Hard to really blame Thompson for that first goal, although it had more than a bit of Sunday league about it. The classic swing with one foot, miss, and see it smash off your other foot.
Would have been a chuckle if it wasn't our player doing it!
@Chickenhead said:
Did all the people who keep raving about Thompson including Alan Parry fail to notice his sublime pass along the six yard box to there striker for him to tap in. Or not notice the several times he was muscled of the ball because he was to slow.
Agreed. Although it may well be down to lack of match practice, I thought he looked out of his depth, and handed them their first goal on a plate with an awful defensive error. It was hardly a goalmouth scramble, he just miskicked it Sunday league style. I wasn't too impressed by him against Northampton either. Definitely need some midfield loan signings.
@Malone said:
Hard to really blame Thompson for that first goal, although it had more than a bit of Sunday league about it. The classic swing with one foot, miss, and see it smash off your other foot.
Would have been a chuckle if it wasn't our player doing it!
Reminded me a bit of that goal we conceded against Notts County last season (coincidentally on the same weekend). IIRC O'Nien cleared straight into El-Abd and the ball bounced into the net - had a similar feel of Sunday League.
That was just pure goonery that goal. And at a time we thought Ainsworth had boobed monumentally with EL Abd.
However, he came through, and we'll come through this season.
Although Gareth will have to develop a ruthless streak and quickly make a decision which players aren't up to it at this level.
Completely agree @Malone. In fact, we took the same number of points from our first 2 home games last season (1), either side of a win away at a poor Port Vale. Doncaster are going to finish much higher in the respective league this season, so there's no reason to panic yet.
Don't believe so. Wrote copious amount of notes, told me he had played at AP in the early days when we had all one tier stands. Also agreed with me, when I made an observation that Bloomers looked like he was "chasing chickens" half the 1st half.
Thought Morris made a difference when he came on 2nd half v Northampton for Bloomfield and was surprised that the same change didn't happen Saturday tbh? Then again I'm a football fan not a football manager and GA has pulled the rabbit out before and I have faith that he will do so again.
We seem to forget that we have just signed an experienced league 1 defensive (?) midfielder on loan for the season (?).
Once he is suitably Wycombised I’d expect him to be first choice alongside Gape and Saunders.
Personally I don’t think we’ll get away with just 3 in the midfield and can see us playing 2 wide men and just a single striker at times as the season progresses.
We also have another experienced League 1 defender to come back (sometime?) as well. Maybe.
Plus of course Tyson when he gets fit.
Oh and of course Richie’s starlet, so nothing to worry about.
@FmG said:
I like Thompson - neat and tidy player. Never necessarily going to massively stand out because that's not what he's there for. A definite upgrade of Bean and Bloomfield.
Saunders, Gape and Thompson will do ok together I think
Completely disagree. Thompson hasn’t really impressed me at all, I’d find it hard to pinpoint a particular strength of his. It also says a lot that he was only handed a 6 month deal and that was after he was with us at the back end of last season and amongst the squad in pre season. Clearly GA isn’t convinced on him either.
We need more physicality in the middle of the park, you just had to look at the Rovers team on Saturday, all of them looked like real athletes and competitors.
Gape is a really good player and I think him and Saunders can work together if we can get a real 6ft plus powerhouse next to them. Essentially someone to make up for all the industry of Luke O’nien ?
@EwanHoosaami ah...someone else pointed out a fella they said was a PLymouth scout...needless to say he did not stay until the end and may have even missed Kashket's goal.
@Wendoverman said: @EwanHoosaami ah...someone else pointed out a fella they said was a PLymouth scout...needless to say he did not stay until the end and may have even missed Kashket's goal.
Just like me then!
Had plenty to do at home, so serves me right to leave with 12 to go as I missed the Kashket strike. Just couldn't see any way back and wasn't enjoying the experience, forecasting plenty of abuse from the Rovers knuckle daggers.
Never mind. Onwards and upwards.
@Vincey , agree. It says it all about how competitive and good in the air O Nien was, that we easily forget he was only about 5ft 7 (pending @micra clarification).
In style, he was worth a 6footer.
On another note, i'm always a little cautious about talking about "experience" of a division. I have been since Benyon was described as a "Proven" goalscorer in league 2, when his record was pretty mediocre at best.
