Slowly Better and Better

[Sammy Chung was King]

We’ve had a lot of shots tonight off target, five on, while reducing them to scoring from a freak own goal.
We are we’re lacking that extra bit of quality, to finish the job off tonight.

Four points from those two games is a decent return. We need to go on a good run now. Keep chipping away at those above us.
Cambridge were very lucky to get anything tonight.

[dickos1]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

Believe me, my expectations couldn't get much lower after watching this lot this season.

Clearly not as low as yours, however. I mean expecting a football team to actually look capable of creating a chance to score a goal on a semi-regular basis? What an unreasonable bas**rd I am.

We created enough chances last night to win comfortably

[Chris Black come back]

I am sure he is on decent money but does appear to be third choice at Ipswich - their keeper came in on emergency loan and was absolutely rock solid. I don’t know why why don’t invest in a solid but unspectacular keeper like we did with Sullivan. This guy last night was very good and a calming influence. We have a succession of teenage keepers who do anything but provide that calm and confidence in the defence.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

It's better, no doubt we have improved a little. Part of that is playing teams I think are worse than us, part of it is the team settling a little more.

We controlled the game yesterday and should really have won. I do prefer Vilca in the 10 too, but he's a player improving each game. If he had pace he'd be quality, it's a big miss for him.

I was ok with keeping the ball it suits our midfield better.  We still haven't quite found a way to do that and score goals.  I reckon Fejiri if he ever gets fit will thrive on it with his movement.

We are in the fight and if we can kick on we will be fine. But we do have to expect some tough defeats along the way as we don't have the players some others do.

[Campsall rover]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I agree. We were no where near as good as on Saturday with the ball. To have 65% possession and create so little is criminal.
After Saturday I expected our confidence levels to have increased considerably but we were so pedestrian in the 1st half. No one wanted to run at the opposition and create space behind by committing defenders.
2nd half why as someone else said  was Knoyle and at times Hiwyala playing the easy square or backwards pass when they have the pace to take their man on and get crosses in from the byline.
As for Bostock he seems to be like marmite. Some love him some the opposite.
Slows the game down and too many backward passes in my book. He frustrates the life out of me.

[Cramby10]

It’s the movement, or lack of, that is the problem. No one in that front line shows for the ball. They all just run forward in a straight line away from the ball. They really aren’t very intelligent or haven’t been coached very well. That’s why the play slows down because there are so few options to pass to.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I'm sure we'd all like Bostock to be more progressive and perhaps carry the ball at least 10 to 15 yards before offloading when he gets the chance, or try more probing passes. That said, he does keep it simple and tidies things up at a steady pace which can work if you have players around you who are more progressive.

Bostock, Galbraith and Close are a decent combo bringing different skills to the table.

Similar with Smith, would like to see a little more from him as he has the pedigree to do it.

As frustrating as it may have been at times last night, if the bar has been raised and that was the minimum we should expect, then we are going in the right direction.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It’s the movement, or lack of, that is the problem. No one in that front line shows for the ball. They all just run forward in a straight line away from the ball. They really aren’t very intelligent or haven’t been coached very well. That’s why the play slows down because there are so few options to pass to.

Would agree with that too, particularly on the intelligence front.

[Campsall rover]

It%u2019s the movement, or lack of, that is the problem. No one in that front line shows for the ball. They all just run forward in a straight line away from the ball. They really aren%u2019t very intelligent or haven%u2019t been coached very well. That%u2019s why the play slows down because there are so few options to pass to.

Agree Cramby. It is intelligence i think.  Sure Wellens and Hunt are good coaches and they spend many hours on the training ground working with the players on defence and offence.

RW is having to it seem coach the players from the sidelines during the matches. He should not be having to do that.  Is it because he needs to or is it because he just cannot help himself and it is having a detrimental effect on the players?

Yesterday was a game we should have won but we make life so difficult for ourselves the way we play at times.
The shackles came off on Saturday but seemed to be back on again to a certain extent last night.
Giving away a goal after 7 mins did not help and gave Cambridge something to hang on to.

We have decent players for this level but they need to put brain into gear, be more intelligent and be braver on the ball.
If we do that week in week out we will finish comfortably in mid table.  If we play as we did 1st half last night week in week out we will get relegated imo.

