13/08/22 - L1: Bristol Rovers v OUFC

[East Stand Fan]

Robinson's reluctance to sing an established striker will forever haunt us and the threat we pose in the final third. Last couple of seasons we have been blessed with a highly creative midfield that can also deliver goals and even the season before that, our defence alone was scoring for fun. Now we are down to one proven forward at this level and if they don't get the service then we are heavily reliant on the midfield once again to bail us out. A team like us should be rolling with at least 3 experienced strikers at this level - even Wycombe had 5 last year and most teams have at least 3 strikers to turn to. Baldock last year gave us a new lease of life and we were hitting 3 goals a game with him and Taylor up front and despite an encouraging budget, we still haven't found another striker of this caliber despite being in a position to raid any League 2 side or enticing others within the EFL.

 

[Cass63]

I’ve watched all four games this season and we haven’t played well in any of them, first half at derby was ok but cancelled out be the second. One player different to last seasons finishing team and two players who couldn’t get in that team are starting this season.

 

[curransleftboot]

For me Eastwood’s distribution was poor.

Henry and Bodin in the same team doesn’t work.

McGuane – a class act and the player we hoped he would become when we first saw him, my MOM.

Browne looked off the pace today.

Long – apart from that incident near the end looked better but still need RB cover/competition.

Seddon – clearly not a left back and he and Findlay seem to have several ‘disagreements’ every game now on who’s covering who. Reminds me of the Sean Clare saga.

Taylor – IF he gets the service, he will score but (as last season) but playing a lone striker without a decent service doesn’t work – and as soon as KR realised that last season and played Baldock alongside Taylor in a two they looked unplayable at times.

Joseph – with his limited time looked impressive and he alongside Taylor up front is a combination that could work now without having to wait for Baldock’s return.

We appear to be a team who can’t counter quickly and directly on the ground (Whyte & Sykes now gone).

Starting the team KR ended with today may well have seen a better performance.

What’s the point in getting players in if their injury prone or you’re not going to play them? (Jones & Brown).

 

[ZeroTheHero]

We need a CDM this will allow us to get the best out of MM and Cam (currently their forward driving talent is being compromised) would also allow our FB to push on and create the overload…!

I agree. McGuane is doing a good job there, but is is noticeable that Brannagan is also playing much deeper. Whether that's to help McGuane or to offer a bit more defensive cover for our dodgy full backs (or perhaps the way they are set up) I don't think I am qualified to say. But with *both* of them playing deeper there is no connection between the midfield and an isolated striker - we are missing out on the attacking oomph both of them offer.

 

[Northstandboy]

So what did Robbo say? Any of these promises of a new player agajn?

 

[Mellowyellow]

Another great start under KR. Same old problem’s rising once again. Disappointing but not surprised…

Big difference this season is that he is far more accountable.
So far the window is a farce in action with the injured/potential for serious injury players in the door.
He knows, whatever anyone thinks on the board, if we dont reach the play offs he will be gone. Even today cryptically he mentioned it being solely a results game.
The infuriating thing about kr is kr himself.
With the budget he has, there really no excuse for not assembling a side that could challenge the top 2. Kr could achieve that.
After Hall, winnall, hanson, holmes etc you would have thought he would have learnt a valuable lesson.
Its as if he seeks the council of no one apart from himself after such a defeat.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

So what did Robbo say? Any of these promises of a new player agajn?

He was evasive or (perhaps more kindly) enigmatic about any new players. But to be honest the interview was a bit of a car crash, illogical, disjointed, saying he had to take the blame then blaming the players. I got very little out of it - I guess we should have learned by now!

 

[windmill]

So what did Robbo say? Any of these promises of a new player agajn?

Usual waffle. Even Jerome said he is cheesed off. That is a step up for him.

 

[duckyellow]

Player ratings:

Eastwood: 5 - One great save but a bit lost for the goal and his distribution was poor.

Seddon: 4 - I have no idea why he started. Brown is a better left back than him. He didn’t cross well and didn’t defend well. Findlay bawled him out on more than one occasion.

Findlay: 7 - Pretty solid but his distribution wasn’t great.

Moore: 6 - He was bested by Marquis today.

Long: 4 - He looks shot of all confidence. Can barely kick the ball at times. Nearly gave a goal away second half. Seems almost cruel to keep playing him in this form

McGuane: 7 - Clear MOTM. Defended well and passed nicely, drove forwards a few times as well. Mad that people questioned him in that role when he’s been our best player so far this season

Brannagan: 6 - He worked hard but still lacking that magic from last season.

Browne: 6 - Made a couple of nice runs early on but seemed tired or unwilling to run after that. Brightened up again when he moved to the left hand side

Bodin: 5 - Didn’t do much, he has no legs to get past a player so needs runners around him

Henry: 5.5 - Started brightly and did ok without being good

Taylor: 4 - Isolated and ineffectual

Pretty spot on. Browne and Brannagan maybe a 5.
I know it's been done to death on here but our season could be nearly over playing like this. Get the 'exciting' forward in. Play 3 at the back with Brown. New RWB and LWB for me.

 

[battman]

Well what an abject display that was. On paper we have the better players and we knew exactly how this Bristol Rovers side would set up.

