Rovers 0-2 Huddersfield

[Ian]

We weren't outplayed, but when we needed a bit of quality, no-one stepped up. Their big centre back swallowed up most of the high balls we put into their half and when we tried to play it on the floor, we couldn't get more than three passes going until we lost it. Corners and free-kicks were below standard and we just weren't attacking enough. Their keeper had little to do in the second half (and in the first).

Jennings has lost his spark and he was probably our best chance of creating something today, in the role he played.

Defensively I thought we did OK without Goodison, not too much panicing, but was disappointed in the way we conceded the first goal. We had 2 on the line and it still went in. Scrappy goal.

So another defeat at home and just three points from the drop zone. 8-[ Bristol Rovers and Swindon both gained points on us today.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought we deserved a point today, as it was a much improved performance on recent home games. However, poor defending for both goals and our inability to find a final ball, and McGurk's miss from five yards, cost us.

I thought we played some decent football at times, particularly in the first half, while Cresswell put some fantastic deliveries into the box which we failed to capitalise on. Jennings had a good first half, I felt, but lost his way a bit in the seconda as we seemed to run out of ideas a bit in attack, while still having a lot of decent possession.

Both centre backs did ok, Welsh had a strong game in the middle, but I am not sure what to make of Weir: he put a couple of great balls into the box, but seems lightweight in the tackle and gave possession away cheaply on other occasions.

As stated above, McGurk missed an absolute sitter and was otherwise anonymous, and I must admit the more I see of him, the more I think he is in the same class as Morrow and Akins. That presents a real problem tactically, as we have no natural partner for Enoch if we want to go 4-4-2.

The scoreline was very flattering to Huddersfield, who looked pretty unexceptional though strong at the back, but with Bristol Rovers winning I am now feeling decidedly more nervous. We really have to get something on Tuesday night now.

 

[The Corner flag]

Decent game

I agree with most of the comments lads, personally i think the defence looks good, McCrystal organised them well and they covered for each other. The issue is goals, just puts more pressure on us to keep a clean sheet.

I did like McGurk but he is slipping up everytime he gets a chance, similar to Weir, Fraughan, Akins and today Jennings. Maybe it is their youth but there is no point Enoch battling hard up front if no-one is willing to take a risk and break from midfield to support him. Too many rushed passes and lack of ideas.

But i still believe when we have the ball on the deck we can cause teams problems. =D>


We played well and got nothing but it was a huge improvement on Monday night.

Got to beat Swindon and the Daggers at home. [-o<

 

[Tartantranmere64]

First things first. I got over my monster huff from Monday night and turned up today. Actually quite enjoyed the match although not the result.

Echo what has been said - I think the 1 win in 10 games has shot confidence quite a bit. If that game had been played two months ago, i reckon we would have won.

Pleased with the effort, pleased that just occasionally we played the ball on the deck and looked dangerous when we did, especially when we got the ball into the box from wide areas. Disappointed that the chances we did create were not taken.

Apparently the ref's assessor put the boot into the ref for allowing the second goal to stand. Rather academic, I know, but it does point to the fact that we never really got any of those wee breaks you need in a tight game.

The slog goes on - we could do with something like a win from one of our next two away games!

 

[Ian]

How could I forget McGurk's shocking miss. He seemed to avoid the ball instead of attack it. Great ball in from Showumni too.

But really, playing at home, we need to be testing the keeper more.

 

[bigmart]

We have won 1 in ten and have only scored 5 goals in that time, if we dont to score goals soon we are going to be relegated.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We have won 1 in ten and have only scored 5 goals in that time

Just emphasises the problem of playing with an isolated lone striker. The loss of Lateef has not done us any favours in this regard either.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

We have won 1 in ten and have only scored 5 goals in that time, if we dont to score goals soon we are going to be relegated.

As I said in another thread recently (only half joking), our best chance of avoiding the drop is nine clean sheets meaning nine points from goalless draws.

We are not bad defensively. In the last 16 games we have never conceded more than two goals in any game (even Peterborough and Brighton away). But we've only scored more than one goal 10 times all season. And it's getting worse. Not long ago we scored 9 goals in five games. Then it was 4 in 5, now 1 in 5.

We need to create more chances, but we have the worst strike force I can ever remember. No disrespect to Enoch, but we are really feeling the loss of ITM and Lateef.

 

[Boz]

Can't fault the effort today, if the players had shown the same determination against Yeovil and Bristol Rovers, we wouldn't be in this precarious position. However, we lacked the quality and guile to get back in the game and in the end have to be grateful for late Exeter and Oldham goals to keep a bit of a gap from the bottom four.

Huddersfield were a decent side, took a grip of midfield and had plenty of options on the bench. However still behind Bournemouth as the best side at PP so far, although they look in prime position for an automatic promotion slot.

