Lets talk about the Rochdale game

[selby]

  A  very interesting game tactically, we know our current crop of players are decent against teams that let us play and take us on as Billy's stats shows against the better sides in the division, and how we struggle against the sides that set out to stop us playing an open game, defend deep making us play in front of their defence, and if we win the ball the front players stop the game by whatever means, usually a tactical foul or staying on the floor after screaming and rolling about as if shot.
  Now we come up against a Rochdale side, a club I have the greatest admiration for, who basically after a Pigott equaliser against them in the 6th minute of time added on now requires them to get six points from two games to stand a chance of stopping up.
  Having a chance of stopping up  is down to them actually attacking and winning games and scoring goals lately, So  the first question is, what approach to playing us would you take in this game?
  In their game v Wimbledon which ended 3-3 on show were Done, Beesley, and Humphrys for Rochdale and Pigott for Wimbledon all dangerous players at this level and the sort of strikers we just seem to overlook and have overlooked  for years, although Fey looks the exception along with Marquis.
  In our game at Peterborough we showed some of the fight and skills that have been missing for too long, partly aided by the open game Peterborough played, and once in front the fact that their one trick pony manager didn't change to lets say a more cynical way of playing we find hard to overcome, no doubt wanting and confident of rubbing our noses in the doodoo, and ended up with one bitchy set of players and staff who had completely lost it by the end of the game.
  So thanks to that game things look just a little better this morning, and the game on Saturday to look forward to.
  At last our team played like a team who wanted to play with each other, not all eleven players are going to play well at the same time, but they played like a team, no exceptions ran for each other backed each other up and made themselves available for the pass.
  Any changes? not for me except for injury, they earnt the right to keep the shirt.
  Biggest change in our game? we made the space behind the full backs smaller and covered the runners, got away with it a couple of times, but basically a lot better.
  Will it be an open game? playing an attacking game has given them a chance to stay up so why not.
  Will Copps take part if fit? for me yes at some stage.
  Was the Peterborough game a pointer that despite recent results Butler is still well regarded by the players?
  Are you like me a little excited that the shake out that  the bad run of results has caused and realignment could be for the long term a good thing?
  Lots to discuss about this game, and some side issues, please have yor say

[Bailey Vickerage]

Think the team should be the same as what finished yesterday’s game with Copps on the bench if available.

[normal rules]

An interesting game indeed. Rochdale have everything to play for and will no doubt be on a measured attack strategy. Rovers meanwhile having nothing to play for except pride. If the second half at Posh is anything to go by, it could be quite a match for the neutral and there could be a hatful of goals.

[roversdude]

We need Rochdale fans letting off fireworks outside

[drfchound]

Because Rochdale need to win their last two matches we should see a very open game.
That coupled with the fact that they have been involved in quite a few high scoring matches probably makes it a good game to watch too.
Hopefully Copps will be able to play a part and even more hopefully, our players will benefit from that last 70 minutes on Tuesday night.
I’m so pleased that Lokilo came to the fore and showed at last what he is capable of.
Another sight of that would be great for him and the team.
It isn’t quite win or bust for Rochdale as a draw against us and a defeat for Wigan takes it to the last day.
All in all, I am looking forward to watching the game.

[the vicar]

An interesting game indeed. Rochdale have everything to play for and will no doubt be on a measured attack strategy. Rovers meanwhile having nothing to play for except pride. If the second half at Posh is anything to go by, it could be quite a match for the natural and there could be a hatful of goals.

apart from Tuesday when since early February have the players of ours shown pride in there game, now that is a good laugh

[sedwardsdrfc]

I'd go same team as what finished tuesday too. JJ is better than Bogle so if fit he should start and Sims just hasn't been right since the injury. It can't be doing him any favours to keep playing when clearly something is up fitness wise. We're not playing for anything so leave him out imo

[roversdude]

Sims is definitely not at full tilt but the pitch last night didn’t help him

[eastender]

Think the team should be the same as what finished yesterday’s game with Copps on the bench if available.

Agreed i would go with that. After Bogle went off at half time there wasn't a single player on the pitch that was brought in to strengthen the team in January.
Is it just a coincidence that we played our best football prior to the new influx coming in. 

[drfchound]

Think the team should be the same as what finished yesterday’s game with Copps on the bench if available.

Agreed i would go with that. After Bogle went off at half time there wasn't a single player on the pitch that was brought in to strengthen the team in January.
Is it just a coincidence that we played our best football prior to the new influx coming in. 

It won’t be the first time that an influx of new players has disrupted a teams performances.

[selby]

  Just checked and Humphrys has another year left on his contract. He was a player that quite a few on here were gappy for us to sign when playing for Southend and might not want to fall into the second division.
  To me he is the sort of player we should be looking at instead of some loan players, would you pay a fee for a player the right age and proven at this level even at two lower teams in the division?

[sha66y]

Rochdale 3-1 winners,
More energy, more desire, more “ in it together”

I think everyone in our squad pretty much knows where their respective paths lie in a couple of weeks......

There isn’t even a new manager to be trying to impress!

