Molyneux

[philsky]

Anyone who"s given Luke abuse should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

And there have been quite a few doing it.

There has and it's insane. Pretty typical of our fanbase, sadly. Been the same for years.

The lad bursts his balls every match, scores goals, provides assists and, like all of us, has off days.

A proper talent.

We need to get behind him.

[mpc123]

That's the difference..   

Constantly pull out slight negatives, everybody has them. Say he was gifted goals when they are good finishes and difficult holding off defenders, speed required to get there. This is why quite a few talents coming to doncaste rovers the years have amounted to nothing. Get behind them, positive, help drive them forward and help them get to be a better player, rather than drag off and say he hasn't got the mentality.
There's a different way to the typical Doncaster way.

We can all achieve something with 90% positivity and drive, not skill.

We ALL need people behind us helping though, not hindering.

We have a decent tone, get really behind him, infact quite a few decent ones at the moment. He does stand out though.

[GazLaz]

That's the difference..   

Constantly pull out slight negatives, everybody has them. Say he was gifted goals when they are good finishes and difficult holding off defenders, speed required to get there. This is why quite a few talents coming to doncaste rovers the years have amounted to nothing. Get behind them, positive, help drive them forward and help them get to be a better player, rather than drag off and say he hasn't got the mentality.
There's a different way to the typical Doncaster way.

We can all achieve something with 90% positivity and drive, not skill.

We ALL need people behind us helping though, not hindering.

We have a decent tone, get really behind him, infact quite a few decent ones at the moment. He does stand out though.

The goals can both be “gifts” and ok finishes can’t they. The one on ones he has scored you would expect him to. I’m not sure any of that is incorrect.

[Avsuptem]

Retaining Molineux for this season was the best business done, I doubt we would  now be in an automatic promorltion position without him in the side.

[mpc123]

That's the difference..   

Constantly pull out slight negatives, everybody has them. Say he was gifted goals when they are good finishes and difficult holding off defenders, speed required to get there. This is why quite a few talents coming to doncaste rovers the years have amounted to nothing. Get behind them, positive, help drive them forward and help them get to be a better player, rather than drag off and say he hasn't got the mentality.
There's a different way to the typical Doncaster way.

We can all achieve something with 90% positivity and drive, not skill.

We ALL need people behind us helping though, not hindering.

We have a decent tone, get really behind him, infact quite a few decent ones at the moment. He does stand out though.

The goals can both be “gifts” and ok finishes can’t they. The one on ones he has scored you would expect him to. I’m not sure any of that is incorrect.

define gift. I get given something. Ball hits me it goes in.

That a gift... maybe your versions of the word gift are slightly out, that's all.

[mpc123]

Just a thought in those situations. The opposing fans expects the keeper to save it.

Yesterday's goal, well done for putting on pressure and forcing the mistake, 2 speed to keep distance and control with speed and calm finish. Brilliant.... your version
... gift.  I hot gifts for Christmas I had to do absolutely nothing for.

[Ian Nimmo]

Sorry GazLaz, but I just do not get you comments.
Yes the first goal was a bad mistake by their player, however mols was there to press the guy and was on the front foot for any such mistake. So therefore not a total gift, surely you have to give credit for that!

With the second, i am sure mols will say it was was a cross or shot, however whichever it was, he created the space and provided a ball into the danger area.

I sometimes get frustrated with mols, but this is because the guy is so talented, i don,t think it helps when he is playing too far out, and would like to see him playing more towards the centre.

One things for certain, he should not be getting the level of abuse that has occurred over the last few months.

[Ian Nimmo]

Have now watched the goal numerous times on mols instagram post, and now think he intended that as a shot.
The flight of the ball was tremendous, so another wonder goal!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

He tried a similar cross on Saturday which the keeper caught comfortably and we're thinkin, "Ffs, too close to the keeper" not giving anyone a chance of getting on the end of it.

Fine lines in football.

[GazLaz]

Sorry GazLaz, but I just do not get you comments.
Yes the first goal was a bad mistake by their player, however mols was there to press the guy and was on the front foot for any such mistake. So therefore not a total gift, surely you have to give credit for that!

With the second, i am sure mols will say it was was a cross or shot, however whichever it was, he created the space and provided a ball into the danger area.

I sometimes get frustrated with mols, but this is because the guy is so talented, i don,t think it helps when he is playing too far out, and would like to see him playing more towards the centre.

One things for certain, he should not be getting the level of abuse that has occurred over the last few months.

Yes, his work rate is good. He closed down the keeper from the first kick off which made me think they saw a weakness in the way Barrow pass the ball back from kick offs.

