[Archived] Rovers v Doncaster Rovers

[philipl]

According to my calendar it is Friday today.

Which means tomorrow is Saturday.

Which means another day of 35 degrees and endless sun.

And me forgetting Rovers are playing.

Yes we are playing in the back alleys amongst the detritus of football.

And tomorrow's visitors are Donny. They got off to a rousing 0-0 home draw with Gillingham which is one point better off than our version of Rovers but like us had a stirring away win in the Carribou Cup midweek- 3-2 at Bradford is probably more impressive than our effort. Bradford had a player sent off for an ugly through the back "tackle" and their defending for all three Donny goals were Coventry-esque if we are being honest which I am trying to be.

If our Rovers score, we can look forwards to some impressive pointing at each other by their keeper and defenders. Nobody owns up to anything in South Yorkshire. If their Rovers score, their celebrations will either be rubbish or Darren Ferguson (yes son of..) has been working on the choreography.

Their skipper, 36 year old James Coppinger is the only name I have heard of before- hoping it stays that way by full time too. They play in rugby stripes whether in home or away kit by the way.

As to our lot, hopefully they will take to Ewood's surface better than the hay field in Southend last week. I am OK with trying to pass our way out of this division BUT we have now conceded two goals in two games where the ball ricocheted around our area when a Size 10 punting it into Row Z was required. There are times and places for a passing game....

Not going to make a forecast seeing how I comprehensively jinxed last week's opener. Suffice to say, if we don't decisively stuff them I will be most disappointed. Donny don't look to be particularly quick from the clips I have seen.

Gate to be a fictional number.

[RV Blue]

This is a must win imo. I would pick:

                    Raya

      Ward Mulgrew Williams

Caddis Smallwood Evans Doyle

         Gladwin        Bennett

                   Samuel

Guessing the team will be something like this but Nyambe the right CB and Williams left wing back.

[tomphil]

Rovers 2  Doncaster 1

A tight affair with them getting everyone behind the ball early doors, late winner from Danny Graham.

10,565

[LewisF]

2-0 Rovers. A sorry sight if we can't beat these

[blueboy3333]

A win is desperately needed. Mowbray needs to get them at it from the first whistle, have them properly organised and on the front foot. No fannying around with fancy formations, just up-and-at-'em fast attacking football. If he does that I'm going for a 3-1 and just 76 goals to go.

Donny have sold out their allocation of 1050 as of a couple of days ago and they can also pay on the day. So a crowd of 11,203 exactly.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

2-0

11,500

[G Somerset Rover]

Is there a way to block Mercer from seeing this thread? I'd be confident in a victory if he couldn't make a prediction.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, RV Blue said:

This is a must win imo.

Ah, the most underused sentence in football. I think that phrase has lost its yardstick.

I'll go for Rovers 3 - 0 Donny. Graham, Whittingham, and Bennett.

[Gav]

With the shambles at Southend being the only yardstick we can go off, I can't predict a win at all.

We can't defend, are toothless in midfield and attack, but we are at home.

1-1 

[RV Blue]

35 minutes ago, Phil T said:

Ah, the most underused sentence in football. I think that phrase has lost its yardstick.

I'll go for Rovers 3 - 0 Donny. Graham, Whittingham, and Bennett.

Not really, I think if we don't win this we'll really struggle to go up, I don't know this, hence why I put "imo" after it.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, RV Blue said:

Not really, I think if we don't win this we'll really struggle to go up, I don't know this, hence why I put "imo" after it.

It's must win if we want to hit 135 points this season. Should win? Definitely, if we want promotion. Must win? No.

I heard this "must-win" so many times last season when we were aiming for survival. The fact of the matter is that we actually only needed a point extra out of all of those countless "must wins" games that never came to fruition.

No matter. I think this game will be in the bag.

Love from Mercer.

[RV Blue]

2 minutes ago, Phil T said:

It's must win if we want to hit 135 points this season. Should win? Definitely, if we want promotion. Must win? No.

I heard this "must-win" so many times last season when we were aiming for survival. The fact of the matter is that we actually only needed a point extra out of all of those countless "must wins" games that never came to fruition.

No matter. I think this game will be in the bag.

Love from Mercer.

You you think the correct definition is that it is a must win game if you mathematically have to win it? I think that's the wrong way of looking at it.

[trueblue]

Our season gets kick-started... 4-0 Rovers!

[lraC]

My son will be attending this, whilst I contemplate if I should get an I Follow subscription. I am promised a full unbiased report from him and he is usual quite rounded with his opinions. In terms of must win, obviously not, but to get some points on the board, give the fans and players a lift, I think we need one. Hopefully the defence will be a bit tighter and Donny fire blanks again in the league. Rovers 2 The other Rovers 0 and a gate of under 10,000.

