Let's talk about the Crewe Alexandra game

[EasyforDennis]

Molyneux (without an a) contributed very little. The sooner he accepts the fact that he cannot beat the defender in front of him then he will be a much better player.
He could be a poor mans David Beckham if he concentrated on crossing the ball and taking shots anywhere near the area.
How many times did you see Beckham take a player on? Not many but he could certainly be relied on to get a good cross in or get a shot on goal!!

[dknward2]

He can take a player on, what he can't do is take on 2,3 players on his and the other wide players are better with quick 1-2 and whipping balls into the box

[ForsolongaRover]

He can take a player on, what he can't do is take on 2,3 players on his and the other wide players are better with quick 1-2 and whipping balls into the box

This was the first home game I've actually attended for over 2 years and looking in close up from the East stand towards the north end I got a close view of Fleming and Gibson. Gibson, about

[ForsolongaRover]

... Sorry - typing on Android!  So what I noticed was that Gibson was far more adventurous than he has seemed to be previously. Unllke those around he was prepared to carry the ball forward instead just taking the safe sideways option.
Until Crewe scored that excellent individual goal there seemed no spirit of enterprise at all.
Whereas the typical PL player is streaming with sweat and still out of breath at his post match interview., only a few of Rovers players really seem to put in that sort of effort. You could see Ironside running himself ragged in a 90 minute shift, but I do wonder why more effort is not demanded of the majority.

[mushRTID]

Anyone know what happened in the South stand and is the person involved ok?

[CottyRover]

Only realised there was an incident when I saw all the St John's ambulance people around. A lady was moved to gurney and taken away. Seemed unconscious. Another woman was really trying to have a go at someone. Don't know if this was connected. Not very helpful,  sorry

[Alan Southstand]

Apparently, DFP reporting there’s been another question about our free kick disallowed goal. It appears the analysts believe the free kick may have been over the line?

Not checked myself but they believe it would be very close if there was VAR in our league!

[scawsby steve]

Unbelievable that after all these years we’re still having Sharp spelt as Sharpe on here as well.

Don't forget Woods and Bramhall.

[drfchound]

Only realised there was an incident when I saw all the St John's ambulance people around. A lady was moved to gurney and taken away. Seemed unconscious. Another woman was really trying to have a go at someone. Don't know if this was connected. Not very helpful,  sorry

The first aid people were with whoever was laid out for over ten minutes but wasn’t able to see much of what was going on.

[Filo]

Apparently, DFP reporting there’s been another question about our free kick disallowed goal. It appears the analysts believe the free kick may have been over the line?

Not checked myself but they believe it would be very close if there was VAR in our league!

Don’t need VAR, just goal line technology

[dickos1]

Molyneux (without an a) contributed very little. The sooner he accepts the fact that he cannot beat the defender in front of him then he will be a much better player.
He could be a poor mans David Beckham if he concentrated on crossing the ball and taking shots anywhere near the area.
How many times did you see Beckham take a player on? Not many but he could certainly be relied on to get a good cross in or get a shot on goal!!

Contributed very little other than an assist.
His game is running at defenders and committing them, Beckhams game was getting early crosses in.
Totally different players

[Usher wide.]

I thought we played the first half as though we were a team that had just been promoted into Lg2.

Very tentative, Joe Olowu on the right of a back three always looking to play the ball back to Bailey or Sterry (if he’d wandered close enough to the half way line) yet when he was ‘brave enough’ (& as the home side we NEED to be braver on the ball in this division)  he carried the ball forward in that first period & found an outlet in Molyneaux.

Jay McGrath showed the way in getting the ball forward in that he was always playing with his head up & looking for that pass to set us on the front foot but, that first half was a dirge to watch.

Having said that, Crewe had the most inventive midfield & in that department we really struggled to impose ourselves. Broadbent to my absolute beside myself annoyance never once ‘showed himself’ to receive the ball from a throw in leaving Sterry the option of Molly or a throw back to Olowu…& repeat.

It wasn’t until they scored on 55 minutes that substitutes having been made we actually put them on the back foot. You can’t seriously think of dropping Sharp ( it is Sharp without the ‘e’ for Christ’s sake) because he hasn’t scored x amount of goals yet. He needs the clever, quick ball into him to show why he is & has been such a predator throughout his career & yes, as his manager at half time I would have ‘slapped his legs’ for getting himself into an offside position first half thus nullifying Gibsons excellent free kick.

