Let's talk about the Swindon Town game

[Sammy Chung was King]

If we want to get into the league above, we need players capable of playing in the league above. Adelakun is one who is capable of that. He had lost his confidence when he joined us in my opinion, a lot of factors will come into whether he signs for us. In the unlikely chance that we somehow sneaked into the play offs and were promoted this season, then we would have a great chance.

As it is, it is verging on the ridiculous to think we can make it this season, but isn’t impossible. Because of his scoring run and him getting the chance to play regularly, his position is very strong on the negotiating side. Much more than when he first signed on loan. I would like to think he remembers that our club gave him an opportunity.

When it all comes down to it, what is right for him is what will be the decider. Players won’t stick around a club if they don’t see the club being ambitious. We went into this season full of optimism and it was dashed very early on. Now when there is no pressure on, our players have put a run together. Are they capable of going into a game needing a result? Another great result today.

[Colin C No.3]

I thought the first goal came from a dalliance in their defence but Biamou took it so well when the ball came his way. He has to be worth a contract. Had to smile when he appeared to be moaning to the ref about the holding & fouling he was being subjected to without being given a free kick. Welcome to Ironside’s world!

Adelukan was in a great position in the box just after that goal but chose an attempt to curl one into the top corner from a difficult angle when he had options. I’m not knocking him here, we’ve seen him score ‘outrageous goals’ in his short time with us but, playing devils advocate is he now playing for the team or for himself? He also tried (in my opinion) to emulate his goal straight from a corner against Crewe when he chose to attempt a ‘curling shot’ from a corner which ended up going behind the goal.

Just saying.

His goal when he receives the ball inside the box & drops a shoulder to put a defender off balance & then slots it into the corner was excellent.

He gave the ball away at crucial moments in the second half when we needed to look after the ball after Swindon’s goal straight into the second half. Showboat with flicks & the like when you’re in the final third, not in your own third when the opposition have their tails up.

Just saying.

Would I want us to sign him up, of course I would.
Will he sign, I don’t know & the reason I don’t know is because some of the things he did or didn’t do today makes me wonder where he thinks his future lies & whether or not that ‘thinking’ manifests itself on the pitch.

Just saying.

We didn’t look cohesive in midfield. Broadbent seemed a passenger for much of the game but he is very young at twenty one to be able to dominate games in that area. I trust in GM that there is a good player ‘in there’. He therefore needs managing & he’s with the right management team to bring that player ‘out’.

Apart from switching off for their early goal in the second half the back four were solid, very solid.

Moly had a mare, nuff said.

If Haks won’t sign, break the bank for Lo-Titalu. He’s head & shoulders above what we have.

The substitutes worked for us (Billy Waters apart who has been disappointing. I thought his ability to chase & close down might serve us well but his first touch & positional play has left much to be desired) we matched their introduction of forward players well with Olowu & Tommy coming on & both performing well in their given positions.

But THE biggest praise goes to Grant McCaan. What an inspired sighning!

‘Apart from that & a fire in my flat, it’s been a very nice day’.

[ForsolongaRover]

  Dickos you can have all the stats you want, and enjoy the easy on the eye bits, but when you have a player who is a complete liability when the other side has the ball, doesn't stop players playing well against us, and lets them play balls and run past him, you are therefore going to have problems.
 In days gone by they used to call it being nesh, and if you happened to be playing in front of defenders getting run ragged with two men coming at them all the time you soon got to know about it.

Is “Nesh” no longer in use then? What a shame!

The problem with Close is that he avoids contact, probably out of necessity, because (probably because of a history of injuries) he doesn’t seem physically resilient enough to withstand tackling or even being tackled. Just before he got his latest injury, I followed his movement around the pitch and he seemed to actually position himself to avoid contact. So you can sympathise, but you cannot afford to accommodate such a player, especially in League 2.

