren't going anywhere anytime soon. So I am happy to see how the forward play develops, and we see how effective that can be. Gallagher is ONLY a centre forward and nothing else, so he should play if Armstrong doesn't. Its either him, Arma, Samuel, but I feel ahead of those 2 now once he returns is Brereton. He appeared to be apart of the plans at the start of the season. He is ahead of Gallagher in terms of progression, having been with us a season more. He could have turned the corner
and may well be ahead of both Gallagher and Samuel.
Seems pointless saying this now, Aucks you will tell me I am being too harsh and he needs more time, but if we hadn't signed Gallagher, would we be any worse off? If you factor on all our strikers who miss out every single week, and two of them have been injured all season. If we had signed a proper centre half, would we be stronger? Yes, yes and yes!

Which of our forwards have played consistently well? I'd say, none!

I agree, some of that is down to the fact he has revereted back to Graham and benched his £5m striker. Which didn't work, so he tried it again, it didn't work, so he tried it again. The style of play behind all these forwards is normally atrocious. No creativity at all. Rarely any chances created.

I'm not sure what you mean about Downing. He has consistently looked to be our best passer. My feeling is that the problems have been in front of him.

I am not being critical of him. I like him as a player. He is a footballer, where someone like Rothwell simply isn't. If we could put Downing in Rothwell's body, then we DO have a player. Sadly, he is 2/3 seasons past his best, like Johnson. Who cant perform well for 90 mins. All these are reasons why we aren't winning anything like the amount of games we should. In no way shape or form, should Downing be starting every match. He has no impact on any of these games. Nice lad, nice footballer, but does he improve us? Before you answer me Auks, and just say yes. In what way?
We aren't creating any real chances. He does the normal things well, is a safe pair of hands, and I rate the lad. But is he actually making Rovers a better side?
Holtby has improved us with immediate effect. That's what I mean. You can see it almost with his first few touches. He looks forward, he plays the ball forward. He looks to do dangerous things that result in goals, and chances.
Downing takes all our set pieces now. That's my first major complaint. Every corner and free kick is poor. We relied so heavily on Mulgrew and his set pieces, which where brilliant. We miss that so much. We aren't scoring anywhere near enough, or creating anywhere enough chances. What we need to do is get Dack and Holtby on the ball more.
Downing will do the basic stuff well, and is an upgrade on what we had. But he hasnt improved our side. We aren't improving, apart from when Holbty came alive on Sat. Which woke Dack up. Dack will improve ten-fold having Holby around, and we as a team will improve. That is not happening with Downing every week. Set pieces are nothing but poor. And as a result, we are really missing the goals we used to score, and they aren't being replaced in open play. Because our midfield lacks creativity. He plays in that midfield.

We need some players that are going to take risks, do something that will open the opposition. Not a safe 5 yard pass sideways. There is a time and place for calmness, and seeing a game out. But when it comes to attacking a side and breaking them down, we just wont go anywhere with Downing playing every week. Same with Bennett, Williams. Those 2 worry me every single time they touch the ball, both are an accident waiting to happen.

Bennett did improve after 25 mins, yes. By then some of the damage had already been done. How many times? This is happening every week. And we are clearly nowhere near good enough to keep making the same mistakes, every week.

[AucklandRover]

Champs - the type of player you are calling for would be brilliant, but probably outside our price-range.
It looks as if we have struck lucky with Holtby, but I'm reserving judgement until we have seen him feature for a number of games, because of my memories of players like Rochina!
Mowbray has invested in flair players as well as work-horses, but Rothwell and Armstrong are so inconsistent, and we don't quite know what's happening with Chapman yet. Even Dack often frustrates. In the long run, I am hoping Rankin-Costello will be the one.
We'll have to agree to differ about Downing. I think he has improved the team, because he is just about the only one who consistently does the simple things right.

[robinrover]

Holtby will be a quality signing over time.
I agree with you aucks,downing has proved alot of rovers fans wrong and has rolled back the years.
Armstrong recently looks to of found consistency,sadly just at the time others have lost theirs.

[champs95]

Champs - the type of player you are calling for would be brilliant, but probably outside our price-range.
It looks as if we have struck lucky with Holtby, but I'm reserving judgement until we have seen him feature for a number of games, because of my memories of players like Rochina!
Mowbray has invested in flair players as well as work-horses, but Rothwell and Armstrong are so inconsistent, and we don't quite know what's happening with Chapman yet. Even Dack often frustrates. In the long run, I am hoping Rankin-Costello will be the one.
We'll have to agree to differ about Downing. I think he has improved the team, because he is just about the only one who consistently does the simple things right.

In what way does he improve us? His set pieces? Corners? He takes them. And they are normally poor. His overall play? We have been pretty poor all season other than a 20 min spell in the odd game. I'm not seeing much of an impact? You rate him higher than Travis? And are fearful over player like Holbty? Why?

[champs95]

And 're Chapman. He's scoring more than one per game for the U23's and in great form. Fit, playing well, good attitude again. Like Rankin Costello. Ready to come in and play. Reckon he will drop Bennett to play Rankin Costello? I don't. Same with Downing for Chapman. No chance. Like he went with Smallwood over Travis last season. It took an injuries and a red card and suspension before we got to see one of our most crucial plsyers