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Rovers v Saddlers JPT

Boz

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It will be interesting to see how many changes Micky makes for this one. Fenelon is cup-tied, but otherwise he's got the same squad to pick from and has hinted that there will be some changes. We did very well at Bury with the fringe players, hoping for more of the same here.

I hope he selects Woodards, preferably as a central defender. I'd also think Rowe deserves another game after the Pompey performance and it's as good a time as any to give Madjo a start. Beyond that, I wouldn't want to see too much chopping and changing.

This is a winnable game, depends who wants it more. Unlikely to have much of a crowd-a shame the Cowsheds experiment wasn't repeated-around 2.5k. Penalty decider is not out of the question.
 
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I think Rowe will start and Cole might be rested, but I would not expect wholesale changes. Madjo may start but I am not sure who will partner him, as he and Odejayi are pretty similar players. It has to be said that the JPT this year represents the best opportunity the club has had to get to Wembley for a decade, particularly with a lot of the 'big' League One sides out of the competition.

Quite an exciting night in prospect.
 
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I'd like to see something like:

Brezovan
Donacien, Woodards, Holness, Ihiekwe, Ridehalgh
Rowe, Power, Koumas
Madjo, Richards

I think Holmes, Jennings and Stockton need a rest. I'd have played Laird, but you have to field six of the team who started at Oxford.
 

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I'd agree with putting Rowe back into the side, it's a shame we can't select Fenelon but gives other players a chance.

Agree with RLC, a really good chance here to progress and a trip to Wembley looks closer. I'm assuming it's going to be a cold one so hope it's a good game :confused:
 

Boz

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Quite surprised at the team picked, just two changes with Odejayi and Rowe coming in. Richards, Baggie, Koumas Madjo and Brezovan don't get a place on the bench, yet the hapless Donnelly does.
 
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Quite surprised at the team picked, just two changes with Odejayi and Rowe coming in. Richards, Baggie, Koumas Madjo and Brezovan don't get a place on the bench, yet the hapless Donnelly does.
Yes, surprised he's gone with a full strength team. It shows he really wants to get to Wembley! However, I don't understand the subs unless there are some minor knocks we are not aware of and he's keeping them fresh for Saturday.
 
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Gutted! How did we lose that? Two goals up at half-time and two up in the shootout. What a missed opportunity. I hope the players aren't knackered or dispirited on Saturday.
 
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Absolutely gutted, as for the majority of the game we were the better side: a nervous spell of twenty minutes after Walsall scored where we defended way too deep has cost us.

We created opportunities throughout the game and in the first fifteen minutes of the second period we had three or four chances where we could have put the game beyond doubt. Even after conceding the equaliser, we got back on the front foot and had a disallowed goal (Odejayi), an effort cleared off the line and a sitter missed (Laird). As BBTC says, to be one spot kick away from victory and end up losing just rubs salt in the wound. On the positive side, it was another good team display and the forty league places between the two teams wasn't apparent.

Individually, Odejayi had his best game for Rovers and deserved his goal, and he and Cole - who was also very good - linked up surprisingly well. Jenno and Max were both excellent and Holness put in one of his better displays at centre half. It is just frustrating that we were so naive when Walsall scored, dropping to our eighteen yard line and hoofing the ball long instead of playing the football we did for the majority of the match. Walsall did not have that many opportunities in this spell, but when the ball is in and around your box for that length of time it is inevitable you will concede eventually.

Let us just hope we win the Oxford replay.
 
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best game Ive seen at PP in ages,

MOM - Power or Jeno

After a nervy 10 mins, Jeno started man marking there number 10 with the dreads, and he didn't get a minutes peace. Stuffed there whole game up.

Odejayi - was awesome and ran himself into the ground, best game so far.

Cole- did some nice things, but was goosed at 65 min.

Everyone put a shift in, I started walking away when Lard stepped up to take a peno.


For me we lost the game when we didn't bring on a sub for Cole and Rowe at 65-70 min, left it too late
 

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Really enjoyable game to watch. Yes, we lost which was undeserved as I thought we were the better side for the majority of the game. Great work rate from the lads, pushing forward, attacking and creating a lot of chances. But I have to agree with RLC. The big mistake was the awful 20 min period after they scored. Sat far too deep, inviting pressure on. It was obvious they were going to score again, and then after they did, it was like the first half again with Rovers pushing forward for a winner. What I don't understand was that the bench were screaming for the team to push forward and so was Max but no-one did.

