Rovers v Posh

DONCASTER ROVERS
 - V - 
PETERBOROUGH UNITED

Financially, this is probably as close as these two sides come all season.  Peterborough are a comfy 12 points clear of the dropzone so look like being minnows again next season.  Donny...have some work to do.

Back at the end of September, Rovers pulled on their hoops, curiously black and white rather than their traditional red, and took to London Road.  The small, masks they were wearing over their eyes made it difficult for fans to recognise their favourites, but the large sacks marked "SWAG" made it clear what they were about.  It was one way stuff for much of the game but in contest where both sides landed great punches, it was Rovers who landed one more than Peterborough.

DONCASTER ROVERS

They need to learn from their mistakes - otherwise I’ll find someone else to take their place in the team.  What I can’t do is keep on saying the same things over and over again to the same players.  - Dean Saunders

I have to say that that sounds a bit like plan A, Dean.  Back when he joined the club, Dean was telling the players that if they weren't going to get their acts together and prove themselves good enough, then he would find players who would.  Our league position suggests neither has happened.

If Donny had the Swag bags out when they went to London Road, Leeds pulled off another heisst at Elland Road last week, although it does help if you are handed the keys to the premises that you are about to burgle.  After making Leeds seem like waht they were, a disjointed, disillusioned outfit with no leadership, neither on nor off the pitch we saw sadly familiar frailty from the men in red and white.  Chimbonda, obviously worried about being hit by the ball because it stings...a lot for the first.  Diouf, the striker failing to do Chimbonda's (although unlike Chimbonda, he did try to do it) for the second all made that painful third all too inevitable.  Bloody annoying.  There's no other word for it!

The only solace I took from last weeks performance was the life we showed up front.  I feel James Hayter just needs a lucky "in-off" to get him started.  Two goals, two hits of the woodwork makes you think that Rovers have a side that can score.  Sadly, they can't defend to save their lives and have no clue of how to close a game down and sit out for a result.

PETERBOROUGH UNITED

Every team in this league can cause you problems, so we know we will have to be at our best to get the right result - Darren Ferguson

Barnett - New Threat

Coming into a Rovers' game and the big news is a non-Donny siginings.  Tyrone Barnett, who has netted 15 times for Crawley Town as moved to Posh on a loan deal that will become permanent over the summer.  At 1.1M, Barnett becomes Posh's first £Million player.  

We've been there, done that and have the T-Shirt.  If Barnett works out anything like as well as our first Million-Pound players, the Posh faithfull are in for an enjoyable ride!

Without Tyrone, Peterborugh looked decent enough going forward last weekend as they but three goals past Bristol City.  While I will be generous to the Posh attack, before I do, I'll say that Bristol City's defence did leave a lot to be desired.

Lee Tomlin netted the first, following up to head home an effort from George Boyd came off the post.  Simple stuff with Bristol's defence and sixes and sevens.  Tomlin had another good moment in the first half, bringing the best out of David James from about 25 yards.  Boyd, Tomlin, who also scored the third and Emile Sinclair looked a lively combination.  And now Barnett will be enhancing that.  50 goals for Peterborough this season tells a story.  Just about twice Donny's tally.

But 51 goals against, (same as Donny) tells a tale as well.  There were a couple of goal-line clearances against Bristol City and, sad to say it, more defenders who don't like the ball to hit them.

So two sides with decent attacks and rubbish defences.  It could be entertaining!

Enjoy the match everyone.

Demotivation v Mediocracy

LEEDS UNITED
 - V - 
DONCASTER ROVERS

Leeds United came to the Keepmoat in October and humiliated a very poor Doncaster Rovers.  I doubt if Leeds have had an easier victory this season.  So no wonder if the Rovers faithful crossed the fixture off their list of away matches.  Its no fun having the piss taken out of you by the Leeds, especially if you've been dumb enough to pay £36 for the privilege.

But then, Ken Bates sacked Simon Grayson while Leeds were in 10th place, a mere 3 points away from the play-offs.  It's not gone quite so well since then and, paying £36 to take the piss out of the Leeds could be considered a bargain by the Donny faithfull!  The problem is that it is by no means a safe-money bet.  The way both sides are playing, it would be a very over-confident fan who put money on either side.

LEEDS UNITED

The most important thing tomorrow, other than the result, is that we put on a performance against Doncaster where we look like we care. - Neil Redfearn

The article on that link sums up the situation at Leeds at the moment.  The current manager has no idea about his or the club's future.  He's publicly stating that the situation is unsettling for players as they do not know the club's future plans.  Meanwhile, the only person who can resolve all the questions is sitting in Monaco doing a very good impression of someone who couldn't care less.  Maybe, it isn't an impression.

