Negative Rovers

[dickos1]

The points you make with regards the subs are wrong, they were all over us because they had an extra man in the middle of the park, therefore we matched them with Keegan and this stopped the constant pressure we were under. Didn't cause it.
We're currently showing were more than an average mid table side as our points to game ratio is 3rd 4th best in the division.

[CJK]

Feck me, I thought we were terrible today. With the early goal it was easy to see that a team like that were there for the taking; we played really well in the first half an hour and threatened to extend the lead without actually creating any chances. Good to see Bennett more involved, Harper looked good in the middle and Hume worked tirelessly.

Now for the bad points. Paul Quinn, is he really a footballer? Can't pick a red shirt from ten yards away and can't really defend. I thought Husband looked very cautious, it was as if he had been told not to venture beyond the half way line until he had that run and shot in the second half. The amount of times we gave the ball away cheaply in our own half was worrying, I reckon it was near on half a dozen, a better team would have hit us hard with such generosity.

There doesn't appear to be much of a plan, if there is I can't see it. I don't know what Saunders is telling the team to do and I don't think they do either. Second half subs were questionable, Paynter off for Keegan was baffling, 1-0 at home with half an hour to go and you take the attacking outlet off, although tiring, and bring another midfielder on. Thankfully he evened it out ten minutes later and brought Brown on for Syers, luckily it didn't cost us but it easily could of done.

Would we have won the game without the penalty? Well no we wouldn't, there were no other clear cut chances, Hume's lob and Husbands break into the area were all we had to offer. Make no mistake on that performance Shrews will be relegation fodder.

All that considered its another 3 points closer to survival and that is the name of the game. I can honestly say that is the most underwhelming victory I have ever experienced. I honestly feel like we haven't won tonight.

[Sticky-Rover]

The only negative for me was that Cotts went down far too easily (not a fan of diving who ever it is), still we looked good everywhere else and probably would have won regardless. We would have lost in the 2nd half a few seasons ago.

I thought it would've been Keegan on for Syers as he was poor today but i thought packing the midfield was the correct thing to do as they were just going for it. It worked out in the end.

Lets keep the points rolling in nicely.

[DonnyNoel]

Would we have won the game without the penalty? Well no we wouldn't, there were no other clear cut chances, Hume's lob and Husbands break into the area were all we had to offer. Make no mistake on that performance Shrews will be relegation fodder.

I think early goals skew games too much though. Could we have won without the early penalty? Yes. Shrewsbury were so poor (my God what must L2 be like if they came up from it) that on the 3 or 4 occasions we actually tried to score a second we came very close.

I think we're still at the stage where the wins count more and we've shown we can canter to safety. What we need know is a concerted effort from the coaching staff to get us playing as a team and not just sending out our 11 best players in an "off the shelf" 442 and accept we're going to beat the crap teams and draw with most of the rest.

[Rios]

The points you make with regards the subs are wrong, they were all over us because they had an extra man in the middle of the park, therefore we matched them with Keegan and this stopped the constant pressure we were under. Didn't cause it.
We're currently showing were more than an average mid table side as our points to game ratio is 3rd 4th best in the division.

If I'm so wrong with the subs, why did we make the opposite sub barely ten minutes later?  Keegan (mid) for Paynter (att) and then Brown (att) for Syers (mid).  The first sub didn't work, hence why he had to change it when Shrewsbury were so on top because of the first change as we were sitting too deep with Harper and Keegan with no out ball.  He should have swapped Syers for Keegan initially (att mid for def mid) and then Brown for Paynter if the latter was tiring.

[ravenrover]

I thought that the Shrews actually had a go at playing football rather than the long ball that every other team has played against us. The problem they have is up front with no creativity, a bit like us really.
As I said previously we need to keep getting the 3 points, no matter how, to make the game in hand meaningfull

[Capmeister]

It doesn't help when everytime we make a backwards pass and retain possession the crowd moan and groan.
"get it forward" we have some very thick people sat in that stadium

These are probably the same people who cry that we're playing hoofball.

I forecast a win and the score on a little league a few of us have going in the west stand. Shrewsbury are poor. In comparison, we have some depth and quality for this league. The underlying problem is the same though, no midfield. Shrewsbury had far more possession but no cutting edge. Our midfield are awful. They never see the obvious pass. It's a travesty on what we had last season. I cant believe I'm saying this but Saunders has to be given time to embed his style. We've lost or drawn to most of the top sides so he's miles off a play off imo. He's playing off guts, passion and application at the moment. It's possible they can sustain it given the performance but Shrewsbury aint contenders and it's then when our second string will be tested.

