GM Interview

[sedwardsdrfc]

"We lacked intensity in the press" WTF look at the players you picked clearly we weren't going to have any intensity in the press with Andrew's Tomlin and Agard up front!

Honestly he worries me sometimes. Did he really set us up with the plan to press them? Very strange if thats his game plan with the players chosen.

In fairness to him he spots a lot of our problems in the interview so no excuses for him to get working on that on the training pitch.

[Alan Southstand]

The idea is to spot the problem before it is a problem. Tomlin and Clayton in midfield? And you think they’re going to press? The you pick dumb and dumber up front? Brilliant.

[RoversAlias]

"Dumb and dumber" really? Is one of those two Agard, who won us the game on Saturday? It doesn't take much does it.

I'm not enjoying seeing some of the comments towards Andrews online. He's a 20 year old kid being thrown in really when we'd probably rather use him off the bench as a Plan B, yet people can't wait to slate him. I've seen some really insulting names being used for him and it just baffles me, it's August 9th and we've lost one fairly meaningless cup game to a higher division side. Unnecessary in my opinion.

[johnny rovers]

On the whole our fanbase is s**t. We don't deserve a winning side. How our fans treat the club, managers and players is such a sad state of affairs.

[Daniel_Smith]

It surprises me that some of you lot are surprised with how bad McSheffrey has been when the writing was on the wall from day one.

The board hired a manager with zero experience of managing a senior football team at any level - let alone league 1 or 2. Then expected him to perform to the same level as managers who actually know what they're doing.

I resigned myself long ago to us being stuck in League 2 for a while.

Bookmark this post - McSheffrey will soon be sacked. Coppinger will become interim manager. Then after an "exhaustive" recruitment process, will be made permanent manager.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Those players picked aren’t presser’s of a ball. You have to be fitter than the opposition to do that. All haven’t started every game so are a bit behind, fitness wise.
He makes some strange decisions and comments at times. I think we win in spite of him not because of him. I don’t rate him as a manager but will support him while he’s in charge.
He didn’t get his team right and Lincoln deserved to win.

[johnny rovers]

It surprises me that some of you lot are surprised with how bad McSheffrey has been when the writing was on the wall from day one.

The board hired a manager with zero experience of managing a senior football team at any level - let alone league 1 or 2. Then expected him to perform to the same level as managers who actually know what they're doing.

I resigned myself long ago to us being stuck in League 2 for a while.

Bookmark this post - McSheffrey will soon be sacked. Coppinger will become interim manager. Then after an "exhaustive" recruitment process, will be made permanent manager.

Dave Penney wasn't experienced either. Sometimes clubs are going to take gambles on a young coach who has attributes and the desire to manager. McSheffery isn't the first for us and won't be the last. All managers have to start somewhere and it amazes me you don't think Doncaster Rovers can be 1 them places to learn their trade.

[Jonathan]

Criticising him for giving an interview and not appearing aware that pressing from the front would be tough with those personnel would certainly hold a lot more water had he not acknowledged in that very interview that pressing from the front would be tough with those personnel. As he explains it clearly, he wanted to see the whole team squeeze higher up from the back.

Miller has been rested (not a bad shout in my opinion, arguably I’d like to have seen one or two more rested). You can’t pick pacy alternatives upfront when we don’t (at least at this stage) have them in the squad.

Disappointing result but, despite how some of our fans are reacting to it, our season isn’t quite over yet and we still have a chance of salvaging something from it.

[ncRover]

Molyneux is a key missing piece of the puzzle. If the original prognosis (a month) is correct, that *should* make him back for Salford on the 20th at least.

Another pacy (hopefully still) player in Jon Taylor is a recovering better than expected.

[Sammy Chung was King]

We need the injured players back as soon as possible. This game was an aberration. I see this as part of a learning curve for players getting used to each other. We were totally cut apart for the goals. The team didn’t seem to know what was expected of them, either to press or not. We lost to a decent team but our guys just didn’t perform.

[Padge_DRFC]

Needs to go in to the loan market for a CM asap. Not one player in that team can control a game like Bostock could.

[Jonathan]

Needs to go in to the loan market for a CM asap. Not one player in that team can control a game like Bostock could.

It’s very difficult to go out and get someone like that in the loan market. It’s rare to find a young central midfield player on loan that’s instantly as mature (or oven ready?) as a Herbie Kane or a Matt Smith v1.

