Rovers 0-1 Oldham

[Ian]

Well there goes our home record, against bloody Oldham as well. And I'd say we deserved to lose overall.

We just weren't very good today and Coyne had to make a handful of good saves to keep the score down.
Tranmere did create their own chances as well, but these came in the first half when we looked half decent.
As soon as Oldham scored, the heads went down and we didn't look dangerous. The second half was awful with Rovers creating very little.

The same problems exist though. We play with two so called wingers, yet we dont use them, they dont play like wingers and we end up playing the ball through the middle. And because we dont use the width, we end up getting into the opponents half, then we either lob an aimless ball into the air hoping someone will get on the end of it or play it sideways a little then eventually back to defence.

Shuker and Sonko were hopelessly ineffective today. Shuker still isn't anywhere near fitness and Sonko is just rubbish.
The team really struggled today and the more it went on, the less likely we looked like scoring.

Quite a bad tempered affair as well. Ten bookings in total with six going to the home side.
Once again, when the time comes to make an impact on this league, we lose. We certainly won't be going anywhere with performances like that. #-o

 

[Ian]

Ronnie's post match reaction has annoyed me a little. What game was he watching?

"There were a lot of positives. We tried to play, tried to pass it and tried to get the ball in the box​

No we didn't. We couldn't string three passes together before losing it. I can't see many positives coming from that game at all.

What about the poor performances from most of the squad? Ronnie needs to wise up. Oldham were OK, but they weren't brilliant and to lose at home to them, there's problems he needs to address.

Yes, we had an OK 35 minutes, but we were crap as soon as they scored and the second half was dreadful.
God it annoys me when managers talk like that after a frustrating game to watch.

Ohh yeah, we seemed to have a good goal ruled out as well! :roll:

 

[Boz]

I wasn't very impressed with the 2nd half showing either, though it did improve a bit when the 2 subs came on. Think you're being a bit harsh on Sonko, Ian. Granted he didn't play well today, but aside from Shotton, who did? Think he's better playing in a 4-3-3, with freedom to roam. The ref had a stinker, the amount of cards flying around suggests a bloodbath. Didn't have a clear view of the disallowed goal, but the offside must have been marginal.

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Think also we are being a bit harsh on the team overall. I thought there was plenty of effort (often missing last season) and with a bit of good luck we certainly would have drawn.

I think the winger problem still persists. Shuker hasn't got the pace or confidence to take on a full-back, but he still managed a few good crosses. Sonko had our best effort on goals, but seemed lost wide left. I don't agree that we looked better when the subs came on - apart from an attempted cross over the keeper, i can't remember Greenacre touching the ball, while Moore was just a passenger on the right. Might have been better to bring on O'Callaghan and push Curran out right, or bring on Moore through the middle? We'll never know.

As for the offside 'goal' we'll I'd love to see that one again. I was right in line and I cannot see how the linesman thought it was off. I was celebrating like mad, the ref (a total plonker) had given it and I thought fair enough. Then the kick in the nuts.

I agree Shotton looked really good, Coyne was also good, but I want to know who spiked Savage's tea at half-time. Just looked a different player second half, not effective and seldom in the box.

Two really tricky away games now - and given our record be afraid! But all's not lost - I still think we have more energy than last season - but can it survive a bad run................

 

[Boz]

Agree that neither Greenacre nor Moore had great chances when they came on, but the amount of activity in the Oldham area increased. Curran hadn't posed much threat either. Savage had a good 1st half, but was doing a Greenacre and going deep to get the ball in the 2nd. Imo, O'Callaghan would have been too lightweight for that physical sort of game, would rather a Barnett or Henry on the bench. The next games will be tough, some grinding out of results required.

 

[Ian]

How can we be a few posts in and not mention Bas's blue hair! What do we all think? Might do the same myself.

I have calmed down a bit from yesterday, just really frustrated. I really didn't want to lose that game. I still stand by my comments on Sonko. I just dont see what he brings to the team and haven't seen anything from him yet. Well, apart from a goal against AS. He needs to get more involved.

I was disappointed with Curran yesterday, he just wasn't in it, but he is still only young and still learning. Also disappointed the two subs weren't in the game. I was pleased when Greenacre came on, I thought he'd fair much better in that physical game but he hardly had a touch!

TT64: I think that's why I wanted to win this game because with two away games to come, I don't have any confidence away from home. Losing three on the trot wouldn't be good.

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Agreed, the away for is a real worry, we simply have to turn it around. Don't know why we are so crap on our travels, same personnel, same tactics.... oh, maybe that's why!!!!

 

[Joe_TRFC]

Suprised to see so many comments of us being poor. From what I heard and from the commentary sounded like we were by far better team in 1st half. 2nd half they had more chances but thats only natural when we are chasing the game. Gutted the goal was disallowed and not one person has said it was the right decision. Sonko did sound dreadful and I really think we should have brought in a left winger especially now Ronnie has decided to go with 442 again.

 

[Boz]

Joe, the commentary you heard must have been done by someone wearing white-tinted spectacles. The 1st have we had only 2 decent chances; a Savage shot from the edge of the box and Kay unmarked from a corner shooting over. The match stats show Oldham having more shots than us and over the 90 minutes they were the better team. Shuker isn't fit and Sonko isn't a winger, so we'd need 2 loans(or to try Cresswell on the left-wing) to be able to play 442. Can see Ronnie going 451 for the away games.