Horrible way to lose a game, but they should take a lot of positives from that. If they play like that for the rest of the season they'll be OK.
 
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Hearing Micky's post-match interview, I'm pleased with his comments. Clearly, he'll be emphasising the positives in training and trying to build on the good things. It's obvious we are improving if we can come so close to beating a side a league and a half above us. What worries me is that we've thrown away the lead in our last two games by defending too deep. While the scores are level, we play positive, attacking football. It seems the worst thing we can do is score!

By the way, I got a Christmas card yesterday from a mate who's a Port Vale fan. After his opening banter, he said Micky's OK but he's not good on bringing the youngsters into the team. That remains to be seen, as I don't think any are ready and now is not the best time to do it. However, he did bring on Evan Gumbs against Luton. He also criticised Micky's scouting. Well, I think he's brought some good players in since he took over. My mate did finish by saying he thought Micky would keep us up.
 

Boz

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We've got form for throwing away a 2 goal lead away against Walsall, remember them coming back from 3-1 down in the Les Parry era. The problem that day was defending too deep as well.

It's disappointing losing(albeit on penalties) a game it sounds like we deserved to win. Odejayi sounds like he's starting to come good; haven't seen his 'goal' that was ruled out for offside, but heard a bit unlucky. It sounds like Micky perhaps made two errors, delaying the substitutions when fresh legs were called for and bringing Donnelly on. I thought the latter might have a Sammy Morrow moment, but he lacks either the ability or bottle to take penalties in the shoot-out. Given he contributes little in match play, I'd have thought bringing Martin on for Stockton would have been a better bet, given MA had deprived himself of arguably better players on the bench when picking the subs.

Given the choice, I'd rather have won this than the Oxford replay, as more of a chance to progress in this tournament. Would rather we made the third round than not though.

Interesting points that BBTCs mate makes re MA. It's too early to assess his attitude towards the youngsters and whether in the long term Rovers are going to revert to developing our own per the Edwards-Butler strategy. That's understandably on the back burner given our current dire position. Gumbs was a needs must debut, but a bit disappointed he hasn't made the bench since, especially since Micky doesn't seem to rate Woodards, who looks like he'll be gone in January. However, he did bring Stockton straight back into the starting xi after injury and has persisted with him despite some low key showings. I just hope he doesn't go down the route of playing other club's youngsters, who were little better than our own, which Ronnie was so fond of. Too early to tell on scouting; none of the loans he's brought in thus far have been rubbish, but some, Johnson for example, he'd never seen play.
 

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This defending to deep had been a problem for years. Now we are able to score goals again, as soon as we take a lead, the whole team pushes back and invites pressure which most of the time leads to the opposition scoring.

Mickey is fully aware of it so let's hope it's addressed.
 
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It sounds like Micky perhaps made two errors, delaying the substitutions when fresh legs were called for and bringing Donnelly on. I thought the latter might have a Sammy Morrow moment, but he lacks either the ability or bottle to take penalties in the shoot-out.

Your first point is probably correct, but Donnelly actually did ok when he came on and set up Laird for what should have been the winner in the closing stages. No, he did not take a penalty, but by keeping two fairly physical players up front we were the better side in the last ten minutes and should really have won the game in normal time.

I doubt Micky will talk up young players in the way Edwards did, but some of the sides he has picked have been very young (eg. against Portsmouth) and home produced players like Power, Holmes, Stockton have featured heavily, in addition to those brought in from outside; more a case of 'if they are good enough, they are old enough' than a conscious strategy to bring youngsters through.
 

Boz

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Your first point is probably correct, but Donnelly actually did ok when he came on and set up Laird for what should have been the winner in the closing stages. No, he did not take a penalty, but by keeping two fairly physical players up front we were the better side in the last ten minutes and should really have won the game in normal time.

Miracles do happen then, if Donnelly has cast aside his chocolate teapot status:rolleyes:
 
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