Let's talk about the Walsall game

[selby]

  Last season, like Bristol Rovers came to the Keepmoat and hammered us with  a great counter attacking display. Although early in the season we won at their place, and like against Bristol Rovers we are going for a double, I always expect a hard game against them.
  Although they are in the bottom four, have lost nine away games they have been very unfortunate in games against Sunderland away and Barnsley at home in recent games, so will be no push overs.
  We will have to perform as against Bristol more consistently to the end of the season to reach the play offs, and teams like Walsall will set up to stop us from getting into a rhythm.
  Walsall were described as bright, quick and full of ideas in the FL paper but missed chances, with Barnsley being on the ropes for so long the ref should have stopped it, so apart from scoring played well. but have only won three games in their last eighteen.
  Ismail had a blinder against Barnsley whose defence are no shop eggs so will want some looking after, but I feel it is all about the way we play, if we play well we are a match for anyone, but will the team that played at Luton,or Bristol turn up, that is the big Question?
   What do you think?
   Easy game  on paper, But is it really?
   Can we put a run of good results together and finish the season well?
    Can we now become more consistent?
  Lots to discuss, especially after our extreme form swings in the last two games so near together, Please have your say.

[Paul Simpson]

This is a really tough game but then I expected Bristol to be difficult to be honest after the Luton performance. If the boys play like last night we should win 🤞👀

[drfchound]

  Last season, like Bristol Rovers came to the Keepmoat and hammered us with  a great counter attacking display. Although early in the season we won at their place, and like against Bristol Rovers we are going for a double, I always expect a hard game against them.
  Although they are in the bottom four, have lost nine away games they have been very unfortunate in games against Sunderland away and Barnsley at home in recent games, so will be no push overs.
  We will have to perform as against Bristol more consistently to the end of the season to reach the play offs, and teams like Walsall will set up to stop us from getting into a rhythm.
  Walsall were described as bright, quick and full of ideas in the FL paper but missed chances, with Barnsley being on the ropes for so long the ref should have stopped it, so apart from scoring played well. but have only won three games in their last eighteen.
  Ismail had a blinder against Barnsley whose defence are no shop eggs so will want some looking after, but I feel it is all about the way we play, if we play well we are a match for anyone, but will the team that played at Luton,or Bristol turn up, that is the big Question?
   What do you think?
   Easy game  on paper, But is it really?
   Can we put a run of good results together and finish the season well?
    Can we now become more consistent?
  Lots to discuss, especially after our extreme form swings in the last two games so near together, Please have your say.

“On paper it should be an easy game”.

Come on selby, we know there is no such thing as an easy game.

[steve@dcfd]

If no more injuries and no returning players then the same side, same formation and hopefully the same result. But we should not take anything for granted.

[Campsall rover]

This is a really tough game but then I expected Bristol to be difficult to be honest after the Luton performance. If the boys play like last night we should win

We have played Walsall 4 times since we moved to the Keepmoat and lost the lot.
Surely this is the year we put this bogey to bed.
We need to start as we did against Bristol Rovers with a high tempo, moving the ball quickly and energetic pressing when the opposition have the ball.
Same team for me, can’t make any unforced changes after that last night.
Play with the confidence and determination we showed against BR and I think the result will take care of itself.
1st goal is so important, don’t give the opposition anything to hang on to.
After yesterday’s showing i am very confident we will get the job done.

[drfchound]

We have only lost once all season when we have scored first.

[Campsall rover]

We have only lost once all season when we have scored first.

Exactly.

[adamtherover]

We have only lost once all season when we have scored first.

Exactly.

and that was a redic game as well, that happens once a season at best!!

[selby]

 Hound, after being at a home cup tie against Frickley some years ago, nobody realises there are no easy games for Doncaster Rovers more than I.
 I try to use my opening Post to encourage discussion on the salient points in an upcoming game in the widest possible way  and get other peoples opinion.

[elmsallrover]

A good win on Saturday will put a few hundred on the away gate at bradford

[selby]

d be a good time to at last beat them at the Keepmoat after a run of defeats against them, and with Coventry away at Barnsley and Peterborough not having a fixture because of the Checkatrade final we have the chance to open up a slight gap between the chasing pack,although how long Barnsley can keep being second best in games and picking up points is any ones guess.
  So a lot on getting a good result again, which would be a body blow to the other clubs around us and would give us even more confidence if we can pull it off lets hope we do.

[karldew]

Graham Salisbury is the ref, have we encountered him this season?

[selby]

  Walsall have lost their last three games , against Sunderland, Luton,  and Barnsley and will see our game against them at the weekend as something of an easier game than against any of those on current form.
  They were very unfortunate not to take any points against Sunderland and Barnsley who they outplayed  for long periods of both games, so will be no pushover, and are a good footballing team.
   After our win on Tuesday and the strength of our squad with the injuries we are carrying, I cannot see us making any changes to the starting line up injury allowing, and would be surprised to see any changes to the way the team is set up to play.
   The attendence should be higher being a normal weekend fixture, so a good result is also important to our supporters who have not had that much to shout about lately, but have remained faithful and have kept up attendance levels this season.
   A  good result and it will go a long way to kicking us on for a top six finish, so it is a fixture I am looking forward to, and hoping for a good result.

[selby]

I am not expecting many to travel from Walsall even considering the importance of this game to both sides.
  It is a game to get the monkey off our back if we can, and at last get a home win against Walsall at the Keepmoat and it has probably  more importance to us than the other fixtures as regards our future finishing position.
  As said previously not an easy game, them being unlucky in the last few games against top teams, who found a way to beat them when not at their best, we need to do the same, three points will be a welcome uplift to confidence for our team and supporters.

[Donnywolf]

Graham Salisbury is the ref, have we encountered him this season?

From earlier thread today

https://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=269768.msg851023#msg851023

[selby]

 Another three points, that is all that matters at this time of the season.
  After we went two up early in the game, Walsall came right back into the game, and proved they can push teams when playing well and started to dominate play, so the third goal arriving when it did was more than welcome  and from there on in we dominated play, although Marosi had to be alert on more than one occasion and made a couple of fine saves at full stretch.