Let.s talk about the Bristol,Rovers game

[selby]

  With  Wycombe Wanderers, Bristol Rovers are the surprise team of the season up to press, not even their own supporters fancying them to be up to fourth place in the division at this stage of the season.
 They have won 2 and lost three of their away games up to press, and in Clarke Harris who looks as though he will miss this game through injury have a player with seven goals to his name already this season.
 Our confidence meanwhile has been shaken by a couple of losses, although our injury crisis to strikers looks to have improved, and hopefully Sterling will return as well as Ennis to full fitness, and will improve our options and strike power.
  Bristol  are third in the division form league and have won their last three games, so  will be no pushovers, and we will have to find form quickly if we are to stay in touch with the top sides in this division.
  My only change to our starting eleven would be to bring in Ennis for Thomas, as football wise I thought we did OK at Oxford but lacked our normal snap in mid field.
  What changes would you make?
  Is this a game to get back to winning ways?
  Has the start Bristol Rovers have made surprised you?
  These and many more questions to dicuss about this game, please have your say.

[Dr Fundlekrotch]

You might want to edit that first line, Selby, unless you intended throwing in the random fact about Wycombe - I think it holds true for both them and Bristol Rovers

[selby]

  Thanks DF, it was the intention, as I hope I have now explained somewhat.

[since-1969]

Time to get back into winning ways and learn what needs to learned about loosing . If we can take our chances then we are as good as any side in L1 .

[SydneyRover]

I posed a similar question last week and would appreciate comments from some of our football brains, would Copps who is quick thinking and can make space be better in the middle when we win a corner than actually taking it?

[since-1969]

I posed a similar question last week and would appreciate comments from some of our football brains, would Copps who is quick thinking and can make space be better in the middle when we win a corner than actually taking it?

it’s getting to the  point where Copps should take a break and let DM sort this out before it’s too late . I love to watch Copps when he is in his zone but if we get to the point where results don’t settle to a defined pattern to match what is happening on the pitch and his influence isn’t working , then it’s time to put in a NEW face or faces to create the opportunities. This is relatively a new team and already it’s being build around his play making . DM will suffer like every manager before him if he doesn’t start putting emphasis on a goal scorer , instead of a creator . Whiteman & Shief are not influencing what happens upfront enough for me . They seem to settled in stopping runners and breaking up play and leaving through passes to Stadlier and Copps . Whiteman should be venturing further up the field and stopping their defenders from breaking out . Copps is an enigma that has grown into an apparent unsolvable puzzle . It maybe that we take two steps back to take three forward but this isn’t going away without a solution.

[DearneValleyRover]

I posed a similar question last week and would appreciate comments from some of our football brains, would Copps who is quick thinking and can make space be better in the middle when we win a corner than actually taking it?

it’s getting to the  point where Copps should take a break and let DM sort this out before it’s too late . I love to watch Copps when he is in his zone but if we get to the point where results don’t settle to a defined pattern to match what is happening on the pitch and his influence isn’t working , then it’s time to put in a NEW face or faces to create the opportunities. This is relatively a new team and already it’s being build around his play making . DM will suffer like every manager before him if he doesn’t start putting emphasis on a goal scorer , instead of a creator . Whiteman & Shief are not influencing what happens upfront enough for me . They seem to settled in stopping runners and breaking up play and leaving through passes to Stadlier and Copps . Whiteman should be venturing further up the field and stopping their defenders from breaking out . Copps is an enigma that has grown into an apparent unsolvable puzzle . It maybe that we take two steps back to take three forward but this isn’t going away without a solution.

That’s the first time I’ve ever agreed with anything you’ve had to say.

[selby]

  It looks again like we will be more or less limited to the same group of players available for  this coming weekends game as we had available at Oxford, Probably Ennis to start the game being the only change.
  I think we would have all liked Sterling to be available, but things look to be progressing slowly, or if at all on that front. Blair another who we could do with getting back to fitness.
  Wright and Blaney showing form is a plus, myself I would pick Wright for Daniels to partner Anderson, they have proved  a solid partnership in the past, and I think at the moment he is the better player. my opinion only, others will disagree.

[steve@dcfd]

I agree about relying on Copps. But where are the new faces to replace him as well as Sadlier and Taylor. They are not at the club. By the way Whiteman is the third leading goal scorer at our club

[selby]

On the subject of Copps, why the hell should any team think of not playing their best players while they are capable of playing better than younger players?
 Age  is a number until the standards drop, which they have not with Coppinger as yet, getting better players around him in some positions is more the worry. Your heads are looking at a problem that is not there, and ignoring the problem we have, which is getting better players in the attacking area that can convert a bigger percentage of the chances that the midfield players are capable of providing for them.
  The problem of replacing Coppinger will come soon enough, without bringing the date forward when not needed just because of a number.
   

[Retdon1]

Johnston Clarke Harris out injured for around 4 weeks which is a bonus for us

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Back to winning ways. Players keen to put the Oxford game behind them and return to dominating the game. With Ennis returning expect much more in the final third as he tends to make things happen. 

[Metalmicky]

Donny have so far played 8 of the current top 12 - which includes us so actually 11, and we have not played any of the current bottom 6.

Bristol Rovers are flying high, but have played only 6 of the current top 12 (including them also) .  They have however played 4 of the current bottom 6 - getting 10 of their current 21 points from these games.

They are without Clarke-Harris who has scored half of their goals this season. I think that without him they are a little less potent.

Hopeful of a home win... 

[drfcsteve]

My uneducated opinion, based on watching the highlights of the games this season, is that Clarke-Harris being injured is a major plus for us as he is not only their top scorer but can also "change the game" and create stuff from nothing if they aren't playing well. They are no doubt less of a threat without him.

Counts for nothing if we can't score though!

[Alan Southstand]

Just forget about JCH for a moment, Bristol have conceded only 12 goals so far this season. We’ve only scored 13, so it’s got stalemate written all over it. If they score first, then I can see it being a difficult afternoon for us and, of course, vice versa.

[since-1969]

I’m hoping we that we have sorted the scoring out by getting players IN the box as well around it . We’re susceptible to late goals because we are not reading the players coming on from the opposition  near the end of the game , fresh legs DO make a difference and this is when you need to keep your concentration for the full 90+ mins .   

[Colemans Left Hook]

I’m hoping we that we have sorted the scoring out by getting players IN the box as well around it . We’re susceptible to late goals because we are not reading the players coming on from the opposition  near the end of the game , fresh legs DO make a difference and this is when you need to keep your concentration for the full 90+ mins .

it's not long since
"We’re   our opposition was susceptible to late goals because we are they were not reading the players coming on from the opposition our subs bench near the end of the game "

[selby]

  I am a happy bunny tonight, some great passing movements, players coming back to fitness, and evidence that with an injury free squad and the right attitude we could very well threaten a top six position in this division.
  The big problem the depth of the quality in the squad numbers wise, and being more clinical in front of goal. I would think that any striker at this level would want to play in front of our mid field when they perform like today.
  Bristol started the game looking confident and organised, and by midway through the second half a team that were only bothered about limiting the damage.
   It left me wondering just how good Bristol are to be in the position in the table they are, and how good can Clarke Harris be now? if his presence makes such a difference.

[roversdude]

Doesn’t Kyle Bennett look a forlorn character

[adamtherover]

Doesn’t Kyle Bennett look a forlorn character

he looked like a school boy when up against Daniels..

[5 on Tour]

Doesn’t Kyle Bennett look a forlorn character

He made me and my lad laugh when he tried to sit on Taylor’s shoulders. I assume the two of them were just trying to match up to Daniels or the Donny Brickwall?!