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!
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