The tactics were completely bemusing today. Looked like we were playing a weird 4-4-2 formation with Henry wide right, Bodin on the left and Browne upfront with Taylor. Every time a player picked their head up and looked forward, they hit an aimless long ball , why has that become part of our game all of a sudden? The decision to take off Taylor for Joseph was like swapping water for H2O - at that point we needed to chase the game with two strikers - and bringing on little Tyler Goodrham against a physical Rovers side and sticking him on the right was the wrong call. It's alarming how disjointed we looked considering Findlay was the only starter who wasn't here last season.

The team, both individually and as a unit, weren't good enough today. Eastwood made a good stop but his overall distribution was poor, Long offered absolutely zero going forward, Moore was ok but bettered by Marquis, Findlay is solid but can't play out from the back, Seddon was culpable for the goal and his crossing was poor, McGuane is the only one to come out of this game with any credit, Brannagan looks off colour, Henry can only work on the right if coupled up with a pacy full back, Bodin was wasted out wide and should be playing centrally, Browne lacked a threat and Taylor was anonymous with no service.

You can bemoan the quality, as we have a worst XI than last season, but the players don't even look like they know what they're meant to be doing. There's no set way of playing I can see from the evidence of play this season, and we're not setting up to combat other team's game plans either. What do Karl and the coaching staff do all week? It's a genuine question and I'd really like to know, because there was no evidence of coaching on this performance.

Karl will have to change things quick if he wants to keep his job for any length of time. For a manager who's already been here for 4-and-a-half years, he's had plenty of time to bring in his own players, fix gaps in the squad and impliment his way of playing, but we've been going backwards for a while now. 3 games, 1 goal and 2 defeats just isn't good enough for a side with a budget like ours, and Karl is definitely feeling the pressure now.

 

[Marked Ox]

Bodin Taylor Henry no pace in the side very dissapointed and frustrated so far.

I keep reading we have no pace but Marcus Browne is fast.

 

[battman]

Ah, we'll be fine. They adjusted well after we were looking very comfortable, then they scored and ensured that was the end of the game. They'll scrape enough points to stay up this season, and we'll challenge at the other end. Can't afford too many losses too early on but I think we'll hold it together and have a charge in the second half of the season.

I won't pay too much attention to KR's comments. We'll have at least two new faces coming in, one of whom will be a fullback.

Based on what we've seen so far this season, are you really confident about this? Poor against Derby, poor against Cambridge, poor for 75 minutes against Swansea, poor against Rovers.

 

[uptheus]

I’m just glad we’ve got an easier start until we’ve got our full squad together.

Re; today’s game, well it was as bad as the other league games so far, bloody rubbish.

And Karl talks some shite after games which is made worse by poor performances/results. If we get the results then you can just about stomach his post match interviews, but if not it’s a hard listen.

 

[McXal]

I keep reading we have no pace but Marcus Browne is fast.

We definitely are light on pace currently. Browne is pretty quick, McGuane is similarly athletic with a powerful stride when he gets going…and that’s about it.

Our iFollow preview show has a segment where they ask the players who would win in 100m races - and to a man every one of them so far has “umm’d and ahhh’d” before saying a variation of ‘well Browney is fast’.

It’s one of the things that needs to be addressed in the final weeks of the window - be it fast fullbacks, a quick striker or another winger in…(particularly since Murphy & Wildschut, who were presumably signed to provide some of that extra mobility are both out)

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Not sure if it’s the heat but last season we moved the ball really quickly and there always seemed to be an option for the man with the ball.
But losing the energy of Sykes,Williams and Whyte seems to have affected us.
However the biggest problem maybe losing Kane, I know defensively he wasn’t great but him and Brannagan were superb going forward. Marcus McGuane has done really well defensively but as an attacking option not so great
All in all defensively we look more sound but attacking wise we are very average

 

[ComptonYellow]

Not sure if it’s the heat but last season we moved the ball really quickly and there always seemed to be an option for the man with the ball.
But losing the energy of Sykes,Williams and Whyte seems to have affected us.
However the biggest problem maybe losing Kane, I know defensively he wasn’t great but him and Brannagan were superb going forward. Marcus McGuane has done really well defensively but as an attacking option not so great
All in all defensively we look more sound but attacking wise we are very average

Totally agree Kane is a huge loss and KR has not replaced him, unless he thinks Bate is the player.

 

[Marked Ox]

We definitely are light on pace currently. Browne is pretty quick, McGuane is similarly athletic with a powerful stride when he gets going…and that’s about it.

Our iFollow preview show has a segment where they ask the players who would win in 100m races - and to a man every one of them so far has “umm’d and ahhh’d” before saying a variation of ‘well Browney is fast’.

It’s one of the things that needs to be addressed in the final weeks of the window - be it fast fullbacks, a quick striker or another winger in…(particularly since Murphy & Wildschut, who were presumably signed to provide some of that extra mobility are both out)

Joseph is supposed to have pace as well.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Pretty spot on. Browne and Brannagan maybe a 5.
I know it's been done to death on here but our season could be nearly over playing like this. Get the 'exciting' forward in. Play 3 at the back with Brown. New RWB and LWB for me.

And I'm pretty spot on with you!!

 

[Oufcrealist]

I keep reading we have no pace but Marcus Browne is fast.

I think he's lost a bit.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Not sure if this player or that player would have made a big difference, the whole thing was disjointed and sluggish. We seemed to let Rovers get to us rather than carrying on the good play of the first few minutes. We won’t get anywhere until we can take four points a season off all these crappy shithousing teams