Let's talk about the Hartlepool United game

[ncRover]

Let’s not forget Todd Miller. I assume in a 2 striker formation he’d be coming in for one of the front 2 off the bench? His pace could be useful there.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I'm quite excited to see the new lads and how they integrate into the team.

I'm hoping Lakin just gives us a bit more in midfield, as Close and Biggins both have to be on top of their game for us to be play well. If one of them (mainly Biggins) is slightly off it, we don't move the ball well enough and without the ball, the opposition get through us too easily.

With a traditional back four, I hope the full backs are more effective in stopping those crosses coming in early and too easily. Even if they hold their wingers up, it helps us get set defensively.

The bar doesn't have to go too much higher for us to convert the form into more wins. We are not far off being a top 7 team even if we accept automatic will be a stretch.

Our biggest enemies to date have been lack of concentration and belief.

[Chris Black come back]

I’m not sure Tom and Williams at the back is going to be what we need.

[Bailey Vickerage]

Pretty sure he will keep Anderson in. He's a good enough character to know he defended poorly last match and is likely to react in the right way. That's one of the the reasons he's been reinstated as team captain.

I expect Brown to start and possibly Lakin. Depends on the formation of course but he might go 4 3 3 just to make us more solid at the back. Get a foothold in the game and get alternate full backs and Biggins pushing on to support Miller and Lavery with Hurst given licence to come inside.

Mitchell

Brown
Williams
Anderson
Maxwell

Close
Biggins
Lakin

Hurst
Miller
Lavery.

I do agree with u about Anderson’s character and from listening to him in interviews he will know he was poor against Mansfield. I do think Olowu will come in tho so be interesting to see who it is for.

What makes u think we will be better defensively with a back 4 tho? Maxwell has been a lot better since DS has come in and played him further forward as a wing back and from what I’ve heard from Stockport and Blackburn fans about brown he’s the same. 

[Campsall rover]

I have never been a big fan of a back 3 and wing backs.
Fergie playing it with players not suited to that formation just about put me off it for life.
This current squad we have though is suited to that formation much more than any other we have had for a very very long time.

Brown and Maxwell will be better players in that system than a flat back 4 imo. Just as it was with Knoyle and Maxwell or if Rowe plays on the left it would suit him better. tR is not a full back in a 4 absolutely not and it has showed. Barrow away as an example. He went walkabouts.
No i would stick to a 3/5 at the back but definitely play 2 up top.
Hurst a free role behind the strikers.

[ncRover]

We have no defensive-minded midfielders either which I feel we’d need in front of just the 2 centre backs.

[scawsby steve]

If he starts with the team that started the second half at Mansfield, I think we'll rip Hartlepool apart. However, DS seems to me to be a bit of a stubborn kind of guy, so I'm not holding my breath.

[Campsall rover]

If he starts with the team that started the second half at Mansfield, I think we'll rip Hartlepool apart. However, DS seems to me to be a bit of a stubborn kind of guy, so I'm not holding my breath.

It wouldn’t be stubborn SS it would be stupidity imo.  If he doesn’t start Miller and Lavery tomorrow then I give up hope that this guy is the man that will take us up in 10 yrs let alone 2 yrs.

[drfchound]

Hartlepool had as many shots on target in their last league game, as we have in our last three league games.

Bit of a pointless stat though.

What was the quality of those shots like. Didn't help them win. A 30yrd hit and hope that ends up dribbling straight to the keepers feet is no better that a shot from 18 yards that whistles just past or connects with the post or is blocked off the line.

On that note if you hit the post does that go down as a shot on target or off target? I'm assuming off

Hitting the post or bar is classed as off target.
Ridiculously, shots blocked by defenders are also not counted as being shots on target, even if they are blocked on the goal line.

So  basically shots on goal stat can be a false one.
You could hit the bar 10 times in 1 match and have 3 shots cleared of the line, but the opposing team have 2 wild punts from the halfway line straight to the goalie and it will make it look  like they were the most dangerous team.

Has I said pointless stats unless you know the quality of the shots on goal

It amuses me that people quote on bbc etc stats and say we haven’t had any shots on target.
I remember a few years ago,I think it was against Shrewsbury, and we lost 1-0.
The goal came when a corner went directly into the net and later in the game Andy Butler made a brilliant goal line clearance after a shot had beaten our keeper.
After the match the stats said Shrews hadn’t had a shot in target.

[sedwardsdrfc]

I’m not sure Tom and Williams at the back is going to be what we need.

No it won’t be. Don’t think there is any combination that would though. 3,4 or 5 at the back we’ll concede a few for sure. Best trying to get support up to Miller and score more.

Not a great plan but until we can get new personnel the defence won’t work.

