Doncaster Rovers vs Brighton & Hove Albion ***** Official Match Thread *****

[El Turi]

I'll take the point. It was a crap pitch and we were against a team fighting for their lives (although they'll be down long before the season has finished). If we carry on drawing our away games and winning our home games, we'll make the play-offs.

 

[Superphil]

Barring a miracle the play off dream is over. Every other team has points in the bag and games in hand.

Really? We're 2 points behind Blackpool who are on the same games played as us. We're 1 point behind Birmingham, who have played just one game fewer than us, and 2 points off Boro who have played one game fewer than us. Not that out of reach, beat Cardiff Weds and Blackpool in a couple of weeks and we'll be right back in amongst it.

Cheer Up, this season isn't over just yet.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Barring a miracle the play off dream is over. Every other team has points in the bag and games in hand.

You need a good Dunking

 

[Superphil]

bozza should open up a special needs forum for people like him then

Should just start vetting applicants for membership, and culling some we already have.

 

[Steve Foster]

Everyone of us would have easily settled for being 7th in the first week of March 2012 (this time last year).

For 20 years, it has been embarrassing looking at the league table where we have been placed (even last year in the third tier).
Not anymore!

 

[el_ciddy]

Brighton sounded as though they were bad 2nd half, didn't hear the away fans 2nd half either. Was Razak really on the pitch? Can't remember his name being mentioned much, if at all tbh.

3 shots, 1 on target. better than Rovers 0 on target though according to the BBC stats!

 

[Arkwright]

What a bunch of numpties on here.

Draw away, win at home, Play Off in the bag.

Beat Cardiff on Wednesday and Pompey next Saturday and the league table will look different.

FFS be positive.

 

[City]

A shite pitch is a leveller for lesser teams, especially against sides that like to play proper football like you lot. I remember us playing Wigan and the pitch was so crap that our passes would often not reach the intended target and Wigan would just intercept and counterattack.

 

[el_ciddy]

What a bunch of numpties on here.

Draw away, win at home, Play Off in the bag.

Beat Cardiff on Wednesday and Pompey next Saturday and the league table will look different.

FFS be positive.

Let us have a moan about the match in the match thread, this isn't the "look at our league position" thread. I don't think it's unreasonable.

 

[brightonmark1234]

i am sorry if i cant have my say

 

[Acker79]

I'm growing increasingly annoyed with people questioning the frequent decision of gus to keep barnes on and take off cms. A quick search on the argus website and there's nothing about Gus saying he brought vokes in to work with cms, just that he offers us something we didn't have.

Gus has a shape and style he likes to play, and that involves one man up front. Usually it's CMS, harrying and pressuring defenders and the keeper. Taking off Barnes for Vokes would require a change in shape, ceding space in the middle (even if Barnes isn't on top form, he adds another body to midfield). You then have to rearrange the entire team, and have an issue of everyone adapting to new positions mid-match.

Taking off CMS works because it doesn't require that reshuffling, Vokes becomes the man up front, instead of harrying he is the strength that holds the ball up, giving the team a chance to push up, and we keep our presence in the middle.

Like him or not, keeping Barnes on the pitch for the full game has been a feature of our undefeated start to the year. Perhaps we should trust that gus knows what he's doing instead of clinging to the "4-4-2 two wingers, cms and vokes up front please" attitude.

 

[perseus]

Brighton sounded as though they were bad 2nd half, didn't hear the away fans 2nd half either. Was Razak really on the pitch? Can't remember his name being mentioned much, if at all tbh.

3 shots, 1 on target. better than Rovers 0 on target though according to the BBC stats!

BBC had a bad days as well. Buckley missed two, Mattock blazed over, and Macca scored. That's four and I think there were others but not many more. Doncaster did not seem very good.

 

[Bwian]

I'm growing increasingly annoyed with people questioning the frequent decision of gus to keep barnes on and take off cms. A quick search on the argus website and there's nothing about Gus saying he brought vokes in to work with cms, just that he offers us something we didn't have.

