Let's talk about the Barrow game

[ss1953]

Got my seat and train tickets from Edinburgh.

Train drivers strike making rail travel very difficult. May have to leave early as only one direct train home.

[turnbull for england]

Ticket bought, busy phone lines today

[Alan Southstand]

To add a bit more spice to our game v Barrow, I notice Crewe host Wrexham on Saturday but with an early (12.30) kick off. So, we’ll know whether we can still catch Crewe before we kick off! (Crewe currently on 70 points).

[les@donr]

We need an early goal to settle the nerves.

[ncRover]

The Barrow manager Pete Wild said after their draw to Crawley “It was a classic Barrow performance, solid at the back and threatening on the counter-attack.”

They have experienced defenders in Canavan and James Chester who will look to sit deep and soak up pressure. Molyneux and Adelakun won’t have the same space to run in behind this time.

Looking at the 15 game form table since we transformed as a team, Barrow stand 14th. With 17 goals for and 20 against over that period.

For the league table prior to that, they were in 4th place. I remember looking at xG for and against earlier on in the season and it suggested that they had been quite lucky to be that high up. Their keeper looks to have been one of the best in the league this year.

We now have the energy to match their youthful midfield which has caused us problems in previous encounters. I would stick with Westbrooke because we will be seeing a lot of the ball. His work rate is also very underrated.

If Stockton comes back in for this one he will be one to look out for. 14 games and 7 goals for him since he came in for them. Only a few seasons ago he hit 20+ in League One. He won’t need many opportunities to score. Young Acquah looks a handful as well. We need to be careful of them on the break.

[Upton Rover]

Poor away record. No win or clean sheet in their last eight away league games, shipping a load of goals.

Yes poor away record, but if you look at their last 10 league games they letting in 1 goal a game on average and scoring 1.1 goal a game, so it’s still going to be a very hard game, their away record of no wins in last 8 got to change sometime, hope it’s not on Saturday. If we score 2 or more goals it’s 3 more points, the 12th man on Saturday should be worth a goal for us.

[GazLaz]

Barrow are a counter attack side. However we perform with the ball they will always carry a threat.

[Colin C No.3]

We have an excellent keeper.

We have a leader and an organiser at centre back & whichever ‘partner’ he has with him, they have ‘grown’ playing alongside him.

We have a midfield which has tenacity, awareness & is always looking to go forward with the ball & organise themselves in transition to win back the ball quickly.

We have wing backs that have pace & look to get in behind the opposing midfield at every opportunity. Their defensive duties have been improved by that middle two in defence.

We have two wide men with excellent ball control, pace & an eye for an opportunity at goal.

We have a centre forward who could wrestle a sumo & is one league goal away from twenty for his season.

It’s Barrow who should worry.

I would in their boots.

[ChrisBx]

3-1 win.

[Campsall rover]

We have an excellent keeper.

We have a leader and an organiser at centre back & whichever ‘partner’ he has with him, they have ‘grown’ playing alongside him.

We have a midfield which has tenacity, awareness & is always looking to go forward with the ball & organise themselves in transition to win back the ball quickly.

We have wing backs that have pace & look to get in behind the opposing midfield at every opportunity. Their defensive duties have been improved by that middle two in defence.

We have two wide men with excellent ball control, pace & an eye for an opportunity at goal.

We have a centre forward who could wrestle a sumo & is one league goal away from twenty for his season.

It’s Barrow who should worry.

I would in their boots.

Don’t wish to be pedantic Colin, but we don’t play with wing backs any more. Yes they still get forward and attack and support our front players.
Joe Ironside has 16 league goals. He already has 20 in total including all cup games.

You are quite right though Barrow should be the team doing the worrying.

[adamtherover]

We have an excellent keeper.

We have a leader and an organiser at centre back & whichever ‘partner’ he has with him, they have ‘grown’ playing alongside him.

We have a midfield which has tenacity, awareness & is always looking to go forward with the ball & organise themselves in transition to win back the ball quickly.

We have wing backs that have pace & look to get in behind the opposing midfield at every opportunity. Their defensive duties have been improved by that middle two in defence.

We have two wide men with excellent ball control, pace & an eye for an opportunity at goal.

We have a centre forward who could wrestle a sumo & is one league goal away from twenty for his season.

It’s Barrow who should worry.

I would in their boots.

THIS!!!!!  , we are no longer a team of one or two stars, hoping that the main man scores or else we are struggling!,  we have goals all accross the front line and beyond.  Saturday proved that, plus factor in an incredibly mean defense, whether it be tom or joe who partner woody, it doesnt matter, both are on top form! We can now score 1 goal and believe that the game can be seen out, gone are the days of needing 3 goals to be almost sure. Bring it on!!!!! RTID

[Alickismyhero]

I watched the Crawley/Barrow game and I thought both teams were very nervous and on the whole, poor.

As we all know things can go wrong for any team, Liverpool/Arsenal as examples. perhaps a bad decision by the ref/ injuries, many variables can affect the outcome of a game.
9 games in 10 Donny will outplay a poor Barrow team but could this be Barrows game? deep deep down I dont think so.

Come on Donny make my day.

[les@donr]

The type of game we play will always provide us with chances. Keep it tight at the back will be important to.

[mushRTID]

Surely they will come for a draw which for them would be an excellent result.
So if we get an early goal it might throw their game plan out the window.

[selby]

  If we play well we have every chance of getting a win in this game, It is up to us to make the running and pace of the game  and put our chances away when they come along.

[les@donr]

Playing for the draw is a dangerous game, one slip up and concede a goal means you have to come out and leave gaps at the back witch will be exploited.

