Rovers vs Barnet

[TheGas]

Think I'll be a 1-1 draw today

 

[Gashead]

This thread..

Excellent results in the last 7 days, took us all season to reach two away wins last time we were in the League so I'm happy with that. Unfortunately it counts for nothing if our home form dwindles, so I'd like to see a win today to get us underway.

The change of formation from the Northampton game seems to be working well, and I'd like to see us stick with that. If we can be just as creative as we have been since switching to 3-5-2 and a bit more clinical then I fancy us to get a result. The strikers need to up their game, today provides a good opportunity.

Unfortunately, I can't see it being easy. Luisma leaving may have hit them hard creatively, but Barnet still have threats of their own. I could for example see Gambin and Yiadom getting a lot of opportunities if our wing-backs don't do their defensive jobs properly. Hard one to call, should be a good game nonetheless.

 

[barnet_pls]

Yeah - a balanced fair view at last! If we take our chances we could win - but we're always 1 error away from conceding, so I'm not sure we'll get much today (hope I'm wrong tho!)

 

[Gashead]

Yeah - a balanced fair view at last! If we take our chances we could win - but we're always 1 error away from conceding, so I'm not sure we'll get much today (hope I'm wrong tho!)

Out of interest, how is Stephens leaving affecting you lot? I saw some of the highlights from the previous games and there were a lot of dodgy clearances etc. Dembele a good replacement? I find it odd that Stephens still doesn't have a club

 

[barnet_pls]

Well dembele seems a more than adequate replacement, but a lite version of Stephens. We did think it was madness to let him go - apart from luisma or Akinde our best player over the last 3 years.....also surprised he hasn't landed a club - been misled about the available riches I think. He should have stayed to cement hos league reputation + certainly would have had offers nxt year....

 

[rudebwoyben]

Well first of all, everyone had to join halfway through last season as this site didn't even exist previous to that.

I'm not going to go into my thoughts regarding our colossal collapse last season as I've done so many times before now and its no longer relevant.

So pretty much you've just made an inane and pointless post about me there, but please continue to try to make me look like an idiot, you might get there one day. Hopefully you'll have sold your ground by then

Colossal collapse? Please, you really don't have a sense of proportion do you?

 

[Gassy]

1-0 Rovers!

Get in there Lee Brown

 

[Urban]

Colossal collapse? Please, you really don't have a sense of proportion do you?

Well it was a pretty big collapse, we were 12 points clear and ended up winning by 1.

But this is all spent discussion now anyway.

 

[Gassy]

199 Barnet fans. Thats shocking

 

[Urban]

199 Barnet fans. Thats shocking

Sigh, here we go again...

 

[Gassy]

Jesus I've decided to tune into the Barnet commentary and f*** me!

Blaming the ref for the game, blaming the ball boy for time wasting, unreal.

 

[Gassy]

2-0 Easter. Get in there

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

I'm starting to notice a trend with Barnet. Bring on Muggleton, concede a goal.

 

[Urban]

I'm starting to notice a trend with Barnet. Bring on Muggleton, concede a goal.

He's so poor! I'm not sure how he's anywhere near a League team.

 

[gas]

Sigh, here we go again...

Could you make it today mate?

 

[TheGas]

BOOOOOOOM

 

[miagsygas]

I didn't think we'd have an easy game today, but that was pretty well close to it. Cracking win.

 

[E10rifle]

I didn't think we'd have an easy game today, but that was pretty well close to it.

Don't say that, you'll make them cry.

 

[Gashead]

Comfortable win, but could have been a bit more comfortable!

As I suggested earlier, the wing-backs played a pretty big part in the game - think we'd have sealed the game far earlier if Leadbitter hadn't got injured. Plenty of space, really stretched Johnson and took him out of the game a lot. When he came off we went 4-4-2, and the marking was very dodgy, our right-back was marking Akinde leaving Vilhete a lot of space. Surprised Barnet didn't exploit that in the 10/15 mins before HT.

Second half we switched back to 3-5-2 with Sinclair at RWB, and looked a lot better again. Having said that, on about the 70 minute mark we sat back and Barnet started getting the odd chance, so Weston's equaliser not much of a surprise. Shame we didn't go for a big win really. Barnet were pretty ragged at this point though, so I still had confidence we'd see it out and we did thanks to Taylor's goal.

Barnet definitely missing a pacey centre-half I think, but the full-backs were pretty suspect at times too. Yiadom injured I guess? We kept Akinde et al. pretty quiet at times too, which was pleasing.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

As comfortable as you like, even with us losing the wind from our sails when Leadbitter went off injured after half an hour. We were by far the better team and deserved our win.

Barnet kept lumping long to Akinde but Tom Lockyer had him in his back pocket all day, so it was completely fruitless. The Weston goal was a weird one as it came from nowhere and nobody quite knew what had happened, but we responded in the perfect way by killing the game off with a well worked third.

Everybody played well and it is safe to say we are on a bit of a roll. Easter and Taylor getting their first goals of the season will hopefully see them start to fire on all cylinders and whilst our defence will be annoyed to have conceded a soft goal, they were superb for the most part once again.

