Let's talk about the Stockport County game

[selby]

  After a great cup winning week it's back to the bread and butter against a Stockport team who will be smarting after being on the end of what could be seen as the biggest upset of round 2 when losing 5-4 on penalties to Cambridge United   and according to reports were way off their game with Cambridge deserving of taking the game overall'
  It means the return of probably our player of the season last season who did more than anyone to keep us afloat in the first half of last season, and is now part of one of the fancied sides in the division to press for promotion after spending a few bob on the playing staff.
  According to supporters after the game the general feeling is they very much treated that game as very second best to their promotion push with lots of changes and view their next three fixtures  as an important period against teams they should beat.
  Their recent form has dipped however scoring just 2 goals in their last five games and the consensus is they are very much missing Norwood, and we could do with him out of the way Tuesday if so.
  Sitting in fifth place on 29 points in a very tight table they are beginning to look vulnerable and hopefully we can add to their dip in form.
  Our confidence must be on the rise with our recent results, and the main reason is we are scoring a few goals and we  are looking more confident and aware of our set up in games with a much more fluent game going forward and through mid field.
  It will be interesting to see the level of support Tuesday after our little upturn in results , a mid week game, not great weather, and work commitments, hopefully those there will have something to shout about and get behind the team, which to be honest has been good this season with the Black bank leading the way.
  So an important game for us, selection should be easier after wins injury allowing and we can be more confident we can get back on track.
  What do you think? lots to discuss. lots to look forward to, and important points at stake to try and get up the division and open up a points gap on the relegation places, and in a tight division even dream of pushing those teams in the play off positions.
  Please have your say.

[Chris Black come back]

They are obviously a strong side but they haven’t won a league game since 27 October and that was against rock bottom Port Vale.

[Barmby Rover]

Stockport are going through their poor patch for the season, we have just come out of ours. A dour game I suspect, I hope Rovers win 5-0, but I wouldn't be surprised with a 1-1.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

If we keep up our recent improvement in form and performances there's little to fear from any other League One team other than perhaps Cardiff. Go for the jugular on Tuesday.

[Bessie Red]

We must keep the same starting 11 from the Peterborough & Chessie fa cup sides if they've all come through fit & healthy. That is our best starting 11 right now.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Looks like it's going to be horrible weather although the forecast suggests the heavy gusty winds might subside by kick off but rain expected to persist.

Be prepared!

[Smyth]

Looks like it's going to be horrible weather although the forecast suggests the heavy gusty winds might subside by kick off but rain expected to persist.

Be prepared!

Strange,  my weather app shows no rain around here,  could be a bit windy but that's probably due to climate change according to the hysterical scaremongering idiots on here.

[scawsby steve]

If the weather is crap, there'll probably be a poor crowd with it being on Sky.

[Barmby Rover]

Looks like it's going to be horrible weather although the forecast suggests the heavy gusty winds might subside by kick off but rain expected to persist.

Be prepared!

Strange,  my weather app shows no rain around here,  could be a bit windy but that's probably due to climate change according to the hysterical scaremongering idiots on here.

A pity when the science denying idiots ignore everything they're told, which includes the difference between weather and climate.

[adamtherover]

Looks like it's going to be horrible weather although the forecast suggests the heavy gusty winds might subside by kick off but rain expected to persist.

Be prepared!

Strange,  my weather app shows no rain around here,  could be a bit windy but that's probably due to climate change according to the hysterical scaremongering idiots on here.

A pity when the science denying idiots ignore everything they're told, which includes the difference between weather and climate.

isn't the average temp only one degree higher than when records began?  So yes, we are all deniers lol

[Colemans Left Hook]

Thought of the day we play the Hatters four times in the League this season will we win any of them ? 

they have scored a measly 23 and let in 21 in 17 games

[Smyth]

Looks like it's going to be horrible weather although the forecast suggests the heavy gusty winds might subside by kick off but rain expected to persist.

Be prepared!

