Let's talk about the Fleetwood game

[selby]

   At the Keepmoat earlier in the season they came and gave us a shoeing, doing a right job on us on and off the ball, and we ended up on the wrong end of a heavy 4-0 defeat.
  Their goalkeeper Cairns has always looked a good player to me, and in Wallace they have the opposition player who has impressed me the most with his display at the keepmoat this season, where he was central to most of the good things Fleetwood did in the game, Marney and Holt also knowing their way around a football field.
  Husband an old favourite of ours is also there but did not feature in the squad at Bristol, and the player who is the most controversial Ched Evans was sent off so may not feature although Barton,who was also dismissed has alluded to appealing the decision, so whether he is missing who knows at this stage.
  Any injury news is of course not known at this time, and I would make no  changes to the line up if everyone is match fit as I expect another very disrupted physical game.
   If we can overcome, and match them at that side of the game, and impose our game on them we are well capable of getting something out of the match, and although we have played fairly well at the Keepmoat lately, our best displays have been in away matches in my opinion, when the home sides are more likely to play a more expansive game.
   Would you make changes?
   What approach do you see Fleetwood taking to the game?
   Now the dust has settled around Barton, is he the right person to manage a club at this level?
   Do you see R Wallace as their danger man?
   Lots to discuss please have your say?
   As an aside, other threads have discussed our sale of tickets for this game, some supporters thinking that the numbers are poor, people have other priorities at this time of the year, other people and things to spend their money on, doing their best for their family, children especially, and some older parents. Football is a sideshow to all those things, I am sure the supporters who don't go will be willing us to do well, and those that go will give their all supporting the team for them.
  Whatever you are doing over the Christmas Holiday I wish you all well a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and of course thanks for reading and contributing to these threads, and enjoy  your football.
   
   

[selby]

  If the appeal against Evan's sending off is turned down, his goals will be missed. him being their top scorer currently on 8 goals, although Madden has caused us problems in the past.

[the vicar]

There keeper is a Donny lad so wants to do us down just hope we play to our best

[Alan Southstand]

Well, for me, I would make changes, as I think that Oxford game will have taken something out of the players. Neither Wilks or Copps did much v Oxford, but not through lack of effort, so I would rest one of them with the other not playing the full 90. May back in for his workrate alone, including tracking back and helping the midfield 3, and Rowe coming on into that front 3 as well at about 60 mins.

In midfield, Kane is the worry, as he picked up a knock towards the end of the Oxford game and he may not be right. Hopefully, he is a good healer. Crawford not quite there for me and Blair ought to come back in as he is the better defender in there.

A game we have to try and get something from, but it will not be easy. We certainly owe them one after that debacle that was the home fixture.

Defence is as you were, unless Mason is fit again and Lawlor keeps his shirt.

[selby]

  I usually go along with you Alan but this time I differ, if they are all fit I would go along with the same team in both the next two games as starters, apart from probably Rowe and Wright at their best best,  they are all the best players and strongest players at the club.
  The next two pitches will be heavy, ball skills are needed to overcome the conditions, and we are playing sides that are Physical and strong. If changing Wilks I would prefer Blair up there to May as Wilks picks up wide of the front two, as was Coppinger who I would want to get on the ball more, and would want him to come inside more. Kane was well tracked at the weekend, and didn't show as much as past games, could that have been because Coppinger was not as close to him as usual during the game? they do play off each other.
   In away games Wilks however has been our main outlet, getting more space to run into, so I would go with him, Crawford also has played very well breaking up play in midfield and played very well at Bristol and Charlton. 
  Add Rowe, Wright, Blair, Mason and May for the odd cameo, and basically, at the moment with Marosi plus the starting eleven from Saturday they are the sum of players that are good enough to have a stab at a top six finish at the club, hopefully we will add in January some more quality players especially up front.
  My opinion of course, others may disagree.

[selby]

  Fleetwood  have won their appeal for the sending off of Evans and he is available to play against us Boxing Day so will be a big threat against us. They have experience and good players throughout their team, so we will have to be on our game, and not let them dominate the way we play like they did to us at the Keepmoat.
  The thing they did at the Keepmoat was to slow our play down, we must try and start quickly and play on the front foot,  and get the ball back quickly when we lose possession.
   How much we can get Kane and Coppinger on  the ball is key to our game, they make room for other players and can run past players with the ball in areas of the field that hurts the opposition, Crawford and Whiteman must hurry and close their midfield players down quickly, as they are well capable of being dangerous as was seen in the first game at the Keepmoat.
  Another good game in prospect, and we could have done for Evans to be unavailable, but something we will have to cope with on the day.
 

