Mk dons away

[jordan12rhodes]

Mk dons 2 rovers 0..

I just can see the hoodoo continuing, sorry..

[Despair]

IF we approach the game in the manner of the last, we have no one to fear in this league.
Then it's a case of : a failure of taking any points would be down to being beaten by a better team/performance.
All fair minded football supporters can accept that, and is the way of it i.e. sport.

[jordan12rhodes]

I think GB is doing an excellent job with what he's got and what he's got isn't top 2 material. I feel the squad has as much the ability to finish bottom 6 as it does to finish top 6..

[Despair]

Don't necessarily disagree.

My IF is what it is all about, i.e. if GB sticks with the policy of taking the game to the opposition and the new squad additions keep up their early form. I see no reason why we should not give the majority in this league 'a game'.
Between bottom six and top six makes us arguably mid table finishers, which is pretty much how the majority of the support thinks we will finish.
If you construed my comment of 'fearing no other team in this league' as actually beating them, you misunderstood.
The squad I witnessed last year by and large were a team being 'held back' for fear of failure and with that nurtured displays of lack of belief.
The performance I saw last game was a far cry from that and demonstrated a new found belief. (as Moony witnessed).

[jordan12rhodes]

See, that's where I disagree with the notion we had a top six squad last season that were held back by bowyer. I think last season bowyer was incredibly unlucky with injuries, in defence in particular, and that's what cost us. I don't subscribe to the belief a different manager would have had us top 6..

[robinrover]

We failed last season and in my opinion we had a squad on a par if not better than the season before
we went backwards and what despair said hit the nail on the head we lacked belief
I have said many times before 40 goal strikers and a mid table finish is truly not good enough
back to the original thread
We are truly woeful against promoted teams I cannot see this altering any time soon
turning up expecting 3 points is asking for trouble we have a real lack of motivation when facing these sort of teams
3-2 loss

[jordan12rhodes]

I remember john Aldridge scoring 40 league goals on his own in the old div 2(now championship) for tranmere the season we first went up under Kenny. Tranmere finished midtable..

[robinrover]

And exactly what is your point?
I am saying if you have strikers or striker that scores that amount of goals and you fail to go up its not good enough
clear problems were not addressed this however is in the past we are in a new season
we have a strong spine now and injuries barring we should have a good shout of mid table at the very least
which is a good result considering our hands have been well and truly tied next to others who have been allowed a free reign
cough cough QPR cough cough

[robinrover]

Let me put it another way saxo
Causes for not getting promoted last season:
Not knowing his best team constant chopping and changing
sticking by a poor Grant Hanley and Shane Duffy partnership who were very poor
a midfield that was flimsy and slow which regularly put our shaky defence under pressure
Look at the above faults and at least 2 has been rectified by player form and landing apon a good midfield partnership hopefully if he realises this so will all 3

[jordan12rhodes]

My point is, it happens.. You can also get promoted with a striker that only scores around 15 if others in the team contribute..

My main concern is just that with rovers, we don't score enough, not nearly enough, from other areas of the team.. I'd be happy for Rhodes to only get 15 this season if the likes of Conway, Marshall, our midfield/defenders could contribute another 15-20 between them.. Last time we were promoted I think David dunn netted around 10 goals from midfield.. Shouldn't Guthrie be aiming for that..?

Crucially though, we have to maintain our newly found improved defending(NOT defence) if we want to continue our recent recovery and go on to have a successful season, whatever you might deem that to be..