Rams v Bees.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Or a bin "baggie" crumpled looking black top with a drawstring

[StensonRam]

I give up

[Geoff Parkstone]

As a certain formula 1 driver would say, it's Hamer time

[mistaram]

Lol...Norwich would look a bit daft being nicknamed the Canaries and playing in red too...but God knows what colour West Brom should play in to live up to ‘The Throstles’...a sort of speckled brown I suppose.

Cardiff owner wanted the Bluebirds to play in red .

[MadAmster]

The opening 1/4 of the game saw them on top. As usual, the difference between us and the better sides is in that they pess and we don't and their movement off the ball is way better. That was the way today. We started brightly. 2 corners in the opening 2 minutes might lull fans into a false sense of security..... again. 3 and a bit minutes in, 4 or 5 unchallenged passes to a player who moved into space leaving our defenders to stand and admire, a shot hits the post and Watkins is there first to prod it into the empty net. The next 20 minutes went pretty much the same way. Them passing, moving and pressing. We not. Then came the drinks break and we suddenly looked interested and did all the right things and looked well in the game especially after a good move led to Knight grabbing an equaliser. 1-1 at HT.

2nd half was, unfortunately, back to square 1. Them passing, moving and pressing. We not. They looked the more likely side to take it and they did. Another sequence of unchallenged passes to men who were allowed to move into space, unchallenged, saw the ball slipped through to Benrahma who shot.......... and the ball bounced off Hamer's hand(s) and squirmed under his body. Yes, a mistake from Hamer but his was the 5th or 6th in the move. We continually allow the oppo to have time and space and then wonder why they score against us. it's simple. Press, harry, pressurise and challenge. That's what they do to stop us. When will we start reciprocating. Their 3rd came when Bogle forced Benrahma inside and passed him on to Knight who repeated the move and Benrahma unleashed a wonderful shot into the top corner. If Lawro had done it we'd be ecstatic. As it was, it was an opponent but I applauded the move. Class.

Hamer - Takes some of the blame for their 2nd, fluffed a near post ball and fortunately it went out for a corner rather than in the goal. New keeper needed for next season.
Bogle - better than of late but still not good enough today. Still needs to remember how to go past players
Evans - one of our better players today
Clarke - idem ditto. Yellow card was his 2nd of the season..... both from the same ref.
Lowe - 2 errors 1st half. Better 2nd half. Possibly chosen for speed due to the nature of the Bees wide players.
Rooney - Error stroon performance alongside a few good things
Bird - Possibly his worst game of the season. I don't remember seeing him make that many errors in a game.
Lawrence - very good 1st half, especially defensively. Pretty much invisible for most of the 2nd half
Sibley - Didn't seem to let the red card issue affect him and he had a good game
Knight - Played well and took is goal well
Martin - Did a lot well when he was in the game but was often isolated and dropped back to get the ball and those periods were not fruitful

One of the better refs this season. Made some mistakes but they all do. He made less than we have become accustomed to.

Result means we aren't out of the playoff race, mathematically, but only a miracle will help us now, IMO.

Build for next season and see if it's enough. No guarantees in this League.

[mistaram]

Hamer5 at fault for second goal and repeated it 10minutes later and got lucky ball sound wide of post
Bogle 4 his defending is non existent he can't tackle and positioning is a joke ,but part of the blame for first goal
Evans6 Played ok has to cover for the many mistakes made in front of him
Clarke 7 the only defender we've got really little wonder we concede
Bird5 game to far for the lad he looks knackered but he has a great future with us
Lawrence 5 typical Lawrence performance in the periphery of everything
Sibley 5 kept going till being subbed still learning so can't be hard on him
Knight 6 took his goal well ,makes the wrong decision sometime but that's the learning curve
Martin did he really play He did less than he did at WBA if that's possible
Rooney6 He looks as though he misplaced passes sometimes but that because of the calibre of player we have who can't read them

The game went the way most of us expected I didn't think Brentford were all that good,but I suppose they never had to be A lot of work to be done in the close season Personally I think we need at least four new players plus a keeper

[swaledale]

Hamer5 at fault for second goal and repeated it 10minutes later and got lucky ball sound wide of post
Bogle 4 his defending is non existent he can't tackle and positioning is a joke ,but part of the blame for first goal
Evans6 Played ok has to cover for the many mistakes made in front of him
Clarke 7 the only defender we've got really little wonder we concede
Bird5 game to far for the lad he looks knackered but he has a great future with us
Lawrence 5 typical Lawrence performance in the periphery of everything
Sibley 5 kept going till being subbed still learning so can't be hard on him
Knight 6 took his goal well ,makes the wrong decision sometime but that's the learning curve
Martin did he really play He did less than he did at WBA if that's possible
Rooney6 He looks as though he misplaced passes sometimes but that because of the calibre of player we have who can't read them

The game went the way most of us expected I didn't think Brentford were all that good,but I suppose they never had to be A lot of work to be done in the close season Personally I think we need at least four new players plus a keeper

Another reality check, we are in need of a complete revamp, but guess we haven't go the cash for that. As a minimum a new keeper, centre half, striker and a midfield playmaker. Rooney will be a bit part player next season.

So there we have it any talk of top 6 an illusion, as always our thoughts turn to next season. It could ahve been worse I guess but seriously how much longer are we going to be an "almost" team?

[Geoff Parkstone]

And when we stop being an almost team, in which direction will we be travelling

[ramAnag]

I just wonder...is there still talk of the Dell owner investing in us?
As I understand it, there’s no FFP next season. It would be unwise of anyone to invest enormously in any club with a points deduction sanction hanging over them, but once that has been dealt with, hopefully next week, might that be the time for the ‘Man from Dell’ - not Delmonte - to say, ‘yes’?

Then Swale’s four players which - although we already have the CB - I agree with, becomes a real possibility.

[StensonRam]

Not sure if the Dell thing was ever serious when it turned out it wouldn't have been the man himself with his billions, more an investment company he owns which he drip feeds with money, other than that he has no involvement in his investment, he also wants the stadium as security same as with Sunderland, all stacked in his favour