Rovers v (Forest Green) Rovers

[Boz]

Tough game up next for Rovers. We had an impressive win at their place earlier in the season, but also won, albeit slightly less comfortably at Cheltenham, yet lost and were second best in the home fixture. There certainly shouldn't be any complacency about this match.

The other Rovers are in decent form, recent home defeat by Grimsby aside. They still believe that they can overtake the Robins for automatic promotion and with their Gloucestershire rivals having a tricky trip to Braintree, are going to be determined to take advantage of any slip-up.

Have to be honest,I'm unfamiliar with a lot of the FGR side. Names that do register are Jon Parkin, big forward with an impressive strike rate throughout his career, though he doesn't seem a guaranteed starter atm. Darren Carter, who begun his career at Birmingham and Eliott Frear, who tore us apart when a youngster at Exeter.

Rovers have one or two knocks,but Brabin hopes to have a full squad to choose from. With midweek results largely going against us, it's a game which we ideally need to win and start the game in a similar positive vein to the Gateshead clash. Team selection is interesting. After a clean sheet at Dover, the defence should be unchanged. On remarks he's made, it wouldn't surprise me to see a side similar to that which finished at Dover selected by Brabin, with Harris and Maynard starting, particularly if Higdon is deemed unfit. Personally, I would rather a 442 or 4411 selection than pack the midfield and would like to see Margetts as an option on the bench. Norwood featuring against his old club will be interesting, at the New Lawn he managed to score and avoid getting sent off, let's hope he can repeat the process.

Prediction: The visitors aren't likely to bring more than about 50-60 travelling fans. The crowd slumped for Gateshead to ~4.6k and I can't see any reason for it to increase significantly for this game. As for the result, the other Rovers have a habit of nicking late goals, so unless we get into them early and get on top, can see us dropping points here.

 

[Ian]

This will be tough but we need to win our remaining home games. Will be interesting to see who wants this more..

 

[Sparky]

Perhaps a point but I can't see us getting 3. GB has options if Higdon isn't fit (although he hasn't been fit for weeks!)

Norwood up top with GTF behind or Maynard pushing up in a 5 man midfield. But he could pick a 5 man midfield but with little attacking threat from the middle e.g. Mekki, Jenno, Harris, Hughes & Kirby.

But we need more of a goal threat so if Higdon doesn't play. I'd prefer Maynard behind Norwood but who knows.

Agree with Boz re Margetts. He has to be on the bench. He has been scoring goals recently albeit in the Cheshire Cup - what more can the lad do?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We absolutely battered FGR in the reverse fixture, which was probably our best performance of the season. I appreciate that Saturday is a different game, but the combination of GTF and Norwood caused them no end of problems that day. GTF played well in the reserves on Monday and I would be tempted to start with him behind Norwood in a 4-4-1-1. When we played Cheltenham a few weeks ago I thought they had improved dramatically since the away match in the autumn, so it will be interesting to see how FGR compare to last time around.

In addition to the players mentioned by Boz, FGR have further quality with the likes of Marsh-Brown who scored two against us for Yeovil when we were top of League One in 2012. I would agree that the attendance probably won't top 5,000.

A win would be a fantastic boost and might just make Mission Impossible slightly more possible.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

A win would be a great result, but a point won't do anyone much good, so I guess this could be an open game. That offers us some hope but I foresee a narrow defeat, probably 0-1.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Just going off-topic momentarily, the Cheltenham chairman announced at a shareholders' meeting that their wage budget is £600,000. Ours is £1.1 million.

Food for thought.

 

[Ian]

Wow, that's not even close, it's almost twice as much !

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It might just be smoke-and-mirrors on the part of the Cheltenham board, but if it is true, it is pretty alarming.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Could just be a ploy to wind their team up. I can't believe it can be that different. If so, we should have signed Gary Johnson instead of GB! If we'd paid him £250,000 we'd have been in profit!

 

[drwhoman]

Interesting! Mind you some of the players we have signed with a past pedigree will not be playing for widgets! Are we getting bang for our buck I wonder?

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Interesting! Mind you some of the players we have signed with a past pedigree will not be playing for widgets! Are we getting bang for our buck I wonder?

If those figures are to be believed, clearly not! But seriously, Gary Johnson is a proven manager with a great cv who got Yeovil into the Championship. He couldn't keep them there and unfairly got the sack, which did Yeovil no favours as they are now 21st in League Two. He was brought in last season to stop Cheltenham sliding into NL. He failed, but the board had faith in him and he's repaying them. Chairmen are often too quick to get rid of managers. No, TRFC are under-performing taking this season as a whole, but Mark Palios has to make a judgement about whether we are on the up and will do better next season.

 

[drwhoman]

Agree BBTC. As others have said it may be that GB should be given more time. The team has performed well in patches. It is consistency that has been lacking particularly in the forward third given the lack of a goal poacher. Getting rid of Mangan is my real black mark against Garry and then replacing him with a half fit old fashioned centre forward. To waive GB goodbye at the end of the season would result in another playing roster upheaval and who would we get to replace him anyway? I am not sure Jose would want the job (LOL!) Obviously, if things are not going to plan early next season then MP will have a decision to make. He did not buy into the club for us to be sitting in the National League for ever, and not with a wage bill of GBP1.1m!.

 

[Higgy]

Think we will win and possibly by a couple of goals. Interesting info re wage budgets and agree Palios will have a decision to make if play-offs elude us. Not a fan of GB, but hope he does enough to keep job ie get us up...as i believe, as well as the fans, Palios really deserves it. Whether just play-off and ultimate failure would be good enough to keep GB in job i don't know.......hope not, as just play-off is not adequate for me.

