• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Stags v Rovers

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15 Mar 2010
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
Well, this is it. There won't be a massive crowd at Field Mill tomorrow night and Mansfield away is certainly not a glamorous fixture, but this is arguably the most important game in our history. I think Hartlepool will probably beat Accrington tomorrow, which means defeat or even a draw for Rovers could effectively see us relegated.

I would play a reasonably adventurous line up, with Hume up front and a midfield of Green (if available), Laid, Power and Jennings. Dugdale should certainly not be restored to the team.

I can't honestly see us winning the game; the one glimmer of hope is Mansfield's appalling recent form, a bit like Cambridge's before our last victory. Then again, Luton have lost eight out of nine and their one victory was against Rovers.

We have apparently sold our allocation of tickets, so there will at least be some good vocal backing for the boys (not that it has made much difference previously).

It will be an anxious and possibly a disappointing night.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
No news on the o/s about how the ill players are doing. Like RLC, I'd start Hume and Green, if available. I also thought Taylor was dire and should be replaced by Ridehalgh or Matt Hill, but as he's been bigged up on the o/s he's likely to feature against his old club.

I'm not hopeful, we might get a draw on a good day, but not enough now.
 

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
Yes let's be positive and if we're going down lets go down with a fight. Alan Rogers has said we'll be going for it so hopefully we'll be set up to win.

We've been fortunate that Cheltenham and Hartlepool have lost recently when we have but as RLC says, I expect Ronnies side to get a result tomorrow.

Will be a nervy 90 minutes (not helped by the ever annoying Andy Doyle....)
 

Ian

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Aldo
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I know it doesn't mean much when Rovers are involved but their form is actually worse than ours over the last six or seven games.

I think we'll probably win tomorrow just delaying the inevitable. Rovers play better away from home and I think if our ill players are fit again we'll have too much for Mansfield.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
I think the big mistake we made in the York and Cheltenham games was to go out with an over-attacking line-up, get overrun in midfield and our brittle defence couldn't cope. If we'd set up to draw both of those and succeeded, our current situation wouldn't be quite so grim. A 4-2-4 formation from the off will lead to disaster.

It would be interesting to hear what Alan Rogers' plans are for keeping a clean sheet, given presumably he has responsibility for the defence coaching in the current set-up.
 

Ian

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Rogers seems more concerned about putting the ball in the net. I think we would benefit from an early goal to take some of the pressure off.
 

Boz

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Or maybe he knows keeping a clean sheet is a forlorn hope;)
 

bigmart

bigmart
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Ian Muir
Think we will nick this 2 1 but Hartlepool will win so we will remain in bottom 2
 

Sparky

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Interesting decision to drop Odejayi and play Cole alongside a recalled Donnelly. Koumas and Hume on the bench.
 

Boz

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It sounded from the Merseyside commentary that we were playing ok after a ropey start, only to concede right at the end of the half.
 

Ian

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And it's goodnight..
 

Higgy

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Dave Higgins
Couldn't listen, just watched text commentary. Good possession stats etc, but didn't seem to test keeper too much. Results against us and was hoping Hartlepool wouldn't come back for the draw........but there you go!!

Inevitable I fear.
 
Joined
1 Oct 2005
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5,692
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
This Rovers team has finally got me almost at a loss for words. We have everything we need to survive but the guile to score and the bottle to defend. Seventeen games without a clean sheet says it all. When I looked at tonight's teamsheet, I saw the best squad of 18 players we've had all season. Unfortunately, this was only on paper and not on grass.

Three wins from our last three games might do it, but that's about as likely as the Lib Dems and the Greens forming a coalition next month. I think MP will have to start preparing for next season in the Conference. It will be a difficult league to get out of, but if we can retain most of our support, we should have the resources to make a challenge. But it will be with a virtually new squad and manager. The only (very small) consolation is we'll see Chester, Southport and Wrexham back at PP.

Full marks to the SWA for buying up all the visitors' allocation. And why was there 13 minutes stoppage time?
 
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drwhoman

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All is not totally lost but another goal conceded at the end of the first half and then a total inability to put the ball in the net. We can criticise the defending but the real problem is at the other end. I cannot understand for the life of me why Adams ignores the most creative and experienced midfielder in the club - Jason Koumas. With a need to open up a packed defence why would you leave him on the bench? You really do wonder how Micky has been successful in the past. Maybe he cannot handle relegation pressure. He will say they gave it all and tried hard, which is probably true, but unfortunately that does not get you very far in the professional game!
 
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Liam Palmer
Time to get rid of Adams - too late probably - but absolutely nothing to lose. As said, still 9 points to play for. And a decent squad of players. Get Koumas to manage the team and Holmes to do the motivating speech and you never know.

These are desperate, dark times. Hard to believe we're going to achieve a miracle like 1987. With Adams in charge, that won't happen.

Good night.
 

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
Devastated about this result. I thought we may get something tonight but like the Luton game we come up against a side in awful form, and are found wanting again in terms of a result.

We have pinned a lot of our hopes on a young lad from Everton who again sounds like he made bad decisions. Some of the more experienced pros should be ashamed of themselves.

I'm not convinced if we go down that we'll challenge. It'll be a brand new squad again and probably a new manager.

Gutted.... Win or bust on Saturday. But I fear the players and manager will have resigned themselves to the conference after tonight
 

Ian

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We have pinned a lot of our hopes on a young lad from Everton who again sounds like he made bad decisions. Some of the more experienced pros should be ashamed of themselves.
That tells you a lot about what state we are in. Most of those players couldn't give a sh*t.

I agree with TT64. We are down with the current setup, we may as well do something drastic, nothing to lose.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
Very strange team selection again. Wouldn't have started Stockton and Laird deserved to stay in midfield. Match stats suggest a lot of possession, but no cutting edge and fall to a sucker puch on the edge of half-time.

Adams has been a disaster and the Palioi's patience with his inept handling of the situation tarnishes them. Let's hope they get the next appointment right.
 

Ian

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And the script is: There's three games to go, we'll still keep fighting. We were unlucky tonight, lads gave it everything, we just couldn't get that goal. We move onto the next game. If we can win that, there's still a chance.

Sigh..
 

Sparky

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Yes same old comments from Micky but not much else he could say. He has rightly had a pop at the forwards but needs to look at himself. Hume was a big risk as it took him weeks to get fit. Donnelly was doing well until micky put him out wide and ruined the confidence of a young lad.

Plus he has messed about with the keeper situation recently and not been able to stop us conceding every game. If he isn't good enough to improve the players defensively then he is not up to the job. But it's too late now really....
 
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