League Two Rovers (1) v Doncaster Rovers (2)

[Ian]

Dear me, what a mess we are. I am now clinging to something happening in Jan as with this current bunch and setup, we are going down.

 

[Sparky]

Donny weren’t great last night but I thought they had a proper front two up top. Both strong and caused us problems. They also had Molyneux on the right, quick and direct and causing Wood all sorts of problems first half.

In contrast we had hawkes and Saunders who were both poor and Dennis who once again, surprise surprise, looked hapless in that central striking position. I feel for him really. Another strange thing that Nigel doesn’t seem to be able to see that we’ve got a 20 goal a season striker looking lost - can’t he see why and change it?!?

 

[Sparky]

Dear me, what a mess we are. I am now clinging to something happening in Jan as with this current bunch and setup, we are going down.

This goes back to the manager situation though. If Nigel is still interim then will he be allowed to sign players? And given we have 31 players can we even afford to bring more in unless we ship some out? Let’s face it, on current form very few of our players will have any interest from other clubs

It really is a big mess.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

This goes back to the manager situation though. If Nigel is still interim then will he be allowed to sign players? And given we have 31 players can we even afford to bring more in unless we ship some out? Let’s face it, on current form very few of our players will have any interest from other clubs

It really is a big mess.

I don't think yet more players is necessarily the answer in our current position. That would mean yet more turnover and turmoil and we would be back in the 2014-15 situation of 40/50 players on the books in one season, which never ends well. I think we need to find a system and approach that gets the best out of the current players at our disposal, which after fourteen games we still have not done.

I think the size of the squad is one of our problems. There are too many players never, or only intermittently, getting games and that is never good for morale. Aside from Jennings, and perhaps Davies, there is zero character or leadership in this group.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Donny weren’t great last night but I thought they had a proper front two up top. Both strong and caused us problems. They also had Molyneux on the right, quick and direct and causing Wood all sorts of problems first half.

In contrast we had hawkes and Saunders who were both poor and Dennis who once again, surprise surprise, looked hapless in that central striking position. I feel for him really. Another strange thing that Nigel doesn’t seem to be able to see that we’ve got a 20 goal a season striker looking lost - can’t he see why and change it?!?

To play a two you have to have Norris. Dennis would as ineffective as Hemmings or Saunders let alone Nevitt. Whilst Mellon chose none realistically as currently clear you need two Norrises and I don't mean the dicky mint version!

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

It is the sense of disbelief that the supporters can see that there are many issues that we are struggling for points.
And in that situation, the two selectors of our eleven, have tried, so many team changes for so many reasons.
Except the main one, which when struggling and you are conceding too many goals, whether it's mistakes or good play.
To stop the goals going in even if you are not scoring or making mistakes.
You set up your eleven not to concede, not have a situation, when your sitting midfielder in the current formation turns over the ball, there is six or even seven players who are out of defensive shape and we find ourselves wide open to an attack we are not set up for.
If you are set up not to concede, like many teams are, when against teams you will struggle against, if you don't concede, you can pinch or sneak a goal from a set play or such!
Doncaster were tall in many positions, we are not!
We don't have the bullies, needed in league two.
Our spine is weak, especially with the goalkeeper missing and no target man.
I have gone on longer than I wanted to. It's not what I would want from my club.
Whilst we still set up in this formation, it is not gonna get better.
We have two away games, I would go for a 5-4-1 formation of 1-9-1, regardless of who plays. We are desperate for away points.
Stop setting up to get beat! Clean sheets have been rare this season. It is about time someone realised how bad our defence has been. 4-3-3 is sending us down!

 

[Sparky]

We do have front two options though even without Norris.
Not perfect of course but Dennis and Jolley, or Dennis and Jennings with say LOC and Hendry in midfield or Walker and Lewis as options as a 4-4-2. Connor has been very good in midfield but he could be a decent partner for Dennis and do all the running for him.
As I say not perfect but 4-3-3 just isn’t working, at both ends of the pitch

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We do have front two options though even without Norris.
Not perfect of course but Dennis and Jolley, or Dennis and Jennings with say LOC and Hendry in midfield or Walker and Lewis as options as a 4-4-2. Connor has been very good in midfield but he could be a decent partner for Dennis and do all the running for him.
As I say not perfect but 4-3-3 just isn’t working, at both ends of the pitch

I also don't understand why Taylor has completely disappeared off the radar, when he is clearly the most talented of the young, attacking players. A partnership of Taylor and Dennis is an option.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Aside from Jennings, and perhaps Davies, there is zero character or leadership in this group.

Absolutely. That’s been the case since we said goodbye to Peter Clarke and Jay Spearing. It would have been worth hanging onto them for another season just to give us some backbone, which we seem to have lost.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

It is the sense of disbelief that the supporters can see that there are many issues that we are struggling for points.
And in that situation, the two selectors of our eleven, have tried, so many team changes for so many reasons.
Except the main one, which when struggling and you are conceding too many goals, whether it's mistakes or good play.
To stop the goals going in even if you are not scoring or making mistakes.
You set up your eleven not to concede, not have a situation, when your sitting midfielder in the current formation turns over the ball, there is six or even seven players who are out of defensive shape and we find ourselves wide open to an attack we are not set up for.
If you are set up not to concede, like many teams are, when against teams you will struggle against, if you don't concede, you can pinch or sneak a goal from a set play or such!
Doncaster were tall in many positions, we are not!
We don't have the bullies, needed in league two.
Our spine is weak, especially with the goalkeeper missing and no target man.
I have gone on longer than I wanted to. It's not what I would want from my club.
Whilst we still set up in this formation, it is not gonna get better.
We have two away games, I would go for a 5-4-1 formation of 1-9-1, regardless of who plays. We are desperate for away points.
Stop setting up to get beat! Clean sheets have been rare this season. It is about time someone realised how bad our defence has been. 4-3-3 is sending us down!

