Let's talk about the Coventry City game

[Bristol Red Rover]

Assuming Pompey win:

Jones

Lewis
Downing/Anderson
Butler
Andrews

Kane
Whiteman

Wilks
Rowe
Sadlier

Marquis

Subs :Marosi, Blair, Downing/Anderson, Hasani, Crawford, Smith & Boocock

Definitely rest Copps. Looking to bring on Hasani, Smith and Boocock.

If we need a result, Marosi instead of Jones, and bring in Copps for Rowe with a view to taking Copps off if we're looking safe as Peterborough's game pans out.

[RedRover45]

Hasani and Boocock will be playing in the u18's title decider at Notts County in the morning.

[Campsall rover]

What’s all this Coventry will be on the beach nonsense.
They won’t be, they will be on the Keepmoat pitch giving it 100% effort in front of 2,500 of their own fans.
I do not understand the reasoning behind these comments.
Didn’t notice Oxford taking the foot off the gas last Saturday.
Quite the contrary they were going all out to win as much as if a play off spot was riding on it, same as we were.

[selby]

  Well that result made a nonsense of anything I wrote this morning, a result I did not expect, but being Donny nothing comes easy.
  Now we have to go all out to win the game, and we are there, it will not be easy, but we are more than capable of winning the game, good side as Coventry are.
   Their manager will want his team to do well against us , and will be flat out to spoil our day, as they should be.
   But a certain Mr Clough will be just as ambitious at Peterborough, and has out thought Mr Ferguson before as we well know.
   So our season ends with everything to gain and a one game shoot out, winner takes all, exciting and nerve racking isn't it.

[since-1969]

I’d only want to win for McCann as he deserves a good end to his season and im sure he’d would good to put Fergie in his place . Other wise I’m not fussed as I don’t think we could stay up anyway.

[Campsall rover]

I’d only want to win for McCann as he deserves a good end to his season and im sure he’d would good to put Fergie in his place . Other wise I’m not fussed as I don’t think we could stay up anyway.

To say we can’t stay up is ridiculous. What’s the point of trying to go up then if that’s the case.
You don’t know what signings will be made in the summer.
Anything is possible in Football. Just look at tonight’s league 1 results. Who would have predicted that both Pompey and Sunderland would lose.
Some of the negativity about going up astounds me. That’s the whole point of the exercise isn’t it, to get promoted. That’s what i thought anyway.

[drfchound]

I’d only want to win for McCann as he deserves a good end to his season and im sure he’d would good to put Fergie in his place . Other wise I’m not fussed as I don’t think we could stay up anyway.

To say we can’t stay up is ridiculous. What’s the point of trying to go up then if that’s the case.
You don’t know what signings will be made in the summer.
Anything is possible in Football. Just look at tonight’s league 1 results. Who would have predicted that both Pompey and Sunderland would lose.
Some of the negativity about going up astounds me. That’s the whole point of the exercise isn’t it, to get promoted. That’s what i thought anyway.

Totally agree with that Campsall.
The only people who don’t want to go up are people with no ambition.

I bet Bournemouth fans were nervous about where points would come from when they were promoted to the PL but they have done allright.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Now this is a real test of character. Glad the result tonight ends all the nonsense about team selection.

Once again, as with the second half v Oxford, we need to be patient and keep the ball better. Do the basics well, work the ball and the chances will come. There is nowhere to hide in these games so we can't afford for Rowe to go AWOL for periods of the game.

I hope he favours Copps supplementing Whiteman and Kane with Sadlier being given a start. Rowe on the bench for me.

Once again, time for discipline and composure  and save the risky stuff for the final third. Keep our heads while others lose theirs!

[les@donr]

Match or better Posh's score and we are in the play-offs, simple as that!

[PDX_Rover]

Staggering isn’t it? 46 games and again it comes down to game 46.

[selby]

  Reading both the Burton and Coventry forums this morning, both sets of fans fancy spoiling both our and the Posh's party.
   Both teams are in good form, both the managers are keen to finish this season with a flourish, and both sides have improved dramatically over the second half of the season results wise, and want to put down a marker with regard to their chances next season.
   It is a great end to a great season for us, and hopefully not quite the end, we have over achieved, all the teams above us in the playoffs  will be disappointed with their budget not to get automatic promotion and Peterborough as well, Evans knew how to spend.
   Looking forward to this game, we will have to earn anything we get, the way it should be, and if we do achieve sixth place we will go into the playoffs with nothing to lose.

[Donnywolf]

Staggering isn’t it? 46 games and again it comes down to game 46.

LOL it makes a change from being decided in first game (Brighton) or partially through Season (Charlton) but I take your point. The last few games have tripped us up and so he we are again with one eye on Pitch and an eye on Mobile !

[IDM]

It’s really simple.. win this game and we have made it..

If not, a 7th place finish is still a great outcome for the season and infinitely better than last year.!

[dickos1]

I think we’ve got to be very aware of how good Coventry are on the counter attack.
I’d even consider playing whiteman and downing just in front of the back 4 to try and prevent ourselves being caught out.