As for gifts, I see this as a chance that hugely outweighs the effort and creativity put in to achieve it. Last nights chance and the Gills change came about by absolute howlers by opposition players. Clinical finishes, but put on a plate.

I’m judging the teams results in the last 3 games as fortunate rather than Luke and his performances. We’ve had a freak little spell of fortune, surely people can acknowledge that.

[i_ateallthepies]

Gaz, you have seriously dented any credibility you thought you had.  One on ones are not an open goal and require composure to finish, we see plenty missed.  Moly's first goal last night was another great opportunist finish but the defender's error that led to it only happened due to Moly chasing down the defender and causing his error, you totally ignored that because it doesn't suit your agenda.  His one on one which he chipped over the keeper was a sublime piece of skill and you think it was a given it should be scored?

As for Moly's 2nd goal tonight I am far from convinced he intended it as a shot but what is indisputable is that he put the ball into a danger area making it virtually impossible to defend which we have all been bemoaning our inability to do this season.

[GazLaz]

Gaz, you have seriously dented any credibility you thought you had.  One on ones are not an open goal and require composure to finish, we see plenty missed.  Moly's first goal last night was another great opportunist finish but the defender's error that led to it only happened due to Moly chasing down the defender and causing his error, you totally ignored that because it doesn't suit your agenda.  His one on one which he chipped over the keeper was a sublime piece of skill and you think it was a given it should be scored?

As for Moly's 2nd goal tonight I am far from convinced he intended it as a shot but what is indisputable is that he put the ball into a danger area making it virtually impossible to defend which we have all been bemoaning our inability to do this season.

You are really not getting the point.

[TonySoprano]

I think molyneux would be a good candidate for a huge flag surfer banner, or TIFO display for the palace game.
To show him our support, and we are with him with any mental health issues.

[Bentley Bullet]

To me, goalscoring involves being in the right place at the right time when your opponents aren't.

[philsky]

Have now watched the goal numerous times on mols instagram post, and now think he intended that as a shot.
The flight of the ball was tremendous, so another wonder goal!

Gaz, you have seriously dented any credibility you thought you had.  One on ones are not an open goal and require composure to finish, we see plenty missed.  Moly's first goal last night was another great opportunist finish but the defender's error that led to it only happened due to Moly chasing down the defender and causing his error, you totally ignored that because it doesn't suit your agenda.  His one on one which he chipped over the keeper was a sublime piece of skill and you think it was a given it should be scored?

As for Moly's 2nd goal tonight I am far from convinced he intended it as a shot but what is indisputable is that he put the ball into a danger area making it virtually impossible to defend which we have all been bemoaning our inability to do this season.

Gaz, you have seriously dented any credibility you thought you had.  One on ones are not an open goal and require composure to finish, we see plenty missed.  Moly's first goal last night was another great opportunist finish but the defender's error that led to it only happened due to Moly chasing down the defender and causing his error, you totally ignored that because it doesn't suit your agenda.  His one on one which he chipped over the keeper was a sublime piece of skill and you think it was a given it should be scored?

As for Moly's 2nd goal tonight I am far from convinced he intended it as a shot but what is indisputable is that he put the ball into a danger area making it virtually impossible to defend which we have all been bemoaning our inability to do this season.

You are really not getting the point.

Sorry, but it just comes off negative to me.

From my perspective:

He made himself available to float a cross perfectly for Bailey to nod back for the first goal.

He pressed on his own for the second, caused the problem, and finished beautifully.

He orchestrated the third and did what he should - ball into the corridor of uncertainly.

Could do no more and did a lot more creatively than most on a dump of a pitch.

[philsky]

I think molyneux would be a good candidate for a huge flag surfer banner, or TIFO display for the palace game.
To show him our support, and we are with him with any mental health issues.

I'll contribute.

[Bessie Red]

Sorry GazLaz, but I just do not get you comments.
Yes the first goal was a bad mistake by their player, however mols was there to press the guy and was on the front foot for any such mistake. So therefore not a total gift, surely you have to give credit for that!

With the second, i am sure mols will say it was was a cross or shot, however whichever it was, he created the space and provided a ball into the danger area.

I sometimes get frustrated with mols, but this is because the guy is so talented, i don,t think it helps when he is playing too far out, and would like to see him playing more towards the centre.

One things for certain, he should not be getting the level of abuse that has occurred over the last few months.

Yes, his work rate is good. He closed down the keeper from the first kick off which made me think they saw a weakness in the way Barrow pass the ball back from kick offs.

