Before Saturday’s results I would not have given us much hope against Peterborough who had improved steadily after a moderate start, but they lost seemingly ignominiously (or "frustratingly" in Thorney's opinion) with the backing of a large army of travelling fans to 9-man fairly-local rivals MK Dons. No doubt a “reaction" will be called for by their manager. So, in contrast to them coming off a form-book away win against “lowly MKD" they will be feeling under some pressure to wipe away the embarrassing memory of their most recent match.
I think that just getting a draw would still be an achievement for us. It is a question of whether we can sustain pressure and take the chances which come our way through what will be a considerable test.
Both sides can challenge for promotion; Peterborough are already doing so. You could say that this match will test the strength of their desire and capability of doing so.
It may be a vain hope this season as far as we are concerned, but this is the time that we need to make a move if we are to contend.
To win, I think we will have to move up another gear, but with current confidence we might just bring something back.
DPL - Peterborough United
posted on 1/1/18
Posh 1-1 Rovers in the end - with Whiteman scoring in extra time for Rovers. Crowd a poor 5,100+ (let down by a paucity of Posh supporters - perhaps, saving their pennies for the FA Cup game against Aston Villa next week).
A fair result in the end, but frustrating again for this Posh supporter.
Rovers were pretty solid, but lacked the cutting edge needed to win. Their fans were a credit to them. The ref was very poor, but can't be blamed for Posh not winning.
posted on 2/1/18
Thanks Thorney. iFollow sound commentary feed fell over every few minutes and I gave up on it after the first half.
Your man Maddison, although admired for his talent, made our commentators suggest that he was trying to get our players booked. But perhaps Marquis our number 9 can be somewhat theatrical too.
How do they compare in your eyes?
posted on 2/1/18
I hate to admit it that I did not watch the game. After too much wine and a bottle of Bollinger at midnight, I was in no state at 7:00AM on this left coast. Hence, I'm welcoming any comments from those who made it to the game (an amazing amount and not many from Peterborough!). I'll watch the highlights tomorrow, but it is interesting that the Marquis header near the end was described on the Rovers website as a "brilliant save", but in the Free Press "tamely headed straight to the goalkeeper". I know there are Marquis doubters out there - and I'm one of them. My eldest nephew and his daughter are season ticket holders (his daughter plays for a junior Belles team), and he says Marquis is a one season League II wonder and that is why no-one made a serious approach for him in the summer as he has never proved himself in higher leagues.
I'd be interested in anyone's comments about that. We have two strikers (Marquis and May) commented about their "work rate", but so many of our few goals are coming from mid-fielders. Ben Whiteman is now joint top scorer wire Marquis.
Last season I really liked Mandeville until his injury, but now he has not grasped the opportunities given him. While I tend to think Williams was a one season wonder the year before he joined us, I'm now wishing he was fit!
posted on 2/1/18
The statistics speak. None of our forwards are scoring many goals. Williams is out with an injury yet again but, after a stellar season with Swindon, even when fully fit his performances for us have never came close to consistency in scoring terms. Mandeville had a good spell last season but, after an injury, hasn't looked the same player. May gives everything but he is a raw talent and isn't going to win many headers. Marquis, like May, gives everything, but if he wasn't playing up front the only position he could possibly play would be emergency CH. Even last season you could see the lack of ball control, inability to pass accurately and poor decision making. However if you took him out of the team and played, say, May and Mandeville I suspect we would get completely over-run. He needs a consistent strike partner - someone who can do what he does when, God forbid, he is injured.. I suspect that Mandeville, for all his skill, and Williams won't be with us much longer
posted on 2/1/18
Micky: Surely anyone can find something to celebrate at New Year and any lover of fine wines would never let such an excuse to imbibe pass them by, and therefore not many would be prepared to sacrifice this even to watch their favourite football team only 7 hours on. You must surely hope for a 2018 better for the USA than your annus horribilis of 2017.
As for Marquis, I can understand the criticisms, but I admire his commitment. When you see him, he is at times embarrassing for his antics, but yet a thorn in the side of the opposition and he never stops running, playing his part in defence as well as attack. He has been supressed this season by close marking which restricts his ability to bring the ball under control quickly enough, but I would be loth to drop him because he is true leader. The highlights show that his (downward) header was to the keeper’s right, but not exactly a dolly. The value of May is also very apparent as he is very alive to opportunities; watching in slow motion you realise how much quicker he reacts to situations than those around him.
As for the result, it reflects our current place in the form table. Having only seen the highlights it is impossible to make a balanced judgment, but they show that for the Peterborough goal the defender on the far post marking the attacker who headed the free kick into the path of the scorer mistimed his jump badly, throwing himself at the attacker in such a way that it might have been seen as a penalty. He was on the correct side of the attacker to intercept the cross but nowhere near getting to the ball. The header was into the path of the scorer who got to it whilst Butler (who did not look around him or move towards the ball at all) just watched. Lawlor seemed to come for the cross and then backed off and the final touch was something of a miskick since from the centre of the goal it went in off the right post. So whist most responsibility is on the defender who mistimed his jump, others did contribute. And when they are present in numbers and only up against League 1 strikers it is not good enough. Very few goals against us are breakaways and it means that there is a flaw in organisation as well as in the ability of defenders to read regularly encountered situations. Easier said that done I know, but it is an obvious area with room for improvement. I suspect that Butler would have timed his jump better if it had been him covering the initial cross which is an organisational thing.
