Four Rovers talking points from the defeat at Stoke City.

 

‘HOW’VE WE LOST?’

As the rain-soaked Rovers players trudged down the tunnel, they will have reflected for the second time this month, after Bristol City, ‘how have we lost that?’

In short, it was down to a poor goal conceded seven minutes in, Nick Powell heading home a Morgan Fox cross, and for the following 83 minutes they dominated the ball, and territory, but couldn’t find a way beyond Joe Bursik in the Stoke goal.

On six occasions Rovers have failed to find the back of the net, five of those against teams above them in the table, while their record against the promotion contenders is a dismal one.

Four points from a possible 30 against the 10 sides above them in the table would indicate they are not yet at that level. However, Rovers have rarely looked inferior, over any great length at least, to any side in the division, yet they have managed to lose eight of their 20 matches.

It’s now eight games without a clean sheet, Stoke scoring with their only effort on target, and just four points gained when falling behind in matches, all statistics they must address.

 

JOHNSON DROPS BACK

The ever-revolving door of the central defensive position continues. No sooner does one drop out, another returns, that until now, with Daniel Ayala joining Derrick Williams and Scott Wharton on the absentees list.

While his lay-off isn’t expected to be a lengthy one, unlikely his team-mates, it is a worrying sight for Tony Mowbray just how often he’s had to reshuffle his backline.
He opted for Bradley Johnson, over the inexperienced Hayden Carter who was on the bench, the midfielder possibly not quite having his bearings correct as Nick Powell headed in what proved to be the only goal of the game.

Thereafter, Johnson’s role was not too dissimilar to the one he would have had were he playing in midfield, given Rovers’ dominance.

To find themselves so lacking in cover defensively, at both centre half and right back, is a real concern, and while January wasn’t expected to be greeted with any arrivals, it seems that is an area Rovers cannot neglect.

This is the third season in a row where they have found themselves scratching around with a makeshift backline. The injury to Wharton was unfortunate, Williams suffering a recurrence of his quadricep problem having only just returned, while Ayala has been short of football in 2020.

Ryan Nyambe is an option, but so key is he to the attacking play, getting forward from right back, adding another centre back option is now a must.

 

CHANGING THINGS AROUND

Mowbray made all five substitutions, including a triple switch that saw Tom Trybull, recalled to the side for the first time since Brentford, substituted. He didn’t looked best pleased, and probably justifiably so, given his performance. 

Yet Lewis Holtby, and Sam Gallagher, the other two players to be replaced, could have less reason to grumble, neither able to stamp their authority on the game.

The Brentford draw, where he ran himself into the ground, and win at Preston, where he won the game-changing penalty, Gallagher’s better performances have actually when used off the bench himself, scoring at Coventry City, the equaliser at Luton and the all-important second goal against Barnsley.

He doesn’t look suited to the wide left role he’s been given, and not able to provide the same level of width down that flank that Ben Brereton did, a player who’s proven to be a real miss. That has led to so much of Rovers’ play going down their right.

It was strange that Gallagher was replaced though without any thought to possibly moving him into the central striking role and Armstrong out wide beforehand in a bid to ask something different of the Stoke defence. 

Holtby earned his start given his display off the bench against Rotherham, but drifted in and out here, playing a little higher than we’ve seen, but 16 league matches in, he’s yet to register a goal, or an assist. Rovers need better productivity from their midfield if they’re to prosper.

 

STAYING WHERE THEY ARE

With Cardiff City beaten in the early kick-off on Saturday, and Bristol City on Friday night, the incentive was there for Rovers to climb at least three places with a win.

In the end they stayed 11th, and have become somewhat entrenched in the middle of the Championship.

They have fluctuated between eighth and 17th over the course of the last two months, but we still wait for them to make that real assault towards the top six. Mowbray’s focus now is on points, rather than position, and Rovers are still just five points outside the play-offs.

They head into Christmas in 11th, while after 20 matches last season they found themselves two points better off, but in the very same position they find themselves now. 

In 2018, after 20 matches they had 29 points, and sat in 10th. That’s consistency at least.