My 2 penneth.....

[Keith Myath]

I’m at cross roads with Rovers; I’ve never been this apathetic about my club. Knowing that there’s only a 1 in 5 chance we may get a draw, and a win being even less likely than us keeping Billy sharp after this season has largely led to this. As I’ve only been following Rovers since the first season in the conference it’s a feeling I haven’t really had to experience before, as I guess are a major % or current fans, and hence the vitriol from those like me who haven’t got the experience to step back and say “what a minute”.

Sod has always infuriated me, at best when the going was good; his lack of belief in the team to kill a team off and at worst when we are losing badly and there’s no plan B. Not that the shaven headed cockney rapping soulster would have had much affect but at least he would confuse the chuff out of the opposition which is sadly more than our current “front” men can do.

Reasons why we are in this position, for me are pretty obvious and are as follows:

1.   We put all our eggs into 1 basket, and its largely backfired
2.   Our squad at best is average from front to back, Billy the only proven exception
3.   Our injuries are not just bad luck
4.   We didn’t properly replace Billy Sharp when lost through injury, when the board should have
5.   We have never had a Plan B

I always find the argument we shouldn’t get rid of a manager because there’s no one else out there available who is good enough to be null and void. Surely be saying there’s no-one better you are admitting you would if there was, thus attaining that manager should go. Also was SOD available when we let Penney go?... No!... so what difference does an “available” list do when it’s not exactly uncalled for to get a manger that isn’t “available”.

I pay my money to watch Doncaster Rovers play football, I don’t pay for the right to have a great deal of say in my ticket price and nor should I expect too. If I feel that I’m not getting value for money on the field then I won’t buy a season ticket and that and only that will be my only say to the club. Having said that I believe I am able to have an opinion and using this forum is my outlet, which leads me to my point.

SOD said before the season had even kicked off that DRFC will not be competitive until the end of September, so if I take that as read SOD wasn’t expecting us to do anything until all the players had returned. Well he has proven himself correct, the only thing that has changed since then was the loss of Billy Sharp, a factor which hasn’t helped but to what end we have no idea. So knowing these facts I can only assume that Sean and the board were hoping rather than expecting us to pick up more points in the first few months so when the time came and all the players had returned we could challenge for an outside playoff position.  Nobody in my eyes should take into account the results of a previous season in the current one, unless to undermine a regime further than what has happened thus far this season. It’s a true fact, that its almost 20 games without a league win but to be fair our squad has changed an awful lot since then and injuries have blighted throughout.

So my verdict, and its only my opinion is that on balance until SOD gets the squad back as he said pre-season we shouldn’t judge him to highly and it’s when he does get his team playing then we can judge him, and not before. Agreed mistakes have happened Woods wasn’t ready, signing Brown has come at a cost for our lack of options and for me NOT replacing Billy Sharp with a credible loanee has been the biggest pill to swallow.

I will forgive though as its shown something, our current squad and methods are not up to the job, especially as an attacking unit and if he has learned anything that things will have to change and he has the knowledge to put plans in order to act on this. If he doesn’t and we continue with no plan B then he has failed, and his ever present short comings will be indeed his downfall and we should rightly be looking at a new era at DRFC with a new manager and a squad to suit.

If we are adrift and still non competitive by the Southampton game in early December then I am sorry to say Sean, thanks for the good times but we and yourself need to have a change and a fresh challenge.

In the mean time, im right behind the squad and Sean

[Chris Black come back]

Good analysis. I also want to vent the following -

1. Why have we always been so unbelievably inconsistent under SOD? 2008/09 season a case in point: a string of 8 straight defeats followed almost immediately by 9 wins in a row. Just bizarre.

2. Nobody has any belief whatsoever that if we ever go a goal behind, we have ANY chance whatsoever to even pull back level, let alone win the game. Literally may as well all just pack up and leave as soon as the opposition score.

3. How many games have we outplayed the opposition but still ended up losing? Last season examples include QPR away and Reading away.

4. Who requested / authorised the Matt Kilgallon signing?

5. Youth system?

[Drover]

Reasons why we are in this position, for me are pretty obvious and are as follows:

1.   We put all our eggs into 1 basket, and its largely backfired
2.   Our squad at best is average from front to back, Billy the only proven exception
3.   Our injuries are not just bad luck
4.   We didn’t properly replace Billy Sharp when lost through injury, when the board should have
5.   We have never had a Plan B


I would add to that we did'nt properly replace Sulli,now that age has finally stopped him being good enough for the championship.(but I stress,I would not have swapped him for anyone previously to age catching up with him last season).

[Drover]

Good analysis. I also want to vent the following -

1. Why have we always been so unbelievably inconsistent under SOD? 2008/09 season a case in point: a string of 8 straight defeats followed almost immediately by 9 wins in a row. Just bizarre.

2. Nobody has any belief whatsoever that if we ever go a goal behind, we have ANY chance whatsoever to even pull back level, let alone win the game. Literally may as well all just pack up and leave as soon as the opposition score.

3. How many games have we outplayed the opposition but still ended up losing? Last season examples include QPR away and Reading away.

4. Who requested / authorised the Matt Kilgallon signing?

5. Youth system?

You know thats bugged me for ages.I have come to the conclusion,SOD,ROK and his coaching team must simply not be good enough at coaching the players in the final third.I mean regards scoring in the final third,not having posession.The forwards(with exception to Billy,who is the finished article and has everything as regards being a forward,thats why a bid of over £3 million was made for him) are that busy trying to keep posession and working hard,that they end up not being ready to pounce at the right moment with the right shot/move like a good striker/poacher does etc.Alot of strikers/forwards who you would expect to prosper with our style either struggle/get move out of their favourite position or get released for Sod not liking how they play or because they will not play sods way upfront(Possibly because they feel they will never score that way,whether its right or wrong is another debate).Heffs and Cammo come to mind.Guy must have done it the sod way?He did used to find himself in great attacking positions too,thanks to playing Sods way,problem was he always fluffed his chances the team had helped create for him,one conversion in one hundred was SO frustrating for us fans to watch.

[Chris Black come back]

We don't really struggle to create chances, but we ALWAYS struggle to finish them, even when Billy is fit (and usually playing up front on his own).

[firestarter]

i would tend to disagree as we always appear to be bottom of the chances stats..infuriates me that we only appear to do something about it once we fall behind

[andyst79]

Even when were winning games he really does infuriate me with negative tactics especially 1 up front at home and defending corners with every1 back in the box when was the last time we scored a set piece? But u always fancy us to concede 1