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Post by tangerinedream on Feb 12, 2024 20:44:55 GMT
Doncaster Rovers are the next visitors to Moor Lane as we look to extend our six match unbeaten run and to record only our fourth home win of the season after blowing away promotion hopefuls Wrexham in our previous home outing ten days ago. Having recorded their first win in 10 league fixtures over Tranmere Rovers last weekend our South Yorkshire opponents will be hoping to build on that result as well as looking to steer further away from the drop zone. A Matt Smith hat-trick at the end of October secured us a convincing 3-0 victory at their Keepmoat Stadium and boss Karl Robinson will be looking for a more convincing performance than the one that saw us maintain our unbeaten run since his arrival with Callum Hendry's late equaliser at Swindon Town last Saturday. Donny's away record sees them having won twice, drawn three and lost eleven with their last success on their travels coming at Tranmere Rovers back on the 20th October. The form book points to a home win and although we should be confident in our own ability to succeed there is absolutely no doubt that we shouldn't be taking anything for granted tomorrow night.
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Post by chipbarm on Feb 12, 2024 22:09:54 GMT
I think KR and the team will be looking for a significant improvement from Saturday's performance. Maybe it was a timely reminder not to let things slip and that we need to retain high standards. There may be 1 or 2 changes to the starting line up with us having 3 games in 7 days with perhaps Ingram and Chesters to start. I'm going to stick my neck out and go for a 3-0 win to make it 7 unbeaten.
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Post by Chris P. Bacon on Feb 13, 2024 8:59:08 GMT
Going to be a tough game, but we're at home and I expect us to make it count. The Wrexham fans soon went quiet when they went behind, so an early goal would be useful.
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Post by je85 on Feb 13, 2024 12:49:32 GMT
DRFC rode their luck on Saturday against Tranmere and if they took their chances it would’ve been a very different result. I thought the reverse fixture in fits and spurts was one of our best performances in the first half of the season. Smith hat trick did potentially flatter us on the night but this evening I think like last season our quality will shine through. Runs with and without the ball from the wing into the box seem to fluster their defence so hoping a combination of Luamba, N’Mai, Chesters, McAleny, Garbutt, Shep, John and Hendry put the frighteners on them across the 90”. I am going 3-1 Salford UTA!
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Post by tangerinedream on Feb 13, 2024 22:14:10 GMT
A late equaliser, albeit a cracking free kick from Luke Garbutt, always goes a long way in disguising a poor performance which is what in the main preceded that goal. To be honest we struggled to string more than two passes together and it looked to all intents and purposes that Neil Wood was back in charge as our main tactic appeared to be a hoof ball up to Matt Smith. Trouble was that for the majority of the game the Doncaster defenders did little else but pull and wrestle him to the ground with our players getting zero protection in their 18 yard box from a referee who was as bad as I've seen this season. He totally lost control of the proceedings, booked players for soft challenges but failed in the main to get a grip of the constant fouling by Doncaster. Credit to them for stifling us but we made it easier for them given our one dimensional approach and in all fairness had it not been for a wonder stop by Alex Cairns and a shot that whistled just wide a few minutes later we might well have ended up dead and buried by a very ordinary opposition. Trouble was that we were equally ordinary and rarely tested their keeper nearly enough. It's seven games unbeaten now but we'll need to see a big improvement against Barrow this coming weekend.
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Post by chipbarm on Feb 13, 2024 22:29:51 GMT
What a horrible game to watch. They came to spoil and foul and we fell into the trap assisted by an atrocious referee who let them grapple and wrestle us all over the place. He lost control of the game after about 15 minutes and seemed more intent on punishing us for getting in the way of their rugby tackles than allowing a game of football to break out. That said they are clearly a poor team but we just played the exact same garbage they did and allowed them to bully us.
We should have just by passed Smith altogether and played down the flanks but the first equaliser aside we never did and just kept walloping it forwards. Hopefully we improve on Saturday and we get a half competent referee
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Post by tangerinedream on Feb 13, 2024 22:38:31 GMT
What a horrible game to watch. They came to spoil and foul and we fell into the trap assisted by an atrocious referee who let them grapple and wrestle us all over the place. He lost control of the game after about 15 minutes and seemed more intent on punishing us for getting in the way of their rugby tackles than allowing a game of football to break out. That said they are clearly a poor team but we just played the exact same garbage they did and allowed them to bully us. We should have just by passed Smith altogether and played down the flanks but the first equaliser aside we never did and just kept wallowing it forwards. Hopefully we improve on Saturday and we get a half competent referee |
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Post by tangerinedream on Feb 13, 2024 23:03:30 GMT
Karl Robinson post match .....
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Post by jayb99 on Feb 14, 2024 8:02:55 GMT
Seems to happen to Smith every week. Opposition turn up and just grapple him. One point this season his entire shirt was pulled off. I'm pretty new to following football so I'm finding this baffling most weeks.
Side note, I'm really rating Luamba, thought he showed his physical side much more last night. Thought Ethan Ingram was very poor. I'd have taken him and Smith off early into the second half.
