[Archived] Rovers v Donny: 11th January 2014...if only it was 1958!

[yoda]

very happy with the 1 nil win yesterday and the clean sheet but the second half performance was poor tbh. first half we were playing good attacking football and should have 3 or 4 nil up for sure.

Rhodes and Gestede partnership is improving game by game. good goal by Gestede to show willing to get into the box to head the ball in.

Robinson 2 saves at the end prove why we need him back in the team. he looks better than he did under Kean or Berg and maybe even under Allardyce. I know it is still early days but we defo need him if we are going to get Playoff spot.

would still like to see Cairney playing in centre mid with Lowe tho.

Thought when Dunn came on he settled the game down for us and used to experience and think that was vital for us.

Taylor didn't start the game due not being 100% fit according to Radio Rovers.

maybe it was for the watching City scouts!

[RoyRover]

Another good result yesterday, even if the second half performance wasn't great. With the position we are in and our need to get into the playoffs, I don't care how we play to be honest, just as long as we keep winning. We don't have the luxury to be too picky about how we play. With the perilous situation we are facing, we need to get promoted by hook or by crook and if that involves playing good football, great. If not, I'm not going to lose any sleep.

[JAL]

He was correct to allow Dann and Spurr to stay on and for Gestede to leave the field.

Can you give the reason why arbitro ?

[Neil Weaver]

I think Adam Henley is doing fine defensively but he doesn't get forward enough. When he does cross the half way line invariably he checks back and plays it inside or backwards. With his pace and ability I would like to see him running at full backs.

Not going to disagree on the checking back and you're right that he does seem to hold back at times too, but I've noticed that almost every time he does hare down the flank and the ball is being tippy tappied around by Dann/Lowe/Williamson they refuse to play it right for Henley to run onto. No idea if it's under instruction, but it seems the only time they'll pass to him if he's stationary on the half way line and the only thing he can do is pass it back to wherever it came from.

[BlueBro]

Not going to disagree on the checking back and you're right that he does seem to hold back at times too, but I've noticed that almost every time he does hare down the flank and the ball is being tippy tappied around by Dann/Lowe/Williamson they refuse to play it right for Henley to run onto. No idea if it's under instruction, but it seems the only time they'll pass to him if he's stationary on the half way line and the only thing he can do is pass it back to wherever it came from.

This has been one of my biggest frustrations over recent home games. Henley has that much potential and should

be a constant threat charging forward. expecially with teh dynamic duo of Lowe and Williamson staying deep to counter the 'threat' of sheff wed / birmingham / doncaster renowned counter attacks, our full backs should be getting forward at every single opportunity.

i've seen Bowyer and Dann both telling Henley to stay back when it's obvious he should be getting forward. I was hoping lessons had been learnt after 2 home games over Christmas yielded 1 point, but yesterday was a repeat performance, though with a positive result which was obviously welcome. however our cautious, tentative, negative set up allowed the Doncaster to dominate the 2nd half. We need to be more expansive, creative and take more risks to fulfill the potential i believe we have.

[Neal]

I think Adam Henley is doing fine defensively but he doesn't get forward enough. When he does cross the half way line invariably he checks back and plays it inside or backwards. With his pace and ability I would like to see him running at full backs.

A man who speaks my language. When we were drawing against Wednesday, he passed the ball backwards 10 times in a row at the beginning of the 2nd half. Against Birmingham 3-0 down, he got on the shoulder of their full back twice. He's playing within himself, well within himself... Not impressed so far.

[Tom]

Yesterday he was one man to relieve pressure late on he charged down the right got behind their full back and won a corner

Which we decided to give straight back to them trying to be clever and hold in the corner

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

He can only be playing to instructions surely.

[aletheia]

What happened in the 2^nd half you ask? How did we dominate 1^st half and then disappear? Simple. Donny changed their mindset from cautiousness to attack and with our set up we couldn’t live with it. Cairney out wide in that shape offers nothing going forward on the outside and a weakness defending on that side. Lowe and Williamson were simply outpassed in 2^nd half. Time and time again we sat deep, collected the ball when their attacks eventually broke down (after much hysteria from our fans) only to knock it hopelessly long for it to put them back on the attack immediately. Cairney’s body language says it all playing wide and he blows hard when he has to get up and down. A solution to the ‘Lowe’ problem (if you agree that it is one and that he can’t be dropped) is to play him wide right or full back. He can make use of his engine to make runs up and down the flank all day (did we have any crosses at all from the right side yesterday?) Also when attacking many times yesterday, we have nobody out on the right as Cairney has drifted inside and Henley is reluctant (for whatever reason) to get forward. In brief, with that team yesterday the right side is weak, the middle 2 neither offer creativity or solid defense –Donny completely dominated us 2^nd half because they had to and believed they could.

Hanley was immense in the air but you just knew his stupid tackle from behind was coming after he was hit in the mouth by Brown. Gave them an easy opportunity in the end to launch it into our box. And what was Dann doing at the end giving away a stupid corner when Robbo was easily going to pick it up?

