No More Teeslide, Boro' on the up!

DONCASTER ROVERS
V
MIDDLESBROUGH

'Boro' are sitting very pretty amongst the 4 teams occupying the play-off places, all of whom have 24 points. They have a fearsome away record showing 4 away wins in the bag already.  Not a team, who a side struggling to find their way at the minute want to be meeting.

But hang on a minute Fuzz mate, take a look at those teams and you see Crystal Palace who were beaten at the Keepmoat by a gluteus deflection; Hull, from whom we took a point and Derby, well all good runs must come to an end!  Anyway, the point remains.  All is not lost!  Do we need an omen?  OK, its another 1st of the month fixture and the last time Rovers failed to win one of those was exactly 3 years ago when we drew 0:0 with Swansea!

Last season saw Rovers swept aside 3:0 at the Riverside on the final day.  Well, we were safe, nothing more to play for and were pretty rubbish too!  At the Keepmoat Rovers beat Middlesbrough 2:1 in our last fixture of 2010.  That was a night when the temperature at the Keepmoat dropped to well below casual fan endurance levels.  In fact, probably uniquely, at half time, a local cup final that was to be played the next day, was called off due to a frozen pitch after a pitch inspection.  Rovers' winner came four minutes into injury time too so it wasn't just the cold that sent Boro' fans home bitter that evening!

Rovers also won their next fixture, on New Years' day against Scunthorpe, the last time they have managed two successive wins.

DONCASTER ROVERS

I’m going to do everything I can to help the team be successful. I love challenges. I went to Bolton and Rangers when people would not have expected me to do so. - El Hadji Diouf

Well Donny appear to have signed someone since the last game.  Love him or loath him,  El Hadji Diouf certainly seems big news, actually having Doncaster Rovers trending on twitter on the day he signed.

I can't see Diouf starting tomorrow.  Looking at the film of him taken at his first Cantley Park training session, there's a pound or two still to be lost, a point that was confirmed by "Big Sam", when West Ham decided against signing the controversial striker.

Well fitness, or lack of it should be a temporary condition for a footballer and there is no doubt about it, lacklustre performances against Portsmouth and Coventry show Donny need something or someone.  Let's hope Mr. Diouf can bring what is needed.

Other news,  Rovers are determined to keep hold of Billy Sharp.  Well that's what the headline says make of it what you will.  Whatever we make of it, a future partnership of Dioufy and Sharpy could be tasty.  Sadly, we won't be seeing Billy tomorrow as he is on leave with personal problems.  

MIDDLESBROUGH

Going to Doncaster is never easy, I remember going there last year and losing late on so I’m expecting a very tough game and I’m sure we’ll get one. - Tony Mowbray

The downward slide on Teeside looks now to have been abated as, since appointing Tony Mowbray at this time last season Boro have been generally upwardly mobile.  I don't think the success can be totally down to Mowbray, but he's a good manager with an affinity with the club.  Such things don't hurt.

Looking at the highlights and the first thing I'll do is give a shout-out for Southampton.  They do not look like a flash in the pan as they played Middlesbrough off the park on Saturday.

I can be critical of the Boro' defence.  The marking was very loose and very loose became non-existent when faced with the movement they were being subjected to.  The other sin was standing off in midfield against a Southampton side who are very capable of being patient as well as direct as this 27-pass move demonstrates.

Flash stuff.  Southampton were also brilliant off the ball, never allowing Boro' chance to settle.

So we've established the loss on Staurday was as much to do with very good opponents as it was with defensive frailty.

Moving on to the 2:0 victory gained by Boro' over Derby and it has to be said that Boro' got away with that one.  That frailty against movement was there to be seen again as Derby hit the woodwork a number of times  and had Luke Steele performing at his best.

Still, a long range effort from Hoyt that was deflected in off Willaims showed Rovers can't rest around their penalty area tomorrow evening.  The second goal was a Marvin Emnes header.  He's obviously one to watch, with 6 league goals already in this campaign.

So move them about and don't let them settle Donny and there's a win.  But work like you have in the last two and the omens will not be good.

Enjoy the game everyone!

Coventry sent to Donny

DONCASTER ROVERS
V
COVENTRY CITY

Should Donny be sent to Coventry for the football they have played of late?  Perhaps, but on Saturday its Coventry who are sent to Donny, but I think the crimes of past games are similar!  

