Stats n facts Dutch does these now, I've outsourced, going forward. Just one then Sandy Powell born in Rovv Brucey reckons he'll play a full strength side and likely Derby line up. So... McGregor Odubajo Dawson Davies Robbo Elmo Livermore Hudd Snodgrass Diame Hernandez I cant believe Clucas will come in at LM, much as i like him he's run his race. Elmo's showed a little bit of the old Elmo so I'd swop Snoddy over. Swanny even took a mild dig at Dawson not been a natural leader and that his performances have dipped. All true. So its harsh on Maguire. Meyler will return for Derby, Hudd was back to his insipid worst against Bolton and is only keeping the seat warm. Tough on Hayden. Akpom shows nothing for me, weak on the ball with a bad attitude. i'd rather we'd persevered with Luer all season. At least he's ours. Diame and Abel to get to know eachother again. We really need to Mo to fire again, his will be the crucial role against Derby. He played brilliantly against Burnley on Boxing Day, droppping in and nullifying Barton. He needs to do that against Derby. Its a Colin team, any sign of not been up for it or not fancying it and we could taste defeat for only the second time at home in the league. City to win 3-1
Is anyone even bothered? Boro vs Brighton will play a much bigger part in our promotion effort. I just can't see us beating Brighton but at least vs Boro it's 50/50.
I know Bruce has said he wants to play a strong team and some players need game time, but I can't really understand risking players that we have no real cover for in a relatively unimportant game I wouldn't play Abel personally Grim nil nil draw played in a depressing atmosphere which feels like the last day at school as so many people say goodbye to people they have stood next to, celebrated with, commiserated with, been annoyed with and been elated with for years without knowing whether they'll see them again at all.
We can't rest Abel again and expect him to turn it on against Derby, we've got to play our strongest te and get them functioning. I'd go with the above except Hayden in for hudd. Whilst Hudd has been playing well recently we just don't seem to get results with him in the team. Time to be practical and make ourselves hard to beat.
I would go for Akpom up front with Abel rather than Diame. Other than that I would go with Chazz's team, though as said it is hard on Maguire.
.oh and half way through the second half Livermore will recklessly slide into a challenge on the touch line, take the ball so not be penalised, but will slide straight past their player and straight into Colin's shins, Colin will be thrown up in the air and do half a somersault before landing upside down. I hope he'll be ok, but he may get injured Keep your eye out for it
Last game of the league, and I'm not arsed about it. WTF is that all about eh? I hope this mood changes before the start of next season. Anyhow, we should finish with a regulation 4-0 win if he plays the "Derby" team. Otherwise we'll lose 0-2. Fingers crossed we get through the game without any injuries too. Looking forward to the Boro game more, in which I hope they lose, with a last minute goal that sends them into 3rd place. That'd be lovely.
And after looking for stats about Rotherham, boy do I regret poking my nose in. There's a grid square near Scunthorpe on OS maps that has nothing in it, and gets listed as Britain's dullest place. They've obviously never looked at Rotherham. Even the website for Rotherham history admits "Rotherham has never figured greatly in the history of the British Isles." Chuckle Brothers, Paul Shane...and that's about it. They improved the plough,which was helpful. There is a morbid, but surprising report of 150 people drowning in a boating accident in Rotherham in July 1841. There's a claim that they were the first makers of the water tap, and had a large warehouse with ornate chandeliers to display their impressive cocks. In 1865, the army had to be called in to quell a riot that had been caused by police using batons on an otherwise peaceful crowd. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The earliest iron bridges in the country were made there,as were "the best and most reliable cannon in the land". Between 1744 and 1815 they made 13,000 tons of cannon for the Navy and Army which included the guns on HMS Victory, the flagship of Vice Admiral Nelson.
Grim game played in a depressing atmosphere which feels like the last day at school as so many people say goodbye to people they have stood next to, celebrated with, commiserated with, been annoyed with and been elated with for years without knowing whether they'll see them again at all. The above from boothys tash sums it up perfectly for me. And I agree about not playing Abel, although what goes on on the pitch is almost a side show.
Were there mirrors, too? Anyway, if Diomande is fit stick him in for Akpom. Hudds will be targeted, as will the gap Robbo will leave at LB. it doesn't matter anyway, it's Derby we've got to beat, as we've embarrassed ourselves against worse teams than Rotherham.
Interesting to see if Brucey has managed to get the players firing who started in both our 3-0 wins over Middlesborough and Burnley. I know Meyler is still injured but he was one of 5 players who seem to divide opinion who actually started in both of those games. Maguire, Meyler, Clucas, Elmo and Diame started in both of those games. Akpom, Huddlestone and Hayden didn't start in either of them.
I'd have started the Derby team against Bolton, got the points needed to make the second leg at home, then started the kids in this one.
Can't honestly see the logic in playing a weakened team last week and a strong one this week, you would think the reverse would apply, or just play weakened teams both weeks. Another strange Bruce decision for me, if we had a few players pick up knocks last week that would give them time to recover, now there is no recovery time. Or maybe Bruce is lying again and doesn't think a lot of todays team is going to feature next week.
As always, here are some previous encounters... not that many this week. Honestly, the rest are **** defeats, not posting them...
