SCUNNY V ROVERS MATCH THREAD

Comment Deleted by Site Moderator

Hound, I have just watched the highilghts and the miss by Wellens was not as I said. It was a great effort, but the commentary did not give that impression.

As I said we can only go on what we hear, we also have other things happening around us and so sometimes things can be missed.

It is difficult when you are relying on someone else to give a taste of what you can see for yourself. It is also difficult when switching between two sets of commentators and the difference in how the play is described.

Yankee, i wasnt being critcal of you (honestly), i was just wondering where you got that from.
Now you have explained i am not suprised.
I have never had the pleasure of listening to RP and Mr Biltcliffe but from what i have heard from those of you unfortunate enough to have to rely on his match commentaries then i am not suprised.
You also mentioned a glaring miss by Wellens but to be honest as we attacked the opposite end to us in the first half i don't recall that.
There were quite a few occasions when we flashed the ball across the face of their goal and maybe he didn't get onto one of them.
I do remember him hitting a shot from the edge of the box early on which forced a very good tip over by their keeper.
I was told that the Scunny match commentator on Radio North Lincs had said the Donny were the best side they had seen at Glandford Park this season.

On a sour note though, i have noticed that there is now a faction of young men (?) at our away games who seem intent on trying to goad the stewards and police with defiant and aggressive behaviour in the ground.
They were very much in evidence at Scunny and i also saw them at York.
A bloke near us at the game said that they turn up at most away games and seem to be branding themselves as a set of hard lads in the usual burberry tops and chino jeans.
I don't recall seeing them at games last season so maybe it is a new thing this year but i think it could quickly get us genuine football fans a bad reputation.

Albi - you and i regularly see things the same i see.

Yes Hound, and the fact that he, Biltcliffe seems to get really excited when the opposition scores does not help matters. He also has a sidekick who has the most irritating sayings interspersed between his stuttering. Well and as a say being two of them.

However it is all we can get as we are not allowed,"for contractual reasons" to listen to Radio Sheffield. I presume the contractual reason is we don't want to pay for it. Another case of the club being run amateurishly. Reading VSC it would appear many things have been cut back at the Keepmoat , particularly catering and i the bars.

I suspect that broadcasting rights via the internet are at the root of Football League commentaries being unavailable via that source. The clubs effectively own their broadcasting rights via that medium. It works to the disadvantage of the poorer clubs as the BBC will charge them to use their commentary and Rovers were not prepared to pay the fee Radio Sheffield wanted. Hence the "in house" team who do it now, probably free of charge.

I hope Hound is sitting comfortably if he is reading the next bit, but based on the highlights I was genuinely impressed by the attacking performance. It was actual fast passing football which PD has claimed we have played before, but (from my viewing of even the extended highlights) has never been in evidence to me. Coppinger’s goal was like one of Billy’s at this best.

The only worries were that we allowed the 23rd team in the division 14 shots on goal and the defence still seems hesitant to tackle. Quite often they look as though they are going to go in, they gather round and then draw back and often fail to even get close enough to the opponent to put him off his pass. Quite often, it is the forward players that make the effective tackles in defence.

PD was more objective in his summary as well. He did acknowledge shortcomings and I hope that he encourages this more confident attacking which should boost confidence. He must also surely instil into the defence the importance of regaining possession up the field rather than standing off and back-peddling.

I know some will criticise these comments as still being too negative, but for the first time this season I was really impressed with the forward play which seemed to extend to the whole attacking force. This made a change from relying on long range efforts from individuals which has won us most of the previous away matches.

Hello Donaldo.
I read your comment about the attacking play impressing you.
To be fair and not wishing to cause an argument, we have played a lot of good attacking football in some games this season (the Chesterield match was much the same as this one) but defensively, i agree and did say as much in my match report, we look very weak in some areas.
We look particularly dodgy against free kicks and corners when the opposition send their big players into our box.
On Saturday we only had McCombe who looked as though he could match them for arial power.
McCullough is very good on the ball and reads the game very well for cutting out passes etc but isn't tall enough to compete for headers.
Wakefield, even though he is quite a tall lad just doesn't have the physical strength and is often "bullied" by more experienced opposing players.

Last year we had the benefit of Brown coming back to help defend free kicks and corners and often won the clearing header.
This year we don't have anyone of that stature to help out.

We really do need another tall experienced defender and quickly.

I also think that PD got the tactics right for the Scunny game but to be honest, i wouldn't think that we would get away with playing the same way against some of the better teams in the division.

Hound:
Thanks, but do you think he recognises this need for another tall central defender? The Board ought to be able to commit to a loanee, either young and strong wanting first team football or someone more experienced. Did not Wabara play well when he switched to the centre, but that leaves a gap at the back and Evina has yet to be convincing, so perhaps W could move over and another wide defender recruited.

We let our best defender walk away from the club.

Does Quinn have a club at the moment? I think not.

I do know that PD would like to bring in a couple of players on loan.
As for Wabbara, well last year i wasn't convinced by him at all but i have to say that this season he has looked much better, albeit at a lower standard.
Perhaps this is his level.
I wasn't happy with his outing at CB but credit where it is due, he gave it his best.
He isn't the answer to the problem though.

As for Quinn, i am amazed that he took the option of unemployment rather than play for us on a lower wage than last season.
Surely it is better to play and stay in the shop window than have no club and no income.
Lanza, he was given the option of coming back into the fold but declined the offer.
I do agree with you though that he would have been a rock for us this season and i am suprised that B and W refused to offer him just a bit more to entice him to stay.