League Two Crewe (2) v Rovers (0)

[Ian]

It'll be interesting to hear from those that went what was happening in the away end and why the game was stopped for 15 mins.

 

[Boz]

It'll be interesting to hear from those that went what was happening in the away end and why the game was stopped for 15 mins.

Suggestion of Rovers fans throwing coins at the AR. Totally unacceptable if correct.

 

[frenchrover]

We were absolutely dire in the first half, in fact its hard to remember a worse performance from a Rovers side. However, bizarrely, we played much better, accepting that wouldn't take much given the level of performance in the 1st half, when down to 10 men and actually should have scored a couple of goals with a modicum of luck. But none of this excuses the total lack of comment coming from the chairman as to the dire position the club now finds itself in. I'm convinced that it wouldn't matter who the manager is this squad is just not good enough....the midfield is non-existent, both going forward or in offering cover to the defence which itself is an absolute shambles. God only knows what McGee was thinking handling the ball miles out of his box when there was cover available behind him and as for Davies's senseless tackle for his 2nd yellow, that just about sums up where the team and the club is now.........a total shambolic mess.

 

[Sparky]

Just back and where do I start? A horrible afternoon and we are only heading in one direction at the moment. For me Adkins isn’t the answer.

4-3-3 got Dawes the sack. Yet Adkins has persisted with it and today. Walker should have started and if he’s having fitness issues why did he play 90 minutes on Tuesday? league is the priority. Neither Morris or Jennings are defensively any good and a silly foul from Connor led to the goal. We switched off as they took it quick and Demetriou, a tall centre back who had 4 goals already this season was unmarked to head home. Shambolic.
They dominated after that and we not In the game at all apart from one Morris shot from distance. Jolley totally ineffective against experienced league two centre halves.
Second half a moment of madness from McGee saw him sent off. The resultant free kick was very clever moving the ball so the wall was out of it and driven past Murphy. Why do we never do clever free kicks like that?
After that it was game over, we created a few half chances and surprise surprise Saunders missed a sitter before heading against the bar late on. Connor also hit the top of the bar from distance but you felt we’d never get anything from the game.

4-3-3 just isn’t working, especially away from home. Jolley just not good enough. Dennis looks lost on his own up there. Hawkes devoid of any confidence. Yes Saunders runs around but as a footballer he’s bang average. Morris and Jennings are very attacking meaning the midfield defensive responsibilities lie with Hendry who isn’t that sort of player.
As for the defence, we just look so fragile. Davies looks all over the place and Yarney looks like a national league player.

I’m really starting to be concerned And bored with Nigel’s pre match positivity nonsense. If he mentions that bloody boulder again I’ll be furious. He can point to the sending off today but we were never getting anything from that game. To make it worse tranmere fans near me scrapping in the first half and one guy thrown out. Some fat bearded fells shouting awful abuse at LOC and others.
is Adkins capabale of giving a Rollicking which they need? I don’t think he's the answer as he’s naive to just stick with the same system that got Dawes sacked In the first place.

 

[Sparky]

Suggestion of Rovers fans throwing coins at the AR. Totally unacceptable if correct.

Someone threw a bottle which resulted in the delay. Wouldn’t have surprised me if there were coins. A number of idiots in the crowd today which unfortunately happens when we take large numbers. 1,200 and as frustrating as it was, no excuse for that kind of behaviour

 

[mellow submarine]

It's not just today, we have played the same way in all our away games and have got 0 points, if it isn't working and it's clearly not then try something different

who would you play in the 2 with Norris out and Dennis unift. (Obviously there is questions on why we are signing unfit and injuryu prone players)

 

[Ian]

We've been signing unfit and injury prone players for years. I have to go back to what @roverstillidie mentioned above and was exactly what I am thinking. I really don't know if this team is too far gone no matter who takes charge. Who's going to come in and save this mess?

 

[mellow submarine]

Just back and where do I start? A horrible afternoon and we are only heading in one direction at the moment. For me Adkins isn’t the answer.

