Rovers’ reputation, based on the latest successive away wins, has brought respect from both the Ipswich and now the Portsmouth manager. The two wins were not comfortable and perhaps they flattered us to some degree, but they were not totally undeserved either.
The team have succeeded without dominating the ball, and without a reasonable share of possession they have had to face opponents with more opportunities to use the ball which inevitably presents the opposition with more goal-scoring chances than otherwise.
Portsmouth are not a consistent force and this season have been up and down the top half of the table. They have hovered from just below the top 6 and the halfway mark, which means that they have fallen short of their expectations.
They beat Burton on Tuesday, but you have to go back to 11 December when they previously won in the League. They have not been scoring many goals either. So their large following is not a happy band.
So if you were to grade L1 sides playing at home, you would put them below, possibly well below, both Sunderland and MK Dons. And if everything went with form - and we are actually above them in the form table - we might win. Of course, knowing that we are by no means a consistent power, I suspect that we are not favourites with the bookies.
Yet a win is what I am hoping for at a ground where we have a good record. I’ll say 2-1 with goals from - who knows? I’ll guess Smith/Seaman/Williams.
DPL v Portsmouth
posted on 12/2/22
1-0 to pompey
posted on 12/2/22
I may be crazy to predict this but I'm going 4-3 to Rovers. Griffith with a hat trick.
posted on 12/2/22
Portsmouth 3-0 Rovers
Hope that I'm totally wrong ⚽
posted on 12/2/22
Normal service resumes 😳
posted on 12/2/22
We really are a team of two halves. At halftime the stats said we had more shots and more on target than Pompey, but 44% possession. Who would have forecast 4-0 then.
In the second half, Martin's attempt just before they scored seems just about our only attempt other than blocked shots.
posted on 13/2/22
Maybe a bit more spotlight on Frank Sinclair's role and effectiveness is required. Defence just not dealing with crosses or corners into the box. Just one of several problems though that dont seem to be being resolved.
posted on 13/2/22
I agree. There is so little “bite” about them and the defensive covering was just absent in the second half versus a side with no outstanding skill, just greater application.
A League 2 side would have cut through that second half defence. They were second to every ball.
In the first half they got into good scoring positions and hurried their shooting when they often had the opportunity to get in closer and improve their chances of conversion.
posted on 14/2/22
I'm just lost at the difference between first half and second half performances. Is it fitness, or mental, or a combination?
As I said earlier, who at half time would have said 4-0! GMcS must be tearing his hair out as he must be like me saying "Why?".
May be it is his lack of experience dealing with "men's football" rather than the youth team, but I'm not sure anyone could do better with this group of not "100% fit for real football" mis-fits.
posted on 14/2/22
Maybe GM needs to add a sports psychologist and nutritionist to his team.
posted on 14/2/22
Here are the latest DPL stats. Some of us are unable to separate our hopes from our rational judgement. Only Mooli seems to have got the hang of it, so well done to him, yet again.
Rovers 1 (Horton) : Plymouth A 3
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 46 >>>>>> 46
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 53 >>>>>> 53
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 32 >>>>> 32
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 86 >>>>>> 86
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 66 >>>>>> 66
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 70 >>>>>> 70
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 368 >>>>> 368
Rovers 0 : Rotherham U 5
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 46 >>>>>> 46
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 53 >>>>>> 53
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 32 >>>>> 35
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 86 >>>>>> 89
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 66 >>>>>> 69
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 70 >>>>>> 73
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 12 >>>> 0 >>>>> 12 >>>>> 368 >>>>> 380
Sunderland 1 : Rovers 2 (Griffiths)
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 4 >>>>> 46 >>>>>> 50
PDXMickey> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 4 >>>>> 53 >>>>>> 57
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 35 >>>>> 35
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 89 >>>>>> 89
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 69 >>>>>> 69
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 73 >>>>>> 73
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 8 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 8 >>>>> 380 >>>>> 388
Rovers 0 : Ipswich 1
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 50 >>>>>> 50
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 57 >>>>>> 57
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 35 >>>>> 35
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 89 >>>>>> 92
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 69 >>>>>> 69
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 73 >>>>>> 76
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 6 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>> 388 >>>>> 394
Portsmouth 4 : Rovers 0
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 50 >>>>>> 50
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 57 >>>>>> 57
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 35 >>>>> 35
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 92 >>>>>> 95
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 69 >>>>>> 72
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 76 >>>>>> 79
LixmKing> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 9 >>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>> 394 >>>>> 403