lets talk about the MK Dons Game

[selby]

  Every team we play lately seems to be on very good runs of form The Dons completing their fourth victory on the trot ( I wish we could do that) by defeating Crawley 2-0 last night with an early goal by Dean after 2 minutes and Gilbey on 82 minutes.
  Crawley however were were reported to have missed some good chances, and our second half battering of them when we visited them earlier in the season shows they can be got at, and had to thank keeper MacGillivray for keeping them ahead on more than one occasion against Crawley.
  We should however be able to approach this game in better fettle and more confident after our hard fought point gained at Mansfield, probably our best display with the cup game at Peterborough of the season, where in both games we played as a team.
  Every player stood up to be counted, off the ball we competed and put a foot in and we well deserved the odd pieces of luck we had during the game with the energy levels being top class.
  Lawlor who played well, will be gutted to be injured , and it looked bad when he went off, but Jones came on and his save just after he came on was pivotal in gaining a point, and really should be if everyone is fit be the only change to the starting line up, which with at last a back four looked a better set up that suited the players we have and was reflected in the display and result.
   So as said previously,  the question is can we replicate the display last night? something we have been poor at putting a few results together, but something we need to do from now on if we are to stay clear of trouble, and to build for a future.
  One thing we need is a stronger bench, Kuleya not one to turn to when the chips are down, like at Notts County looked like a rabbit in the head lights at times again last night.
  Goodman did ok, and while Mansfield will harp on about a penalty, Gooders was clearly held down on the goal line in a scramble which was a plain penalty although difficult for the referee to see.
  We still need strengthening with a couple of quality mid fielders Close had a good game but could have cost us the game when twenty yards from our goal he was brushed aside and gave the Mansfield player a clear run into the box, thankfully he tamely shot straight at Lawlor to save from about the same position Ironside put our goal away, their clearest chance, Close left to do the old soldiers trick of rubbing his leg as if caught and fouled, very poor in that position and repetitive in that area central in front of our area over the season, and gives other defenders no chance,
  Having said that injuries allowing the same team for me, hopefully Faulkner joined on the bench with a couple more coming back in the next few games, we still need a win in this game to consolidate a hard fought point last night, and they will come very confident having had a good hundred per cent Christmas period, can we spoil their new year? can we move forward in the new year?
  We now have an opportunity to the end of the season, hopefully a little cup run extended, keep out of trouble, give Faulkner and Flint good experience playing games and find some good loans for some other youngsters in men's football and build for the future, and hopefully put a run of results together and see where it leaves us at the end of the season.
  What do you think? please have your say.

[Donnywolf]

Let's hope we can ditch the good game , bad game sequence you have highlighted many times

Because by any measure yesterday v Stags WAS a good performance

[ravenrover]

Harsh on Close to single out one mistake others made them too, who I thought put in a good performance last

[danumdon]

Harsh on Close to single out one mistake others made them too, who I thought put in a good performance last

Its not so much the signalling out of a mistake as such and Close did play well last night, its more the fact that its been these odd mistakes that have cost us massively this season, this and lack of concentration at times, also if its from one of your senior players who really need to set a benchmark and be an example to the young players.

If we were able to cut out some really careless mistakes this season we would be many points better off right now.

Lots these little things that add up to a a failing overall that we need to eliminate.

If we can hit this game running on the strength of the vastly improved game at Mansfield then the boost to their confidence should be apparent. If we could eek out an extra 5% from everyone we will be able to give MK a good game. Stick to the same 433ish or diamond as GM called it but have Fall doing the dropping back into the No10 role rather than Ironside and push Moly on further. Thought they played this system well last night which enable the team to perform better then of late, much more suitable for this lot. If flint is available i'd stick him in for Biggins and push Close a bit further forward.

[Chris Black come back]

They are on an unreal run. 1 loss in 10, winning 7 and drawing 2. The loss was at the start of that 10 game period, back in late October. Away form generally is pretty good this season, although they have only managed 2 clean sheets away from home.

[ravenrover]

Worrying for me is Grants comment that Anderson would be back for next game. I hope he means on the bench

[normal rules]

Their last few wins have been against some of the lesser teams in the division . Crawley. FGR, Colchester, Morcambe. All valuable wins of course but I think they will come unstuck against a resurgent rovers.

