Teams finding us out

[Sammy Chung was King]

As we go into the second half of the season we are seeing teams adapting their tactics to stop us more. They have watched us play many times and worked out ways to restrict us while still retaining a chance of nicking a win!.
It was always going to happen teams at this level might not have a lot of resources but every teams staff, work very hard to improve their respective teams. We have seen these teams work out ways of beating teams higher up the leagues over the years, so it should be expected.

This part of the season is where Ferguson's tactical ability and team selecting will be severely tested. The players will need to be even more adaptable to play in the different formations and styles we will need to carry on getting positive results.
The transfer window comes at just the right time for us. We need the extra players who will come in to add a bit of unpredictability that we no longer have now teams have played us and watched us.

The recent run of not scoring as many and keeping clean sheets is a mix of teams knowing more about us. A bit of fatigue, our strikers not quite in the form they were earlier in the season and understanding building in our defensive players. Plus some work has been done on that side of the game you can see it.
Conor Grant is a great addition i honestly didn't think he would come back after being loaned into the championship with Ipswich!. He gives us many different options in the midfield. Centrally or cutting in from the right or wide left.

I see the manager bringing a keeper in as back up or competition. A left back the guy i have already mentioned i suspect will sign for us. May is an unknown quantity that we can exploit. Possibly the young guy Maddox from Chelsea. After that i wouldn't see any more coming in.
Today was another game of grinding a result out it wasn't pretty but we got what we wanted. Carlisle are pretty similar to us how they play. Not in the style of passing but more that they are a side that takes chances. Which at times leaves them wide open to a counter attack!.
That is the reason they have drawn a lot of games they should have won. Plymouth are a more technical side who can mix it a bit as well.
They are better defensively than Carlisle but don't have the same fire power as ourselves or Carlisle.

 I see it being tight for a while up there yet. I think Carlisle may be due a 'sticky patch'. Plymouth i wouldn't read too much into today. You had a highly motivated Barnet side playing for their futures, with all the speculation of big money being spent on players potentially, that has been mentioned.
The second half of this season i don't expect us to score as regularly as we have been doing. We will score plenty with the players and ability we have in the side, but not as many. As we hit this part of the season i expect the tactical and hard working nature of the side to be a winner for us more than the technical side.
Tight games that 'go to the wire'. Where the new players that Ferguson brings in could be the difference and the extra to 'push us over the line'!.

[SydneyRover]

"It was always going to happen teams at this level might not have a lot of resources but every teams staff, work very hard to improve their respective teams. We have seen these teams work out ways of beating teams higher up the leagues over the years, so it should be expected"

But surely the top teams are doing their homework too, and getting better marks?

[Filo]

There'll be no keeper, Etheridge will be brought back

[GazLaz]

Marko has improved massively I think. I was very sceptical earlier in the season but looks very confident at the minute. I'm not saying he's a world beater but looks fairly assured.

[bedale rover]

In three minds about yesterday
Either fergie wanted to play grant and felt that packing the midfield would work best or he wanted to confuse pompey or he was taking the opportunity to rest a couple of players
He needs to play Copps in the middle of the park to get the best out of the team
Too many good players and not enough places

[andyst79]

Marko has improved massively I think. I was very sceptical earlier in the season but looks very confident at the minute. I'm not saying he's a world beater but looks fairly assured.

Think he's more than adequate, seems to be growing in confidence. What I like about him is although he's not the tallest he's very agile & mobile. His distributions improving also , he may have the odd rick in him but how many keepers don't theses days?!

[Donnywolf]

As we go into the second half of the season we are seeing teams adapting their tactics to stop us more. They have watched us play many times and worked out ways to restrict us while still retaining a chance of nicking a win!.
It was always going to happen teams at this level might not have a lot of resources but every teams staff, work very hard to improve their respective teams. We have seen these teams work out ways of beating teams higher up the leagues over the years, so it should be expected.

I am not sure they watch us "many times".

I have a mate heavily involved in Scouting for a Championship Team (2 Divs higher etc) and they / he tend to watch their next oppos just once usually one game before they play each other (sometimes 2 games before)

This can form the basis of how his Team tackle the opposition but often the Team he watches might be at home and will play his Team away and vice versa so it often will affect the way they play

If his Team were to draw say Man City in the FA Cup he will still watch Man City even though they may field a "weakened" side against his Team - so I dont think we will be awash with such resources

They have a scouting set up broadly covering the areas of England and Scotland watching for developing / promising players - and Scouts help each other

When my mate was part of a Premiership Clubs network he came to Belle Vue often watching a Rovers Player and against Boston U - Brownie got a Hat trick I think - my mate actually watched our Player and did a report on Boston for his mate at Kidderminster or Kettering (cant remember which)

[GazLaz]

It appeared to me he wanted to get a rest into Williams and Alcock because they had recently come back from injury and didn't want to over work them.