Strange,  my weather app shows no rain around here,  could be a bit windy but that's probably due to climate change according to the hysterical scaremongering idiots on here.

A pity when the science denying idiots ignore everything they're told, which includes the difference between weather and climate.

Me a science denier? Au contraire, I'm  not someone who thinks 6 foot 3, 18 stone, Big Hands Dave, Head of a Hippo and an enormous protuding Adam's Apple is a woman if he says he is. Biology says no but MachoMadness won't agree.

Anyway windy in today's weather that isn't affected by climate change,  rather warm for  December,  though wind forecast to lessen, so hopefully we kick towards North Stand first half.

[ncRover]

They are obviously a strong side but they haven’t won a league game since 27 October and that was against rock bottom Port Vale.

Coincided with Oliver Norwood getting injured. He’s still out for this one. He was their playmaker.

Expect them to try go long to Wootton and Nathan Lowe instead.

[Pancho Regan]

Before the season started, I was perusing the teams we would be competing with in League One.
I thought that if we were to mount a challenge for the top 6, we would need to be getting positive results against the likes of Lincoln, Stockport, Wycombe, Barnsley, Bolton, Wigan …. because they were the teams likely to be in and around the play-off places.

Obviously we have stuttered after our promising start to the season, and as expected Stockport are currently occupying one of the play-off places, but it’s worth noting that IF we get a win tonight, we will be only 4 points behind them.

Ever the optimist!

[drfchound]

Before the season started, I was perusing the teams we would be competing with in League One.
I thought that if we were to mount a challenge for the top 6, we would need to be getting positive results against the likes of Lincoln, Stockport, Wycombe, Barnsley, Bolton, Wigan …. because they were the teams likely to be in and around the play-off places.

Obviously we have stuttered after our promising start to the season, and as expected Stockport are currently occupying one of the play-off places, but it’s worth noting that IF we get a win tonight, we will be only 4 points behind them.

Ever the optimist!

You are right to be optimistic Pancho.
I remember someone last year continually coming on here telling everyone how our league position was false when bearing in mind how few of our wins had come against top ten sides.
In the end though, strangely enough, we finished as Champions.

[selby]

  There are more sides recognisably better than us in this Division this season though Hound with more class in their line up who are top half of this division players.
  Every side we pick to play has at least six or seven players from back to front of the team that have to be continually playing near their ceiling to compete against the top teams.
  Not to say it is impossible but unlikely as regularly needed to challenge the top six over a season, and the few top players we have would move on for financial gain given the chance.
  All the talk of January has been about bringing players in, but we could lose some just as easy as the agents will be looking for a cut if possible a la Olowu.
 

[Stewmaiden79]

Do you think there is a realistic chance someone could come in for our top players Selby? Personally I don’t think many of our current players could challenge for a starting place in a championship side, therefore I’d imagine any bids would come from within league one from teams with bigger budgets than ours. I’m certainly no expert on such things mind , just find it both interesting and also a little bit worrying that we might lose some of our talent.

[drfchound]

  There are more sides recognisably better than us in this Division this season though Hound with more class in their line up who are top half of this division players.
  Every side we pick to play has at least six or seven players from back to front of the team that have to be continually playing near their ceiling to compete against the top teams.
  Not to say it is impossible but unlikely as regularly needed to challenge the top six over a season, and the few top players we have would move on for financial gain given the chance.
  All the talk of January has been about bringing players in, but we could lose some just as easy as the agents will be looking for a cut if possible a la Olowu.

I know and agree with you Brian about the higher standard we are playing against this season.
We might not quite make the top six but as Pancho said, he was wondering whether we could be challenging for a place in the top six, not necessarily eventually winning a play off place.
At present we are only six points out of the top six and a little run of picking up points can quickly change things.
I am also sharing your concerns though about clubs making offers for one or two of our players, namely Bails and Mols.

[drfchound]

I hope our fans don’t give stick to Olowu if he plays tonight.