For Sky-Blues fans this bit is the "bigging up" the game bit.  Casting an eye over the stats shows that Coventry are the division's lowest goal-scorers on their travels with just 3 goals.  That matches nicely with the 3 goals Rovers have managed at the Keepmoat this season, making them the lowest scorers at home.  To complete the symmetry, both side have managed just two league win so far this term.

Both sides making the "bigging up" difficult then?  Well, at least crap as our respective form may be, both side have plenty of instentive to win this one.  Coventry to move a bit further away from the relegation zone and Donny need this one to keep in touch with safety.

Sure, there is a very long way to go for both sides but nobody at the Keepmoat tomorrow will enjoy looking at the tables at the moment.

DONCASTER ROVERS

Willie McKay is trying to help us. He’s using all his contacts to try and get good players in. He puts players to me and if I like them we try and sign them. - Dean Saunders

Gillett - Great Strike

Coming in at Donny Rovers - some bloke who is 6' 4".... perhaps.  Is it me or is that a bit of a let down after all the Diouff and Diarra talk?  At last sight, Diouff was being turned down by West Ham so may be, after he's had trials with another couple of teams.

Going out is a little more clear, Mark Wilson is on his way to Walsall for a minimum 1 month on loan.  Wilson is a fringe player but the timing of his move is questionable with John Oster now unavailable for at least 6 weeks due to his needing an operation on bulged neck-discs.  Ouch - my sympathies to John for that one.

Something is needed though for the Rovers though.  All three goals conceded against Pompey were shockers.  A failure by two defenders to deal with a long punt from the 'keeper for the first; the second and third were down to attackers within 10 yards of the Rovers with absolutely nobody near them.  The rest of the highlights just showed weakness after weakness in that back 4.

On the plus side, Simon Gillett scored a cracker from a corner and Deano commented on the play between the two penalty areas being as good as it has been (sadly, there was none to be seen on the highlights).

COVENTRY CITY

We have bounced back because we know that things will come good for us and we are going to go to Doncaster to play our football and try to get a result. - Andy Thorn

Another positive for Donny is historical.  Their visitors tomorrow have yet to record a win at the Keepmoat.  Long may that draught continue!

Looking at the highlights against Burnley, and,  well it all started off very well for the Sky Blues.  From the highlights, they looked to be making chances with a couple of runs through the channels from Cody McDonald being picked out.  One of those at least should have been converted.  Indeed it was McDonald who broke the deadlock with a good diving header.

But there was a couple of issues in the defence to be seen.  Brian Stock and Simon Gillett would be interested to see the defence standing off players at the edge of the penalty area.  Probably of more concern though would be how easy it seems to be to get crosses in.  And after the cross is in, it gets worse with little reaction to pick up second balls.

The match again Leeds saw Coventry somehow rescue a point with an injury-time goal.  It was wave after wave of Leeds attacking for most of the game.  Defensively, I was seeing similar things that I had already seen during the previous highlights.  It looks easy to put crosses in and if the cross is cleared, there is often a second opportunity.  Its how Leeds' scored their goal with a corner not quite cleared, a cross allowed that should have been blocked and even a chance to clear from that cross.  But for a great performance from Joe Murphy, Leeds would have been out of sight.  But credit where credit is due.  The Sky Blues did keep them out and stuck at it to nick a point at the death.

As you would expect then.  Plenty for Rovers to be encouraged about but not if we look at are own videos first!. 

Enjoy the match everybody

The Only Thing Instant is Coffee

The only period when I didn't enjoy being a Rovers fan was when 'im on the left was slowly draining our life-blood.  That was just sad and painful.  

But wasn't surviving those awful times absolutely brilliant?

In the space of five short years we rose from Conference anonimity to competing in the second flight of English football and the seventh biggest league in Europe.  Its a remarkable story and all the more remarkable when you consider that the meteoric rise started only five years after John Ryan purchased the club for £50000 maintaining to this day that he was robbed!

I have said many times that this story would have made a fantastic film bringing even more people to regard Donny as their second favourite club, if not their favourite.

The observant will notice that I used the past-tense to begin that last paragraph.  Now such a film would be something of a joke with football fans all knowing "the most prolific bring-and-buy sale in history" now takes place every Saturday at the Keepmoat Stadium.

