Match Thread: Bristol Rovers v Kidderminster Harriers

No he's me in disguise

We should have Brunt on the bench as a plan B so if we can't break sides down by playing football then we can bring him on and mix it up.
Not start hoofing it hopelessly , it hasn't worked for years it hasn't worked this season it's clearly not going to suddenly start working.
Wake up and smell the football Clarke we have players capable of playing football as well as working their socks off for themselves , you and the fans,
UTG.

We started the game very well and I don't think we were hoofing it much, the players resulted back to the hoofing after around 20 mins when Kiddy came back into the game, I'm not sure Clarke had a lot to do with the sudden change into playing it long.

Completely agree with you Socrates, i just wrote this on TFF and it was my view on today:


That could have gone either way, really.



For the first 20 minutes, we were the better side but as all too often this season we didn't score from our pressure. Then for the 25 minutes of the first half, Kiddy were the better side. Then to start the second half Kiddy were better, scored the goal and added more pressure with a string of corners, then we finally realized that actually, Kiddy were a pretty big side and hitting the ball long and straight at their defenders was probably not the right way to go and got back on top.



The young lad LDV from Fulham looks a good player, good at taking people on and very good delivery, his cross for the goal was a beaut and he'll play at a lot higher level than this, hopefully we keep him for longer than a month. Matty Taylor may not score the most goals, but for me he has to start because he maintains the ball upfront and links the play well. I'm not sure any of our other strikers get on the end of that cross. Glad he got the goal, hopefully a confidence booster.



Kiddy's stand out player was the striker, Blissett. Got the goal and was a handful to deal with all afternoon. Might have dealt with him better if Trotman wasn't injured but he's the type of striker who always seems to give us trouble, a big lad who's quick and physical. Very solid team Kiddy, seen a lot worse than them this season but we did play into their hands a lot, when we got it down and got down the flanks we looked dangerous but when we went aerially down the middle we didn't win anything all day.



Think we played better than we had last couple of league games i've seen but have to keep it on the deck more. Harrison and Taylor starting upfront in the next game might force our defenders to keep it on the deck more.




The bit in bold should show we've got the same viewpoint

It was alright.

To my mind, if today was the only home game you have attended, then you have now seen every home game this season.

Come out, get on top.

Fail to score.

Get bullied.

Let them have a spell.

Make changes.

Play better.

*Insert goals for and against as appropriate*

It's what we have done every other match.

At least DC is willing to make changes and swap out personnel when things are not going right. He played pretty much every forward we have at the club today.

It was noticeable that we scored from a cross. I still think all/any of our front men will score but they need service. We need a midfielder more than a striker imo, but I've long thought it's MF creativity that's our problem, not the strikers.

Nearly every game this season our midfield has under performed. We are not getting forward quick enough to support the front line, and have been guilty countless times of leaving too much space in behind for our opponents to expose,we have to get a system in place that the players are happy with and can create us more ball retention.

Kiddy played some good football at times, but were given far too much space to exploit.Most of their midfield players looked comfortable on the ball and not afraid to run at our defenders,something our players clearly do not have the ability to do. We struggled at times to make the easy pass together without panicking and hoofing the ball out of touch or straight to the opposition. Again there was very little composure or football on offer,no keeping of possession and building phases of play, just the usual hump it forward. When we get into promising positions our final ball is usually always wasted.We played like eleven strangers who had just been assembled together moments before the kick off. Very mediocre,except for a few moments of brilliance from LDV, which thankfully in the end got us a draw.   
  

Granted we should win our home games, but I did feel they were one of the better teams we've played this season. Should still have looked to win the game and think we may have had we not played into their hands a little, but I wasn't too disappointed with today.

To be fair to the midfield players it seems they must be told to sit in close to the back four who;due to lack of pace; are scared to move up to the half way line.It is particularly noticeable when their players move away from them and are left unmarked. It seems to me that the main plan in midfield is when they have the ball the back four are behind them and available to pass the ball to. The trouble is that in all honesty only Brown in the back four is comfortable passing the ball so this results in a poor pass or a long hoof.
IMO it will only improve when the Manager realises that there are not many fast players in this League and so we can take a chance on moving quickly up to the half way line. Our midfield can then move further up and be closer the forwards and we might then create more and retain possession better.