[Chris Black come back]

Resurgent!!!! We’ve drawn a game after some horrific defeats. Love your optimism that a draw constitutes a resurgence.

[Butchers Red]

Worrying for me is Grants comment that Anderson would be back for next game. I hope he means on the bench

The thing that concerns me most is Tom's mistakes this seasons have mostly been the same thing - failing to win headers or at least put any pressure on opposing forwards as they come in and attack the ball - he used to win the vast majority and has always been brave enough - so why is this seemingly simple thing now beyond him?

[Colemans Left Hook]

To be blunt I nearly fell off my chair again when I saw we were 5/2 to win this match

[Silkscarf]

Worrying for me is Grants comment that Anderson would be back for next game. I hope he means on the bench

The thing that concerns me most is Tom's mistakes this seasons have mostly been the same thing - failing to win headers or at least put any pressure on opposing forwards as they come in and attack the ball - he used to win the vast majority and has always been brave enough - so why is this seemingly simple thing now beyond him?

I wonder if it’s the injuries. Even when ‘fit’ perhaps he’s impaired so much he’s sometimes a shadow of his former self.

[normal rules]

Resurgent!!!! We’ve drawn a game after some horrific defeats. Love your optimism that a draw constitutes a resurgence.

New year. New found faith. 4-3-3 is the magic formation that will change rovers fortunes. Starting with New Year’s Days 3 points .

[Campsall rover]

They are on an unreal run. 1 loss in 10, winning 7 and drawing 2. The loss was at the start of that 10 game period, back in late October. Away form generally is pretty good this season, although they have only managed 2 clean sheets away from home.

One statistic you failed to mention CBcb as you only seem to post negative statistics and omit the positive ones.

We have never lost to MK Dons at home.
Oh wish I hadn’t mentioned it now. 

[Campsall rover]

It’s 3 wins and 5 draws at home. Since 2004/05 season which was our 1st against them.
The away game was played at the International Hockey stadium a 1-0 win to Rovers.
Pretty sure Lewis Guy scored.

Memory playing tricks as it was Mark Albrighton that scored.

[scawsby steve]

They are on an unreal run. 1 loss in 10, winning 7 and drawing 2. The loss was at the start of that 10 game period, back in late October. Away form generally is pretty good this season, although they have only managed 2 clean sheets away from home.

One statistic you failed to mention CBcb as you only seem to post negative statistics and omit the positive ones.

We have never lost to MK Dons at home.
Oh wish I hadn’t mentioned it now. 

I'll give you another couple, Camps. Two seasons ago, we did the double over them, which prevented them from being promoted to the Championship.

Also, in the home win, they had the dubious distinction of conceding a goal to a certain Mr Cukur.

[selby]

  Anderson should be considered behind Faulkner if Faulkner is fit as Faulkner is the better defender now.
  How long are you willing to see the same mistakes by the same players before you accept they are not the player they used to be.
 Unfortunately injury has taken it's toll, he is no longer the player he was, and would you put money on Olowu not making a blunder on Monday? I hope he doesn't, and he was my MOM at Mansfield, but now the hard part, repeat, repeat, repeat, and more, he has the ability but has let us and himself down so many times with out and out blunders, and been bullied by more than one striker this season.
  If he plays to the standard he showed last night game after game he would full fill the promise lot's of us predicted he had in him, but has fallen short of it last and this season, and would be playing somewhere else at a higher level than us if he played a season like he did last night.
  He has to realise himself that could happen and want it and reach the standard he is capable of, and cut out the regular mistakes and no more poor displays like the one at Notts County just a few days ago. We are talking of two players that were rank poor just two games ago pulled at half time and would no doubt have been ditched if Faulkner and Flint had been fit.
  Let's hope it was a light bulb moment and not just a flash in the pan and he is consistent at the level he showed at Mansfield, at the moment it looks a challenge he needs to win, and only he can do anything about it.

[roversdude]

Really hoping Grant has seen what we have with Anderson

[i_ateallthepies]

If we can all see it then surely Grant must do.

[ncRover]

Payne in midfield is a very good player at this level. We will need to disrupt his ability to control the game.

Looks like they have a youthful attack. A passing side with lots of movement. They can bring Ellis Harrison on as well who is a very good Joe Ironside type forward but quicker. Another game not for Tom Anderson, if there is any.

