If Doncaster Rovers were any kind of product that you had bought, would you, after it it had failed to work, accept that it could be repaired because you knew and trusted the man who had sold it to you and that he had hand-picked his employees who would work on the repair? I think you would, and if it broke again, you might still be prepared to accept that he would put it right if you liked him as a person too. When it broke again, you would begin to wonder whether his business had the ability to make it work and only very trusting people would give him another chance to rectify it and get it going. What if he failed again? Would you then say, retaining your belief in his personal ability, “Well, if he can’t do it, no one can," and reconcile yourself to never owning such a product that was capable of functioning?
These seem to be the sentiments of the loyal fans who still believe in “Richie". No one could do any better.
More rationally, I am beginning to wonder what the value my words of comment on matches or anyone’s words carry on the subject of DRFC. It is like expecting to have a conversation with an inanimate object. You might make the headless chickens comparison, except that the birds move quicker, though with a similar lack of purpose.
Obviously defeat against Crewe would be the ultimate failure for this team and their manager. I’d go as far as to say that such an event would mean the reputation of the club is being damaged by this management.
So I have now given up trying to rationalise what can be deduced of what is happening into hope and I cannot remember feeling quite as disenchanted since we rejoined the EFL.
It seems plain that Wellens and the performances he gets from most of this squad are not good enough to stay in L1. The squad cannot be replaced, so we need a leader who might get a bit more out of them. Even if his replacement fails, at least the club will have made an effort to make something out of what we have got. And I hope his set-piece/goalkeeping coach (Gerard), his assistant (?Hunt) and the Talent Identification man get dismissed too. We should be suing them all under the Trades Description Act for failing to field a football team capable of competing at League 1 standard so as to provide customers with entertainment.
Perhaps there will be a dull draw at Gresty Road or even a Rovers win, but neither will represent more than a bump in the path of Wellens’ ultimate failure.
If Rovers play like they did on Saturday they will never score and Crewe will surely be able to bypass the feeble so-called defence.
2-0 to Crewe and I wonder whether I would really mean it if I said that I hope that I am wrong about us losing?
DPL v Crewe Alexandra
posted on 2/11/21
I should have said “which some of the fans would not like”.
posted on 2/11/21
From the commentary, and Robbie and Liam Hoden are not ungenerous, Rovers were deservedly behind for most of the first half. Nobody moves into space and the defence gaped. So when an equalising goal came it was not deserved.
The number of good chances that were missed in the second half proves that our strikers cannot strike and there were numerous instances of continuing failure of players to run into space, preferring the lazy or is it the naive option of remaining static.
This was not an impressive performance and will probably extend the tenure of this most unsatisfactory manager. To draw with the only team with fewer points is nothing to feel good about.
posted on 2/11/21
Crewe carved us up in the first half and we were lucky to score in "extended" added time at the end of the half. However in the second, Crewe showed how bad they were and we created several chances and showed how bad we are by not taking them.
Smith got a fifth yellow, and Dahlberg got a yellow for wasting time and then was lucky not to get another for arguing with the ref. I'm not sure what his point was except a Rovers player might have been injured and Dahlberg was saying he was waiting for treatment for the player.
I really think RW will be given time until all the players are fit - you know the miracle that will then happen!
posted on 3/11/21
I was going to try to make some generalisation about a relationship between our hopes and the team's performance, but there is no logical link between our attempts to guess what will happen next in this uncontrolled decline.
Nookie and Mooli were one guess short of a bonus in the first game and Mickey did the same in the third one. Selby scored too and keeps ahead of Mooli overall.
Rovers 1 (Galbraith) : Cambridge 1
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 15 >>>>>> 15
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 20 >>>>>> 20
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>> 13
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 37 >>>>>> 44
Nookie>>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 27 >>>>>> 34
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 49 >>>>>> 49
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 4 >>>>> 4 >>>> 6 >>>> 0 >>>>> 14 >>>>> 176 >>>>> 190
Charlton A 4 : Rovers 0
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 15 >>>>>> 15
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 20 >>>>>> 20
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>> 13
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 44 >>>>>> 44
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 34 >>>>>> 34
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 49 >>>>>> 49
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 190 >>>>> 190
Crewe A 1 : Rovers 1 (Olowu)
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 15 >>>>>> 15
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 7 >>>>> 20 >>>>>> 27
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>> 13
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 44 >>>>>> 44
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 34 >>>>>> 34
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 49 >>>>>> 52
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>> 6 >>>> 0 >>>>> 10 >>>>> 190 >>>>> 200
posted on 4/11/21
I think I got the Crewe result right
posted on 4/11/21
I'd wager RW is concentrating all his efforts now in coming up with excuses why Rovers lose against an even worse team than Crewe on Saturday.
posted on 4/11/21
Interesting what has come out last few days, RW said his players were on hundreds of pounds a week. That to me is a blatant slip by RW to let fans know we are paying some of these players less money than players in the conference. Certain players are only contracted till January, so can leave for nothing, go play at another club for a couple of thousand a week.
Yet again, more proof this team was put together on a shoestring, its no wonder we are where we are. I do dread us dropping down, as we could go straight out the trapdoor again with this set up. Worrying times ahead me thinks with the Blunt n Baldwin show running our club, or as some fans are saying, the new Richardson n Weaver.
posted on 5/11/21
Nookie: I am beginning to recognise that I am about as good at doing the DPL results as some are at managing a football team. Like RW I really ran out of excuses a long time ago and would happily relinquish the Excel bit.
All managers probably start out imagining that they will only have to comment on good performances and this rather unexpected reference to wages is a new variation. I think I recall that Baldwin originally put Rovers' budget around the 6th biggest in L1.
I did not read what W said, BVZ, in the same way as you did, but as more of a more than a failure of his arithmetic. A weekly wage is more of a working man's concept than that of a modern footballer and it surely unlikely that some of our players are being paid less than £52k a year. This would be way below what is the going rate for a full-time footballer anywhere.
surely at said, neither the Chairman nor the CEO have distinguished themselves by their complete silence.
As for the integrity of the Chairman and the CEO is not Blount an ex-Keepmoat employee, a professional in his field, so I would not liken him to a rogue owner trying to make money for himself out of the club? Equally I would place also Baldwin in a similar category. You know what sort of man Terry Bramhall is and I doubt whether he would want anyone associating him with anyone faintly resembling the Richardson type in the club. That said, neither the Chairman nor the CEO have distinguished themselves by their complete silence.
I would expect them to be saying the sort of things within the 4 walls of the club that we are, they should recognise that they really have a duty to make their attitude known. Public silence is a weakness at times of unrest and the very obvious failures. The business has a great number of dissatisfied customers and they deserve some assurance that those in charge that they are working to put it right.
posted on 5/11/21
I forgot to say Nookie, that I have changed your score and it will be reflected in the next set of figures.
posted on 5/11/21
Notice Scunny have appointed Keith Hill as manager. At least their board don't faff about with a drawn out selection process. Good choice for them. He's had some ups and downs but very experienced and successful at this level. We'll see what Saturday brings. Our board are going to have to show their hand some time soon. But I wouldn't bet on it.