rovers v daggers

[aldoes mustache]

Well im not too happy . Im gonna miss this due to another big party . But hey ho needs must . But have to say realy looking forward to this . Realy hope they come an try to play and not park the bus . If they come an attack we now have the players to get at them . With dmh and cole who will be getting fitter. And with cookie scoring again. Would start with cook an noors . Hope the boys play as well as they did in midfield . We realy need to win this and get the poins at gateshead . Then we will be in top half .

 

[Sparky]

A tough game this one against John Still's Daggers who lie 6th in the division. Their recent form is patchy - their last 4 games have been an away defeat at Orient, a home defeat to Wrexham, a home win against Macc and a draw at Maidenhead. Daggers have a strong squad with experience from the likes of Howell & Boucard and goals from ex Braintree man Cheek, Corey Whiteley, and Ferrier who is quick and strong and a real handful.

As for the rovers side, I'm assuming Cook will start but will be interesting whether Micky goes back to 4-4-2. At Posh 5-3-2 worked well but that was away from home at a decent L1 side. Now we're at home but Daggers are a decent side. Buxton limped off in the Senior Cup and will the likes of Larnell Cole or Jake Kirby feature? Decisions for Micky to make.

The feeling amongst most of the SWA are that things are slowly starting to turn in a positive direction. We're currently 14th and only 4 points off Daggers. A win could take us as far up as the dizzy heights of 9th!

A draw wouldn't be a disaster against a decent side but a win would set us up nicely for the Peterborough replay and a tough trip to Gateshead next Saturday, followed then by Macc away a week on Tuesday. Some tough games coming up.

Prediction: Score draw.

 

[aldoes mustache]

Im goin ultra positive an saying a second game at home scoring 4 cook an noors with green dmh getting them . An 7k watchin come on boys

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think Dagenham have the strongest squad in the division along with ourselves, and arguably the best manager in John Still. For those reasons, and despite the Daggers' recent patchy form, I think this game is a benchmark for us if we are still serious about challenging for the title and one we need to win. Victory would cement our recent improvement and give us all confidence that we can push for promotion in the second half of the season. Having watched a stubborn Wrexham side go nine points ahead of us last night, we don't want the gap to widen any further.

In terms of selection, Micky has a couple of decisions to make. Hughes and Norburn were both outstanding at Peterborough and deserve to start, but with Dagenham's attacking threat we need Harris in the side. At the back, McEverley arguably deserves a starting place after some good performances recently, but Sutton has been solid all season and might be the safer option against the Daggers' potent frontmen. I would go with the following team in a 442, injuries permitting:

Davies
Buxton Sutton / McEverley Big Mac Ridehalgh
DMH Harris Norburn Hughes
Cook Norwood

Dagenham's away form has actually been poor this season and they have only won once on their travels. This is a game we are capable of winning and we need three points.

 

[drwhoman]

A fair summation RLC.

 

[Boz]

I'm surprised at Dagenham's patchy start to the season. They seemed to do all the right business in pre-season, bringing in their signings early, but things haven't quite clicked for them yet. Our last couple of games at home to them resulted in defeats, 2-3 in our L2 game under Adams and 0-2 last season, when we offered relatively little in attack.

On balance, I would revert to 442. It sounds like we have all but the long-term absentees available, Buxton having been training today. If we are playing a back four, the central pairing should be unchanged. I agree that Haris should be brought back after his ban, but that does leave the side lacking width on the left if Norburn and Hughes keep their places.

Prediction: Around 100 Daggers fans in a crowd of about 4.4k. Expecting an open game with the spoils being shared.

 

[Ian]

Yes I agree Boz I think this will be a nice open game to watch. I think RLC also makes a good point about using this game as a benchmark. We are playing better now and seem to be settling into the season. We had a great result against Posh and I think confident is up at the moment.

