Rovers v Dons

[Sparky]

Well we've had plenty of big games this season but this is now the biggest. After a disappointing result at home last week this is a much more winnable game albeit far from easy.

I have long given up trying to predict the side but we have another loanee (George Green from Everton until the end of the season). Sounds promising but who knows really and whether he is up for the fight in such an important game remains to be seen. The recent presence of TRFC youngsters on the bench indicates Micky feels he needs more quality - either that or its a sign of desperation.

Personally if he is going with 4-4-2 I would put Donnelly alongside Odejayi. Power & one of Laird/Jenno in the middle. JMW wide right with possibly Taylor (if fit) wide left although playing Ridehalgh at LB on recent form is a big risk.

Failing that 4-5-1 with Jenno/Laird/Max in the middle with Donnelly and JMW supporting Kayode in a front 3. Hoping Donnelly doesnt get too isolated out wide.

Akinfenwa is an obvious handful but Dugdale might relish the challenge of a more muscular battle.

Palios has issued a rallying call so more than ever we need to get behind the lads and create an atmosphere. Could be a nervy affair but lets hope not. As MP says forget what has gone on before - the season starts now !

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

In theory, this is the sort of game we would choose in our current predicament; at home to a mid-table side with little to play for, and patchy recent form. However, Wimbledon are a decent attacking side, with two good wide players and Akinfenwa, and we will we have to be better defensively on Saturday than we were last week.

When you consider our remaining fixtures, we simply have to win.

 

[Boz]

I don't think we had that good a record against the old Wimbledon, but need to win this one. However it won't be easy, the Dons still have a mathematical chance of making the play-offs and Akinfenwa gave us a great deal of trouble playing for Gillingham at Prenton Park last season.

Defence is a problem for us and with OFW on international duty, Brezovan returns after a loan spell at Southport so should at least be match fit. Danny Holmes interviewed on the o/s, so presume he's fit. Whether he starts is debatable, but certainly a better right-back than Ihiekwe. There hasn't been much of an update about who else is available, just hope there are enough options to keep Dugdale on the bench, where he can do less harm. Presume Jennings will be back after his ban, but beyond that am not going to hazard a guess at the line-up.

The visitors will bring only around 100, so despite the appeals to Everton/Liverpool fans to lend us some support, would doubt we'd exceed 5k. We're certainly capable of winning this, but will we?

 

[Ian]

With all the rallying crys out the way, its down to the players now. Can they deliver? Hopefully this young lad from Everton can give us a bit of spark down the left.

Must win!

 

[Boz]

I should up my attendance estimate to closer to 5.3k as told the Dons likely to bring ~400 from south London.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A good plug from Clive Tyldesley tonight during the England match as well !

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

For once, I'm happy with the team selection. I assume it's 4-4-2 with JMW and Green wide, Donnelly and Odejayi upfront. An attacking set-up.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

A fairy tale ending for George Green but surely not enough for Rovers. Hartlepool have now overtaken us and York have pulled further away. I look forward to some crumbs of comfort in the reports.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

An excellent, battling performance from Rovers and a point was the least deserved. Just disappointing that our lack of potency in front of goal means we drop back into the bottom two, a position we may struggle to escape from.

I thought the tactics were right, playing 4-4-2, and there was no lack of effort from the players, particularly in the second half which we completely dominated. We missed a number of great chances and should really have won the game. However, defensively we looked insecure once again and Wimbledon had too many opportunities given how little of the ball they had for long periods of the game. Dugdale was poor yet again, never getting to grips with Akinfenwa, and Ridehalgh was not much better defensively, although ok going forward. The balance of the back four is not right and I can't for the life of me understand why Micky won't put Ihiekwe in the middle and Holmes at right back.

In attacking areas we looked inventive and dangerous throughout, in no small part due to George Green who put in as good a debut perfomacne as you will see; the roof came off when he scored his stunning equaliser. I thought Humey looked much sharper than he has in recent weeks, although Donnelly was ineffective and seems to have lost confidence after being dropped and played out of position.