Just playing in a division doesn't necessarily mean anything. They have to make an impact. After all, the players people have written off at this level already have had "league 1 experience!"
@Malone said:
Hard to really blame Thompson for that first goal, although it had more than a bit of Sunday league about it. The classic swing with one foot, miss, and see it smash off your other foot.
Would have been a chuckle if it wasn't our player doing it!
Hard to blame him? He had an air kick from a set piece, it smashed into his standing leg and rolled along the 6 yard box for them to score? It was a total misjudgement
Watching the replay, he has less than a tenth of a second to react to Bayo missing the header. So while it may be a total misjudgment, if he could have judged it better in that time he'd be a tennis grand slam contender.
I'm afraid to me Bloomfield, Bean and Thompson all look like players that would keep a club hovering around the mid table mark in League Two. If we had relied on them and not had Eze, O'Nien and Gape last season (and very occasionally Saunders) I wonder if we would have been promoted. I don't think any of them have the skill or the ability to successfully make the step up to League One level. We can probably get away with playing one of them in a central four or five - but two of them in a midfield three is a recipe for disaster.
I think everyone is going to have their contribution this season, including the much maligned Blooms and Bean, but the guile players such as Saunders and Kashket are clearly going to be vital. I really want to see a lineup where Tyson and Freeman are both running at the opposition and keeping them on their heels, once injury permits.
Valid point @Malone re experience in the league not being that relevant. I was just clumsily saying that I think Morris was brought in to be a mainstay tin midfield this year and Bean, Bloomfield & Thompson the fillers.
I wonder if we hadn't been promoted last season whether we would have been promoted last season. Three games in and none of the players are any good, except the ones not playing or that have left.
@Wendoverman - I think we have established that last season was a disgrace, as it has put us in the position of playing better teams that present a greater challenge. No-one wants that, and of course it was kept from us by the board, when we were chasing promotion.
I thought it was a very disappointing display. Rovers were better than us in every aspect of the game and the scoreline flattened us, could easily have been 3 or 4-0.
However, once we equalised with an excellent finish by Kashket we could have scraped an (undeserved) draw if the game had gone on for another 10 minutes. It’s all about fine margins.
As regards M of M, in truth there weren’t many candidates. McCarthy? Did well but we conceded from two corners.
Williams? Our best player in the first half but faded after half time. Others....who? Best forget the day and move on!
It’s all about opinions and some people are much too hasty in making decisions about players. As someone pointed out, El Abd took time to settle in but he went on to become our best defender. No one is claiming that Thompson is the new Steven Gerrard but he’s a useful player to have in the squad.
No one covered themselves in glory on Saturday and picking a MOM was a difficult task. Thompson did make an error that led to a goal but he wasn’t the only one.
@colonel_splaffy said:
How about
Allsop
McCarthy, Stewart, El Abd, JJ
Harriman, Saunders, Gape, Freeman
Bayo, Williams
With Kashket to come on later because he said he isn't yet match fit in his interview. Didn't Harriman used to be great in midfield and get goals? We only started playing him in defence because as much as we love Sido he can be a bit of a liability sometimes. I thought he much preferred it to. Now we have McCarthy time for Harriman back in midfield. This feels like it makes more sense than the weird 4 man midfield against Doncaster.
I agree with that team. It means we get some pace and quality in the side. We then have the likes of Kashket, Tyson, CMS to come on to chase a goal or Bean, Bloomers and Thomo to see out a game.
Yesterday was poor, we weren’t at the races in the first half but showed promise in the last 15 minutes or so. It certainly picked the fans up as the atmosphere was very flat.
I trust in GA to get it right, some tough games over the next 6 weeks so let’s see where we are come October. We do need to work on a plan B and learn from the first 3 games quickly though.
@colonel_splaffy said:
How about
Allsop
McCarthy, Stewart, El Abd, JJ
Harriman, Saunders, Gape, Freeman
Bayo, Williams
With Kashket to come on later because he said he isn't yet match fit in his interview. Didn't Harriman used to be great in midfield and get goals? We only started playing him in defence because as much as we love Sido he can be a bit of a liability sometimes. I thought he much preferred it to. Now we have McCarthy time for Harriman back in midfield. This feels like it makes more sense than the weird 4 man midfield against Doncaster.
I agree with that team. It means we get some pace and quality in the side. We then have the likes of Kashket, Tyson, CMS to come on to chase a goal or Bean, Bloomers and Thomo to see out a game.