4-3-3 got Dawes the sack. Yet Adkins has persisted with it and today. Walker should have started and if he’s having fitness issues why did he play 90 minutes on Tuesday? league is the priority. Neither Morris or Jennings are defensively any good and a silly foul from Connor led to the goal. We switched off as they took it quick and Demetriou, a tall centre back who had 4 goals already this season was unmarked to head home. Shambolic.
They dominated after that and we not In the game at all apart from one Morris shot from distance. Jolley totally ineffective against experienced league two centre halves.
Second half a moment of madness from McGee saw him sent off. The resultant free kick was very clever moving the ball so the wall was out of it and driven past Murphy. Why do we never do clever free kicks like that?
After that it was game over, we created a few half chances and surprise surprise Saunders missed a sitter before heading against the bar late on. Connor also hit the top of the bar from distance but you felt we’d never get anything from the game.

4-3-3 just isn’t working, especially away from home. Jolley just not good enough. Dennis looks lost on his own up there. Hawkes devoid of any confidence. Yes Saunders runs around but as a footballer he’s bang average. Morris and Jennings are very attacking meaning the midfield defensive responsibilities lie with Hendry who isn’t that sort of player.
As for the defence, we just look so fragile. Davies looks all over the place and Yarney looks like a national league player.

I’m really starting to be concerned And bored with Nigel’s pre match positivity nonsense. If he mentions that bloody boulder again I’ll be furious. He can point to the sending off today but we were never getting anything from that game. To make it worse tranmere fans near me scrapping in the first half and one guy thrown out. Some fat bearded fells shouting awful abuse at LOC and others.
is Adkins capabale of giving a Rollicking which they need? I don’t think he's the answer as he’s naive to just stick with the same system that got Dawes sacked In the first place.

thanks for the report, sadly, I am not sure what options we have for change given that our forwards are so light weight. At the back, it doen't look great, no leaders, but it would help if they could stay on the pitch.
No steel in the middle either . Not sure what we can do . The club think they are signing the best players they can afford. Feeling for any season ticket holders right now. I know Nigels positivity is getting a bit annoying but no one would turn up if he told it as it is. Hopefully there are 2 worse sides in the division.

 

[Sparky]

Nigel positive post match about the second half performance. I’m not sure, is it easier to play better when at that point the game was lost?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree with most of Sparky's post above and a lot of the other comments. As a club at the moment we are directionless, and that was one of the worst defensive displays I can remember from a Rovers side, even worse than many in the 2014-15 relegation season.

It is surely obvious that we have to improve our appalling defensive record and stop conceding soft goals, particularly away from home, if we are to stand any chance of staying up. Why Adkins has not adopted a 'safety first' approach in away games, of staying in the game and stifling the opposition, is beyond me. It is the only way we will earn a point away from Prenton Park. As it is, we turn the match into a game of basketball and, completely unsurprisingly, better teams cut through us like a knife through butter, as Crewe did in the first twenty minutes today.

The lack of protection from midfield is a glaring weakness that is obvious to most, but apparently not Adkins. A couple of the individuals in the back four today are simply not good enough. Wood is appalling defensively and was rinsed by their number ten all game; I agree with Sparky that Yarney is National League standard. Given that we have those issues, surely we need to protect the back four with a defensive midifielder and make the distances between defence and midfield smaller ?

On an individual point, the decision to substitute Morris today was ludicrous: he and Jennings were the only two outfield players who performed, and Morris had scored in each of the previous two league games, as well having our best effort in the first sixty minutes today.

What an almighty mess.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Nigel positive post match about the second half performance. I’m not sure, is it easier to play better when at that point the game was lost?

The last thirty minutes meant nothing. Crewe sat off as they had won the game, and it was easy for our players to knock the ball around when there was no longer any jeapardy in the game.

In the first sixty minutes when it mattered, we were pathetic.

