League Two Sutton (1) v Rovers (1)

[Goody Two Shoes]

That 'winning away' chant can't serve any positive purpose for the team.

It just serves to amuse some fans. Football chants are like Marmite. It’s just seems to be the done thing now; Doncaster fans sang it at PP. The other end of the spectrum for “hollow” football chants: “And it’s (insert team name)………….by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen”; I doubt even Nigel would include anything similar in his motivational spiel. Pinch of salt required from all quarters.

 

[Boz]

That 'winning away' chant can't serve any positive purpose for the team.

Gallows humour. They'll have heard a lot worse.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Just reflecting on the game yesterday, I thought it was likely we would get one or zero points from the last two matches, and in the current context I think four points was a reasonable return.

However, in the second half yesterday we clearly did not retain the ball as well as we needed to, with too many hacked clearances, whether down to fatigue or the instruction of the manager to sit deeper.

I also thought the substitutions were strange. I did not see the need to bring on both Saunders and Taylor, which actually just weakened us physically in the face of an aerial bombardment. Bringing McAlear on and going narrower in midfield might have been a better decision. I also don't like disrupting the back four so late in a game, particularly as the defence had been solid to that point.

 

[Boz]

I agree with RLCs assessment above. Sutton's home form has been reasonable and while 3 points would have been better, taking one is valuable.

My assumption was the sitting deeper in the second half was a management instruction, as there were no subs or even tactical adjustments until midway through the second half. The subs, when made, did seem to unsettle us. My preference would have been to limit them to Saunders for Apter, who was squeezed out in the second half and Pike, if O'Connor who was a pre-match doubt, had picked up a knock. Hadn't thought about it, as mainly thought McAlear was on the bench as cover for Walker, but we did have the option to use him in the way RLC suggests.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I also thought the centre of midfield was a problem in the second half. Hendry had a poor game and Walker looked goosed by about the sixty minute mark. I just don't think he has the legs to play a protective role, particularly away from home.

I would still prefer O'Connor as the defensive midfielder, but it seems clear Adkins does not want to use him in that position.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

At 1-0 Sutton were always going to push us back in the second half so it was particularly frustrating that, when we did try to build passing moves, too often we gave the ball away too cheaply. Even so, you felt they could’ve played all night without scoring…until they did!

At the other end it was a pity that the one chance that would’ve been ideal for Dennis came just after he went off. Jennings’ excellent low ball in from the right just begging for a fox in the box to steer home but, instead of anticipating, Saunders was on his heels and conceded the vital first half-yard to the defender. A point Jenno made to him in no uncertain terms.

All in all, a game we should’ve seen out against very limited opposition.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

I also thought the centre of midfield was a problem in the second half. Hendry had a poor game and Walker looked goosed by about the sixty minute mark. I just don't think he has the legs to play a protective role, particularly away from home.

I would still prefer O'Connor as the defensive midfielder, but it seems clear Adkins does not want to use him in that position.

I think we have to accept Hendry in the round, he is clumsy and puts in a loose pass most games. But he gets involved when other midfielders can't, due to his pace, this same asset takes him past players with sheer momentum. Morris and Walker put several important interventions in during well controlled displays. It was noticeable how Morris and Apter had completely different roles. Dennis did stuff outside the box of real use, possibly for the first time. Jennings is just a diamond at this level, give us two more of him we'd be top half.
Just like a year ago I think we are one maybe two players short of being very decent, whilst we carry double figures in complete dead weight.

 

[Ian]

I like Walker, for the first 60 minutes, after that he's useless. His legs turn to dead weights. Shame, he could be a good player if he lasted the full 90.

 

[Sparky]

We badly need another front man to replace Norris. Jennings did ok yesterday but we need him in midfield because of his work rate.
Apart from a defensive error yesterday (own goal), we didn’t score in 90+ minutes against the leagues worst side (granted we’re one of the worst too).
We’ll always pick up points at home but we need to start offering more of a threat going forward on our travels.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We badly need another front man to replace Norris. Jennings did ok yesterday but we need him in midfield because of his work rate.
Apart from a defensive error yesterday (own goal), we didn’t score in 90+ minutes against the leagues worst side (granted we’re one of the worst too).
We’ll always pick up points at home but we need to start offering more of a threat going forward on our travels.

I don't hold out much hope for the January transfer window to be honest. We have only significantly improved the squad in January when we have had a significant FA Cup windfall, and it is doubtful there will be much money to spend when you consider the deadwood we are already carrying in the squad. Any replacement is likely to be of the Mani / Mumbongo variety.

I think we just have to get as much out out of the players already available as we can. We are being stung once again for offering a contract to a key player who was injured on arrival.

 

[Sparky]

Yes and as Nigel has said we have a large squad of 31 players. So much dead wood in there that if we could get rid of we’d have some funds but who is going to want to sign the likes of Lewis, Saunders, Jolley, McAlear, Hughes etc.
We’re not a one man team but perhaps Palio’s will pull out the stops and invest in another half decent striker. Speculate to accumulate and all that and if we bring in another cheap option then it’ll cost more in the long run if we go down.

It is quite damning when it comes to recruitment that we’ve got one of the largest squads in the division…..yet badly need new signings

 

[Boz]

I could understand the Luke Norris gamble to some extent; he was a player who'd had a bad injury rather than one who'd been consistently injury-prone. It's unclear if the injuries he's picked with us are a recurrence of the same injury or something else. We definitely needed a Norris-lite player, not necessarily of Luke's calibre/experience, but who could do a job there so that we could kept Dennis in his best position as part of a front two and use Jennings where he's performed so well.

I agree that a major squad strengthening in January seems remote, while there's a strong possibility than Apter will be recalled/re-deployed by Blackpool reducing our attacking options further. Can't see many of those under contract attracting much attention in the window. Yet with the squad currently at our disposal, L2 survival is hanging by a thread.

 

[ADD]

Completely agree with other posters that bringing on Taylor so late was strange and for me the wrong decision.
I rate Taylor but for whatever reason be that being dropped when Adkins came in he isn't looking so good right now and needs a bit of a boost. Being second fiddle to Saunders who simply doesn't have a striker's brain cannot be helping.
Boz is also right in that if Blackpool recall Apter we are in real trouble. He and Jennings are essential as without them with have zero creativity.

 

[Charlton1975]

Probably a fair result between two awful football teams. One of the worst games I have watched in the league in terms of quality. You can see why both teams are at that end of the table. Sutton played a very basic and direct game, which Rovers did deal with well in the first half, but for whatever reason then just sat back and let them pump ball after ball into the box in the second half. Their goal had been coming, as poor as it was. Apter was a great out ball first half, but was largely ignored second half as we just seemed content to give possession back to Sutton at every opportunity. Lots of sloppy misplaced passes in midfield, and the times we did get out wide it was Dennis looking to cross whoever there was noone in the box, as that is where he should have been.

Positive of the day was the excellent away following!