The title I have chosen for this article is actually a quote from John Ryan's excellent book.  Sage advice, but baring that meteoric rise up the leagues in mind, and Ryan's continual mentions of play-offs even when we are sitting at the bottom of the league, does he actually believe it?

There's plenty more sage advice in the book too.  Particularly in Chapter 11, "The Fan's Chairman".  I'd encourage anyone to give this chapter a read and try to square it with events at the club today.

Here are a few examples:

Rather than constantly seeking instant and risky solutions by signing endless players, he (O'Driscoll) takes it on board that he bears some of the responsibility, along with the rest of the coaching staff to improve what we have and utilise our resources wisely.

Now try to rationalise that with Dean Saunders' role of being the peace-keeper in a dressing room where good and loyal players are going to be asked to put up and shut up when their place in the squad is lost because some spoilt French brat hasn't had enough time in the Keepmoat Car Boot.  What responsibility does Saunders have when it come to getting the performance of the team to improve?  At the moment, he can just say that he doesn't have the right type of players and in six months he can blame it on the team not gelling, as it is unlikely to do with that revolving door on the dressing room.

Another?

I would wager that most of our fans could have named the side for much of last season and not gone too far wrong.  Continuity is a key factor of our club at all levels.  We've had continuity in the boardroom, continuity in management and, as far as possible, a settled squad......I don't see us as being a club that will suddenly bring in a dozen players in a transfer window.  I'm not sure I've got a chequebook big enough and in any case, it goes very much against the team ethic that we are at pains to promote here.

WOW!  When somebody writes what is effectively an autobiography, you would think what was written in the pages would be sincere stuff!  People change, I accept that but....WOW!  

What is even more incredible is that events over O'Driscoll's last 9 months in charge have unquivocally confirmed how correct Ryan was when writing his book.  Continuity in the team was denied O'Driscoll through a massive amount of injuries and we dropped like a stone.  So, deliberately disrupting the continuity that was proven to be correct must be a smart move!

And finally...

It is also important to me that we are a well-disciplined team.  This is another sometimes under-rated feature of our game that has been transformed over the last decade....I'd like to believe that Donny Rovers are one of the easiest clubs for referees to handle and that is indeed the feedback I often get from them.

Having staffing policy that promotes players being self-serving and hinders the building of team-spirit isn't going to help on the field discipline.  We are also talking, to an extent,  about disillusioned misfits.  Players who are dissatisfied with their lot on £25000 per week.  True, if they pick up red cards, they will be out of the shop-window but will these players have the character and presence of mind to think about that if a potential flash-point in a game occurs?

Now to the "strategy" in which Willie McKay is so confident and let's use his own example.

Herita Ilunga, is being paid £26000 per week.  He's out of favour at the Hammers and they can't get him a move.  So he comes to us and is in the shop window.  The idea being that someone sees him and transfers him to their club.  

Is Ilunga going to take a pay-cut or are his  new employers also going to be happy to pay him £26000 per week?  The only advantage Ilunga has had over staying where he was is playing championship football instead of reserve-team football.  It is a better stage on which to evaluate a player but the player isn't any cheaper and he still is not able to make the starting line-up of a leading championship side.  

So how does his cameo apperance in red and white hoops make him worth his wages?  Surely, any club interested in him will try to squeeze his wages because of how clearly he is displaying his desire for a move?  I'm not a football agent but I really struggle with the business model as far as McKay is concerned.  If the players McKay tauts are forced to take significant pay-cuts to get their football, surely word will get round.  How attractive will our shop window be then?

Using another example, Billy Sharp, I'd like to talk about the players I care about rather than those for whom I could not care less.  Billy has made no secret of the fact that he wants to move on from Donny to a top-flight club at some point.  Good for him!  I hope it happens.

But according to the Daily Mail article, nobody can come in or go out of the Keepmoat without McKay's agreement.  Does that include Billy and other real Rovers players?  What if Billy puts in a transfer request.  Can McKay say no?  When it comes to footballers, strikers are where the money is.  Freddy Piquionne has already been mentioned as a possible window-sitter.  What if another striker comes along, will they get the nod over Billy Sharp?  Personally, if anyone is going to sit in Donny's shop window, I would prefer it to be Billy, for the simple reason that if Billy is transfered, Doncaster Rovers benefit the most from what will be a very sizeable transfer fee (£3.4M at the last offer).  Well, at least it will be sizeable if Billy keeps playing.  How much does that fee drop if he stops playing?