 

[mellow submarine]

I agree with most of Sparky's post above and a lot of the other comments. As a club at the moment we are directionless, and that was one of the worst defensive displays I can remember from a Rovers side, even worse than many in the 2014-15 relegation season.

It is surely obvious that we have to improve our appalling defensive record and stop conceding soft goals, particularly away from home, if we are to stand any chance of staying up. Why Adkins has not adopted a 'safety first' approach in away games, of staying in the game and stifling the opposition, is beyond me. It is the only way we will earn a point away from Prenton Park. As it is, we turn the match into a game of basketball and, completely unsurprisingly, better teams cut through us like a knife through butter, as Crewe did in the first twenty minutes today.

The lack of protection for midfield is a glaring weakness that is obvious to most, but apparently not Adkins. A couple of the individuals in the back four today are simply not good enough. Wood is appalling defensively and was rinsed by their number ten all game; I agree with Sparky that Yarney is National League standard. Given that we have those issues, surely we need to protect the back four with a defensive midifielder and make the distances between defence and midfield smaller ?

On an individual point, the decision to substitute Morris today was ludicrous: he and Jennings were the only two outfield players who performed, and Morris had scored in each of the previous two league games, as well having our best effort in the first sixty minutes today.

What an almighty mess.

Agreed , we needed an upgrade on Turnbull, and Davies not the opposite, but is this where the finances lie ?

 

[roverstillidie]

We’re completely rudderless and heading straight for the national league, we’re only not adrift because 3 other teams are also indulging in complete incompetence. Frankly all 4 deserve to go down if they carry on like this.

10 points after 13 games is beyond embarrassing. Imagine if we weren’t the most prepared we have ever been!

The whole thing is just so sad - Boreham Wood, Newport and all those other times are being rendered worthless.

This whole saga is entirely self inflicted through Palios trying to be too clever.

We don’t have the resources for grand plans and cunning schemes, just appoint a competent manager, get a few leaders and leave them to it. (Or if you do want to be a self sustainable, development club, have a proper youth system, novel idea I know).

I do believe Palios wants the best for the club, but even the most well meaning can make terrible mistakes. We’ve had a series of them ever since Mellon left in covid.

Best we can hope for is 2 other teams somehow being worse than us and staying up with a record low points total, then a summer re-group.

Although given we sacked Mellon in Feb with the whole idea of getting everything lined for a crack at things this season, I have little faith the re-group would work!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Agreed , we needed an upgrade on Turnbull, and Davies not the opposite, but is this where the finances lie ?

It is not a question of finances. Turnbull and Davies are both good enough but have been left exposed this season by poor tactics and a lack of protection from midfield.

Even Yarney and Davies as a partnership would be much more solid if they had O'Connor ahead of them.

 

[Stickman]

Just back and where do I start? A horrible afternoon and we are only heading in one direction at the moment. For me Adkins isn’t the answer.

4-3-3 got Dawes the sack. Yet Adkins has persisted with it and today. Walker should have started and if he’s having fitness issues why did he play 90 minutes on Tuesday? league is the priority. Neither Morris or Jennings are defensively any good and a silly foul from Connor led to the goal. We switched off as they took it quick and Demetriou, a tall centre back who had 4 goals already this season was unmarked to head home. Shambolic.
They dominated after that and we not In the game at all apart from one Morris shot from distance. Jolley totally ineffective against experienced league two centre halves.
Second half a moment of madness from McGee saw him sent off. The resultant free kick was very clever moving the ball so the wall was out of it and driven past Murphy. Why do we never do clever free kicks like that?
After that it was game over, we created a few half chances and surprise surprise Saunders missed a sitter before heading against the bar late on. Connor also hit the top of the bar from distance but you felt we’d never get anything from the game.

