Enthusiasm for football is overshadowed by the distressing pictures and news from Doncaster this week.
However, we still have a match to play against Wimbledon. These games have not usually involved many goals. Wimbledon have not had many wins this season until recently and their 13 points puts them in 20th place, but this reflects their early form rather than the 10 points they have picked up from their last 6. To put this further into context, they have also been mostly up against top-half teams too.
So, they are on the “up" and their confidence will be high.
It is a game which we might lose, potentially weakened by injuries as we are, but then again, so it seems are Wimbledon, so it is perhaps a more welcome fixture for both sides at this stage than an important league match.
Alongside West Ham who they beat in last year’s competition we may appear “easy meat" but it might be a rather vain hope to imagine that this could lead to over-confidence, but either way we will probably have to work hard for a win.
What it will show is how we match up to the challenge of a confident team with neither side fearing that they have got much to lose.
I’ll say 1-1 and Sadlier/Anderson to score the goal.
DPL vs AFC Wimbledon
posted on 12/11/19
The performance at Kingston-upon-Thames was not good enough to get the better of Wimbledon and low scoring was again a feature. I was impressed with Danny Amos when I saw one of his few appearances in August 2018 and it is heartening to see that he got MoM. If DM is as good as his word he will keep him on the teamsheet for - I was going to say next week, but of course it's postponed, due to the exigencies of those seemingly all-important international matches.
Nookie marches on relentlessly with a correct score forecast and for once I forsook my favourite Tom Anderson as the goalscorer which of course deprived me of a full house.
The draw for Round 2 may seem disappointing at first sight, but the net gate receipts are still spilt in this round and visiting Sunderland is a good deal better than most in the Championship - if we can come though the replay of course. Gillingham's only advantage is that exiles like me can get there fairly easily!
AFC Wimbledon 1 : Rovers 1 (Anderson)
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 6 >>>>> 26 >>>> 32
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 30 >>>> 30
Yorks Lad>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 39 >>>> 39
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 9 >>>>>> 9
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 30 >>>> 30
Uthred>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 26 >>>> 26
Mooligan>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 31 >>>> 31
King Chmprr 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0
Small Azza> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 15 >>>> 15
Azza>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 8 >>>>> 8
Cheltenham 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 6 >>>>> 49 >>>> 55
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0
Lanza>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 22 >>>> 22
>>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>> 6 >>>>> 0 >>>> 12 >>>> 285 >>> 297
posted on 14/11/19
A tough few weeks ahead. Im pretty confident of progressing in the FA cup even if its Sunderland. Best possible draw for us. The leagues another matter. Wycombe is the key fixture. Anything from this game and Im reasonably confident of a top 6 finish. Weve enough quality and cover at the back and in midfield. Talent upfront in Copps and Taylor. Utility in May and Sadlier. Some exciting young prospects too. What we dont have is a true goal scorer. Sterling,Ennis,Thomas et al just dont have that killer instinct. Its still the missing link DM has to discover to ensure that top 6 spot.
posted on 14/11/19
Bolton game decision probably tomorrow. Expect it will recommend it be played rather than awarded to us. If so Bolton should only be allowed to play players available to them at the time of the first fixture.
posted on 15/11/19
It's good that there is some optimism. There was criticism of the manager in signing what looked like cast-offs, but he has been expanding on his policies of developing young players, Myring being one.
Established experienced players, especially strikers, are what every club wants, yet there is a reluctance to recognise that this means that they are very expensive.
I have said that our past record shows that despite all the talk about developing players within the club, there has been little evidence of such home-produced individuals making the first team, so two solutions are being tried. One is to offer the young players opportunities to actually play for the first team. Amos is the most recent example and DM seeming to devote more time to the junior team reinforces this. The other thing, as he has explained, is to sign on players which PL academies have cast off - and they cast off most of the legions of home-grown youngsters. Listen to PL team fans and they constantly moan about these unknown foreign players that are bought for millions and prove poor value; they ask, why not use all the talent that they spend time and money nurturing in their own academies? Given the numbers on the books of clubs like Chelsea, you wonder how often they get to play in meaningful competitive games?
The DRFC approach may not produce immediate results, but every club needs a continuing supply of better players. Ferguson used to look for them in non-league which was a proven option if not here, then at Peterborough. Scunthorpe and then Fleetwood in Madden’s case have been successful at buying relatively cheap players like him and Gary Hooper who have been prolific goal scorers. Ferguson did it here of course with Marquis, but this is not easy, so alternatives have to be tried. To me, Moore’s approach is a move in the right direction.
As for Bolton, if clubs could arbitrarily postpone a fixture arranged by the governing body without its consent, the principle established would be ruinous to its authority. A fine could be considered appropriate, but it might establish a precedent enabling a club weakened by the loss of key players or even suspensions to buy itself a more favourable opportunity to win a crucial match when it could select a stronger team. That would be wrong and there is a lot to be said for Nookie’s innovative suggestion but this should certainly be accompanied by a fine for the misdemeanor. (Bolton have already had rather better treatment over their finances from the authorities than any other club in the same position and not awarding the points to Rovers would be another favour which would stand out rather obviously.)
posted on 15/11/19
The Peterborough Chairman has raised another interesting issue surrounding this as reported today as follows:-
"Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes the Football League could have opened themselves up to possible legal action by League One clubs.
MacAnthony has backed his manager Darren Ferguson in questioning why some clubs benefitted from playing against Bolton’s youth team earlier in the season while that club’s future was in doubt.
Top two Ipswich and Wycombe both beat Bolton in August, but the Trotters are now free of financial trouble and fielding stronger sides.
MacAnthony said: “If Wycombe or Ipswich win promotion by a point over teams who didn’t play against Bolton’s youth team it will be wrong."
posted on 15/11/19
See the EFL panel has postponed the Bolton Decision to Monday. Apparantly It’s a young panel, they’re not allowed to meet on two consecutive days.
posted on 15/11/19
Good one, Nookie!
posted on 15/11/19
I have heard this evening that the decision might not be announced until Wednesday.
posted on 15/11/19
Seriously though there can't be any satisfactory solution. The league has already been compromised by the EFL allowing Bolton to start the season in such a position. The fairest solution for all other league one clubs would either be for Bolton to be expelled from the league this season and all results scrubbed or matches pre the takeover scrubbed and replayed. Neither of which are practicle or likely. Whatever the outcome its bound to be a bad one for everybody.
posted on 16/11/19
Drawing views together, a truly fair solution would be to expel Bolton from the EFL. The rationale would be that the EFL allowed an exception to its rules to accommodate the club and for it to then knowingly break the rules they have effectively excluded themselves from the league. Obviously all their results would be scrubbed.