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frastheowl

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  • Birthday 17/09/1986

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  1. Not sure I subscribe to that idea tbh. It's standard practice for clubs to not move players on, until a replacement is signed. It's often cited as the main reason why the January transfer window is so slow. If Röhl was after a midfielder to replace Byers, you agree a deal in principle with Blackpool, and only ratify it once a midfielder is signed. I suspect it was more to do with Byers not willing to play 2nd fiddle, and wanted regular football in order to earn himself a move, instead of seeing his contract dwindle down sat on the bench.
  2. If Degado is close to fitness, he should be registered. Definitely would add some much needed depth to the squad. He showed a lot of promise earlier in the season, and out of all of the summer signings, I'd have thought he would've been the one most suited to Röhl's style of play. Won't be a starter, but would definitely add a lot of energy (and quality) as a sub or rotation option. He and Valentin could be competition for each other in that RWB position.
  3. Time to hold our nerve....maintain belief in the long term trend.
  4. Might have to extend the y axis into the positive much sooner than I anticipated!
  5. Beadle - 7 - Another clean sheet, and another very assured display. Couple of regulation saves, but rarely looked troubled. Couple lapses in concentration where the striker closed down his clearance after some dallying, and he got away with a poor piece of hesitation with a harmless through ball late on. Iorfa - 7 - Good to have him back. His athleticism gives us a difference string to our bow both offensively and defensively. Carried the ball well, and defended solidly. Ihiekwe - 8 - Man of the Match - Come into his own late on, when we needed to defend the box. Two vital blocks, and he continues to stick his head on everything. Bernard - 7 - Good to have him back. Famewo is steady, but if Bernard is available he plays. Valentin - 8 - Could've easily got MotM, but Ihiekwe just edges it because of the vital blocks, but Pol's form of late has probably gone under the radar a little. Gives us so much variation down the right flank...providing width but also equally comfortable drifting inside and allowing the overlap from the RCB. Probably the most improved player of the season. Turned out to be a great signing. Bannan - 7 - Plays the double pivot role with Vaulks superbly. For years, many (including myself) have questioned his ability to play in a midfield two...but, who'd have thought it...if the side is well coached and organised, he can play the role comfortably. Huge miss in the 2nd half...hopefully he's OK for Friday. Vaulks - 7 - Another brilliant midfield display. Probably playing the football of his career at the minute. Seems to be everywhere and relishing the fight. Struggled to be quite as effective in the 2nd half, but I think that was more to do with his midfield partner. We'll forget his impersonation of Darren Potter for three corners in the 2nd half. Johnson - 7 - Mr. Consistent. I'm sick of typing the same things about him every week...might just copy and paste it. Deserved a goal with the fantastic counter attack...should've gone with his right foot instead of his left. Poveda - 8 - Quickly becoming my favourite player. Has defenders on strings. Makes space when there doesn't seem to be any, and always seems to find a way to release the ball or find an opening. Really unfortunate not to score also. Gassama - 7 - Felt for much of the game that he was on the periphery for much of the game, but was involved in three or four of our best chances of the game. Great ball out wide to Valentin for Poveda's "goal", similar to release Cadamateri in the 2nd half, great piece of strength and skill for the effort which whistled just wide...and took his goal well. Did well to find the space and hold his position...very easy to get dragged into the six yard box and get crowded out in that scenario. Ugbo - 7 - Unlucky not to score in the 1st half, but I thought last night was a different sort of performance. Heavily based on holding the ball up and linking play...rather than running in behind. Just shows have a genuine all-round striker he is. Showed his composure to get his head up and put it on a plate for Gassama's goal. Diaby, M - 6 - I don't think Diaby had a particularly poor game, it's just he can't do the work as efficiently as Bannan does. It's a highly coached/specialised role, and it's not easy to perform when you've not played much. Diaby's lack of mobility is an issue, and despite his size, struggles to cover ground quickly. Overall... We played well in periods last night, and in the 1st half, especially, put Plymouth under a lot of pressure. But we weren't at our best, by a long way...and yet won the game fairly comfortable in the end. It was a little nervy towards the end...it's going to be given the enormity of the situation...but there's a real constant to all our victories of late. How well we are seeing games out. Plymouth had a lot of the ball late on, we ceded ground and possession..but defended the box well, and Plymouth barely created anything of note. At 1-0, we still created the best opportunity with the counter attack that ended up with Johnson putting it over the bar. Röhl gets a lot of credit (and rightly so)...but these players have been magnificent. To go on this kind of run, given the magnitude of the situation (in each game) would be impressive if we were challenging Leeds/Leicester at the top...to do it when sat 2nd bottom of the table and seemingly out of all hope is genuinely miraculous. We've given ourselves a chance now. By engineering a scenario where, essentially, if our form can be better than two of the teams involved between now and the end of the season, we survive, must be a really pleasant within the group.
