[Archived] MK Dons (away) Easter Monday

[AlanK]

it's got to that point in the season when performances just do not matter. Results do. 

Games that should look easy on paper become scraps as teams are fighting to avoid relegation. Teams at the top get edgy and nervous. Teams in the middle have nothing to lose or gain and just go for it.

I don't care how we play. Let's just win them 

7 to go

[Threepenny Bit Foot]

Really enjoyed the day out at MKD. A strange experience in an empty plastic stadium. We should have been 4 or 5 up by half time then lost confidence once we'd conceded. Dack is surely the best player in the division but had one of his quieter games. Raya kicked a ball into touch and threw one to the opposition but no faulting his shot stopping abilities. I thought Grahams experience was invaluable until he went off, Samuals one on one miss was 

Good atmosphere from the travelling fans - 1 defeat in 29 suggests we will go up and at least its in our own hands, probably finishing on around 95 points. COYB

[JBiz]

1 hour ago, blueboy3333 said:

I In many ways it was a microcosm of our season at home - largely frustrating but interspersed with some moments of real quality from our best players. For the most part that's all we've needed.

1 defeat in 28 - you have to set the team up, pick the correct “best” players, keep a consistent level on the training pitches, not to mention a generous portion of luck with decisions and injuries.

After Oldham away, I’m remember the slightly sozzled’ reflection on the tube into Manchester was “we can’t lose many more, if one or two games and still get close”.

Have to say though, I wouldn’t have bet on us to go up at the point. Huge credit but job not yet done.

 

[roversfan99]

Really good first half performance to get us the points and superb by Graham and Armstrong for the goals, 2 intelligent footballers.

Really poorly managed second half causing our own problems but in the end we did enough.

Armstrong is a revelation and Graham is a massive piece of our attack, Dack surprisingly quiet and Antonsson again poor.

Samuel needs selling in the summer, his finish summed up his performance and career at the club so far, the guy is a donkey.

Glad to see Mulgrew back, but Lenihan is needed alongside him.

Raya made a couple of superb saves but one kick and a throw to Payne really put us in danger, mixed bag again.

Great day with Wigan losing aswell.

[47er]

Re Samuel---why does TM keep picking him?

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, 47er said:

Re Samuel---why does TM keep picking him?

Playing well in training? 

[47er]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Playing well in training? 

That would explain why he sees something in him I don't!

[Commondore]

Just got around to the highlights, that is some Mickey Mouse defending from Mulgrew for their goal. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, 47er said:

That would explain why he sees something in him I don't!

He is struggling,no doubt. Although hopefully if he puts 1 away, he will go on a run. 

I would say Armstrong would have been played centrally more often if Chapman was back,but he has been moved in there on occasion when Graham has been taken off  

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, 47er said:

Re Samuel---why does TM keep picking him?

TM paid good money for him. He bears TM's seal of approval and not using him a tad difficult to justify to the owners.

He will probably be quietly moved out in the summer probably at a financial loss.

All managers make mistakes in the transfer market and TM has made more good than bad.

[Pedro]

Samuel lashes at everything and needs some Happy Gilmore coaching. "Just tap it in, tap it in."

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Pedro said:

Samuel lashes at everything and needs some Happy Gilmore coaching. "Just tap it in, tap it in."

Most of the top finishers I've seen from Jimmy Greaves onwards were content to pass the ball into the net. I don't recall Andy McEvoy really hammering the ball and he was one of the best finishers we've ever had. Coming  up to date you very rarely saw Rhodes thrash the ball, he just gave it enough to hit the back of the net.

I suppose Shearer was an exception to this rule.

[AllRoverAsia]

My viewing of the game was limited to very short highlights.

1. We scored 2 great goals well taken by Armstrong assisted by Danny Pirlo.

2. Some great saves by Raya and good blocks by others.

3. I am not sure which miss was the worst Antonnsson or Samuel. Both were quite pathetic attempts, I suppose Antonnsson can claim he thought Graham was going to head it.

If those go in we end up having decimated MK, and both should have been scored by any semi-competent footballer.

We won, Wigan lost so a win,win day for Rovers.

Well done TM and Rovers.

 

[roversfan99]

Dont really understand the desperate urge to get Travis back into the team either.

Hes done very well it seems for the u23s(although thats not always a definite sign he will replicate that in the first team, see Nuttall) but its not the time now to play largely untested youngsters.

He has more experienced and consistent players in the positions hed like to play, Bennett is solid at right back, plus although his red card may be a lesson learnt in the long run, it was a sign of immaturity and lack of discipline that Mowbray may be fearful of being reepated.

Im sure ahead of next season he will be more in the managers thoughts.

[chaddyrovers]

Great to get the 3 points yesterday..winning is all thats matters at this stage now. 

Raya made some great saves yesterday. His shot stopping skills are outstanding. 

Armstrong proved his quality yet again. He is must signing next season. Either a buy which I prefer or a loan. His finishing is high class and thats why I was delighted when we signed him in January

[chaddyrovers]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Dont really understand the desperate urge to get Travis back into the team either.

Hes done very well it seems for the u23s(although thats not always a definite sign he will replicate that in the first team, see Nuttall) but its not the time now to play largely untested youngsters.

