Bristol Rovers vs Chelsea U21 OFFICIAL Match Thread

Get your Olfactory glands cleaned out!

Really
I can’t think of one time we went backwards when we could have gone forwards where as under Garner we did it constantly and hardly ever created any chances.
Tonight we scored four and could have had seven or eight.

It’s hard to judge when you’re playing an U21 side though, the game was very open and personally I thought Chelsea were poor defensively. Not taking anything away from our attackers as they did well tonight, but I think the Swindon game will be a truer test of whether we are able to create more chances and use the ball better as a team post Garner.

No problem there, Tis plays with 6 plus a sweeper.

Really enjoyable to watch us finally look like a side capable of making chances and scoring goals. Still need to get the balance of attack v defence sorted though as we cant concede 3 and expect to win too many games. Chelsea took advantage of our full backs being so high and we did look vulnerable from wide but what a refreshing change to see us attack when ahead instead of sitting on what we have.
Regarding Ehmer I think he needs to have a run in the same position in a settled defence whether that's as a 3 or 4, in the last 3 games I make it he's played left, right & centre of a 3 which isnt ideal

I’m 99% sure we can use the ball better and create more chances post Garner.

It took Garner on average four games to score that many goals.

With a tough midfield general in front of our defence we’d look better.
4-2-3-1 with two of them would be even better it would still allow our fullbacks to attack and we’d still have plenty up front.
I think Tutonda as an attacking wide player would be excellent and we’d still have a choice of koki leahy and the Scottish lad who I’ve forgotten his name now to play behind.
Lots of options we certainly don’t have to play 3-5-2 every game.

Sounds like this was a good game to watch and the 'we will score one more than you philosophy' is fine up to a point, but the defence is a cause for concern, reminds me of pre GC days when we leaked goals for fun. Hopefully the new boss will have with him some one to deal with this regardless of whether its TIS and TILLS or whoever.
Perhaps we have to many 'ball' players who are supposed to supplement the back 3 or 4, Tutonda is a case in point, great footballer, dangerous going forward but liable to be caught out defensively. I think it was a mistake to overlook the merits of an ABS and his like, for every Hoddle, or Beckham type spreading killer passes around you need the likes of a Nicky Butt to do the dirty work, anyway over to you Gaffer who ever you are, up the Rovers!