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Rotherham v Rovers

Rotherham v Rovers
Posted by Ian
AESSEAL New York Stadium
Saturday, August 31, 2019 - 03:00 PM
Until: Saturday, August 31, 2019 - 05:00 PM
(Adjusted for timezone: Europe/London)
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Ian

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Next up for Rovers is an away trip to the New York Stadium on Saturday to face The Millers.
This is Rotherham's fourth league game this season having picked up two wins and a loss in their first three games.

They have had two excellent away wins at AFC Wimbledon and Burton but lost at home to high flying Lincoln.

Rovers will be hoping to pick up some points after a disappointing start to the season.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
We will need the points shortly if Bolton join Bury in the bin. If Bolton had been expelled today, we would have been on zero points, just kept off the bottom by Southend's even worse goal difference. I think we will perform after the rollicking Micky must have dished out after the Bristol Rovers defeat, although frankly any sort of result will be an unexpected bonus. The following two games against Gillingham and Oxford United offer more hope.
 

Ian

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Obviously we want the points, but I would be happy with a solid, disciplined hard working performance with some real determination and willingness to fight for the shirt. I do believe we have a decent squad but they need to give us more.
 

bigmart

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I cant see anything other than a home win 2 0
 

Boz

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There seems to have been quite a lot of transfer activity at Rotherham, but while one ex-Rover Vaulks has moved on for a tidy sum, Ihiekwe remains and seems to have been getting a few starts, as the Millers have made a reasonable start to their L1 campaign.

It will be interesting to see what changes Micky makes in response to a disappointing performance at Bristol Rovers, though his hand is forced by the bans to Banks and Blackett-Taylor. My inclination would be to start with an relatively experienced line-up, with options to bring the likes of Hepburn-Murphy and Maddox, if fit, from the bench.

Davies
Wilson Ray/Nelson Monthe Ridehalgh
Morris Perkins Potter Gilmour Jennings
Ferrier

We've got to go into the game believing that we can get something out of it. Already sold our ticket allocation, but more available on the day., so looking like a decent turnout for the SWA.
 
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A very tough game against a side that was in the Championship last season and is one of the favourites for promotion. I am not very familiar with their squad, but ex-Plymouth striker Ladapo, former Northampton midfielder Matt Crooks and ex-Rover Michael Ihiekwe (who seems to be featuring pretty regularly again) are names I do recognise.

It will be interesting to see how we set up tactically. We started with a 442 at Bristol Rovers, but against strong opposition I would prefer us to revert to 433 / 451 and bring Potter back into the side. That was a system that produced a decent performance and kept us in the game at Fratton Park.

I am not as defeatist as some of the posters above, and if we can produce the second half performances against Hull and Bristol for ninety minutes, we are capable of getting a result. Ahead of a crucial game against Gillingham next week, a point would be a great boost.

We have sold our initial allocation of 675 and there should be over 1,000 SWA in attendance. The New York Stadium is one of the better of the new grounds and it should be a decent atmosphere.
 
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There seems to have been quite a lot of transfer activity at Rotherham, but while one ex-Rover Vaulks has moved on for a tidy sum, Ihiekwe remains and seems to have been getting a few starts, as the Millers have made a reasonable start to their L1 campaign.

It will be interesting to see what changes Micky makes in response to a disappointing performance at Bristol Rovers, though his hand is forced by the bans to Banks and Blackett-Taylor. My inclination would be to start with an relatively experienced line-up, with options to bring the likes of Hepburn-Murphy and Maddox, if fit, from the bench.

Davies
Wilson Ray/Nelson Monthe Ridehalgh
Morris Perkins Potter Gilmour Jennings
Ferrier

We've got to go into the game believing that we can get something out of it. Already sold our ticket allocation, but more available on the day., so looking like a decent turnout for the SWA.
I like the look of Boz's team, except I would play Gilmour on the left and move Jennings centrally.
 
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agreed lets just hope we keep 11 players on the pitch . and show some balls . just get in there faces close them down . and show some passion . do that and rovers will win oh away tickets sold out can pay on day so over 650 already going . if we play like we have in the last few games o_O:thumbsdown:
 

Ian

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Looking forward to this as I don't get to many away games these days. Thought they would have given us more than 650 tickets but guess I'll just have to pay a bit more on the day. I'd like to see MM start with two up front as I don't think we have enough firepower with Ferrier chasing loose balls, or maybe Jennings sitting just behind him as we have problems linking up play and giving the strikers something to feed off. Having said that, if we are able to control the middle of the park we have a chance. Not altogether convinced by Ray either. I'd like to see Sid in the centre with Manny.
 
