Let's talk about the MK Dons game

[selby]

  Always a nice place to go for supporters  with luxury seating and a good view of the game and an interesting game between two of the fancied sides who have had at least a couple of poor results, MK Dons especially being  in 20th position not the place they want to be.
  Both sides lost on the face of it easily us 2-0 and MK 3-0 to arch rivals the original Wimbledon club while both sides dominated possession, in MK's case 74% and succumbed to two late goals after the 90th minute in time added.
  So both clubs will want to get back on track, both will have to be better in the oppositions penalty area than they were in their last game and show something for their approach work.
  With players like Gilby and Tomlinson  and White a loan player from Newcastle who made some first team appearances at Newcastle last season they are capable of turning things around over the season, our job this weekend to put that revival back a week.
   They will not want to get in the scramble it becomes in the bottom half like we did last season, and will see the game as an opportunity after our poor show at Harrogate,
  Hopefully Kelly will be back in midfield and probably Westbrook after our poor performance in that area at Harrogate, and we can release our wide players quicker than we did in that game and telling attacking passes not just sideways and backwards.
   We need once again to put a little run of games unbeaten  together to keep our challenge  in the teams near the top going and to do so need to feed our front players, the area on the field of play where we are strongest. 
    Quite a few players at Harrogate did not play to their normal standard, against once again a team that were physical kept defenders between the ball and their goal, and made challengers on the players in midfield and walked all over them really. plus made use of the tactical foul to stop and disrupt play something missing from our play on the night.
   So again what do you think, we will be playing a side like ourselves that can be got at but if allowed have the players to hurt you.
   With Kelly back and others returning to the squad will we make changes? can we get back on track?   are you going to the game?
 Will we inject pace at the back with Olowu? can we give our strikers and wide men a better service?
   Lots to discuss about the game, please have your say.

[ncRover]

I’d play Ironside for this one. These Fancy Dan MK defenders seem more bothered about pretty passes than the physical art of defending. They are there for bullying.

I’d also look to play Yeboah for pace in behind as they’ll have a high line.

This will be a different challenge, which I think will really suit us and we’ll win. But if we do that doesn’t mean people who have concerns about games like Newport and Harrogate away are wrong.

[scawsby steve]

I'm really looking forward to the whole day out. I've never been to MK, and it's a well rated stadium.

Also, I'm treating my daughter and youngest grandson to their first ever away game. As regards the team selection, I'll leave that to GM.

If we want it badly enough, and really turn up, we'll win.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I watched Kelly in a full match replay of the game with Ukraines u21s. N Ireland were up against it as Ukraine were far superior technically and energetically. The game largely passed Kelly by as they struggled to play through the lines. He got into a couple of 50/50s and came out second best both times. His bright spot was a good run down the left flank when he got a dangerous cross into the box. A few wall passes but no real penetrative passes. He was hooked on 60 mins and I'm sure he'll be disappointed with his game but, all of the N Ireland team were struggling to contain Ukraine.

I'll be very surprised if he comes straight back in as a starter.

[danumdon]

Its GM aim to play an attacking game and try to get the wide players into the game. I'd then say that you do need a player like Ironside to link up the forward play and hold the ball, allowing your forward runners into space. This is not to knock BS as i believe he still has a major part to play in the side, if we start with Billy and don't manage to dominate then we are struggling to get a foothold in the game, this then makes Billy look ineffective, which he's not. If we start with him then we need strength and mobility in the middle to take the initiative, this will allow the wide players the time and space to create and feed BS.

When you look at  a player like Kelly then he should be the link player between the forward play but effective enough to protect the back line, he needs to get up to speed quickly and become the effective linchpin that Craig ended up being last season, when you look to the alternatives they are all different and lack one of the two main competencies to be overall effective. Close, Westbrooke, Broadbent all fall into this camp. We need that combative type to play alongside Bailey who has struggled a little to become as effective as he could be because of this. Could Clifton be the answer? id take a punt and try him in the role, he looks like he has the legs and engine to be effective, with the option of playing Hurst or Sbarra in the no10 role.

Lots a options for GM to work with, does he start to use a different strategy when playing away from home? go tighter and more defensive, with additional strength in midfield?

Who would want to be the manager these days! we are still a work in progress but with the size of squad we have its going to take longer to hit the right balance in the side, something that GM will no doubt be working on right now.

