Rovers v Cheltenham

[Rockford's Love Child]

Rovers return to Prenton Park boosted by the excellent midweek display at Wycombe and a first victory of the season.

Despite that victory, Rob Edwards has suggested there will be some changes of personnel tomorrow, to protect the players from injury in our whirlwind of four games in a fortnight. Although some have argued our rotation policy indicates Edwards does not know his best team, I think it is a sensible approach at this stage: several of our key players have a very poor injury record - Koumas, Woodards - and to loser them for several months at this stage could severely damage our chances this season. I would doubt Jason will play the full ninety minutes on Saturday.

Cheltenham are currently undefeated and occupy one of the play off places, with reports suggesting they are particularly strong at the back at present. Their major problem appears to be the lack of a prolific goalscorer and our own Terry Gornell probably won't help them much in that regard.

Despite the Robins' good start, if we are serious about promotion this season this is the kind of game we have to win. Our next four or five games are against unfancied sides and give us an opportunity to gather some momentum.

Prediction: 2-0 to Rovers, with another gate in excess of 5,000.

 

[Ian]

As long as the players are good enough, I'm all for this squad rotation. It keeps everyone on their toes and nobody gets complacent. A lot has changed since our first home game against York and I'll think we see a more confident team come out tomorrow especially after the excellent midweek win.

A lot is starting to click into place now, and it will also be interesting to see what quality the opposition bring as they've had an excellent start.

2-0 win also.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Rob Edwards has suggested there will be some changes of personnel tomorrow, to protect the players from injury in our whirlwind of four games in a fortnight. Although some have argued our rotation policy indicates Edwards does not know his best team, I think it is a sensible approach at this stage: several of our key players have a very poor injury record - Koumas, Woodards - and to lose them for several months at this stage could severely damage our chances this season. I would doubt Jason will play the full ninety minutes on Saturday.

Conventional wisdom is not to change a winning side, but one of the things I like about Rob is that he is brave enough to take risks rather than do what everybody expects. Injuries and suspensions will inevitably mean that he will have changes enforced on him, so maybe it's healthy to get the players used to a rotation system.

Looking at players who might need a rest and those who deserve their chance, I would bring Holmes back for Woodards (if Danny is fit). I think he'll have to give Donacien a game in place of Ihiekwe. He could rest Koumas, move Power into his role and let Gill protect the back four. Bruna deserves a run out, as does Odijaye. I don't know how many of those changes we'll see but I hope most of them see at least some action tomorrow.

Prediction: 2-0 to Rovers, with another gate in excess of 5,000.

I hope you are right. I'm also optimistic about this one. There must be a very positive mood around PP at the moment.

 

[Boz]

I hope that we can build on an encouraging win at Wycombe. Whereas the Chairboys have been encouraging opponents (even Barnes' team won at Wycombe) The Robins have been more awkward. Holmes is available, but would expect an unchanged back four, where there's most scope for change is in midfield. I'd agree that Koumas is unlikely to play the full match, maybe start Rowe. I hope the Stockton/Richards combo playing closer together continues up front.

Prediction: Cheltenham are unlikely to bring more than 150-200 and there won't be the opening game casuals swelling the Rovers support, so I reckon a crowd of around 5k. 1-1.

 

[bigmart]

Think we will win 2 1 but cant see being a big crowd about 4800

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

What happened? The stats indicate an end-to-end game against hard opponents. Again, we fall away in the second half. If matches had ended at half-time, we'd have 9 points instead of 4 and be in the play-off zone. A big disappointment. No back-to-back wins since January 2013.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Well, where do we begin ?

Defensively we were ragged for the majority of the game today and the problems which were evident in the first half should have been addressed much earlier. Even so, in thirty years of watching Rovers I have not seen a capitulation as supine and pathetic as that.

Danny Woodards had been excellent prior to today, but he did not look comfortable at right back at all, particularly given his lack of protection from a narrow midfield, and should have been replaced by Holmes much earlier than he was. In addition, the absence of a holding midfield player cost us dearly today: Laird can not effectively play that role and Gill should have been brought on in his place to protect the back four. At one point in the second Edwards appeared to be about to make this change, but changed his mind: a serious error.

We were outmuscled for long periods today, particularly in midfield, but contributed to our own problems by getting drawn into a physical, long ball game, rather than keeping the ball down and playing to our strengths. Cheltenham were a decent side with some good individuals - Gornell, Richards, Taylor - but we have more quality; we simply did not get our best players into the game in the right areas. When we did, as for the first goal, we were impressive going forwards at times, both Stockton and Richards having good games.

I think Edwards made a number of tactical errors, including the substitutions: after conceding the fist goal he panicked, took off our best player (Richards) and packed the midfield, which was an entirely negative move which just invited Cheltenham on to us. He made the same mistake at Shrewsbury last week (replacing Baggie) with similar, predictable consequences. That said, the players have to take much of the responsibility for the lack of concentration and professionalism in the manner that we conceded the goals.

