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Rovers v Shrews

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Boz

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Friday night football and the television cameras return to PP, along with £5 entry. It didn't do us much good last time, a deserved defeat by the Franchise. However with results going against us in the Tuesday catch-up games, and a tough game against Swindle to follow, it will be a test of Ronnie's tactical and motivational skills to get us back on the right track.

Game at the Greenhaus back in August saw Rovers get a slightly lucky draw, the banned Akpa Akpro getting the equaliser and an excellent stop from OFW late on preserved the point. Gornell's moved on, but ex-loanee Grandison is still there; a more assured player than Daniels imo.

Mutterings elsewhere about a big striker coming in, McGurk and Robbo injury doubts along with the long-term absentees. Assuming no new recruits, there isn't much Ronnie could do to change things. Perhaps Danny Harrison may feature to bolster central midfield, though it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for that.

Prediction: Cheap entry v winter weather; can't see the crowd getting much over 9k. I am not confident we'll turn things round here probably a draw.
 
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Shrewsbury looked a decent side in the reverse fixture, but reading some of their forums that was one of their best, if not the best, performance of the season. By all accounts they have been less than convincing recently, as the league table confirms. However, what is crucial is our own attitude and the spirited, high tempo game we have played for the majority of the season must return on Friday.

Tactically, I would be tempted to start with the team we played for most of the second half on Saturday: McGurk just off Stockton, with Bell Baggie on the right. However, that front pairing lacks pace, which could be a problem if Shrewsbury come and get men behind the ball. We don't have many options, particularly as Amoo and Stockton did not seem to gel.

I would guess the gate will be somehwere between 9 and 10k for what is a pivotal game in our season. Anything less than a win is unthinkable.

Finally, there is no way Grandison is better than Daniels ! Donovorn was actually the best of our back four on Saturday.
 

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Such an important game where we have to pick up points. Shrewsbury started out quite well but have petered out as the season progressed. Five pound entry is a welcome bonus, but having the game live on Sky is certainly not.

We always under perform in front of the cameras, and this is possibly the worst time to have a televised game. Like RLC said on the post match Orient thread, results have gone against us, and we start the game in third.

This is where the team need to stand up and show why they've been top all season. A win, we are back in the mix, lose, we could fall a few more places, it's that tight up there.

My heart says 2-0 win, but I've got a horrible feeling they are going to start slowly and my head is saying a somewhat shaky draw.
 

Boz

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Finally, there is no way Grandison is better than Daniels ! Donovorn was actually the best of our back four on Saturday.

You reckon? When we had Grandison, he was about the same ages as Daniels is now. While he was raw, tending to get pulled out of position at times, he was a strong header of the ball, whereas Donovorn tends to get height rather than distance on his headers. I can't recall many situations where he didn't clear his lines and played us into trouble, in the way Daniels does. According to Ronnie, the defenders were all poor at Orient. Recently, Ash has seemed to be doing the work of two in central defence, so when he has a poor game we're in trouble. I hope, given he's here for the rest of the season, that Daniels does maintain the improvement you indicate was shown last weekend.

On team selection, if new big striker doesn't arrive, I'd look to Bell Baggie replacing Amoo out wide with a Stockton O'Halloran/McGurk pairing up front.

Is there a danger of the game snowed/frozen off?
 
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Rumour doing the rounds that Wallace needs an op and is probably finished for the season.

Need a couple of extra bodies in through the door, even more so if this is true. We won't go up with the current squad, it's too young, inexperienced and short of numbers.

Should still beat Shrews though.
 

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Rumour doing the rounds that Wallace needs an op and is probably finished for the season.
That is a very nasty rumour and could spell big trouble for the final 15 games or whatever it is.

I agree with TT64. If there is a chance he is out for the remainder, I would strengthen as much as possible.

That's a huge blow if true.
 

bigmart

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Think we will just get back to winning ways with a 2 1 win
 

drwhoman

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SHREWS

Let us hope for a win. When all said and done, at the start of the season we would have settled for where we are. Ronnie has done amazingly well albeit with a squad boosted by some decent loanees. The main issues at the moment are no Wallace and the fact that the current temporary incumbents are not as good as those we had before. We could be Preston supporters - I see Westley has been given the punt! I imagine Buchanan wishes he had not be swayed by the hype and a few more tenners!
 

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I noticed earlier on that Shrewsbury have signed Chris Porter on a months loan. That might give them a boost ahead of the game.
 
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Welsh back on loan...?

OK, I know, it's not 1st April!
With Westley gone and such a large squad, I expect the new boss will want to offload in order to bring in his own new faces. I'd take him back if he wanted to come. We do need experience now not young loanees. Welsh knows the club and would fill the gap well. He was open about wanting to leave, unlike Buchanan, so I wished him well.
 
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I noticed earlier on that Shrewsbury have signed Chris Porter on a months loan. That might give them a boost ahead of the game.


It occurred to me that Porter is the kind of striker that we could do with at the moment. Indeed, Ronnie said in his interview today that he would gladly have taken him but there was no way Danny Wilson would let him come here.

RM was quite guarded regarding Wallace, commenting that we may be looking for another creative midfielder soon. :-| Wallace sees a specialist again on Monday, so it is difficult to know what to make of the situation. Hopefully the appointment is not simply to confirm that he needs an operation.
 

bigmart

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I think it will be announced next week that Wallace will be having an op
 
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Mal

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So you think Ronnie is playing games by stating that James will see a specialist on Monday and hopefully be given the all clear?
 

bigmart

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So you think Ronnie is playing games by stating that James will see a specialist on Monday and hopefully be given the all clear?

yes i think he will be out for the season hence why ronnie mentioned looking to sign a creative midfielder, hope im wrong though.
 

SonkORLY?

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without wanting to be a negative nelly i think we're a bit ****ed if wallace doesn't come back
 
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It has been claimed elsewhere that we have signed a midfielder, Paul Correy, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, which would give some credence to the Wallace rumours if true.
 

DIW

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To be honest I am dreading this one. For a start, the last few home games that I can remember with a half decent crowd we have been crap. I'm thinking **** defeat to Yeovil, defeat to Notts County (the free one) and the earlier season defeat to Franchise in front of the cameras. Omens are not good.

It will be very nervy. Shrewsbury are no mugs and will be solid and hard to break down. Meantime the crowd will get edgy and the part time fans who want a goal fest for a fiver will get on the players backs.

Confidence will be low after the last two defeats and nerves will be high. It just feels to me as if at this point of the season it is all going to slip away. Bournemouth's momentum is massive, although Doncaster look like they are having a bit of a wobble. Another team in form are Yeovil, 7th place and only 2 points adrift. The players have done great - lets face it who thought we would be in this position, but it's asking alot of some of the young players to pull this off. Wallace's injury has completely screwed us - of all the players we couldn't afford to do without. Where are we going to score goals from tonight? O' Halloran? Amoo? And I'm not knocking Ronnie or the club or the players. I just think we have not had that wee bit of luck you need at crucial times this season.

Prediction - Rovers 0 Shrews 1.

Hope to hell I'm back on here later finding I was very very wrong.
 
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It has been claimed elsewhere that we have signed a midfielder, Paul Correy, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, which would give some credence to the Wallace rumours if true.
Paul Corry is a 22-year-old Irishman in his first season in English football. He has played a handful of games in the Championship for Wednesday. This is not the experienced head we need. I'm surprised we can't get anyone better, but at least it would be a fresh pair of legs.
 
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