But we could win this one! .....

[selby]

  Well  sha66y you covered all bases there, Butler turning a bad situation around anyway.

[the vicar]

I enjoyed the game today and everyone played well and as if they wanted to be here and a cheeky bid for Tyler Richards in the summer

[Jonathan]

Well there hasn’t been much talk about the Rochdale game! When we lose we seem to have people desperately clamouring for the post match interview so they can criticise Butler. When we win it’s all quiet.

I thought we did well today. Wide open again at times, but there’s a noticeable extra confidence in the attacking areas. We moved the ball well and far more quickly than we have at other times this season. It made for an entertaining game and good to see us finishing off the season with a bit of pride. Butler deserves these wins on his record.

[andysly]

£5 on at 11/1 for 2-1 Rovers, will another £5 on Rovers to win and both to score at 13/2, it'll do me just fine.

[Filo]

Well there hasn’t been much talk about the Rochdale game! When we lose we seem to have people desperately clamouring for the post match interview so they can criticise Butler. When we win it’s all quiet.

I thought we did well today. Wide open again at times, but there’s a noticeable extra confidence in the attacking areas. We moved the ball well and far more quickly than we have at other times this season. It made for an entertaining game and good to see us finishing off the season with a bit of pride. Butler deserves these wins on his record.

That will be an indirect dig at me then, there’s no need for me to continue to criticise Butler, I’ve made my feelings known, you suggested I shouldn’t criticise him because of his decent playing career here, after making my opinion clear I took your advice onboard and decided to back off, asking for the whereabouts of a post match interview a few hours after the game has ended was not a criticism of Butler, I’m just interested to hear my they never performed. For the record I thought we did OK yesterday, no great shakes if I’m honest, Rochdale, a relegated team ran rings around us for large parts of the game, I suspect that if that one that hit the post and got scrambled off the line had gone in, we would have crumbled and got beat. Listen to last nights interview, Butler knows he’s not getting the job, he knows he’s not been good enough, but lets not criticise eh? He was a decent player for us

[Jonathan]

Well there hasn’t been much talk about the Rochdale game! When we lose we seem to have people desperately clamouring for the post match interview so they can criticise Butler. When we win it’s all quiet.

I thought we did well today. Wide open again at times, but there’s a noticeable extra confidence in the attacking areas. We moved the ball well and far more quickly than we have at other times this season. It made for an entertaining game and good to see us finishing off the season with a bit of pride. Butler deserves these wins on his record.

That will be an indirect dig at me then, there’s no need for me to continue to criticise Butler, I’ve made my feelings known, you suggested I shouldn’t criticise him because of his decent playing career here, after making my opinion clear I took your advice onboard and decided to back off, asking for the whereabouts of a post match interview a few hours after the game has ended was not a criticism of Butler, I’m just interested to hear my they never performed. For the record I thought we did OK yesterday, no great shakes if I’m honest, Rochdale, a relegated team ran rings around us for large parts of the game, I suspect that if that one that hit the post and got scrambled off the line had gone in, we would have crumbled and got beat. Listen to last nights interview, Butler knows he’s not getting the job, he knows he’s not been good enough, but lets not criticise eh? He was a decent player for us

I’m sure you’re amongst the people I was referring to, yes. As you know yourself, you had a habit of starting multiple threads in response to a defeat or a disappointment. I think we’ve all been disappointed, but a little proportionality in the reaction would be nice to see otherwise it looks like we’re almost revelling in it.

I’ve acknowledged a number of times that he’s unlikely to get the job after this run, but I did point out to you that he’d be able to make a case for meeting the job specification and getting an interview. I certainly didn’t say that Butler shouldn’t be criticised because he had a decent playing career. I said he deserved / deserves to be shown some respect at this club. You certainly seemed to revel in showing him the opposite.

[Spud]

Well there hasn’t been much talk about the Rochdale game! When we lose we seem to have people desperately clamouring for the post match interview so they can criticise Butler. When we win it’s all quiet.

I thought we did well today. Wide open again at times, but there’s a noticeable extra confidence in the attacking areas. We moved the ball well and far more quickly than we have at other times this season. It made for an entertaining game and good to see us finishing off the season with a bit of pride. Butler deserves these wins on his record.

Same after the Posh game, it seemed very quiet on here. I dare say there's a few checked out for the summer now but it's a shame that there's much more noise after a bad display/result.

[selby]

  These threads are for supporters to express their own opinions on games good or bad I suppose, One thing to take into consideration about the applicants for the managers job, Apart from any ex players trying to get their foot on the managers ladder and a first job as a manager , most applicants will have been sacked at another club for failing and been subjected to similar criticism by supporters of other clubs on social media and I am not keen about any off the merry go round.
  To me Butler took over an already poisoned chalice, and imagine a new manager being appointed from outside the club without the security of knowing he was in the job until the end of the season as Butler did, and starting off with that sequence of results, at some clubs he would not still be here, and would have had even more vitriol thrown at him than Butler.
  Would an outside appointee given Jones, Horton, and Greaves a chance? I doubt it, Butler showed strength of character there.