Rovers 0 Shrews 2

[Rockford's Love Child]

Well, what a disaster. After six minutes I wanted to cry.

Let's hope we can scrape eleven players together for Tuesday.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Too many average players in that side and too many bottlers. It doesn't take 11 men for your keeper to catch a ball, it doesn't take 11 men to defend a corner.

Initial response to Palmer challenge was that it was firm and possibly slightly two footed, but not dangerously so and an honest attempt to win the ball. I may have been wrong. It's a given that it will happen but their player feigned injury until the red came out, then got up, walked off the pitch, ran back on. I don't doubt that they would do the same given the opportunity, but I wouldn't want our players to do that.

All things considered re: JLAA, Palmer and Wallace rumours I have to say I think we're ****ed.

Absolutely pathetic run of results.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

With eleven men I still think we would have won tonight, but the first ten minutes were calamitous for a team already struggling for form. Both goals have to go down as elementary errors by Fon Williams unless he was impeded for the second. Palmer's sending off looked extremely harsh, a genuine attempt for the ball which was over-eager at worst.

It's all the more disappointing as Shrewsbury were pretty s**t, frustrating us by keeping the ball in the first half, but creating very little until the game got stretched in the final 20 minutes. Another mediocre team we have gifted points to.

Unless we can get an unlikely win on Tuesday, the season seems to be going down the tubes.

 

[WildRover]

Got in and the mrs said she has never seen me so angry after a tranmere match.....ive been down before, have to be supporting us, but never angry....as said above, we are ****ing this season up severely! What should have been a winnable game, became a complete joke. Ref playing it up to the cameras, fair enough, but we had no strikeforce, no midfield, its like last season before RM took over, no confidence throughout the team. Amoo, can see why PNE binned him, so holmesy injured, we dont have a recognised right back, palmer out, luckily we got this other kid in, JLAA had better come back with a bang on Saturday, or it will be game over. Top of the league and pissing it to be honest a month ago, and its all falling apart at totally the wrong time....just like we used to in the championship promotion seasons under Kingy, ****ing up after xmas...

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

We appear to be in meltdown at the moment with no sign of any revival. We desperately need a change of luck if we are to avoid slipping out of the play-off places altogether. Our injured players are taking time to recover. Palmer, who has had a good disciplinary record, gets a doubtful red. What really rankles is that Porter, who Ronnie tried to sign but Sheff U wouldn't let us have, gets the opening goal. Danny Wilson probably still hasn't stopped laughing.

Suddenly, from having an excellent disciplinary record, we have had two reds in three games. It looks like Corry will be in playing every game during his loan. But I repeat that we really need a couple of old heads to steady the ship.

 

[GroundsmansFork]

Terrible game. When cameras are there we shoot ourselves in the foot. No cohesion, no midfield, no wingers, no forwards. Ronnie now has to earn his money and quick. Obviously confidence is a big thing which he has to work on.
Personal opinion but Cole Stockton should be using his size and getting stuck in, he's like a big nancy boy.

 

[bigmart]

We were awful and got what we deserved which was nothing. Palmer should not have been sent off but to use that as the reason we lost is missing the real issue.

 

[DIW]

We were awful and got what we deserved which was nothing. Palmer should not have been sent off but to use that as the reason we lost is missing the real issue.

I haven't seen the red card again so can't comment on the decision but to say that it wasn't the reason we lost is incorrect. With 11 men we would never have lost that game (not saying we would have won).

However you are right that there are underlying issues, namely that we can;'t score goals at the moment and our midfield is creating much. Consequently the back four are being put under too much pressure not to concede.

Fonners mistake was appalling and galling that it came when it did, but in fairness he has been pretty decent this season. O'Halloran - you couldn't fault his work rate but lets face it, the end product isn't there. Stockton looked so out of his depth - possibly demonstrating why Ronnie has been reluctant to throw him in. Only positives, Max Power did well I thought and will be an excellent player and Robbo was trying his best but just trying to do too much - what else did we have. McGurk anonymous.

We are totally shooting ourselves in the foot and it is so depressing to watch. We actually (for about 5 minutes) started the game really brightly last night - it looked like they were really up for it, and then the red card changed the game completely. I think though the main reason we are sliding is this.

Early Season Team Last nights team
Fonners Fonners
Holmes Holmes
Taylor Taylor
Gibson Daniels
Zoum Zoum
Robbo Robbo
Wallace Power
Palmer Nobody
BB McGurk
AA Stockton
Cass O'Halloran

As an attacking entity not even close. We need a striker still, lets hope this Corry lad is a decent player and lets stop charging a fiver and inviting the ****ing cameras in.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Agree with most of DIW's post above. For all those that have been clamouring for Stockton to play 40 games this season, the last two matches have shown us why he hasn't. He is not ready yet. Last night he neither got up and supported O'Halloran, or acted as an extra man in midfield and just seemed to be caught in no-man's-land doing very little for long periods.

