Yes there were encouraging signs but the squad isn't good enough yet, even if they're fitter and motivated, to really merit an away win. The addition of Josh Martin should give more attacking options. However he hasn't had much game time with MK Dons. It's our makeshift defence that worries me. So let's hope we can at least score as many as we concede. I'm thinking a draw is the best we can get but I don't think I've recovered my sanity just yet so I'll go 3-2 to Rovers. Bogle, Dodoo, Agard.

At the moment I'll say 2-1 to the Rovers with Agard scoring. May change after seeing the team tomorrow.

I've been looking at what we probably need to do to avoid relegation. Probably 50 points would do it but even then its touch and go. So we need 34 points from 21 games. That's having to win every other game! We'll probably have to win at least 8 or 9 of the remaining games and avoid defeat in at most 5 or 6. A very tall order! Marquis to Lincoln won't have gone down too well with the moaners but probably not an option for us due to the original deal to sell him.

I’ve just listened to a fascinating interviewf (previewing today’s game), given by G McS, full of insight and understanding, of solutions and positivity about how teams need to be organised and managed and the how to make the best of players as individuals, develop their thinking, encourage them to keep fit and work hard. Doing it with Wellens recruits many of whom seem to lack drive as well as ability makes it extremely hard, but who knows?

I then dipped into Richie Wellens interviews which were full of generalities, a failure to acknowledge weaknesses and most of all, moans about bad luck.

What a contrast. Although we may not have begun to accumulate points, at least we have someone in control that understands the game and sees a way to improve things, not just by sounding confident, but with the perception to recognise how improvement might be effected.

Wellens certainly did not sound inspiring; if anything he was providing excuses before the next round of failures. It encouraged complacency and the belief that when we would lose again the manager would not be holding anyone responsible. He certainly believed that his players in general were not slacking which contrasts with the impression gained from watching them and the evidence from the current regime. If you were Baldwin, you would surely have been asking him searching questions and the way he got away with it for so long surely points to a failure from above to hold him to account.

(I suppose too that the considerable body of core support that would not hear a word against him might have encouraged the Board to give him more rope than he deserved. It is strange that none of his dyed-in-the-wool fans seem to be attempting to defend him against the evidence that is emerging.)

0-1 to Cambridge
Can't see us winning but hopefully I'm wrong

Let's see what our new boys can do!
I was hoping for Martin on the right and Barlow on the left with Agard in the middle. Maybe Barlow will come on for who runs out of gas first!
It is good to see Seaman starting.
I'll stick to my 2-1 to the Rovers.

Cambridge 2-1 Rovers
Agard to score.
Hope that I'm wrong ⚽

I think 3-1 flattered Cambridge a little - if Agard had scored early, as he should have, the game would have been much different. There were times in the first half when I could not believe we did not score - three times on the woodwork and two goal line stops (OK, in the same scamble where a little calmness may have got us a goal). On one appearance, Martin shows some potential - very unlucky not to score with that free kick. The foul was definitely outside of the penalty area, but I'm sure some refs would have given a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
In the end, another frustrating evening where we have shown progress, but not enough. If the Board keep faith with Gary we might escape or otherwise have a great League 2 team.

More signs of life but our major problem all season has been our defence and its a long way from being resolved.

I was unable to listen to the commentary, so all I saw were the stats and some of the live text. Based on those, the performance was better, but we failed to capitalise on what was achieved in the play against a mid-table side. So it was not good enough to progress our prospects of getting into 20th place by the end of the season.

Cambridge got a much better return on their attacking raids and Jones and the defence might have done better.

So much of the material which McSheffery has to work with is sub-standard, thanks to his predecessor and the Head of Recruitment who for some reason is still in his job.

Ollie Younger not the experienced, fit and ready to go centre back I was expecting. But then there's Anderson, John and possibly Wright to figure some time when they're back from injury. I'm not sure Knoyle or Williams would be in Gmacs long term plans. They wouldn't be in mine.

Sunderland were reluctant to see him go, but they have seemingly got enough players in his position to calculate that his prospects of first team football are not good. They are letting him go for the sake of his career, rather than hanging on to him when his immediate prospects there are not good.

Given our position int he league we are unlikely to recruit la creme de la creme.

Liam Hodden in the FP makes the valid point that the experienced, in form players Gmac has targeted are very unlikely to want to join Rovers in our current predicament. It's likely we will have to seek young, inexperienced but talented players on loan to try to fill the gaps for the rest of the season. Not sure the remaining transfer window is going to offer us much hope for the rest of the season.