Rovers 1 Cumbrians 2

[Rockford's Love Child]

Well, we paid for a dismal first half tonight. Defensively we were shocking, with Ash Taylor the main, but by no means the only, culprit. We actually started brightly, creating some decent chances in the first fifteen minutes, but again we failed to take them. The lack of goals from the strikers is a major concern now: Enoch is not right, whether mentally or physically, and Tiryaki, although a decent player, doesn't look like getting on the end of things.

The absence of McChrystal and Robinson is really starting to tell, in our solidity (or lack of it) at the back and our ball retention.

I thought the midfield was very poor in the first 45 minutes, second to every ball and allowing Carlisle to dictate the pace of the game. Labadie was anonymous again, although improved in the second half.

At least we had a go after the break, and possibly deserved a point for our efforts, although I think any team that concedes two at home in the first half against a side struggling for form gets what they deserve.

Remarkably, the division is so tight we are still only two points off sixth place, but Wycombe on Saturday is a pressure game for us now with the fixtures that are coming up.

A final word of praise should be given for Lucas Akins, who is in his best form since he came to us, and Adam McGurk who showed some lovely touches and seems to be getting his sharpness back.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Akins was very good. Goodi was good. Everyone else was pretty **** for the most part.

Garbage performance and Enoch needs to be dropped entirely. Start Tiryaki up there. Or Akins. Anyone but Enoch.

Taylor proved Ian right, too.

 

[Ian]

Akins was OK. Getting the MOTM summed up the performance entirely. We only played for 45 minutes and you get what you deserve. First half we were hopeless. Second half was a lot better but it was too little too late.

Fon-Williams was hesitant and his kicking poor tonight. Taylor was shocking at the back. Midfield trio of Welsh, Labadie and Wier by enlarge disappointing and there are certainly some issues up front.

Tiryaki showed some excellent touches tonight and his work rate is excellent. If only he could find that elusive goal. Enoch was more lively than he's been off late, but his hesitation in the penalty area is worrying.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Tiryaki showed some excellent touches tonight and his work rate is excellent. If only he could find that elusive goal. Enoch was more lively than he's been off late, but his hesitation in the penalty area is worrying.

His positioning is awful, his willingness to receive the ball is non-existent, he's dreadful with the ball at his feet and he doesn't look like he will ever score. The "effort" that he's so often praised for reveals itself in such things as pointless 50 yard sprints towards the goalkeeper when he's about to kick it up the pitch (which everyone loves - typical English football crowd mentality). He wins nothing in the air, is not strong; the absolute epitome of uselessness. And it's painfully obvious to see when he's left to lead the line by himself. When Tiryaki came on he linked play quite well and showed a willingness to receive the ball and bring others into play. He should probably be starting. Weir was ineffective today, although the way we hoofed the ball up the pitch didn't help his cause. McGurk didn't really do anything. Akins was good. That's our attack.

The alternative to Taylor is moving Raven to CB and putting Kay wide right, who suffers similar vices to Taylor, though has less opportunity to cause damage at RB.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The alternative to Taylor is moving Raven to CB and putting Kay wide right, who suffers similar vices to Taylor.

I would be tempted to recall Danny Holmes from Fleetwood. Taylor can't stay at centre back, that is for sure.

Our set pieces frustrated me again tonight, and I wish Welsh would get off them. We had some great positions which suited a left-footer (McGurk, Buchanan) yet he persisted in hitting the ball into the first man.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Captain Fantastic

Not sure about Holmes. Doubt he's any better than Kay. As in, I have no reason to believe he would be.

 

[Ian]

Surely Raven at centre and Kay at RB is the most obvious option. I'm guessing you don't like enoch too much SonkORLY? lol

 

[Sparky]

Enoch did well last season but you wonder whether we have seen the best of him before his injury. Certain players (Shuker as an example) are never the same again for mental as well as physical reasons. We should have sold him to Notts County when we had the chance.

Agree with Lucas for MOM (never thought I would say that!). Ash has the potential to be a good player but has the tendency to make errors that cost us like with the 2nd goal. The lad went down easy but Ash made it easy for the ref by getting skinned in the first place.