As a Rovers fan, I've seen it all and more when it comes to bad chairmen.  Believe me Leeds, in a pissing contest, Rovers can say our ex-chairman was far worse than your current one.  But we do say that with some sympathy.  We know what it is like when the wrong person controls your club.

Now, I tried to review the last few Leeds games on LUTV as my missus pays £52 a year for that privilege.  What a load of pants it is!  First of all, I mistakenly logged in on an expired account so couldn't play any video.  The "service" would not allow a sign-out or new sign on, so I was reduced to logging in on a current account on a netbook.   I could not find a way of getting the video to play on full screen and the video buffered to such an extent as to make it unwatchable.  So sod that!  I'll watch the games on "player" - which costs £34 a year.  Leeds fans - you really should start complaining about how you are being exploited by your club!

But THANK YOU Leeds and Coventry as watching the highlights was extremely entertaining once I got there.  Sure, comedy central would be a more appropriate channel that Coventry Player but it was great entertainment.

I should have known I was in for a treat when I heard the Coventry commentator announce the scoreline at the Doncaster Rovers match being played at the same time.  

"And they have spent a lot of money haven't they, Doncaster" he said knowingly.

"Yes" agreed the pundit. "A lot on loan players but it hasn't worked".  PMSL is the phrase I believe.

On the pitch and I was first struck by how quickly Leeds moved the ball going forwards.  I've seen this many times, so wasn't surprised though I had a feeling that Coventry's ineptitiude in defence was making it look a little better than it was.  But the ball moved quickly and chances were created.

There were clear (and how clear) chances for White and McCormack that were attrociously wasted with panache as Coventry did their damdest to help Redferan get a permanent job.

But if Leeds should have scored at least three, Coventry should have had six.  It was one of those videos that you show kid's teams with the standard phrase "that's why you shouldn't...."  Defensively, Leeds have got worse since I last saw them based on that performance.  And downwards from what I last saw wasn't easy.

Players are half-heartedly challenged at set-pieces; getting goal-side of your marker seems easy - even encouraged and a couple of offside appeals showed that the defence really do not know what one another are doing.  


But the second penalty, conceded well into injury time was the cherry that went on top a cake that was really well iced and gift-wrapped for the next oppoenents.  The Coventry player broke with pace from well within his own half.  A challenger tried a tackle, decided he couldn't make it and so pulled the lad back - still a good 40 yards from goal.  The lad was looking good so, foul him while he's a long way from goal.  You burn some more very precious time while a very innocuous free-kick is taken and leave Coventry with a point.

That's what should have happened but no, the challenger, in a rare attack of sportsmanship, let the runner's arm go.  And he ran on.  Sportsmanship spread as more and more defenders stepped back to admire the young lad's skill.  Then, in the penalty area, somebody decided that plan A - foul the kid had indeed been the correct option - wonderfull!

DONCASTER ROVERS

We are in a relegation battle and we’ve got to roll our sleeves up and on we go. If we pick up three points on Saturday it is better than two draws. - Dean Saunders

When you read the article on that link, you kind of see Saunders as a manager clutching at straws and anything else available to him.  Now he talks about Paul Keegan and Chris Brown, the forgotten Rovers frontman.  

"Not an out and out striker - that's not his game" says Dean.  Maybe not.  But Brown did score 10 goals in 22 games while on loan at Donny back in 2003/04.  Yes, it was at a lower level but Chris was also much less experienced.  Also, do we have an out and out goalscorer?  I think not.  So why not give Chris a go in a role that would give him this kind of opportunity?  There is a vacancy and I think Chris is a far better player than many people think he is.  Sean O'Driscoll certainly thought so! (damn - mentioned Sean.  Baaaaad Duck!)

Unfortunately, entertaining though it may have been, Rovers could have used Leeds beating Coventry.  As it happened, Rovers were having enough problems of their own against a good Blackpool side.  

So now I've just watched James Hayter miss two very presentable chances, the very kind that have to go in the net if you want to get out of the relegation zone.  I also saw Gary Taylor-Fletcher getting between two centre-backs for one goal and looking like Ronaldo to bag a second.  No disrespect to GTF but he is not Ronaldo so why did he suddenly look like him?  Would the guilty party who flattered him so much please step forward - all three of you!

But Matt Gilks made some very good saves from Brian Stock and unbelievably from Martin Woods and Diouf scored the cheekiest of penalties and then made gobby gestures to Gilks.  No wonder Rovers' fans are loving Dioufy!

