Rovers v Rochdale 1-1

[Rob]

Great start and the usual Parry 10 men in our half starts again costing us an easy 3 points

Dont care that it was in 96th minute it shouldnt happen

6 points thrown away between this and Walsall

Parry should hang his head in shame for his complete tactical ineptitude

 

[Rob]

On a positive note though Labadie, Welsh, Showunmi and Lateef all worked with 110% effort

Good to see Andy Robinson too, rapid considering hes the size of a fridge

 

[SonkORLY?]

"We're screaming from the touchline for them to get forward and get out and squeeze. We talk about it before the game, but it's the same when we're losing, teams drop off."

He's right. You see it at the top level too, supposed lesser teams go 1-0 up and, towards the end of games, get deeper and deeper. Please don't think Les - or any manager - is daft enough to encourage it, but it's hard to get players to push out of their own half and try to keep posession once you lose initiative (as you natrually will do when the other team is going all out for a goal). Obviously in this situation you look to attack on the break and Dale and Enoch both missed golden opportunities in this type of situation. We do lessen our ability to do this by not leaving one player forward at times and this annoys me. But even though we were under the cosh for most of the second half, we created more clear cut chances than they did and generally defended well.

I thought everyone played pretty well. Enoch doesn't look confident at the moment but won some good flick-on's to his credit. Taylor's distribution infuriates me. Thought the back 4 played alright. Lateef probably MOTM. Welsh and Labadie v good in midfield.

First half was a delight to watch, some good football on display from both sides. Hard to argue with final result, the game was ours to be won based on chances created so we only have ourselves to blame.

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Great start and the usual Parry 10 men in our half starts again costing us an easy 3 points

Dont care that it was in 96th minute it shouldnt happen

6 points thrown away between this and Walsall

Parry should hang his head in shame for his complete tactical ineptitude

Actually 4 points thrown away. It would have been an easy victory if either Enoch, Jenno or Ash had taken the chances presented to them.

You can go on blaming Parry all you want but he didn't set the team out to defend like that, they got pushed back by a team which outpassed us. And still, if we'd taken our chances, we'd have won comfortably. For all Rochdale's possession, how many chances did they create?

If you are one nil up it doesn't matter where you play the game, attack or defend you are vulnerable unless you get more goals.

Lay off Les!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I would agree that tonight's disappointing end had little to do with Les. The turning point was probably Jenning's miss, which 99 times out of 100 he would have scored. One of those chances which he almost had 'too long to think about' as the cliche goes.

I thought the first half an hour was the most dominant we have been against any side for about two years, and as has been pointed out, in the second half we still created by far the best chances. With the chances spurned it would be easy to suggest we are going to pay for Moore's departure, but maybe it was just one of those nights. We certainly didn't get the rub of the green in either game against Rochdale, and I will be glad to see the back of them.

Man of the match for me was John Welsh who was magnificent, particularly in the first half. Lateef had arguably his best game for us, and Robbo showed his class in the few minutes he got on the pitch: great free kick. I thought Goodison and McChrystal had the look of a very solid partnership. Enoch was as willing as ever, although clearly not fully fit.

Still, regardless of the performance, the pressure is now on for Saturday which is a must win game.

 

[bigmart]

As i said in another thread were are the goals going to come from to keep us up? Enoch for all his hard work & effort cannot score Dale is a kid & had an off night tonight, we will continue to struggle this season without more goals.

For me the result was a fair reflection on the game as a whole, our full backs wernt too good but the centre half pairing did well for most of the time. Ash really cannot pass the ball and also should have burried his chance.

Lateef was MOM & its a pity that he will soon be going back as he has done well for us.

We really need to win on saturday or its going to be a long relegation battle ahead of us.

 

[Ian]

Such a disappointing end to what was a superb rare opening 30 minutes. It's been mentioned a few times in this thread, but if you can't kill teams off, it's always going to be a struggle.

We really should have buried 3 or 4 with some clear cut chances. Enoch, Ash and Dale all guilty. Great performances by Lateef, Welsh, Labadie and even Enoch put masses of effort in but failed to get any rewards. Same old story I'm afraid.

Ash had a poor game, couldn't pass to save his life and Dale was quiet.

We shot ourselves in the foot again, and is the reason why we can't move out of the bottom five. Will we ever learn?

 

[Sparky]

Welsh to me was immense - worked his socks off. You could see it coming but you cant blame Les as he was screaming at the players to push up - but naturally I suppose players sit back.