The trouble is that even with a formation of 10-0-0, we would still ship two or three goals.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

We do have front two options though even without Norris.
Not perfect of course but Dennis and Jolley, or Dennis and Jennings with say LOC and Hendry in midfield or Walker and Lewis as options as a 4-4-2. Connor has been very good in midfield but he could be a decent partner for Dennis and do all the running for him.
As I say not perfect but 4-3-3 just isn’t working, at both ends of the pitch

Surely that is just replicating the Hemmings/Nevitt/Saunders plan which failed. Without physicality up front you can't use the long ball which seems a habit of ours and you would rely on build up play probably beyond us.
Maybe with four centre halves, one of last night's two could go up front. Turnbull has a bit of ability on the deck and Yarney looks quite sharp possibly capable of getting past big slow defenders? Jennings can compete if balls arrive at moving targets, he will fail in a static square up though.
Clutching at straws but no point in repeating failed plans.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I don't think you necessarily need physicality up front if you play a front two.

 

[Sparky]

Absolutely. That’s been the case since we said goodbye to Peter Clarke and Jay Spearing. It would have been worth hanging onto them for another season just to give us some backbone, which we seem to have lost.

And Palios has to take some blame for that. The club policy was the whole new approach to play younger players which Micky wasn’t suited to. In league two you need these no nonsense leaders who will give out a rollicking and we just don’t have enough of it.

Re Taylor, I agree it is strange why he’s been frozen out. Hawkes has been poor for a few games and Saunders is a headless chicken. But even a front two of Taylor and Jennings would be worth a go

 

[Sparky]

Surely that is just replicating the Hemmings/Nevitt/Saunders plan which failed. Without physicality up front you can't use the long ball which seems a habit of ours and you would rely on build up play probably beyond us.
Maybe with four centre halves, one of last night's two could go up front. Turnbull has a bit of ability on the deck and Yarney looks quite sharp possibly capable of getting past big slow defenders? Jennings can compete if balls arrive at moving targets, he will fail in a static square up though.
Clutching at straws but no point in repeating failed plans.

We won’t know if it would fail until we try it.

We’re failing now as an attacking side so something different needs to be tried. I can’t believe you’re suggesting playing a centre back up front instead of someone like Jennings, Lewis or even Jolley alongside a Dennis or Taylor.

Like I say not perfect, but we need to try something else

 

[roverstillidie]

Wonder if Taylor has said he’s not signing a new deal, as his absence is baffling.

Him, Hawkes and O’Connor are probably our top assets on paper, and they’re all out of contract at the end of the season.

Excellent squad planning and implementation of the development model again.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

We won’t know if it would fail until we try it.

We’re failing now as an attacking side so something different needs to be tried. I can’t believe you’re suggesting playing a centre back up front instead of someone like Jennings, Lewis or even Jolley alongside a Dennis or Taylor.

Like I say not perfect, but we need to try something else

Centre forwards are more interchangeable with centre halves than lightweight forwards or midfielders, although normally reverting backwards. Lewis played up front under Hill as did Morris unbelievably. I named Jenno as an option, people might recall Clarke staying up in desperation and having more joy than the regulars.
Dennis and Jolley have proved to be incapable of leading a line which you still need in a two.
One other straw clutch could be the switch last night and having wingers who cross with their strongest foot on the outside, at least our target man would be getting balls in front of him and causing defenders to turn. Using inside out was one of Aldo's big gripes when playing with Nevin, crosses came in behind him.
Just think the speed of Apter and application of Taylor might liven things up.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

On form I would play Jenno up front on his own and nine defenders, defensive minded others!
Ignore every other combinations, to get a point from both away games.
You can argue as long as you like until Norris is fit., Then expand it a little more, with Jenno in support.
What we have bar Jenno, have not been consist enough to command a starting place.
The spine is weak, bar keeper, the full backs are weak, and the manager cannot find an answer.
Only Jenno and McGee are automatic picks.
Where and who does he go to?

 

[Sparky]

5 wins in 27 games since we sacked Micky.

He warned us at the start of that season that ‘goals goals goals’ could backfire on us and that along with our hopeless defending, has been our undoing.

 

[Ian]

But there is no need for the hopelessness if we plug the gaps in midfield and defence. The season is going to be a tough one but we are making it even tougher. Madness.

 

[ADD]

I also am baffled by Taylor suddenly being out of favour as RLC mentioned.
He clearly has way more potential than Jolley ever will and far more of an eye for goal than Saunders. I think Roverstilllidie is mistaken however. Think we have him for another season after this and in any event as he is under 24 we would get something.
Adkins reaction yesterday showed for the first time his positivity has slipped. Clearly criticising individual players is unlike him. Suspect he may be already regretting stepping in to help out his friend.
Trouble is some of the players clearly see that also.