  6. We all know how influential he is, but it was so apparent how much we missed him in the 2nd half. Diaby didn't have a poor game per se (although, why he needs to take 4 or 5 touches that everybody only needs one or two for, I don't know!), but he just didn't have that telepathy with Vaulks that Bannan seems to have. Also, we all think of Bannan for his ability to dictate a game, play probing passes, and essentially be our heartbeat...but the amount of ground he covers, so quickly just really unnoticed. Diaby just cannot/does not cover that ground in the same manner. Late on, it seemed like Plymouth was running through the middle of the pitch at will. Crucial we keep Bannan fit between now and the end of the season. Does make the decision to allow Byers to leave even more bewildering... he would have been a much more natural replacement for Bannan last night.
  7. I reckon 50 points will be probably just be enough, but it'll be roundabout that mark. There's a lot of games involving two teams that are down there, which'll inevitably bring the points required down. But, then again, a week ago I thought 46 points would've been enough...which I can't see been the case now. Rotherham's total inability to compete at this level is naturally pushing the points total up a little above average...which interestingly enough was the reason the last time 50 points wasn't enough to survive. In the 2016-17 season, 51 points was the points total to survive, and Rotherham finished the season on 23 points, which won't be far off what they'll finish on this season.
  8. We didn't change shape until we made the subs. After the break, the shape/system was the same as the 1st. Following the subs, we switched to a 4-2-4, with Bannan and Palmer as a double pivot, behind a front four of Gassama-Ugbo-Smith-Musaba, Iorfa slotting into right back of the back four. Then for the last 15 minutes, we reverted back to the 3-4-3, with a back line of Iorfa-Diaby-Ihiekwe-Famewo-Johnson, and a front three of Gassama-Smith-Ugbo (Wilks)
  9. Trending very nicely. Catching 21st is obviously the aim, but the rate at which we've closed the gap to 18th and brought so many others teams into is very impressive. After gameweek 18, if somebody would've offered you to be 3 points adrift with 11 games to go, you'd have snatched their hands off. If this level of consistency and performance continues, it's merely a formality we'll be out of it, before the end of the season...but, and it's a big BUT, the key is maintaining it.
  10. Didn't think he was bad at all to be honest. Similar to the referee last week in a lot of respects. Let the game flow, didn't take himself too seriously and didn't get conned with the dramatics and off the ball shenanigans. Plus, he'll always get a free hit after referring the Miracle of Hillsborough, and allowing time for Palmer's injury time equaliser.
  11. He's a complete forward. Leads the line, works hard, is decent enough aerially, links up play and has a real poachers instinct. The only drawback is...he's probably pricing himself out of a permanent move here (not that he'll be too distraught by that...he'll have the choice of the Championship in the summer at this rate...and Troyes will be rubbing their hands together).
