Robertson’s positivity not trickling down to Rovers fans
“THERE is nothing wrong with our defensive shape” cried Dave Robertson following Saturday night’s defeat to Finn Harps.
Have we all been watching something different for the duration of the 2017 season? That defensive shape, that there is nothing wrong with, has conceded 16 goals in six games. I’ll do the maths for you – that’s an average of 2.666 per game.
To put this into context, Rovers have scored seven goals in six games. That’s an average of 1.166 per game. Those are worrying figures.
Only five of the league’s 12 clubs have conceded double figures this season, 11 is the highest after Rovers’ 16.
You look at this so called “defensive shape” that has been good, apparently, and you see poor Liam Martin stuck in at left back. It’s not Martin’s fault, he is not a left back. I can understand the reasons for his inclusion in the team, he gives it everything in every game. But it’s not fair to him or to the team to expect him to be able to put in a good performance every week in a position where he does not appear comfortable. Fair enough he looked decent in Cork, and Gary Boylan didn’t enjoy his best game there but for me, Boylan has got to be in that team if Regan Donelon is not fit.
Boylan needs game time and he is wasted on the bench. He can slot in at centre- back or central midfield. The young Belmullet man is the kind of player most squads need – he’s versatile, talented and he has been part of the club for years at this rate.
He can only improve with game time and under Robertson, has been largely ignored when it comes to the starting eleven. The reasons for that are beyond my understanding but this is a worrying pattern. The defence has looked jittery and nervous at times - this is not helping matters.
This current starting eleven is not showing any signs of improvement and without the work- rate and determination of both John Russell and Raffaele Cretaro we would have little to be cheering about so far.
That victory over Bray Wanderers merely papered over the proverbial cracks. The reaction on social media to the Harps defeat speaks volumes about how people right now.
If the rest of us possessed Dave Robertson’s levels of positivity, we still couldn’t find the areas in which we have improved as the season has gone on, as he has.
I am struggling to think of anywhere. The players are not blameless in all of this, but criticising them solely would not be fair. They go on the instructions of their manager - they do not pick the team.
There seems to be a lack of motivation, that drive we saw against Bray and last year just seems to be gone again and you look at teams like Finn Harps pulling off a result like that - they will all rally around together and give everything for the cause.
What’s clear when you watch a team like Harps is that every player on the pitch knows their role. They know the game plan, they know what Ollie Horgan wants and expects from them.
I’m sure Robertson has a game plan for Rovers, but it’s not immediately obvious and to the naked eye it appears to be a ‘ lump forward and hope for the best’ job.
Whether Robertson himself is in denial, or just putting on a brave face, is hard to tell but he will not concede in interviews that he is a) under pressure and that b) Rovers are in a relegation battle.
With six games played, the Bit o’Red have lost four, won one and drawn another. Any team with that kind of form deserves to be in the position that Rovers are in.
Publicly, at least, Robertson may not want to discuss relegation but it is a real possibility and it is the reality of the way we are headed.
There were a few small glimmers of hope during the win over Bray Wanderers, but our habit of conceding goals is ultimately what could kill us off in the end.
We’re in a relegation battle. There is no denying it, no amount of spin or propaganda can change that.
The only thing that can change that is points on the board. To get those you have got to win games. Are we capable of doing that at this stage? That remains to be seen.
Telling fans they have nothing to worry about comes across as patronising. The fans do have something to worry about.
It is up to the team and management to stop fans worrying. Again I’ve said it a hundred times but it’s difficult to pick out three teams who are, at this stage, looking in any more danger than Rovers are.
If this was last week I would have told you St. Patrick’s Athletic are looking in trouble but a weekend win over Shamrock Rovers distorts that view slightly.
Galway United too are looking dodgy but they should have enough to see them through. Harps will probably be there or thereabouts and while on paper their team might not be the strongest, they are a hard working team who give it everything for their manager.
The big question really is where do we go from here? Can the current management team turn it around? Can the club afford another dismal year?