[ravenrover]

Billy is not a lone striker and is definitely not a target man.
He is a predator and feeds off scraps, in my opinion he needs an Ironside to work off. If thismeans sacrificing a wideman presumably not Mols the so be it

[selby]

  The way the two pairs of central defenders played at Harrogate their pairing if they play like that regularly would walk into our side , they never gave our strikers a sniff all the game.
   It is just one game though, and nobody can complain with what both Ironside and Sharp bring to the side, especially up against players playing at the top of their game and our midfield pedestrian behind them not exactly opening the game up for them with scintillating football or getting crosses into the area with wide players trying to come inside rather than play to their strengths and narrowing the width of the field. 
 Harrogate's full backs showed them the inside and forced them across the field into traffic and the numbers on the edge of their penalty area, on the night they just sucked our strikers into congested areas and our midfield and wide players fell into the trap.

[Chris Black come back]

Their manager off to Carlisle I think.

[Chris Black come back]

Their manager off to Carlisle I think.

He's gone. Seems an odd decision. Guess he's spent a lot of time up that end of the country.

[Lesonthewest]

Speaking of getting balls in quicker to our wide players, I watched some of the Stoke v  Fleetwood the other  night & they had a wide player in Phoenix Patterson who's intent was beating his defender & putting in crosses, looked a real handfull, & maybe something we could do a lot more than we currently do.

 It's obvious Mollyneux has been working on his weaker side & has put one or two good crosses in with his right, which will leave his opponent the extra problem of not knowing which way he will go. Didn't see all of the Stoke game but noticed Patterson finished with an assist.

Hopefully on Saturday we can get the ball wide quicker & get more crosses in.

[drfchound]

Speaking of getting balls in quicker to our wide players, I watched some of the Stoke v  Fleetwood the other  night & they had a wide player in Phoenix Patterson who's intent was beating his defender & putting in crosses, looked a real handfull, & maybe something we could do a lot more than we currently do.

 It's obvious Mollyneux has been working on his weaker side & has put one or two good crosses in with his right, which will leave his opponent the extra problem of not knowing which way he will go. Didn't see all of the Stoke game but noticed Patterson finished with an assist.

Hopefully on Saturday we can get the ball wide quicker & get more crosses in.

When I saw that the Stoke v Fleetwood pen shootout had ended 2-1 I decided to have a look at the you tube highlights and I particularly noticed Patterson.
He looked very good didn’t he, quick and direct with a great left foot.

[Lesonthewest]

Speaking of getting balls in quicker to our wide players, I watched some of the Stoke v  Fleetwood the other  night & they had a wide player in Phoenix Patterson who's intent was beating his defender & putting in crosses, looked a real handfull, & maybe something we could do a lot more than we currently do.

 It's obvious Mollyneux has been working on his weaker side & has put one or two good crosses in with his right, which will leave his opponent the extra problem of not knowing which way he will go. Didn't see all of the Stoke game but noticed Patterson finished with an assist.

Hopefully on Saturday we can get the ball wide quicker & get more crosses in.

When I saw that the Stoke v Fleetwood pen shootout had ended 2-1 I decided to have a look at the you tube highlights and I particularly noticed Patterson.
He looked very good didn’t he, quick and direct with a great left foot.

He did hound, just had a quick look & he scored plenty at Waterford previously, looks a really good player. Hopefully we can provide from wide areas which I'm sure Sharp/Ironside will get on the end of.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Very good pre match interview with McCann. We're at 30% performance level. Much more to come.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jrkh7z

[DonnyBazR0ver]

DFPs predicted starting XI

Our Rovers XI: Sharman-Lowe, Emmanuel, McGrath, Olowu, Fleming, Bailey, Kelly, Clifton, Molyneux, Ironside, Yeboah

Do you think he'll make that many changes? I wouldn't disagree apart from maybe Hurst instead of Yeboah.

For me, today's more about the performance than the result. We need to start converting that potential into something that looks like a strong outfit for most of the 90 minutes. I'd exachange some individual flair for more joined up teamwork and build on a solid foundation.

[Chris Black come back]

Looking at that midfield and also Yeboah, suggests quite rightly we are ditching football today and playing on the break against a side that will dominate possession at home.

[ForsolongaRover]

Looking at that midfield and also Yeboah, suggests quite rightly we are ditching football today and playing on the break against a side that will dominate possession at home.

I see Yeboah as having natural talent who can win the ball and keep it, but who needs to apply more thought in his distribution and decision-making.

[ncRover]

I’d play Ironside for this one. These Fancy Dan MK defenders seem more bothered about pretty passes than the physical art of defending. They are there for bullying.

There we have it.

McCann said different players will suit different games.

I’d expect Sharp to play against Chesterfield as they have humongous centre halves so may as well keep it on the deck more.

[normal rules]

Some strange happenings with seating today. The first load of tickets that were sold were for upper tier. And yet the upper tier was shut causing the usual commotion with seat numbers etc.
that said, there was plenty of room. And I just don’t understand why they didn’t allow pay on the day. To close ticket sales on wed, three days before the game seems daft. They must be well off.