Another home games looms when Coventry visit the Keepmoat on Boxing Day.
We are all hoping that this is the game to put the "home hoodoo" behind us and record a victory.
In my opinion the biggest problem we face is the way in which football teams generally set up in the modern game.
Most away teams start a game with the intention of frustrating the home side and with a team heavily favouring a defensive attitude, hoping to nick a goal on the break.
It is exactly how we play in our own away fixtures.
I have had a look in general at the league tables and i see that there are many clubs who have better away records than they do at home.
This is of course true of ourselves.
I also believe that it is becoming increasingly important to score the first goal in matches.
If an away side scores first they often get at least a draw out of the game.
Coventry come to us with an away record this season of won 3, drawn 3 and lost 6 and sit one point and one place behind us having played one game more.
Like us, Coventry have been inconsistent results wise this season but come to us on the back of an unbeaten run of four matches.
They have only conceded one goal in that run so i think i know what to expect when they set up their team against us.
Coventry manager Stephen Pressley says he thinks his team is playing good football but lacks a clinical finisher and he thinks that L1 is a very tough league.
Anyone heard those comments before anywhere?
Coventry were relegated from the PL in 2001 after a 32 year stay in the top flight and since then have had some torrid times.
They came down to L1 in 2012, their first visit to the third tier in 48 years.
The club then entered into a row with the owners of their Ricoh Arena home ground and were excluded from playing there last season, resulting in a 70 mile round trip for their regular fans just for a "home game".
Credit is due to any of their fans who did that on a regular basis.
Despite all of the recent setbacks it can be argued that Coventry are the biggest club in L1 this season.
They were allocated 1532 seats for this game and at the time of writing they have sold 650 of them.
At least the away end will be open for this match.
How i miss the visit of clubs for Championship games when the away end was more often than not, very busy.
Over the years we have met 21 times, winning 6 and losing 8 with 7 draws.
Our second biggest win ever was 8-1 against Coventry in 1925/26 season.
As we keep alluding to on 606, someone is due a battering from us.
Wouldn't it be great if i could be on Boxing Day.
Hopefully Kyle Bennett will be recovered from his hamstring strain in to play in the game because he has been an important player for us of late.
However, if he doesn't make it then Harry Forrester will get the chance to show us that his early season potential wasn't a flash in the pan and pay us back with a good performance.
Defensively we seem to be sound enough now but Reece Wabbara is suspended for this game so probably young Liam Wakefield will fill that role.
Earlier in the season i would have been very worried about that but i have to admit that Liam has improved significantly in my view and he is beginning to look as though he has a decent future in front of him.
I hope that a decent crowd turns out for the game because the atmosphere has been very flat in recent matches.
I know it has been flat because we haven't won games but the opposition can play a part in the event.
The best game to watch at home this season was the Chesterfield one because they came to try and win rather than sit and defend.
This gave us an exciting and open match and the crowd responded and got behind the team.
Finally, can i wish all Rovers fans a Merry Christmas, especially the 606 bunch.
ROVERS V COVENTRY MATCH THREAD
posted on 26/12/14
THAT should have been the Spanking! PD no adventure. brings another midfielder on when they're down to nine men!
posted on 26/12/14
We should have gone for 3/4 in the last 15mins but the ony team who looked like scoring were cov apart from that a decent assessment hound
posted on 26/12/14
The only time Cov looked like they might score was from a last minute left wing cross which fell nicely for Sam to fall onto.
Sam didnt have to make a single save in the match.
Roverian i am more than happy for us to have no adventure, play like we did today and move up the table.
We looked rock solid and proffessional today.
posted on 26/12/14
I will NEVER be happy until that pillock naffs off!
RTID
posted on 26/12/14
Mardy git.
posted on 26/12/14
Xon should have said Dicksoff!
posted on 26/12/14
Thanks Hound. The tactics are odd, but we have to give Dickov credit. What really was frustrating about his decision-making was that there was a very obvious opportunity to bring on McKay and it almost seemed as though it was a deliberate slight. With 9 men against them he could have brought on 3 substitute forwards, but the message conveyed to McKay was that De Val, Main and Whitehouse were all preferable.
What does that do for McKay's confidence and what does it say about Dickov's confidence in him? If he doesn't give him a proper chance what incentive is there for him to stay?
This is not just having a go at Dickov, but as evidence of his judgment, it really does make you wonder how his mind works. It seems consistent with someone who is frightened to try anything even slightly adventurous. Unless we’ve all got it wrong Doncaster Rovers’ future does not depend on players like De Val and whilst I have nothing against Whitehouse he was not the most promising youngster in the club on the bench, unless all the scouts are completely wrong, yet Dickov might as well hold up a notice to say he prefers the three he put on today, such will be the disappointment that his decision-making will provoke.
If I were those who advise McKay and his father is no doubt a formidable advocate of his abilities, I’d be having a very serious talk with Dickov about giving him a chance or lose him. It is as though DIckov is using the situation to show who is in charge and it seems like a very big mistake. It’s our club, not Dickov’s and he has managed to put a real damper on what should have been a really good day.
posted on 27/12/14
Hound.it was good to feel a bit of atmosphere at the game today.
Firstly the Ref was shocking he should have got a grip of their cheating tactics right from the start they could have had 2 sent off in the first 20 mins.
I also thought Leo did OK today ran his socks off n got stuck in Pleased that at last Furman is getting some credit from the fans.
That was Keegan's best game I have seen him play.
Great team performance but Forester was special fantastic cross for first goal could him and Bennet play in same side?
Mains miss was embarrassing.
posted on 27/12/14
Lanza, you are right on all points.
I forgot to mention Keegan in my summing up earlier, yes he was outstanding.
From where i sit i didnt really pick up on the miss by Main, as to whether it was a bad miss or not.
I saw the chance obviously but haven't seen any replays yet to make my mind up.
Don, i hear all that you say about McKay and i also said that i would have liked to have seen him come on for the last fifteen instead of Main.
The only thing we don't know is what PD is telling McKay.
I have no doubt that his chance will come soon because once again our main strikers did not look like hitting the net.
posted on 27/12/14
Just seen that Deano has taken over from John Gregory at Crawley Town. Gregory has given up the job whilst he undergoes open heart surgery.
Good to see Deano back in harness and I hope everyone wishes him the best of luck.
Also I am looking at the LIBERTY Stadium in Swansea where the Ospreys are playing Union against the Scarlets.
What they are doing to a Premier League pitch is disgusting and much worse than anything the Dons can do at the Keepmoat. Please don't start the anti Dons tirades until you have seen this ground. It's been said before, League and Union are two different games.