As for gifts, I see this as a chance that hugely outweighs the effort and creativity put in to achieve it. Last nights chance and the Gills change came about by absolute howlers by opposition players. Clinical finishes, but put on a plate.

I’m judging the teams results in the last 3 games as fortunate rather than Luke and his performances. We’ve had a freak little spell of fortune, surely people can acknowledge that.

There is a view that you can create your own luck & at this level it can be easier to do this due to the players abilities. Luke first goal last night was a case in kind. Yes it was a mistake by their defender however the mistake was forced by Luke pressing with intensity. Once one on one with the keeper a player of Luke's ability would be expected to score which he did. That is not luck/a fluke.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Molyneux was excellent last night. He constantly found space and caused them problems all night. You're not going to see a much more dominant performance from a winger in this division.

The quality of the ball in for the first goal and his strike for the second were WAY above this level.

We'd be bowing "we're not worthy" if we'd seen an opposing player perform like that against us.

More generally, I thought the overall tempo last night was much better. That's the first time this season I've seen us move the ball quickly enough to pull holes in a low block defence. I thought Ennis was poor on Saturday, but he was instrumental last night. Pulling defenders over to cover him then quickly and accurately pushing the ball inside to exploit gaps down the opposite flank.

More of that and we'll be ok.

[drfchound]

Molyneux was excellent last night. He constantly found space and caused them problems all night. You're not going to see a much more dominant performance from a winger in this division.

The quality of the ball in for the first goal and his strike for the second were WAY above this level.

We'd be bowing "we're not worthy" if we'd seen an opposing player perform like that against us.

More generally, I thought the overall tempo last night was much better. That's the first time this season I've seen us move the ball quickly enough to pull holes in a low block defence. I thought Ennis was poor on Saturday, but he was instrumental last night. Pulling defenders over to cover him then quickly and accurately pushing the ball inside to exploit gaps down the opposite flank.

More of that and we'll be ok.

That bit I have highlighted is exactly what we have needed to give Mols opportunities to cause havoc on the other wing.
It is what happened last season after we signed Haks.
Teams will find it hard to double up on Mols if we have someone on the other side of the pitch who can contribute like Haks did last season.

[mpc123]

Sorry GazLaz, but I just do not get you comments.
Yes the first goal was a bad mistake by their player, however mols was there to press the guy and was on the front foot for any such mistake. So therefore not a total gift, surely you have to give credit for that!

With the second, i am sure mols will say it was was a cross or shot, however whichever it was, he created the space and provided a ball into the danger area.

I sometimes get frustrated with mols, but this is because the guy is so talented, i don,t think it helps when he is playing too far out, and would like to see him playing more towards the centre.

One things for certain, he should not be getting the level of abuse that has occurred over the last few months.

Yes, his work rate is good. He closed down the keeper from the first kick off which made me think they saw a weakness in the way Barrow pass the ball back from kick offs.

As for gifts, I see this as a chance that hugely outweighs the effort and creativity put in to achieve it. Last nights chance and the Gills change came about by absolute howlers by opposition players. Clinical finishes, but put on a plate.

I’m judging the teams results in the last 3 games as fortunate rather than Luke and his performances. We’ve had a freak little spell of fortune, surely people can acknowledge that.

It doesn't make sense, you say you are judging the teams performances, yet look at the title of the thread.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Sorry GazLaz, but I just do not get you comments.
Yes the first goal was a bad mistake by their player, however mols was there to press the guy and was on the front foot for any such mistake. So therefore not a total gift, surely you have to give credit for that!

With the second, i am sure mols will say it was was a cross or shot, however whichever it was, he created the space and provided a ball into the danger area.

I sometimes get frustrated with mols, but this is because the guy is so talented, i don,t think it helps when he is playing too far out, and would like to see him playing more towards the centre.

One things for certain, he should not be getting the level of abuse that has occurred over the last few months.

Yes, his work rate is good. He closed down the keeper from the first kick off which made me think they saw a weakness in the way Barrow pass the ball back from kick offs.

As for gifts, I see this as a chance that hugely outweighs the effort and creativity put in to achieve it. Last nights chance and the Gills change came about by absolute howlers by opposition players. Clinical finishes, but put on a plate.

I’m judging the teams results in the last 3 games as fortunate rather than Luke and his performances. We’ve had a freak little spell of fortune, surely people can acknowledge that.

At the moment, I think I'd broadly agree with that.

We weren't sparkling against Gillingham and we were really quite poor against Harrogate. On balance of play in those two games, we couldn't really have complained if we'd picked up 2-3 points, rather than 6, but two shocking defensive errors helped us out. The dice rolling our way.