[rich1471]

The Barrow manager Pete Wild said after their draw to Crawley “It was a classic Barrow performance, solid at the back and threatening on the counter-attack.”

They have experienced defenders in Canavan and James Chester who will look to sit deep and soak up pressure. Molyneux and Adelakun won’t have the same space to run in behind this time.

Looking at the 15 game form table since we transformed as a team, Barrow stand 14th. With 17 goals for and 20 against over that period.

For the league table prior to that, they were in 4th place. I remember looking at xG for and against earlier on in the season and it suggested that they had been quite lucky to be that high up. Their keeper looks to have been one of the best in the league this year.

We now have the energy to match their youthful midfield which has caused us problems in previous encounters. I would stick with Westbrooke because we will be seeing a lot of the ball. His work rate is also very underrated.

If Stockton comes back in for this one he will be one to look out for. 14 games and 7 goals for him since he came in for them. Only a few seasons ago he hit 20+ in League One. He won’t need many opportunities to score. Young Acquah looks a handful as well. We need to be careful of them on the break.

I watched the game they did sit deep and defended but offered very little going forward

[Wiltshire Exile]

We need an early goal to settle the nerves.

Only one, les?! 

[Chris Black come back]

Carl Brook has been appointed referee for Rovers’ clash with Barrow on May 20.

The Sussex official has taken charge of 34 matches this term, with the majority coming in Sky Bet League One. He has issued 144 yellow cards and three reds across those games.

This will be his first outing of the season refereeing a Rovers game but he previously handled them on three occasions since 2020.

His most recent game involving Rovers was the 1-1 draw at Crewe Alexandra in October 2022. Of the three matches, Rovers won one and lost one.

[Campsall rover]

Carl Brook has been appointed referee for Rovers’ clash with Barrow on May 20.

The Sussex official has taken charge of 34 matches this term, with the majority coming in Sky Bet League One. He has issued 144 yellow cards and three reds across those games.

This will be his first outing of the season refereeing a Rovers game but he previously handled them on three occasions since 2020.

His most recent game involving Rovers was the 1-1 draw at Crewe Alexandra in October 2022. Of the three matches, Rovers won one and lost one.

Its possible he will be the 19th May the day before in the play off final CBcb   

[ForsolongaRover]

Playing for the draw is a dangerous game, one slip up and concede a goal means you have to come out and leave gaps at the back witch will be exploited.

In a sense there might be some rationale in them playing for a draw. We have scored quite a few of our goals on the break. I’m not sure we have faced a team that have “parked the bus”. From their point of view they could do this while they hold it to 0-0. Assuming that we will score they have to try to respond, so how long might they hold out and might we be vulnerable to conceding from counter attacks?

[roversdude]

Did everyone notice Barrow could only name 6 subs today? So obviously some issues there.

And to add to that their CB No5 got a straight red so he will be out for 3 games, including the ones against Crawley and us.

I’ve asked one of their fans about that - something to do with not having any academy players in the squad! I guess having Jones on the bench mitigates that for us

[TheFunk]

Yep that's the reason, which I was happy about keeping Jones as it means we have a better outfield bench.

[Alan Southstand]

Just a slight word of caution - let’s hope we score first!

[danumdon]

Just a slight word of caution - let’s hope we score first!

Its something that would be highly desirable for us but there will come a time when we don't, if we get to the playoffs we need to be able to play our game when we are either in front or behind.

Im thinking the whole mindset of the squad has been totally rejuvenated, it would be a test but in the mind frame we are inhabiting i would not put it past us to have the determination and desire to succeed.

Im happy that we have got this far, if it continues then lets have it. We should fear no one.

[andy didcott]

COYR.

[selby]

  It has been a great run of results since January that has got us in a position where we can dream of a great finish to the season. I have always had the feeling only the Rovers could do that, usually losing when we were odds on to win and occasionally over the years results like the draw at Anfield when being the very bottom of the fourth division, results and displays that have been hard to accept over the years, and even harder to understand.
  The first half of this season was well up there as one of the most frustrating to me, Players that let the opposition run past them in mid field and not a tackle or tactical foul on show, no cover for the back four, players shoe horned into positions they were not familiar with, young players ignored when results were terrible and the same players who made the same mistakes week after week and could not fit the style of play we were trying to play, and it was all so obvious, multiplied by the obvious disinterest and mis control by part of the board.
  The control being taken over by Terry Brammall cannot be understated alongside the team manager getting a grip of things on the field of play.
  The sad thing is it was so obvious, with every improvement made  since the new year being spoken of on this forum and other outlets by many different supporters on the terraces and took so long to be acted on.
  It's been a great run and deserves to succeed and bring success, but lessons must be learned as really we have underperformed, played players not suited to the game plan, and the club was not best managed behind the scenes, Whatever the end of the season brings we have to build on this second half of the season, look at what we are doing right now, and improve on that again, as for todays game just go for it we have nothing to lose.

[ncRover]

The Barrow fans on today. Mixed expectations from them but they’d be happy with a draw it seems.

https://www.barrowafc.net/viewtopic.php?t=33048

I don’t think there is any pressure on the players today. They have done us proud already but have the skill and attitude to take it all the way if they keep on as they have been.

[Avsuptem]

One of the punters on their forum thinks that if they go one up it will make our big crowd turn against the team.
I don't think so.

[TonySoprano]

This has potential to be a very frustrating afternoon.
I expect barrow to employ shithouse tactics and go for a draw, and do everything possible for a draw.
They will set up to frustrate and annoy.

That's what I would do if I were them.

I hope the ref is a good one today.