[roversdude]

It%u2019s the movement, or lack of, that is the problem. No one in that front line shows for the ball. They all just run forward in a straight line away from the ball. They really aren%u2019t very intelligent or haven%u2019t been coached very well. That%u2019s why the play slows down because there are so few options to pass to.

Agree Cramby. It is intelligence i think.  Sure Wellens and Hunt are good coaches and they spend many hours on the training ground working with the players on defence and offence.

RW is having to it seem coach the players from the sidelines during the matches. He should not be having to do that.  Is it because he needs to or is it because he just cannot help himself and it is having a detrimental effect on the players?

Yesterday was a game we should have won but we make life so difficult for ourselves the way we play at times.
The shackles came off on Saturday but seemed to be back on again to a certain extent last night.
Giving away a goal after 7 mins did not help and gave Cambridge something to hang on to.

We have decent players for this level but they need to put brain into gear, be more intelligent and be braver on the ball.
If we do that week in week out we will finish comfortably in mid table.  If we play as we did 1st half last night week in week out we will get relegated imo.

That pot brain might be the problem

[Metalmicky]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

Bostock got a 4 from Hodman at DFP...

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers-player-ratings-from-the-comeback-draw-with-cambridge-united-3433824?itm_source=parsely-api

[Campsall rover]

It%u2019s the movement, or lack of, that is the problem. No one in that front line shows for the ball. They all just run forward in a straight line away from the ball. They really aren%u2019t very intelligent or haven%u2019t been coached very well. That%u2019s why the play slows down because there are so few options to pass to.

Agree Cramby. It is intelligence i think.  Sure Wellens and Hunt are good coaches and they spend many hours on the training ground working with the players on defence and offence.

RW is having to it seem coach the players from the sidelines during the matches. He should not be having to do that.  Is it because he needs to or is it because he just cannot help himself and it is having a detrimental effect on the players?

Yesterday was a game we should have won but we make life so difficult for ourselves the way we play at times.
The shackles came off on Saturday but seemed to be back on again to a certain extent last night.
Giving away a goal after 7 mins did not help and gave Cambridge something to hang on to.

We have decent players for this level but they need to put brain into gear, be more intelligent and be braver on the ball.
If we do that week in week out we will finish comfortably in mid table.  If we play as we did 1st half last night week in week out we will get relegated imo.

That pot brain might be the problem

It could well be.    Have corrected it.

[DonnyOsmond]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

Bostock got a 4 from Hodman at DFP...

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers-player-ratings-from-the-comeback-draw-with-cambridge-united-3433824?itm_source=parsely-api

WhoScored gave him a 7.04. 4th highest rating for a Rovers player.

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1554557/LiveStatistics/England-League-One-2021-2022-Doncaster-Cambridge-U

[JonWallsend]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

Bostock got a 4 from Hodman at DFP...

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers-player-ratings-from-the-comeback-draw-with-cambridge-united-3433824?itm_source=parsely-api

The same as Gardner? Very harsh

[roversdude]

Wow did whoscored have anyone at the game ? JH one dribble??

[GazLaz]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

Bostock got a 4 from Hodman at DFP...

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers-player-ratings-from-the-comeback-draw-with-cambridge-united-3433824?itm_source=parsely-api

Bostock wasn’t as good as he was on Saturday but he enables us to control games a bit, albeit at a slow pace. We can’t afford for games to be like basketball matches though can we. He’s also got the most interceptions per game in L1 as his intelligence and positioning is elite. He also has the highest forward pass accuracy in the division. He obviously had his negatives, like his recovery pace is non existent and he doesn’t particularly like a challenge but everyone crying out for a “mister” is simplifying things a bit too much I think.

[Cramby10]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

Bostock got a 4 from Hodman at DFP...

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers-player-ratings-from-the-comeback-draw-with-cambridge-united-3433824?itm_source=parsely-api

Bostock wasn’t as good as he was on Saturday but he enables us to control games a bit, albeit at a slow pace. We can’t afford for games to be like basketball matches though can we. He’s also got the most interceptions per game in L1 as his intelligence and positioning is elite. He also has the highest forward pass accuracy in the division. He obviously had his negatives, like his recovery pace is non existent and he doesn’t particularly like a challenge but everyone crying out for a “mister” is simplifying things a bit too much I think.

agree with most of this. He’s so underrated. He would be so much better with better players around him. He and Galbraith are light years ahead of the others in terms of ability and footballing intelligence. I do think however that if those two did have a mester sat behind them, then we really would be a real force to be reckoned with.