Finally we have the fans.  I quite deliberately posted the Daily Mail article on ja606 without comment and read responses both there and on VSC.  I was quite surprised to see that a majority of fans, whilst appreciating the enormous risks being taken, are largely in favour of what McKay and Doncaster Rovers are doing.

That old joke about the difference between your wife and your football team being that your football team is for life certainly applies to me.  I love the Rovers.  I just don't like them very much at the moment.

But that said, when I read the Daily Mail article, I could not help wondering what I would be watching the next time I am lucky enough to get the chance to go to a match.  The closest thing I could reconcile with the image McKay and Neil Ashton painted for me this morning was a very sad image brought to me by a football documentry.

The documentry covered one of Manchester United's academies and the moment in question was a trial match played in front of a host of football league scouts.  The match involved two teams of young United Academy players.  These players had been told that day that they weren't making the grade at United.  They had then been put on a coach and told to play the best they could because if they played well, they may pick up a contract with a league club.  It was a meat market and such a pitiful one.

It's not going to be that bad at Donny.  The players are older and more seasoned.  But tell me it isn't a meat market.

The main issue facing the Rovers is, as ever, financial.  It is now obvious to me that at least one of the three musketeers is balking at putting his hand in his pocket to the extent that is being asked.  The wage bill did not become £8M overnight.  It was already £7M in 2009/10 season and McKay is correct, those kind of salaries are not sustainable with our attendances unless there is an Abramovich-style benifactor on the scene.

So, we need to either drop a league while maintaining that identity that we used to hold so dear, or we have to do what the club has misguidedly tried to do and find a model that works.

My opinion is that if you are going to restrict that model to a £4M wage budget, in a division where the average was 4-times that figure in 2009/10 it is going to be very difficult.  The only model that would maybe fit would be that of Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra of the late 90's / early 00's.

Crewe managed to stay in the second flight between 1997 and 2002.  After relegation, they yo-yo'd, and had another 3 years between 2003 and 2006.  Ominously, Crewe haven't returned to the second flight since parting company with Gradi in 2007.  He is now back with the club who have simply not found anybody who could do what he could.  Crewe are now a mid-table league 2 club.  I can't help worrying that this could join an already long list of parallels I find between Donny and Crewe.

So, if Donny want a model of low budget, high level football and they felt O'Driscoll had done as much as he was able why not give him some low-cost expert support.  Dario Gradi, I am sure would be pleased to act as a consultant to Donny. Dario has a vital piece of knowledge that he can offer the Rovers.  He knows where Crewe went wrong in their pursuit of continuing to punch above their weight.  He is also an expert in the development of young players, an area where Rovers under O'Driscoll failed to excel.  Dario's advice with Sean's tactics might just have brought about a strategy rather than borrowing Willie McKay's  Nescafé.


Please read the Neil Ashton's article about Doncaster Rovers and Wille McKay here

Could it have been us?

BLACKPOOL 
- V - 
DONCASTER ROVERS

I think its a sobering thought if you consider that the last time Rovers visited Bloomfield Road, had the result gone the otherway, it could have been Rovers who took sixth place and who knows, won the play-offs!  

Going into the Easter program, Rovers were two points and one place behind the Tangerines.  A good Easter, bearing in mind one fixture was against Blackpool, would have put Rovers in pole-position.  

But the decent Easter didn't happen with Rovers losing both their games, first to struggling Plymouth and then 2:0 at Bloomfield Road.  The rest is history as Blackpool proved that a small club can make it to the Premier League.  And with a tad more luck on the last day, they could have stayed there too!

Its a great story that would have been greater still had it been Rovers who had made it.  Only had we done so, I think we may just have been relegated before the last day!

The other meeting that season was a Halowe'en thriller at the Keepmoat with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas being instrumental in twice bringing Blackpool back from behind to lead only for  last minute goal from Billy Sharp to give Rovers a share of the points.  I think anyone on a cold, October evening on the Irish Sea front would take that kind of entertainment tomorrow.