Joe Tomlinson, who we nearly signed last season is in terrific form at wing back.

Their back 3 are seasoned pros at league one level. But Molyneux could get some joy against the 39 year old Dean Lewington on that side. 

[Chris Black come back]

Alex Gilbey is in decent form for them. Their top assist provider this season and scored last time out against Crawley.

[pib]

They are on an unreal run. 1 loss in 10, winning 7 and drawing 2. The loss was at the start of that 10 game period, back in late October. Away form generally is pretty good this season, although they have only managed 2 clean sheets away from home.

One statistic you failed to mention CBcb as you only seem to post negative statistics and omit the positive ones.

We have never lost to MK Dons at home.
Oh wish I hadn’t mentioned it now. 

How can a statistic be negative? It’s just a fact isn’t it?

[Sammy Chung was King]

Narrow win for us. I think he will go with the four at the back again. Time to put faith in Faulkner but ease him in. Use the players coming back carefully.

[ForsolongaRover]

This was the club that sacked Graham Alexander after a great start - top after five games - then after a bad run of only 4 draws in 9 games he was replaced on 17/10/23 by Mike Williamson, previously successful in getting Gateshead back from National League (N) to the National League proper and 6th position.

Since then, MKD immediately went on the current excellent run beginning with a 4-1 victory over Bradford which on 6/11/23 appointed Alexander to replace Hughes. 7 wins have come from 9 games with two draws. Up in Bradford, Alexander took a couple of games to get going, but soon they had chalked up 5 league wins and one Cup win out of 5 and they remain unbeaten in the league since then. (There are a lot of numbers in there and there could be slight inaccuracies, but I hope you get the drift!)

So what can you make of that? Alexander cannot be a bad manager, but is Williamson really that good? How can 2 random teams suddenly turn from bad to good?  Manager 1 gets 7 wins from Day 1 and Manager 2, who could not get a win out of the 7-wins-out-of-9-team turns round the team his old lot beat 4-1. Two matches later he gets wins 5 in succession.

Perhaps it is all about attitude. Cynically you might argue that a team can get rid of a manager they don’t want by not trying, because it’s easier to sack one person than 11, but how else do you explain it? You might be tempted to even draw a parallel with Rovers’ 3 recent dreadful team performances, but it seems incredible to imagine that players, or some of them could believe that they could work such a move here. I suppose that in the case of MKD and BC it could be more subtle, like we don’t like playing your system, can you please allow us to try something which suits us better?

Once you are on a run you raise concerns amongst opponents though and it perhaps makes them feel more vulnerable.

Fundamentally then, the question is how much real substance underpins a run like MKD’s? If the answer is more psychological than substantial, then Rovers, whose potential is surely superior to the place they currently occupy, have a reasonable chance of winning.

Footnote: MW joined us on loan in March 2004 for the rest of that season, but never played in the first team.

[graingrover]

Faulkner
 not possibly in contention to start as he has only had 45 minutes in a training match according to GM interview.

[Sammy Chung was King]

We have the right manager, a bright, young forward thinking manager, who has shown he is capable of getting sides promoted.
We have an owner that has always backed managers when needed. Good stadium set up. We just need luck with injuries, maybe a more scientific approach to solving the problem. We need players to stand up and do their job on a regular basis. Realise they are in a profession that most of us would love to be in- enjoy it.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Faulkner
 not possibly in contention to start as he has only had 45 minutes in a training match according to GM interview.

Yes, and hardly much time in training either. Can only see him playing if GM is forced to.

I hope we're more likely to see the same defensive shape as Friday and try to build on that.

Not sure whether he'll tweak that diamond as Faal looked uncomfortable on the left side. Decisions, decisions.

Whoever starts, same approach. Front foot, don't give them time on the ball and let them make the mistakes.

[Campsall rover]

This was the club that sacked Graham Alexander after a great start - top after five games - then after a bad run of only 4 draws in 9 games he was replaced on 17/10/23 by Mike Williamson, previously successful in getting Gateshead back from National League (N) to the National League proper and 6th position.

