Rovers have scored more goals per match than any other team in L1. They have sailed rather close to the wind in their last two games and their games in hand are all away from home.
We must face up to the fact that away from home their record is not as good as those around them with only 19 points and 21 goals conceded from their 13 away games. Against that, we have faced every team above us on their own ground apart from Peterborough.
A lot depends on whether we are getting relatively better or worse. I know that the bad patch beginning with the fortunate result at Lincoln and running through to the loss at Ipswich strongly colours my judgement and I am trying hard to believe that we are emerging from the woods.
I have enjoyed the more adventurous Butler style, but now my worry is Jones and I sincerely hope he will gain in confidence with more match time.
Crewe lost to Lincoln at the weekend and 2 of the Lincoln goals were scored by being caught out by a fast break from defence. We showed our ability to do exactly the same against Plymouth, but did not capitalise with goals, so the potential is there now with the more adventurous style.
Our record against them in recent years has not always been good and I think we have often lost contrary to relative form, as we did in October when they seemed to be struggling.
I remember being impressed with their power and skill in that game and perhaps a draw would be a satisfactory outcome. Before the Lincoln loss they drew away to newly-revived Sunderland, beat Accrington and drew at Blackpool, results that I think we would happily settle for ourselves.
Against that, suggesting we will win is too ambitious for me, so I’ll say 1-1 and put James/Bogle/Sims forward as the scorer.
DPL v Crewe A
posted on 9/3/21
Crewe 1-2 Rovers
Lokilo to score.
C'mon Rovers ⚽⚽
posted on 9/3/21
2-3 to the rovers bogle sims gomez
posted on 9/3/21
didnt realise it had already kicked off (nil - nil at present) - up the rovers!!
posted on 9/3/21
The very strange line-up has produced a largely unsuccessful outcome. Gomes looks totally out of place and Crewe have come very close to scoring several times. The passing is not good and they seemed to have run out of ideas towards the end of the half.
Some changes needed - Sims?
posted on 9/3/21
A comfortable win for the better side who seemed to have more players than Rovers who, particularly in the second half, couldn’t hold on to the ball and could not find each other or space. They seemed to fall over their own legs and towards the end were reduced to passing it backwards.
Crewe controlled the game with more skill and much better passing and probably deserved to win by more.
Sims made little impression and Copps did not seem to have much in the way of ideas either.
Very disappointing.
posted on 10/3/21
With such a poor second half, we did not deserve to win. If our "goal" that was disallowed had been counted, it could have been a much different game. According to the report in the DFP, their GK was impeded by a Crewe player, not the Rovers. Must look at the highlights in slow motion.
To me the biggest problems were mainly as Donaldo said:
Bad passing - even Smith, Wright and Anderson were poor. I'd never seen Tom make so many bad passes.
Lack of ideas - being 1-0 down and passing back rather than trying to attack.
Sad that we lost probably our two best players to injury, and no striker did not help. I think I'd have started Richards in that role. Probably would not have done any better than Gomes as he had a bad game in his more normal role, and did not add anything after Gomes went off.
Sims was not really involved - is it lack of service, or his lack of running into the right positions?
Our centre-backs unusually are making mistakes that cost. Wright for the goal today, and Tom was turned easily by Ellis for Plymouth's goal.
posted on 10/3/21
The honeymoons over but will it end in divorce!
posted on 10/3/21
Whether putting someone else at number 9 would have made much difference I don't know. Gomes did not seem a very good choice and a I agree with Micky that Richards would have had more idea. It was a test of AB's ability all round and we cannot say that he passed!
Perhaps it illustrates just how good Bogle has been; he and Bostock are showing their worth.
posted on 13/3/21
You might gather that doing the results is not my favourite job and I am sorry that I have fallen behind somewhat, but here they are now.
Collectively the score forecasts on the 2-1s were very good, but finding the scorer of the first goal is not our forte. Remembering times gone by, I see Nookie got Marquis as the Pompey scorer, no points for that, but I hope he will be satisfied with a mention! When we lose we don't see that coming either.
Well done again to Mooli for getting both 2-1s and extending his lead at the top.
Ipswich T 2 : Rovers 1 (Taylor)
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 76 >>>>>> 76
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 80 >>>>>> 80
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 38 >>>>>> 38
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 76 >>>>> 76
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 96 >>>>>> 96
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 86 >>>>>> 86
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 32 >>>>>> 32
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 484 >>>>> 484
Rovers 2 (Bostock) : Portsmouth 1
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 3 >>>>> 76 >>>>>> 79
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 7 >>>>> 80 >>>>>> 87
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 3 >>>>> 38 >>>>>> 41
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 76 >>>>> 79
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 96 >>>>>> 103
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 86 >>>>>> 93
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 32 >>>>>> 32
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 12 >>>> 18 >>>> 0 >>>>> 30 >>>> 484 >>>>> 514
Rovers 2 (Anderson) : Plymouth 1
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 79 >>>>>> 79
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 3 >>>>> 87 >>>>>> 90
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 3 >>>>> 41 >>>>>> 44
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 79 >>>>> 86
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 103 >>>>>> 110
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 93 >>>>>> 96
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 32 >>>>>> 35
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 8 >>>> 18 >>>> 0 >>>>> 26 >>>>> 514 >>>>> 540
Crewe A 1 : Rovers 0
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 79 >>>>>> 79
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 90 >>>>>> 90
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 44 >>>>>> 44
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 86 >>>>> 86
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 110 >>>> 110
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 96 >>>>>> 96
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 35 >>>>>> 35
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 540 >>>> 540
posted on 13/3/21
Thanks for doing the sums Donaldo 👍⚽