Bristol Rovers (a) match thread 17/08/16

[TANGODANCER]

D.S.B sums it all up neatly and concisely.....

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/sh ... -weve-come" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[thebish]

D.S.B sums it all up neatly and concisely.....

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/sh ... -weve-come" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

nice job, Barnet, as ever!

[Worthy4England]

Aye, thanks for two entertaining reads DSB.

[Prufrock]

Meh, corners are one of those things that always look like your team is crap at. For all the talk about "beating the first man, there's a reason v few people (Palace, a team of giants aside) just chip it into the box. It's easier to score if it's got pace and whip on it. It's much harder to beat the first man if you're aiming for six inches above his head with pace and whip. It also comes and goes. You can be hitting them bob-on one week and miles off the next.

What?? We're talking about blokes on 15 to 20 grand a week. If they can't put a decent ball in consistently, there's something badly wrong. If Spearing isn't getting it right, he's not practising enough. Thankfully, he's spending time practising his free kicks at the moment, so I can forgive him.

Unfortunately the blokes he's playing against are also getting paid to play football. So it has to be a little better than "decent".

if it is decent enough to clear the head of the first defender and put it in range of our motley crew of big lads - then it doesn't matter how good that first defender is at football - it's higher than he can jump! "decent" would be a very good start!

Except, not only do they have a motley crew of big lads, one of theirs is allowed to use his hands. So in order for this decent ball to not turn into catching practice for their goalkeeper, you're going to have to be drifting it out past the penalty spot. Good look to our motley crew of big lads scoring a header from 15 yards from a ball with no pace on it.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bish - check out the headline on No.4 in the Bristol Post

Told you

[thebish]

Except, not only do they have a motley crew of big lads, one of theirs is allowed to use his hands. So in order for this decent ball to not turn into catching practice for their goalkeeper, you're going to have to be drifting it out past the penalty spot. Good look to our motley crew of big lads scoring a header from 15 yards from a ball with no pace on it.

strewth - it's almost as if it is impossible to score a header from a corner - why does anyone bother trying!!

here's the thing... in the area at corners on wednesday night we lined up 4 or 5 properly big lads - bigger than their defence in order to win a direct headed goal or a scrappy knock down onto someone's foot.

too many times we failed to get the ball anywhere near any of those lads we had put there for that purpose. I don't think getting it in that zone - or if I was Boycott, in the goalie's corridor of uncertainty - is impossible against the Bristol City defence.

maybe I am being harsh. so sue me!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

As ever, I'm in the middle on this. I agree with Prufrock that corner-taking is a much harder job than people think, but I also know that a fair percentage of Spearing's the other night weren't very good. Like crossing generally, corner-taking is a much lower-percentage generator than people seem to think, but that simply means it should be worked on.

Judging by Wheater's bubbly comments in the BN, they do work hard (but have fun) getting into good habits.

We’re working hard to be organised and every day in training we’ll do something on defending. If one of us goes up for a header and the other doesn’t cover, we get told to do press-ups.
Little things like that get good habits in your head and I think we’re doing well covering each other in games now too because there are some big fellas in this league. It gets in your head. It’s simple. And I don’t like doing them!

There's more quotes on there, about his partnership with Beevers, doing it for the fans, and looking forward to meeting Steinsson this weekend...

[thebish]

Aye... i don't expect every corner to result in a goal - i'd just like some of them to get somewhere close to their intended target... i"m fairly easily pleased in this respect!

[Harry Genshaw]

D.S.B sums it all up neatly and concisely.....

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/sh ... -weve-come" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Great article DSB

[Bruce Rioja]

Even the great Gary Speed rarely got his corners past the first defender. As such, and as annoying as it is, I do tend to find myself cutting the current bugger's muddle a little more slack.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Bish - check out the headline on No.4 in the Bristol Post

Told you

I wonder when the last time was that we were called "illustrious counterparts".

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bish - check out the headline on No.4 in the Bristol Post

Told you

I wonder when the last time was that we were called "illustrious counterparts".

I might have said Eastleigh last year but they were a bit jumped-up.

[LeverEnd]

Surprised it wasn't longer!

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... n-11766795

[thebish]

Bish - check out the headline on No.4 in the Bristol Post

Told you

ha!

[Worthy4England]

Even the great Gary Speed rarely got his corners past the first defender. As such, and as annoying as it is, I do tend to find myself cutting the current bugger's muddle a little more slack.

Don't. It's inexcusable.

[thebish]

Even the great Gary Speed rarely got his corners past the first defender. As such, and as annoying as it is, I do tend to find myself cutting the current bugger's muddle a little more slack.

indeed - much slackage is due - especially after having watched him bang that free kick into the top corner.. a bit of slackage entirely acceptable - saggage, on the other hand...

[bobo the clown]

Even the great Gary Speed rarely got his corners past the first defender. As such, and as annoying as it is, I do tend to find myself cutting the current bugger's muddle a little more slack.

Don't. It's inexcusable.

The guy appears to be putting in a shift. Scored two. One a fantastic free kick. All is currently well with the World .... be he should still clear the first man from a corner the vast proportion of the time.

[Worthy4England]

Even the great Gary Speed rarely got his corners past the first defender. As such, and as annoying as it is, I do tend to find myself cutting the current bugger's muddle a little more slack.

Don't. It's inexcusable.

The guy appears to be putting in a shift. Scored two. One a fantastic free kick. All is currently well with the World .... be he should still clear the first man from a corner the vast proportion of the time.

Yeah, anyone can take a shot corner, penalty etc. Occasionally

[officer_dibble]

Corners were fookin ace today!

[LeverEnd]

Corners were fookin ace today!

True. Some excellent deliveries and big Dave causing havoc.