Actually we could arguably use the legs of Matt Smith v2 in this team.

[roversdude]

"Dumb and dumber" really? Is one of those two Agard, who won us the game on Saturday? It doesn't take much does it.

I'm not enjoying seeing some of the comments towards Andrews online. He's a 20 year old kid being thrown in really when we'd probably rather use him off the bench as a Plan B, yet people can't wait to slate him. I've seen some really insulting names being used for him and it just baffles me, it's August 9th and we've lost one fairly meaningless cup game to a higher division side. Unnecessary in my opinion.

It’s a shame that our fan base need to have a scapegoat
Andrews is and will prove to be a good player, I agree he is a plan B type player for us. He put himself about last night and won more headers than he lost ffs I hope they get off his back

[5minstogo]

Needs to go in to the loan market for a CM asap. Not one player in that team can control a game like Bostock could.

It’s very difficult to go out and get someone like that in the loan market. It’s rare to find a young central midfield player on loan that’s instantly as mature (or oven ready?) as a Herbie Kane or a Matt Smith v1.

Actually we could arguably use the legs of Matt Smith v2 in this team.

Isn't that why we signed Biggins? Who allegedly will "run all day". Marginally better last night but he's certainly not yet lived up to McSheffrey's hype.

[Chris Black come back]

I’m more than happy to give McSheffrey the benefit of the doubt and accept we cannot get all our business done in one window alone, but the same problems have appeared again with no obvious pattern or style of play, important players yet again out with injuries, and defensive frailties creeping in again.

If you were to be a particular sceptic you would say we are playing no better than last season but we are playing a poorer quality of opponent in League Two so can ride out these teams, but the moment we come up against an average League One side we get easily beat 3-0.

It’s still August and a long way to go. Am hopefully of change and improvement.

[steve@dcfd]

We’ve signed young players in the majority are they ready to play game after game it appears not. We always knew that the older players do not have pace. As of yet we have not played the eleven that started again Huddersfield and Rotherham in preseason and won’t until Molyneux is fit. We can’t get any players until fringe players leave or we sell somebody. We have what we’ve got changing the manager won’t make us a better side getting players in and or back from injury will improve the squad. But we havent got a good defensive midfield player or a striker with pace to work with or replace Miller when he needs a rest.

[Chris Black come back]

If we could ever get to something like this XI then we have a chance of getting out of League Two:

Mitchell

Knoyle
Anderson
Williams
Maxwell

Clayton
Close
Rowe

Taylor
Miller
Molyneux

Lot of injured and fragile players in there though. I doubt we will see that XI this season.

[roversdude]

Have there been any updates on Close ? I may have missed them but he doesn’t seem to get a mention now

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Hard to assess exactly where we are with only three competitive games under our belt. Some positives and some negatives.

Hopefully with Rowe, Miller and Anderson to come in on Saturday, we would want to see the desired reaction.

As supportive as I am of GM, the last thing we want to be hearing after the game is 'We weren't at the races today' or ' We were too slow to get going'

If collectively we have the desire to get promoted then we have to be 'At the races' every match. The non negotiables as he calls it.

[Mustapha-Dump]

Have there been any updates on Close ? I may have missed them but he doesn’t seem to get a mention now

Back training on grass apparently

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Have there been any updates on Close ? I may have missed them but he doesn’t seem to get a mention now

Back training on grass apparently

Yes, apparently Canabis has some great healing qualities.

[Bessie Red]

If we could ever get to something like this XI then we have a chance of getting out of League Two:

Mitchell

Knoyle
Anderson
Williams
Maxwell

Clayton
Close
Rowe

Taylor
Miller
Molyneux

Lot of injured and fragile players in there though. I doubt we will see that XI this season.

After last nights game I would swap Williams for Long in that line up. He looked very good last night and if he plays like that every game he will be first name on the team sheet.

[steve@dcfd]

Majority of preseason we played 4231 especially against Huddersfield and Rotherham. Wasn’t there last night but looking at the starting eleven cants see we starting like that what was the formation as there wasn’t a wide midfield player selected

[steve@dcfd]

If we could ever get to something like this XI then we have a chance of getting out of League Two:

Mitchell

Knoyle
Anderson
Williams
Maxwell

Clayton
Close
Rowe

Taylor
Miller
Molyneux

Lot of injured and fragile players in there though. I doubt we will see that XI this season.

