Rovers v Sandgrounders

[bring back the cowshed!]

Not if you saw him today you would not ! I think we just need to focus on keeping Cook / Cole / Jennings sharp, as Mangan looks well out of it at the moment.

OK, you were there! Maybe we do have enough strikers already, who h is more than I can say about midfield.

 

[bigmart]

comfortable win against a poor team, the only real downside was the injury to lee Vaughan who has a suspected broken leg

 

[drwhoman]

The referees at this level! Poor old Vaughan if he does have a broken leg. At least next week wiould allow MM to test how he replaces him. On a nicer note, after the Imps win Luke Waterfall praised Rovers for pushing them so hard. He said that his team were running on empty at the end of the season and went behind again against Macc before turning it around. You have to admire their resilience.

 

[Cowshed Kid]

Awful challenge on Vaughan. Nasty and unecessary in the context of the game.
We didn't really get out of first gear but didn't have to. For large parts Port we're worse than S Moors. Don't recall a save from Scottie. How did they deservedly stuff FGR?
We do look fragile in the middle but CJ and Nors each scored terrific goals and their form will be vital for us. Hopefully our striking options will paper over the cracks in the middle.
Wallace had a half decent game though obviously he doesn't put himself about the way Jay does. The opposition was limited but he rarely gave the ball away cheaply and you can see he's looking to make things happen. By the time the play offs come he may be as fit as we can get him and if so he could yet play a big part.
Buxton impresses me more each game and a dozen or so games ago you wouldnt have envisaged Ihiekwe playing with the confidence he is. His distribution has improved immensely.
All in all a decent workout, the shooting boots are ok and one more game to tick over before the big two.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

The referees at this level! Poor old Vaughan if he does have a broken leg. At least next week wiould allow MM to test how he replaces him. On a nicer note, after the Imps win Luke Waterfall praised Rovers for pushing them so hard. He said that his team were running on empty at the end of the season and went behind again against Macc before turning it around. You have to admire their resilience.

A nice comment from Luke Waterfall, who was with us for season but never made the first team. We have had a really good season but have been second-best in every respect - points, games won, goals scored and goal difference. I think we have the better squad (at least when all are fit) but their management team is incredible. We are really, really unlucky to be competing against them and with so many key midfielders out through injury.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think our management team is equally good, but they have not had the advantage of being in charge all season. It has been an incredible effort by mellon even to get us to our current position. I don't have much time for waterfall after he goaded our fans at sincil bank.

 

[Boz]

The service to the forward players was poor today. Stockton had to come deep to see anything of the ball, there were a couple of decent lay-offs from Cole but can hardly remember him having a chance worthy of the name. Norwood kept getting flagged offside in the first half.

I touched on it earlier, but the performance of all 3 subs was poor. Dunn barely touched the ball when he came on and contributed almost nothing. He's hardly had a good game in his injury-hit loan spell with us, but I hope the fact he's on Liverpool's books and we hope to loan others off them, isn't seeing him getting an undeserved opportunity. I'd start him at Maidstone and if he's as ineffectual bin him off. Mangan did try to get involved but his touch was fairly dismal and he was toothless as an attacker. The situation with Cook concerns me, he had the same lack of service as the starting forwards, but looks as though his confidence has been diminished by rarely making the starting xi in recent games.

MoM: Michael Ihiekwe for an assured performance at the back and a great through ball for Norwood's opener.

Looking ahead, the Maidstone game is now a dead rubber. Aside from those who need game time, I think we should play a side primarily of youngsters and fringe players. With Sutton and Vaughan out for the rest of the season, we are desperately short at the back.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The service to the forward players was poor today. Stockton had to come deep to see anything of the ball, there were a couple of decent lay-offs from Cole but can hardly remember him having a chance worthy of the name. Norwood kept getting flagged offside in the first half.

I did not think there was any lack of creativity in midfield. Both Jennings and Wallace played well, the latter having his best game since he has been back with us. In addition to the four goals, there were other good chances, notably for Norwood.

Stockton struggled simply because he had a very poor game. He had decent service in to feet on a number of occasions but failed to hold it and was too easily bullied by their centre halves. That is why we need Cook back.

The problem in midfield was our sluggishness off the ball. Against Aldershot, we will have to take special measures in the middle, as Hughes and Wallace won't cope on their own.

I agree about Dunn and I don't see how a 442 formation is going to work. I think we need to find a system that gets the best out of out form players - Jennings and Norwood - probably some kind of 433/4312.

 

[Boz]

I did not think there was any lack of creativity in midfield. Both Jennings and Wallace played well, the latter having his best game since he has been back with us. In addition to the four goals, there were other good chances, notably for Norwood.

Stockton struggled simply because he had a very poor game. He had decent service in to feet on a number of occasions but failed to hold it and was too easily bullied by their centre halves. That is why we need Cook back.

The problem in midfield was our sluggishness off the ball. Against Aldershot, we will have to take special measures in the middle, as Hughes and Wallace won't cope on their own.

I agree about Dunn and I don't see how a 442 formation is going to work. I think we need to find a system that gets the best out of out form players - Jennings and Norwood - probably some kind of 433/4312.

I would pick Cook ahead of Stockton nearly every time, but as stated earlier Cole didn't seem to see that much of the ball in positions where it told. There wasn't much coming in from the wide players yesterday, though some of Wallace's better balls were aimed in that direction. Cook looked to be a player who had lost his zest when he came on and the manager's decision to largely exclude him from the starting xi appears to have impacted on his morale. Worrying with what's coming up.