Tiriyaki deserves a start but I am still not convinced - part of me thinks he would be better as an impact player coming off the bench - plus he has no pace whatsoever. We cannot really rely on him as first choice front man but he does deserve a chance.

I was surprised by the level of booing at the end. On chances created/work rate I think we were the better side and all we were lacking was a cutting edge

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Enoch does seem off the pace, but he could easily have had a couple of goals - Collin made two good saves from him and he had a header cleared off the line at the end of the first half. Strikers short of goals always look particularly forlorn and hopeless. Hopefully a goal will arrive soon for him.

Seems like Les has had bad luck in the loan market. I know you make your own luck in football, but we don't seem to be having much, penalty decisions, injuries. Just have to keep believing....

Last thing: the crowd. 4.2k. Oh dear. when was the last time we had as few as that for a league game....?

 

[Rob]

We were crap, simple as

Welsh/Labadie were completely anonymous yet again and our strikeforce is a complete joke.

A game where Lucas Akins gets MOTM just shows how bad we were.

 

[amplesou]

Surely lp must realise the system he plays does not produce goals consistantly,we all learned that 2 seasons ago!
see what i mean about people in football have short memorys etc

Squad injury record is the worst in the forty years...!

did,nt go last night... was going to but the wind picked up and ..proved the right decision in the end

squad so small now and... injuries and suspentions, and results take a dive ....

 

[bigmart]

in parts we played well but for too long we were poor our defense unimpressive and taylor had a shocker the midfield were poor for large spells and enoch has totally lost it in front of goal.

akins mom by a long way says it all

 

[TheBunnyBellEnd]

De ja vu is how I would describe last night it was a typical Rovers performance in the Les Parry era. A couple of things I noted about last night:

1/ Enoch needs to be left out of the starting line up. Often when players suffer a nasty injury they never seem to be able to get back to there best. He looks very rusty and I would even go as far as saying unfit. A spell on the bench coming on late on and a dose of ressie football will do the big fella good.

2/ Les you need to come up with a plan B when plan A lets you down. Putting your hands your pockets (even if its cold) and looking down at the floor is not going to achieve anything. Neither is shouting at the fourth official or the opposition bench, sending instructions onto the pitch and encouraging your players would definately be an improvement.

3/ Tactically we look naive and seem to be suffering from the square peg round holes kind of problem. Whatever Les claims we play 451 with whoever is unfortunate to play upfront becoming more and more isolated as the game goes on. (Comment of last nights game came from an elderly gent in front of us who when a mate of mine said "The midfield is miles away from Enoch" he promptly turned and said "He is so far away he has got a different f*ckin postcode!")
Without Robbo we seem destined to hoof the ball forward despite their being the arse end of a hurricane howling through the stands I would have thought someone would have said "its windy out there tonight lets keep the ball on the deck where possible". But obviously not.
The formation is the reason we dont score enough goals and the sooner we play 2 up front (for example Chicken and McGurk) the better.

4/ The midfield should be our strongest area as we effectively have 5 men in it. We SHOULD be swarming all over them and always have an extra body to pass to. However all to often we by pass the midfield and they become the first line of defence rather than a potent attacking force. Rarely does the ball get played through it.

5/ The quality of our set pieces is shocking. Someone ANYONE take responsibility over Welsh. Stop the pointless 5 men step overs and get bodies in the penalty area where they can cause some damage!

6/ Ash Taylor what went wrong with you? You had so much potential but your distribution is appauling! You are not the scapegoat but you nearly cost us the game against Yeovil and did cost us last night. Must try harder!

7/ Whatever that song was about Tyriaki was the worst since Joss Ladabies to the tune of 'Am blue da de dee'.

I was disappointed last night and have a ominous feeling about Saturday. Enoch and Goody both need a rest and shouldnt be playing with injuries (yes needs must but we may end up with them doing real damage to themselves). We need to try something different or we will be on the end of yet another home defeat and we will start looking over our shoulders again. Yes we have injuries but you cant rely on one player to carry a team. If what we have left doesnt suit the 451 system try something different but dont keep banging out the same formation and tactics week in week out. If we all know how we are going to set up so does every other team in the league! Try 442 just once and lets see what happens................[-o<

 

[Tartantranmere64]

You have a short memory. We went to 442 half way through the second half against Yeovil and we immediately got worse!