BLACKPOOL

After becoming many football fans' second team, last season, Ollie and the Tange Army are back.  Its sad in a way, but after having done the double over Liverpool and also taking the scalps of Spurs and Newcastle, they have given the fans some great memories.  The War-Chest at the seaside should also be a little larger these days.  

Good for Blackpool in making the eyes of every small club, including the Rovers, that little bit larger!

They don't play the football they used to play.  He's changed it, he's got big John Parkin.  It will be a very similar game to Saturday I would imagine - Ian Holloway

Ollie spent much of his pre-match interview be-moaning the capitulation of his side at the weekend.  We know the feeling Ollie!

Looking at the highlights of their 4:0 defeat at Upton Park, and it was clear the Tange defence did have a 'mare.  It was also clear how they struggled all afternoon with a big-man / little-man forward line comprising of John Carew and Sam Baldock.  John Parkin and Billy Sharp anybody?

Without getting too much into assassination mode, two goals were conceded due to an offside trap that would not have featured in "The Full Monty" and another went in due to Carew getting in front of his man.  Not a good day at the back.

Contrast is obviously the name of the game for this preview, and the next set of highlights came from Blackpool's 5:0 victory over Bristol City.  The name that kept popping up in this one was Jonjo Shelvey, a loanee from Liverpool who had a dream debut.  He was linking up well with Gary Taylor-Fletcher; being unafraid to have a dig from midfield and capped it all off with a 40-yard free-kick for Blackpool's second.  Not a bad first day at work!

Obviously, there was a lot going on going forward for Blackpool in this one and I couldn't help feeling jealous at the number of forwards they have at their disposal.  Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Daniel Bogdanovic and Brett Ormerod, all scored against Bristol and all, along with Kevin Phillips and Lomana LuaLua seem to have been around forever!

There was still some glimpses of frailty at the back though.  That offside-trap worked during this match, just,  so I'd like to see Bennett, Coppinger or Sharp running off defenders shoulders.  There could certainly be mileage in that!

DONCASTER ROVERS

Having dreamt about the premier league at the start of this article, I can't help wishing I'd woken up when the final whistle blew on Friday night.  I was concerned that Dean, according to the headlines, blamed the defeat only on catastrophic defending.  In fairness, the interview was better than the headline.  Aside from a reasonable opening he was also rightly critical of how we were giving the ball away in midfield.  Unsubtle hints were made on changes and more players being brought in.  After a performance like that, its difficult not to agree with Dean's thinly veiled warnings.  I just hope he maintains a balance and only upsets the players who frankly need upsetting.

I remember them playing Chelsea last season and  both Full-Backs were crossing to each other so they don't fear anybody.   The manager just goes for it and if they lose like they did on Saturday, then they lose. - Dean Saunders

Dean also mentioned how he was going through the game with the team, especially those three goals.  Well, if they can't see what was wrong on the first replay of them, then we have really got problems!  I hope he takes the time to show them some of that Blackpool defending that I saw.  They should see that they can get goals against the Tangerines and that will help in the lifting of the team for their trip to the seaside.

It was interesting to read a couple of Tweets from the Rovers players on Friday's game.  An obviously pissed off John Oster admitted struggling due to being played out of position on the left.  Simon Gillett also expressed his disappointment but was obviously intent on puting it behind him quickly to get ready for this one.

And that's where I am now.  Watching Blackpool's defence cheered me up but with their attack also looking non to shabby, maybe that 3:3 could be on the cards?

Championship Football on Half a Plan A

DONCASTER ROVERS
0 : 3
LEEDS UNITED

When I watch a match on TV, the commentator always makes one comment that gets my hackles up.  This time he paid tribute to Sean O'Driscoll, stating how he had turned Donny into championship survivors.  Two of our three finishes in the championship were, of course, mid-table but I suppose unles you are a Rovers' fan, that fact requires research beyond the capabilities of the average TV sports journalist.

But after the match last night, I'd suggest that if the "survivors" tag is used in May, Donny fans should grab it and cling onto it for dear life.  Unless last night's performance was an abhoration, survival will be more than we deserve.

O'Driscoll was often criticised for having no plan B, probably because he studied opponents and identified their weaknesses.  Plan A was then defined so as to exploit these weaknesses.  A point to be made about this preparation is that the weaknesses are undoubtedly there to be exploited.

