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!

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?