All in all typical Rovers and more so since the loss of our finest.  Chances created - tick the box.  Chances converted.....ahhhhh, hmmmmm, well.....

And that's that really.  A wonderfully generous defence awaits an attack who wouldn't know a good thing if it laid in front of them with it's legs in the air.  At the other end, legs are also being waved in the air, but will memory serve the Leeds strikers?  I wouldn't bet on it!

Doncaster v Blackpool

DONCASTER ROVERS
- V - 
BLACKPOOL

Well, alledgedly Rovers are going to play a football match tomorrow evening.  With the temperature in Doncaster at 6°C as I write, and a barmy 7°C forecast for tomorrow evening, it looks good so I will continue!

It's been frustrating for Donny with Rovers yet to play a match in February.  Blackpool, on the other hand have played twice in the league and knocked Sheffield Wednesday out of the FA Cup since the begining of the month.  So Rovers will be the fresher, or rustier side dependent on your point of view.

The encounter at Bloomfield Road this season was one of those where Donny started well, indeed they led at the break.  But then either Blackpool improved or Donny ran out of steam.  I suspect a combination of the two and two goals from substitute Tom Ince reduced greatly the importance of Billy Sharp's first half strike.  The second of those strikes being a 94th minute 25-yarder.  The kind of goal that leaves you feeling hollow about the evening if you're on the receiving end.

DONCASTER ROVERS

For five years we used to play a certain way. Somebody comes in and changes that and it's difficult. It's not going to happen overnight and it hasn't. This is probably the closest it's got to  being right - it feels right within the squad and everybody is on the same page. - James Coppinger

Well, the "business end" of the season is fast approaching and for Donny, all players being on the right page is fast becoming vital.  During the enforced break, plenty has happened off the pitch to distract just about anyone, never mind the players.  Training gorund life without our best player and an exodus on the board have been tempered by our maintaining the services of El-Hadji Diouf and Habib Beye until at least the end of the season.  David Button has also committed to another month and Fabien Robert has become the 13th signing of the Saunders era - all four months of it.  New sigings do lose their magic when they happen just about every week!

Donny Dog - Gone!

Another off field development are the continuing trials of Portsmouth.  Pompey are looking like inviting in the administrators for the second time in two seasons.  The 10-point deductioon Pompey will receive will bring them right into the relegation dogfight, just one point ahead of Rovers having played one game more.  I don't want to stop up at the expense of a points deduction but nor do I want Rovers relegated at any cost.  Here's hoping Pompey can recover, though not at our expense.


Finally one more departure I feel that I have to mention, although I have not seen it confirmed.  Donny Dog has left his (or 
indeed her) Keepmoat Kennel.  I saw a tweet shortly after Billy Sharp's tarnsfer to Southampton.  Somethings are simply irreplaceable!

BLACKPOOL

I think it would be fair to say that the majority of Rovers fans were disappointed by Blackpool after our meeting at Bloomfield Road.  It was a game Rovers could have easily won but for Ollie's inspired substitutions. But I think that's enough criticism of the seasiders.  In the month that Rovers visited Blackpool, they lost 3 out of 5.  And in the 3 and a half months since then, they have lost just two from 19.  Overall, they have the third best current form in the division and are unbeaten in 2012.


No easy task, but Rovers have proved a hard nut to crack at the Keepmoat of late.  My only concern?  This season, we haven't returned from breaks very well.  I'd have prerfered a game in the last two weeks.


Watching the highlights against Portsmouth and I was listening to the names of the Blackpool playersb and wondering where tehir zimmer-frames were.  Crainey, Taylor-Fletcher, Lua-Lua all seem to have been around for ages.


But they aren't quite ready for their bus-passes as Lua-Lua, in particular put in an impressive shift being in the middle of most good things that Blackpool did.  Indeed but for a player absent-mindedly wandering offside, Lua-Lua would have given Blackpool the lead from a Free-Kick in the first half.


In attack, most of the Tanges best chances came from distance but were good for all that.  The goal that earned Blackpool the point was a great freekick from Steven Crainey, even if it was a lazy attempt by the Portsmouth 'keeper to keep it out.


Defensively, there was some hope for the Rovers.  Blackpool were playing a high line and their were a few occasions when Portsmouth got behind it.  With the chamces this caused, it was a match that I felt Pompey should have won.


There were also a number of occasions where tackles could have been made, but weren't.  So Rovers, its a defence worth taking a run at and also look to move them around. 


As ever though, I'm not counting any chickens.  Its going to be a tough night at the Keepmoat against a good and in-form team.