Lets talk about the Rotherham game

[selby]

  Like many older fans,this fixture  brings back memories  good and bad from the past,and an admiration for Ronnie Moore as a manager in the lower leagues.
  Both teams in the recent past have had massive highs, matched with calamitous lows,and are both now trying to steady the ship and get ahead once more.The supporters of both sides having bumpy rides in the last three seasons after an upsurge when moving to two new stadiums,which are two of the best built by clubs of our size.
  A lot depends on this game,local bragging rights,can Rotherham improve their away form?can the Rovers carry on their improvement in form?What formations do we think will be employed by the teams?who are the players to watch out for in the oposition?
  A lot to think about guys and girls,hence the early post,if any Rotherham fans would like to join in please do,keep it clean and about the subject,just friendly banter.

[BigKeif]

I’ve a feeling Fergie will go 3-5-1-1 selby. Big game though I must admit, one we can’t go into playing lacklustre from the off. We need to go at them from the frat whistle kinda like we did against Portsmouth but then keep at them. The team I reckon he will go with is;

Lawlor

Wright
Butler
Baudry

Blair
Whiteman
Copps
Houghton
Toffolo

Rowe

Marquis

Subs; Marosi, Williams, mandeville, Amos, Mason, Ben-Khemis, Beestin.

[mrfrostsdad]

  Like many older fans,this fixture  brings back memories  good and bad from the past,and an admiration for Ronnie Moore as a manager in the lower leagues.
  Both teams in the recent past have had massive highs, matched with calamitous lows,and are both now trying to steady the ship and get ahead once more.The supporters of both sides having bumpy rides in the last three seasons after an upsurge when moving to two new stadiums,which are two of the best built by clubs of our size.
  A lot depends on this game,local bragging rights,can Rotherham improve their away form?can the Rovers carry on their improvement in form?What formations do we think will be employed by the teams?who are the players to watch out for in the oposition?
  A lot to think about guys and girls,hence the early post,if any Rotherham fans would like to join in please do,keep it clean and about the subject,just friendly banter.

I don't think any more rides on this game than any other league game. Local bragging rites? Do many Rovers fans really know Rotherham fans? It's not like it's the same town a la United/City United/Wednesday.
To me, it's just another game worth three points. And they are three points we need. We can't really afford another defeat like the Walsall one, or another performance like that.
Having said that, 1-0 to us will do anyway it comes 😄

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I've got a number of Rotherham supporting friends coming down for the game. 'Their Cup Final!'

They have a look of a poor mans Championship team with a couple of strong players plus Keifer Moore on loan. He is a real handful and has scored goals for fun.

We will have to be at our very best to win this one and we can't afford any more gifts.

[Scooter]

My bro in law is a Miller so yep all about the bragging rights for me. I was at Millmoor when they ruined our New Year’s Eve so it’s time for payback

[Jonathan]

  Like many older fans,this fixture  brings back memories  good and bad from the past,and an admiration for Ronnie Moore as a manager in the lower leagues.
  Both teams in the recent past have had massive highs, matched with calamitous lows,and are both now trying to steady the ship and get ahead once more.The supporters of both sides having bumpy rides in the last three seasons after an upsurge when moving to two new stadiums,which are two of the best built by clubs of our size.
  A lot depends on this game,local bragging rights,can Rotherham improve their away form?can the Rovers carry on their improvement in form?What formations do we think will be employed by the teams?who are the players to watch out for in the oposition?
  A lot to think about guys and girls,hence the early post,if any Rotherham fans would like to join in please do,keep it clean and about the subject,just friendly banter.

I don't think any more rides on this game than any other league game. Local bragging rites? Do many Rovers fans really know Rotherham fans? It's not like it's the same town a la United/City United/Wednesday.
To me, it's just another game worth three points. And they are three points we need. We can't really afford another defeat like the Walsall one, or another performance like that.
Having said that, 1-0 to us will do anyway it comes 😄

Seriously? I hope you're joking! Of course there's extra riding on this game. History, pride and sentiment all make this more than just another game.

