Quarantine in the Aviary Edition: Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City, Sat 12 Dec 2020, KO 1500

[WacoRover]

Every time against these top side, they've done nothing and winning again. Lenihan and Williams pissing about.

Yes, meanwhile, Rovers won possession, shots, on-goal, corners, etc. just instances of crappy defending.

Update, Rotherham victorious over Bristol City.

Thought: when BenB, Dack, & Travis return, only for us to lose, 2-3, instead of 1-2, I might be willing to admit mowbray will never get us above 10th place.

As I said earlier in this thread, we’ll get ‘em next time, lol.

[mcteeth]

Much like all our loses to the top sides we lost the game instead of Norwich winning it. Defensive lapses have killed all these really good performances.

[WacoRover]

Yes, it was there for the taking.

We’ve got a lot of really nice, inoffensive lads. Dacky seems to have some fire, maybe he will light one under some teammates when he’s back on the pitch.

[mcteeth]

Lenihan and Williams deal with that simple high ball better and we don't lose that game.

[Thorisgodpoo]

Kind of getting frustrated by giving up these goals. Pretty sure it's the formation we are playing, because the way Holtby and Rothwell split out wide, leaves Johnson by himself. And honestly, Johnson hasn't been playing too hot by himself. I think we need to give Trybull a shot again.

Elliot makes me eat my words by scoring a fantastic goal. Gallagher did okay, but he has cement in his feet for a first touch. And Armstrong is in a bit of a lull. Rothwell needs a rest because he doesn't seem as dynamic as he usually is. Wouldn't mind (and I can't believe I'm saying this) to see Bell start a match or two.

[mcteeth]

It depresses me so much watching these games and we've seen it against Bournemouth, Watford, Bristol City and Reading to a degree. We have conceded a sack full of goals purely down to absolute basics. Even the first goal today Holtby doesn't do nearly enough to stop Tettey getting the ball into the box, fine Pukki is then ruthless. But the second goal is just tragic, avoidable in so many ways literally just on the basis of heading or clearing a simple high ball better.

Last season we showed signs of being nearly a very good side, this season we are a couple of very fine margins and the odd mistake off being a real class act in this division. It's just depressing.

Defensively Douglas has been pretty poor overall, not discounting the quality he brings on the ball but the flack Bell gets defensively is unfair at times. I agree I think Bell provides a defensively better option currently.

[WacoRover]

If there’s a silver lining in this dark cloud, the next dozen or so fixtures we should start fattening up on 3’s, with the occasional 1. We might only lose a couple between now and the end of February.

But, then we hit another run of top-10 teams in March, & Dandy Don might as well sing, “turn out the lights, the party’s over.” (Ask your resident Texan who Dandy Don is )

[stillgrowling]

The possession stats are misleading. We do an enormous amount of passing in our own half, passing back to Kaminski etc. Lenihan nearly scored an og by passing back to his goalkeeper from near on the half way line.
If we had half as much possession but in the opponents half that would be significant. There's a lot of differnce between 'patient build up' and constantly stroking the ball from side to side in our own half.

[Thorisgodpoo]

The possession stats are misleading. We do an enormous amount of passing in our own half, passing back to Kaminski etc. Lenihan nearly scored an og by passing back to his goalkeeper from near on the half way line.
If we had half as much possession but in the opponents half that would be significant. There's a lot of differnce between 'patient build up' and constantly stroking the ball from side to side in our own half.

Was about to mention that when people say "we dominated possession." I hardly call it that when it's pass between the back 4 switching the direction. We don't do much with the ball, and that's the problem right now. Rothwell is not taking those diving runs with the ball, Johnson and Holtbu makes the occasional ping into space on the wings. Other than that, it's a lot of pass along the back line.

This is where I believe Travis, Dack and Brereton make a massive difference.