Matchday megathread, Bristol Rovers v Barnsley

January 18th and we still haven't sIgNeD a StRiKeR.

Negligent.

 

The problem today despite the goals conceded is at the other end.

Take the umpteen chances we’ve had and their opportunities would never have come - this is as diabolical a performance in either final third as I’ve seen though.

We are clearly so much better than them in 90% of things in the game but where it counts we have been absolutely unacceptably shi.te.

Max Watters I’ve tried to be patient with, we are better at pressuring backlines with him in the team, he is quick and physical - but he can’t pass, he can’t control it, he isn’t good in the air and the less said about his finishing ability the better.

And he is our BEST number nine.

This needs sorting. We knew all along it needed sorting. We’ve had two weeks off, and we have not even heard a rumour of a centre forward coming in.

 

Clarke really would have been better bringing Pines on up front.

 

Great understanding from Cosgrove

 

We won't be buying one, that is certain.Might be waiting for a young prem loan.The trouble is we need an oven ready hair arsed striker now !

 

Worrying thing is that we’re apparently happy with the defensive options we have. Conceding 3 to a side as poor as these is terrible. Ah well….move on to next week now.

 

We knew we would lose Cole & McAtee in the summer we have had 18 months to sort something. If we’re DoF and I’d fuvkefd up in the summer I would have had someone lined up first week in Jan. just awful

 

We haven’t the money to pay for a proven striker, it really is that simple otherwise we would have.
Not sure what part of "a budget" people don't grasp

 

Always caught flat footed, not expecting the ball playing through. Concentrate.

 

I posted in the Team News thread that I was surprised Roberts started. He looked way off the pace in our last game. I would’ve started with Pines and looked to bringvRoberts on after an hour or so. Anyways, it’s all immaterial now. Game lost

 

Not clinical enough at either end, story of the season. Still not going to shoot us down and say we won’t get top 6 because I think we will. But, if we’re wanting to go up we have to start scoring the easy ones and stop giving opposing teams the easy ones.

onwards and upwards. You reds

 

To be fair most of this board said Cole was ****. Macate was great and sam Cosgrove was going to do well after the 2 decent games against Bolton in the play offs.

 

Thoroughly depressing

 

Time to bin off academy and invest in 1st team

 

If Cosgrove plays football again, let alone for us, its a scandal.

 

That's fair comment. It was his debut. Just frustration all round.

 

Cosgrove? Most ? Give over!

 

He really isn't.

Watters is though. And gilet boy who keeps inexplicably leaving the best player in the squad on the bench.

 

If you can score more than the opposition it doesn’t matter how many you concede. We should have been out of sight 20 minutes into this game. I think this 3-1-4-1-1 formation is designed to get our “best on paper” team on the pitch, but I’d be tempted to move to 4 at the back and explore options with attacking wide players.

My team for next week, based on todays performance and assuming we don’t sign anyone before the next match would be:

Killip
O Keeffe, Pines, Roberts, Earl
Nwakali Russell
Farrugia Phillips DKD
Humphrys