Rover hunts Foxes!

DONCASTER ROVERS

V

LEICESTER CITY

During the closed season, Leicester were keen to buy there way into the Premier League  with a list of signings including Kasper Schmeichel, Paul Konchesky, David Nugent, Jermaine Beckford and former Rovers star, Matt Mills.  During the same period Donny additions included Kyle Bennett, Tommy Spurr, Richard Naylor and Chris Brown.  Without meaning any disrespect to these players, with the possible exception of Naylor, many football fans pronounce their surnames as "WHO?"

The two lists kinda demonstrate the the differences between the clubs in as far as who they could target at that time.

Now with Donny signing names like El-Hadji Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda, Habib Beye and Herita Illunga, it could be argued that there has been a coming together in the two clubs transfer targets.  If this is true, then Rovers are achieving their signings at a fraction of the cost that Leicester have paid.  True - Doncaster's signings are not intended to be permanent, but as we look at Leicester in 9th place you can't help but wonder what will happen to the football transfer markets should the Rovers shop-window approach prove successful.  You also have to look at Donny in 23rd place and think that success is a way off at this time.  It could be an interesting season for many reasons.

DONCASTER ROVERS

It's coming together, we look more solid, and we look more difficult to beat. There were spells at Birmingham where we were good and competing well. Both that game and Southampton were examples of how good we were competing - Dean Saunders

That's an interesting quote from Dean.  Its all the more interesting when you consider, since the abysmal performance against Barnsley, Rovers have only managed a single point against two of our fellow relegation candidates in Millwall and Watford.  Is the performance becoming more important that the result for Dean, as it was for his predecessor?  We lost, but we were competing!

The Southampton result was, of course a bonus.  None of us expected points there but we got all three of 'em.  However, a bonus only becomes a bonus if you earn your basic and by not beating Watford or Millwall, I'd argue we haven't done that.

Gary Woods - Chance

Against Birmingham, I have to admit that I didn't see a win coming until we went one up and once they'd equalized, I quickly had given up hope of a point.  From the commentary I was listening to and the match stats, we were competing but we were never really in any kind of control.

But, its been better than it has been and in my line of work, I don't particularly look for targets, just to be better than we were last week, month or year.

That injury situation that Dean was going to get to the bottom of  when he first arrived continues to blight him as it did his predecessor.  Now we are down to one goalkeeper as both Chris Ikeme and Neil Sullivan are out  with "Freak Injuries".  We seem to have a lot of those!  So Gary Woods get his chance to demonstrate that he can hack it at this level.  Good luck Gary!

LEICESTER CITY

They (Doncaster) are a team that can be very difficult to beat - Nigel Pearson

When Jimmy Greaves said Football was a funny old game, he couldn't have got it more right.  I don't think anyone would have predicted Pearson's return to the Foxes as they were looking like tying up their promotion with the names Sven Gorn-Eriksson was able to attract.  

But getting the names in and fashioning them into a team that can take the chmpionship by storm are two different tasks.  Frankly, I fancy Pearson for the second of these tasks more than I fancy Sven, simply because its a task Pearson understands more than Sven ever will.

Watching Leicester, the first thing you hear is the Post Horn Gallop.  A ditty I've played many a time on the cornet but isn't it normally (and ironically) associated with Fox-Hunting!  

You have to say its impressive up front.  For me, its not so much the Beckfords or Nugents with the finishing as the likes of King, Konchesky and Gallagher providing the ammo.  Leicester put plenty of good balls into the box and finishers that are in any way decent should do nicely out of them.

Defensively, I was also basically happy.  The defence always looked to be in good position and so defended well.  Thing is though, if an attacker does do something clever and get around them, the shock-waves tend to ripple through.  That ball pings about in a manner that Tommy (from the rock opera by The Who) would be proud.  Nobody like good football as much as I do, but row Z can be a reasonable option.

The only other issue that i sa was susceptability to the quick break.  It was the only time that I did see Leicester out of position and, as I anticipate a fair amount of pressure on the Rovers' goal on Saturday, it could be the way to go!

Enjoy the match everyone!