Defence: Warner didn't seem at his best today, dropping a cross for the first goal and maybe could have done better for the second. Cresswell fluffed a couple of high balls aimed in his direction. The others did ok.

Midfield: Labadie was hard done by for the yellow card, but flitted in and out of the game. Weir wasn't very good, picked the wrong ball a number of occasions, putting us into trouble. Welsh and Zoum were better.

Attack. Dale kept running up blind alleys and was deservedly booked for a wild challenge bourne out of frustration. Hope his injury at the end doesn't prove too serious. Enoch was well contained by the Udders defenders, but still set up McGurk for a chance which Adam should had done much better for.

Les. Only made one change and that was to take off Zoum, who wasn't playing badly, for McGurk, who apart from his howler offered little. I'd have thought Mahon for Weir and Fraughan for Jennings worth considering.

MoM. The lad from the paddock/main stand who threw the ball back, striking the Udders boss must be a contender, fair play to Lee Clark for taking it in good spirit. Nobody from the Rovers side stood out, probably McChrystal for his encouragement of the rest of the side.

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

It was a pretty even game but 2 silly mistakes and we concede 2 goals. That plus the fact that we never 'really' looked like scoring and it sums up why we're in the position we are in... again.

The first goal I think Tony should have dealt with better, but then there were 2 Rovers defenders behind him who should have just put their foot through the ball and cleared it and it trickled pathetically into the goal instead.

The second goal... the law is the ass but someone has to clear the ball too. Ash seemed to leave it when he could have cleared it I think (although I was in the Kop). It's a stupid rule and needs clearing up cos goals like that will always happen and it favours the attacking side far too much. That said, I wouldn't be complaining had we scored it!

All in all, a better performance but we lack creativity, guile, pace, anything remotely worthwhile in terms of scoring goals. We rely on Enoch far too much and his goal tally won't keep us up I'm afraid. Others have to join the party and nick a few goals for themselves too. As for punting the ball up to his head, it's a pointless exercise against 2 lads even bigger than him. Heading (like Crouch) is not his forte and when we get it on the deck we look a better side. Why not try that for 90 minutes then???

Rant over, I won't even mention McGurk's miss (whoops, think I just did) :evil:

 

[SonkORLY?]

Defence: Warner didn't seem at his best today, dropping a cross for the first goal and maybe could have done better for the second. Cresswell fluffed a couple of high balls aimed in his direction. The others did ok.

Les. Only made one change and that was to take off Zoum, who wasn't playing badly, for McGurk, who apart from his howler offered little. I'd have thought Mahon for Weir and Fraughan for Jennings worth considering.

Disagree on a few points. Cressa failed to intecept two high balls in the first half, but his distribution was great and he put some superb balls into the box. I thought the whole back 4 played very well, it pains me to say it but Taylor and McChrystal probably should be our first choice partnership at center-half. Kay is looking back to his best.

And I think the change made by Les was the right one. Dale was looking quite ineffective in that role behind Enoch, so moving him out to the left and bringing on someone who would play a lot closer to our target man was a positive move IMO. It was really good to see us start in a 4-4-1-1 rather than 4-5-1 and I hope we stick with it in some form, at least when playing at PP.

Where I sit everyone was going nuts at Weir, and although he did make a few mistakes, he also did some very good things. Many times this season Welsh, Labadie and Taylor have been absolutely anonymous and avoided criticism. Weir sometimes wants too much time on the ball but that's probably because he's been playing reserve-level football for all of his career. I think he has the ability to be a decent player and I'd be happy if we managed to keep him on a permanent basis.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

it pains me to say it but Taylor and McChrystal probably should be our first choice partnership at center-half.

Taylor played probably his best game this season yesterday, and centre back certainly seems his best position.

I am undecided on Weir, but if I was forced to choose between the two Sunderland loanees, Kay would be a definite signing in the summer, but I would reserve judgement on Robbie. Better players may be available for the money we would be offering him.

 

[DIW]

Really frustrating afternoon. We played reasonably against a decent side, Taylor and McChrystal were excellent for most of the game and there is a future pairing there. Both goals were avoidable although from the Kop the blatant offside was not so obvious. The first goal was scrappy - why did they all back off before the cross came in?

Clearly we are struggling to score and therein lies the main problem, we had a golden chance to equalise, and McGurk didn't do himself any favours with that one. I thought Weir had looked a reasonable player and Kay had a decent game against a fairly quick striker as well. Enoch had no support and Dale looks very very average at the moment. Welsh battled really well but never looks like creating anything at all.