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agreed lets just hope we keep 11 players on the pitch . and show some balls . just get in there faces close them down . and show some passion . do that and rovers will win oh away tickets sold out can pay on day so over 650 already going . if we play like we have in the last few games o_O:thumbsdown:
Our discipline must be the worst in the league. Micky will have to make sure it improves.
 
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well i think maddox will come in for Banxy and the other lad from villa will be back in to . . we just need to settle down and get back to doing what we do best play our way and i think a sneaky 2-0 or 2-1 win with around 850-900 in attendance
 

ADD

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With Ferrier now out I can't imagine that MM will even consider 2 up top. Payne will I assume start up front with Gilmour and Potter in for CBT and Banks. RHM I don't feel will be risked to start as he tends to run up too many blind alleys and give the ball away in my view.

Maddox I assume will be on the bench - with no game last week he must be getting close to full fitness by now though clearly cannot be match fit - again I can't see MM risking him from the start. Given how we have started and Rotherham's form I will go with a 2 - 0 defeat... so hopefully I will be wrong as usual and we get a result!
 
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I am not so sure that Mellon will just make a like-for-like change, replacing Ferrier with Payne or Mullin. Without Morgan and with CBT also suspended there is a serious lack of pace in attacking areas, so I would not be surprised if he mixes things up a bit and brings Hepburn-Murphy into the side somehow.
 

Boz

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The Ferrier injury does make the manager's job a lot harder. I don't think Payne has the energy and work-rate to function effectively as a lone striker and it would be asking a lot of Ponticelli to fill that role, so if it's one up front, Mullin is my preferred option. Haven't seen Hepburn-Murphy in action yet, but RLC makes a valid point about lack of pace. If he starts, probably at the expense of Gilmour, who could count himself unlucky not to make the starting xi in these circumstances.
 
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its got to be mullins chance he has not had a fair run in the team. could do him good . but he needs to get a riddle on and prove people wrong
 

ADD

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Part of the problem is that none of Ferrier, Mullin or Payne suit being a lone striker in my opinion. Nors could do it due to his amazing workload - I appreciate MM is playing it safe (or at least trying to) as we bed in by not wanting to commit to 2 upfront but I feel that this didn't work great for us in L2 and NL when we tried it and there is little/ no chance it will work in L1 where the defenders are quicker and more street smart...
That said I think MM will start with Payne up front on his own....
 
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Part of the problem is that none of Ferrier, Mullin or Payne suit being a lone striker in my opinion. Nors could do it due to his amazing workload - I appreciate MM is playing it safe (or at least trying to) as we bed in by not wanting to commit to 2 upfront but I feel that this didn't work great for us in L2 and NL when we tried it and there is little/ no chance it will work in L1 where the defenders are quicker and more street smart...
That said I think MM will start with Payne up front on his own....
I am not sure I agree that 433 will never work in League One. Plenty of teams at this level use that system, probably more than play an orthodox 442 , and they have not all got superb strikers. We have struggled to create this season regardless of the system we have used and I think that has been due to the quality of the link play between midfield and wide players and forwards - or the lack of it at times - rather than the formation. The trouble is that teams at this level have generally superior midfielders, so if you play 442 you can get overrun in midfield, as happened against Rochdale, so Mellon's caution is understandable.
 

Boz

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Part of the problem is that none of Ferrier, Mullin or Payne suit being a lone striker in my opinion. Nors could do it due to his amazing workload - I appreciate MM is playing it safe (or at least trying to) as we bed in by not wanting to commit to 2 upfront but I feel that this didn't work great for us in L2 and NL when we tried it and there is little/ no chance it will work in L1 where the defenders are quicker and more street smart...
That said I think MM will start with Payne up front on his own....
I think Ferrier has made a fair stab at the lone striker role, he works hard and makes a nuisance of himself. Mullin puts the effort in generally, although don't think he's ever played as one up front. Payne just doesn't seem to have the energy and stamina to chase lost causes and make things happen that way. If he does start, needs a strike partner
 
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Mullin puts the effort in generally, although don't think he's ever played as one up front.
Mullin did play as a lone striker at Morecambe last season and did pretty well, although Rotherham are a completely different class of opposition.

I agree with the general thrust of your comments though. The teams that use the 433 / 451 system well at higher levels will have good rotation between the front three players, with the wide men and central striker interchanging positions and playing off each other, rather leaving the stereotypical lump up front on his own.
 
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