Rovers 0-2 Swindle

[Ian]

Not quite the end of season party I was expecting. We were rubbish to be honest. Yet again, another poor display against officially the worst team in the division. Les really needs to work on this as it's worrying.

Swindon played OK considering they were down, but we gave them bags of room to play and they could have had a few more. Not sure what planet Warner was on today? Terrible game.

What was going on with taking Robbo off and putting Goodison up front?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Seven or eight of our players simply weren't up for it today, which was disappointing after the euphoria of the previous two matches and with an above average crowd in the ground. With Adam isolated up front, we needed to pass the ball well through the middle as at Orient, but didn't, though at least we didn't resort to hoofball.

As has been said, our home record against struggling sides has to improve next season. It was fair of Les to stick to the same team and formation today that did so well last week, but I think the 4-5-1 formation probably held us back again. We have to be more flexible tactically.

The decision to put Goodison up front with 25 / 30 minutes left seemed a strange one, given that Akins and McGurk could have played as a pair up front, and have both been in good form recently. Les's decision making during games does mystify me somewhat at times, though I don't want to be too critical on a day when we have finished nine points clear of the drop and only three points off 12th (disappointing to end up 18th after our recent form, however).

Hopefully the majority of the side that played today will still be here next season, and if it does I see no reason why we should be involved in a relegation battle next time around, provided that lessons can be learned from our shortcomings this season.

 

[Boz]

I was gullible enough to think that because there was nothing in it now, we'd put on a decent show. While it wasn't as bad as some of our other home defeats, against a bottom of the table side, would only won 3 games this year, Rovers should have done much better, some of the players seemed to be mentally on the beach already.

Warner. One of his least convincing performances.

Cresswell. Not at his best defensively, unlucky with free-kick against the woodwork.

Goodison. Steady at the back, but unsure the experiment of using him as a striker had any merit.

Taylor. Good in the air.

Kay. Not one of his better games.

Welsh. Pulled out of a challenge in the first few minutes and looked totally disinterested throughout.

Robinson. Best of a poor midfield, but drifted in and out of the game in the second half.

Weir. Kept trying, but nothing he did came off.

Jennings. If he'd have put the rebound off the keeper in just after their first, could have changed the course of the game. He's scored much harder chances.

McGurk. Did quite well, given the amount of high balls pumped up.

Akins. Decent effort leading up to Jenno's miss.

Subs. None made any impact. If Les was desperate to have a big lad up front, he should have seriously looked at putting Cole Stockton on the bench or moved Akins into the centre. This performance doesn't give much hope for next season under Les.

 

[NeverBeatDaveHiggins]

Goodison. Steady at the back, but unsure the experiment of using him as a striker had any merit.

Couldn't disagree more. Goodi had an absolute shocker at the back. Kept losing track of his man. Was shown up by Ash playing decently, and if one of the kids does better in every respect then that's a strange situation. Goodison didn't win a thing in the air, misjudged every pass.. the last time he played this badly was at left back under Little Brain. In my view, the only reason that McCrystal wasn't on for him at half time was that Goodison has been a great club servant for years and Les likes him. Putting him up front at least took away the very real danger of another error at the back costing us yet another goal.

The subs Les made were the right ones, just much much too late on, the game had been screaming out for a midfielder to just take it by the scruff of the neck. So Joss coming on made sense to me as well.

But we were always under the cosh because of the completely lacklustre performances of half the players - and two particularly awful showings from Weir and Goodison, who both seemed mentally on their holidays already.

One thing I will say in Goodison's defense was that the ref had a shocker too... gave him no protection, but to be fair he's never needed much before when dealing with physical or cheating centre forwards.. and as for getting a yellow card for jumping past a diving keeper who then collides with his own defender's standing leg and hurts himself, that was in no way Goodison's fault.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The subs Les made were the right ones, just much much too late

Agree that the changes were needed and came too late, but using Goodison as a striker with 30 minutes to go ? Just bizarre. Akins is in good form and is capable of playing the target man role, so it would have seemed logical to me to put him and McGurk up front, bring on Labadie and switch Weir out to the right.

