Good effort but we saw it coming..

[wing commander]

   Just a few points on Saturdays match,all in all it was a good effort but we certainly have a way to go yet.DF said we controlled the match and deserved the win.He was right,we did control most of the game but did we deserve to win??? We created pretty much nothing in front of goal.Yes we had a good penalty shout but not much else.If you analyse the chances in the match it would be hard to Argue that Rotherham didn't create much more even with the limited possession they had...
   We were hanging on at the death,we got lucky just before 90 minutes were up when they hit the post and missed the follow up (great defending).
   For me we didn't need to make any substitutions,we were controlling the game and they were creating very little.As soon as we started taking creative players off and replacing them with defensive players,we naturally started playing deeper and inviting them on to us...
   You cant fault the lads effort and things are looking a lot better than a month or so ago but we need to wise up in the last 15 minutes of matches.They are costing us dear..

[mushRTID]

The Coppinger substitution annoyed me, again.

He was our best player I thought and with no midweek game what harm would another 10 minutes or so do?

[since-1969]

Why after making a song and dance about Williams staying then putting him on the bench ( more than once) he didn’t put him on , as clearly Marquis is just not effective at the present and his overall game is not up to League 1 standard . He can score from 3 ft but can’t win a header or even keep good possession to help get other up the pitch .

[wing commander]

   Whilst I didn't think Marquis played well,we certainly didn't help him one bit.When you play one up top what you have to do is break quickly and support him.That didn't happen and to many times he was up against 2 Or even 3 on his own.And when he did win it he had to check back and any momentum vanished.I would have swapped Blair for Williams and kept Coppinger on as well.He didn't look tired and from that moment on we lost all creativety...

[ctay]

I thought Marquis did well Saturday, I am not his biggest fan but he worked hard.

Copps didn't have his best game, but to be honest the ball was in the air far to much for him to make any impact.

I thought as a team we worked really hard, but we did waste time from 80 minutes onwards which kind of lead to our downfall.

Mention for Jordan Houghton, thought he did really well yesterday in a game which bypassed a number of midfielders. Showed his grit and determination.

Draw was probably about right, but we should have had a penalty in the first half.

[oggycompton]

I thought Marquis was outstanding personally. Never stopped running and harassing that back 4.

[steve@dcfd]

Why after making a song and dance about Williams staying then putting him on the bench ( more than once) he didn’t put him on , as clearly Marquis is just not effective at the present and his overall game is not up to League 1 standard . He can score from 3 ft but can’t win a header or even keep good possession to help get other up the pitch .

Having watched the development side last Tuesday neither Williams or Mandeville deserve  a place in the starting line up. Yes they scored but they should have but their overall play was poor compared with the young lads they were playing with. Have got say having watched Mandeville when he played with Jack McKay he has gone backwards or he believes he’s above development level now.

[jamesrover17]

Houghton was the best player on the park for me

[BillyStubbsTears]

Why after making a song and dance about Williams staying then putting him on the bench ( more than once) he didn’t put him on , as clearly Marquis is just not effective at the present and his overall game is not up to League 1 standard . He can score from 3 ft but can’t win a header or even keep good possession to help get other up the pitch .

It was a bit of psychology. Ferguson had inherited Williams. He clearly doesn't rate him, and it's hardly surprising - if Williams had done anything remotely close to earning his wage in the second half of 15/16, Ferguson would have one relegation fewer in his CV.

So Ferguson tried to get shut this summer. But Williams didn't go. So we're stuck with him. So Ferguson tries a bit of psychology - saying how impressive he's looked in training and what a bonus it'll be for us if he gets his mojo back.

But he hasn't got his mojo back has he? He's looked like a fish out of water when he's made it into the pitch. So, when given the opportunity to pick Williams, Ferguson (who has a pretty tidy track record of nurturing strikers) has preferred,
a) a raw lad from Tier 8
b) a very inconsistent, lightweight kid
c) no-one

Can't honestly say I blame him.

[rtid88]

The Coppinger substitution annoyed me, again.

He was our best player I thought and with no midweek game what harm would another 10 minutes or so do?

Copps was absolutely blowing out of his arse tbf just before he was brought off, correct decision IMO

[silent majority]

The Coppinger substitution annoyed me, again.

He was our best player I thought and with no midweek game what harm would another 10 minutes or so do?

Copps was absolutely blowing out of his arse tbf just before he was brought off, correct decision IMO

He actually signalled to come off. Mandeville wasn't ready and was still putting his shirt on whilst stood on the touch line.

[turnbull for england]

He chased back across the pitch to get a foot in, that was him spent and he knew it. Signalled to come off  so he wasnt a liability  in the last ten when it was most likley going to be backs against it

[BillyStubbsTears]

Well it's Ferguson's fault for not getting him fitter then.

[GazLaz]

Well it's Ferguson's fault for not getting him fitter then.

Once the legs go there’s only so much you can do.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Shite Gaz. And bloody shite Ferguson.

[Super Colin Cramb]

I thought Marquis was outstanding personally. Never stopped running and harassing that back 4.

Marquis was awful, never wins a header and the ball bounces off him. Alone striker needs to hold the ball up and get others involved. As for none stop running I could do that. He needs a stint on the bench as he is clearly out of form.

[mushRTID]

Ok I take it back, I didn’t see him signal to come off.

[ctay]

Marquis was the sky man of the match Saturday, think Blair got it in the ground.

My main grumble with Marquis has been his work rate but that couldn't be faulted Saturday.

[Bezza]

Marquis did ok, battled well and got very little service.

[wing commander]

  Interesting that..I didn't notice Copps was struggling that badly..I guess that ends the argument on whether he can play 90 minutes then..

[mrfrostsdad]

I thought Marquis was outstanding personally. Never stopped running and harassing that back 4.

Marquis was awful, never wins a header and the ball bounces off him. Alone striker needs to hold the ball up and get others involved. As for none stop running I could do that. He needs a stint on the bench as he is clearly out of form.

Don't disagree with you Colin, but who would you play in his place?
May is injured and IMHO is better when he comes off the bench, Mandeville doesn't seem to have made the progress we hoped he would and Williams isn't wanted here, full stop

[RedJ]

  Interesting that..I didn't notice Copps was struggling that badly..I guess that ends the argument on whether he can play 90 minutes then..

Not really. Some games will be harder on him than others, some weeks he'll be blowing out his arse at the hour mark and others he'll go the distance without a problem.

[walter the red]

Why do our forwards look like Snow White's Dwarfs ( are the booked for Panto this Xmas ) ?
Rotherham's back four looked like they had come from the " Land of the Giants
Oh for a big bustling centre forward ,seems ages since we had one ( Leo fortune West ? )

[drfchound]

Chris Brown.

[roversdude]

Can’t understand why Whiteman was stripped off ready to come on only to told to sit back down

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Why do our forwards look like Snow White's Dwarfs ( are the booked for Panto this Xmas ) ?
Rotherham's back four looked like they had come from the " Land of the Giants
Oh for a big bustling centre forward ,seems ages since we had one ( Leo fortune West ? )

Do you have to be a giant to play football? Best way to play is on the deck. Always has been, always will be.

[RedJ]

Well yes, but that doesn't mean never crossing the ball in at a height. And more often than not, a taller striker has a better chance of reaching that than a smaller one.

Unless he has rocket boots like Coppinger seems to have at times.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Depends on the quality of cross and the movement and positioning of the striker. We don't see enough early crosses played at a pace where the defenders have little time to react. Hayter and Heffernan were good headers of a ball but rarely jumped from a standing start. Billy is another who's positioning and anticipation more than makes up for height.