I don't like to bring attendances/away followings into it as it often counts for absolutely nothing, but the Bees following today was pitiful. I didn't expect several hundred or anything, but I did think you'd be able to muster 300+.

 

[springerbfc]

We were terrible from start to finish.

Late in the first half we had a couple of chances but were otherwise never in the game.

That was my first game of the season and I'd say based on that, we could be in for a very tough campaign.

Rovers were better than us in every department today so no complaints at all about the result or score line.

 

[BeesKnees]

Congrats rovers on a well deserved win

 

[WSBee]

Well, I attended and shall post what I put on our own forum.

Well done Rovers first of all.

''Right. Crap day all round.

First twenty minutes were appaling - the team couldn't get to grips with the organisation or speed that the Rovers team played with. Their 3-5-2 formation worked an absolute treat, with them dominating the middle with 3 central midfielders over our two, Rovers always having two men in the middle up top and our wingers getting dragged inside - completely nullifying our main threat.

After their right wing back went off - Leadbitter I believe, we crept into the game. Surprise surprise, our main threat came time and time again from Gambin and Vilhete either running wide or cutting inside. Akinde had a good half-chance and McClean looked very sharp and a good foil to Akinde.

The second half was when we really crumbled, so much is obvious from the scoreline. Gash came on, giving us another physical option up front, but from what I could see, he didn't add anything to the attack this game. In my opinion, we would've been much better served keeping McClean on.

Rovers got better as the second half went on, Sinclair and Lines being the stars of the show - we could not get to grips with them. Maybe MA's idea as to the midfield is that there is no point in having one if we just hoof it forward for 90 minutes. For those of you who were unaware, that was sarcasm.

Very disappointing all in all, with a crap away following to boot.''

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

How did Essex DJ and footballer impressionist Shaun Batt do?

 

[rudebwoyben]

It sounded like he needed to sharpen up his footballer impression and quick!

 

[BeeArmy]

Well done to Rovers on a much deserved win. We just didn't turn up.

We looked nervous and conceded very early but then we started to settle and we had a 10 minute spell in the first half where we should of score. Akinde had a great chance to square to an open McClean but instead he shot at a very tight angle. Why we still stick every player back for a corner is beyond me. That gave them the first goal.

We scored and had a chance of nicking a point as there was still five minutes left despite being completely useless in the second half. Then Muggleton decided to amble out with the ball and he lost it and let his man just run past him and they score. Game over.

Bristol Rovers looked really dangerous when they countered with pace. When they didn't, we coped quite well. When we played the ball on the ground, with wasn't often at all, we created some decent chances. The subs that Allen brought on were just baffling. Putting Batt and Gash upfront with Akinde just means that we are going to play hoof ball and it doesnt work.

Rovers are up there with Luton for having the worst away end in the league (and I have been to Wimbledon).

Anyway, onto Wolves

 

[GasAttacK]

Can't believe how far we've come in a year. Despite starting the season with an awful performance and result against an ordinary Northampton side, we've now won 3 on the bounce and have been completely dominant in those games.

The change in formation to 3-5-2 really appears to suit this group of players and seems to be getting the best out of all of them.

We were on top from the first whistle yesterday and got the perfect start with the early goal. It looked only a matter of time before we'd score again until Leadbitter went off injured and we switched to 4-4-2.

That final 10 minutes of the first half was the only period of the match when Barnet posed any real threat. We lost control of midfield and they enjoyed a fair amount of possession. However, Clarke changed things around at half time, moving Sinclair to full back and reverting to a 3-5-2 and it worked a treat.

Easter made it 2-0 on 77 minutes but we should have had the game wrapped up long before the ball broke kindly for Weston to pull a goal back with 5 minutes to go.

Thankfully we responded brilliantly and great play from Bodin and Lines set up Taylor to cooly slot home number 3.

Clarke had it spot on in his interview. With the exception of the 10 minutes leading up to half time, it was a very good performance from the entire team and we maybe should have scored a few more.

It is a blow to lose Leadbitter though. He's been outstanding this season. Hopefully he isn't out for too long.

 

[South Bristol Gas]

I was impressed with what i saw yesterday, i think we still need to add another striker someone who can offer something a bit different, and yes our away end to be fair is horse shit, we deserve a better ground than we got with the home crowds we get.

 

[Mucca Mad Bee]

Congrats on the win BR. Wasn't at the game but i've seen enough performances in the last 6 months to know exactly how badly we played. We've had a pretty poor start and some of the tactics deployed really do ask Martin Allen questions about what he's trying to achieve this season. The summer signings seem to have weakened us if anything and to top things off we have 2/3 highly rated youth players who can't even get on the bench in front of Muggleton who was arguably at fault for 2 of the goals.

 

[miagsygas]

I know I was having a dig at Barnet fans earlier in the thread but I do wish them all the best, Allen has his flaws but is a good manager and will steer them in the right direction, early days yet. Feel you'll need the best of McClean, wouldn't have took him off at half time and he looked fairly sharp, to take the pressure off Akinde