Wallace, within current consraints had a decent game and Connor Jennings got a grip on proceedings as the game went on, surprised you have him down as out of form. Agree with your point re formation, but have my doubts that the wide players avaiable for a 352 have the defensive quality to make adequate wing-backs.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I meant to say norwood and Jennings are in form, predictive text error. I don't think we can play 352 without Vaughan, as buxton is not mobile enough to play as a wing back. Cook got better as the game wore on at guiseley, but we have limited opportunity to get him sharp before Aldershot now.

 

[Ian]

I thought Wallace had a decent game yesterday but mainly because he was allowed time and space on the ball. Not sure he'll be given that luxury in a few weeks time.

My big concern is the decision to leave Cook on the bench for so long as he must be a bit rusty and we need him on causing problems and scoring goals.

 

[Boz]

Norwood has played himself back into form, because he was given regular match-time when things weren't going for him. He probably wouldn't have scored a goal like the first a month ago.

With Cook it's the opposite and I don't understand why he's so out of favour.

Agree Buxton lacks the pace to play wing-back. Don't know whether Gumbs could, Duggan was sent off for Warrington yesterday so wouldn't be available. It's not ideal having to change formation at this stage of the season, but given the players available, may have to pick a line-up using the tactics RLC suggests above. At least there is the Maidstone game for a try out.

 

[Sparky]

The rumours I hear (hopefully untrue), are that Cook and Micky have fallen out. Apparently cookies stats in terms of workrate etc are not at a level MM wants. But Cook scored 25 goals for Barrow last season hardly moving and has probably done more running for us this season than ever in his career!

Micky has done wonders with us but he is 100 percent wrong not to play Cook. As I've said before, in close play off games it could easily come down to a set piece and Cook is our biggest threat. Same goes for the crosses Ridehalgh puts in - again Cook is the most likely to get on the end of them.

I saw Cook talking to Dawson before kick off and was thinking how crazy football can be to not see those 2 in our starting 11.

I can only hope he was resting Cook but he is the type of player I think who needs match action, most strikers get rusty from not playing, mangan being a case in point on Saturday.

I really hope we don't see a play off game where things are not working and he brings Cook on with 20 mins to go but it's too little too late. He has to start.

Back to Saturday I also thought Wallace had his best game for a while. Good to see him get another 90 minutes and he was still running about near the end. Still have concerns about whether him and Hughes are good enough for the play offs but we have no other realistic options in centre mid. As for right back, MM will stick with wing backs and I think put Maynard there if he is fit. If not, someone like Duggan may be an option if poss.

 

[GroundsmansFork]

I was told by someone at the Club that Nors and Micky had had a major falling out and that Nors was leaving at the end of the season. He actually got the wrong name, it was Cook hence the reason for him not playing from kick off in every match.

 

[Boz]

I had heard that Cook's stats were a cause for concern and that was why he was being rested but it is very worrying if it has got to the falling out stage. Mellon is quite happy to play Wallace despite a dismal work-rate for a midfielder and McNulty never gets dropped, so if the manager can see it is not all down to stats for defenders and midfielders, why this approach towards Cook. Indisputedly leaving him out has made his form dip.

 

[Cowshed Kid]

The rumours I hear (hopefully untrue), are that Cook and Micky have fallen out. Apparently cookies stats in terms of workrate etc are not at a level MM wants. But Cook scored 25 goals for Barrow last season hardly moving and has probably done more running for us this season than ever in his career!

There's clearly something going on but hopefully Micky won't be so pig-headed as to jeopardise our chances and leave Cookie out in the cold. I have to say that at the time he was dropped I hadn't noticed any less effort from Cookie. And he doesn't score Tollitt like goals after a mazy run in any event.....he just knows where the goal is and gets in the right positions.
I don't want our centre forward getting knackered chasing balls out to the wings (leave that to Nors!). I want him in front of goal scoring 25 goals!
I bet he's run ten times further than Rhead!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I honestly think there is some utter bollocks in this thread. Where is the actual evidence of a falling out with cook ? It is all just hearsay. He started at guiseley, Stockton started yesterday. I think some people should be more grateful that Mellon has got us to second place in the league. Where would we be now under most of our previous half dozen managers ? It is no wonder most of them didnt last five minutes with the attitude of some of our supporters.

 

[Sparky]

Blimey RLC calm yourself down!!

Rumours are part and parcel of football and give football fans little to talk about without them. It's probably all rubbish but most rovers fans are scratching their heads that Cook isn't playing.

That doesn't take away the fact that MM has done a brilliant job.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Mellon's explanation at the time was that Cook needed resting because his numbers had dropped. That can be for the player's benefit, not to penalise him. I think he made similar comments about Jeff Hughes recently, but we have not had the option of resting him because of the midfield injuries.

I just think going into the play offs the club needs to be united, not spreading rumours which could destabilise things. I appreciate that people fall out in football, as in life, but with the emphasis he places on man-management I would be amazed if Mellon has fallen out with his top scorer.

Some people one here (not you Sparky) seem to relish the opportunity to give Mellon an (undeserved) kicking.

 

[drwhoman]

Fair comment RLC. Some folk, sadly, see kicking people as a release for their own frustrations. If you read a Liverpool blog you see so many people criticising FSG. Where would they be without them? Pretty pathetic really. Rovers are doing very well considering the injuries. I think Lincoln have been far luckier in this regard.