Not much Pomp in Both Our Circumstances

DONCASTER ROVERS
V
PORTSMOUTH

OK - Watch this

and this

or this

Each of those incidents goes to show you that ANYTHING can happen in football!

So, Rovers are 11 points from safety with 12 still available to be won.  All that needs to happen is

• Bristol City failing to win another point this season

and...

• Coventry failing to win another 5 in their remaining games (and we can influence that as we still have to play them)

and....

• Pompey failing to win another 9 (which we can obviously influence)

So its all still to play for!

Or alternatively Rovers and Pompey could be as dead as someone in a Llanelli "spit and sawdust" pub telling jokes about fornicating with sheep.  I was once in such a pub with a Glaswegian doing just that.  We both survived without a scratch, which just goes to show you!

But anyway, let's both sets of fans get behind both clubs tomorrow.  Portsmouth have just announced that they have £58M debt, which is £10M more than the last time they were in administration so Rovers fans, stop feeling sorry for yourselves.  There are folk a lot worse off than us!

DONCASTER ROVERS

I have not put one building brick in place yet. - Dean Saunders

Well glory be and hallelujah!  Thank goodness we're not looking at the finished article!  It actually turns out that after 35 games in charge, Deano hasn't started yet!  Interesting.  Is there anyone out there who has gone 6 months in a job without doing anything and NOT been fired?

Actually, I jest (I think).  I find the quote and the article silly in the extreme.  In one breath Dean is talking about not having started anything and prior to that he's actually considering continuing the experiment?!  But as long as John Ryan and Deano decide to end the stupidity and ditch the experiment, Dean can continue.  Lets take a look at how well he does in building a team that can establish itself in League 1.  I'm not challenging him to getting us back into the championship.  I just want Rovers to stabilize, something that can never happen as long as we continue with the experiment.  Stabilize, put together a mid-table league 1 side and move on from there.  If its Dean that does it, good luck to him!

Last Saturday saw a very sad day as Donny lost their last slender hopes of maintaining championship status.   It started all Burnley with the clarets being afforded all sorts of space by the Rovers' defence as per usual.   All those things that are worked on every week in training like marking and closing down being sadly lacking.  The work they do must really sink in!

Commentator comment "Well these players haven't played together for quite a while".  There were 9 changes in the starting line up.  Dean has claimed severe injury problems in his 31-man squad.  I remember someone having 14 from 26 out injured and still being criticized from some quarters for losing!  A question.  With 14 from 26 out injured and a 16 man squad, is it possible to make 9 changes?

But lets be fair.  Fabian Robert looks like a player where Deano was right not to use his veto and Josh McQuoid's goal fo the Clarets was outstanding.  There is no tactics that plan for that.

Rovers showed a bit of character in coming back to 1:1 through Chris Brown's header and looked briefly like they could win the game.  But a penalty (thankfully, on this occasion a "stone-waller") ended Rovers' resistance.  

From then on it was whether Burnley would make it 3 :1 rather than  Rover coming back.

Sadly, season over for Donny.

 

PORTSMOUTH

We're not resigned to relegation. That would be unprofessional. It's very simple. There are four games left and we have to win all four to give ourselves a chance.  - Michael Appleton

Without looking at form and considering that without their -10, Portsmouth would be sitting in 21st place, maybe they do have enough to finish above Bristol.  But it's a long shot and I think that as long as Pompey survive their financial difficulties, Rovers will be visiting Fratton Park next season.  And that will be a pleasure.

Normally, at this point I assess Rovers' opponents.  Today I say "what's the point".   Both clubs will be in League 1 next season.  Let's assess each other next season when it matters.

For now, I just hope Rovers get a pride-winning victory against Pompey.  At the same time, I wish Pompey all the best in their recovery.  One of the best clubs in England, I hope that they will be competing next season, hopefully with us!

Enjoy the game everybody .

RTID

PUP

   

  

Leicester City v Doncaster Rovers

LEICESTER CITY
-V-

DONCASTER ROVERS

An end-of-season clash between two teams who, I would guess are just willing the season to end.  For all the millions they have invested, Leicester will see mid-table obscurity as a very poor return while Doncaster have been jumping up and down on the trapdoor all season.  It still hasn't quite opened up and allowed them to fall but lets just say the catch is looking pretty dodgy these days.

At the Keepmoat Rovers gained one of their better results of the season, two quick goals from Billy Sharp turning the game around after the Foxes led through David Nugent at half time.  It is   one occasion of only two this season where Rovers have come from behind to win.  The other was against Peterborough.

LEICESTER CITY

You find out a lot about what players are made of in terms of their character.  People have written us off but we have an awful lot to play for in many ways. Who knows what can happen. - Nigel Pearson

Football managers have to remain positive about their teams prospects for the season until mathematics make their optimism pointless.  Leicester are 7 points adrift of a play-off birth with 6 to play.  Five wins out of 6 is a minimum and I'd doubt many fans believe they can do that.

Against Peterborough last Saturday, the Foxes showed very little invention going forward.  Moves ended with a cross lumped into a crowd of players.  If a striker did get a contact, it was rarely clean due to the numbers around him.  All in all, not the attacking you expect at this level.

Peterborough on the other hand, were far more inventive.  As a result, they discovered that Leicester defenders tackle what is in front of them.  Once an attacker is level with them, tackling doesn't seem to be on their agenda.

Against Forest, Leicester looked a little better, the crossing was more targeted, or was it that the Forest defence were not as tight as Peterborough's?  In any case, clearer chances were made.  They also tried a few more different things with their best chance coming from a great move through the middle.  But with players like Beckford and Nugent, surely they  should be doing more?

The defence looked better too although Forest weren't running at them so much.  Sol Bamber stood out as a good ball-winner and a few things were started due to his determination.

Five wins out of the next six?  Boy, do Leicester have to improve if they are to achieve that!

DONCASTER ROVERS

This is a massive weekend and we have got to get two results - Dean Saunders

Dean's absolutely right of course, plus Rovers need at lease one more result after that to get three points clear of 22nd place as things stand at the moment.  Does anyone see Coventry or Bristol not picking up another 3 or 4 points this season?  No, Rovers need to win four of the last 6.  Not many Rovers fans see that happening and I'm in the majority.

Against Birmingham, Rovers started like a train but ran out of steam in the end.  Leading after four minutes through Piquionne's conversion of Gillett's excellent cross, Rovers pressed for more in the first half.  But Birmingham were always dangerous on the break and were level by half-time.  In the second half, Birmingham pulled away with the Rovers midfield looking pedestrian and out of their depth.  It annoyed me to see players jogging behind Birmingham ball-carriers once they had lost possession, appearing to be oblivious to the desperate league position we find ourselves in.

So for the sixth time this season, Rovers had led only to take nothing from the game.  Its not a story of the season but it hasn't helped at all.  

Four wins from the next six?  Boy do Rovers have to improve if they are to achieve that!

Enjoy the game everyone!