 

[amplesou]

Went yesterday, the last game i went to against Exeter we had Robinson and weir, stepping out and forcing them to release the ball from the back too quickly !

Yesterday lp does away with this, Robinson up in support mcgurk, weir further back and welsh back in front of the back four ,when either these three got on the ball options seemed limited and of course Swindon built comfortably from the back ..

Managers when they have got it wrong don,t seem to change it, may be they don,t want to lose face or some thing..

that for me is why we where so poor yesterday..

Ian Goodison started slowly imop and did,nt clear his lines for the first goal and this time it cost us !
The club has to look past IG as a regular C/Back nest season imop @ 38 yoa 59 games a season is too much imop

 

[Boz]

Couldn't disagree more. Goodi had an absolute shocker at the back. Kept losing track of his man. Was shown up by Ash playing decently, and if one of the kids does better in every respect then that's a strange situation. Goodison didn't win a thing in the air, misjudged every pass.. the last time he played this badly was at left back under Little Brain. In my view, the only reason that McCrystal wasn't on for him at half time was that Goodison has been a great club servant for years and Les likes him. Putting him up front at least took away the very real danger of another error at the back costing us yet another goal.

The subs Les made were the right ones, just much much too late on, the game had been screaming out for a midfielder to just take it by the scruff of the neck. So Joss coming on made sense to me as well.

But we were always under the cosh because of the completely lacklustre performances of half the players - and two particularly awful showings from Weir and Goodison, who both seemed mentally on their holidays already.

I didn't say that Goodison was at his best, nobody was. However, in my view, he wasn't that bad. Ash did play fairly well, save he left the ball on a couple of occasions when he should have cleared it. Would agree with amplesou however, that it's time to start phasing in a replacement for Goodi next season. I am giving Les the limited credit that he accepted it was worth trying a target man and because he didn't have one on the bench played Goodison there. However I agree with RLC that Akins up front would make more sense.

While Weir has not been a favourite, I think you're totally wrong to single him out here. He tried a few things, shots, running onto a ball over the top, but just didn't come off with him. By contrast, Welsh from the moment he pulled out of that tackle in ~3rd minute showed about as much backbone as the average jellyfish; not just mentally on the beach but with his swimming-trunks and rubber ring already on.

Finally, while I can see why Les put Labadie on, Joss made no impact whatsoever save conceding a daft free-kick in a dangerous position.

 

[Sparky]

I think the last 2 games have summed up our season.

Decent away with some good wins - when we're not expected to win.

Poor at home against the poorer sides - when we are expected to win and attack attack attack.

One again Les' lack of plan B was exposed apart from sending Goodi up front !!

Highlight of the 1st half was operation tranmere !

Did anyone stay for the round of applause at the end ?!

Will this result give PJ food for thought as to who gets the managers job I wonder ? I say still keep Les but must do better next season.

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Yeah lacklustre from half the team, but not a great surprise with nothing really at stake. I was surprised how Swindon went about things - if they'd have shown that much fight back in February then they wouldn't be going down (bye!).

Whilst it's always frustrating to lose, especially at home and especially against mediocre opposition, our cause is hardly helped by the moaning and grumping from many of our fans. I even heard one fan screaming "come on Parry!" after about 25 minutes. What was Les supposed to do, run on and kick the ball? I just cannot see how it helps to sit there and moan when things aren't going well. By all means boo them at the end when the game's over, but if I'd been one of the players getting that stick I'd probably have thought "ah stuff you". Makes me want to save my pennies and go to half-a-dozen away games instead where at least the SWA get behind the team, rather than sit with that lot in the JK Stand. One guy who has sat quietly in front of me all season went absolutely beserk when Robbo went off. Standing up and waving his arms like a windmill. 20 minutes from the end of the last game of the season, when there's virtually nothing at stake. Dear-oh-dear.

Well, have a lovely summer and I am sure like me, you'll be counting the minutes until the big kick off in August. I thought not.

 

[SonkORLY?]

You too mate. Although I think summer may already be over, judging by today's weather.

Agree with Sparky that this was an appropriate way to end the season. It would have been perfect had Labadie been booked.