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rovers v swindle town

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aldo
lets hope the win last week gives the lads a boost . will be interesting to see where jennings if fit plays would think miller and nors would play after last weeks show . im going for another 3-0 win with miller and nors getting em
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
The visitors have improved since Richie Wellens replaced Phil Brown at the helm, but their form is fairly inconsistent. They appear to perform better away from the County Ground and should not be underestimated.

Ellis is an injury doubt and if Mark is unfit, it will be interesting to see if Micky drafts Buxton in to stick with 5 at the back, or switches to a back four. Connor Jennings is back in training, but I'd be surprised if MM splits the fledgling Norwood-Miller pairing up front, so probably a place on the bench for CJ. Oliie Banks had issues with Wellens, his manager at Oldham and also played on loan at Swindon. Let's hope he doesn't try to be too clever, as he did in the Oldham game, where that approach didn't work.

Prediction: Unsure how many will make the trek from Wiltshire, while Red Scouse having a 3pm home game and the wintry weather may deplete the crowd a bit. However, Swindle are old rivals, so reckon about 5,5k. Think this will be a tight game and Rovers will just edge it.
 

Sparky

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Boz makes a good point about Banks who was terrible in the home game against Oldham trying far too hard.

If Jennings is fit then I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t start. Whatever system MM plays I’m sure Nors and Miller will remain a front 2 with Connor either behind them or put wide. The issue then is where you fit in banks, McCullough and Perkins.

Thinking about it some more - Jennings might be sub. Why change a winning team?
 
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aldo
according to a swindon paper banks played in defence last week with ellis in the mid field . hope they think that this week . BANKS needs to play his normal game and dont try to hard like he did against oldham . he was poor in that game .
 

Sparky

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Ex rovers assistant manager Peter Shirtliff has joined the robins who have also signed a couple of players this week.

They also have ex FGR man woolery who scored twice at Wembley against us.

They’ll be pushing for a play off place so we need to be at our best if we’re to win
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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As Sparky mentions, Swindon have some decent players and almost certainly underachieved under Phil Brown. In addition to our old nemesis Woolery, Michael Doughty was very impressive when we played at the County Ground earlier in the season, and is the best opposition midfielder I have seen in League Two so far. However, we played The Robins off the park in that game prior to Harris's red card and we owe Swindon one tomorrow. It is the kind of game we need to win if we are to make the play offs.

It will be interesting to see what Mellon does regarding Jennings. My guess is he will be on the bench tomorrow if he has had a slight knock, but in the longer term I would be amazed if he is left out as he is such an influential player. In future he could start in a 532 ahead of Miller, or alternatively he could be played behind the strikers in place of Perkins, particularly against weaker sides at home.

It would have been good to build on the buzz of the Spurs game and get a 6,000 plus gate, but given the level of the pre sales and the bad weather that seems unlikely. I think about 3-400 will travel from Wiltshire.
 
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Cowshed Kid

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Bobby Hutchinson
Given our history with Swindle over the years they are long overdue a pasting.
I doubt it'll come tomorrow though. December 2012, four down after 30 mins, Gooders subbed at half time. That game was the catalyst for our free fall from top spot that season. Irrespective of some loaners subsequently returning to their home clubs, we never recovered from that ordeal.
Last Saturday must be a real fillip for the players though. We murdered them second half and they all looked bright as daisies.
Whilst I'd normally suggest putting CJ between the sticks if it meant him getting a shirt, Mickey doesn't have form for changing a winning team so, if he's fit, I expect Connor to be on bench.
Miller was a great physical presence, easing the pressure on Nors (which he relished) so the only realistic slot for CJ would be dropping Perkins.
At half time last week you might have supported that but Perkins really grew into the game. A very clever, street wise player. If he's 36 then Gooders was 50!!
There's been some discussion about Macca recently. I don't think the time has come to consider his position just yet but it is clear that occasionally his brain is working quicker than his legs, gifting the opposition possession in dangerous areas with missplaced passed.
At the mo those lapses are still shadowed by his influence on the team.
A tough, hard earned, single goal victory tomorrow.
 
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I doubt it'll come tomorrow though. December 2012, four down after 30 mins, Gooders subbed at half time. That game was the catalyst for our free fall from top spot that season. Irrespective of some loaners subsequently returning to their home clubs, we never recovered from that ordeal.
I am not sure that is true CK. We won all three matches over the Christmas period after the Swindon defeat. It was in the New Year that the wheels fell off, which coincided with the loss of the loanees and Wallace's failure to recover from injury.

However, I agree that we are due a victory against Swindon (apparently they have won on their last four visits to Prenton Park).
 

Cowshed Kid

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Get in Mickey!!
 

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Boz

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Not unexpected given Ellis has been passed fit.
 

Sparky

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The worst half I’ve seen all season at home. We look awful. Even before they scored they carved us open a couple of times.
 

Ian

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Awful half from Rovers. Ellis and Caprice having a torrid time on the right. No surprise in bringing Buxton on. Have we had a shot on target ? Miller unfortunate to go off. Need more passion and effort second half.
 

ADD

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Swindon making us look so so ordinary upsets me more than anything. That was truly truly dreadful and we have nothing on the bench to change things..
 

Boz

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Agree with Sparky, how can the same line-up as Cheltenham produce such a below par performance? If Ellis was taken off injured as opposed to tactical reasons and we’ve switched to a back four, why not bring Smith a real winger on and leave Caprice at the back? As Ian says no shots on target, had to wait about twenty-five minutes for our first shot. Ref has been inconsistent but hard to see a way back for Rovers from this.
 

Sparky

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Should have gone to a back 4 as it’s clearly not working
 
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