Match Day Thread Doncaster Rovers Vs Sunderland AFC

[Sam_Fring]

He was the bright spark for me tonight, along with Kaboul who looked a class above.

Other than that the Balti pie and half the away end chanting d "give us our ball back" were as good as it got. Watmore cameo but he was trying too hard.

Lens looks class. Something happened whenever he got the ball.

Overall team shape was a little worrying as Lens and PVA spent most of the game hugging the left touch line barely marked crying out to be passed to.

Catts - looked like he was nursing a ten pint hangover
Pants - looked a bit bemused and flaky, put O'Shea in the **** a few times
O'Shea - seems to have lost what little pace he did have
Seb - upped the tempo when he came on, looked sharp
Graham - better than Fletch....

Decent crowd. Donny were tidy and all looked good on the ball but My Nan would've looked good the amount of time and space we gave them.

Rodwell - was he playing....

Thought Rod looked better when Catts went off actually but he's becoming a massive disappointment. Larsson showed them both up, he really is the heartbeat of the team.

 

[Sam_Fring]

Beadling looked steady in next to Kaboul. Was pretty much over by the time he came on. He nearly flicked on a corner with some side/back heel action! Hard to tell.

Felt sorry for Watmore, he was on in the "Lens" position and was isolated out wide. Won a few corners but also hideously mis controlled the cball on the touch line and put it out for a throw. Trying too hard. Looks quick but not sure if he is or if it's his little legs going like the clappers.

A couple of other kids came on a the end but couldn't hear names over the cheering at those coming off.

Johnno took the inevitable "*****" chants in his stride by being largely anonymous apart from a few shots over the bar.

Giacc smashed a sitter high wide and handsome late on.

Best one was O'Shea off balance and half out of play on the touch line passing the ball back to Pants who absolutely twatted it straight back at him. They nearly scored from the resulting chaos. Pants bollocked him for not controlling a ball that Pele in his prime wouldn't have killed!

They did score from it mate! The first goal was from the passage of play immediately after Pants making that ridiculous pass. Even Rodwell bollocked Pants after the goal for it

 

[Extra Time Spike]

O.k., Doncaster probably raised their game a bit tonight But our first home game is against a newly-promoted side. Does anybody imagine Norwich will care less than Doncaster cared tonight? When did you last see a newly-promoted side give less than 150%? I think, by the beginning of September, we're very likely to be staring a very nasty reality in the face. It's all right people saying they don't care about pre-season games. But I DO care about personal standards and performances. And I haven't seen much to make me happy.

I wouldn't say Donny raised their game, in fact they were trying something a bit different. The team to start didn't have a striker, there were 6 defenders and 4 midfielders. The subs were mainly from the youth team(McKay, Carberry, Mandeville, Lindley and Pugh), the others from the development team(Marosi, and Whitehouse). Teams throughout the leagues use friendlies for fitness, trying out different formations and tactics so I wouldn't worry too much about your team, your manager is probably doing the same.

 

[marcusblackcat]

I wouldn't say Donny raised their game, in fact they were trying something a bit different. The team to start didn't have a striker, there were 6 defenders and 4 midfielders. The subs were mainly from the youth team(McKay, Carberry, Mandeville, Lindley and Pugh), the others from the development team(Marosi, and Whitehouse). Teams throughout the leagues use friendlies for fitness, trying out different formations and tactics so I wouldn't worry too much about your team, your manager is probably doing the same.

Words of sense from a neutral! Cheers and I totally agree! Pre season has never been about results - it's about finding what does and doesn;t work - a manager learns far more from losing a game than he ever will from winning 5-0

 

[BalesBalls]

Words of sense from a neutral! Cheers and I totally agree! Pre season has never been about results - it's about finding what does and doesn;t work - a manager learns far more from losing a game than he ever will from winning 5-0

Seems a bit flimsy to me , why is league 1 team be beating a premiership side,
Are they better prepared/fitter for the new season, both teams play their 1st game Aug 8th
Are their players better then premiership players or is their players attitude better (wonder how much in wages each club paid their stating line up)

 

[Extra Time Spike]

Seems a bit flimsy to me , why is league 1 team be beating a premiership side,
Are they better prepared/fitter for the new season, both teams play their 1st game Aug 8th
Are their players better then premiership players or is their players attitude better (wonder how much in wages each club paid their stating line up)

I wouldn't think most of Donnys players are any better than Sunderland have but they do play as a team and play for each other, their attitude and effort is also good. As for wages £2k to £3k is their average although the young'uns that were played last night are on a lot less.

 

[marcusblackcat]

Seems a bit flimsy to me , why is league 1 team be beating a premiership side,
Are they better prepared/fitter for the new season, both teams play their 1st game Aug 8th
Are their players better then premiership players or is their players attitude better (wonder how much in wages each club paid their stating line up)

Hereford v Newcastle (70's)
Chelsea 2-4 Bradford?