That would leave

Copps, Kane, wilks, marquis as an attacking force

[phil old leake]

Hopefully burton won’t just be going through the motions.  Pressure will be on.  Unfortunately GM will have to field a full strength team
If they can turn it on we should have enough.  JM has also found the net again so he should be confident
Any one of the three above depending how results go. 
Big big game Saturday

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

As I keep saying, it's the start of the play offs and treat it as such.  It's a good thing for either us or Peterbrough.  Whoever gets 6th spot will be on a high after the weekend and have some momentum going in to the play offs.

[RoversAlias]

I’d only want to win for McCann as he deserves a good end to his season and im sure he’d would good to put Fergie in his place . Other wise I’m not fussed as I don’t think we could stay up anyway.

To say we can’t stay up is ridiculous. What’s the point of trying to go up then if that’s the case.
You don’t know what signings will be made in the summer.
Anything is possible in Football. Just look at tonight’s league 1 results. Who would have predicted that both Pompey and Sunderland would lose.
Some of the negativity about going up astounds me. That’s the whole point of the exercise isn’t it, to get promoted. That’s what i thought anyway.

Excellent post, Campsall. Agree with every word!

[drfc1951]

Both Burton and Coventry should have to field their strongest available 11, to be fair to Rovers and Posh.

[IDM]

They can field any players registered in their squad as far as I am concerned..

They may use these fixtures to give fringe players a go.  It is up to us to pick a side to win the game and not to worry about the other teams..

[ravenrover]

I just hope we can keep the smugness off DF’s face

[Avsuptem]

There's a tide in the affairs of football and we are swimming against the flood at present. Last night's dreaded result has put me, for one, into the depths of despondency that is best dealt with by expecting the worst on Saturday to alleviate further despair. Football has a cruel habit of applying twisted irony presumably for the amusement of a bunch of long deceased football fans in the sky, or, more likely former referees at Belle Vue who have presided over many a travesty in favor of the opposition. Football, people and life can be nasty sometimes, vicarious pleasure is gained from such things by the truly evil in this world. I can't for the moment think of anything worse than Ferguson's Posh prevailing, nothing could rancor more.

[RedJ]

There's a tide in the affairs of football and we are swimming against the flood at present. Last night's dreaded result has put me, for one, into the depths of despondency that is best dealt with by expecting the worst on Saturday to alleviate further despair. Football has a cruel habit of applying twisted irony presumably for the amusement of a bunch of long deceased football fans in the sky, or, more likely former referees at Belle Vue who have presided over many a travesty in favor of the opposition. Football, people and life can be nasty sometimes, vicarious pleasure is gained from such things by the truly evil in this world. I can't for the moment think of anything worse than Ferguson's Posh prevailing, nothing could rancor more.

Bet you're good at pep talks.

[vaya]

There's a tide in the affairs of football and we are swimming against the flood at present. Last night's dreaded result has put me, for one, into the depths of despondency that is best dealt with by expecting the worst on Saturday to alleviate further despair. Football has a cruel habit of applying twisted irony presumably for the amusement of a bunch of long deceased football fans in the sky, or, more likely former referees at Belle Vue who have presided over many a travesty in favor of the opposition. Football, people and life can be nasty sometimes, vicarious pleasure is gained from such things by the truly evil in this world. I can't for the moment think of anything worse than Ferguson's Posh prevailing, nothing could rancor more.

Bet you're good at pep talks.

An infectious joie de vivre.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We can't expect anything but Coventry giving 100%. Why wouldn't we!

Fate works both ways. For every Brentford or Wembley, there's a Leicester/Birmingham, or Cheltenham/Forest. We cannot rule out it coming down to the last second of the last minute of the last games. That's football!

[IDM]

Some folks really need to get a grip, our destiny is in our own hands so let’s just focus on getting behind the team and winning the game..

[steve@dcfd]

The manager and team over the last few games have not been good enough that’s why where we are fighting to retain 6 th place. This game like the playoff game at home and final is a one off and we have to win that should be the mindset of all the backroom staff and players. It won’t be easy, ask Portsmouth and Sunderland players and staff last night. But to ensure we retain 6 th place and in the playoffs we have to win.

[Pancho Regan]

Our mindset is important for Saturday - that of the fans and more importantly the players and coaching staff.

I was a bit shell-shocked by last night's result at Portsmouth and felt quite down.
But today I'm shaking off that feeling and starting to look forward to Saturday's game.
 
It is vital that GM and his staff get the players into the right state of mind for this match.
 
A couple of the best performances I've seen by Rovers this season came when, arguably, there were few expectations on us: namely the away games at Barnsley (which we should have won) and Preston (which we did).
We seemed to play with confidence and freedom and determination, and those are the qualities we'll need on Saturday. It's a big game but we mustn't freeze or let the nerves get the better of us.
We have the ability in the squad to win this game, but we mustn't play with fear.

And how much better would it be to achieve the play-offs as a result of a victory against Coventry in our final game and in front of our own fans, rather than as a result of Peterboro failing to beat Portsmouth?

Come on lads and lasses, get your positive heads on and transfer that from the stands to the players on Saturday.

We can do this!

 

[Metalmicky]

I think both us and Posh will draw..... not sure why, but would be a typical Rovers finish with squeeky bums all the way....

[besty]

Bludy working til 5pm so cant go.

With it not being at 3oclock can we view it live on ifollow anyone???

[Donnywolf]

No - it was announced earlier that Rovers applied to show it as it fell outside the "normal hours" and they were refused

Source : Twitter and probably DROS by now