When Ironside & Hurst came on (leaving Sharp & Moly still on the pitch) we really looked a force. Molyneaux’s run & pass inside was finished sublmely by Hurst & if only Kyle had gone for accuracy rather than power when the ball fell to him late on we’d be sitting at the top of the table tonight.

So we’re not the finished article, we certainly missed PK in midfield today & Crewe came, saw & could well have conquered so let’s settle for a point, learn & move on.

It is Molyneux without the “a” for Christ’s sake.

It’s the curse of predictive text & even when you’re ‘lost in your thoughts’ it’s absolutely unforgivable.

I’m the first to pull people up on getting Billy’s surname wrong so hands up.

I can only hope that in the fullness of time you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me NickDRFC. It would mean a lot.

[glosterred]

Just read in Donny free press, a stat from John Coyle, this was the first draw at home since the 0-0 game against Swindon on the 23 September 2023. Hadn’t realised we’d not seen a draw since then!


COYR

[EasyforDennis]

Molyneux (without an a) contributed very little. The sooner he accepts the fact that he cannot beat the defender in front of him then he will be a much better player.
He could be a poor mans David Beckham if he concentrated on crossing the ball and taking shots anywhere near the area.
How many times did you see Beckham take a player on? Not many but he could certainly be relied on to get a good cross in or get a shot on goal!!

Contributed very little other than an assist.
His game is running at defenders and committing them, Beckhams game was getting early crosses in.
Totally different players

Im not sure running at defenders and commiting them or in other words losing the ball to them is a very effective tactic.

[dickos1]

Molyneux (without an a) contributed very little. The sooner he accepts the fact that he cannot beat the defender in front of him then he will be a much better player.
He could be a poor mans David Beckham if he concentrated on crossing the ball and taking shots anywhere near the area.
How many times did you see Beckham take a player on? Not many but he could certainly be relied on to get a good cross in or get a shot on goal!!

Contributed very little other than an assist.
His game is running at defenders and committing them, Beckhams game was getting early crosses in.
Totally different players

Im not sure running at defenders and commiting them or in other words losing the ball to them is a very effective tactic.

Not sure what games you’ve been watching for the last year but if you don’t think molyneux has been very effective then you’ve got a problem

[Reg of the Rovers]

In the second half of last season Moly was immense, unplayable most games and was a huge reason we went on that run. It's fair to say he's not yet hit the heights of last season yet (same Ironside and Bailey) partly because teams know he's our danger man and double-up and play to try and stifle him. But he's still one of our most dangerous players and when fit (which he usually is) will always be one of the first names on the team sheet. At the Bristol Street games it was really noticeable how much less creative we were when he didn't play, and how much more lively we were when he came on.

[NickDRFC]

We’re talking about Moly being less effective but he still has 5 goals and 2 assists, the (joint) most goal involvements in the division. There was talk earlier in the season of him being top scorer which was/is never going to happen but even though he’s not been at full tilt he’s still been our most effective player.

[ForsolongaRover]

Molyneux (without an a) contributed very little. The sooner he accepts the fact that he cannot beat the defender in front of him then he will be a much better player.
He could be a poor mans David Beckham if he concentrated on crossing the ball and taking shots anywhere near the area.
How many times did you see Beckham take a player on? Not many but he could certainly be relied on to get a good cross in or get a shot on goal!!

Contributed very little other than an assist.
His game is running at defenders and committing them, Beckhams game was getting early crosses in.
Totally different players

Im not sure running at defenders and commiting them or in other words losing the ball to them is a very effective tactic.

Not sure what games you’ve been watching for the last year but if you don’t think molyneux has been very effective then you’ve got a problem

Molyneux had two men on him all the time in the second half. That means that there are only 8 outfield players to mark 9 of ours and we should be taking advantage of that. But I don’t think we did… Crewe were well organised and were quicker on to the offensive when they did get the ball.
We could do with a few more who are prepared to run at defenders because waiting for the defence  to open up in front of them is not going to happen. Too many are risk-averse. Fleming is usually more enterprising and the much-criticised Sterry is always a dynamic force. As I remarked earlier Gibson was also prepared to run at defenders.

As for time-wasting, Crewe were pretty average I’d say; no worse than Rovers in similar situations.