[Bailey Vickerage]

Think the main problem with Bostock is that most ppl are comparing him to whiteman, he isn’t the same player as whiteman. His positioning is top notch and makes a lot of interceptions which ppl don’t think about but tackling wise and getting stuck in is not his natural game and never will be. It helped Whiteman aswell when he had sheaf next to him who would always get stuck in but Whiteman was also very good at doing the off the ball work as well as we seen last season when he was alongside Smith. Bostock does a job off the ball but do think he needs someone next to him who will do the dirty work and then give the ball to him, Galbraith or Close etc to let them play.

On the ball he does slow it down at time but that is sometimes needed during the game so it doesn’t become a basketball match and isn’t always played at 300mph. I do see a lot of times during a game tho where he is looking to play a forward pass but the options aren’t there or the players aren’t making the runs at the right time, I know that Bostock has to take some of the blame sometimes for that for not playing it quicker but the ppl moaning about playing it too slow are the same ones who will moan when we play it too quick every time, lose the ball and keep getting hit on the counter, especially against teams lower down the table who will sit in and be compact and wait for a chance to break.

[Campsall rover]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

No good dominating games if you don’t win especially at home.
What is the point of 65% possession if you don’t shoot. If you don’t create goal scoring opportunities then you may as well have 20% possession.
It is what you do with the ball that counts isn’t it. Not just passing it around for fun, what does that achieve?

Surely dickos you can’t be happy with that 1st half last night.  The tempo was so slow Cambridge must have thought we were giving them an early Christmas present. Oh silly me we did with that own goal.

Seriously we were poor 1st half but once we got that equalizer we were visibly lifted and the tempo increased.
But still much to work on with regards or getting quality delivery into the box.  The delivery was not good. That’s why we had so few scoring opportunities. 

The important thing to me is we did not end up losing a game we should have won.

Onwards and upwards. Need a point at Charlton now and 3 at Crewe. 

[Campsall rover]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

Believe me, my expectations couldn't get much lower after watching this lot this season.

Clearly not as low as yours, however. I mean expecting a football team to actually look capable of creating a chance to score a goal on a semi-regular basis? What an unreasonable bas**rd I am.

We created enough chances last night to win comfortably

No we didn’t. That’s the whole point. We dominated possession but how many good chances did we actually create?  Their keeper had a very quiet away day.

[ravenrover]

Got to agree with Dickos, there is a big difference in creating chances and sctually taking them. Hiwulu in 1st half, Dodoo 2nd and Vilca 2nd all good chances but not taken

[GazLaz]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

Believe me, my expectations couldn't get much lower after watching this lot this season.

Clearly not as low as yours, however. I mean expecting a football team to actually look capable of creating a chance to score a goal on a semi-regular basis? What an unreasonable bas**rd I am.

We created enough chances last night to win comfortably

No we didn’t. That’s the whole point. We dominated possession but how many good chances did we actually create?  Their keeper had a very quiet away day.

We’ve scored 4 goals in two games. You’d take that rate over a full season.

[dickos1]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

Believe me, my expectations couldn't get much lower after watching this lot this season.

Clearly not as low as yours, however. I mean expecting a football team to actually look capable of creating a chance to score a goal on a semi-regular basis? What an unreasonable bas**rd I am.

We created enough chances last night to win comfortably

No we didn’t. That’s the whole point. We dominated possession but how many good chances did we actually create?  Their keeper had a very quiet away day.

Yes we did!
Hiwulu clean through one on one, vilca missing from 4 yards out, their keeper pulling off a good save from smith.

What I don’t understand campsall is you’ve spent the last 4 years berating anyone who date say anything negative towards the side yet now you’ve become one of the most negative posters on here.
I can’t work out if it’s because you don’t like wellens but it’s a bit strange

[Campsall rover]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

Believe me, my expectations couldn't get much lower after watching this lot this season.

Clearly not as low as yours, however. I mean expecting a football team to actually look capable of creating a chance to score a goal on a semi-regular basis? What an unreasonable bas**rd I am.

