One of the worst halves..

[dickos1]

#cryptic

A very good couple of months for us, I think we've got 14 points from 9 games over the last two months.
If we carry on like this we will comfortably be in the top half come the end of the season and may be on the fringes of the playoffs

[glosterred]

#cryptic

A very good couple of months for us, I think we've got 14 points from 9 games over the last two months.
If we carry on like this we will comfortably be in the top half come the end of the season and may be on the fringes of the playoffs

But not if we play like we did in the first half, we got away with it yesterday, we won’t every time.


COYR

[SydneyRover]

In L1 from the last 5 games only 1 team has 5 wins Scunthorpe 3rd, no team has 4 wins, 5 teams have 3 wins, 3 in the top 6 with Portsmouth 7th and Walsall 13th. For the other 18 teams including DR it's 2 wins or 1 win very patchy and proving difficult for many teams to get into a consistent groove.

[IDM]

I think we are 3 points from being in the top half..

Only 7 of the other 23 teams have lost one or zero games from their last 5 league fixtures.  4 of those 7 clubs are in the top 6, and 2 are below us.

Of course, that means nothing if we don't continue to get positive results, but we're not exactly getting hammered every week either..

[SydneyRover]

I think we are 3 points from being in the top half..

Only 7 of the other 23 teams have lost one or zero games from their last 5 league fixtures.  4 of those 7 clubs are in the top 6, and 2 are below us.

Of course, that means nothing if we don't continue to get positive results, but we're not exactly getting hammered every week either..

It's nail biting stuff but I think the team are making the most of a difficult period.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Are we actually getting any better?

Well aye. We’re averaging 1.15 ppg now.

[dickos1]

We don't talk about this billy until we lose a couple

[mrfrostsdad]

Yes, the first half was awful, but to be fair MK Dons were by far the best side I've seen this season in that first half.
Their movement off the ball, speed in attack, accuracy of shooting etc was absolutely excellent. We helped obviously because our distribution was, quite frankly bloody awful. Like watching five year olds. Had we been 4 down in half an hour we really couldn't have grumbled. Also, I notice no-one has mentioned that I can see, the absolute stone wall penalty MK should have had. Ok, we've had some turned down this season, but that was one of the most obvious penalty shouts I've ever seen.

The second half was a different matter, thanks to young Beestin. He completely changed the game. Well done young man, you may have just saved your managers job. Hopefully DF will notice the difference as well. Also, a special mention for Lawlor. I've criticised him plenty, but that save from the header at 1-1 probably won us the game. Had that gone in, we would in all probability have lost

[dickos1]

It didn't matter how we played though did it?

[Chris Black come back]

Are we actually getting any better?

Well aye. We’re averaging 1.15 ppg now.

At League One level with our club our previous manager does have a better PPG ratio than our current manager - so the question is valid as to whether we have actually moved on (noting again that we got relegated in the interim)?

[Bentley Bullet]

Well, I was feeling pessimistic at halftime yesterday, but am now feeling optimistic following the encouraging second-half display. I honestly didn't think the team was capable of putting three passes together going forward before the interval but played the best I've seen them for possibly months in the second half.

I could be wrong of course (for once) but I believe that is the start of a good run of form.

[Chris Black come back]

Certainly hope this is the case.

[mrfrostsdad]

It didn't matter how we played though did it?

Absolutely. We won and that's all that mattered. Had we played as bad in the second half and somehow managed to win I wouldn't have given a hoot. A win is a win is a win

[idler]

The win has given us time to regroup and get injured players nearer to returning. We can't go over half the season with the mentality of winning and playing poorly though because usually when we play poorly we lose.
In fact we even lose more than we should when we play well.

[dickos1]

Are we actually getting any better?

Well aye. We’re averaging 1.15 ppg now.

At League One level with our club our previous manager does have a better PPG ratio than our current manager - so the question is valid as to whether we have actually moved on (noting again that we got relegated in the interim)?

Ha ha
Brilliant

[RoversAlias]

Here's another way of looking at it. Despite our perceived poor / mediocre performances quite often of late, if you look at the table - had we held on against Rotherham and won at Rochdale instead of that late horror show, we would actually now be joint 8th in the table.

So, changing nothing in our season bar about 5 minutes of it in two separate games, we'd be pushing a play off place. How would people be feeling then? Like we were stealing a place in the top 10 or that we had battled well to earn it? If we can get some good wins next month against struggling sides the entire complexion of the campaign may change completely.

[anne honemous]

Here's another way of looking at it. Despite our perceived poor / mediocre performances quite often of late, if you look at the table - had we held on against Rotherham and won at Rochdale instead of that late horror show, we would actually now be joint 8th in the table.

So, changing nothing in our season bar about 5 minutes of it in two separate games, we'd be pushing a play off place. How would people be feeling then? Like we were stealing a place in the top 10 or that we had battled well to earn it? If we can get some good wins next month against struggling sides the entire complexion of the campaign may change completely.

That's all well and good, however, if Lawlor hadn't made a really good save against Pompey in stoppage time or if Milton Keynes had took their chances yesterday, we'd be in/very close to the relegation zone.

So we are where we are...

[Retdon1]

The football we're playing is awful to watch though. Reminds me of the tripe that used to get served up under dickov

[Chris Black come back]

Are we actually getting any better?

Well aye. We’re averaging 1.15 ppg now.

At League One level with our club our previous manager does have a better PPG ratio than our current manager - so the question is valid as to whether we have actually moved on (noting again that we got relegated in the interim)?

Ha ha
Brilliant

This is an objective fact that cannot be dismissed.

The League One history of our recent managers in this league, updated to reflect the latest results.

