It’s frustrating this injury record. I remember the groin strains which cropped up in the SOD era attributed to the partly artificial pitch and Copps will remember it too. The management must have some theories and be anxious to fix it, but you can understand why they don’t want to admit that it is something that could be classed as “institutional". The fact is though that we cannot be sure that they have fixed it or even identified it.
Turning to Sutton then, even with the injuries we do have a much stronger squad now so we ought to have enough to sustain a winning team in League 2.
With the ambition to get automatic promotion this surely means that the aim is to win all our home matches, so even if Sutton are marginally better than average they did nevertheless lose 10 times away from home last season. Their manager admitted that their performance at home against Newport County deserved only a draw and the highlights on You Tube suggested to me that their opponents probably had the better of it.
If the preseason talk of League 2 providing less of a challenge than League 1 even before we made a lot of the promising new signings is true, we must surely conclude that Sutton will provide only moderate opposition.
We probably overestimated Bradford. Last season Sutton lost 10 away from home, so we should be expecting to beat them. I’ll say 2-0 with Miller the scorer.
DPL v Sutton United
posted on 6/8/22
The highlights suggest that Sutton put Rovers under huge pressure and that the luck was right against them. How did our defence survive?
I will see if I can endure watching the full match replay when it comes online.
How can a team which looked so cohesive in pre season games against decent opposition disintegrate into such a shambles?
posted on 7/8/22
Smash and Grab at its finest! What an amazing result. Rovers started quite well, and Sutton’s goal was just about their first look at goal, but then they got control of the game and we need to thank Mitchell for keeping the score at 0-1. In the first half Rowe had a couple of half chances and was a touch unlucky with one, but the best chance fell to Miller. He opted to pass rather than shoot which has happened before. I agree Andrews was in a more open position – if he had got the ball, but Miller’s pass went behind him.
Some improvement in the second half, but we still had to rely on Miller and some desperate blocking and tackles – and some poor finishing by Sutton. Rowe should have made the score 1-1 when clean through, but shot almost straight at the goalkeeper.
Then drama in added time with Rowe’s great work and cross to Miller, and then Miller’s slick knock down to Agard who calmy slotted home.
For me the best performances were by Mitchel, Maxwell and Miller, and the biggest disappointment, Biggins. Hope for the future and an impact sub this season…Kuleya!
Did we deserve to win? I’d say yes for the never give-up spirit and determination, and Sutton didn’t deserve it because of their poor finishing.
posted on 7/8/22
https://popularstandfanzine.com/2022/08/07/doncaster-rovers-2-1-sutton-united-250-word-match-report/
posted on 7/8/22
Almost Smash and Grab, part 2! Last night the Portland Timbers were at home to Dallas. They were second best for most of the game (both teams playing below their usual standards) and at 90 minutes it was 0-0, and 5 minutes went up for added time. In the fourth minute Timbers got a penalty, and their GK parried the shot but Timbers scored from the rebound. No-one knew how much more there would be – time taken by Dallas arguing, and for the ref to look at the pitch-side monitor. In the tenth minute of added time, Dallas got a corner and scored with just about the last touch of the game. Amazing to have two games on the same day settled in added time!
posted on 7/8/22
Having now watched the match replay Sutton’s performance as a team and as individuals suggests that there is not much difference in the standard of play from the better league 2 teams and the typical L1 ones. They put in 100% and will feel that they deserved to win.
Rovers were denied the time they needed to control the ball and move it around accurately and so often midfield players were not skilful enough to distribute it accurately when under pressure. There was more movement, running and endeavour than last season and when they were given enough time they were quite effective in working the ball upfield, but not in or around the box.
Andrews showed very little footballing ability and seemed naive in his role compared with say Bogle or Marquis. His main attribute in hold-up play was in failing over and fooling the ref into thinking he was fouled. Miller was the best of the forwards.
Williams is not as clumsy as Andrews, but he is worrying with the ball, so slow to change direction. Hurst was only occasionally up to the job.
Kuleya seemed to have actual ball-playing skill as did Agard and as always we needed Mitchell to be faultless.
We should be grateful that they kept going, but it was a fortunate win.
They will have to improve a good deal to become an effective force.
Do you attend the Timbers games Mickey?
posted on 8/8/22
Donaldo, I've not been to a Timbers game for a few seasons. There is a waiting list for season tickets, and I'm not prepared to wait in line with the loud Timbers Army crowd to get to the game. If the opposition do not sell all their allocated tickets, some become available on game day.
At the moment our local FOX channel carries most of the games free, over-the-air. This will change next season as AppleTV has bought the rights to all MLS games with no local transmission allowed. I've used Macintosh computers since 1985, and both our cell phones are iPhones, and we have an iPad, and to say the least, I'm annoyed at Apple!
The only streaming services we pay for are iFollow and Britbox which gives us access to some BBC and ITV programmes. See, I use the UK spelling!
I took advantage of fubo.tv's 7 day free trial to watch the Lionesses win Euro22, and this allowed me to watch two EPL games and one Portland Thorns (our lasses). Not a bad freebie!
posted on 8/8/22
Donaldo, I agree about Andrews - he was competing with Biggins as the biggest disappointment. I gave it to Biggins as he is under contract to Rovers.
Is Agard fit enough to start? Who will GMcS play against Lincoln? I see Marquis was not in the squad last Saturday - or has he left already?
posted on 8/8/22
I think Andrews only had proper contact with the ball on 2 or 3 occasions. Bogle had far more skill in the role and it makes me angry to think about Wellens and the damage he did to our club. People are tipping Orient for promotion and I sincerely hope that it does not materialise.
The ill-educated populists have taken over the English language and by the time they have merged in political correctness it is often difficult to construe meanings and make nice distinctions.
It was interesting to see what happened to Bradford City at Barrow which tends to suggest that we overestimated them.
Marquis went to Bristol Rovers on a 2-year deal.
posted on 8/8/22
Noticed some fan comments praising Ro Shaun Williams for getting forward more towards the end of the game as our midfield was proving ineffective. He has faults but has improved tremendously since last season. My thoughts are we will still struggle in the league and a mid table finish is likely. Ms still has a lot to learn.
posted on 8/8/22
Whereas Wellens starting squad last season had neither the talent, the inclination to compete or the managerial guidance to improve, at least these players seem motivated. So it is a question of how much they can progress as a unit and as individuals. It comes down to potential and the ability of GM etc., to develop them.
I remain much more hopeful than I ever did last season.