A good performance today, and the late goal will have lifted confidence. However, we have still not won and with Hartlepool now out of the bottom two and with the games we have coming up, you would have to say survival looks unlikely.

 

[Sparky]

Yes most rovers fans went away with a smile on their face but we may look back on this as a game we should have had 2 extra points from. Like RLC I was pleased with 4-4-2 and thought JWM and Green both looked dangerous at times. The latter had a very good debut capped with a cracking goal. Slightly frustrating at times but to be expected for a young lad.

Defensively we still looked vulnerable and should have done better for their goal. Agree that Donnelly played poorly and Hume after his 2 goals for the reserves, should be starting our next game IMO. Jenno & Max did well although Max clearly not happy now he has been replaced for set piece duties.

The main issue though as highlighted is our lack of cutting edge. It sounds obvious but not scoring and defending badly is a recipe for relegation. Ronnie working wonders at Pools sees us drop into the bottom 2 and with York winning, the gaps in points between teams are slowly but surely rising.

Micky must take the positives and move onto a tough trip to Stevenage next Sat.

P.s. credit to the rovers faithful who I thought were very vocal today. We're still not out of it but Palios must start preparing for the worst.

 

[Ian]

It was a much better performance today but what we have to offer isnt going to be enough. We simply dont have the quality.

Green was excellent really and had fire in his belly, something sadly missing from a lot of our players. Cracking goal.

How Jennings missed that chance in the second half is beyond me and is part of why we are were we are. Lots of huffing and puffing, lack of quality to finish and some real poor defending at times.

Ourselves and Cheltenham are currently the worst two teams in the league and are heading for relegation.

Fair play to Hartlepool. They were dead and buried at one stage. Ronnie read the riot act and got them performing.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It was a much better performance today but what we have to offer isnt going to be enough. We simply dont have the quality.

I don't actually agree with that. Individually, we have enough quality, but as a team and a club we have been in the losing habit for two years, and it is a difficult habit to break.

 

[Ian]

If they had the quality it wouldnt have landed us in this mess. They can't defend, crossing and set pieces are poor and the finishing is pretty woeful. It was a battling performance today but Wimbledon offered little yet we couldnt finish them off and left it to the 94th minute to equalise.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The individual quality is there after the changes that were made in January. Compare our eleven today to Wimbledon's and we probably had more talent.

What we have lacked is a settled, integrated, fully-fit team, something that a number of clubs above us have had all season.

 

[frenchrover]

I agree totally with RLC's assessment of todays game and whilst Green's performance, if he can carry this into the remaining games, gives us some hope of salvaging something from this dreadful season, I feel that whilst we have a defence in which Dugdale plays, or rather fails to play a part, then we will continue to leak goals faster than we can score them. He was dross again today, never once beating Akinfenwa to the ball. Why Micky continues to play this man who must rank as one of, if not the worst central defender we've ever had, whilst playing a reasonable central defender (Iheikwe) out of position at rightback whilst having a rightback (Holmes) sat on the bench. Quite incredible and it's this selection nonsense that will see us relegated I'm afraid.
On a seperate note well done to Everton in letting us loan a youngster who could well develop into a really classy player whilst the red lot from over the water fail again to provide any support for a Merseyside neighbour struggling to avoid losing their League status.

 

[Boz]

It was exasperating once again seeing Ihiekwe, who is a decent central defender but with minimal ability to carry the ball going forward played at right-back, while Donacien, who has an attacking mindset, but gets too easily bullied off the ball as a central defender was played in central defence. Setting aside the Dugdale issue,simply by switching that pair, we would have been stronger defensively imo. I would agree with frenchrover that we'd have improved even more by playing Holmes at right-back, Ihiekwe in the centre and leaving Dugdale on the bench.

I think the lack of stability in the side which RLC mentions is at least in part down to the manager, who wasn't doing too badly with the Edwards squad bolstered by a few loans, but rather than doing some fine-tuning during the transfer window opted for wholesale changes, which haven't worked out.