4-3-3 just isn’t working, especially away from home. Jolley just not good enough. Dennis looks lost on his own up there. Hawkes devoid of any confidence. Yes Saunders runs around but as a footballer he’s bang average. Morris and Jennings are very attacking meaning the midfield defensive responsibilities lie with Hendry who isn’t that sort of player.
As for the defence, we just look so fragile. Davies looks all over the place and Yarney looks like a national league player.

I’m really starting to be concerned And bored with Nigel’s pre match positivity nonsense. If he mentions that bloody boulder again I’ll be furious. He can point to the sending off today but we were never getting anything from that game. To make it worse tranmere fans near me scrapping in the first half and one guy thrown out. Some fat bearded fells shouting awful abuse at LOC and others.
is Adkins capabale of giving a Rollicking which they need? I don’t think he's the answer as he’s naive to just stick with the same system that got Dawes sacked In the first place.

I've was also sat near to the fat, bearded moron. A disgraceful human being and I feel sorry for his son who was with him. Alongside me was a lad who could not be much older than 8 who was using awful language, encouraged by his dad. As supporters, we need to start making a stand against this type of cretin. Just made a bad day even worse.

 

[Sparky]

2 wins from 7 under Nigel. How long do we persist with him? It real looks like the 14/15 season when we went down. Started with an inexperienced manager and didn’t work. Then a very experienced manager came in and that didn’t work.

Something needs to change at this rate.

 

[Ian]

Well all those Mellon moaners got their wish and look at us now? I think RLC has made a great point regarding Adkins and how he sets us up away from home. You would think with his experience he would deploy a more cautious approach and at least protect the back four but he does not and we are still using 433 which is not working. Why are we not seeing change? The home games we could probably scrape though but the away games are an embarrassing mess. I think we need to move on quickly. Palios needs to try and save this season before it is too late.

I'm going to be extremely reluctant to fork out money on National League again.

 

[Sparky]

We’re completely rudderless and heading straight for the national league, we’re only not adrift because 3 other teams are also indulging in complete incompetence. Frankly all 4 deserve to go down if they carry on like this.

10 points after 13 games is beyond embarrassing. Imagine if we weren’t the most prepared we have ever been!

The whole thing is just so sad - Boreham Wood, Newport and all those other times are being rendered worthless.

This whole saga is entirely self inflicted through Palios trying to be too clever.

We don’t have the resources for grand plans and cunning schemes, just appoint a competent manager, get a few leaders and leave them to it. (Or if you do want to be a self sustainable, development club, have a proper youth system, novel idea I know).

I do believe Palios wants the best for the club, but even the most well meaning can make terrible mistakes. We’ve had a series of them ever since Mellon left in covid.

Best we can hope for is 2 other teams somehow being worse than us and staying up with a record low points total, then a summer re-group.

Although given we sacked Mellon in Feb with the whole idea of getting everything lined for a crack at things this season, I have little faith the re-group would work!

Totally agree with all of this. I’ve said it before but you really do think Micky was doing a great job even getting us close to the play offs last season.

 

[Ian]

We are now seeing what happens when you do not have a competent manager in charge. I think we were probably punching above our weight with Micky. There are no leaders in the team, everyone looking around at each other when a goal goes in, no-one taking responsibility. The standard and attitude of some of the players is poor. We still haven't addressed the striker situation properly and now our defence is letting us down. What is Palios doing tonight? Sipping on red wine? Decisions need to be made and we need action.

What's the odds of us setting up with the 433 and the same players on Fri night?

 

[Sparky]

Doncaster scored 5 today against another out of form team in Sutton so will be looking for the same on Friday. It may help that Davies is missing as Turnbull will come back in.
The attacking situation is a worry. Yes we’re missing Norris but how many are Jolley and Saunders going to actually score? Dennis was getting abuse today which was way out of order. He’s so wasted playing in that lone central role.
Something does need to change soon as Palios will have less chance of selling us if we’re playing the likes of Dorking Wanderers next season.

Just watched the Highlights back. Defending for the first was unforgivable. McGee was at fault for the sending off but can’t blame him too much.