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DPL v Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury have had a dreadful time in the League recently whilst impressing in the FA cup.

Everyone in and around the club recognise this and the answer is probably not obvious. They were in the top half of the table until the bad run and must have the potential to get back there.

You could make a case for Rovers and the top 6, but I am not sure that you could convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt. Perhaps the balance of probability could yield a more encouraging outcome, but even then, who would be prepared to wager a substantial sum?

So, an away win at a difficult venue like Shrewsbury would probably be more encouraging for us than a win against us would be for them.

The Gillingham performance sounds as though it might have been an improvement on the Bolton disappointment, but recent form makes me more nervous than confident.

Assuming that the current squad has talent sufficient to deliver top 6, much depends on Moore’s ability to select the appropriate 11. He may still have something to prove there and time is not on his side.

Given the number of remaining fixtures, nothing worse than a draw is an essential requirement, so that’s what I’ll go for. 1- 1 Whiteman/Halliday.

posted on 25/2/20

Danny Amos should start in place of Cameron John on Saturday.

posted on 25/2/20

Amos should start hound but, he'll play his players first. The thing what's getting at me is theres a heck of a lot of fans wondering if Moore knows what he's doing, yet some still keep saying give him time. How much time does he need, he had longer than McCann in preseason, turned January transfer window into a joke. He has brought in half a dozen loans, that aren't going to be here next season, plus we could lose 3 or 4 players. We could end up with just Copps left

posted on 25/2/20

I understand that Sads is very likely to be leaving.
Rumours around today that Whiteman might be going at the end of the season and I don’t think that Blair will fancy another season on the bench at his age.
Anderson will be attracting attention after the season he is having so a big money offer could tempt him away.
When the six loan players go back is won’t leave us with much will it.

posted on 26/2/20

Not a good day. Winding up petition and reported to the FA!

posted on 26/2/20

The personnel adjustments arising from the January window have not been well managed. Signing Cole looked like a last-minute decision to pacify those complaining about transfer inactivity. Seeming to give him preference in team selection over existing strikers, especially Sadlier who is far better that he is, but over Okenabirhie too who has also proved more productive is highly dubious at best. Ramsey whose talent is also clear was dropped after a good performance, just like Sadlier. If the changes he has made were supposed to be appropriate tactical ones they were badly judged, incompetent even. Evidence of this is that despite either good or even dominant possession there has been a failure to produce a commensurate number of goals. More simplistically, goals are not forthcoming which is the fault of strikers failing the conversion of chances.

Team selection based on who is playing well is straightforward. The current policy of “Horses for Courses” looks clever if it works, but change is always a risk. It is a test of the risk-taker’s judgment and in this case, the excuse that the players are not being ruthless enough is rather a lame one. Perhaps an excess of that is what prompted Okenabirhie into recklessness.

The manager picked unsuitable teams and worse, in so doing has seemed to unreasonably favour certain players in what looks like a self-imposed obligation to give preference to loanees. This must have a detrimental effect on permanent staff and in particular our home-grown developing players who also had to sit and watch Bingham and Thomas be given starting places in the team and then go. To my mind, this suggests the club’s management has lost sight of Club Doncaster’s likely “Key Objectives” which must surely put prominence on building player strength from within. Is it likely that their aims will include giving total preference to short term imports? The Board is the custodian of the long-term future and running a nursery for bigger clubs could, well managed, produce some success, possibly even promotion. At the start of the following season though the team will need to be reconstituted and the loanees will have gone and perhaps your core squad will want to get away too if they have had to stand aside for incoming loanees and short term contractors. And Academy recruitment will lack any useful young talent who see no prospects of reward within the club.

posted on 27/2/20

Nookie, the winding up petition is nothing to do with our club.
It is from back in 2002 against a Company connected with Westferry who were the owners back then.

posted on 27/2/20

It seems that the manager has “explained” his “Horses for Courses” selection policy in a DFP article today. Unfortunately he does not seem to link the poor results which have been a consequence.

The policy as such is only proved successful if results are good. Everyone can see what the policy consists of and everyone can see that it has not worked. It follows that he should recognise this and either tell us how it will work from now onwards or abandon it.

He has not really been properly challenged on the preference for certain individuals let alone the wider policy objectives associated with Development and ex academy players.

posted on 27/2/20

comment by drfchound (U2224)
posted 5 hours, 54 minutes ago
Nookie, the winding up petition is nothing to do with our club.
It is from back in 2002 against a Company connected with Westferry who were the owners back then.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Understand it was for Rovers but the outstanding bill was paid in January so the order will be dismussed

posted on 27/2/20

My old gaffer said he will be in with the silly handshake brigade on Saturday in the comfortable padded leather seats. Said he'll let me know who's in, who's being watched. Be interesting as you normally only see them on a week day.

posted on 27/2/20

There can be NO excuses by next Christmas.

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