Any suggestions?
Watching the Sutton game from a fairly low position behind a goal reminded me of the days I stood on the wall just in front of Hainsworth and then Makepeace at the Rossington end in the forties and early fifties. You get a great view of half the game and the play almost disappears over the horizon at the other end. Such was my vantage/disadvantage point last Saturday from my seat just to the right of the goal as the camera looks at it. I am visible on the replay of the penalty we should have had which was officially recorded as “simulation". Perhaps I should have leapt to my feet or even invaded the pitch!
Of course this was the nearest we got to scoring in the first half as we seemed only mildly interested in even penetrating the Sutton half.
So, not much of a precursor if it’s goals that are required in the next match. The defence of the Rovers goal in the second half was largely successful with just the one lapse which was not Lo Tutula’s fault and a very good shot.
Nigel Adkins has had moderate success in uplifting Tranmere’s fortunes and he is one of the more admirable managerial figures in the game and one that might have come to Rovers. They won 4 over Christmas and New Year including beating Notts County and winning 5-1 at Salford and 2-0 at Harrogate. Since then they’ve lost to Barrow, MKD and Grimsby (A) and drawn at home to Crewe, so apart from Grimsby this has really followed the kind of form you might expect from a low mid-table side.
We might be grateful that we have not got a tougher encounter at this low ebb and one has to reflect on the lack of inspiration visible from this rather ordinary squad. We have to relay on the dourness of Ironside and strongmen like Wood and feel that we have at least got a “proper goalkeeper" now who received what was relative adulation from us all at the end of the game. Only him and Ironside came close enough to receive handshakes. McCann looked on sheepishly from a distance.
So can anybody be more optimistic than me?
I’d like a win and that’s what I hope for, but I’ll play safe and say 1-1 again. I’ll put Molyneux ahead of Ironside in my scorer forecast.
DPL v Tranmere Rovers
posted on 9/2/24
Correction: they beat Grimsby, so our prospects look less rosy.
posted on 9/2/24
My early recollection of Rovers is of standing behind the goal to the left at the Rossington end half way up the kop in the mid to late 50s. If it was raining we'd move to the west stand watching pennies thrown in to the Sally Army band blanket. I'm with Donaldo at 1-1. I'll Wait to see the line up for scorer.
posted on 9/2/24
Yes, when I was old enough to go on my own you could move around the ground into the “Popular Side” covered standing area, then move just left or right of the centre circle depending on which way we were kicking. I think there was a small additional charge to migrate to the under-cover bit in my early days, but it was dropped as time went on.
Judged by contemporaneous standards the Rossington end with its well maintained terracing and the covered Popular Side (or was it “stand”?) were the most impressive features of the ground. The main stand always looked a bit tinny and the Town End with its little stand seemed ramshackle and I don’t think I ever spent any significant time there.
I once sat in the main stand (which I think must have been after I left the town) and it seemed totally the wrong way to watch a football match.
posted on 10/2/24
I think I've said before my first couple of seasons were sitting on my dad's lap in the main stand. His seat was just to the left of the press box. Sometime during my time at Beechfield Junior School I graduated to the Rossington end. A group of us went, and usually stood, when facing the pitch, high on the right-hand corner - easy access to the shack selling hot Bovril! We stayed as a group while at DGS. In the last couple of years I was joined by a young lass who must have been crazy - in August she will have been my wife for 57 years.
Back to this season. It is hard to see us winning , but I'll stay overly optimistic and say a 2-1 win. Who to score, let alone 2 goals! I'm losing track of who is fit. If he starts, I'll go for Biggins, if not, Waters. If neither starts, Molyneux.
It is getting sad that these days I do not care if I oversleep and miss some of the game - also I have 4 Premier Games which I could watch!
posted on 10/2/24
I'll go for 2-1 to Rovers. Waters.
posted on 10/2/24
Rovers 1-2 Tranmere
Ironside to score ⚽
posted on 10/2/24
Well, I watched a whole Rovers’ game, first time for a few weeks. Was I encouraged? – no, nor really. One could say we got away with one. Although I think the stats do not accurately reflect what I thought of the game - i.e. I think we had more than 4 shots – we created very little in the way of clear chances, and Tranmere waltzed through the defence far too easily at times. Too many sloppy passes and give aways, and McCann says he tells our full backs not to let wide men cut inside and shoot, but force them wider. Apparently Sterry must not have been at that meeting. Of course, we are still playing backwards far too often.
There were some strange decisions by the ref and assistants, but at least the ref played the advantage after the handball just before our second goal.
There were some positives. Ironside tries hard all the time, and often refs seem to ignore some fouls on him. His goal shows if you give him a good opening, he will often score. One of the linesman gave him offside when a Tranmere player was in the penalty box probably 6 or 7 yards nearer the goal, and Ironside could have been through to a good scoring chance.
Adelakun could be a good addition for the rest of the season, and I’m not sure why McCann subbed him off. A perfect cross for Ironside’s goal, and quick response and composure for his own goal.
Lo-Tutala is an improvement on Jones, and I like the way he comes for crosses, although he did fumble one, but recovered well. However, he must reduce the number of times he puts the ball on the turf and dithers around before clearing. It nearly cost us the win, and we were very lucky the rebound off the Tranmere player went wide.
A few weeks ago, Salford looked a very good chance for a win, but their recent form is play-off standard, 2 points per game from the last six games. Grimsby game looks slightly easier on paper as their home form has been poor this year. If we could pick-up four points from those two games, I’d feel much more comfortable.
posted on 11/2/24
Excellent report and kind of confirms my impression from the extended highlights. The Lincoln loanee looked more effective than he did at Sutton and played a key role. When they did play well pre-Christmas they began to look better yet have now gone backwards.
Perhaps they'll surprise us at Salford.
posted on 11/2/24
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