[selby]

Hound I am with you all the way, we have done well this season with the two little cup runs a bonus, and a good start.
 If we do manage to challenge at all for a play off place come the end of February onwards I will be well pleased.

[monkeytennis]

I hope we show some grit and passion tonight. We can’t have teams coming to fortress eco power on a wet Tuesday night and taking points away can we.

Echoing the thoughts of some posters above myself, there’s a bigger gap than a lot of people thought between L1 and 2 isn’t there. Just look at Mols, ran rings around defenders in L2, now he’s up against much more capable characters in teams that no longer need to mark him 3:1 and he isn’t providing anywhere near the quality of ball in that he used to. Then when we play a L2 side (last Sat) there’s the stunning inch perfect cross for the skipper to nod in.

[normal rules]

A very bad night at the office. Every team playing tonight below rovers is winning with minutes left . Three points off drop and 4 teams below have a game in hand .

[Thorney]

Very odd performance tonight.

A massive lack of energy, mis placed passes and players look like they have lost their heads.

Also crowd has been very subdued.

A very strange night. 

[dknward2]

From the few minutes I've watched thanks to sky, the ref was shocking but if you don't get a shot on target you won't score

[Avsuptem]

What a horrible ugly, crap game that was. A tough watch.  Devoid of any merit..

[colincramb]

  There are more sides recognisably better than us in this Division this season though Hound with more class in their line up who are top half of this division players.
  Every side we pick to play has at least six or seven players from back to front of the team that have to be continually playing near their ceiling to compete against the top teams.
  Not to say it is impossible but unlikely as regularly needed to challenge the top six over a season, and the few top players we have would move on for financial gain given the chance.
  All the talk of January has been about bringing players in, but we could lose some just as easy as the agents will be looking for a cut if possible a la Olowu.

I know and agree with you Brian about the higher standard we are playing against this season.
We might not quite make the top six but as Pancho said, he was wondering whether we could be challenging for a place in the top six, not necessarily eventually winning a play off place.
At present we are only six points out of the top six and a little run of picking up points can quickly change things.
I am also sharing your concerns though about clubs making offers for one or two of our players, namely Bails and Mols.

Never mind the top six. Absolute pipe dream! We should be more concerned about the fight we’ve got out our hands to stay in the league. After tonight’s results, very likely we could be in the bottom 4 by Christmas. The Plymouth game is pivotal.

[colincramb]

Very odd performance tonight.

A massive lack of energy, mis placed passes and players look like they have lost their heads.

Also crowd has been very subdued.

A very strange night. 

The crowd has been subdued for the last 6 or so home games. Feels like the momentum and positivity built up through the last 18 months has been completely shattered

[Thorney]

Very odd performance tonight.

A massive lack of energy, mis placed passes and players look like they have lost their heads.

Also crowd has been very subdued.

A very strange night. 

The crowd has been subdued for the last 6 or so home games. Feels like the momentum and positivity built up through the last 18 months has been completely shattered

It seems that many fans are quick to get on the players backs rather than try and pick them up this season.

Some of our fanbase are quick to turn toxic and turn on players.

[danumdon]

Very poor quality from us tonight, many off colour and some missing completely (yes i'm looking at you Gibson) We made a very average side look good when all they had to do was bully us off the ball and wait for us to make the mistakes which they capitalised on.

Olowu had that absolute shocker foul on Bailey that was reckless, high and out of control, how the ref managed to find it a yellow we will never know but im thinking incompetence has a large part to play, Sharp and Mols got no protection from him and they both managed to get booked with their inevitable retaliation, for experienced payers this is poor.

We looked slow, weak and very timid throughout,  game to forget, roll on Jan because we need reinforcements to stay in this league on our current trajectory.

[tommy toes]

That was a Red all day. Oluwu tried to apologise at the end but Bailey wasn’t having it.
Rovers under McCann always seem to struggle against big, high energy, physical teams, and they did again tonight.