  12. Beadle - 7 - Could've booked an annual leave today. Absolutely nothing to do, other than the odd cross to claim unchallenged. Clean sheet though. Valentin - 7 - Excellent 1st half. Played very high, in almost an inverted role...made a number of runs from out to in. Formed a good partnership with Poveda. Palmer - 7 - Another very good performance in his best position. Couple of good overlapping opportunities, but defended well throughout. Ihiekwe - 7 - Didn't have a great deal to do, but did everything well that was needed. Eaves should be an aerial threat, but he looked garbage today, and Hugill wasn't much better. Couple of soft fouls given away, but overall, a sound performance. Famewo - 7 - Like the rest of the backline...steady...up against very little threat. Should've had a goal to his name. Johnson - 7 - Not his best display today...thought his quality, which is usually so reliability, was lacking a bit today. Nonetheless, a solid enough display. Bannan - 7 - 1st half he was very good, the metronome to our dominance. 2nd half, less impactful, but dogged and hardworking. Done well to avoid another yellow card...just three more games to go... Vaulks - 8 - Man of the Match - He was a solid 9/10 in the 1st half. Absolutely everywhere. Won tackles, intercepted things, was a creative and goal threat. Very surprised he was taken off...but what do I know...the changes proved to be a difference Poveda - 8 - The boy is phenomenal. Poor old Ferguson...he's probably still in a daze...he didn't get near Poveda the entire 1st half. Worked his magic, and looked so dangerous every time he got the ball. Probably should've scored after some great work, when his shot fizzed wide of the far post. Like Vaulks...shocked to see him withdrawn, but it worked out. Musaba - 8 - Very similar to Poveda but from the opposite flank. Left Kioso for dead on two or three occasions in the 1st half, did really well to set up the chance for Ugbo. In this current set up, we seem to have three definitive creative/goalscoring options along the front line...and it's great to watch. Ugbo - 8 - Man is on fire. Just cannot stop scoring. Another game where he demonstrates that natural goalscoring instincts...he gets himself into so many dangerous positions. Another goal which was a real poachers finish. Smith - 6 - Did his job I suppose...but his play isn't sharp enough and he doesn't look after the ball anywhere near well enough. Iorfa - 7 - Instant impact. Great run, great spot and weighted ball from Gassama. Defended well thereafter. Gassama - 7 - Had a feeling he could prove the difference off the bench today, and he produced another worthy cameo appearance. Did well in the lead up to the goal, and then showed some ability to stretch the play and make us a threat on the counter once we'd gone a goal up. Overall... The 1st half performance was as dominant as we've been this season. We suffocated Rotherham, and created two or three real good chances. The game should've been done and dusted at the break. For that reason, I (and probably every Wednesdayite) were fearful of a defeat, and paying the price for our wastefulness. Thankfully though, although we didn't hit the highs of our 1st half performance, we maintained our control of the game and found that crucial goal. At times in the past, we'd be viewing a 1-0 lead away from home in the last 15-20 minutes from behind our hands. But, we saw the game out very professionally...but, it did help that we seemed to be playing the Dog and Duck from the local Over 35's league...Rotherham were garbage. HUGE win...especially given the results around us...and despite those results, I'm still very confident we'll have enough to survive. Another big game, and another huge opportunity is presented to us on Tuesday...win again...15 points from 18 is serious form...and the confidence will be flowing going into two free hits before the international break.
  13. He'd have been a very valuable member of the squad in the 2nd half of the season. Had a lot about his game that suits the way we played. Without doubt, there's a very talented player there. We just used him woefully in a side that was fearful and disorganised, under a manager who stunk the place out. If we'd have had Buckley still around, I'd be a little more relaxed about the imminently inevitable Bannan suspension that's going to occur. I'd imagine, the decision to return to Blackburn was more to do with them wanting him back, rather than us wanting to get rid (surely we knew the extent of the shoulder injury...i.e. not season ending)
  14. Best referee of the season. Let stuff go, but crucially for both sides. Never at any point were you complaining about inconsistencies. Got the sending off spot on also.
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