It shouldn't happen and normally doesn't in competitive matches but occasionally it does.

Happens a lot more in friendly games though

We beat spurs pre season last season! Sadly we had a crap season

That's why pre season results never bother me

 

[David Moyes' Stupid Face]

Seems a bit flimsy to me , why is league 1 team be beating a premiership side,
Are they better prepared/fitter for the new season, both teams play their 1st game Aug 8th
Are their players better then premiership players or is their players attitude better (wonder how much in wages each club paid their stating line up)

Rubbish. We beat your lot in preseason a couple years ago, means nothing. Chelsea played pretty much their strongest team against New York's reserves / youths recently and got stuffed 4-2. It's meaningless.

 

[BalesBalls]

Rubbish. We beat your lot in preseason a couple years ago, means nothing. Chelsea played pretty much their strongest team against New York's reserves / youths recently and got stuffed 4-2. It's meaningless.

SO are Donny players better the Sunderlands or just can be bothered to put some more effort in., both teams season start on the same day

 

[crumble bungle]

maybe they were up for it and wanted it more?

 

[David Moyes' Stupid Face]

SO are Donny players better the Sunderlands or just can be bothered to put some more effort in., both teams season start on the same day

It's like talking to a brick wall . If I had to guess I'd say the Doncaster players were probably much more up for it as they wanted to "take a scalp" whereas we were there purely for fitness.

 

[The Relic]

It's like talking to a brick wall . If I had to guess I'd say the Doncaster players were probably much more up for it as they wanted to "take a scalp" whereas we were there purely for fitness.

Were we though? - that's the point. You know what my first thought was after that game? - "Never mind lads, you'll be a few grand richer at the end of the week." (Naturally, I exclude Beading and Watmore - they had something to make an effort for - plus Lens and Kaboul who haven't got the Sunderland attitude/habit yet. The others didn't appear to me like they gave much of a damn about fitness or anything else)

 

[Brian Storm]

Both goals came from individual mistakes. hard to analyse the goals beyond that. First goal, the narrow midfield meant there was nobody picking up the late runner, billy jones left his marker to pick him up, he saw him sooner but because John O'shea was ball watching Jones was on two men while O'shea stood in nomans land just watching the ball float over. 2nd Goal was Rodwell's poor clearance.

 

[BalesBalls]

It's like talking to a brick wall . If I had to guess I'd say the Doncaster players were probably much more up for it as they wanted to "take a scalp" whereas we were there purely for fitness.

It's like talking to a brick wall . If I had to guess I'd say the Doncaster players were probably much more up for it as they wanted to "take a scalp" whereas we were there purely for fitness.

I would have thought with the new season only a week away for both teams they would be equally fit (well really I would expect the premiership team to be fitter) dont think just turning up and not matching a lower league team is a good prep , lets hope Leicester dont want to 'take a scalp'

 

[Sam_Fring]

Were we though? - that's the point. You know what my first thought was after that game? - "Never mind lads, you'll be a few grand richer at the end of the week." (Naturally, I exclude Beading and Watmore - they had something to make an effort for - plus Lens and Kaboul who haven't got the Sunderland attitude/habit yet. The others didn't appear to me like they gave much of a damn about fitness or anything else)

Did you not think we improved second half though? I agree we sat off them 1st half, particularly deep and lethargic.
The intro of Larsson made so much difference, all of a sudden we were working to get the ball back and Donny couldn't keep it from us.

 

[Brian Storm]

I would have thought with the new season only a week away for both teams they would be equally fit (well really I would expect the premiership team to be fitter) dont think just turning up and not matching a lower league team is a good prep , lets hope Leicester dont want to 'take a scalp'

How you work that out? Different facilities, techniques, budget, environment, all a factor. We've just been off for high humidity training(as many prem clubs have which lower division teams can't afford), we'll be ropy going into the new season but the benefits in the long run will be great. A preseason at home will lead to better fitness early in the season.

 

[Sam_Fring]

And Graham actually, not just Seb. Graham isn't good enough but he hassles defenders more than Fletcher. Saying that, a couple of my farts probably caused their CB more problems than Fletcher

 

[Rick O'Shea]

When i played football manager, my team was crap in the friendlies, completely different to when the season started.

 

[SC SAFC]

When i played football manager, my team was crap in the friendlies, completely different to when the season started.

the last word!! hard to argue with footy manager

 

[Nads]

I'm focusing on what my pal who was there, one of the lads I go game withsaid and as such an opinion I know can be trusted.

'Lens could be the best player we've seen in our lifetime, Rodwell isn't a footballer'.

Ha.