Let's talk about the MK Dons match

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Just dawning on me that it'll be the first opening home match I've missed in 15 or more years! Probably plenty of you may be longer! There's many senses, rituals and feelings that can't be reproduced watching on a TV and it's days like today that tells us there's no substitute for live football.

If I can sneak in, I'll be very quiet, I promise!

[Campsall rover]

Just dawning on me that it'll be the first opening home match I've missed in 15 or more years! Probably plenty of you may be longer! There's many senses, rituals and feelings that can't be reproduced watching on a TV and it's days like today that tells us there's no substitute for live football.

If I can sneak in, I'll be very quiet, I promise!

Can’t remember when i last missed the opening game.

In fact i can, it was the infamous 97/98 season. Almost certain.
No it was season after as didn’t go to Dover in Conference.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Two loan strikers start today. Must be good to bench fejiri...

[DonnyOsmond]

Two loan strikers start today. Must be good to bench fejiri...

Tulloch will probably be on the wing majority of the time.

[Rovers91]

West Brom fans think hes better on the wing rather than an out and out striker

[selby]

  It is a nightmare for every football supporter in the country being played out, people getting used to watching on ifollow and having a decent experience is now a requirement as well hopefully the team having a good start to the season if only to create that bit of extra interest when supporters can attend.

[selby]

  I have just seen the lineup for the game, and the manager has gone heavily for the loanees up front, nice to see James back in at left back and if our defensive unit play as well this season as they finished last season, we have a good foundation.
  Our bench also looks strong, and a couple of weeks ago I guess most of us would have expected Lokilo, Copps, and Fejiri Okenabirhie, to be certain starters, and is hopefully a sign of just how we have strengthened in the last week, Jones our MOM in midweek also on the bench, but has earnt the respect and trust of most of our supporters.

[Chris the Rover]

I’m starting to get a bit twitchy - about the game itself but also hoping ifollow behaves. This is my first opening home game miss in 60 years 😢

[since-1969]

Lucky point it could have been worse if MK Dons had been a decent side .

[EasyforDennis]

Lucky point it could have been worse if MK Dons had been a decent side .

Sorry to say but after the hype of new signings this week we were very lucky to get a point a point today.

[Campsall rover]

Disappointed we didn’t win but a fair result.
MK look a decent side and had more efforts on goal than we did.

Our usual home draw on first day of the season.

Gomes was excellent. Richards a bit quiet I thought.
Taylor end product missing again. He is such a frustrating player as could be a consistent match winner with better balls into the box.

Work in progress. 1st point on the board. Onwards and upwards.

[drfchound]

Lucky point it could have been worse if MK Dons had been a decent side .

MK were a decent side.

[selby]

  The classiest player on the field was the oldest, we had our class act sat on the bench because of his age and playing earlier in the week, To put Williams on before Coppinger when you need to control the game I have no idea why.
  Very early days and the young players have to settle in,the back four playing well, but the only part of the team that was experienced and had played together before,but to me that is even more of a reason to play Coppinger near the end of the game to shut it down.

[Magicman]

We need a midfielder general as for most of the game they ran all over us in the middle, we need someone to cause sparks for the front players. it is a good job we have a decent defence or it could have been embarrassing.

[DonnyOsmond]

I haven't seen much positive from Williams so far. Not gonna write him off yet though.

[Campsall rover]

Agree Brian i did expect to see Copps when he took Taylor off.

Maybe he had a bit of a knock and didn’t want to risk him.

[idler]

I think that he preferred the legs and mobility of Williams to the experience and guile of Copps.

[Filo]

Centre midfield enforcer required in my opinion

[graingrover]

Agree we missed the General though we have two very skilful new men in JJ and Tulloch .  This was first time this eleven have played so how someone can start a thread with that heading makes you despair. Some folk are simply defeatist and I hope they don't manage a team whatever the job in hand.

[Chris Black come back]

Taylor great player but needs to do much more with his possession.

[scawsby steve]

Quality holding midfielder desperately needed next week. In the first half our midfield was hopelessly over-run. It was like a knife through butter.

Someone said in Lucky Pint our keeper wasn't challenged. He must have been watching a different game to me, because I saw Bursik make 3 excellent saves in the first half.

Couple that with 2 absolute sitters that they missed, and we could have been on the end of a tousling today.