We have to be pleased with the opening half hour - dominated against a side full of confidence and on a good run. But the more the game went on I felt the more sloppy we became in the final third and was anyone really surprised with the outcome?

In terms of players, Ash does a good job in front of the back four but yes his distribution was awful. We need to skeep Latieff as Dale will have off days now teams have got him sussed so could do with them 2 and Robbo fighting for 2 places.

Enoch is the big problem, he doesnt look like scoring one bit. Yes I admire his workrate but I fear he is becoming a bit of a laughing stock. He wins plenty of headers but due to our system he flicks them onto their keeper. His confidence in front of goal is shot and I am surprised Les didnt try and sign another front man who could lead the line in a 4-3-3 as Les obviously doesnt have confidence in Akins etc to do it. Robbo etc will get a few goals here and there but we need our main front man to look and score goals, and Enoch just doesnt.

 

[Mal]

on the bright side, Swindon lost, Plymouth lost, Brentford lost and Leyton orient drew.

 

[DIW]

Yeah and if we hadn't chucked away 4 points recently we would be 13th.

 

[SonkORLY?]

His confidence in front of goal is shot and I am surprised Les didnt try and sign another front man who could lead the line in a 4-3-3 as Les obviously doesnt have confidence in Akins etc to do it.

Would be ace if we had a bottomless pit of money to spend bringing in players every time one hits a bit of bad form but we haven't sadly

 

[Ian]

As much as I like Enoch, he really has trouble finishing. Without wanting to be too cruel to the man, it's probably why he's playing football in Division One. If he could put his chances away, he'd be playing upfront with Torres! :razz:

 

[SonkORLY?]

I'm not his biggest fan. I don't think he looks very fit at the minute either. But he's still better than Akins and Morrow imo.

 

[Boz]

The problem at the moment is that Les has put all of his eggs in one basket striker-wise, namely Enoch. From what Ian Thomas-Moore aka Ian Moore has said, he wouldn't have stayed after his contract expired. Perhaps we should have hung onto Terry Gornell, who seems to be doing well at Accrington played as an out and out striker, rather than being stuck out wide. Interesting to note what SonkORLY? says about Enoch's fitness. I thought his workrate was phenomenal v Saints, but it may be that he can't deliver that rate game after game. Aside from Akins, we've nobody else who can function as a target man. I'd be tempted to give Enoch a rest, play a smaller forward-lineup for the home games eg Dale, McGurk and Morrow which should force us to play more on the ground, while playing Akins as a target away. Alternatively get another striker in on loan... hopefully our funds will stretch to that.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought Enoch's work rate was excellent again on Tuesday, but lack of fitness and lack of confidence are hampering him at the moment. Enoch is a good player, but he is basically a number two striker, as Savage was. Without Ian Moore we don't have a natural goalscorer at the club.

I do think Showunmi needs a break and a rest, and in theory I like the kind of alternatives Boz suggests, but I just don't think the likes of McGurk and Morrow are ready to carry the responsibility up front, although McGurk could possibly play alongside Enoch in a 4-4-2.

I agree that the decision to release Gornell may have been a mistake, as none of the replacements (Akins, McGurk, Morrow) have stepped up to the plate.

 

[DIW]

I think it's without doubt that whilst Enoch's workrate is excellent, never have I seen a striker less likely to score. If he goes through on goal this Saturday at the kop end I for one wont waste my time standing up in anticipation.

Desparately needs a goal.

 

[Ian]

Maybe he's trying too hard to score. Just relax those shoulders and let that ball fly Enoch!

 

[Sparky]

I always said Gornell should have stayed - IMO he was the most natural goalscorer on our books since Greenacre - but was never given a run in the side down the middle.

No surprises to me he has gone on and scored goals at Accrington. Similarly to Dagnall - given a run in the side in their best position, they would score goals.

Yes we are reliant on Enoch far too much and Les really needs to look at himself in that respect as McGurk (albeit he hasnt had much of a chance), Morrow and Akins all dont appear up to it, and were all Les' signings.

 

[Rob]

I'm not his biggest fan. I don't think he looks very fit at the minute either. But he's still better than Akins and Morrow imo.

100% agree with this.

Enoch after 80 minutes of running is still miles ahead of Akins/Morrow.

 

[bigmart]

Rob, Gornell was not good enough when he played for us & i dont just mean playing wide he played plenty of games up front in a 4 4 2 but he was just not good enough.

The fact that he is scoring goals in league 2 isnt that relevant to us as its the league below us