Gillingham changed their manager to Neil Harris who was successful with Millwall, but did not make it at Cardiff, but seems to me to be a very well qualified man to take over a struggling League 1 club. He got Millwall, who do not have the resources of most London clubs, promoted from L1 and then kept them in the Championship. To me, he seems as good a man as any team in the relegation zone of L1 could want. Gillingham have consequently shown some improvement since he was hired at the end of January. He has achieved 9 points from 8 games, although they were soundly beaten 3-0 at home by Bolton last time out. Until that game they had restricted their opponents to no more than 2 goals and kept a couple of clean sheets and in the purgatorial depths that provides glimmers of hope.
I am doubtful now whether we have enough players of character either to escape the drop this season or to be really competitive next. Watching Hartlepool v Rotherham yesterday brings home to you that Hartlepool have more ability than Rovers showed against them or against more moderate opposition even. ‘Pools competed with their visitors rather than being assaulted. They harried the Rotherham man in possession when they don’t have the ball rather than standing off, and when they got the ball they often beat their man with a level of skill which is seen in only a handful of Rovers players. And Hartlepool are only half way up L2.
On Saturday, we just have to win; imagining that a draw is OK is to say we are content to remain behind them. It means we lose a further element of control of our own fate. Harris said of his team after the Bolton defeat “What they did do is they ran, they ran and had a go and competed for every ball. We learn, we review, look at how we went wrong, how we can improve and pick the players up." We have often failed to do that, but it is essential that we match their effort.
If the good bits from the games we have won under GM could be stitched together we would have enough to just about fashion an escape, so we have to maintain that hope. Although Gillingham have a game in hand over us it is away and they have played one more game at home than we have. Indeed, all the games in hand of our fellow bottom 4 are away from home.
1-0 and Odubeko or Barlow (who probably won’t even start) or Griffiths with the goal.
DPL v Gillingham
posted on 15/3/22
I have always felt that Scunthorpe, a team I watched occasionally when I lived near there, were a remarkable survival story even when steel production there was prosperous. Its massive contraction and the decline of so many of the numerous businesses which fed off it has taken a huge toll on the town.
Without any real populous hinterland like Rovers and its South Yorkshire rivals it is surprising that the club has maintained EFL status so long. Considering its financial and fan base it has massively overachieved.
posted on 15/3/22
Scunny still has a population of around 80,000. So it should be able to support an EFL team. Fleetwood has less but Its near Blackpool. But both are massively deprived areas. Noticed Omar Bogle got a player of the month award for Hartlepool. Somethings still not quite right in the dressing room. Sense McSheffrey thinks its all over from his comments re the players today.
posted on 15/3/22
I suppose that if we were asked for an opinion on survival many if not all of us would now say that we will not. If GM were more experienced in dealing with the media he would have dodged the question.
It would have been more relevant to have asked the question before the Gillingham game when you would have expected the players to have believed it possible.
posted on 15/3/22
Hard to believe we're in a better position tonight than we were on Saturday! Will the gods really smile on us? Probably not come 5pm Saturday.
posted on 15/3/22
I suppose tonight's results could give us hope - just think where we would be if we had beaten Gillingham! I hate to admit it that I've about 99% given up hope, but miracles can happen. If it goes to the last game and we need a win and Oxford also do, will open war break out with my cousin?
Change of subject - what does Under-21 call-up mean? Obviously, someone sees potential. To me Odubeko seemed closer to Cukor in lack of potential we have seen playing for the Rovers. It brought me to thinking about how many of loanees we have had from Premier League teams that have gone on to Premier League careers. At first thought, only two come to mind - Ryan Mason whose career was cruelly ended by a cracked skull, and Jacob Ramsey who is doing really well this season at Villa. Of course that are several we'd like to have now who are playing in the Championship and in better League One teams.
Who else have really made it?
posted on 16/3/22
There's always hope I suppose but we seem incapable of scoring at the moment and we haven't exactly covered ourselves in glory defensively. Unless we can fix that and quickly, there will be no escape I'm afraid.
posted on 16/3/22
I think if our attacking and defensive woes haven't been cured by now they won't be over the coming games. It seems GM is clutching at straws trying to find a successful formula. It also appears the players are a bit confused as to what they should be doing. I'm hopeful Bostock and Gardener can provide the on field leadership and experience so obviously lacking. I'm not holding my breath though.
posted on 16/3/22
We have now played the same number of games as the rest, but being 4 points adrift of Wimbledon who are the most vulnerable target and having played 2 more games than both Wimbledon and Fleetwood, it means that our fate and that of all the bottom 4 is very much out of our (rather feeble) hands.
We could gain 3 points on Fleetwood with a win on Saturday, but Gillingham, Wimbledon and Crewe also have a shot at Fleetwood.
So (excluding timescales) although we might gain 3, we would need G and W to lose and even then we would still be on only 32 and remain 23rd.
Turning to loanees, League1 clubs get loanees whose are less advanced in their development than those who go to Championship clubs which I think is where we were when when we had Ryan Mason. The likes of Conor Grant and young Ennis may reach Championship level, possibly with Plymouth or onward transfer-level, but we all know that PL academies hoover up talent somewhat indiscriminately.
I was talking to a Forest supporter this morning and he highlighted the performances of their PL loanees which have made very significant contributions to their current success, so whilst we may talk of trying to phase out their inclusion, it is difficult.
We have recruited Cameron John and perhaps if they do join your club permanently it is not entirely without end-product. It is difficult though for such ambitious young players to abandon hopes of a PL career in their early twenties.
posted on 17/3/22
Nookie got a full house with his Gillingham prediction, but I cannot imagine that he is celebrating, but then most of us will have benefitted at least occasionally when the team have not. But then again, we cannot say our team have not deserved most of the losses.
Rovers 0 : Gillingham 1
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 54 >>>>>> 54
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 64 >>>>>> 64
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 42 >>>>> 42
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 98 >>>>>> 98
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 5 >>>>> 12 >>>>> 81 >>>>> 93
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 86 >>>>>> 86
LixmKing>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 9 >>>>>>>> 9
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>> 3 >>>> 5 >>>>> 12 >>>>> 440 >>>>> 452
posted on 17/3/22
This season does rank as one of the most depressing seasons and there have been some really bad ones. No point crying over spilt milk though. Its a case of somebody having a good strategy to stabilise the ship what ever happens in the remaining games. I Like McSheffery but his inexperience has shown ,especially in the last 3 games. The board will have some serious thinking to do at the end of the season. I’d guess they will give him the benefit of the doubt and he will have chance to assemble a competitive team to play how he really sees it next season. Curious fact tonight. Rovers were the last team to score a goal in added time due to a protester tying himself to the goal posts prior to tonights Everton v Newcastle game. Rovers v Hull in 1998 😉