Rovers’ recent form has encouraged the dyed-in-the-wool faithful to believe that we may have turned a corner; at least there are no grounds for believing that things have got worse, but after this Saturday’s game we shall see if the word “improvement" is apposite. Of course there could be fewer opponents less formidable than Scunthorpe and Crewe, both of whom must have gone into meeting Rovers feeling fairly wretched and come out even worse.
A further perspective is gained from watching a number of non-league sides competing in the FA cup recently and one compares it with the standard we are achieving. Perhaps it is not surprising that, fired up for the cup, most of the teams on view look as though they would provide RW’s Rovers with a severe test.
Lincoln City have apparently lost some of the better players who helped them into the play-offs last season which probably explains their relatively poor start. But even if our level has marginally risen recently I am not convinced that we have more than an outside chance of staying level with them in Saturday’s match.
Our defending seems to be as unreliable as ever and we have yet to prove that we can score goals against all but the weakest defences. So, unless Lincoln have a really bad day, I see our chances as slightly less than even for a draw. A win for Rovers would surprise me, but I’ll go for 0-0 in hope.
DPL v Lincoln City
posted on 19/11/21
My handwriting has always been terrible. My name is Clive but in my teens my YHA membership card had me registered as Olive.
Which, whilst embarrassing always gave me an excuse to be in the girls dormitory.
posted on 19/11/21
With the injuries and suspensions, I assume we may see some of the younger ones start against Lincoln. It is a pity Hiwula is injured as he has some talent - if only he could shoot better! I've a feeling Taylor will start on the right (it would be less risky to bring him on as a sub in the second half) and maybe Vilca (or Rowe???) on the left.
My head says Lincoln will win, but I'll be my usual optimistic fool and say Rovers 2 Lincoln 1 with Dodoo getting the first (Rowe if Dodoo does not start for some reason).
posted on 20/11/21
We seem to be struck down with injuries still and I agree with Donaldo that the Scunthorpe and Crewe games were hardly severe tests, no offence to the opposition teams involved. However, like Micky, I tend to be illogically optimistic at times so I'll also go for a 2-1 win for Rovers. Dodoo / Galbraith.
posted on 20/11/21
Just seen the team - no Dahlberg!!! Hence I'm a little less optimistic and am changing my prediction to 2-2 but hope my earlier one is correct.
posted on 20/11/21
0-2 to lincoln
posted on 20/11/21
Rovers 1-2 Lincoln
posted on 20/11/21
Dodoo to score
posted on 20/11/21
Good prediction, Donaldo! At least I changed mine to be a draw, but at 2-2.
Both sides did not look as though they could score if the game went on for another 90 minutes. I'm not sure if watching this game was a bigger waste of my time than the Crewe game.
Luckily I was able to watch Liverpool thrash Arsenal as it gave me faith in the game of football again.
posted on 21/11/21
This seemed a good opportunity for a win missed. I haven’t seen the replays etc., of any of the recent cup games because I was away from home, but having looked at a good deal of the first half of the full match replay they looked a little more composed than before. They gave themselves a bit more time and seemed to be thinking about building up moves. As for Lincoln, despite looking at least as good, albeit without a great deal of bite, their followers pronounced their performance as their worst this term and although that view would be influenced by our position relative to theirs in the Table, it does provide an uncomfortable context.
There cannot be many more comprehensive collections of careless players than those Wellens has signed though; no wonder so may of them were out of contract. The fact that he never starts Barlow who is probably the most likely finisher and was closest to scoring yesterday sums up his perpetual bad decision-making. Barlow’s must have been the most constructive skilful attempt on goal.
You wonder what they work on in training. It certainly cannot be developing better close control; the standard is way below what you would expect in L1. Who amongst the first choice forwards can show anything in this respect? Cukur is an asset for the opposition, occupying a crucial role and guaranteed never to be any benefit to us. He cannot finish or even start to do anything useful, a walking symbol of Wellens’ incompetence.
The evidence piles up. You read what he said yesterday to the DFP: “We’ll improve massively in January with the bodies that we get in and we’ll obviously have injured players back”. Okenabirhie will not be back and who else will make any difference judging by what the likes of Close have done so far? Only John might marginally improve overall performances and we know that he only stands out because the rest are so poor. Lokilo and Gomes would look good amongst this lot, but Wellens let them go too. He cannot be sure of who he will be able to sign and his choices would have to be far far better than the cast-offs he hired in the summer. And who will want to join a L1 bottom 4 club?
The Board are in a curious position. The majority of the fans still seem to believe that Wellens is the man, so to dismiss him would not be welcomed by them, but their support is surely based on emotion and his personality instead of reality.
Rebuilding a team that was a win away from leading the Division less than a year ago cannot logically include occupying the bottom relegation places with more than an even chance of demotion, so soon afterwards. Yet that is the price some of the Wellens-lovers seem prepared to accept.
posted on 22/11/21
Scunthorpe Utd 0 : Rovers 1 (Rowe)
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 7 >>>>> 15 >>>>>> 22
PDXMickey> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 7 >>>>> 27 >>>>>> 34
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 13 >>>>> 16
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 44 >>>>>> 44
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 37 >>>>>> 37
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 52 >>>>>> 52
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 0 >>>>>>> 9 >>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 9 >>>> 0 >>>>> 17 >>>>> 203 >>>>> 220
Rovers 0 : Lincoln C 0
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 5 >>>> 12 >>>>> 22 >>>>>> 34
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 3 >>>>> 34 >>>>>> 37
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 16 >>>>> 16
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 44 >>>>>> 44
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 37 >>>>>> 37
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 52 >>>>>> 52
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>> 6 >>>> 5 >>>>> 15 >>>>> 220 >>>>> 235