After watching todays dismal effort I hope that DC is going to temper his aims for this season. Todays performance was the Worst I have seen for a very long time from a Rovers team and that includes the team that took us into the conference. There was no effort or pattern to our game, playing without wingers makes us very easy to pass and get crosses into the box and the lack of chances we created meant we could have played all week and still would not have scored more than one. We were far to slow to close down when they had the ball and they were much faster in moving the ball around. If this isn't sorted soon then we will be fighting battle not to get relegated. DC said he was looking for a winger L/S and D/F midfielder and hoped to have them by the time the window closes it could well be to late then if he is serious about mountain a promotion challenge and all this when they announce record season ticket sales
The team was pretty poor without the ball/ defended badly as a team and weren't clinical enough. The defending looked better against Charlton, so we might actually be stronger with Broadbent, Ollie Clarke and another right back option. We also play better with wingers, and we look more of a threat when Moore gets involved. A defensive midfielder in front of the back four wouldn't be a bad idea too. But there was a real lack of energy and commitment compared with the best performances in recent years.It's early days, and plenty of time to get things right, but this was a right old shambles and yet another four goals conceded.But at least we're creating plenty of chances...
Not the worse performance I've seen for me but still up there we were well beaten and deserved nothing from the game even with the easy chances we missed. Me and my mate left after their 3rd goal I haven't left a match that early since before DC's era.
I never let the opposing fans see me leave early because we are loosing I stay and cheer them until the bitter end
Last time I left early was away to Walsall a number of years ago. Something like 3-0 down at half time and we were terrible and I think Walsall were below us in the table too and we were somewhere near the bottom. We ended up losing by more like 5-1 or something like that. Shambles of a day that was.
As for the game against Peterborough..... Another shambles!!!! I really dont see why DC picks Harrison. Im not blaming him for yesterday by the way. There were a number of performances that didnt make the grade. I think starting with Ellis gives the opposition the advantage as we basically are playing with 10 men. Yes Ellis has the odd good game (Northampton last season for example) but these odd games are few and far between. I dont mind him being at the club as could be a useful sub to stretch the opposition in the final 20 minutes or so because the effort he puts in, he can run his socks of in that period and is a threat for us. He does better from the bench than starting. If DC is thinking Ellis is a regular starter then start getting use to a relegation dog fight everyone. If he is the best we can come up with in a 2 man attack then we are in trouble. I know Gaffney scored yesterday and had a fine pre-season too but I dont think he is the answer to our strike force either. I find myself saying the same thing that I was saying a lot last season. I dont think either Ellis or Gaffney will get double figures this season and I doubt they will get 15 between them. If I am right (and I so want to be wrong here) then we are in trouble. I want to see the new lad Dom Telford to see what he can do. Otherwise, we need another striker, someone who can score 20 plus goals. I think Nichols looks decent but yet to score however it is still early days. I just hope he aint another Luke James, because if he is then our hopes are on a loanee who has yet to play a single minute for us yet. So thats my concern. Strikers! Its not all bad though. Im happy with the 2 keepers and even though our defence looks suspect, I actually am overall happy with all our defensive options. Midfield looks good too. Plus we got Bodin. But we cant keep relying on him to get all our goals. After Charlton (where I heard we played poor and DC wasnt happy), usually after a bad game, the players are fired up for the next. I know we played Cambridge but its the league that matters. That team yesterday should have been up for it and sadly not many were. I fully expect us to be really on our game next weekend and not just win the game but show the league that those the first 2 games were just a blip. DC got lots of work to do this coming week. I have full trust in him though. But I would be so much more happier if we signed another striker who is championship quality and would tear this league apart playing along side Nichols. We may have that in Telford but how do we know if he aint given a chance!
Someone sent a tweet to Keith Brookman after the game saying we have lost the last 4 league games (counting final 2 games of last season). Out of those last 4 league games, we have conceded 4 goals in 3 of those games. The other defeat was of course against Charlton who had 10 men for 85 minutes . Brookman replied saying Sheff Utd last season started badly but look what happened to them. I then responded to that saying you cant really compare us and Sheff Utd because they had Billy Sharpe who scores for fun and played a massive part in securing their promotion. We got Ellis Harrison! Therefore I some how cant see us doing the same as Sheff Utd
My only problem with Tom Nicholls on Saturday was that I think he tried to hard to show Peterborough that they had made a mistake in letting him go, coupled with the fact that their defence new his way of playing. I was also very fedup with their knack of conning the ref with head injuries when they were a bit short of numbers at the back knowing they would have to return the ball to our G/K
Tom Nichols will be fine. His record's a goal about very other game, so he'll get 20+ if he gets the service. Ellis will probably do ok if he gets the service. But I think the whole team needs to concentrate on the defensive side, and what to do when they haven't got the ball. The attacking side is pretty good, but just not quite as clinical as the best teams. If the defensive side is sorted and they play to the strengths of Nichols the goals and the clean sheets will start rolling in. To be honest the two games at the end of last season are a red herring because weird things can happen then and some different players were in the side then.So this term we've seen four goals scored and four goals conceded at the Mem and a loss to a dodgy goal against Charlton. So no need to panic or blame individuals. I'm sure DC is miles ahead of us and by the end of September we'll be in decent shape near the top of the table.