Very, very lucky point. The MK Dons fans must be sick.

Having said that, I'm confident DM will improve it, but he's got a hell of a lot of work to do.

[Alan Southstand]

You defend from the front, at least to begin with, and we didn’t do that at all. They had the freedom of the kms, but couldn’t see us off.

Defensive midfield partner for Ben now required. Charlton up next.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Well DM asked a lot of the young ones and perhaps asked too much to be all thrown in at once.

Plenty of individual talent and at times you can forgive their naivety. Given all that, did anyone else shout at the TV when Taylor made some really poor decisions when he should know better.

We all know 1-0 was a precarious scoreline. Who better to bring on than Copps for the last 10-15 mins. Like many, I was gobsmacked that he didn't bring him on.

A piece of brilliance from them got the equaliser just as you though we were defending well.

I'm not sure how much MK Don's can improve but we can improve a hell of alot.

A bit hard to judge the new lads on that showing. Perhaps a bit disappointed with Richards who seemed to lose his purpose in the second half and was letting the game and players pass him by for a while. Perhaps ran out of gas.

Gomes sometimes lost the ball too easily too or didn't get possession when he should have done but did some other things, including the goal, very well. Needs to be more consistent to be alongside Whiteman. We know he can do it.

Not sure if Tulloch and John-Jules yet fully appreciate the commitment required in men's football and the discipline you have to have. Possibly playing in an empty stadium makes it seem like an U23s match than a tough League One match. I hope they learn quickly.

Lots of work for DM on the training pitch to find the right balance and combinations.

[Chris Black come back]

Gomes was largely good today.

[DonnyOsmond]

You defend from the front, at least to begin with, and we didn’t do that at all. They had the freedom of the kms, but couldn’t see us off.

Defensive midfield partner for Ben now required. Charlton up next.

Even if we're playing 4-3-3 this season?

[Alickismyhero]

Plenty of room for improvement in that performance. After the last game I expected more from Taylor especially with the old feller Lewington at the back. We clearly lost it in midfield and had to defend very deep.

A very good side MKD and they exposed us with our 4 new  players making their debut. Our captain was brilliant along with the back four. I counted at least 4 times our keeper kicked the ball straight  out of play.

On the whole a performance that gave an indication of what we can expect in the future, I still think its looking good but we were lucky to get a point today.

[Campsall rover]

Agree we missed the General though we have two very skilful new men in JJ and Tulloch .  This was first time this eleven have played so how someone can start a thread with that heading makes you despair. Some folk are simply defeatist and I hope they don't manage a team whatever the job in hand.

Couldn’t have put it better graingrover.  I really do despair at what some people post after a match we don’t win. Almost as if we have a divine right to win especially at home. 
Someone actually posted that we were expected to steam roller MK Dons.
Which planet are they from?

[EasyforDennis]

Agree we missed the General though we have two very skilful new men in JJ and Tulloch .  This was first time this eleven have played so how someone can start a thread with that heading makes you despair. Some folk are simply defeatist and I hope they don't manage a team whatever the job in hand.

Not really sure what you are talking about. Who is the General? and the post was started 3 days ago so why would it make you despair? Next week there will be a post headed "Let's talk about the Charlton game"

[NickDRFC]

Agree we missed the General though we have two very skilful new men in JJ and Tulloch .  This was first time this eleven have played so how someone can start a thread with that heading makes you despair. Some folk are simply defeatist and I hope they don't manage a team whatever the job in hand.

I’m guessing this is a senior moment and your post was meant to be a reply to my “bucket of cold water” thread. There’s been a great deal of optimism in here the last week or so and rightly so with the signings we’ve made but that didn’t translate to a performance on the pitch today. If we’ve got any intention of getting promoted we will have to play much better; I don’t think saying that is defeatist or in any way indicative that I can’t lead a team (not that that has anything to do with anything!). I’d hope that Moore will speak to the squad after today and tell them that it’s simply not good enough for what we’re hoping for - is that defeatist? Or do you think he’d come back to the dressing room and say “brilliant lads, let’s keep drawing at home to teams who’ll probably end up in the bottom half and that’ll see us right at the top end of the table”?

[since-1969]

Lucky point it could have been worse if MK Dons had been a decent side .

Yes your right ...so we got away with a point !




MK were a decent side.