Devoid of any ounce of quality, Newell, Taylor & Williams were just hassled out of it. Vaulks is an extremely poor player, Potter didn't stamp any authority on the game whatsoever.
Having said that, we didn't deserve to lose, Woody should have scored but to then concede a goal like that is comical. 32 and he's run back the entire length of the field, had he been 1 second faster he'd have been side on to the ball and cleared it. But from a team point of view, Woody has gone up, why is nobody else taking responsibility and filling the hole - this is schoolboy errors. But Donny were blocking everything going, JCH hit the post and was unlucky - thank god for Mr Moore, however Towell's contribution to how he brought that ball down in the box and laid it to Ball in one movement was perhaps the only piece of quality we produced.
Its a point, but what an utterly woeful game of football as a whole, I hope no other Div1 teams drag us down into compact scraps like that - its not worth paying to watch - I can see that stuff on a Sunday morning!
We got a last gasp equaliser and yes we deserved a point BUT we played really, really badly against a terrible Rovers side. They were as bad as I have seen for a long time and were there to be beaten, but we were utter garbage.
At 0-0 when it was obvious how poor Donny were we seemed happy to slow things down and play safety first football as if we were content to be on level terms instead of trying to play football and win it. Warne reckons we are a fit side, so why don't we want to up the tempo and see whether the opposition can cope with it?
Nobody wanted the ball, the movement was poor, the quality of passing was awful, and we were lumping it anywhere instead of trying to get it down and play. Also (worryingly) a few heads went down after they scored, and there was the beginning of some booing at times from the crowd. It was starting to unravel a bit and the goal shouldn't mask the danger signs.
Ihiekwe was a fish out of water at left back. Not his fault. If Mattock was watching he should have been hanging his head in shame. His stupidity caused the problem.
A point is a point, but in terms of performances and progress we seem to be going backwards. We created nothing at all. We were dangerous from set pieces and scored from a goalmouth scramble.
Well done for keeping going and scraping a point, but please can we get back to playing some football? Because that was dire.
Seems like a different team from 6 weeks ago doesn't it. All very harried, rushed, nobody willing to put their foot on the ball and construct something meaningful. Having said that when you're carrying 4-5 players like we were (again?) what can you do.
Does, worryingly seem like we're going backwards. Donny were just as awful
Newell down the middle again and out muscled and out hustled no room for finesse or dribbling. Towell on and improvement. Got to say though was a ****e game and a dreadful advert for L1, in fact any professional club league.
That match wouldn't have looked out of place in the National League,it was that bad, and worryingly Donny were the only team trying to play football. A Frecklington of 4 years ago would struggle to turn this shambles around and we are desperate for more quality all over the side. Beginning to agree with others that Warne(and his mates) aren't up to it and when we fail to beat what some other club offers for Moore in January we'll be in deep trouble. The next few games look difficult and the freefall will accelerate. But somebody's going to remind me we're still in sixth place !!
We're still in sixth place Splinter! :) Worst game of football I've seen for a long time. However, I'm sure the answer to Warnie's problems rests with our midfield. Against Gillingham there was no movement or desire in midfield and accordingly our strike force got no decent service and our back four came under unnecessary pressure. Today, our mid field looked liked rabbits in the headlights. Vaulks is not a midfielder - in fact, I'm not sure where he's best suited. The guy next to me suggested we should try him at CB - apart from Keeper that's the only place we haven't tried him yet. Towell has to start in midfield - apart from Potter, he's the only one who can put his foot on the ball, lift his head and try to pick a decent pass. Newell is not a man for a game like today - he should be because of his skill, but he just doesn't have the desire and physicality required. I can't fault Williams' effort and he often tries the unusual which looks bad if it doesn't come off - but at least he gives us something unpredictable.
If Frecks is fit for Shrewsbury, we have to play Potter and Frecks in centre midfield, with Williams on the right and Newell on the left. Ihiekwe is our best CB - he is definitely not a left back. If the idiot Mattock is eligible for Saturday, he has to play LB. Moore and Taylor up front will do - until the midfield starts firing, I don't think Ball will get the service he needs.
The only good thing today was O'Donnell's handling. Admittedly, he had virtually nothing to do - he had no chance with Woods' superbly taken goal! Oh, and the stadium was class as was the coffee at Costa as I was waiting for the traffic to disappear!
Hopefully, Shrewsbury will play a more measured style which might give our delicate midfield more time. However, with Paul Hurst in charge, I have no doubt he will have noticed that we don't like it up us!
Anyway, onwards and upwards. The Shrewsbury game will determine the rest of our season!
There's no escaping the fact that we are sixth, but anyone can see that we are losing our way. Warne's post match comments have wound me up a bit. Typical derby game, better side for spells, proud of them for sticking in, etc etc. Rubbish. It wasn't a typical derby game at all. It wasn't blood and thunder. In fact it was all a bit tame. It was just two bad teams playing poor quality football. The number of times our players just aimlessly put their foot through the ball when they had time was shocking. The back four were culpable for that but we didn't have a midfield player even pretending to show for it and trying to get something going. The last win we had we rode our luck against Scunny and the warning signs were there. Since then we have gone backwards. Crewe got stuffed 4-1 at home today by Lincoln. God knows what our best side is now. I'm sure Warne doesn't. Moore is a cert to start but I couldn't name you another player who is sure to start next week except ironically Mattock who doesn't deserve a place but will be the only option at left back. We don't look like we know what we are trying to do. There is no pattern or shape to our game, and we have slipped into playing slow, predictable football. Although we are sixth it has all bunched up and we could easily slide down the league into the bottom half if we don't smarten up. The good thing about the start to the season wasn't that we were looking like going up (I never thought we would and still don't) but it was the fact that we were playing some entertaining stuff for a change and were good to watch. The performance levels are tailing off dramatically and after Donny scored today we looked for a while like a clueless relegation outfit. If that equaliser hadn't gone in the players would have been booed off. I hope what Warne has said in public isn't a reflection of what he really thinks and what he is telling the players. We are like rabbits in headlights away from home, desperately hoping not to lose. It isn't very good at all.
I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist but why a squad of players can turn it on and reach the dizzy heights of 4th in L1 and within a few weeks turn into a shambles baffles me. Why? Ok I accept we are missing the leadership on the pitch and injuries have not helped however the players out there are professional arn't they. It seems very reminiscent of last season in many respects and I think there are a few who might be getting a bit windy about the possibility of, heaven forbid, gaining promotion. And we all saw what getting unexpected promotion can do.
I'm happy for Warne to use the season as a time to experiment and build for the future so wasn't expecting too much. Early on it seemed he was getting things sorted but quite suddenly we seem to be going into reverse. Very strange.
Kind of you to say Smiler but I take no credit - I don't think it takes a genius to see what's wrong at the moment!
BTW, just noticed that Iheikwe is now suspended for the Shrewsbury game because of today's card. Another big thank you to the clown Mattock for yet another indirect contribution to Rotherham's woes - he really is a peach!!
Glenn, agree with much of that BUT,
Taylor has no place in this or any other national league side - a good shift a good player does not make the man is no winger, central midfielder nor any other position I can lay a name on.
Warne’s Quote that we do not need a defensive coach is soooooo wrong I don’t know how to comment.
Much as I like the man Warne’s imature tacktick’s have now been sussed I mean I’ve not seen the long ball down the line since oh the last game we played.
Quite where we will go without Moore because we will not pay the going rate for him I don’t know.
Not fully doom and gloom but I do not think we will finish where we are now 😡