Even though (relatively speaking) we have a lot of newer fans that won't be so familiar with seeing us play against Rotherham in recent times, I think it's really important that supporters are brought up to understand and appreciate the history of the club. The Rotherham rivalry is a part of that.

To write it off as "just another 3 points" sounds like a typical bland, empty answer that media trained modern footballers churn out like robots.

It's worth a bit more than that, which I hope will be reflected in the crowd numbers.

[anne honemous]

I think this will be the first of quite a few installments of the old South Yorkshire derby, because neither ourselves or Rotherscum look like we're going anywhere for at least a couple of years.

If any of their fans actually genuinely believe they can win promotion this year, they're even more stupid than what I first thought.

Right now, it pains me to say that they're probably slightly ahead of us in terms of strength in depth in the squad and ambition and they've done well to avoid dropping like a stone through this league, considering how appalling they were in the Championship last season.

But make no mistake about it, if we play to our potential and hit the standards that we know we're capable of delivering, then we will beat them and we will beat them comfortably.

I just really hope that having started to put some sort of form together in recent weeks, we don't shoot ourselves in the foot and let standards slip.

[essexrover]

Looking forward to this one,as it's the 2nd of my sadly scarce visits to a home game this season ( last one was v Shrewsbury  'nuff said ! ).
The league positions would have us believe the Millers will be a difficult nut to crack, but they're only 7 points better off than us & over the last 5 games we have a better record than they do, so I have an optimistic feeling about this game. Keep Keifer Moore quiet & we've got a good chance of 3 points.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Frost Snr is from the wrong side of town.

If you'd spent your formative years in the Dearne Valley while Rotherham had Ronnie Moore and Tommy Tynan, and we had Gary Allinson and John Bukovina, you'd know why this matters.

[selby]

 Billy,with Barnsley, Rotherham was always the game we had to win for the vast majority of our fans.
    A lot of fans in the Dearne  Valley must all have had mates who supported the other clubs, the same as us from the north of Doncaster had the Weeds glory hunters. I think just how bad we were compared with them spurred us on in the pub arguments, of course we always looked forward to any finals they got to as they rarely won he he. or they finished an unlucky second in the table. The cricket season was more enjoyable at that time.

[Monkcaster_Rover]

Looking forward to this. Recently moved to Rotherham and a gaffer at my place is a big Millers fan so I don't particularly fancy coming into a load of jibes Monday morning.

1-1 draw. Rowe for us.

[selby]

  Looking on their board at least one of their players will miss this game because of having so many bookings,and they are unsure about a couple of others that may or may not have hit the required number for a suspension.
  The more the merrier I say.

[DearneValleyRover]

The Dearne Valley has the lot, Wendies probably the most then Barnsley, Weeds, Donny, Blades then Rotherham plus the armchair prem fans that are everywhere.

As to the game I think Moore is suspended or unavailable for them which will be a massive plus.

[Alan Southstand]

I believe they have a bigger squad than we do, so having the odd player out shouldn't be too much of a problem.
I hope he sticks with this 3-4-2-1 system, as it looks to be our best option at the moment.

[selby]

  Listening to Copps interview after the Ebbsfleet game it seams as if the players are more comfortable with that system of play A.S.
  At least the system gets our cleverer players in dangerous positions  by playing them further up field and more central.
  The team we have got has a number of players that can get past their markers.
   Rodney,Coppinger,Rowe,Mandeville,Blair,they can all do this in the right position,which should be in the oppositions half of the field.
   Toffolo has started to play well down the left,and Garrett is a young adequate cover,its down the right where we struggle,but Mason and Alcock have got to start and put a decent run of good games together and stop having one good and then a poor game.
  Most of the goals we have conceded lately have been goals a team in non league would not concede and have been mostly presents to the opposition,
that has got to stop if we want to improve our league position.