You wouldn't usually play a diamond in midfield wit three at the back but with Mandy injured he didn't have another striker available. He will have wanted Copps, Rowe and Blair to do more work higher up the park than they did in the first half. They improved as an attacking threat in the second half.

Something that made a big difference to them defensively was when they moved the 11 from left wing back to centre midfield and put the 33 at wing back. We had plenty of joy down our right early on as their 11 was dreadful at defending 1 on 1 situations. The lad they had there in the second half looked a lot better and did a job on Blair. I thought Blair found himself very isolated at times though to be fair to him. Should have had more support from his No10 (Copps) or the right hand side player in the diamond.

[idler]

Just like yesterday us scoring first makes it a different game. It's alright stifling the game and hoping for a breakaway but if you concede you then have to open up.
I've watched the Rovers for almost 60 years and what has impressed me is that we have usually taken the opportunity to go top when it's been there.
Too many times over the years we have flattered to deceive.

[The Red Baron]

If they had scored first they would have taken the time wasting to a new level.

[wing commander]

    it's difficult to comment on things ike this as us fans don't know the real ins and outs of how players are feeling..Are they tired,carrying little knocks etc etc...

    However sat in the pub yesterday when the team came out I was a little surprised...One upfront at home against a team who would obviously try and stifle us didn't sound good...Then there was the inclusion of Grant..Excellent player obviously but hasn't had any football for quite a while and that was a risk..Alcock is a player I like so was disappointed he didn't play....

    As for the game itself I thought we got away with it tbh...We only looked likely to score when Williams came on and the ball stuck up front better..To many players playing in positions that aren't there best...Copps playing behind a striker has been tried many times with limited success..I didn't think we got the best of Rowe playing out wide either and Grant will show a lot more than he did yesterday once he gets up to speed....

   However the end result is what matters and its worked a treat,weve got a bit of rest into a couple of players who have been out a while and certainly would have struggled with 3 full games in a week and won the game..So while it was a bit risky for me DF will be pleased...

   As for any further additions,DF said he would be happy with that but for me,I would try and add one more...A flair player who can compete with Copps,big ask I know but whenever he hasn't played our creativety drops sharply...And wether fans like it or not Copps is coming to the end of the road and will find it tough on heavy pitches from here...

[The Red Baron]

The one thing we're lacking is a player with blistering pace.

[IDM]

I thought we did OK yesterday - a bit more accuracy with some of the attempted stuff, or shots in the first half not straight to their keeper - and we'd have been on the edge of our seats..

[Chris Black come back]

The one thing we're lacking is a player with blistering pace.

Agree with this. Aside from Cedric I cannot say we have a single player with real pace. Particularly up front we are very leaden. Not in itself a problem but we do need variety and we just don't have that at present. Perhaps May has a turn on him?

[NickDRFC]

The one thing we're lacking is a player with blistering pace.

Agree with this. Aside from Cedric I cannot say we have a single player with real pace. Particularly up front we are very leaden. Not in itself a problem but we do need variety and we just don't have that at present. Perhaps May has a turn on him?

Blair is quick, and Williams has a bit of gas on him as well.

[Mike_F]

I singled out that one area for improvement pre-match yesterday too, RB.

As we find more teams coming to "park the bus" against us we need to take full advantage of any counter-attacking opportunities to limit their ability to regroup. Williams, Marquis and Coppinger can all hold the ball up well and beat a man or two with close control but none of them are going to get on to a ball over the top and break away. Blair is probably the quickest regular starter but he's still not particularly rapid. We could do with a Jermaine McSporran type to give us another option.

[GazLaz]

Wingers tend to be your speed merchants and we don't really play with them do we. You would class Blair as a winger but like Mike says he's quick without being blistering.

[oggycompton]

Finding us out? I'll take 7 wins in 9.

[Jonathan]

We've made a great start to the transfer window and top marks to everyone at the club.

I think if we were to be greedy then it'd be good to have a completely different option to come in. Someone with pace and unpredictability (not easy to find). I think it was hoped Calder might have offered some of that, but it didn't work out. I think that was also the plan with the lad from Scotland (Quitongo?) but the deal couldn't be done...

[Alan Southstand]

I think May could turn out to be Mr Unpredictable, but until he plays, we won't really know for sure. Watching him in the warm-up before the game gave me reason for optimism. A good nice-to-have off the bench atm, but he could have an impact later into the season.

I'd like an out-and-out left back, with pace and an engine to get up and support (overlaps) when required - we then have a threat from both left and right. Mason is good but he's not that sort of player and it would release him to be more central in the midfield or cover for Rowe, if he needs 'resting'. Maybe that will not happen until Evina has left us.

The only other area, now, is the goalkeeping situation. I'm still not convinced by Marosi and would prefer an experienced keeper as cover, with Etheridge left 'on loan'.

[Red wizard]

Save the money for summer as we will be able to sign players who won't want to play in l2. Provided we go up of course.