He has more experienced and consistent players in the positions hed like to play, Bennett is solid at right back, plus although his red card may be a lesson learnt in the long run, it was a sign of immaturity and lack of discipline that Mowbray may be fearful of being reepated.

Im sure ahead of next season he will be more in the managers thoughts.

Travis should be on the bench before Caddis. 

He can play in 3 or 4 positions with centre midfield being the one he performed best in for under 23's. His red card has probably cost him his some 1st team starts. But still good player for future

[rigger]

37 minutes ago, Pedro said:

Samuel lashes at everything and needs some Happy Gilmore coaching. "Just tap it in, tap it in."

I think Samuel has been watching the Jason Roberts " one on one" video too much.

[roversfan99]

45 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Travis should be on the bench before Caddis. 

He can play in 3 or 4 positions with centre midfield being the one he performed best in for under 23's. His red card has probably cost him his some 1st team starts. But still good player for future

He is a good prospect for the future but for now, the thinking is seemingly that Caddis is a steady eddy at right back, and we are plenty covered in midfield with Whittingham on the bench, that Travis' inexperience works against him, which is fair enough.

49 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Great to get the 3 points yesterday..winning is all thats matters at this stage now. 

Raya made some great saves yesterday. His shot stopping skills are outstanding. 

Armstrong proved his quality yet again. He is must signing next season. Either a buy which I prefer or a loan. His finishing is high class and thats why I was delighted when we signed him in January

Agreed on winning being all that matters. Do feel we need to see out games better than we did but all about winning.

Agree also on Rayas shot stopping, not sure if you went yesterday but his distribution once or twice caused massive nerves I felt. Shot stopping never in question.

What did you make of Samuel and his miss at the end? Surely struggling to even make the bench at this stage?

Would love Armstrong permanently but I cant see Newcastle letting him go. Loan at a push.

[Lucimo]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Dont really understand the desperate urge to get Travis back into the team either.

Hes done very well it seems for the u23s(although thats not always a definite sign he will replicate that in the first team, see Nuttall) but its not the time now to play largely untested youngsters.

He has more experienced and consistent players in the positions hed like to play, Bennett is solid at right back, plus although his red card may be a lesson learnt in the long run, it was a sign of immaturity and lack of discipline that Mowbray may be fearful of being reepated.

Im sure ahead of next season he will be more in the managers thoughts.

Spot on

[AllRoverAsia]

@roversfan99

Your post echos TMs own views on Travis, expressed in a LT interview last week. 

TM basically saying Travis is on his radar but experience counts and those who have got us where we are derserve their squad places.

[roversfan99]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

Your post echos TMs own views on Travis, expressed in a LT interview last week. 

TM basically saying Travis is on his radar but experience counts and those who have got us where we are derserve their squad places.

Dont think you can argue with that mentality.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I’m not sure I buy the stuff earlier in the thread about the manager’s caution bringing about the second half Alamo. If any of the three sitters we had had gone in it would’ve been a clear and convincing victory. They were 0-2 down at half time and sat in the bottom four so of course they were going to throw men forward.

I’m still of the view however that replacing Antonsson with Payne was a bad idea. He’d done some good tracking back in the first half to cover Williams. Once he was gone, Armstrong on that side was always going to stay up while Payne on the other side can’t tackle a chip butty. He over-commits and never gets.

Anyway, we won and it’s about time Raya had something to do. Against Bradford he could’ve been in his deckchair.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

 

Agreed on winning being all that matters. Do feel we need to see out games better than we did but all about winning.

Agree also on Rayas shot stopping, not sure if you went yesterday but his distribution once or twice caused massive nerves I felt. Shot stopping never in question.

What did you make of Samuel and his miss at the end? Surely struggling to even make the bench at this stage?

Would love Armstrong permanently but I cant see Newcastle letting him go. Loan at a push.

winning is what we required and not performances

You get that from Raya but his shot stopping is his main asset

Samuel is lacking confidence like Ive been saying for weeks that proved it. his confidence wont improve by dropping him. I would keep him on the bench for sure. . 

he will never be in Newcastle 1st team plans next season and I hope Mowbray and Rovers put in an option to buy clause in the loan deal. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

winning is what we required and not performances

You get that from Raya but his shot stopping is his main asset

Samuel is lacking confidence like Ive been saying for weeks that proved it. his confidence wont improve by dropping him. I would keep him on the bench for sure. . 

he will never be in Newcastle 1st team plans next season and I hope Mowbray and Rovers put in an option to buy clause in the loan deal. 

I wouldn't be so sure of that, unfortunately 

[roversfan99]

12 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

winning is what we required and not performances

You get that from Raya but his shot stopping is his main asset

Samuel is lacking confidence like Ive been saying for weeks that proved it. his confidence wont improve by dropping him. I would keep him on the bench for sure. . 

he will never be in Newcastle 1st team plans next season and I hope Mowbray and Rovers put in an option to buy clause in the loan deal. 

Yeah but other parts of his game continue to put us in danger, his kicking and claiming of crosses being the primary ones. Can't just be discounted and ignored. That said, yesterday he made a couple of superb saves amidst that.

Samuel is also lacking ability, work rate and goals. Hopefully gone in the summer.

Armstrong is very young and a fantastic prospect, I can see them loaning him out again but not selling, and even if they did I doubt we could afford him.