So: how good would you have to be..........

[mrfrostsdad]

To get promoted out of this division?

I missed the first game through work, but having been to the last three home games, I can't believe how poor the standard is. It's dive bombed since our last promotion only two and a half years ago, and since our first promotion to the Chamionship the standard is absolutely dire.
I've not seen a decent team yet this season, and that includes us. Southend: rubbish. Fleetwood: absolute crap. Oldham: tosh. And yet here we are, languishing third from the bottom. The standard is absolute rubbish and we're struggling.

I reckon any team who is anything like averagely consistent will win promotion. If we want to be anywhere near the play offs we have an awful lot of improving to do

[idler]

We look disjointed. There is very little cohesion between the units, there is still no regular pattern to our play. Well not a positive one.

[dickos1]

Every time were in this league people say it's a rubbish standard compared to last time
It's not, it's just when you've come down from the championship there's a massive difference.
The first Time we were in this league we'd never been in the championship so thought the league 1 was good because all we'd known was league 2

[glosterred]

A damn site better than we are now, that's for sure

COYR

[Sammy Chung was King]

The midfield is our major problem, you can't play Wellens, Coppinger and Keegan in a midfield and expect energy.
Whether Gobern is the long term answer to replace Keegan, he needs a few games to integrate, N'Guessen could be used wide right to give more drive to the team, and play Coppinger just behind Williams, but i would prefer N'Guessen nearer to Williams.
We badly miss a player that gets beyond the opposition back four, plenty of energy, a bit of quality, someone who gets the rest of the side moving.

[GazLaz]

The midfield is our major problem, you can't play Wellens, Coppinger and Keegan in a midfield and expect energy.
Whether Gobern is the long term answer to replace Keegan, he needs a few games to integrate, N'Guessen could be used wide right to give more drive to the team, and play Coppinger just behind Williams, but i would prefer N'Guessen nearer to Williams.
We badly miss a player that gets beyond the opposition back four, plenty of energy, a bit of quality, someone who gets the rest of the side moving.

We need tempo, and that comes from the speed the ball moves not the speed players move. One, two, three touches maximum. Any more than that and it slows the game down too much.

[DRFCSouth]

I looked at the league before the start of the season and thought anybody would fancy their chances as there weren't many stand out teams. Still think with the right manager this squad could be sniffing the play offs. You only have to look at who is top to see its there for the taking if you put a run together.

[RedJ]

If we get somebody on a hot streak in front of goal we could potentially absolutely piss it.

But that's easier said than done - otherwise everyone would be a manager.

[IDM]

To get promoted out of this division?

Better than the 21 other teams?

I don't get the argument about the standard of the league.  OK we are not near our best yet, but what are you judging the other teams against?  Have you seen all 24 play for 90 minutes several times?

This league has the teams ranked 45-68, on merit.  Just because we are not seeing great quality at Doncaster, doesn't mean the rest are crap?

[Copps is Magic]

The midfield is our major problem, you can't play Wellens, Coppinger and Keegan in a midfield and expect energy.
Whether Gobern is the long term answer to replace Keegan, he needs a few games to integrate, N'Guessen could be used wide right to give more drive to the team, and play Coppinger just behind Williams, but i would prefer N'Guessen nearer to Williams.
We badly miss a player that gets beyond the opposition back four, plenty of energy, a bit of quality, someone who gets the rest of the side moving.

Sammy, yesterday really doesn't support what you're saying. Coppinger and Wellens are still the only players in our squad with a modicum of technical ability. We will get no where near the ball in an attacking sense without them on the pitch. WE HAVE pacey attacking players on the pitch who can break the line in the form of Evina and Stewart, but without Wellens and Copps on the pitch they won't get a look on.

We need someone to break up play, technical players to control the ball and get it moving and attack from there.

It's absolutely premature to say Wellens and Copps shouldn't be playing as was the consensus a few weeks ago.

[Sammy Chung was King]

I wasn't at the game copps, but Wellens and Coppinger together in a midfield, the ability doesn't get much better at this level, but for them to influence things properly, they need young, energetic players who will do the running around them.
I know it seems like am comparing them to pensioners, in normal life they are still young guys, but in football it constantly renews itself, and pace for pace most  thirties onwards players won't beat seventeen to twenty odd year old for pace.
With experience though comes the knowledge of being in the right place most of the time, if Gobern isn't good enough, he needs some time yet, then we will need Keegan's long term replacement.

Also gradually bringing younger players in to long term replace Coppinger and Wellens, they have many strengths, but you need the right age balance in there.
Gobern we need somebody with a bit of size, decent passer of the ball who protects the back four, and covers the pitch quicker than Keegan, whether he turns out the player we are looking for give him time.
Whether you like Wellens, or the personality you see through the press, and having the impression he uses us as second best, he has been a fantastic player, and still can be at times in this league, the league above would suit how he plays better.

If we could get promoted somehow, you can retain technical players like him and Coppinger, just play them in certain games, conserve the energy they have for the games you most need them in.
At the moment we don't have younger Better' versions, so really the manager must play them, while trying to get the midfield working well together, we have lacked energy in there for some time.
Paul never got the balance right in there all the time he was here, it cost him consistent results, the problem is when you are manager is making the tough decisions for the good of the whole, you are dealing with human beings, not playing a computer game, not easy!.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Nostalgia these days is shite compared to what it was like back in the day.

[mrfrostsdad]

Seems I'm in the minority thinking the standard has gone down then. Ok, maybe it's me, but I just can't believe how poor the football is. Last season was pretty rubbish as well, but there were plenty of teams who looked good at the Keepmoat. Most of them looked a damn site better than us that is for sure.
Sammy, I think what you're trying to say in simple terms is: we have a lot of players who are (well) past their best. Don't think we have a single player with the exception of the BFG who could play at the next level

[Sammy Chung was King]

We do have too many past their best, the board will need to spend money on players somewhere, for me get them all at once, pay a fee if you have to, because if the long term it will pay off, and it will cost you less a lot of the time, than if you are a championship team and show interest.
The players i have mentioned in another thread, get them in on loan with a view to a permanent deal, get the fee agreed, and build a side rather than patching up all the time.