George Friend is god but........

[Dare to dream!]

he cant play in midfield, he is not fast enough, he has the skills but not the speed. He should be at cb every game as captain, thats where he is best, if we get Beye like everyone is saying which would be a great siginning if we do, them two would be solid at cb better than Naylor who i think is awfull all he does is get lucky with tackles and smashes it upfield. Illunga lb and chimbonda or JOC at RB that would be a solid defence

[Filo]

he cant play in midfield, he is not fast enough, he has the skills but not the speed. He should be at cb every game as captain, thats where he is best, if we get Beye like everyone is saying which would be a great siginning if we do, them two would be solid at cb better than Naylor who i think is awfull all he does is get lucky with tackles and smashes it upfield. Illunga lb and chimbonda or JOC at RB that would be a solid defence

Is n`t Beye a Right Back?

[CusworthRovers]

Apologies, if this has been said elsewhere, but why oh why is this manager playing Friend at left midfield/wing, when he has Kyle or Giles on the bench. Friendo is best played CH or LB or don't bother playing him IMO

Not just observed from the start, but during the first half as the game was played it became even more apparent. Why was the option not taken to put George back at CH once Shelts went off and try and counter them through Giles or Kyle. Instead we play a player who's not played in eons and the rest is history.

What was happening to us from the KO was no different to the final whistle and we couldn't do anything tactically to stop it.

We made a very basic team look like Spain. They never got out of training ground mode. They ran for and won every second ball, they ran and closed all our players down all the time right up to the 90th minute, including our goalie. They had players on the floor surrounded by 3 of ours and guess what, that 1 opposition player came away with the ball. They left the pitch like they had just done a training exercise. We left the pitch without a bead of sweat on us, and I've never seen a Rovers team like that for the last 12 years...........

[scuzzer]

Apologies, if this has been said elsewhere, but why oh why is this manager playing Friend at left midfield/wing, when he has Kyle or Giles on the bench. Friendo is best played CH or LB or don't bother playing him IMO

Not just observed from the start, but during the first half as the game was played it became even more apparent. Why was the option not taken to put George back at CH once Shelts went off and try and counter them through Giles or Kyle. Instead we play a player who's not played in eons and the rest is history.

What was happening to us from the KO was no different to the final whistle and we couldn't do anything tactically to stop it.

We made a very basic team look like Spain. They never got out of training ground mode. They ran for and won every second ball, they ran and closed all our players down all the time right up to the 90th minute, including our goalie. They had players on the floor surrounded by 3 of ours and guess what, that 1 opposition player came away with the ball. They left the pitch like they had just done a training exercise. We left the pitch without a bead of sweat on us, and I've never seen a Rovers team like that for the last 12 years...........

Because he's a clueless clown and will never be a tactically astute manager or coach while he's got a hole in his arse.

The 'not his players' argument is just b*llocks, the players that put that dismal display on yesterday are better players than that if they are sent out in a system that they understand and is suited to their skills, however meagre some on here seem to think they are.

The bloke has got to go and go now before he has us back on a one-way road to where he's come from.

[inSODwetrust]

he cant play in midfield, he is not fast enough, he has the skills but not the speed. He should be at cb every game as captain, thats where he is best, if we get Beye like everyone is saying which would be a great siginning if we do, them two would be solid at cb better than Naylor who i think is awfull all he does is get lucky with tackles and smashes it upfield. Illunga lb and chimbonda or JOC at RB that would be a solid defence

You didn't go Ipswich then?

[dickos1]

They are not better though are they! That's why we've won 4 games this year! The players who were rubbish yesterday weren't his, and they're the same players that weren't good enough at derby, reading, Cardiff, the list goes on

[CusworthRovers]

Bar a few, many of our players are not good enough in this league, unless:

1. They are surrounded by quality players
2. They play to a system that works for them as a unit, as a machine....with all cogs turning and working together.

It's one or the other for me.

We either take 11 of Willie's quality players (and take them very quickly ie now). Can't see this happening now

We play to a system that players know, trust and that's been tried and trusted for these players. This will also not happen now

At the moment in all the games under this regime, I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.....we are merely 'dilly dallying' or 'testing the water' in this new regime of tactics/systems and shop window players.

As much as I don't want to see it, this season went a few games into Deano's tenure IMO. Let's hope we have something in place for the next season

[Padge_DRFC]

It seems the new regime is the balls not allowed to stay on the floor for more than 3 seconds.

[Padge_DRFC]

That should have said the ball is not. Apologies to the spelling and grammar brigade.

[CusworthRovers]

f**k it folks I need to take my mind off Rovers. I'm going crack some ale open and watch Chelsea and Liverpool. I need some girl action and quick, where's Mrs CR when times are literally hard. Any takers on here?

[VixDRFC]

To be honest I didn't get why the minute Martis limped off Friend didn't go into defence and either Bennett or Barnes come on in Friend's position. If we had a healthy league position and a couple of decent midfielders we could afford to experiment with Friend in midfield but not at the current time

I feel sorry for the lad, in 3 games he's played 3 positions, often more than one in a single game. I remember remarks that O'Connor's performance at right back was affected by playing CB - thats nothing compared to what's being asked of Friend at the moment

[Barmby Rover]

There is nothing wrong with any particular player, with the exception of two CBs who seem to be far too slow. It is the system that the manager is asking them to play, if there is any system. The kick it up to George tactic was laboured and ineffective, so why persist with it? The reason is because the manager has no other ideas. If there was one thing that SOD got right it was making the players able to change their game without referring to the manager too much. They used their heads, I suspect now they dare not go beyond a strict formula. We know JOC can be an attacking full back, he hardly ventured over the half way line. Just one example of how the players are being prevented from adding to performances. This does not work. Will it change? No. Not while DS is there, and that will never change while McKay is there, as he is his agent.

[dickos1]

McKay is not his agent!

[Muttley]

McKay is not his agent!

No, he's just a \"good friend\"