[andyst79]

What's Ben Close ever done for us in his time at the club , really?! Scored a couple of decent goals earlier in the season but other than that nothing springs to my mind

[Dougiebulletheader]

Sorry Ben Close but never rated you, modern Ray Wilkings rarely passes forwards. Occasionally pulls something out the bag but for this division is to lightweight and wont get stuck in when needed.

[Campsall rover]

What's Ben Close ever done for us in his time at the club , really?! Scored a couple of decent goals earlier in the season but other than that nothing springs to my mind

I think Ben Close would be a good player with Craig & Bailey both in midfield with him.
He has an eye for a pass and in the current set up we have I do think he would create chances for Molly, Adalukan & Ironside/Biamou

He isn’t going to be effective if he has lots of chasing and tackling to do. That’s not his game.
In this league he is a luxury player also league 1 he is. You need the right players with him and as it happens we have right now and he is injured.

[andyst79]

Westbrooks got more to offer than Close , freeing up his wages gives us scope to get better players , Adelakun for example

[Campsall rover]

Westbrooks got more to offer than Close , freeing up his wages gives us scope to get better players , Adelakun for example

Not saying we should keep him.
In fact with his injury record I would not in fact offer a new contract. As you say he is one of our top 3/4 earners so it would free up a huge chunk of money if all of Close, Rowe and Taylor were released.
None of those 3 have given anything like enough on the pitch in the last 2 to 3 seasons or even been on the pitch to warrant keeping.
Tommy always gives 100% when he has played this season but he is a shadow of the player he was in back in 2018/19

[Spud]

Broadbent was good yesterday, ; I'm pretty sure got both assists? If you can't see what McCann does after yesterday's performance then you probably never will, definite potential imo, needs to do that more consistently now.
Bailey was fantastic in there yesterday btw, motm for me.
Moly missed that sitter to lower all our blood pressures but otherwise I thought he was decent, certainly didn't have a mare, far more effective than Hurst who replaced him.
Westbrooke over Close for me.

[roversdude]

Agree with all of that although Tom Anderson pushed Bailey for MOTM

[Wiltshire Exile]

Swindon fans are struggling a bit this morning!:


“On a side note I think the Doncaster players must be made of straw, never seen so many players rolling around on the floor after a tackle.”

“Yeah, could hear the associated girly screeching up in the DRS from the big tough Yorkshiremen.”

(Page 17 from their forum:
 http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=59894.240)

[Plumbster]

I thought Tommy did a great job when he came on- other than Bailey I thought we were pretty lightweight in midfield and attack in the second half and Tommy really put himself about. It wasn’t glamorous but it was an important contribution to the win imo.

[roversdude]

Great substitution bringing Tommy on, just what we needed at the time introduced a bit more drive.
Billy seems an infectious character but other than chasing I’m not sure he has added to the team, passing seems poor. Probably needs games though as he was frozen out at Wrexham

[Campsall rover]

Swindon fans are struggling a bit this morning!:


“On a side note I think the Doncaster players must be made of straw, never seen so many players rolling around on the floor after a tackle.”

“Yeah, could hear the associated girly screeching up in the DRS from the big tough Yorkshiremen.”

(Page 17 from their forum:
 http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=59894.240)

What a load of tripe.
How many fouls should we have had that were not given?

[roversdude]

Inconsistent refereeing again with kicking the ball away yesterday

[ForsolongaRover]

Today’s DFP headline “McCann: We’d have lost Swindon game not long ago”

We certainly would because Lo Tutala made 2 second half saves that Jones would have stood and watched!  They would be added to the long list of “Jones had no chance” goals.

[Campsall rover]

Today’s DFP headline “McCann: We’d have lost Swindon game not long ago”

We certainly would because Lo Tutala made 2 second half saves that Jones would have stood and watched!  They would be added to the long list of “Jones had no chance” goals.

Harsh but probably true. 

[Spilsby Red]

Very harsh. Jones has made some great saves when he has played for us

[scawsby steve]

We know that TLT is a very good keeper, but to hear some on here, Jones is the worst keeper we've ever had.

Bloody ridiculous comments.