Our man of the match was Elliott Richards, whom was a constant threat with his skill and movement, but was bizarrely substituted.

Cheltenham are a decent side who will probably be up there at the end of the season, but we are so inconsistent it is difficult to feel much optimism about our own chances. It looks like it could be a long, hard season.....

 

[Higgy]

Good points RLC.
The logic is to sometimes pack the midfield when you are getting passed off the park, but if the opposition are knocking it long and bypassing the midfield it is of little use. Thought thing were going our way with a goal against the run of play before half-time.
Predictable in the end

 

[Ian]

Completely agree with what RLC has posted above. Defensively we looked shaky all game especially on the right were Woodwards struggled massively and it's where Cheltenham got most of their space. Like RLC says it went on too long and there were huge gaps in defence. Holmes should have come on a lot earlier. Swapping Kirby to the right helped before half time but then changed it back for the start of the second and the same old problem surfaced again.

We struggled with Cheltenham's substitutes who were tricky and fast. In fact, the collapse started from here and we gave away some poor goals. That's twice now in four games were we've collapsed at the back and it's not good enough. Very poor..

I thought we played some decent football in the first 45 and the passing was good. Stockton was having a good game and the best I've seen Richards. It all changed in the second half.

I thought he also left it too late to bring Odejayi on as he won everything when he came on but had no support. Koumas' legs had gone by then and Stockton was waiving. Too little too late. I still don't understand why he persists with Kirby, he doesn't contribute anything.

Naive or lack of experience, call it what you want, but Edwards has got to learn fast. We could have and should have been walking away with a total of seven league points but now we are stuck on four and eight points adrift.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I find it all a bit strange. Everyone had played 90 minutes on Tuesday. (I was surprised he didn't take off Woodards and Koumas for the last 15 minutes.) Rob then suggested he'd make changes today to keep the players fresh, yet he picks the same team. Is he naive or just indecisive? You have to remember this is only his fifth game as manager and until the 67th minute today, he'd been making steady progress. It's still early days.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I find it all a bit strange. Everyone had played 90 minutes on Tuesday. (I was surprised he didn't take off Woodards and Koumas for the last 15 minutes.) Rob then suggested he'd make changes today to keep the players fresh, yet he picks the same team. Is he naive or just indecisive? You have to remember this is only his fifth game as manager and until the 67th minute today, he'd been making steady progress. It's still early days.

I don't think it is a question of indecision, more that the changes in tactics and personnel we made today (and last week) were not the right ones given the circumstances. It is not true to say we were making steady progress until the 67th minute today as there were flaws (some serious) against York and Shrewsbury and, defensively, for the entire game today.

That said, I am obviously not going to judge him on four matches, but in the coming weeks the balance of the side needs serious improvement.

 

[Ian]

3 goals in 6 minutes is awful though. I'd like to say it was a one-off.. that needs addressing. He's got to learn fast because time is something you don't get in football.

 

[Boz]

It seems like I should be grateful for missing this one, Rovers throwing away a 2-goal lead. Puzzling post-match remarks from RE, suggesting he didn't feel confident at 2 up, yet no changes made at that point. It sounds like Richards played well and Laird better, but we are desperately in need of a defensive midfielder. With 100%ers Morecambe up next, Rob needs to turn things around rapidly.

 

[Higgy]

I thought Gill the player/coach was defensive midfielder and has settled things when he has come on. Maybe he can't play every game or full games.

A benefit of having Odejayi on the park is he could help at the back for set pieces.

 

[bigmart]

We got what we deserved from the game as for the most part we were outplayed by them and we were poor even when we were 2 up. The ease which they created chances was very alarming, too many players were poor or worse and the decision to take off our main threat and the only player with much pace was totally baffling and we ended up launching the ball up front too much.

Worrying times ahead for me if as RE said he could see us losing even when 2 up yet doesn't try change things much.

 

[Sparky]

As Boz and bigmart have alluded to, the main worry for me from Saturday was that it appeared RE did not know what to do. We could all see we were fortunuate to be 2-0 up at the break and that if Cheltenham got a goal back, we could be in trouble and so it proved - yet RE had options on the bench to make tactical changes to try and stop it. Maybe I am being unfair but he does not come across too well to me and I have trouble at this stage imagining him inspiring the players or giving them a rollocking when required.

Richards looked dangerous so to take him off was odd. I don't like the one up front on his own system and whilst it may work away from home, at home it is not positive enough.

All that being said and as frustrating as Saturday was, it is still early days so the new players and manager need time to gel etc. The problem of course is that in this day and age you don't get time and if we lose on Saturday against an in form Morcambe side, the minor grumbles from the back of the kop will get louder......