Back from the game..... Donny Rovers

[Vision]

(in response to RL)
I recall a succession of 3-0 defeats to the likes of Wimbledon and Palace who were languishing in the relegation zone.

I think they happened around Xmas time rather than when he first came in. I seem to remember us being a typical championship club IE a couple of good runs of results followed by a couple of bad ones.

[Ian Royal]

I for one will never forget watching us get absolutely stuffed 3-0 by Wimbledon on boxing day. Their team looked like it was made up of 12 year olds. They looked awful and still played us off the park.

Shorey's worst game by a mile.

[papereyes]

(in response to RL)
I recall a succession of 3-0 defeats to the likes of Wimbledon and Palace who were languishing in the relegation zone.

According to soccerbase it looks like you recalled very wrong. (posted the actual results)

Seems Mr. Coppell won 8 out of 11 matches when he took over??

... but we already had a team that was capable of getting into the play-offs that season ... ?

Because we've young players, plenty of new signings, a new manager, a new system and new tactics.

Exactly. I, perhaps naively, think that we've started slowly and are performing beneath the level of what we are capable of. I don't know how good this squad could be but its better than how we're doing now.

And to whoever said the League table doesn't lie. Well it does at this stage, because the sample of games is insignificant.

Well, yes. Plus, other than one abysmal, televised game, we've been generally solid but with an inability to score. This is also something that can only really improve as players work out their partnerships.

Performances are more important that points at the moment. It is arguable that we are improving but there are signs there.

How long will it take for the entire new team to 'bed in' though? That is what concerns me.

How much allowance do we make? Do we still say, come Christmas, that Rodgers just needs some time?

Surely that depends on how they've bedded in. Continuity as the team 'beds in' might be a better bet than changing managers after less than 6 months. If we're genuinely 'in the shit' then I don't know. I just don't think we will be.

[Vision]

How long will it take for the entire new team to 'bed in' though? That is what concerns me.

How much allowance do we make? Do we still say, come Christmas, that Rodgers just needs some time?

It's not an exact science is it? If come Christmas we're going backwards then you might have to ask questions but as long as there are signs of promise and improvement then you should have the balls to man up and back the manager.

If your expectations stretch to us being serious promotion challengers in 2-3 years then the above sounds fair enough , if you're looking to challenge this season then you'd ask questions very early.

I also think people are going way over board about how badly we've played so far as well.

Forest - 0-0 not great but a game we probably deserved to win
Geordies - 0-3 gupped.
Jacks - 0-0 Battling but fortunate point.
Blades - 1-3 Very even game until Fed threw one in a matter of minutes after Siggi hit the post.
Oaters - 3-1 Well deserved victory
Donny - 0-0 Not great but certainly looked the more likely winners.

I don't think anyone is claiming its been a good start but the way people are talking tou'd think we'd barely picked up a point and been played off the park by everyone which Newcastle apart isn't the case.

[Ryn]

I'll be honest and say that I don't think we'll be in the shit either come Christmas, neither will we be setting the league on fire.

I am quite prepared for this season to be one of consolidation, but I still want to see progress. The pre-season friendly against Chelsea had the boys knocking the ball around really well. I was really pleased for the change from root one football that we had resorted to at the end of last season.

Imagine my disappointment after watching Donny, where a wobbly defence resorted to lumping the ball forward again due to a lack of confidence, both in themselves and the midfield.

Progress.

Noel hunt sounded extremely despondant on the radio after the game, and who can blame him seeing as he didn't see much of the ball. He needs a partner to play with, whether that is Rasiak up there with him, or via close support from the 'wingers', but he needs someone, and I will be watching Rodgers very closely to see how he overcomes this problem.

I am secretly hoping that he does have the tactical ability to sort the goals out, but have yet to see any demonstration of this talent.

[papereyes]

Oh come on. Its been 6 games with a new manager, new coaching staff, several new players in key positions, younger players being given their first games for the club. Certainly, in terms of attacking play, you'll find that most players improve their performances with time to work out who they're playing with and how they can link together.

If we don't see any signs of improvement over the next few months, then you'll have a point.

If we're going to talk about logical fallacies, then:

I can understand why, it is a human defense mechanism, you've vested much hope in Rodgers, you have already "decided" in your mind that he is going to be a success, at this point it would then be very hard to change your mind - because that would mean you would have to "admit" that you were wrong, and this is very hard for your ego to accept. So in turn you have to go on preaching that it is just a little more bedding in which is needed.

is just as bad an offender.