Last night was a better performance and a clearly deserved win, with it without the mistake for the second goal. The optimist in me thinks Crew and Ennis settling in could be the difference. They were both excellent last night and hopefully will give us that extra bit of zip that's been lacking most of the season.

[Plumbster]

I agree, last night was the first time in a while I thought we looked genuine top 3. I also thought it was Bailey’s best game of the season which might just be coincidence, but the new boys are making an instant impact which is great credit to them.

[Pancho Regan]

Gaz, you have seriously dented any credibility you thought you had.  One on ones are not an open goal and require composure to finish, we see plenty missed.  Moly's first goal last night was another great opportunist finish but the defender's error that led to it only happened due to Moly chasing down the defender and causing his error, you totally ignored that because it doesn't suit your agenda.  His one on one which he chipped over the keeper was a sublime piece of skill and you think it was a given it should be scored?

As for Moly's 2nd goal tonight I am far from convinced he intended it as a shot but what is indisputable is that he put the ball into a danger area making it virtually impossible to defend which we have all been bemoaning our inability to do this season.

You are really not getting the point.

No, I think several of us on here have got the point quite clearly.

For reasons best known to yourself you prefer to call Moly's first goal last night a "gift" rather than give him the credit for making it happen. Which is what he did by chasing the defender down and forcing an error, then going on to beat the 'keeper.

[pib]

I would agree that 2 of the goals last night had an element of fortune, and definitely the one at Gillingham too. What I will say though is that I think it's more acceptable (for want of a better word) to win a game like that away from home. Home teams will generally be expected to make things happen more, so waiting for the opportunities to come to you and pouncing on weaknesses/mistakes rather than imposing your own style is fine in games like last night and at Gillingham I think. Not to mention that it doesn't seem to suit us to be "dominant" and have the strangle hold on possession.

However, the pressing issue still remains at home, and how we break teams down. Next four at home are Grimsby, Newport, Swindon and Carlisle. If they've watched us, they'll set up like Harrogate and try to nick something. I'm not sure how we go about it, but we need to find a formula for getting through these teams when they try to frustrate us. I think it's more of a Sbarra/Hurst/Gibson shaped solution than a Clifton one at home, and getting runners behind to try to stretch the opposition more. But we still need to find a way of playing that suits these players better.

[Barmby Rover]

I have also been critical of Mols, not of him but his form up to a few weeks ago he was struggling to break anything down, and I wondered if a fit and hungry Hurst would do the job better for a while, but he has answered his critics well in the last 2-3 weeks, and seems to have his motivation back. Good luck to him, and how fortunate we are with a fully firing Mols back, every player has their off times, as do teams, we have had a non too expensive quiet period, fingers crossed Mols and the team can shift up a gear now and finish the season off well.

[Alan Southstand]

An element of fortune - like their keeper getting away with a red card challenge and their striker scoring with his hand/arm? You mean that kind of fortune?

We thoroughly deserved that win last night - no if’s, no but’s - a great 3 points well deserved.

[MachoMadness]

We deserved the win last night, Moly played well, and we benefitted from a couple of slices of luck that we can't rely on getting every week. All of that can be true.

[Pancho Regan]

An element of fortune - like their keeper getting away with a red card challenge and their striker scoring with his hand/arm? You mean that kind of fortune?

We thoroughly deserved that win last night - no if’s, no but’s - a great 3 points well deserved.

Dead right Alan.

Several Barrow fans felt their keeper got away with it when he took Moly out. Also praise from them about the way we were playing them off the park in the first half and that they got lucky with their goal.

As I left the ground I heard a Barrow fan say to her partner "They are a good footballing side though aren't they?".

Listening to the opposition fans is often a good guide as to how well you've played.

[pib]

An element of fortune - like their keeper getting away with a red card challenge and their striker scoring with his hand/arm? You mean that kind of fortune?

We thoroughly deserved that win last night - no if’s, no but’s - a great 3 points well deserved.

I didn't say that we didn't deserve the win, or that Barrow didn't have any fortune either, just that two of our goals had an element of fortune.

Difficult to disagree with that I'd say? Or if making a point about one specific thing, should I make sure to caveat and quantify absolutely every thought adjacent to it?

[Pancho Regan]

One of many very complimentary comments on the Barrow fans' forum:

"Doncaster are comfortably the best side I have seen us play against at Holker street this season. Technically very very good and well organised. In Luke Molyneux the have arguably one of the best players in league 2.
I wouldn't say we were dreadful just Doncaster were very good."