With wins against Wimbledon away (1-0) and Harrogate at home by 3-1 we face a team that you would bet would comfortably prevail against those to which we have allegiance. I hesitate to mention “support" because it has become difficult to support the managerial direction and players who seem to lack commitment.
I shall pay my £10 and see how they do, but I cannot honestly be optimistic because there is no evidence to even offer the suggestion that they will put in a satisfactory performance. The Board, the Head of Football Operations and most of all the Head Coach are seemingly detached from the reality of producing an effective presence at this modest level. The fighting force, somewhat lacking in zeal may well have to work within a plan which does not suit them, but they have realised that if they stick to the “processes" dictated by the HC, he will not criticise them individually and not unduly as the unit into which he has blended them, although “cobbled" would be a better word.
How he will justify the excuse that the opposition, sitting as they are in the foundation area of League 2, are likely to be the better team in the event of the predictable defeat, has yet to be heard.
I realise that this an incredibly gloomy outlook, but I put it forward quite seriously.
It seems a bit ambitious in a bad way to forecast that Crawley will succeed by a larger margin than they did against Harrogate and perhaps they will not be shooting quite as straight; they might even be overawed by the relative status of Doncaster Rovers.
We will be without Mitchell who is out for weeks with his dislocated shoulder, but young goal-scorer Jack Goodman of the U18s is likely to be considered plus Liam Ravenhill, lately returned from Spennymoor after not getting much game time at level 6, about which Danny Schofield said: "He definitely brings positives to the team; all-out action, effort, he gives everything when he comes onto the pitch. Usually enough to get yellow-carded fairly rapidly I seem to recall. Well, we’ll see whether this works - but hopefully not the yellow card bit- at two levels higher.
Confidence seems low, but lose this match and the pressure from the fans for change would be overwhelming at some clubs, but the upper echelons at DRFC are tolerant men, seemingly immune to Winters and Springs if not yet Summers of discontent.
I am pretty sure Crawley must win, but maybe they might be overwhelmed or even overconfident after their recent 2 successive wins. Rovers have somehow ended some successful runs, but more notably they have enabled losing runs of opponents to be broken, but the current slump has a fairly permanent look about it, so 2-0 to the home side.
PS: It’s a nice little ground at Crawley in a semi-rural setting with a big car park. The media commentators sit at the back of the main stand and when we went there - probably in our last L2 campaign, we were on the row just in front of them. We didn’t play all that well.
DPL v Crawley Town
posted on 21/3/23
Donaldo and Nookie, I'm with you totally - I really remember Peter Doherty as player-manager, and have been through the ups and downs since then. I left the UK in 1974 so have not not seen many live games - and never been to the Keepmoat/Eco Stadium. For a time my Mum kept me up-to-date through cuttings from the Green 'Un and other publications, and then it was the Beeb website.
We need another John Ryan - OK, the end of his era was not good, but without him, would we even have. team? I treasure my DVD about raising from the ashes, and as Pauline went to Intake Junior as Ryan did. we have a lovely personal inscription to Pauline in a copy of Ryan's book.
Will we ever have the equivalent of the Ryan/SOD days in the Championship? We all live in hope - of course, hope is not a strategy .
I'm really disappointed in Copps.
I'll wait to see the team before making a stupid prediction - will our young striker start?
posted on 21/3/23
I'm a little bit later in my Rovers journey - my earliest real memories are of the Kitchen / O'Callaghan era. I do agree with all of your comments though and funnily enough was watching the "Reason to Believe" video on YouTube the other day, covering the first John Ryan / Snodin brothers season. I think the difference was real passion at Board level, a club and fan base totally united and an absolute commitment to driving the club forward.
JR was an exceptional owner and Chairman. You have to be grateful to the post JR owners too, especially TB and DW who put £25m in between them and the club is now self-sustaining financially. I get the impression that this is part of an exit strategy to reduce barriers for a new buyer coming in.... but the club will only remain self- sustaining if the interest of and ticket purchases by fans continues. Right now, it feels like the club is treading water at best and without a "reason to believe" fans' interest will wane.
posted on 21/3/23
As its Crawley its creepy we're all virtual neighbours in Hope! 😂
posted on 21/3/23
Because there is only a 7 hour time difference at the moment, I probably will not see the team before my other commitments. I'll go with Crawley 2 Rovers 1 with Goodman scoring if he starts (unlikely, but with Miller and Biggins apparently injured, who knows what DS will do). If Goodman does not start, I'll go with Hurst.
posted on 21/3/23
Crawley 2-1 Rovers
Lavery to score ⚽
posted on 21/3/23
1-0 to Crawley.
posted on 21/3/23
Well, I just saw the second half. First thing I will say is one appreciates the condition of Rovers' pitch as Crawley's looked in very poor shape.
The Rovers ran around like headless chickens, but almost prevented Crawley from scoring which to me means Crawley are a little pathetic.
We apparently had just two shots in the whole game, with one on target that went in.
I suppose, in the end, a lucky point.
This should end anybody with a hope of a play-off finish.
To me, it it so depressing to watch our games.
Congrats to Nookie for predicting the score.
posted on 21/3/23
I’d be angry if I were a Crawley fan; angry that they could not beat what must have been the worst visiting team all season. Rovers were considerably worse than the last time I saw them. So are so many of the players. Why can’t they beat a man or make a tackle any more?
If it were a theatrical production where the focus was on the most incompetent football team in the League, Rovers would be in line for the Oscar. Hours of practice could not perfect such a display of total inadequacy throughout. Do they understand what the “process” is?
No running into space, no ability to hold on to the ball, useless at tackling, no physical strength, no ball control, no dribbling skill. Under this management all skill is drained away. Who is responsible for failing to keep them fit? Do they practice being awful at everything? There is no energy. Can’t they run?
The defence was not quite as bad as the rest and Seaman and Moore deserve credit.
The entire management are totally derelict in their duty, but we know NOTHING WILL BE DONE.
posted on 24/3/23
https://popularstandfanzine.com/2023/03/22/crawley-town-1-1-doncaster-rovers-250-word-match-report/
posted on 24/3/23
Says it all!