Yesterday was poor, we weren’t at the races in the first half but showed promise in the last 15 minutes or so. It certainly picked the fans up as the atmosphere was very flat.
I trust in GA to get it right, some tough games over the next 6 weeks so let’s see where we are come October. We do need to work on a plan B and learn from the first 3 games quickly though.
I agree with that team @colonel_splaffy It means we get some pace and quality in the side. We then have the likes of Kashket, Tyson, CMS to come on to chase a goal or Bean, Bloomers and Thomo to see out a game.
Yesterday was poor, we weren’t at the races in the first half but showed promise in the last 15 minutes or so. It certainly picked the fans up as the atmosphere was very flat.
I trust in GA to get it right, some tough games over the next 6 weeks so let’s see where we are come October. We do need to work on a plan B and learn from the first 3 games quickly though.
Comments
Hard to really blame Thompson for that first goal, although it had more than a bit of Sunday league about it. The classic swing with one foot, miss, and see it smash off your other foot.
Would have been a chuckle if it wasn't our player doing it!
Agreed. Although it may well be down to lack of match practice, I thought he looked out of his depth, and handed them their first goal on a plate with an awful defensive error. It was hardly a goalmouth scramble, he just miskicked it Sunday league style. I wasn't too impressed by him against Northampton either. Definitely need some midfield loan signings.
Was that the Plymouth scout who left before the end @EwanHoosaami ?
Reminded me a bit of that goal we conceded against Notts County last season (coincidentally on the same weekend). IIRC O'Nien cleared straight into El-Abd and the ball bounced into the net - had a similar feel of Sunday League.
That was just pure goonery that goal. And at a time we thought Ainsworth had boobed monumentally with EL Abd.
However, he came through, and we'll come through this season.
Although Gareth will have to develop a ruthless streak and quickly make a decision which players aren't up to it at this level.
I am not convinced Thompson is as good as Bean, let alone an upgrade.
Completely agree @Malone. In fact, we took the same number of points from our first 2 home games last season (1), either side of a win away at a poor Port Vale. Doncaster are going to finish much higher in the respective league this season, so there's no reason to panic yet.
Don't believe so. Wrote copious amount of notes, told me he had played at AP in the early days when we had all one tier stands. Also agreed with me, when I made an observation that Bloomers looked like he was "chasing chickens" half the 1st half.
Thought Morris made a difference when he came on 2nd half v Northampton for Bloomfield and was surprised that the same change didn't happen Saturday tbh? Then again I'm a football fan not a football manager and GA has pulled the rabbit out before and I have faith that he will do so again.
We seem to forget that we have just signed an experienced league 1 defensive (?) midfielder on loan for the season (?).
Once he is suitably Wycombised I’d expect him to be first choice alongside Gape and Saunders.
Personally I don’t think we’ll get away with just 3 in the midfield and can see us playing 2 wide men and just a single striker at times as the season progresses.
We also have another experienced League 1 defender to come back (sometime?) as well. Maybe.
Plus of course Tyson when he gets fit.
Oh and of course Richie’s starlet, so nothing to worry about.
Completely disagree. Thompson hasn’t really impressed me at all, I’d find it hard to pinpoint a particular strength of his. It also says a lot that he was only handed a 6 month deal and that was after he was with us at the back end of last season and amongst the squad in pre season. Clearly GA isn’t convinced on him either.
We need more physicality in the middle of the park, you just had to look at the Rovers team on Saturday, all of them looked like real athletes and competitors.
Gape is a really good player and I think him and Saunders can work together if we can get a real 6ft plus powerhouse next to them. Essentially someone to make up for all the industry of Luke O’nien ?
@EwanHoosaami ah...someone else pointed out a fella they said was a PLymouth scout...needless to say he did not stay until the end and may have even missed Kashket's goal.
Just like me then!
Had plenty to do at home, so serves me right to leave with 12 to go as I missed the Kashket strike. Just couldn't see any way back and wasn't enjoying the experience, forecasting plenty of abuse from the Rovers knuckle daggers.
Never mind. Onwards and upwards.
@Vincey , agree. It says it all about how competitive and good in the air O Nien was, that we easily forget he was only about 5ft 7 (pending @micra clarification).
In style, he was worth a 6footer.