Gus has a shape and style he likes to play, and that involves one man up front. Usually it's CMS, harrying and pressuring defenders and the keeper. Taking off Barnes for Vokes would require a change in shape, ceding space in the middle (even if Barnes isn't on top form, he adds another body to midfield). You then have to rearrange the entire team, and have an issue of everyone adapting to new positions mid-match.

Taking off CMS works because it doesn't require that reshuffling, Vokes becomes the man up front, instead of harrying he is the strength that holds the ball up, giving the team a chance to push up, and we keep our presence in the middle.

Like him or not, keeping Barnes on the pitch for the full game has been a feature of our undefeated start to the year. Perhaps we should trust that gus knows what he's doing instead of clinging to the "4-4-2 two wingers, cms and vokes up front please" attitude.

That's just plain daft. What have you seen in 2 years to suggest he knows what he's doing?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Obviously a disappointing result, but in a week where have won the olympic gold medal for getting ahead of ourselves I'll take an extra point added to the total and a potential banana skin avoided on a poor surface. I doubt this will be the last poor performance we have this season, it doesn't undo the good done so far though.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I would have taken a 1-1 before the game, and I will take it now. We weren't shooting, and we gave them a penalty. A draw was about right, unfortunately.

Didn't overly enjoy the game today, thought both teams were slow and narrow and that we played like the game didn't matter. Disappointing, but this time next week we would have beaten Cardiff and Portsmouth and be in the top 6. Not negative, that was a football game and we don't look like losing it so there's nothing wrong with the team, just a bad performance.

Ankergren signed my programme after the match, so all is well.

I tapped to talk.

 

[Bwian]

Obviously a disappointing result, but in a week where have won the olympic gold medal for getting ahead of ourselves I'll take an extra point added to the total and a potential banana skin avoided on a poor surface. I doubt this will be the last poor performance we have this season, it doesn't undo the good done so far though.

Isn't that the truth?

 

[OSRGull]

I'm growing increasingly annoyed with people questioning the frequent decision of gus to keep barnes on and take off cms. A quick search on the argus website and there's nothing about Gus saying he brought vokes in to work with cms, just that he offers us something we didn't have.

Albion land Vokes From The Argus)

Albion are poised to seal the signing of centre forward Sam Vokes from Wolves.

The Welsh international watched tonight's FA Cup win against Newcastle at The Amex from the directors' box.

An announcement is expected from the club on Monday confirming the capture of the 22-year-old Welsh international.

The Argus first broke news of Albion's interest in Vokes at the beginning of January.

The former Bournemouth marksman recently completed his fifth loan spell away from Molineux at Championship rivals Burnley.

Vokes fits the bill as the robust partner for Craig Mackail-Smith boss Gus Poyet has been looking for.

 

[Acker79]

Albion land Vokes From The Argus)

Albion are poised to seal the signing of centre forward Sam Vokes from Wolves.

The Welsh international watched tonight's FA Cup win against Newcastle at The Amex from the directors' box.

An announcement is expected from the club on Monday confirming the capture of the 22-year-old Welsh international.

The Argus first broke news of Albion's interest in Vokes at the beginning of January.

The former Bournemouth marksman recently completed his fifth loan spell away from Molineux at Championship rivals Burnley.

Vokes fits the bill as the robust partner for Craig Mackail-Smith boss Gus Poyet has been looking for.

In Andy Naylor's opinion/according to Naylor's interpretation of things (that's not a quote from gus, or even an explanation of a gus quote, it's naylor's own words and own explanation with no sign of what he's basing it on). Gus hasn't described Vokes as the perfect partner for CMS, has he? Gus talks of options, bringing in the people who add something different to the squad, changing line ups according to opponents.

There was another article where Naylor wrote about a player to support CMS, which isn't the same as partnering him. Buckley provides support to CMS, as does Noone and Lualua.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

After we scored we went into "Chris Eubank" mode and soaked up the pressure , not a wise thing to do with a crap ref.

 

[El Turi]

I'm not sure if it had any affect on the officials but before the game the Doncaster chairman was talking up the ref as well as going on about the Dunk tackle again.