Ferguson has now surpassed Dickov in terms of games in League One that he has managed at Rovers.

Dean Saunders - 26 games and 50 points - 1.92 points per game
Brian Flynn - 20 games and 34 points - 1.70 points per game
Sean O'Driscoll - 86 games and 135 points - 1.56 points per game
Dave Penney - 97 games and 140 points - 1.44 points per game
Paul Dickov - 52 games and 67 points - 1.28 points per game
Darren Ferguson - 55 games and 58 points - 1.05 points per game

[dickos1]

I'm laughing at your changing your argument now from this season to his overall record, because this season is now higher than the ppg you constantly bang on about.
I'm also laughing at the fact you're comparing a manager who took over a championship side to a manager who took over a struggling league one side

[Chris Black come back]

Enjoy your Sunday comrade.

[anne honemous]

Are we actually getting any better?

Well aye. We’re averaging 1.15 ppg now.

At League One level with our club our previous manager does have a better PPG ratio than our current manager - so the question is valid as to whether we have actually moved on (noting again that we got relegated in the interim)?

Ha ha
Brilliant

This is an objective fact that cannot be dismissed.

The League One history of our recent managers in this league, updated to reflect the latest results.

Ferguson has now surpassed Dickov in terms of games in League One that he has managed at Rovers.

Dean Saunders - 26 games and 50 points - 1.92 points per game
Brian Flynn - 20 games and 34 points - 1.70 points per game
Sean O'Driscoll - 86 games and 135 points - 1.56 points per game
Dave Penney - 97 games and 140 points - 1.44 points per game
Paul Dickov - 52 games and 67 points - 1.28 points per game
Darren Ferguson - 55 games and 58 points - 1.05 points per game

The only problem with that is those managers had a squad in different eras and under different circumstances.

SOD, and to a lesser extent DP, had an ambitious chairman throwing money behind them to achieve success whereas now we've opted for a different approach where quite clearly we're no longer one of the big spenders in the division.

For a new club recently promoted to this league, we're not doing badly. Does anyone want to swap places with Plymouth, for example?

The fact we got relegated in the first place is another argument altogether...

Nevertheless, things do have to improve in January - and that means our directors putting their hands in their pockets to give DF the opportunity to strengthen in the areas where we must do, and DF's recruitment also needs to be better than it has been.

[RoversAlias]

CBCB, Dickos...get a room lads.

[phil old leake]

I agree with donnywolf. Alfie Beestin changed the game yesterday. I’m hoping he starts to get more game time.  I expect him to start at Rochdale and hope if he has a good game he plays against scunny

[The Red Baron]

The football we're playing is awful to watch though. Reminds me of the tripe that used to get served up under dickov

When we try and play a measured passing game I agree, it is awful. When we up the tempo, like we did second half yesterday and second half v Southend, we don't look bad at all. There's a lesson there...

[mrfrostsdad]

Here's another way of looking at it. Despite our perceived poor / mediocre performances quite often of late, if you look at the table - had we held on against Rotherham and won at Rochdale instead of that late horror show, we would actually now be joint 8th in the table.

So, changing nothing in our season bar about 5 minutes of it in two separate games, we'd be pushing a play off place. How would people be feeling then? Like we were stealing a place in the top 10 or that we had battled well to earn it? If we can get some good wins next month against struggling sides the entire complexion of the campaign may change completely.

Here's another way of looking at it. Despite our perceived poor / mediocre performances quite often of late, if you look at the table - had we held on against Rotherham and won at Rochdale instead of that late horror show, we would actually now be joint 8th in the table.

So, changing nothing in our season bar about 5 minutes of it in two separate games, we'd be pushing a play off place. How would people be feeling then? Like we were stealing a place in the top 10 or that we had battled well to earn it? If we can get some good wins next month against struggling sides the entire complexion of the campaign may change completely.

That's all well and good, however, if Lawlor hadn't made a really good save against Pompey in stoppage time or if Milton Keynes had took their chances yesterday, we'd be in/very close to the relegation zone.

So we are where we are...

1) But we didn't
2) Exactly Anne

We are where we deserve to be

[RoversAlias]

And there is the glass half empty. No we didn't but I'm just demonstrating how close to being in a totally different position we are. The league is very close even after 20 games of the season.

[dickos1]

Some people will always take the negative viewpoint

[drfchound]

Are we actually getting any better?

Well aye. We’re averaging 1.15 ppg now.

At League One level with our club our previous manager does have a better PPG ratio than our current manager - so the question is valid as to whether we have actually moved on (noting again that we got relegated in the interim)?

Ha ha
Brilliant

This is an objective fact that cannot be dismissed.

The League One history of our recent managers in this league, updated to reflect the latest results.

Ferguson has now surpassed Dickov in terms of games in League One that he has managed at Rovers.

Dean Saunders - 26 games and 50 points - 1.92 points per game
Brian Flynn - 20 games and 34 points - 1.70 points per game
Sean O'Driscoll - 86 games and 135 points - 1.56 points per game
Dave Penney - 97 games and 140 points - 1.44 points per game
Paul Dickov - 52 games and 67 points - 1.28 points per game
Darren Ferguson - 55 games and 58 points - 1.05 points per game

The stats do prove however that DF’s L1 record with us is the worst in recent years.
Irrespective of where the teams are,or were when when each particular manager came in they get the plaudits if it goes well and the brickbats if it doesn’t.

[dickos1]

Surely it's not as black and white as that, if a manager brought us down from the league above kept his job and we were favourites to get promoted. He surely should be expecting to have a much more successful season than a side that's just got promoted from the league below?
It's just common sense

Dickov left us about 18 places lower than when he took over, I'm not sure we've ever been 18 places lower under ferguson from where he took over.