Here we go then, not exactly stepping forth into the unknown, but somehow nowadays, change is more pronounced from one season to the next than in the old days when there was less reliance on loanees and the length of “permanent" player contracts were greater. The impact of transfer windows also leads to a degree of frantic activity and forced decision-making which was not present before.
We may share a degree of frustration with DM over progress in completing his shopping for players, but his opposite number at MK Dons had failed to sign any of his top targets as of Tuesday, but did succeed in hiring Scott Fraser on Wednesday, a midfielder who scored 9 goals for Burton in 40 odd appearances. MKD also had a good win over newly promoted Northampton Town midweek which will provide a boost to confidence.
Now we have one of the hoped-for 2 PL loanees in place, DM must surely feel that recruitment is nearly complete. What is holding up the young WBA forward’s move is unknown, but plans can surely be almost entirely formulated now, so we go into tomorrow’s encounter with a team almost fully resourced.
We should perhaps be more comfortable taking on what will be an average sort of League1 test than having to deal with one of the promotion favourites. Everyone wants a good start and we don’t really want to be relying on our visit to the Valley next week to get us off the mark.
With a John and a John-Jules in the ranks, possibly both operating down the same flank there is scope for both physical and nominal overlap, but the latter certainly seems an adventurous sort of player from the You Tube footage. Lokilo has certainly started strongly and we must hope that John, too, has progressed.
The Bradford performance had its frustrations, but it illustrates that being on top will not on its own bring victory or even goals and you would hope that videos have been studied and remedies developed.
I am hoping for a win, but I guess that it will not be comfortably achieved. Say 2-1 – Lokilo/Okenabirhie/John-Jules
DPL v MK Dons
posted on 12/9/20
Surprising that both of this week's additions are starting - it will be a great move by DM, or utter disaster! Hoping for somewhere in the middle of those two options, and so Rovers 2 Dons 1. Taylor to score, with Whiteman or one of the newbies getting the second.
posted on 12/9/20
The first game in which I have watched the full 90 minutes was not quite as I expected it. MKD were surprisingly enterprising and throughout the first half challenged our defensive ability. I doubt whether the plan was to sit back, but the pattern of play meant that that was what we were forced to do. Even when we broke, they were engaging very closely, and it tested our ability to work the ball in tight spaces. Fortunately, we had the defensive set-up which was needed to restrict MKD’s scoring opportunities to relatively difficult ones, but there were some uncomfortable moments. The newcomers displayed good close control, but the lack of mutual understanding (which is inevitable amongst players only just getting to know each other) meant that moves often got over-complicated and too tight and failed.
It was surprising that both Tulloch and John-Jules started; they are skilful as individuals, but do they not need a bit more time to understand how best they fit in with the other 9? And this was an obvious contrast with MKD whose moves were generally more effective until they reached Rovers’ defence which showed, with the odd lapse towards the end, all the qualities of a group who were able to perform together efficiently . Halliday is a real asset, strong at the back as well as proving an effective link with the attackers.
One might have expected that Copps would have started and Okenabirhie will feel a bit hard done by too.
posted on 12/9/20
Disappointing display by the sounds of it. It surprised me, too, that DM didn't give the new lads a little longer to settle in before them in at the deep end. Hopefully, the team as a whole will gel quickly.
posted on 13/9/20
I agree Donaldo - particularly about Halliday who, unaccountably, gets tons of stick from fan groups. Having seen this, the cup game, and a couple of the friendlies it seems clear that, a bit of wayward kicking from Bursik aside, we are sound at the back and now have some talented attacking threats. For me the problem is the centre of midfield, where Whiteman, Richards and Gomes rotate. All three are capable of threading good passes through and scoring but I think we need to have a defensive midfielder in front of the back four. I would park Cameron John there. Thoughts?
posted on 13/9/20
It was a game which followed a rather unusual pattern from a Rovers point of view. The midfield operation did not have the usual space; those who tend to move the ball backwards and square rather than progressively can usually be identified. Yesterday that phase of play was compressed because MKD did not allow any space. This season, having the benefit of seeing all the closed doors matches I might be better placed to comment on the specific qualities that players like John can bring to the team.