When plan A is the standard championship football fare of lumping the ball up towards your big-man, opponents are used to working to nullify any threat this produces.  Once they've done this, plan B is needed.  Normally, in this case, plan B will be similarly inventive so a plan C would also be handy.

Sarcastic as it may be, that last paragraph sums up what went wrong for Rovers last night.  For the first 15 minutes, I actually thought Donny slightly had the upper-hand.  John Parkin was smashing around the Leeds defence as that long ball came and was creating space.  Exploiting the space created would have been the next step in the plan but we never looked like doing that.

At the other end of the pitch, the defence was doing well, snubbing out the far more stylish approach of Leeds.  That was until a stupid free-kick was given away by George Friend on the byline.  Yes, had Friend sneezed, McCormack would have fallen down earlier but Friend's hands were in his back and he was being watched by a linesman who may have been a yard away.

So the setpiece was swung in, Naylor and O'Connor collided and on the far post, Danny Pugh smashed the ball past Kirkland.

Leeds were now starting to get to grips with that long, high ball and there were the first signs of Rovers' defence starting to lose their formation, going all higgledy-piggledy as Keogh took a run at them before shooting just wide.

But just before half-time and it could have been 1:1.  A decent cross from Gillett gave Parkin a free header that he really should have had on target.

Half-time and I wasn't too despondent.  Only one down and with the defence not looking so bad; with the extra resilience Dean Saunders has brought with him and with coming back from a goal down in our last two matches,  a point didn't sound as silly then as it does now.

After the break and the best bit of football of the match resulted in Leeds doubling their lead.  It was play similar to old Donny's football, toying with a defence on the edge of their area and pulling them out of position.  Keogh then played a lovely ball around Friend and McCormack's two touches were sublime. The first chipping the ball into the air and the second an overhead kick straight past Kirkland. True, with two defenders on him, it should have been impossible but a great piece of skill all the same.

Substitutions had also been Saunders' salvation so far with Donny but not tonight as Mason on for Oster and Bennett for the appauling Coppinger both proved as ineffective as the players they replaced. 

Time for Leeds to put the result beyond doubt so that they could play even more relaxed football and it was a set-piece corner from Snodgrass straight to Tom Lees who out-jumped Naylor with ease to head home.  Empahatically game over.

Parkin, who had at least put in an evening's work was replaced by Hayter meaning the average height of Donny's front three had dropped to 5'8".  That long ball remained their only outlet though.  There was a minor flutter in the Leeds defence as a Naylor header was fumbled by Lonergan and in trying to smash home the lose ball, Hayter inadvertantly kicked the Leeds keepers' finger out of its socket but other than that, no real threat on United's goal.

Indeed it was very nearly 4 for Leeds.  Keogh spun off Friend and lifted the ball over Kirkland but against the underside of the bar.

I doubt Leeds will gain an easier 3 points this season, while for Doncaster a stark lesson in tactics.  To win games at this level, you need more than one. 

New Rivals? Donny v Leeds United

DONCASTER ROVERS
V
LEEDS UNITED

Arguably our biggest rivals says the Doncaster Rovers official site.  Nah...Surely that's Forest!


Is it a sign of the dizzy times Rovers' live in these days (or is it the not so dizzy times for Leeds) that we can debate whether we are rivals?  Do Leeds see us as rivals?  I'm sure United fans will let me know!

Whatever we decide, in the recent games between our two teams, Leeds hold the upper hand when it comes to results, with Rovers only managing a point against United last season.  Leeds also remain unbeaten at the Keepmoat.

Of course we've already crossed swords this season, with Leeds fans proabably maintaining that their second team beat Donny 1 : 2 in the League cup in August.  If Leeds fans want to say it was their second 11, Donny can definately say the same with many of the players who will be available tomorrow, being out with injuries on that Tuesday evening.

That night was one of Donny's better performances of the season and indeed, had they taken the chances their play created, the Rovers would have been out of sight before half time.  But they weren't and two goals from Ramon Nunez ended Rovers league cup campaign for this season.

DONCASTER ROVERS

Three matches into the Dean Saunders powered revolution at Donny and we have had an international break that our momentum, at least, could have done without.  Whether, like me, you would still prefer to see Mr. O'Driscoll still at the helm, or whether you are glad Deano has the reigns, nobody is complaining about the 7 points from 9 Rovers have been able to bag.  Yes, there has been a bit of luck involved in gaining those points but we've got them and isn't it nice to use the word "luck" in the positive sense when talking about Doncaster Rovers?