 

[Ian]

In the first half, we also squandered a good chance by Curran and a dreadful miss by Shuker who had he simply blasted the ball instead of tapping it, we most definately would have scored, but yet again, the finishing was poor.

As I say, we were the better team until they scored. Heads went down.
Interestingly, reading the Bas Savage interview in the programme (pages 18-19), he mentions the Leicester game and goes on to say:

"We played OK at Leicester for the first half hour but when the goal went in for them, we went a bit flat."

Déjà vu! :-k

 

[roverstillidie]

For the first half hour we completely dominated the match and had a few chances. Kay, Curran and the awful Shuker notably missing chances. However Oldham gradually got a foothold in the game through strong, impressive and organised defending through Gregan and Hazell and then scored from a dodgy free kick. Rovers failed to clear the ball sufficently and as dumb and dumber (Sonko and Shuker), dithered about who should close the Oldham winger down, he sent in a cross to the poorly marked Hazell and he headed home. After that Rovers lost momentum and the first half turned into a scrappy affair with the Referee making baffling decisions for both sides and not allowing the match to flow.

In the second half Rovers were predictably slow out of the blocks and Oldham had a few chances. The game became tense as both sides attacked however Oldham were proving much more effective at this with the now deep lying Chris Taylor causing all sorts of problems. Rovers attacking play was rather predictable - slow play with everything in front of their back 4 which is far too easy to defend against (It was a bit like England really!). Rovers than equalised after Tranmere finally got behind the Oldham defence. Savage played the ball backwards and across the box to Moore who slotted home but the referee gave offside despite the ball been played backwards and we were back to 0-1. For rest of the game Rovers heads dropped and having seen the advantages of getting behind the Oldham defence - failed to do it again. Greenacre and Moore came on but were both ineffective. In the end Oldham finished on top and it ended 0-1.

Rovers problems seem to be a complete lack of creativity and no wingers. Shuker shouldn't play for at least a month until he's fit again and Sonko looks terrible - everytime he gets the ball he gives it away! Rovers need a creative midfielder and at least 2 wingers if were to get anywhere in this division besides the bottom 4! On the plus side Ryan Shotton was brilliant and a lot of his play was reminsicent of Goodison. Him and Goodison could be an epic combination! We should sign him like we did with Andy Taylor as he could be a long term replacement for Goodison and (Hopefully) Chorley!

Ronnie says "a draw would have been a fair result". That may have been true if we had got behind there defence and defended as well as they did but as we didn't. Oldham deserved to win. Although if the goal had been given who knows what might have happened.... (Oldham would have probably gone up the other end and scored!)

Ratings:
Coyne 6: Made a few good saves but needs to talk more
Edds: 5: Solid in the first half but gave Taylor far too much space in the second half
Chorley 5: Gets out muscled far too easily, made one great block but as the most senior player in the back 4 failed to take enough repsonsibilty
Shotton 8: Played well throughout the entire match, strong composed and produce a series of Goodison esque shimmys
Taylor 5: Had an excellent first half but was terrible in the second
Shuker 1: Rubbish! No touch, cant cross, cant pass, cant tackle, has no confidence
Kay 6: A commited performance in midfield but faded in the second
Jennings 5: Didn't get enough tackles in and a lot of the game seemed to pass him by
Sonko 2: Produced one good shot but basically read 'Shuker'.
Curran 5: Tried hard but couldn't find enough space and was outmuscled and well marked by the Oldham defence.
Savage 7: Played quite well with a few testing shots and set up the 'Goal'.

Moore 5: Despite his disallowed goal was largely ineffective
Greenacre 5: Came on for Curran but failed to make any impact. Disappointing.

(Orange = booked) You can't read the yellow!

Rovers Man of the Match: Shotton

Overall Man of the Match: Hazell/Gregan

Team I would play vs Huddersfield

Achterberg

Edds Shotton Goodison Taylor

Sonko Jennings Kay Barnett

Curran Savage

Subs: Coyne Waterfall O'Callaghan Greenacre Holmes

 

[SonkORLY?]

first post, hello.

i thought we did alreet. people seem to focus quite heavily on individual player performances...i think that in general, compared to the past few years at least, ronnie's certainly got us playing better football as a team, at least when we're in posession of the ball. i'd like to see the defence better organised, chorleys positional play is quite often an accident waiting to happen, but ronnie has already said he hopes to address that in training this week ahead of the 'udders game so fair play.

shuker and sonko didnt have their greatest games on saturday, and admittadly we seem to be lacking out wide at the moment, but the fact that davies was snapped up so quickly serves as proof that widemen with any sort of alleged potential dont last long at this level. there are certainly worse wingers in league 1 than sonko, and i think people perhaps have unrealistic expectations of the players that a club with our wage structure can attract. i think hes a good addition to the squad, and certainly an improvement on the likes of JMW, mike jones, kevin cooper and anyone else who we played out wide towards the end of last season.

i thought baz played really well again, as did jenno and tony kay who put in good shifts in CM without really contributing a lot going forward. if creativity remains a problem over the coming weeks i'd like to see ronny play barnett alongside jenno - particulaly at home - moving kay to CB with goodison. also, have faith in shuker! over the next few months i expect him to recapture the form that he showed when he first came to the club.

 

[Ian]

First off, welcome to the forums!
Secondly, I hope you're right about Shuker. When he's on form, he can be a great addition to the squad.