We created enough chances last night to win comfortably

No we didn’t. That’s the whole point. We dominated possession but how many good chances did we actually create?  Their keeper had a very quiet away day.

We’ve scored 4 goals in two games. You’d take that rate over a full season.

Yes obviously i would but that is diverting from the point i am making.
I know I am sounding very critical not my normal me on this forum but just saying it as I saw it.
2 points dropped last night against a team we should have beaten. I will be very disappointed if we finish below Cambridge this season and would hazard a guess if we do we will be relegated.

[Sammy Chung was King]

The team is getting used to each other even though there has been changes, here and there.
We are in the games now, on the whole not giving goals away easily. Though last nights was a bit of a calamity.
 The problem came from the flank and Gardner just didn’t react quickly enough-a goal that could be prevented really.

Now the job is to carry on being steady and concentrating. Also having confidence and believing in themselves to take a player on.
There isn’t much between ourselves and most of the others.

[Bailey Vickerage]

We had plenty of the ball but we are utterly clueless with it. We still seem to barely have any idea of how to get players into threatening positions with the ball often enough to actually expect goals. There is no creativity and no movement.

I honestly could not see us scoring, this time at home against a depleted Cambridge side. Thank f**k for Ethan Galbraith whose quality got us an equaliser out of nothing.

If this is considered to be a positive performance then it just goes to show how far standards have fallen.

I think you need to sort out your expectations mate.
We’ve been bottom of the league for most of this season, we’ve just got 4 points from two games, we dominated both games, and you’re going on like we’ve lost them both.

No good dominating games if you don’t win especially at home.
What is the point of 65% possession if you don’t shoot. If you don’t create goal scoring opportunities then you may as well have 20% possession.
It is what you do with the ball that counts isn’t it. Not just passing it around for fun, what does that achieve?

Surely dickos you can’t be happy with that 1st half last night.  The tempo was so slow Cambridge must have thought we were giving them an early Christmas present. Oh silly me we did with that own goal.

Seriously we were poor 1st half but once we got that equalizer we were visibly lifted and the tempo increased.
But still much to work on with regards or getting quality delivery into the box.  The delivery was not good. That’s why we had so few scoring opportunities. 

The important thing to me is we did not end up losing a game we should have won.

Onwards and upwards. Need a point at Charlton now and 3 at Crewe. 

also got to think about how they sat everyone behind the ball after the goal and made it hard for us to break them down. Another game where we were unlucky that Gardner sliced into his own net and gave them something to hold onto, on another day we come out of it with a 2 or 3 nil win.

[Shornton]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

  Yeah we lost the ability to give the ball away and make stupid 2 yards passes!

[BVB]

It seemed to me that we gave Cambridge problems when we got it down the wings for Hiwula and Knoyle to work with.

It was much more difficult to go through the middle as Cambridge flooded the midfield behind the ball when not in possession.

So I’m left wondering why we didn’t gamble more on knocking balls down the wings and bypassing their mid,rather than playing it backwards and forwards across the back line - the front three were always making themselves available but many potential attacks were missed because the back line mostly preferred to come back across the back or give it to Bostock 5 yards in front of them, who wasn’t as effective as in previous games as he was being closed down quicker and thereby having his passing options limited, which is exactly what they wanted.
Surprised Wellens didn’t consider changing tack, if only for ten mins or so, to see if it would make a difference in breaking them down.

[dickos1]

I’m a bit frustrated with the Bostock sub.
I’d have been tempted to take off a defender and throw Cukur on. Think we lost a bit in midfield when we should have been going at it for the win.

  Yeah we lost the ability to give the ball away and make stupid 2 yards passes!

I don’t know what people are seeing but bostock keeps possession more than any other player in this league. Yes he may give it away a few times but he passes the ball many more times than anyone else.
His range of passing is too good for league one, he plays deep and plays the short passes as thats what the manager wants him to do, it drags people out of position and leaves spaces that otherwise wouldn’t be there

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Wellens only knows how to play one way. When we play teams like Cheltenham who don't work as hard as Cambridge and back off and give us space we look decent. Sadly, most teams in this league aren't like Cheltenham and there is no plan B.

Swirling wind last night. Emergency Cambridge keeper and yet we barely crossed the ball into dangerous positions.