On another note, i'm always a little cautious about talking about "experience" of a division. I have been since Benyon was described as a "Proven" goalscorer in league 2, when his record was pretty mediocre at best.
Just playing in a division doesn't necessarily mean anything. They have to make an impact. After all, the players people have written off at this level already have had "league 1 experience!"
Hard to blame him? He had an air kick from a set piece, it smashed into his standing leg and rolled along the 6 yard box for them to score? It was a total misjudgement
He wasn't helped by Bayo missing the clearing header just in front of him
Oh dear....I've spotted the early season whipping boy.
Watching the replay, he has less than a tenth of a second to react to Bayo missing the header. So while it may be a total misjudgment, if he could have judged it better in that time he'd be a tennis grand slam contender.
I'm afraid to me Bloomfield, Bean and Thompson all look like players that would keep a club hovering around the mid table mark in League Two. If we had relied on them and not had Eze, O'Nien and Gape last season (and very occasionally Saunders) I wonder if we would have been promoted. I don't think any of them have the skill or the ability to successfully make the step up to League One level. We can probably get away with playing one of them in a central four or five - but two of them in a midfield three is a recipe for disaster.
I think everyone is going to have their contribution this season, including the much maligned Blooms and Bean, but the guile players such as Saunders and Kashket are clearly going to be vital. I really want to see a lineup where Tyson and Freeman are both running at the opposition and keeping them on their heels, once injury permits.
Valid point @Malone re experience in the league not being that relevant. I was just clumsily saying that I think Morris was brought in to be a mainstay tin midfield this year and Bean, Bloomfield & Thompson the fillers.
I wonder if we hadn't been promoted last season whether we would have been promoted last season. Three games in and none of the players are any good, except the ones not playing or that have left.
@Wendoverman - I think we have established that last season was a disgrace, as it has put us in the position of playing better teams that present a greater challenge. No-one wants that, and of course it was kept from us by the board, when we were chasing promotion.
Where’s Darius?
On the way to Plymouth with the team apparently.
I thought it was a very disappointing display. Rovers were better than us in every aspect of the game and the scoreline flattened us, could easily have been 3 or 4-0.
However, once we equalised with an excellent finish by Kashket we could have scraped an (undeserved) draw if the game had gone on for another 10 minutes. It’s all about fine margins.
As regards M of M, in truth there weren’t many candidates. McCarthy? Did well but we conceded from two corners.
Williams? Our best player in the first half but faded after half time. Others....who? Best forget the day and move on!
It’s all about opinions and some people are much too hasty in making decisions about players. As someone pointed out, El Abd took time to settle in but he went on to become our best defender. No one is claiming that Thompson is the new Steven Gerrard but he’s a useful player to have in the squad.
No one covered themselves in glory on Saturday and picking a MOM was a difficult task. Thompson did make an error that led to a goal but he wasn’t the only one.
I agree with that team. It means we get some pace and quality in the side. We then have the likes of Kashket, Tyson, CMS to come on to chase a goal or Bean, Bloomers and Thomo to see out a game.
Yesterday was poor, we weren’t at the races in the first half but showed promise in the last 15 minutes or so. It certainly picked the fans up as the atmosphere was very flat.
I trust in GA to get it right, some tough games over the next 6 weeks so let’s see where we are come October. We do need to work on a plan B and learn from the first 3 games quickly though.
I agree with that team. It means we get some pace and quality in the side. We then have the likes of Kashket, Tyson, CMS to come on to chase a goal or Bean, Bloomers and Thomo to see out a game.
Yesterday was poor, we weren’t at the races in the first half but showed promise in the last 15 minutes or so. It certainly picked the fans up as the atmosphere was very flat.
I trust in GA to get it right, some tough games over the next 6 weeks so let’s see where we are come October. We do need to work on a plan B and learn from the first 3 games quickly though.
I agree with that team @colonel_splaffy It means we get some pace and quality in the side. We then have the likes of Kashket, Tyson, CMS to come on to chase a goal or Bean, Bloomers and Thomo to see out a game.
Yesterday was poor, we weren’t at the races in the first half but showed promise in the last 15 minutes or so. It certainly picked the fans up as the atmosphere was very flat.
I trust in GA to get it right, some tough games over the next 6 weeks so let’s see where we are come October. We do need to work on a plan B and learn from the first 3 games quickly though.
He’s down there according to Bayo social media.