 

[Sparky]

Bunny Bell you make an interesting suggestion about McGurk/Chicken up front.

Adam had injuries last season and when finally fit and played down the middle (albeit at the season end when Enoch was injured), he showed glimpses of a natural scorer and got some goals.

Whilst he started the season in good form on the left, I cannot help thinking playing him thru the middle might work. However I am not sure if this would work on his own in the 4-3-3 where he is expected to do what Enoch does and our front men dont get many chances.

Up top with Chicken as a battering ram might work - with Lucas on the right and I suppose Zoom on the left until Devaney/Robbo are back.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

You have a short memory. We went to 442 half way through the second half against Yeovil and we immediately got worse!

It is an interesting point, because when we switched to 4-4-2 last night I thought Carlisle actually came back into the game as their midfield two found more space and time. Playing 4-4-2 is not the wonder cure that a lot of people think it is. I quite like the idea of McGurk going up front, but that then means putting Zoum on the left of midfield, who has absolutely no quality in his final ball.

 

[DIW]

For what it's worth, here are my thoughts. It's not the losing that depresses me as such, it's coming away from a game having lost where there was absolutely no need to have dropped all the points.

Ash Taylor was very poor. Schoolboy errors all over the place, then got so tight to his man that he was easily turned, and then needlessly bringing him down. However, ironic cheers towards him during the game didn't help - that is shameful behaviour to our own players. Many of these came from the loud mouth chavs at the back of the Kop. Yes, it was good to hear the voices, but I don't appreciate being called a miserable w**ker along with everyone else who didn't stand up when demanded. Also I don't clap when told to because I don't have a blanket hatred of all scousers.

Enoch - terrible, simple as that. Can't really explain what has happened there.

Labadie - what happened to him? I remember thinking he was a decent player when he first came and he has gone well off the boil.

Welsh - dead ball delivery absolutely atrocious, but did get stuck in a bit.

Weir was quiet and I have been a bi g critic of Akins but in fairness last night he put in a decent game.

Tiryaki is not going to be prolific at this level bye any stretch and looks nothing more than a squad player. He brings a bit of aggression I suppose but he is a head butt waiting to happen, how long before he gets a red card?

McGurk, contrary to other opinions on I here played OK IMO. The lad for me has promise, his touch is excellent and he is sensible with the ball. looks alot more physical and fit than last season. Lookign forward to when he can link up with Robbo a bit more.

Speaking of which we desperately need him and Devaney, not to mention McChrystal back asap. We need the centre half very quickly because, Ash's confidence will be absolutely rock bottom after last night and he needs a break from it on Saturday. I believe Wycombe lost again last night and their away record is rubbish. That's a home banker then for us, which is the last thing we need.

 

[SonkORLY?]

You have a short memory. We went to 442 half way through the second half against Yeovil and we immediately got worse!

It is an interesting point, because when we switched to 4-4-2 last night I thought Carlisle actually came back into the game as their midfield two found more space and time. Playing 4-4-2 is not the wonder cure that a lot of people think it is.

Amen

Didn't hear many people moaning about our system earlier in the season

Squad injury record is the worst in the forty years...!

3 injuries? Well haven't we been lucky since the 1970's...

 

[Ian]

The problem is that because we were so poor in the first half, it's easy to blame the formation. The formation is fine when everyone's putting in a decent shift. It looked terrible in the first half but you have to blame the players for that.

The second half was much better because the players made an effort. They started to attack the opposition, chase balls and put them under pressure.

Interesting comments on the players.

Ash - Generally bad comments, it wasn't a good game for him at all.
Welsh - Set pieces very poor. And the numerous stepovers.. come on..
Labadie - Little bit surprised about the comments. He's scored a few this season and hasn't played much yet. Is everyone expecting him to be as good as Robinson?
Akins - Was he really that good last night?
Enoch - He just needs a goal.

 

[DIW]

Akins - Was he really that good last night?
.

No, he only stood out because he rose above his usual ineptitude.