[Royal Lady]

How many points do Newcastle have - how many new players have they had to bed in? Who is their manager? (I know the answer, obviously) I'm just making a point - if anyone needed to "bed in" and would be expected to have problems, it would be Newcastle imho.

[ZacNaloen]

Newcastle kept a good amount of their spine and have Alan Smith fouling everyone in sight to break down opposition play.

[AthleticoSpizz]

How many points do Newcastle have - how many new players have they had to bed in? Who is their manager? (I know the answer, obviously) I'm just making a point - if anyone needed to "bed in" and would be expected to have problems, it would be Newcastle imho.

Newcastle have had two or three seasons bedding in

[Royal Lady]

I thought they'd lost a lot of players this season? They have no idea who their next manager is going to be and have Chris Hughton as caretaker. I'd say their lot was no worse than ours but possibly a hell of a lot worse.

[ZacNaloen]

From what I can see they only lost 4 players to the premiership, no idea if any went abroad or not.


But there certainly wasn't a firesale of talent and they still have an enviable squad just glancing an eye over some of the names.

But if they don't go up this year the club may struggle to convince the banks it's solvent.

[Vision]

I thought they'd lost a lot of players this season? They have no idea who their next manager is going to be and have Chris Hughton as caretaker. I'd say their lot was no worse than ours but possibly a hell of a lot worse.

They've only really lost the likes of Duff,Owen & Viduka who were injured half the time anyway and to a lesser degree Martins. The back four, midfield and keeper are pretty much unchanged really (Beye probably the only one they miss) and have a side of proven established players. Hughton has been there for pretty much the whole of the last 3 seasons in one capacity or another so I don't think the bedding in argument really counts for them other than the possible relegation hangover.

In our case we have changed the entire management team, and from a first choice 1st 11 from last season, you could only really include Kebe & Hunt amongst those playing now. By any standards thats a huge change in personnel. There can't be too many teams in the whole country that has been through that much disruption. Pompey immediately spring to mind and look how they've started.

Of course whether it was all needed to such a degree is a completely different argument.

[Mr Angry]

Highlight of the match was watching Skyline trying to nick the BBC Radio Doncaster jammy dodger bikkies, onlt for the guy to take pity on us and give us a packet!

Apart from Siigi's shot first half and Rasiak's in the 2nd, a game totally deviod of goalmouth excitement and one which had 0-0 etched all over it after 20 minutes.

More creativity needed in the midfield (TWO defensive midfielders at home??) and more support for the striker when we do get into the final third (too often we only had 1 or at most 2 players in the box).

Early days, but REALLY funny watching the usual suspects come out in force on the board having taken a break after we won at Barnsley!!

[Mr Angry]

You do know that points won at this stage of the season count, don't you Ideal??

Regardless who they are gained from?



Sometimes, and please - don't misunderstand me on this - you really come over as a total bell end.

[wolsey]

You do know that points won at this stage of the season count, don't you Ideal??

Regardless who they are gained from?

Does Mr Rodgers? According to him the first four games were like part of his pre-season.

[ZacNaloen]

There is no way we "struggled to scrape" that draw at home.

We were the team on top, we just failed to score.

[winchester_royal]

There is no way we "struggled to scrape" that draw at home.

We were the team on top, we just failed to score.

Same with the Forest game.......

Don't bother arguing with him. Ideal doesn't even watch the games, so it's not clear how he thinks he's able to pass judgement on how we're playing when he wouldn't bloody know.

[Archie's penalty]

There is no way we "struggled to scrape" that draw at home.

We were the team on top, we just failed to score.

Same with the Forest game.......

Don't bother arguing with him. Ideal doesn't even watch the games, so it's not clear how he thinks he's able to pass judgement on how we're playing when he wouldn't bloody know.

Quite interesting to see him spout b*llocks though.

Ftr I haven't been to any games this year either but I like to think I'm a bit more balanced then our Norwegian friend.

[CMRoyal]

You do know that points won at this stage of the season count, don't you

You do understand that all the points we fail to get at this stage also count? All the points the opposition win at this stage do count? It's very funny indeed, we are struggling to scrape draws at home, but according to you it should be the one win that matters

Au contraire, it seems that it's been too easy to get draws against Forest and Donny. Had those teams shown some ambition, we might have been forced into being braver in going for the wins. I reckon we might have had three points rather than two if that had happened.

[loyalroyal4life]

Ideal doesn't even watch the games

How would you know? Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups.
It's convenient for you to be able to discuss my person rather than the matter at hand, others may feel it is a declaration of defeat on your part when you have to resort to these underhand tactics.

take it he is right then, you dont watch any games