3-1

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Firstly, a word on the opposition. In thirty years of watching Rovers I can't remember a dirtier, more cynical team than FGR and if they are the best the National League has to offer God help us. From the fifth minute they were happy to niggle, foul and time waste and were it not for the incompetence of the officials would have had further players sent off. Carter was finally dismissed for his fourth bookable offence; Parkin should have been red-carded for a stamp which our players were incensed by; and their number 3 should have gone for an elbow which left Kirby with his head in bandages. The actual football they played was negligible - I think their second real effort on goal was in the 85th minute - and other than taking cheating to a new dimension in today's match, they have been garbage in both games we have played against them. Cheltenham for the title please.

Regarding the game itself, I thought we were the better side throughout without being scintillating and deserved to win. Familiar failings cost us, however. We squandered numerous half-chances where we failed to even test the keeper, and on other occasions got into good areas around the box and were reluctant to shoot or could not find a final ball. However, I thought we did well not to respond to the antics of the opposition and there was plenty of spirit in the performance, certainly in the second half.

We conceded the first goal at the worst possible time. After taking the lead FGR were happy to sit and contain for the rest of the first half and were stubborn defensively. We dominated the ball but huffed and puffed for the most part, although decent opportunities were squandered by GTF and McNulty.

In the second period we upped the tempo and played well, even before the red card. It was a great equalising goal, with a fantastic through ball by GTF, but despite lots of good possession we just could not put a similar move together to find a winner.

Individually, I thought McNulty, despite getting man of the match from the sponsors, should have done better against Parkin for their goal. Equally, the equaliser aside, I thought Harris was disappointing and we missed Jennings. Both Norwood and Mekki had below par games, not helped by the lack of flow in the game and the physical approach of the opposition. On a more positive note, I thought GTF was excellent, with Hughes not far behind, and both full backs had solid games.

With other results going against us, it looks like we are out of it now. However, if we show the commitment we did today in the next three games we can win all of them, and then who knows.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Thanks, RLC. It's a shame we couldn't get what we deserved and give them what they deserved, but that's the story of the season. To deal with a cynical side you need your best side and brave officials.

The table makes sorry reading but we just have to keep going. How we finish the season will determine whether GB keeps his job.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

As a further point, why was there no striker on the bench today ? We had two centre halves on there, but not Margetts. In the second half when the game opened out, he is the kind of player who could have applied a finish when the ball was bobbling around in their eighteen yard box. He scored on Monday night and to leave him out altogether smacks of bloody-mindedness on the part of Brabin.

We don't score enough goals and Brabin has let one natural goalscorer leave and sidelined the other. That should be considered when he is assessed at the end of the season.

 

[Sparky]

An entertaining game we totally deserved to win against a cynical and dirty Forest Green. However once again our lack of cutting edge in and around the box cost us.

After falling behind to a poor goal we were much the better side throughout and got the deserved equaliser. After that their persistent fouling stopped the momentum we had.

Agree with RLCs points and whilst GB must be praised for our recent defensive strength, it has been obvious for a while we don't have enough goals and GB has not rectified this.

On the bench today we had 2 centre halves and no striker. He has let Cole go when at least he is a recognised striker and he's fallen out with Margetts, but at the expense of the squad. As RLC suggests, bringing a fresh striker on with 15 mins to go could have made all the difference. How can a side with 2 recognised fit strikers in the squad, not have at least one of them on the bench. It's Baffling.

Ironically on the day of one of our best home performances this season, other results really didn't go for us.

Frustration sums it up. We played well but GB has his head in the clouds thinking we had enough of a goal threat in the squad today. A missed opportunity I think today, and he must accept some blame.

 

[Ian]

Firstly, a word on the opposition. In thirty years of watching Rovers I can't remember a dirtier, more cynical team than FGR and if they are the best the National League has to offer God help us. From the fifth minute they were happy to niggle, foul and time waste and were it not for the incompetence of the officials would have had further players sent off. Carter was finally dismissed for his fourth bookable offence; Parkin should have been red-carded for a stamp which our players were incensed by; and their number 3 should have gone for an elbow which left Kirby with his head in bandages. The actual football they played was negligible - I think their second real effort on goal was in the 85th minute - and other than taking cheating to a new dimension in today's match, they have been garbage in both games we have played against them. Cheltenham for the title please

I couldn't agree more. I thought they were a dirty, disgusting team and showed little in the way of football. I've not been that wound up at a game for a long time.

Like you say I think for the best part we tried hard today but found it difficult against the opposition for reasons mentioned above but I suppose I'm a bit disappointed we couldn't capitalise against 10 men. It's a game we needed to win and it becomes harder each week now as we are picking up draws and teams around us are winning. I've seen enough this season to know it's not going to happen, but let's just hope we are stronger next season as this league is massively depressing.

BBTC - I really don't think it will matter where we finish at the end of the season, GB will be given at least another season to prove himself. We need consistency and a goalscorer.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

let's just hope we are stronger next season as this league is massively depressing.

That was what was most disappointing about today's game. Not our performance, but the realisation we will be subjected to awful 'tactics' like those of the opposition on many occasions next season.

 

[drwhoman]

I sympathise with all the guys who were there and have to put up with so much dross every week. I only see the highlights! Whether it is this season or next, GB is going to have to realise that goals 'for' win games. To go into a game like this without a striker on the bench was just criminal. Higdon unfit again. He is starting to look like a dud signing after seemingly being very promising when he came. GB cannot just leave it up to Norwood. If I was MP I would be having a meaningful discussion with the Manager about his tactics. I know owners are not meant to interfere but Mark probably has more football guile than most owners. Also, it is his money that is on the line.