After last nights game I would swap Williams for Long in that line up. He looked very good last night and if he plays like that every game he will be first name on the team sheet.

433 is to easy to get at the defence 4231 would be better agreed

[sedwardsdrfc]

Criticising him for giving an interview and not appearing aware that pressing from the front would be tough with those personnel would certainly hold a lot more water had he not acknowledged in that very interview that pressing from the front would be tough with those personnel. As he explains it clearly, he wanted to see the whole team squeeze higher up from the back.

Miller has been rested (not a bad shout in my opinion, arguably I’d like to have seen one or two more rested). You can’t pick pacy alternatives upfront when we don’t (at least at this stage) have them in the squad.

Disappointing result but, despite how some of our fans are reacting to it, our season isn’t quite over yet and we still have a chance of salvaging something from it.

Disagree it makes it worse imo. He's asked them to do something he knows won't work!

And anyone who has played at any level knows the defence can't push up if the opposition back line has time and space to get their heads up. Can't push up until you get their heads down or else your just begging them to play into the spaces and turn us around. The press starts from the front then the players behind have to join it. Not the other way around that's madness

[sedwardsdrfc]

Needs to go in to the loan market for a CM asap. Not one player in that team can control a game like Bostock could.

I'd give Biggins a break at the moment. Think he came into preseason late (no idea why) and really could have done with those early games to get used to how Clayton plays. I've played with older players like Clayton who can pass but can't run. It can take a lot out of the players around them to accommodate them. Hopefully Biggins is just getting used to that.

Also he's been asked to play in a diamond so far which will suit no player apart from maybe Clayton. If he plays in a 2 he'll be better i'm sure

It’s very difficult to go out and get someone like that in the loan market. It’s rare to find a young central midfield player on loan that’s instantly as mature (or oven ready?) as a Herbie Kane or a Matt Smith v1.

Actually we could arguably use the legs of Matt Smith v2 in this team.

Isn't that why we signed Biggins? Who allegedly will "run all day". Marginally better last night but he's certainly not yet lived up to McSheffrey's hype.

[Spud]

Needs to go in to the loan market for a CM asap. Not one player in that team can control a game like Bostock could.

It’s very difficult to go out and get someone like that in the loan market. It’s rare to find a young central midfield player on loan that’s instantly as mature (or oven ready?) as a Herbie Kane or a Matt Smith v1.

Actually we could arguably use the legs of Matt Smith v2 in this team.

Isn't that why we signed Biggins? Who allegedly will "run all day". Marginally better last night but he's certainly not yet lived up to McSheffrey's hype.

Were we playing a diamond in the main last night? Clayton was picking the ball up in CH position more often than not, Tomin way too high with the strikers, Ravenhill on the right & Biggins seemed to be trying to cover left & centre to me. We were mostly without a proper CM most of the time, & yet they still did us most of the damage from the flanks.

[steve@dcfd]

Needs to go in to the loan market for a CM asap. Not one player in that team can control a game like Bostock could.

It’s very difficult to go out and get someone like that in the loan market. It’s rare to find a young central midfield player on loan that’s instantly as mature (or oven ready?) as a Herbie Kane or a Matt Smith v1.

Actually we could arguably use the legs of Matt Smith v2 in this team.

Isn't that why we signed Biggins? Who allegedly will "run all day". Marginally better last night but he's certainly not yet lived up to McSheffrey's hype.

Were we playing a diamond in the main last night? Clayton was picking the ball up in CH position more often than not, Tomin way to high with the strikers, Rivenhall on the right & Biggins seemed to be trying to cover left & centre to me. We were mostly without a proper CM most of the time, & yet they still did us most of the damage from the flanks.

Yet in preseason I keep saying the right a left of the front three would come back to help their fullbacks Clayton and Biggins in the centre when we attacked we had a front four. We need players on the flanks diamond will not work 433 with only one player if Clayton hasn’t got pace. But we haven’t got the players fit for the flanks unless we throw in the inexperienced players.

[roversdude]

They did most damage because their No.22 was stood on his owns most of the game as was Scully
Just watched the goals back Olowu had a shocking moment for the first, the second-oh dear were Biggins laces tied together , neither Williams or Long covered themselves in glory either

[PDX_Rover]

Last night was irrelevant in my view. Getting a full squad fit is key this season.