 

[The Red Baron]

The significant change for me is the switch from two out and out strikers to one. At Northampton, where we started with a 3-5-2, we were all over the place in the first half.

However with the 3-4-2-1 we seem more compact and confident. Also in Beestin and Mandeville we seem to have players who could play in the two behind the striker.

Just need to sort out the right hand side. Hopefully Wright will be back with Blair playing on the right of midfield. No doubt Whiteman will replace Kongolo, who is on international duty.

[ravenrover]

Could that be because we only have 1 fully fit striker at the moment? Tactics or just something that was forced upon DF?

[The Red Baron]

The formation seemed to do Ok at Arsenal but I think the Portsmouth and Walsall games were the tipping point. Against Portsmouth we had one striker and still managed to score twice. Against Walsall we started with two and didn't look like scoring this side of Christmas (apart from the Marquis sitter.) Then we abandoned the back three and shipped goals.

[drfchound]

Either way, i have also thought that we produce our best performances when we play with one out and out front man.

Some fans see it as a negative approach, i hear it in the South on a regular basis.

To me it is a positive approach as it allows the likes of Copps and Rowe to get into more advanced positions.

[GazLaz]

The significant change for me is the switch from two out and out strikers to one. At Northampton, where we started with a 3-5-2, we were all over the place in the first half.

However with the 3-4-2-1 we seem more compact and confident. Also in Beestin and Mandeville we seem to have players who could play in the two behind the striker.

Just need to sort out the right hand side. Hopefully Wright will be back with Blair playing on the right of midfield. No doubt Whiteman will replace Kongolo, who is on international duty.

We played this system last year as well at times.we played really well playing it at home once I seem to remember. Can’t remember who against though off the top of my head.

[DRFC-Hanksie]

Looking forward to this. Recently moved to Rotherham and a gaffer at my place is a big Millers fan so I don't particularly fancy coming into a load of jibes Monday morning.

1-1 draw. Rowe for us.

Worked in Rotherham on my sandwich year, 80% were Millers fans. How my Donny cup never 'accidentally' slipped off the worktop i'll never know.

I'm hoping we put our best into this performance, staying optimistic after the goalrush on Saturday and going for a 2-1 win here, Whiteman & Rowe to score. COYR!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Now confirmed all ticket. No cash turnstiles.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The club have just confirmed BV Bar will open at 10am Saturday.

[selby]

  Rotherham will be missing Mattock their regular left back,and their regular goalkeeper who is away on international duty.
  And they have sold 3600  tickets out of an allocation of 3916, a great effort for a televised game,and should sell out.
  Lets hope that our fans turn out in numbers for this game,and we play well in front of the cameras.
  Wright in for Alcock would be my only change,not exactly like for like but his aireal ability may be needed against their on loan centre forward.
  I am looking forward to this game,it will be another test of our improved form,lets hope we raise to the occasion after the disappointment  of the Walsall game.

[graingrover]

I understand that Moore has 4 league yellow and 1 FA cup yellow from last week.

[Monkcaster_Rover]

Chap at work reckons Jerry Yates has a good chance of starting.

[selby]

  Grainge,the Star news paper have reported he has only four and is eligable to play,although some of their supporters agree with you.
    He may have got away with one not being reported to the F.A. which would just be our luck.

[selby]

 The ticket office have said that home ticket sales are going well for this game,looks like we will have a decent crowd for this one,lets hope that we put on a good display for the floating supporters.

[roversam]

Chap at work reckons Jerry Yates has a good chance of starting.

jerry yates is a donny lad i know his grandad Norman Yates from my hexthorpe days he was a good footballer as well.

[selby]

  I can remember Norman,as you say he was a very good footballer and used to see him at Rovers home games at one time.
  It looks as if it will be a good  attendance tomorrow,lets hope the game and atmosphere come over well on T.V.
  I seem to remember that Norman argued with our youth coaches as to what treatment his grand kid was getting at the Rovers, what position he played or something and took him away to Rotherham. A case of one that got away perhaps.