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Post by tangerinedream on Feb 14, 2024 8:51:08 GMT
Seems to happen to Smith every week. Opposition turn up and just grapple him. One point this season his entire shirt was pulled off. I'm pretty new to following football so I'm finding this baffling most weeks. Side note, I'm really rating Luamba, thought he showed his physical side much more last night. Thought Ethan Ingram was very poor. I'd have taken him and Smith off early into the second half. |
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Post by Chris P. Bacon on Feb 14, 2024 9:50:56 GMT
A late equaliser, albeit a cracking free kick from Luke Garbutt, always goes a long way in disguising a poor performance which is what in the main preceded that goal. To be honest we struggled to string more than two passes together and it looked to all intents and purposes that Neil Wood was back in charge as our main tactic appeared to be a hoof ball up to Matt Smith. Trouble was that for the majority of the game the Doncaster defenders did little else but pull and wrestle him to the ground with our players getting zero protection in their 18 yard box from a referee who was as bad as I've seen this season. He totally lost control of the proceedings, booked players for soft challenges but failed in the main to get a grip of the constant fouling by Doncaster. Credit to them for stifling us but we made it easier for them given our one dimensional approach and in all fairness had it not been for a wonder stop by Alex Cairns and a shot that whistled just wide a few minutes later we might well have ended up dead and buried by a very ordinary opposition. Trouble was that we were equally ordinary and rarely tested their keeper nearly enough. It's seven games unbeaten now but we'll need to see a big improvement against Barrow this coming weekend. That about sums it up, although the ref wasn't as bad as I've seen this season......he was as bad as I've seen ever. Our first two cards (one to KR) were for hurty words to the referee, whilst the Doncaster players got away with moves that wrestling fans would have enjoyed watching. Hendry took an elbow to the face at one point in front of the ref and he wasn't interested. Often, Matt Smith gives as good as he gets, but last night was criminal. The ref could have stopped this by both teams by saying to the defender...carry on and it's a penalty. But their defence was effectively encouraged to carry on. There were 7 yellow cards last night and incredibly...we got 5 of them. A special mention for the linesman on the North Stand line in the second half. He flagged for an offside when he was about 10 yards behind the ball. The ref blew and the lino ran the ten yards to mark the offside. That happened in the last home game too. We were poor and I said exactly what you said.....it was like Neil Wood was back. That was the worst we'd played under KR but the weather, the 'antics' from Doncaster both played their part. We also didn't jump for the ball or get tackles in, with some pulling out of tackles when they see the opposing player coming in.....the players concerned know who they are. Yes, Smith should have been subbed, given the said antics of their defence. Ingram was poor and hos silly mistake led to a goal. He was poor last game too, but he gets a free pass because he's just coming back. But if he plays at the weekend, i'd expect much better. Two poor teams, in poor weather, hoofing the ball towards the moon and a boring game to watch. We did play bad but neither side deserved to win. So a draw was a fair result and proof if nothing else that we can scrap a point when we need to. |
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Post by jayb99 on Feb 14, 2024 12:45:04 GMT
Seems to happen to Smith every week. Opposition turn up and just grapple him. One point this season his entire shirt was pulled off. I'm pretty new to following football so I'm finding this baffling most weeks. Side note, I'm really rating Luamba, thought he showed his physical side much more last night. Thought Ethan Ingram was very poor. I'd have taken him and Smith off early into the second half. Thanks for the reply! The stuff you more 'established' fans of the game see over mere newbies like myself blows my mind, insightful regarding Smith. Although newbie is in itself no excuse for forgetting Ingram was a substitute himself 🤣. 🙌 |
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Post by je85 on Feb 14, 2024 14:25:02 GMT
I was surprised with the XI last night - felt this was an opportunity to rest Smith for Barrow. Not shocked that he had to endure a physical battle with the Doncaster CBs. McCann prematch was very much focussed on Smith’s ‘lucky’ performance in the reverse fixture. It seemed obvious he was going to be targeted, I would’ve liked to see Hendry at the point of the attack with N’Mai and Luamba in wide areas cutting in. Hendry is effective at dropping into the number ten area and takes defenders with him which opens up the space between each FB and CB.
No Shep was a surprise, thought he would be on the bench at least, but good to see Ingram there. I think we are not going to see a three of Lund, Watson and Watt for fear of injury I can only assume, but with John at RB I think not having Watt closer to the 2 CBs to drop in and make a defacto three when we transition we are always susceptible to that cross to the front post which lead to Tilt’s OG. Mallan and Ashley missing is a bigger than I think has been given credit for in terms of options available for KR.
That result in the grand scheme of things last night was a bit disappointing, I felt the three games this week could’ve got us through 40points and potentially out of the conversation for a relegation battle a bit more definitely than we have been. Barrow feels like it’s going to be a big game after their 2-1 defeat to FGR now. But the last two performances have looked a bit scabby in comparison to the first 5 under Robinson. It’s good we are not losing games but I think last night more so feels like points dropped.
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Post by chipbarm on Feb 14, 2024 19:00:14 GMT
You're not the only one who finds the situation with Matt Smith being literally dragged to the ground every game baffling and indeed frustrating. If Smith wasn't the size he is then he'd be getting free kicks galore but as such he's deemed to be the instigator rather than the victim. I've asked the question in the past as to whether 'he is too nice' as I'm sure that the likes of many forwards in the past wouldn't have allowed the opposing offender(s) to get away with it throughout the whole of a game without letting them know that they were there! Now I'm not suggesting a Vinny Jones or Roy Keane over the top response but he has to get 'tougher' with the opposition otherwise his impact will quite simply continue to be negated. Agree about Ingram being poor but perhaps a lack of match practice can be a contributing factor but he's never looked like the same player since coming back from his original injury although substituting him as a substitute might have been a bit harsh! Thanks for the reply! The stuff you more 'established' fans of the game see over mere newbies like myself blows my mind, insightful regarding Smith. Although newbie is in itself no excuse for forgetting Ingram was a substitute himself 🤣. 🙌 I've been watching live football for over 50 years now and I'm still no wiser on the nuances of tactics and formations. 😄 As long as I enjoy it I'll stick with that |
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