Since then, MKD immediately went on the current excellent run beginning with a 4-1 victory over Bradford which on 6/11/23 appointed Alexander to replace Hughes. 7 wins have come from 9 games with two draws. Up in Bradford, Alexander took a couple of games to get going, but soon they had chalked up 5 league wins and one Cup win out of 5 and they remain unbeaten in the league since then. (There are a lot of numbers in there and there could be slight inaccuracies, but I hope you get the drift!)

So what can you make of that? Alexander cannot be a bad manager, but is Williamson really that good? How can 2 random teams suddenly turn from bad to good?  Manager 1 gets 7 wins from Day 1 and Manager 2, who could not get a win out of the 7-wins-out-of-9-team turns round the team his old lot beat 4-1. Two matches later he gets wins 5 in succession.

Perhaps it is all about attitude. Cynically you might argue that a team can get rid of a manager they don’t want by not trying, because it’s easier to sack one person than 11, but how else do you explain it? You might be tempted to even draw a parallel with Rovers’ 3 recent dreadful team performances, but it seems incredible to imagine that players, or some of them could believe that they could work such a move here. I suppose that in the case of MKD and BC it could be more subtle, like we don’t like playing your system, can you please allow us to try something which suits us better?

Once you are on a run you raise concerns amongst opponents though and it perhaps makes them feel more vulnerable.

Fundamentally then, the question is how much real substance underpins a run like MKD’s? If the answer is more psychological than substantial, then Rovers, whose potential is surely superior to the place they currently occupy, have a reasonable chance of winning.

Footnote: MW joined us on loan in March 2004 for the rest of that season, but never played in the first team.

Think you’re trying to ask something that’s impossible to answer. Football is strange and teams go on good runs and bad runs for varying reasons.
Sometimes a new voice in the changing room gets the desired effect but sometimes it doesn’t.
Football is 50% ability and 50% confidence. Trying to be a philosopher about why a team is doing well or badly is futile. There are so many different factors and ingredients to being a successful team.

[ForsolongaRover]

This was the club that sacked Graham Alexander after a great start - top after five games - then after a bad run of only 4 draws in 9 games he was replaced on 17/10/23 by Mike Williamson, previously successful in getting Gateshead back from National League (N) to the National League proper and 6th position.

Since then, MKD immediately went on the current excellent run beginning with a 4-1 victory over Bradford which on 6/11/23 appointed Alexander to replace Hughes. 7 wins have come from 9 games with two draws. Up in Bradford, Alexander took a couple of games to get going, but soon they had chalked up 5 league wins and one Cup win out of 5 and they remain unbeaten in the league since then. (There are a lot of numbers in there and there could be slight inaccuracies, but I hope you get the drift!)

So what can you make of that? Alexander cannot be a bad manager, but is Williamson really that good? How can 2 random teams suddenly turn from bad to good?  Manager 1 gets 7 wins from Day 1 and Manager 2, who could not get a win out of the 7-wins-out-of-9-team turns round the team his old lot beat 4-1. Two matches later he gets wins 5 in succession.

Perhaps it is all about attitude. Cynically you might argue that a team can get rid of a manager they don’t want by not trying, because it’s easier to sack one person than 11, but how else do you explain it? You might be tempted to even draw a parallel with Rovers’ 3 recent dreadful team performances, but it seems incredible to imagine that players, or some of them could believe that they could work such a move here. I suppose that in the case of MKD and BC it could be more subtle, like we don’t like playing your system, can you please allow us to try something which suits us better?

Once you are on a run you raise concerns amongst opponents though and it perhaps makes them feel more vulnerable.

Fundamentally then, the question is how much real substance underpins a run like MKD’s? If the answer is more psychological than substantial, then Rovers, whose potential is surely superior to the place they currently occupy, have a reasonable chance of winning.

Footnote: MW joined us on loan in March 2004 for the rest of that season, but never played in the first team.

Think you’re trying to ask something that’s impossible to answer. Football is strange and teams go on good runs and bad runs for varying reasons.
Sometimes a new voice in the changing room gets the desired effect but sometimes it doesn’t.
Football is 50% ability and 50% confidence. Trying to be a philosopher about why a team is doing well or badly is futile. There are so many different factors and ingredients to being a successful team.

Fascinating though, isn’t it?

[Nudga]

Are we allowed to sign anyone tomorrow and if so, can they go straight into the squad?

[selby]

  Yes they can sign tomorrow, no they cannot play until the second of January so next weekend the first possible game for any new signings.