I think a draw was a fair result. The players looked more up for it from the off and the first 25 minutes were fairly even, both sides having chances. The Dons goal was caused by defenders backing off and failing to put in a tackle. At first glance, it looked like Brezovan could have done better, but I understand there's a suggestion of a deflection. We had good chances to equalise with Donacien at the end of the first and Jennings in the second failing to convert clear goalscoring opportunities. It took a piece of individual brilliance from George Green to draw us level, it had felt like one of those games we'd never score in, but we were very very lucky not to concede a penalty just after the equaliser and Wimbledon also had a good shout for a penalty midway through the second half.

Player ratings;
Brezovan Aside from their goal, steady, one decent save at close range 6
Ihiekwe Did ok with the basics, but distribution week and rarely carried the ball forward 4
Dugdale Not quite as bad as v Burton, but failed to dominate against Akinfenwa 3
Donacien. Lacked the strength and backed off too much 4
Ridehalgh Dreadful first touch 3
Myrie-Williams Mixed bag, some good work both in attack and tracking back, but too easily discouraged 6
Jennings Dreadful first twenty minutes, got into the game more after, but needs some competition for his place 5
Power One of his better games, good distribution and put in some decent tackles 7
Green Poor on set-pieces but otherwise worked hard, looked more up for it than some of our permanent staff and deserved the winner 8 MoM
Odejayi Very low key performance, didn't impose himself 5
Donnelly Didn't seem to get into the game 4

Subs
Hume More link-up play when he came on 6
Molyneux An improvement on Liam 5

Aside from Cheltenham the other results went very much against us. Need a minimum of 4/6 points from the Easter fixtures, which is a big ask.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Without Donacien at centre back we seriously lack pace in that position, as was recently exposed by the 39 year old Jamie Cureton, so in that regard at least I can understand Adams' team selection. What I can't understand is playing Dugdale ahead of Ihiekwe, and putting Ihiekwe at right back.

I think your player ratings are very harsh: I thought Donacien, Jennings, JMW and Odejayi all had decent games.

I agree we need a minimum of 4 points from the Easter games. Luton are in freefall at the moment, so perhaps there is a chance of three points for us in that game.

 

[Ian]

Picking up on a point RLC mentions above, I also think Donnolly has lost his way last few weeks. He's probably not the right player for this situation. I would look at getting Hume back alongside Odejayi.

Would agree with most people about Dugdale and Holmes should be back in the side.

 

[Brightonian]

Thanks guys for very comprehensive match reports: we sadly had to call off the long journey to the match at the last moment and I feel much more in touch now.

Really pleased to hear that it was a very spirited display and the instensity sounds as though it is back which always will give us a chance. Delighted the rallying call has been answered both by the good crowd of 5.5k and the vociferous support with no negativity from the sound of accounts and the radio coverage. It just shows there is still a lot of underlying interest and passion for Rovers survival.

No doubt the SWA dished out the usual generous helpings of abuse & expleetives to Akinfenwa? His apparent lack of offence usually results in him giving our defenders a torrid time and scoring, so not much changesd on that score from all accounts.

The situation that several of you refer to about Dugdale being picked and Danny Holmes on the bench is bemusing . I have seen Adam D play 3 times since he returned and he has been poor each time and gives me palpitations every time the ball is close to him in the box and his distribution is agricultural. If I was voting for player of the season as things stand Danny would get my vote by a distance. Really bizarre: can only think it must be some discipline related decision.

It seems from your reports that Humie may be reaching fitness and having more to offer? Can you see him playing a decisive part in any resurgence? Really sorry to read that Rory D could not get into the game and was ineffective. We signed for once a really lively player who could find the net but he seems to be another victim of all the constant chopping and changing.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

http://gfycat.com/CandidLameAmericanmarten

A view from the main stand of George's goal yesterday which I nicked off an Everton website. Gets better every time you see it.