The worst of the game was the attitude of some idiots near me in the Kop who spent the whole game slating the team and in particular Les. A few people suggested they might like to get behind the team and they were met with a volley of abuse. Cue the atmosphere got a little bit tense. Really these pricks need to check reality - this is football we're talking about here! - and calm down a bit. Still I suppose it makes them feel important for a small part of their sad little lives. Row T in the Kop btw.
Blimey even the idiot in front of me had a go at a ball boy at one point for not getting the ball back quick enough.

The three home games are massive now - lets hope we can nick something from one of the next two away games. That would be a big bonus and maybe we could find a bit of confidence for the Daggers game WHICH WE MUST WIN..

 

[SonkORLY?]

There are idiots in every walk of life, but at football games some people seem to completely lose any sense of behaving like a normal human being. In what other environment would you scream abuse at some bloke you don't know from 5 yards away? People get so agitated. It's good to be involved and it's good to care but there's a line you need to draw somewhere. As a "supporter" your role is to show up and vocally back the team. Either do that or shut up.

I think Dale is quite clearly carrying not just one but a number of injuries. We originally lost him to a groin injury, he walked onto the pitch with his thigh strapped up and limped off before the end with some sort of ankle (?) complaint. Even in the warm-up he kept pulling up. I don't think we're likely to see a match-fit Dale Jennings until next season.

Has Labadie picked up a ban btw? Having been shown about 800 yellow cards this season.

 

[bigmart]

I think that was the 13th booking for Joss 2 more means a 3 game ban

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Labadie is frustrating, as the majority of his bookings are daft and utterly avoidable. We can't afford to lose him again for an extended spell, particularly with Robinson being injury prone.

 

[Boz]

Disagree on a few points. Cressa failed to intecept two high balls in the first half, but his distribution was great and he put some superb balls into the box. I thought the whole back 4 played very well, it pains me to say it but Taylor and McChrystal probably should be our first choice partnership at center-half. Kay is looking back to his best.

And I think the change made by Les was the right one. Dale was looking quite ineffective in that role behind Enoch, so moving him out to the left and bringing on someone who would play a lot closer to our target man was a positive move IMO. It was really good to see us start in a 4-4-1-1 rather than 4-5-1 and I hope we stick with it in some form, at least when playing at PP.

Where I sit everyone was going nuts at Weir, and although he did make a few mistakes, he also did some very good things. Many times this season Welsh, Labadie and Taylor have been absolutely anonymous and avoided criticism. Weir sometimes wants too much time on the ball but that's probably because he's been playing reserve-level football for all of his career. I think he has the ability to be a decent player and I'd be happy if we managed to keep him on a permanent basis.

Cresswell's value to the team can be divided into defensive and attacking components. As well as the problem with the high balls, he also made an error in the build up for the first goal, which led to the shot Warner saved for the corner and there were one or two other things that suggested he wasn't at the top of his game defensively. Agree he caused problems with set pieces, though don't recall many crosses into the box from either him (or Kay on the other side, though that's less novel)

Weir is one of those players who divides opinion and personally am yet to be won over. Little he tried yesterday came off, a case in point was when Enoch had managed to get a bit off his marker and needed either a ball to feet or a dink over the top to run onto, but Robbie in trying the latter hit the ball so hard it ran out for a goal-kick. Ash Taylor gets slated on here for his distribution and over-ambitious long passes, nothing I saw from Weir yesterday was any better than Ash.

Zoum had one of our few efforts on target after a nice exchange of passes with Dale and had put a few decent crosses in, while sticking to his position; he was one of our better players yesterday, so why take him off? I understand what you're saying about the tactical thinking, but in terms of consequences, Dale didn't seem to make much impact when moved out left, as you say he seems to be carrying a number of injuries, so why not take him off?

Labadie does pick up some silly bookings, but yesterday's was harsh. He clearly won the ball and both players went in strongly for the challenge, poor decision by the referee, who gave us little.

 

[Sparky]

Here are my thoughts:

Their first goal. Roberts had far too long to pick his spot for the cross after Kilbane played it to him. No-one really closed him down and having seen it on the TV, Warner should have done better.

Thought we huffed and puffed but you only had to see that Antony Kay was an unused sub for them to see how strong their squad is.

As for McGurk I have been one saying he should have a run in the side but couldnt believe he missed that chance. Having seen him albeit for short spells, I think his history of injuries means he pulls out of tackles - and that he could have thrown himself at the ball to score - but didnt. Really not the answer I dont think long term and this is a problem as we arent scoring and only Enoch shows any threat.

Dale still IMO has only had about 5 good games in a TRFC shirt (he did ok on Sat). He burst onto the scene playing wide in a front 3 and playing off Enoch he didnt really have much impact on Sat - but we cant rest our hopes on a kid to keep us up.

Still think we'll have enough to limp over the finishing line...