[roversfan99]

Raya

Caddis Ward Mulgrew Williams

Evans Whittingham

Bennett Dack Conway

Graham

Subs: Leutweiler, Nyambe, Gladwin, Smallwood, Chapman, Antonsson, Samuel.

[GreenRover]

1-0 victory. Whittingham to score. Don't think we are anyway near the finished article but feel we will have just enough to get over the line and will improve with every game

[J*B]

Ban Mercerman til Sunday immediately. 

[RV Blue]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Raya

Caddis Ward Mulgrew Williams

Evans Whittingham

Bennett Dack Conway

Graham

Subs: Leutweiler, Nyambe, Gladwin, Smallwood, Chapman, Antonsson, Samuel.

Not sure how you can drop Smallwood after Tuesday and do you really rate Conway that much that you'd bring him straight back into the team after missing half of preseason and the start of the season? I definitely don't. I reckon Samuel deserves a start after Graham's embarrassing performance against Southend.

[blueboy3333]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Raya

Caddis Ward Mulgrew Williams

Evans Whittingham

Bennett Dack Conway

Graham

Subs: Leutweiler, Nyambe, Gladwin, Smallwood, Chapman, Antonsson, Samuel.

For this level that appears to be a central defender away from being a strong team and bench.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 hours ago, philipl said:

According to my calendar it is Friday today.

Which means tomorrow is Saturday.

Which means another day of 35 degrees and endless sun.

And me forgetting Rovers are playing.

Yes we are playing in the back alleys amongst the detritus of football.

And tomorrow's visitors are Donny. They got off to a rousing 0-0 home draw with Gillingham which is one point better off than our version of Rovers but like us had a stirring away win in the Carribou Cup midweek- 3-2 at Bradford is probably more impressive than our effort. Bradford had a player sent off for an ugly through the back "tackle" and their defending for all three Donny goals were Coventry-esque if we are being honest which I am trying to be.

If our Rovers score, we can look forwards to some impressive pointing at each other by their keeper and defenders. Nobody owns up to anything in South Yorkshire. If their Rovers score, their celebrations will either be rubbish or Darren Ferguson (yes son of..) has been working on the choreography.

Their skipper, 36 year old James Coppinger is the only name I have heard of before- hoping it stays that way by full time too. They play in rugby stripes whether in home or away kit by the way.

As to our lot, hopefully they will take to Ewood's surface better than the hay field in Southend last week. I am OK with trying to pass our way out of this division BUT we have now conceded two goals in two games where the ball ricocheted around our area when a Size 10 punting it into Row Z was required. There are times and places for a passing game....

Not going to make a forecast seeing how I comprehensively jinxed last week's opener. Suffice to say, if we don't decisively stuff them I will be most disappointed. Donny don't look to be particularly quick from the clips I have seen.

Gate to be a fictional number.

I don't what the new pitch is like but I remember going to the old ground to watch my rugby league team play there. The playing surface was amazing, like a large bowling green.

[bigbrandjohn]

2-1 Rovers. Rovers a goal down after 20 mins and equalize before half time. Super Swede Sub comes off the bench and scores on his debut to send the 8,047 crowd into raptures. Rovers cling on to the slim margin with a Donny header bouncing off the bar in injury time.  Sorry I can't be more specific. This is a difficult one to call. 

[JHRover]

Doncaster have sold out their initial allocation of just over 1,000 tickets. Their fans can now buy on the door with a price increase tomorrow.

Still don't get why we are charging fans more to buy tickets on the day than in advance. Or why there is a need for 3 categories of pricing.

[1864roverite]

Wont be going but will be listening to the radio (NOT RR). Cant see Rovers, the Blackburn ones, losing. 3-0 home win. The season starts here and the first points in a long run of games.

[RV Blue]

12 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Doncaster have sold out their initial allocation of just over 1,000 tickets. Their fans can now buy on the door with a price increase tomorrow.

Still don't get why we are charging fans more to buy tickets on the day than in advance. Or why there is a need for 3 categories of pricing.

Must be something to do with cutting back on the staff we need on a Saturday?

[chaddyrovers]

My team would be

                            Raya

             Nyambe Ward Mulgrew

      Caddis Evans Smallwood Williams

                  Bennett Gladwin

                         Samuel

Subs:- Luetwiler, Doyle, Whittingham, Chapman, Dack, Graham, Antonsson

Going for 3-1 Rovers win