New faces joined Donny before the international break and tonight, it looks like 'keeper Chris Kirkland could be the latest.  If he does join, and gets the nod, it will be a shame for Neil Sullivan who I think has been great since coming back.  That said, you won't hear me not welcoming a third goalkeeper to the club and one who we know is not short of experience or talent.  Just fitness perhaps.

Another thing that I will certainly welcome when it comes to the Saunders era is an earlier use of substitutes.  He's certainly offered his replacements enough time to make a case for them starting the next game and has been rewarded.  This is something his predecessor was often guilty of not doing.

So who could hurt Leeds tomorrow?  The two players that spring to my mind are Billy Sharp, who should be close to full fitness now that we've had a break, and Brian Stock.  Stocky has sounded like he is coming back to being his old self and that is someone Rovers have missed for much of the last two seasons.  Yes, we were lucky to get the win at London Road, but there wasn't much lucky about this.

LEEDS UNITED

The thing about our playing Leeds on Friday is that its saved me some time.  While I was back in old Blighty last month, I saw two Donny games and two Leeds games so I'm not having to look at videos to write this preview.  On those performances, I'd have to say Rovers are going to need that luck that I've talked about.  In both games I saw, Rovers were poor although it would seem there is a tad more confidence in their camp these days. 

Leeds?  Well, while sitting in their kop, stubbornly silent, excepting songs that were purely taking the piss out of the opposition, I did see much that I could appreciate.

Unfortunately for Leeds, they faced Man United on an evening when Owen and Giggs were clicking and in the first half, they were simply outplayed.  The Red Devils were simply superb, as much as I hate to say that.  In the second, and Leeds were allowed a little more into the game.  They weren't able to do much about the result but I did see some of the traits associated with Leeds.  More chasing down and some uncompromising (although not dirty) tackles.

Then at the Amex, I saw a thriller.  It was typical Leeds.  A first half performance that future opponents will find uncomfortable viewing.  Leeds simply swept Brighton aside.  As Kanye West would put it, harder better, faster, stronger.  

But then we get a second half where it is clear how a striker with a bit about him (in this case Craig McKail-Smith) can have the Leeds defence creaking and groaning.  True, the footwork McKail-Smith used to get away from his man for the first would have had many a defender struggling but for his second, all the Leeds fans could shout at the time was "HE'S BEHIND YOU!"  Daft thing was that the defender stopped to reply "OH NO HE ISN'T!"

I've mentioned Leeds characteristics and, at the end of this excellent match, we saw another one.  They don't lie down and a good bit of route-one football ensured a very fair point was awarded to both teams.

So tick off all those Leeds traits:

• Uncompromising in the tackle
• Great going forwards
• Dodgy at the back
• Never give up (even when getting "Giggsyed")

Plenty of good players in the Leeds squad but if he comes out of the international break wih the same form that he took into it, Donny will have to be very aware of Ross McCormack.  Last season he was a third-choice striker.  Today, it difficult not to see him as first name on the team sheet.

Dean's biggest test thus far without a doubt.  Lets hope he has the Rovers ready for it!

Let's all go Posh!

PETERBOROUGH UNITED

 - V - 

DONCASTER ROVERS

Don't look now, but this post actully has a chance of being posted when its still relevant!  Apologies to regular readers, I've been busy and have struggled all week to catch up.

Posh 4 Fergie 4-Eva 2-Gether

Welcome back Peterborough!  A team who's manager moved on to climes new allowing them to hire someone with no football league experience, Kettering's Mark Cooper.  He lasted 12 games, winning just one of them, his first. Next,  Jim Gannon was recruited to keep the Posh in the Championship.  Gannon lasted two games longer than Cooper before Gary Johnson was brought in in a vain attempt to use the champagne period to avoid a relegation.  It didn't work and Peterborough were down.  

In the meantime, the old guy, Darren Ferguson, had discovered that the grass definately wasn't greener on the other side, being sacked just before the New Year with his team, Preston North End rock-bottom of the championship.  But love is indeed a many splendoured thing and on seeing Fergie-Junior was jobless, Johnson was dismissed and Fergie was clasped to the Posh bossom once more.


