League Two Dons (1) v Rovers (0)

[Higgy 2]

Hendry with a chance to shoot. Mugged before he got the shot off.

 

[Ian]

WTF!!!!!!!!!!! Norris misses an open goal!!

 

[ADD]

What a miss by Norris! Terrible.

 

[Ian]

How did he miss?

 

[Ian]

Rovers doing everything right this second half apart from scoring!

 

[ADD]

Rovers doing everything right this second half apart from scoring!

Yes so much better... Creating chances. Much more like it.

 

[Ian]

Great through ball by Davies, Norris with a shot and a good save by their keeper.

 

[Sparky]

Lost 1-0. An improved second half performance and credit to Dawes for changing things but thats two league defeats from two games. Despite the improvement in the second half I still think we need to have our best players on the pitch and Hawkes is one of them. Especially if we need a goal

 

[Am on mobile]

We need the team with Hawkes that started the second half for the start on Tuesday

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought it was a good performance and we ultimately deserved to win the game, let alone draw it. However, we have ultimately paid for an awful goal given away from a set play where we have tried to play offside, something that must have come from the coaching staff.

The front three caused problems all game and Hendry was excellent. We lost our way midway through the first half, but after the change of shape to the diamond we completely dominated, with Norris and Jennings both missing chances they should have scored. There were lots of good individual displays, with Leake impressing again and Jennings excellent when he came on.

However, it is ultimately a results business and I agree with Sparky that there were some strange tactical decisions today. Our top scorer last season was undeservedly taken off at half time, and our best natural goalscorer, Dennis, was used as a number ten rather than a striker when he came on and hardly got into the game. To date, he has been played as a right winger or number ten, but never in his best position.

 

[Ian]

Complete waste of a half, it was pretty laboured in the first 45 but absolutely battered them in the second. Norris and Jennings should have scored, it goes down as one of those days where the ball just wouldn't go in. There were promising signs though but as we said last season many times, we need to play for 90 mins, not 45!

 

[Higgy 2]

Lost 1-0. An improved second half performance and credit to Dawes for changing things but thats two league defeats from two games. Despite the improvement in the second half I still think we need to have our best players on the pitch and Hawkes is one of them. Especially if we need a goal

I agree Sparky. Albeit I thought it was one of Josh's quieter games. Taylor looked lively and a threat in the second half. Looks like he can handle the rigors of the L2 games ok.
Leake continues to impress and MoM for me. A real find.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

Deserved something from that second half!
But we are in the relegation zone!!!!!!
Knew it was going to be tough to get a result today!
Now, needing a win on Tuesday!

 

[Boz]

Only able to listen the the commentary, so hard to assess the merits of the substitutions, though we did seem to improve after h/t. It didn’t sound as though many were having a good first half, Saunders perhaps. If Hawkes stays on then should Dawes have not brought on one of Dennis/Jennings or who should have been brought off instead? It sounded like Jennings introduction was a positive, while Dennis’ lesser impact may be a reflection of him being played out of position as RLC suggests.

It felt like we deserved something from todays game. Pointless after two does start to add the pressure onto the manager.

 

[Sparky]

I’m going to repeat myself here but we’ve signed a striker who scored 20 league goals last season. A penalty box poacher. It is still very early days but if Dawes is going to not play Dennis thru the middle then why bother signing him?

And Hawkes. He can be quiet in games but so often came up with a goal last season and has some magic in him.

Some odd decisions in my opinion but if we’re winning games then I’m not that bothered. As I say early days but we need a win on Tuesday

 

[Sparky]

That said there is little point in putting pressure on Dawes this early. Some of the chances we missed were easy ones and we played well second half. MK dons away was never going to be easy

 

[Ian]

Yes, I don't think there is need for panic this early. Two games in so still plenty of time. As mundane as the first half was, there was lots to be positive about in the second half. One of the early concerns for me regarding Dawes is his quite frank statement about rotating players. I really don't think this approach will work even though he sees it as quite a positive. The first half seemed almost experimental until the big boys came on and changed the game. Rotating players on a weekly basis could get him in all sorts of trouble, just pick the best team you've got and don't rotate for the sake of it.

 

[Sparky]

Yes I agree Ian about rotation. Whatever happened to keeping a winning team? Not that we’ve had one yet! Especially players like Dennis who is no youngster and I suspect is the type who needs to be playing regularly to stay fit and sharp.

The starting 11 v barrow was questionable as Walker was unfit. And today Dawes arguably got it wrong hence 3 subs at half time.

 

[Boz]

Think we have to cut Dawes some slack particularly due to the pre-season injuries to Norris and Dennis. What is our best team and are the new strikers capable of operating as our first choice front pairing given both lack pace? I can understand the manager favouring Norris at this stage, because over his career Luke has been the more consistent scorer. However, he has to find a way of getting Kristian into the team in a forward role, where functions best.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

These are rhetorical questions.

Does Dawes know his first eleven yet?
Does he know the best, shape, formation? We need it sorted!
Again today the first half didn't work!
Rotation can work but it needs to be positive rather than negative.

I remember the last few seasons when the number of times the first half was so often very poor! But after half time we improved, we were consistently inconsistent!

I can see improvements, as only two games in. So p!entry of time to get it to work. I hope so!