Really need to win this to push on.
2-0 Rovers.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I really have no feel for how this one will go. I think it will depend on how the teams line up and how well they execute their plan. If it is an open game with both teams going for a win, I think we could do it. On the other hand, if Dag & Red park the bus and frustrate us, it will be a case of whether we have the guile to find a way through and the patience to avoid being exposed on the counterattack. Our record last season against the better teams was very poor because of this. If pushed, I will predict 1-1 with our opponents scoring in the first half and sustained pressure getting us an equaliser in the second. Even a draw will maintain the confidence, but a defeat will start to ask questions again.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

On the other hand, if Dag & Red park the bus and frustrate us, it will be a case of whether we have the guile to find a way through and the patience to avoid being exposed on the counterattack.

I don't think there is any chance Dagenham will do this. They always play an open game, as their strength is their attack and the players mentioned above.

 

[A J W]

Just have to play with the idea of attacking minded forward line ,at least two up front with wingers supplying ball's into the box,if we get one up non of this nonsense of holding out for a 1-0 win that has been our downfall. Let's get out there and go for 2-0+ we have to win these games if we want to get out of this hell hole of a Pub League football.

 

[Boz]

I agree that 1 up front isn’t ideal for a home game we ideally need to win. There only seems to be one obvious winger in DMH likely to start. Cole probably isn’t able to last 90 minutes and doesn’t play as a traditional winger, while Rokka and Green aren’t looking close to the first team. 433 with Norwood, Cook and DMH as the front three may be the best option currently in an attacking sense.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree that 1 up front isn’t ideal for a home game we ideally need to win. There only seems to be one obvious winger in DMH likely to start. Cole probably isn’t able to last 90 minutes and doesn’t play as a traditional winger, while Rokka and Green aren’t looking close to the first team. 433 with Norwood, Cook and DMH as the front three may be the best option currently in an attacking sense.

We have been playing well with a 442 with Jennings playing narrow on the left, and it is the change to that formation that has sparked our upturn in form. The 433 formation was awful earlier in the season.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it in my view. Jennings has done a decent job on the left and Hughes can also play comfortably there. Added to which, DMH would not be able to operate as a conventional winger in a 433 and would not be at his most effective. Cook also gets far too isolated in a 433, as we saw earlier in the season.

 

[Boz]

We have been playing well with a 442 with Jennings playing narrow on the left, and it is the change to that formation that has sparked our upturn in form. The 433 formation was awful earlier in the season.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it in my view. Jennings has done a decent job on the left and Hughes can also play comfortably there. Added to which, DMH would not be able to operate as a conventional winger in a 433 and would not be at his most effective. Cook also gets far too isolated in a 433, as we saw earlier in the season.

I don’t think 433 is a cure all and have some reservations, though think DMH is adaptable enough to operate in a front three and Norwood is a decent crosser of the ball. I think Jennings has done ok on the left, despite being out of position, but in your suggested starting xi you preferred Hughes. Although Jeff begun his career as a winger, his delivery from out left hasn’t been influential for us and I would rather he was deployed in central midfield.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I just think the 442 has worked well for us, so why change it ? We need reasonable defensive protection against Dagenham, so Hughes or Jennings starting on the left is not an issue for me. You don't have to play with two out and out wingers in a 442 and we would probably be too open if we did play that way against Dagenham.

 

[Ian]

I think sometimes we are guilty of giving the opposition too much respect. Let’s go out there and get at them. We have the quality. Like AJW says, don’t sit back. We at home and we need the three points.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

442 with duggan at right back. Same midfield as last week, Harris on the bench, along with green and Cole.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

This could be one of the best NL games of the season from a neutral standpoint. It's a shame it's not on TV.

 

[Boz]

No defenders on the bench, hope that doesn’t come back to bite us. Green must have impressed to be elevated to the bench so quickly. Very cold here, so hoping the game lives up to expectations and distracts from the chilly conditions.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

No defenders on the bench, hope that doesn’t come back to bite us. Green must have impressed to be elevated to the bench so quickly. Very cold here, so hoping the game lives up to expectations and distracts from the chilly conditions.

Two injuries already. Presumably DMH now at right-back and Harris replacing Hughes? How is it going?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Great half from rovers. Injuries have not hindered us too much so far.