So on to the prediction outcomes which show that none of us would have much chance of making much of a living from gambling on our favourite team. Indeed we are all better when our emotions are detached as in our crowd forecasting.
Those who believed in Whiteman against Rochdale did not maintain their faith for the next game and picking up on Albi’s theme it is fortunate that we are getting goals from the midfield which was part of the winning formula with Stock and Wellens under SOD. Mandeville would be better it he were fitter/quicker and most of the players are at an age when they could improve in that respect. If non-league recruits like Beestin and May show that sort of energy as does (relatively speaking), Copps, why not those who have been in full-time training for much longer?
Anyway I’ve gone on too long… sorry.
Rovers 2 (Whiteman): Rochdake 0 7997
………………..….Crowd Scorer Score Result Bonus Total Pts B/F Cumltve
Donaldo ………… 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 6 ……. 90 ……. 96
PDXMickey ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 6 ……. 104 ……. 110
Yorks Lad …….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 68 ……. 71
BVZ. ……..…….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 83 ……. 86
Crazy …….……… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 75 ……. 78
Uthred …….…… 5 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 8 ……. 96 ……. 104
Mooligan …..…. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 90 ……. 93
King Chmprr …. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 55 ……. 58
Small Azza ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 74 ……. 77
Aussie Lad. ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 …… 0 …….. 5 ……… 5
Azza ……..…..… 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 6 ……. 66 ….. 72
Cheltenham …. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……… 0
Nookie ……….… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 18 ….…… 18
Selby …….……… 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 3 ……. 0 …... 6 ……. 68 ……. 74
Lanza …….….. 0 …….. 0 ……. 3 …… 3 ……. 0 ..…... 6 ……. 7 ……… 13
……………..……. 5 …….. 6 ……. 9 ….. 36 ……. 0 …... 56 … 899 ….. 955
Peterborough 1: Rovers 1 (Whiteman) 5173
………………..….Crowd Scorer Score Result Bonus Total Pts B/F Cumltve
Donaldo ………… 4 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 4 ……. 96 ……. 100
PDXMickey ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 6 ……. 110 ……. 116
Yorks Lad …….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 71 ……. 71
BVZ. ……..…….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 86 ……. 86
Crazy …….……… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 78 ……. 78
Uthred …….…… 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 6 ……. 104 ……. 110
Mooligan …..…. 2 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 2 ……. 93 ……. 95
King Chmprr …. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 58 ……. 58
Small Azza ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 77 ……. 77
Aussie Lad. ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 …… 0 …….. 5 ……… 5
Azza ……..…..… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 72 ….. 72
Cheltenham …. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……… 0
Nookie ……….… 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 6 ……. 18 ….…… 24
Selby …….……… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 …... 3 ……. 74 ……. 77
Lanza …….….. 0 …….. 0 ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ..…... 0 ……. 13 ……… 13
……………..……. 6 …….. 0 ……. 9 ….. 12 ……. 0 …... 27 … 955 ….. 982
posted on 2/1/18
The start of the season marquis looked out of sorts his first touch was poor and looked out of it
I think he has worked hard at his game and the last couple of months he has been outstanding for me but be needs to score.
posted on 2/1/18
In short Marquis has to play every game. We don't have anyone near enough as good as him in the ranks unless Kiwomya proves to be a diamond.
May is a fantastic pest but as mentioned he's raw and his decision making a times is not quick enough for this level. I also believe he's lost some of his pace.
Williams has just gone backwards since 2 years ago had chances in games and fluffed them when you'd expect him to score.
Mandeville is just unfit bone what ever you want to call it. he's not been the same since he has interest in for him last season. The potential is there but a few months ago Fergie questioned his commitment and desire and I think the manager was spot on to as we've not seen much of it in games he's played.
posted on 2/1/18
Azza just about right.
I mention to baby lanza last game he looked a yard or 2 short of pace.
How many times during a game do you here the fans go........go on alfie....awhhh.
To compare May with Marquis at this time is nothing "short" of embarrassing
posted on 2/1/18
Donaldo, Maddison does overreact to fouls - his only flaw, really. He didn't show his class against Rovers. I'm hoping he'll play well against Aston Villa, and light up The Championship this season or the next (probably not with Posh).
posted on 3/1/18
I've looked at the highlights, some of it in slow motion. Their goal was a great cross from the free kick - the sort where it is very difficult for a GK to decide whether to go for it. Most would have taken the same decision as Lawlor. However, our defender should have won the header, and then maybe Butts would have not been so stationary. Don't take this the wrong way as Butts is very solid.
The Marquis miss was not as bad as the Free Press said, but he should have scored. Heading down can cause all sorts of problems for a GK, but this was the distance from the GK that made it a fairly easy stop. Closer to him he may not have got to it, and further away he would not have. However for Marquis, the top left corner (to him) should have been the target.