Posh were promoted and they have all lived happily ever after.  Good to have them back!


Posh haven't beaten Rovers for a while.  They even managed to lose to Donny at London Road during our last season in the football league before Conference excile, Rovers only away win that season.  They won at Belle Vue though, their last victory over a Doncaster side.  

PETERBOROUGH UNITED

Nobody is getting carried away, but it was a good win on Tuesday because we played with a bit more belief or maybe even arrogance - Darren Ferguson

Great start  this season by Peterborough, who I think must have been co-favourites with Donny for relegation.  Peterborough are rubbishing that status thus far with only the pace-setters, Southampton scoring more goals.  OK, seven of their 17 came in one fixture and they have conceded a few but 8th position - not bad and if you look at the link, Darren Ferguson plans to stay there.

George Boyd

The eye-catching 3-2 away win at Portsmouth, featured two goals from Lee Frecklington.  The first was very much curtosy of the Portsmouth 'keeper but the second was a much better finish.  That said, he owed the goal to a great "never say die" attitude from George Boyd, who definately caught my eye.  From the highlights, he had a good game, we saw determination in getting the ball pulled back for what ultimately became Frecklington's second goal and then with some more good play on the left flank, nutmegging defenders; looking a real handfull.  I like him! I wonder if  Willie MacKay is his agent?  

Next up, the 2:1 victory at home to Burnley and I find another little gem, new signing Emile Sinclair.  Sinclair bagged both Posh's goals in that game but should have had four.  But we saw a great two-touch finish for the first and a nice dance in from out wide to net the second.  The two he didn't get were denied by lack of power and lack of accuracy.  More power would have prevented a great near goal-line clearance from a Burnley defender and more accuracy would have given him a great solo-goal after a Gazza-esque chip over the cental defender.

Until now, I hadn't seen much to pick at about the defence.  Just a tendancy of the right back to allow players to run behind him on the inside.  A nasty tendancy that he should look at.  I needed to watch them against a side that was playing well.  The opportunity was presented by the Brighton game.  

Brighton were afforded massive amounts of space at times, especially at the corners of the penalty area between the full-back and centre-back.  There was also that sneaking in behind the right-back issue, this time on his outside and I saw some appauling defending around the D, the worst being when a posh defender jumped out of the way to invite a shot.

So a decent side, but get at that defence and they will yield goals. 

DONCASTER ROVERS

I did tell the players to go out and show me that they’re good enough and I already know that I won’t have to do major surgery. We have got four points from two games so they have done well - Dean Saunders

Dean Saunders - No Major Surgery Needed

A tumultuous week for Rovers with suddenly all and sundry deciding that playing for a small South Yorkshire club with an inexperienced manager is the way to go.  


El-Hadji-Diouf was tempted but was more attracted my the larger land area of Russia to spit all over.  But we did get Pascal Chimbonda.  He seems a good signing on a short-term contract although it seems he may have to wait before starting his time in the shop window.  Chimbonda is not yet 100% fit, well at least Dean doesn't think so.  Anyway, lets hope he does better than our last "shop window" player, Matt Kilgallon.

Dean Saunders has brought a breath of fresh air to Donny Rovers, which is a good thing, not least because it covers the stink produced by Willie MacKay, who seems to be following him around.  But in any case, I am all for getting players believing in themselves and I have taken some solace in Deano's comments that major surgery is not needed.  I can handle using mercenries like Chimbonda using the club to serve their own needs, as long as it is done in moderation.


Four points out of six since Deano arrived, and we could well see more from the honeymoon period.   Players are, at the moment trying to make sure they stay on the new bosses' good side, just the way anyone with any sense would do when a new boss walks in.  If they do not like the way their ex-boss was treated, its clear that had nothing to do with Dean.  He's their new boss; they have to impress him otherwise it won't look good.  This is why homeymoon periods happen.


Against Crystal Palace, it was a game of three thirds.  For two of the three, Rovers were terrible, for the other third they were adequate.  Against Hull, I watched the highlights and, apart from an great finish by Gillett, completely failed to see what Donny fans were raving about in the second half, which is unusual.  Perhaps the highlights under-sold the performance.  I can definately say I've watched far better under O'Driscoll, even if it was one-dimensional (sic).