That said, even discounting all the other incidents I thought the team selection was strange. Bell Baggie surely has to be used now we have so many absentees, particularly that we clearly lack clout in the centre forward positions.

The concern is that we have fundamental problems in all areas of the pitch: the back five can't defend set plays and we don't remotely look like keeping a clean sheet; the midfield are dominated in games and can't create; the strikers don't get in touch with the midfield and even when they do, carry virtually no goal threat. A hell of a lot of problems to sort out in a very short period of time.

When we can field a team which includes all of Gibson, Akpro and Palmer we will obviously have a much better chance, but it might be too late by then.

 

[Boz]

lets stop charging a fiver and inviting the ****ing cameras in.

I'm starting to agree with this, they are like an albatross.

I should perhaps be grateful that couldn't make this game in the end. From a distance, the subs felt a little strange. I take the point that Stockton hasn't made the most of his opportunity and isn't ready, but offers more of a physical presence than O'Halloran, who isn't equiped for a lone striker role, while Corry, whatever his talents, isn't a forward. The only way to discover how Stockton would fare was to give him match time. Harrison for Holmes was apparently injury-related. Amoo coming on near the end seemed odd; why didn't Bell-Baggie feature at all?

I cannot see us taking anything off Swindle with the absentees for whatever reason. We've a poor record at Colchester and by the time we play them Notts County may have sorted a new boss. What odds on no points in February?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Harrison for Holmes was apparently injury-related. Amoo coming on near the end seemed odd; why didn't Bell-Baggie feature at all?

Holmes had concussion and will miss Tuesday's game, so it will be a virtual reserve side against Swindon. Ronnie has also virtually confirmed that Wallace is out for the season. I am hoping we might be able to appeal the Palmer sending off, but that carries the risk of him getting a 4 game ban.

I agree that Bell Baggie should be getting more time on the pitch than Amoo.

 

[Ian]

We are totally shooting ourselves in the foot and it is so depressing to watch. We actually (for about 5 minutes) started the game really brightly last night - it looked like they were really up for it, and then the red card changed the game completely.

I agree with your post, especially the quoted section above.

Rubbish in front of the camera again and they are in danger of letting something special go down the pan.

4 defeats in 5, probably one of the worst form teams at the moment.

I think the worrying thing is the team. Like has been said, we aren't scoring goals and are conceding silly goals.

This isn't a recent slip though. We've been slipping for weeks now. We were top and 12pts at one stage. We need to pick this up and fast otherwise it's game over.

We are desperately missing our key players. Wallace, Akpo, Cass and Gibson.

I can understand Ronnie's comments about Stockton being wet behind the ears. Signs of a good player but he needs to impose himself more.

Very disappointing..

 

[SonkORLY?]

Hate to say I told you so about Stockton. He scored 2 goals and people were talking about him in terms of being a replacement for Cassidy. Madness.

Corry looked tidy when he came on, keen to play forward passes.

 

[Mal]

Sonkorly, I said something similar to you 'in advance' and someone ridiculed my view but tbh he hasn't had a chance to bed in. Bigmart, your were absolutely right on Wallace. Ok, who is your source ;0)

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A real mixed bag of results today. We are down to fifth with Sheff Utd and Yeovil winning comfortably and Coventry creeping up behind. There does not seem to be any stopping Yeovil at present.

However, Bournemouth's perhaps predictable defeat at Preston means we are still only two points off top. If we can battle to a win on Tuesday night we will be back in the top two, perhaps even top if Donny don't win on Monday.

It's ridiculously tight but our form has to change before we lose touch altogether.

 

[Ian]

If Swindon watched us last night they'll look forward to Tues night.

Where have Yeovil come from?

 

[WildRover]

Where have Yeovil come from?

Somerset?? \\/

 

[SonkORLY?]

Somerset?? \\/

Beat me to it.

I've always liked Yeovil, definitely don't begrudge their success. They're on an incredible run of form at the moment. No idea what they're feeding Paddy Madden as he was **** for Carlisle before he went there and now has 17 in 21.

If Swindon watched us last night they'll look forward to Tues night.

They've been unbeaten since they smashed us 5-0. I think they were probably looking forward to it before last night...

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

.



They've been unbeaten since they smashed us 5-0. I think they were probably looking forward to it before last night...

They have drawn 4 of the last 6 though, mainly against poor teams, and failed to beat Hartlepool at home last week.

Obviously, our depleted side is still going to have to produce something special to beat them.

 

[WildRover]

They have drawn 4 of the last 6 though, mainly against poor teams, and failed to beat Hartlepool at home last week.

Obviously, our depleted side is still going to have to produce something special to beat them.

Well, AS a poor team, get your money on a draw lads....