Bromley are bottom of the six-match form table and despite bombarding the Tranmere goal with shots yesterday they were beaten by 2 goals fairly late in the game to which they could only replay once.
There must be a big confidence hurdle to overcome in their first season for a team who have never been in the EFL or its predecessors before for a club which I would guess used to be amateur until the 50s or 60s. With gates only just over 3000, in a London Borough where most dedicated football fans will already irrevocably tied in allegiance to Charlton, Millwall, and Palace and indeed the giants north of the Thames, it is a fragile base for development.
If they can get through this season keeping their heads above 23rd and 24th place their path for survival might be sustained, but we shall see.
Of course I would not want to invest money in a wager against their chances tomorrow as I still feel Rovers are far from the solid force they were when reinforced with the so-influential loanees at the end of last season, but winning does solidify confidence.
People say McCann doesn’t know what is best team is and maybe that’s because the less talented squad members are much of a muchness. I’m ready to classify Sbarra as struggling to meet the standard which is as much to do with his miniature stature as anything. The rest have strengths and weaknesses and imagining that we’ve got a great team which only needs properly identifying is wishful.
Who, amongst those who are in and out have the best chance of consolidating a berth in the starting 11? Mine would include Maxwell and Sterry, so will they both be back or not?
I suppose I need to be more positive and say 4-1 - Sharp/Ironside/Molyneux.
(Incidentally I’ve just noticed that Sky no longer have “MAN of the match" it’s “Player" now. Are women so sensitive that we have to so distort our language?)
DPL v Bromley
posted on 22/10/24
3-0 Sharp, Ironside
posted on 22/10/24
I was also thinking a three goal margin and also thinking it was time for a clean sheet. Hence I'm agreeing with Nookie and will say 3-0 to the Rovers.
I'd like to see the starting eleven before chosing the scorer, but I'll be missing the game because of commitments. I may be able to see the team before leaving, but in case I cannot, I'll say Ironside if he starts, if not Molyneux.
posted on 22/10/24
3-1 Rovers. Ironside with the first.
posted on 22/10/24
Good Evening from Northumberland.
Rovers 3-1 Bromley
Ironside to score ⚽
posted on 22/10/24
That was a shock. Bromley did not look like a side which hadn’t won since August. Not only were they big and strong and fit, but they played attacking football and defended well without being overly physical. We seemed unable to vary our attacking strategy and even in the second half when Bromley were conserving their lead they still showed some enterprise.
If we are going to sustain the challenge, we need more imagination, resource and energy. Where the extra skill etc., is coming from is not clear.
Too many of our fans have an exaggerated idea of our prowess. This result might have a sobering effect on that.
posted on 23/10/24
I'm glad I could not watch the whole game or I would have been so frustrated. I saw the start and some minutes before I had to leave. We started well except for putting in the net. Again too many poor passes or centers in the final third, and then two good saves by their GK. I thought this is going to be one of those games - and then they scored!
Then, luckily, I had to leave to be chauffeur for my wife for a medical appointment across the far side of Portland from where we live. My medical group have a relatively new hospital 4 miles away, but they do not double up on specialists in all their facilities, which is good to increase efficiency and reduce costs, so we had to cross town. All went well for my 80 year old beauty.
I can't wait to here what GM says!
posted on 23/10/24
I hope the prognosis for your wife is reassuring.
GM was not happy with the performance and the question is “Do the players have the potential to vary their approach?” Do they recognise when they need to change their tactics and then the physical skill to make the change?
posted on 24/10/24
Here is the current state of play in the DPL reflecting the lack of predictability with only a scattering of success with just Mooli and Mickey scoring under more than one heading and then only once.
The other observation I would make is a comment on another of Nookie's observations which I missed when it was made. I too, regarded Hexthorpe Flatts as almost exotic. I seem to remember it was somewhere you could ride your bike up and down the hillocks and amongst the woods and was there not an old quarry ? the Dell itself, plus of course the ultimate exotic treat, the illuminations! What simple pleasures!
Harrogate T 2 : Rovers 0
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 23 >>>>>> 23
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 31 >>>>>> 31
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 16 >>>>> 16
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 39 >>>>>> 39
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 13
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 122 >>>>>> 122
MK Dons 1 : Rovers 1 (Anderson)
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 23 >>>>>> 26
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 31 >>>>>> 31
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 16 >>>>>> 16
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 39 >>>>>> 39
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 13
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 122 >>>>>> 125
Rovers 0 : Chesterfield 3
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 26 >>>>>> 29
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 31 >>>>>> 31
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 16 >>>>>> 16
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 39 >>>>>> 39
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 13
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 125 >>>>>> 128
Rovers 1 (Clifton) : Barrow 0
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 29 >>>>>> 29
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 31 >>>>>> 34
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 16 >>>>>> 16
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 39 >>>>>> 42
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 13
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>> 128 >>>>>> 134
Grimsby T 0 : Rovers 3 (Gibson)
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 29 >>>>>> 32
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 34 >>>>>> 37
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 16 >>>>>> 19
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 42 >>>>>> 45
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 13
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 12 >>>> 0 >>>> 12 >>>> 134 >>>>>> 146
Rovers 1 (Hurst) : Crewe A 1
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 32 >>>>>> 32
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 37 >>>>>> 37
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 19 >>>>> 19
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 45 >>>>>> 45
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 13
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 146 >>>>>> 146
Swindon T 1 : Rovers 2 (Olowu)
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 32 >>>>>> 32
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 37 >>>>>> 44
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 19 >>>>>> 22
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 7 >>>>> 45 >>>>>> 52
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 13 >>>>>> 16
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 8 >>>>> 12 >>>> 0 >>>> 20 >>> 146 >>>>>> 166
Rovers 0 : Bromley 1
>>>>>>> Scorer Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F >>> O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 32 >>>>>> 32
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 44 >>>>>> 44
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 22 >>>>>> 22
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 52 >>>>>> 52
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 16 >>>>>> 16
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 166 >>>>>> 166
posted on 24/10/24
The only predictable thing is the unpredictability 🤔
Thanks for doing the sums Donaldo 👍