Halliday did find, and effectively created room on the right by carrying the ball at the opposing defence and I wonder whether the play was compressed by our frontmen not being prepared to get themselves forward enough. I would hesitate to label J-J and Tulloch as lacking the energy to make Marquis-like runs, but we rather played into the hands of the MKD high line by not exploiting the space behind them.
One might speculate that the newcomers might not be used to having to deploy against the kind of game that MKD played. I wonder whether DM was taken by surprise; we showed vulnerability against a similar approach by Blackburn when they bombarded us in the first half of the cup game.
posted on 13/9/20
Me thinks its guna be a long old season.
Started with a back 7, keeper, 4 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders against a team most think will be down around the bottom end. Needs to try n go for it from the start, instead of trying to nullify other teams then nick a goal.
DM said it was a fair result, but lets be clear about it, we only had 36% possession, 6 shots to their 16. A couple of very good saves from our new keeper, and some wayward finishing helped us from getting hammered, they could of scored twice in injury time.
No idea why he started all the young ones at the same time, Copps n Feji should of started for me.
Needs to sort this out quickly as team watching this will be having a field day, fill midfield, stop our RB bombing forward. 3-5-2 Sorted.
posted on 14/9/20
Micky: Disturbing scenes on the West coast - hope all is well with you.
posted on 14/9/20
Thanks for asking, Donaldo.
We are OK so far except for a lot of smoke. We have fires most years, but they are usually in mainly uninhabited regions, or in Southern Oregon and the Colombia Gorge. This year is different. Apparently, the air quality in Portland yesterday and today has been the worst of any major world city. Our covid masks now have another use when we go out!
This is the nearest fires have got to the Portland and Salem population areas. It is quite frightening. At least we back onto wetlands, so we aren’t as dry as some. There has not been any measurable rain since July, but some rain is forecast on Tuesday and later in the week.
At the moment, we do not have any real worries, but as has happened , things happen to areas usually with no problem. Talent and Phoenix, villages just north of Ashland have been totally destroyed. We have been to a great restaurant in Talent, and we assume it is gone. Phoenix has some wineries …
Pauline and I hope all Rovers fans are keeping well and healthy. We are both 75, but hanging in there!
posted on 14/9/20
Until this year I had always associated the fires with southern California where they have seemed like a frightening annual event leading you to wonder how much forest was left. The Mediterranean dry summer climate seems to be creeping further and further north. I am sure everyone is looking forward to your leader’s expert advice on better management practices!
In today’s DFP, DM has declared himself satisfied with the squad as it now stands and will now set out to make the most of what he has got. Given the apparent potential of the young players, he will have failed if he cannot improve individuals, especially Lokilo, John, Tulloch, Jules-John, Richards and Bursik. They constitute over half of the team, so you could argue that the potential in conjunction with the added team cohesion that comes with training together as a unit, will add greatly to the overall effectiveness.
Despite what some might say MKD did not look like bottom-4 material to me; they were well organised and showed individual skill, so I think Saturday was a fair test against a useful side. Remember that when we won there last season, they were on an excellent run, and to quote my intro to that game . “Since Christmas they have drawn away to both Coventry and Rotherham and have only lost away twice. At home they have won 7 out of their last 8 including against Wycombe, Portsmouth and Oxford, losing only 1-0 to Sunderland.”
posted on 15/9/20
Congratulations to Selby for his accurate forecasting of both the score and the scorer. Last week I forgot that it was 4 points, not 3 for both the score and scorer, but I have corrected it here.
12-09-20 L 1 Rovers 1 (Gomez) : MK Dons 1
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result > Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>>> 7
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Yorks Lad>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Uthred>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Mooligan>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>>> 4
King Chmprr 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Small Azza> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Azza>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Cheltenham 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>>> 3
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 7 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 7
Lanza>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 7 >>>>> 14 >>>>>> 21