Richard Wood Testimonial

[Dutch Uncle]

Interesting that all the starting 11 except Gibson were at the club last season

[glosterred]

Some of the fans at the game today


COYR

Credit @drfcofficial

[adamtherover]

Nice touch, that every rovers player has the number 6 on his back

[scawsby steve]

Interesting that GM's gone for Lawlor in the last game before the big KO.

It looks like he's not made his mind up on which keeper will be No 1. I assume both keepers will maybe get 45 minutes each today.

I wonder if the Boro game influenced GM's opinion, or maybe Lawlor's looked better in training.

[adamtherover]

Stewards have decided they are gonna have a busy afternoon....

[Dutch Uncle]

HT 0-0

[Alan Southstand]

Sharman-Lowe on and Woody making way for McGrath.

[scawsby steve]

Did Lawlor have anything to do in that first half?

[selby]

  First ten minutes a bit dicky with Lawlor making a good save and a free kick hitting the cross bar.
  As they settled down and came into the game Hurst, Ironside, and Broadbent came into the game Hurst having a good finish chalked off for offside, nothing between the two sides but a decent work out up to half time.
   Much the same in the first few minutes of the second half with both sides bringing on a couple of subs.

[drfchound]

So, have Rotherham put out a weakened team or not then selby?

[selby]

  No I don't think so Hound but as the game has progressed both sides have brought a number on, after the first ten minutes or so we have looked as good as them and  have shown up well, but both sides are hardly going at it and goalmouth action has been in short supply at both ends.

[ncRover]

Why did Wood go off at half time? I feel like he hasn’t been getting many minutes

[danumdon]

Why did Wood go off at half time? I feel like he hasn’t been getting many minutes

I would imagine the club are managing his game time along with his training regime. for a player of his age i'd say its a good strategy, going into the new season.

Plus it was nice to give him the centre stage whilst he could still walk off and appreciate it.

[Grumps]

So, have Rotherham put out a weakened team or not then selby?

Squad was split as we played Sheffield Wednesday in a behind closed door friendly yesterday (also finished nil nil).  So, yes, a weakened team which I find strange so close to the season starting.  Obviously it's guess work as we've signed 13 new players but by my reckoning five, possibly six, of today's starting eleven might start against Exeter next week. 

The substitutions today were academy lads. 

[roversdude]

Who was the trialist keeper Grumps ?

[mushRTID]

Surprisingly low attendance from the Rotherham fans, I thought Wood was meant to be their legend??

[GazLaz]

What was the attendance?

[mushRTID]

4700 or something
I think about 700 from Donny

[GazLaz]

Not too bad then really.

[mushRTID]

Not great either for a club legend.

[Silkscarf]

First sight of the new signings I’ve had. Can’t really judge anybody on that game. Nothing much happened. Neither side trying their hardest obviously.

I rarely bother with friendlies but hadn’t been to a game at this ground so I went. Roll on proper games.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Very drab game really, hardly anything to raise the temperature. Seemed to take us a good 15 mins before we got any passing going plus everything seemed very slow. Not untypical that Rotherham only looked dangerous from crosses and set pieces whilst we looked more pleasing on the eye when we got the ball down.  Lawlor made a really good reaction save early on but flapped at a couple of crosses, electing to punch, which we expect anyway.

Hurst again was out most likely player and from where I was sat in the Rotherham end (Yuk) he might have been unlucky to be given offside when scoring.

Gibson looked a bit sloppy again. Sbarra looked lively when he came on. Clifton hardly got a touch so difficult to see what he was about. Westbrooke looked comfortable when he came on, Yeboah looked weak but, neither side broke much sweat. Nothing really learned from this outing.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I thought Gibson was good Baz actually. Good movement and good touch. Hurst, Gibson, molyneux will kill teams in league 2.

[Grumps]

Who was the trialist keeper Grumps ?

Honestly no idea Roversdude.  For some reason, that I've never understood, we only ever call them "Trialist".  And if there's two we get "Trialist A" and "Trialist B"!

At first I thought it was Jamal Blackman (again).  There's nothing to choose between our two keepers (Phillips and Dawson).  Both are ok league 1 keepers but both look poor when judged against Viktor Johansson.  So any new keeper will presumably be a young understudy. 

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I thought Gibson was good Baz actually. Good movement and good touch. Hurst, Gibson, molyneux will kill teams in league 2.

I might be a bit unfair but, he and Hurst kept interchanging. He had a couple of runs but he just doesn't seem as determined as Hurst to penetrate and hurt the opposition.

[Plumbster]

Not seen any friendlies but looking forward to seeing Hurst next week- it sounds like he has been transformed

[DonnyOsmond]

Not seen any friendlies but looking forward to seeing Hurst next week- it sounds like he has been transformed

Same. I watched the Hull game online and his pressing got us two of the goals and sounds like it created us chances today too.

[Campsall rover]

Well then what was all that fuss about when this fixture was announced?
This was like any other pre season match.
Really don’t understand all the antagonism towards this match before we played.
I notice all those who made a song & dance about it have not said a word.
It was a great success, no bother and a great day for Woody with a decent pay day for him. A decent crowd of just under 5.000 which is good for a pre season friendly.
If it hadn’t been his testimonial I suspect the crowd would have been only around 3.000.
Those that said it was a poor turn out are on a different planet to me.
How many did you expect to turn out in a friendly at peak holiday time?
A good work out for our lads and good to see Harry Clifton get some mins on the pitch before the big KO next week.
We more than held our own I thought and another clean sheet is no bad thing. Only Boro have scored against us.

Roll on next Sat as we embark on what I am 99% certain will be a promotion season and I would give us an 80% on us being Champions.

My full predicted league table will follow this next week.

[Butchers Red]

I enjoyed the day in their hospitality,several ex Rotherham players guest speaking with some great tales and anecdotes of Woody. After the match he came in and did a Q and A session then had some free speech, be under no illusions about how much today meant to him, and the "great support" in his words from the Rovers fans. Thoroughly enjoyable day and my mate won Woody's boots in the raffle to top it off.

RTID

[drfchound]

Great info Butchers and I’m glad you had such a great day.
Those hospitality days can be great fun.
I hope Woody has another pair of boots for next weekend.