[selby]

  While walking the dog this morning I listened to Danny Kelly interviewing Graham Souness about his success at Liverpool and why he thought they did so well.
   His answer was they always had experienced players in their teams, proper misters who looked after the younger players on and off the field.
  It got me thinking how important Coppinger,Butler and Rowe are to us both on and off the field in the way they conduct themselves, three very committed players on the field of play, fit as they can be, and approachable to the fans.
   With most of our teams players at the start of their careers they cannot have any better examples to follow than those three in my opinion.

[idler]

I totally agree with that Selby. I imagine that if those three see a younger player letting promise go to waste they will try to direct them down the right path. They are certainly good examples of how to make a decent career out of football.
Andy Watson and Ben Muirhead would certainly have benefitted from someone like them advising looking after their potential careers in the game.

[Chris Black come back]

Unfortunately Andy Watson did have a very experienced Rovers old hand looking after his career.

[DearneValleyRover]

What Fleetwood did was target Kane and keep him out of the game, continually fouled the rest of the midfield, getting away with it due to poor officials. Funny thing was we still had enough chances to have won but we were woeful in front of goal. We need to get in their faces as like their manager I don’t think they have the discipline to cope with it

[Donnywolf]

Today there maybe Cards of the non Christmas type being given out at Highbury

This Ref was in charge at Stanley away and was not impressive - letting them Ref the Game. He has a history of plenty of Cards - even eclipsing the collection of the muppet v Oxford

Heres hoping for the best - and an extension of our good run.

[besty]

Really foggy over this way hope games gonna go ahead !

[Scooter]

A1 North is stacked up. Anyone know of any traffic issues to avoid?

[donnievic]

A1 North is stacked up. Anyone know of any traffic issues to avoid?

about 20 delays going over to dark side of hills

[donnievic]

Today there maybe Cards of the non Christmas type being given out at Highbury

This Ref was in charge at Stanley away and was not impressive - letting them Ref the Game. He has a history of plenty of Cards - even eclipsing the collection of the muppet v Oxford

Heres hoping for the best - and an extension of our good run.

you could hardly call ref a muppet on sat for dishing cards out,only thing he did wrong for me is should of been more cards,thought he was prettiness good apart from that in his 1st season in league football

[RoversAlias]

By the standards we are used to, the referee against Oxford was very good. And I agree he actually didn't give out as many cards as he perhaps could have.

[PDX_Rover]

The ref today is poor. That’s all I will say at half time.

[since-1969]

That’s 6 with out reply against a team we can stop making mistakes against .

[dknward2]

We just know how to play against these and doesn't help poor refs

[since-1969]

We look clueless .. fogs making more of an impact the we are !!

[MEGA1879]

£24 to watch that 🙄 no pies no drink and team don't turn up!!! Every one of them fans deserve there money back 🤔 absolutely shocking 😣😣

[DonnyOsmond]

Thought it was daft to go with same team as against Oxford.

[Alan Southstand]

Which is why I said the changes I would have made, above.

The manager said we’d 16 or 16 players and now 1 of them appears to be out (Blair). Need another midfielder, desperately, imo.

[vaya]

Perhaps a goalscoring one with experience of the Irish leagues.

[dknward2]

I'm guessing changes will be made for the next game no-one should be safe as these last 2 games some players in one or both games have not been good enough

GM should put the team line up on the board back at cantley park but not have a single name on then say impress me or don't expect your name up there

[Scooter]

In my opinion that’s our worst performance of the season. It’s a right trek. I’m cold and tired and now will have to listen to the “I told you, you should have stayed at home”

[Alan Southstand]

Vaya, the lad to which you refer is a front 3 player, not a middle 3 player. And yes, he would play when fit and available, but up top so pick who you’d drop - Copps or Wilks?

[vaya]

Not a clue Alan, team selection tends to fall under the remit of the manager, rather than outputs from an internet forum. I'm sure GM has a reasonable idea of what he wants to do and if he wants to play him in the front three or middle three.
Probably why he signed him, on reflection.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Just seen the goals and deary me, piss poor defending. Not being at the game it's difficult to comment but we know the players are collectively capable of better. I trust the manger to do whatever it takes to up the performance level again either with the current crop or by freshening things up.

It maybe a bad loss but there's no need for panic and lose your perspective on things. Pretty sure Guardiola won't be panicking.

[drfchound]

The last time we lost, at Charlton in the league, we went on a ten game run of games unbeaten.
The Notts County game was a reserve game, before anyone brings that one up.
Would we all be happy if that happened again.