[SoldierMo]

All explained in one to put it simple we cannot play two def mids...tey cant actually do what they suppose to and also takes cairney out the game GB needs to wake up to this

[Al]

All explained in one to put it simple we cannot play two def mids...tey cant actually do what they suppose to and also takes cairney out the game GB needs to wake up to this

Absolutely right but how many times does he need to be told? He appears to have a mental block or Lowe is his Godson.

[SoldierMo]

It comes to a point where you wishing either willo or lowe get suspended or injured as thats only time we playing cairney in middle and actually beating teams without struggles

[K-Hod]

Away from home I've not as much of an issue with Williamson and Lowe, but at home, when we're putting Cairney out wide to accommodate it, it's very frustrating.

[roverstdt]

I would disagree with this hysteria on Lowe, he formed a solid partnership with Evans and his absence would be noticed. I would however rather see this line up for the city game

-----Gestede----

Marshall--Cairney--Taylor

-------Dunn--Lowe--------

Would give Rhodes a rest for the massive game against Forest and Derby coming up.

[Amo]

Away from home I've not as much of an issue with Williamson and Lowe, but at home, when we're putting Cairney out wide to accommodate it, it's very frustrating.

Indeed. If your average Joe in the stand can see the blindingly obvious, then why can't the guy who coaches these players all week and studies their performances? I don't think it's an exaggeration to say this could well dampen any hopes of promotion.

[LDRover]

The only game he's missed this season was at Leeds. A game we won comfortably by all accounts.

H eworks hard, covers ground and plays the odd sideways pass but how does he really affect a game??

In a league where there is little quality it's important that we take the initiative and impose ourselves on the opposition. Playing 2 DMs where one is as offensively ineffective as J-Lo does the opposite.

[Boylerhaus]

We really need Evans back. Bowyer clearly doesn't trust Cairney in the centre so we need somebody of the quality of Evans to split up the Lowe Williamson axis

[thenodrog]

He was correct to allow Dann and Spurr to stay on and for Gestede to leave the field.

Stupid law though. He wouldn't let Gestede come back on at first when it was clear that he'd been the complete victim of a very tough foul yet the bloke who clattered him was still on the field of play. Crackers rule, it was never intended for such instances.

[arbitro]

Stupid law though. He wouldn't let Gestede come back on at first when it was clear that he'd been the complete victim of a very tough foul yet the bloke who clattered him was still on the field of play. Crackers rule, it was never intended for such instances.

It is stupid. It is penalising the innocent side invariably who will be temporarily down to ten players after having had a player fouled. Some of the more unscrupulous managers have been known to circumvent this by having their player go down to stop the other teams momentum. It is an area where referees are not smart enough. I would absolutely guarantee that the majority of players would get up quicker if they knew the game wouldn't be stopped.

[Stuart]

I would absolutely guarantee that the majority of players would get up quicker if they knew the game wouldn't be stopped.

Agree with this. Happens all the time but there was an instance on Saturday where a Rovers player went down and stayed down, and our 'dummy element' in the home crowd booed just long and loud enough for the referee to stop the game whilst WE were on the attack. The ref had clearly seen it and allowed us the advantage and would probably have booked him anyway.

[Friarsnig]

I would disagree with this hysteria on Lowe, he formed a solid partnership with Evans and his absence would be noticed. I would however rather see this line up for the city game

-----Gestede----

Marshall--Cairney--Taylor

-------Dunn--Lowe--------

I reckon we need more players than that to be in with a chance.

[roversfan99]

Lowe is a player whose work rate and energy are basically his only real strengths. He can be of great use in difficult games when we need a third central midfielder, and he (Or Williamson who I prefer out of the 2) can be of use when Cairney or Evans are unavailable.

The complete mystery is why Lowe is the first name on the team sheet, at the expense of players that have a much bigger impact on the game.

[Barnesy]

Well done Rovers! 1-0 win on a banana skin match -I'll take the three points and look at the table in the papers. Sometimes you have to get through half matches like this. If two defensive midfielders struggled with Donny in the second half then surely one would have been chasing even more shadows.-too much of a gamble to change this to my mind. Can't remember Robbo having to dig us out much whilst in contrast their keeper made a great stop from Rhodes second half

[Mattie456]

He can only be playing to instructions surely.

I think this too. Remember him being more positive on the ball at the city game. Think he's had his wings clipped since getting back in the team for sure.

[bazza]

He was correct to allow Dann and Spurr to stay on and for Gestede to leave the field.

Why? Please explain Arbitro.

It is stupid. It is penalising the innocent side invariably who will be temporarily down to ten players after having had a player fouled. Some of the more unscrupulous managers have been known to circumvent this by having their player go down to stop the other teams momentum. It is an area where referees are not smart enough. I would absolutely guarantee that the majority of players would get up quicker if they knew the game wouldn't be stopped.

If a player is so badly hurt he needs the game to be stopped and be treated on the field, I think that player should be made to stay off the field for one minute of further match play. It might stop the histrionics and cheats.

I do agree that it is stupid for the injured player to go off after a foul whilst the fouler stays on.