[Sammy Chung was King]

I think we need to start thinking about scoring some goals. The side is forever being set up not to concede. We don’t have the players in the side to keep clean sheets regularly. Play to the strengths of the team. Go for it attack.

[Donnybax]

We can’t play Anderson on either the left or right hand side of a back 3. He’s not mobile enough

[Chris Black come back]

Very strange that this is our first home game on a Saturday since 29 October (against Gillingham).

[adamtherover]

Very strange that this is our first home game on a Saturday since 29 October (against Gillingham).

surely thats got to be some sort of record?

[Campsall rover]

Very strange that this is our first home game on a Saturday since 29 October (against Gillingham).

1st home league game on a Saturday. We did play Kings Lynn in the FA cup on a Saturday.

Quite remarkable in the EFL  Not so much in the Premier League of course.

[selby]

  The result is all important today, we need a win whatever the performance

[Campsall rover]

  The result is all important today, we need a win whatever the performance

And on Tuesday v Tranmere Brian
We need to turn The Eco Power into a fortress for the rest of the season if we are going to make the play offs.
We have to start today.

[Jersey Rover]

Looking forward to today. Hoping Brown and Lavery start. Brown even with his cameo appearance last week looked like he has the attributes to become a fan favorite and Lavery looked very mobile up top with Miller. Hoping we play 2 up top and Lavery becomes a little more selfish and backs himself to score

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I'm really hoping there's a break out of football today so we can get away from politics.

There's a young lad who sits in front of me who clearly loves the excitement of being at a live football match. For whatever reason, he chose Rovers, not Man City, Man U, Leeds or Sheffield.

He was totally bemused and confused why fans were booing Tom Anderson but the look on his face when we score is what the joy of football is all about and reminds me why we love the game.

 COYR.

[Lesonthewest]

I'm quite excited to see the new lads and how they integrate into the team.

I'm hoping Lakin just gives us a bit more in midfield, as Close and Biggins both have to be on top of their game for us to be play well. If one of them (mainly Biggins) is slightly off it, we don't move the ball well enough and without the ball, the opposition get through us too easily.

With a traditional back four, I hope the full backs are more effective in stopping those crosses coming in early and too easily. Even if they hold their wingers up, it helps us get set defensively.

The bar doesn't have to go too much higher for us to convert the form into more wins. We are not far off being a top 7 team even if we accept automatic will be a stretch.

Our biggest enemies to date have been lack of concentration and belief.

Exactly this. I do believe there are signs that we could be a force in this league, the second half at Mansfield showed that. The players do look committed too & that will go a long way & with the fans support we might just make a push.

[Chris Black come back]

They’ve got horrendous away form. Lost 10 of their 14 away league games, and drawn 2. Their only 2 wins have been at truly awful sides in Rochdale and Crawley. This is a side that has horrific form on the road.

Giving this a nudge. They are very poor on the road.

[foxbat]

oh no

[Campsall rover]

They’ve got horrendous away form. Lost 10 of their 14 away league games, and drawn 2. Their only 2 wins have been at truly awful sides in Rochdale and Crawley. This is a side that has horrific form on the road.

Giving this a nudge. They are very poor on the road.

Wish you wouldn’t.  Kiss of death. 

We have to go for broke today. Attack attack attack.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Lavery and brown start. Molyneux and Seaman out.

[Thorney]

No Todd Miller???

[Chris Black come back]

Before today, Hartlepool had kept 1 clean sheet in their last 23 away league games in League Two.

[Campsall rover]

Before today, Hartlepool had kept 1 clean sheet in their last 23 away league games in League Two.

Told you it’s the kiss of death.
How many teams have we lost to that have been in a bad run or either home or away games.
We managed it yet again today.

To start any game and allow it to continue for virtually all 46 mins of the 1st half is shocking
To do it against a team as you say that has kept 1 clean sheet in 23 away games is nothing short of criminal

We should have been a team possessed. In for the kill.  We wouldn’t have killed a fly in that 1st half.
Any manager worth his salt would have the team fired up. He needs to get his act together  NOW.
If we have a repeat v Tranmere then our season is finished.  I am very concerned about his ability to coach and motivate. Certainly the latter.   There are no excuses today whatsoever.

Question. Is he a good coach but he needs an experienced top right hand man? Like GMS he probably is but is he good at man management and is he a motivator? Possibly not.
Gribble is not experienced and neither is Greeny.  Do we need an older head?
It looks very much that we do.
Would SoD have been as successful without RoK?

[roversdude]

Speechless can’t defend that performance

[mattco]

If you look at stats - shots 14 compared  to 5, on target 5 compared to their one, youbhave to ask how the hell we managed to lose it.

[drfchound]

If Hartlepool had put away those two very scoreable chances in the first half it could have been much worse.