The Joy of (Twenty-)Sixth? Rovers / Boxing Day

[Prufrock]

Extended highlights just posted.

Embedded.

[DJBlu]

How did that ball not cross the line?

Hahahaha

[Tombwfc]

It needs to be said, our defending was garbage. Mills and Dervite in particular. Eventually there will come a game where Lonners doesn't feel like playing like mid-00s Gigi Buffon and we'll get tanked.

[TKIZ!]

How did that ball not cross the line?

Hahahaha

It was like a pinball in there

[DJBlu]

It needs to be said, our defending was garbage. Mills and Dervite in particular. Eventually there will come a game where Lonners doesn't feel like playing like mid-00s Gigi Buffon and we'll get tanked.

2-1.

Coulda woulda shoulda.

The cup is half full at the minute.

[William the White]

It needs to be said, our defending was garbage. Mills and Dervite in particular. Eventually there will come a game where Lonners doesn't feel like playing like mid-00s Gigi Buffon and we'll get tanked.

Mmm... One goal conceded in five games... They can't simply be garbage, can they?

[jaffka]

It needs to be said, our defending was garbage. Mills and Dervite in particular. Eventually there will come a game where Lonners doesn't feel like playing like mid-00s Gigi Buffon and we'll get tanked.

If and when that happens, will it make you happy?

I feel I can confidently predict that we will always have games where we look dodgy at the back. That's due to the other team you see, there are two sides in a football match.

Did Santa not give you any reality pills?

[TANGODANCER]

I feel I can confidently predict that we will always have games where we look dodgy at the back. That's due to the other team you see, there are two sides in a football match.

Tis the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, m'lud. Otherwise, why bother turning out?

[Tombwfc]

It needs to be said, our defending was garbage. Mills and Dervite in particular. Eventually there will come a game where Lonners doesn't feel like playing like mid-00s Gigi Buffon and we'll get tanked.

Mmm... One goal conceded in five games... They can't simply be garbage, can they?

I didn't say they were garbage, I said the defending yesterday was. And it was. Lennon said basically the same thing. There's also a video of it a few posts up.

It's not always been as bad as that, but still, I would say that our recent defensive record flatters our defenders. You can't rely on your keeper continually saving one on ones game after game if we're serious about going at 2ppg for the next five months.

None of which is to say I'm not delighted with Lennon, or how things are going. I think that if we are to continue our current excellent run of form, we could do with tightening up at the back.

[jaffka]

Which, as you say the manager is aware of it.

If the manager was totally blind towards that, like how Bowyer has pissed off the dingles with his after match comments, then there would be cause for alarm.

Neil has inherited this team and is doing bloody wonders with it, far better than the previous chancer. Enjoy the ride.

[EverSoYouri]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyhPgb ... e=youtu.be

Extended highlights just posted.

That pass from Eidur is a thing of beauty - never tire of watching it. But still have no idea how the ball stayed out of our net in that goal mouth scramble after Lonergan fumbled.

[EverSoYouri]

It needs to be said, our defending was garbage. Mills and Dervite in particular. Eventually there will come a game where Lonners doesn't feel like playing like mid-00s Gigi Buffon and we'll get tanked.

Mmm... One goal conceded in five games... They can't simply be garbage, can they?

Yesterday, Mills stepped up at the wrong moment trying to catch the guy offside, and this led to their goal. We do have defenders prone to such errors.

True, we have had some luck (and some brilliant keeping) to thank for not conceding more...but...

Take a careful look at that goal mouth scramble and, in particular, how many players put their bodies on the line to keep that ball out of the net. That's the difference Lennon has made. NEIL LENNON'S SUPER DAD'S ARMY!

[LeverEnd]

The defensive problems in the first half ran throughout the team, leaving mills and Dervite exposed and struggling to cope with a very useful front line. Jordan Rhodes is triffic laaaad and a top, top player and the boy king full of running etc...

[TANGODANCER]

Maybe we tend to forget at times that this league is full of teams not far off each other and every game is a scrap. It's just that Lennon's a scrapper himself and he's got the attitudes and team-spirit back where it was. Add to that, we're playing better football all round. It's never going to be easy and even our occasional errors are no worse than anybody else's. COME ON YOU WHITES.....

[plymouth wanderer]

Maybe we tend to forget at times that this league is full of teams not far off each other and every game is a scrap. It's just that Lennon's a scrapper himself and he's got the attitudes and team-spirit back where it was. Add to that, we're playing better football all round. It's never going to be easy and even our occasional errors are no worse than anybody else's. COME ON YOU WHITES.....

Love you tango!! You won't have a bad word said about BWFC......quality

Tis true what your saying, this league has always been tight and scrappy

[thebish]

Yesterday, Mills stepped up at the wrong moment trying to catch the guy offside, and this led to their goal. We do have defenders prone to such errors.

True, we have had some luck (and some brilliant keeping) to thank for not conceding more...but...

Take a careful look at that goal mouth scramble and, in particular, how many players put their bodies on the line to keep that ball out of the net. That's the difference Lennon has made. NEIL LENNON'S SUPER DAD'S ARMY!

I think this is spot on! Those of us who had the immense privilege of watching Dervite's Wanderers debut will remember thinking that this man would NEVER make a championship defender..

we are working with less than ideal material - we know this - and it isn't ridiculous for PT to point it out - nor does it mean he's happy if we lose or hates Neil Lennon or isn't happy to see us beat Blackburn - it's simply facing facts...

however... we ARE conceding fewer goals.. it isn't because the players have suddenly become ace defenders, so it's one or more of these things...

1) luck
2) an outstanding spell of goalkeeping
3) Lennon has instilled a basic layer of fight and grit that actually makes a difference and compensates for the obvious defensive frailties that we still have.

probably it's all three of those things... but I am fairly sure that 1 and 2 would never have been enough without the 3 that Lennon has brought.. you might say we had a bit of 1 and 2 under Freedman's ever-so-close dash for playoffs - but under him we didn't have 3 - and I think that's the essential difference.

[Spartan2]

For me the biggest difference defensively under Lennon is pressing all over the pitch, from the strikers down. Everyone presses. That wasnt happening under DF. It's so basic but so vital, just forces defenders to hurry their passes, midfield gets poor service and then in turn so do the attackers, midfield and attack start to fall deep to receive the ball easier and the snow ball effect just spoils everything the opposition is trying to do.

Blackburn used it to great effect yesterday. For a change we couldn't press them as high as we usually do, hall is not as high tempo as Max Clayton, and for all his good attributes Eidur is slow. The combination of this Blackburn's pressing and the fact Blackburn also pass it better than most teams, and have good strikers is what caused us problems.

[freeindeed]

Every single Eidur pass I saw was with the outside of the boot.

[boltonboris]

We were a bit shit I thought. Pure spirit and a couple of outstanding performances put us right. I know it's harsh co sediment the strike force in't 2nd half scored and assisted, but we were severely lacking up front for a lot of the game. Heskey made s difference, but Eidur (pass aside) looks off the pace.

Hall really strecthed them for a while, but the sub was the right one. Although I think Feeney should've been sacrificed.

Great result and another ugly win. We'll click soon and nice person someone 43-0

[boltonboris]

Best bit of the whole thing for me was at FT, all the players came over to celebrate with the fans, but Heskey just swaggered off on his Todd like it was another day at the office. Loved it.