[Dagenham Rover]

It doesn't help when everytime we make a backwards pass and retain possession the crowd moan and groan.
"get it forward" we have some very thick people sat in that stadium

These are probably the same people who cry that we're playing hoofball.

I forecast a win and the score on a little league a few of us have going in the west stand. Shrewsbury are poor. In comparison, we have some depth and quality for this league. The underlying problem is the same though, no midfield. Shrewsbury had far more possession but no cutting edge. Our midfield are awful. They never see the obvious pass. It's a travesty on what we had last season. I cant believe I'm saying this but Saunders has to be given time to embed his style. We've lost or drawn to most of the top sides so he's miles off a play off imo. He's playing off guts, passion and application at the moment. It's possible they can sustain it given the performance but Shrewsbury aint contenders and it's then when our second string will be tested.

Actually that says the total opposite towhat you are saying it suggests he is not that far off

[Capmeister]

I'll make it simpler for you Dagenham.................only 2 get auto promo. Crawley and Preston beat us. Preston comfortably. Stevenage took a point and we got a point against a toothless Sheff U, missing 2 key midfielders. They've now signed Kitson, our and possibly a lot of other clubs nemesis' when he gets into his cheating niggly stride. We've still to play Swindon, Notts co, blah, blah.......How does that mean we'll make promo or play offs? Your response should prove interesting!

[dickos1]

Kitson was already at sheff u. Results against other sides means nothing. We beat Southampton last year remember. So absolutely no point in looking at how we've done against this side and that side.
We played yesterday with a number of absentees and won. Great result.
With regards the subs, they worked because we won. Keegan was brought on to match their 5 in midfield brown came on for syers as he was shattered and Hume dropped back still keeping our 5 in midfield.

[Dagenham Rover]

Never did say we'll make the play offs or get automatic promotion, although it looks as if we have a fair old chance of the play offs


"We've lost or drawn to most of the top sides so he's miles off a play off imo."

Why are we miles off a play off place the very fact we are drawing against some off the "top" sides indicates we aren't far off.
Now shall we go and look at the table we are currently 10th on GD with a game in hand  17 points.

 Now I appreciate the game in hand points aren't in the bag but just say a draw 1 point that would take us to 8th having a worse GD than Notts County

Hardly miles off

Now just imagine if we had played and won the game in hand it would take us to 5th
presuming we won by an odd goal allowing for us to have the worse goal difference of the teams on the same number of points

Hardly miles off in fact right up there

On the same basis if we lost the game in hand by one goal we would be 10th exactly where we are....hardly miles off.

I think Deano's prioritys at the moment are to get rid of the losing mentality which slowly but surely happening

I'm not saying that we couldn't do with another couple or three players and to be honest I don't care how we win, ugly or pretty but I could do without the falling apart like the 2nd half yesterday (see comment on losing mentality)

[scuzzer]

Well Rovin Rover, I agree with you.  It was mind bendingly dull and negative in the second half compounded when we took off Painter and instead of a like for like swap with Brown we brought a defensive midfielder on in Keegan.  Result?  Shrewsbury camped on top of us as we didn't have a decent outlet meaning that Brown had to come on eventually.  Martis was outstanding and Harper, Spurr, Hume and Cotterill can all be happy with their days work.  Apart from a few stray kicks I thought Woods had a decent game too.  Thought Bennet (again!) and Syers were anonymous and I'm really not sure about Quinn as an attacking right back.

Oh and if my views are "negative" according to all you thought Police, then you kiss my fat, hairy arse.  I'm happy with the three points but if we're going to produce that sort of football every home game then it's going to be a long, long winter and if you all want to get all positive and fail to address our blatant failings then we'll stay where we are at the moment... an everage mid-table team who are happy with a dismal three points against one of the divisions also-rans!  (no offence Shrews fans, but you were sh*t... wouldn't mind stealing your right back off you though!)

That's the game i went to Rios, though i couldn't say i noticed the away fans, were they there? Not that ours were that much better.

Where has Kyle Bennet gone, his creative output the last couple of games has been absolutely abysmal and when he's creating nothing he just disappears from games?

[ravenrover]

To be fair to Master Bennett I thought he had a better game on Saturday. Still the wayward pass but he tracked back a lot and helped Husband out a few times.