League Two Rovers v Crawley

[Boz]

Surprised nobody's started a thread yet.

Crawley did the double over us last season and after an indifferent start, they are currently just outside the top 7 on goal difference. Man danger man is forward Tom Nicholls, though he does like rolling around and exaggerating minimal contact.

Big issue for Rovers is whether Micky sticks with a back four despite Macdonald's ban or reverts to a back 5.

Hard to call the game, I'll go for a draw.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

Surprised nobody's started a thread yet.

Crawley did the double over us last season and after an indifferent start, they are currently just outside the top 7 on goal difference. Man danger man is forward Tom Nicholls, though he does like rolling around and exaggerating minimal contact.

Big issue for Rovers is whether Micky sticks with a back four despite Macdonald's ban or reverts to a back 5.

Hard to call the game, I'll go for a draw.

Probably because the jury is still out.
This is one of those games that is a coupon buster.
It all depends on which Rovers turn up. And to win, we need what has been missing all season, a consistent goal scorer.
I think it will be a back four in a 4-3-3 (4-5-1)

 

[Sparky]

Crawley will come to PP full of confidence after 3 wins in 4 including a healthy win v Cookies Bradford last week

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree Nicholls is their best player, but he is apparently still not fully fit following a spell on the sidelines. Crawley are in decent form, but their away record remains poor and they are the kind of side we have to beat at Prenton Park if we are serious about promotion.

I would say we need to pick up six points from the next two home games, as both are against teams that are unlikely to be in the promotion shake up.

It is difficult to know how Micky will approach this in the absence of MacDonald. I would be surprised if we revert to the pre-Salford tactics, but there might be some variation on the set up of the last two games. My preference would be for Merrie at left back and an unchanged formation.

Prediction: Rovers victory in front of 5,500 - 6,000.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I think we can win this one and keep the momentum going. Surely we'll be 4-5-1 as usual. I am hoping that the goalscoring won't be an issue from now on and I'm going for 2-0 or 2-1.

 

[ONIGP]

4 at the back, a performance at the level of that against Salford, a comfortable win and all to be looking rosy by 5pm! Please.

 

[Ian]

We seem to have found some rhythm recently so I think we’ll win by the one goal just because we aren’t scoring enough to make these games comfortable yet.

 

[Goody Two Shoes]

Comfortable wins eh! Next you’ll be asking for padded seats! What I’d give for one of those right now (a comfortable win and a padded seat ). I’d settle for any win at all in reality. 1-0 Rovers with enough hairy moments at our end to make it uncomfortable viewing, but then again, that’s how we roll.

 

[ADD]

Not as confident as ONIGP is.... the loss of MacDonald could be important.
I also would like us to stay with 4 at the back. Is Maguire a specialist LB so bad that an out of position player such as Merrie or Morris (before) is better? Says a lot if he is and if he doesn't play today he should be loaned out asap.
Weather won't be good with strong winds so the conditions will hardly be conducive to good football so I don't expect a great game. Would be happy with a win of any sort but then Crawley have conceded almost as many as anyone in the division so hopefully today is when we click in front of goal...

 

[bigmart]

Think we will win 2 1

 

[aldoes mustache]

4-0 with 4 scorers

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Merrie at left back, otherwise unchanged.

 

[Boz]

Murphy on the bench so we do have a sub keeper again. Glatzel doesn’t even make the bench…

 

[ADD]

Murphy on the bench so we do have a sub keeper again. Glatzel doesn’t even make the bench…

Harsh on Murphy as whilst Doohan has been ok he hasn't exactly had to put in MOM performances as Murphy did several times but it was expected I think.
Merrie playing out of position and Maguire not even making the bench says it all - surely that can't have been a MM signing...

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I personally think it would have been very harsh to drop Doohan. He has matched Murphy's performances in my view. I doubt Joe is too bothered, as he would not have expected to play every game this season.

I agree about Maguire. Mellon clearly has no faith him whatsoever, and I think that is probably a view shared by the senior players.

 

[aldoes mustache]

makes you wonder with Maynard and the other Striker if you can call him that both cant get on the field

 

[Boz]

On little I’ve seen of him not surprised Maguire is out of favour. Doohan has done nothing wrong since replacing Murphy so no issue with him starting from this quarter. I’d have thought MM would have mixed up the suns a bit more and perhaps given Walker a bench spot.

 

[ADD]

Poor this so far...

 

[ADD]

And then quality from Morris... Great cross and great finish

 

[Boz]

Thought Crawley were shading it up until the goal and had a shot against the angle. Great work from Morris as ADD says. We’ve had some good balls into the box from the full-backs and Hawkes but nobody joining Nevitt to get on the end of them or make something happen. Another poor referee, can easily see a red card the way he’s mismanaging the game.