[Campsall rover]

We know that TLT is a very good keeper, but to hear some on here, Jones is the worst keeper we've ever had.

Bloody ridiculous comments.

To be honest he is one of the worst i have seen at Rovers SS
Hate saying it with him being a local lad but seriously we haven’t had many who were not better than him in the last 49 years.

Yes he has made some great saves but he is very weak for a FL keeper on a few key aspects of his game.

[drfchound]

Weavers neighbour wasn’t very good.

[scawsby steve]

We know that TLT is a very good keeper, but to hear some on here, Jones is the worst keeper we've ever had.

Bloody ridiculous comments.

To be honest he is one of the worst i have seen at Rovers SS
Hate saying it with him being a local lad but seriously we haven’t had many who were not better than him in the last 49 years.

Yes he has made some great saves but he is very weak for a FL keeper on a few key aspects of his game.

All about opinions, Camps, but there's plenty of names to go at. Gary Woods, who was crap even with Jones and McCombe in front of him; Etheridge, Dahlberg, Mitchell, and that keeper on loan who let the ball squirm through his hands at Salford last season; I've never seen Louis do that.

Also, you're not showing much faith in GM if you think he gave a contract to one of the worst keepers we've had in 49 years.

[NickDRFC]

We know that TLT is a very good keeper, but to hear some on here, Jones is the worst keeper we've ever had.

Bloody ridiculous comments.

To be honest he is one of the worst i have seen at Rovers SS
Hate saying it with him being a local lad but seriously we haven’t had many who were not better than him in the last 49 years.

Yes he has made some great saves but he is very weak for a FL keeper on a few key aspects of his game.

All about opinions, Camps, but there's plenty of names to go at. Gary Woods, who was crap even with Jones and McCombe in front of him; Etheridge, Dahlberg, Mitchell, and that keeper on loan who let the ball squirm through his hands at Salford last season; I've never seen Louis do that.

Also, you're not showing much faith in GM if you think he gave a contract to one of the worst keepers we've had in 49 years.

Even the best managers make bad decisions.

[Campsall rover]

We know that TLT is a very good keeper, but to hear some on here, Jones is the worst keeper we've ever had.

Bloody ridiculous comments.

To be honest he is one of the worst i have seen at Rovers SS
Hate saying it with him being a local lad but seriously we haven’t had many who were not better than him in the last 49 years.

Yes he has made some great saves but he is very weak for a FL keeper on a few key aspects of his game.

All about opinions, Camps, but there's plenty of names to go at. Gary Woods, who was crap even with Jones and McCombe in front of him; Etheridge, Dahlberg, Mitchell, and that keeper on loan who let the ball squirm through his hands at Salford last season; I've never seen Louis do that.

Also, you're not showing much faith in GM if you think he gave a contract to one of the worst keepers we've had in 49 years.

Gary Woods was better than Louis Jones imo. Dahlberg was also and you could make a case for Mitchell also before Schofield totally wrecked his confidence.
DF knocked the stuffing out of Etheridge who was considered a decent keeper at Accrington which is why he signed him. 
It’s about opinions SS  yours differ from mine. 

[ravenrover]

Etheridge had a very strong defence in front of him  at Stanley which made him seem a better keeper than he was. As for DF knocking the stuffing out of him the South stand didn't do too bad a job as well

[Campsall rover]

Etheridge had a very strong defence in front of him  at Stanley which made him seem a better keeper than he was. As for DF knocking the stuffing out of him the South stand didn't do too bad a job as well

You’re not wrong ravenrover, they did.
But DF had a habit of making goalkeepers scapegoats for his own tactical inadequacies
Stuckmann comes to mind immediately as another one he helped to undermine.

[idler]

That is true Campsall but I don’t think I have seen a Rovers keeper parry a shot back into the danger area and then concede as many times as he did. Concede a corner but don’t keep it in play when usually forwards are moving quicker than the defenders.
I can’t say that I was sorry to see the BFG leave.