Another point from yesterday's encounter. Not a great result. As I've already posted on another thread, our goal difference will let us down. That and our poor points total. It also appears that the thirty something German striker will not now be joining us. The player had reportedly been playing in the Bullscheinesliga and more recently been playing/working somewhere in a Saudi desert league. According to RUFC , there had been some difficulty getting his paperwork sorted out between the Saudis and themselves? Then there's the footballer with a 'wobbly' past. I'll tell you what, it beats the usual excuses into a c0 c k ed hat. Reading between the lines my guess is that we're now relegation fodder. Can we really win six games between now and the end of the season? It's a big ask. It's a 'no' from me then. We're toast. When someone says, 'Get behind the lads' and 'Make some noise for the boys', it reminds me of the Black Knight sketch in the film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Black Knight is beaten very badly but still fights on to the end. Sure, get behind the team, but don't expect too much. There won't be many, if any Tony Awards winging their way from the USA to the NYS this Championship season
Speaking of black knights, I'm still flying the flag for the UK on the Instantchess front.
Thought of the day.
Pawns may be cannon fodder but one king eventually gets found out.
UTM!
-- Edited by wotsisname on Sunday 24th of February 2019 06:12:56 AM
An away draw is never a bad result. With twelve games to go we are level on points with the team fourth from bottom. That is consecutive away games in which we have fallen behind and fought back to get a valuable point. We are very much in with a chance of staying up and very much fighting, and we are doing it against the odds. My immediate thought for the day is that a certain amount of angst is understandable, now is an odd time for you to give up on us. I would say that almost every Ipswich and Bolton supporter seems to think that their respective teams are destined for the drop and that the Reading supporters that I spoke to yesterday expect a similar fate for their side. They are also frustrated that they sold their best player (Bacuna) in January in the middle of a relegation battle. Some of the clubs around us find themselves there despite spending well beyond their means in search of The Holy Grail and now have enormous financial problems, as do some of those apparently safe from relegation worries (for this year at least). Birmingham and Wednesday spring to mind. Without wishing to engage in schadenfreude, would I want to swop places with any of them? Nein, danke.
-- Edited by smiler on Sunday 24th of February 2019 07:53:17 AM
My glass is half full we all know what the financial situation is with us. Where would you rather be as we were before Tony Stewart came in still in div2 there are clubs dreaming to be in the position we are in what about poor old Chesterfield.
We might have had a lucky escape not getting that camel herder how many times have we fetched players in and they haven't been good enough. Remember that bogle a couple of years ago what's he doing.
We have still got a chance next week slight advantage to us we are at home Reading are away.
The manager is doing the best anybody can with the squad he has got we have to get behind them still all to play for look at Millwall bad result for them yesterday.
Got to open our shoulders before it's too late. I've got a problem playing Forde. Williams Taylor Newell Wiles before him. We need game changers. Forde shouldn't even be on the bench. We have enough players good enough to keep us up. Williams he's got to start. Going to Bramall lane with this negative approach will just play into their hands. I'm not saying throw caution to the wind but take game to them when we can break.
I wasn't at Reading yesterday so its not for me to comment on the game. I said before the game that i felt it would be a draw and it wouldn't be the end of the world to come away with a point. I still think it was a decent result and keeps Reading close to us. i am sure they will be more disappointed with the result than us.
Wotsisname states that ' Our goal difference will let us down. That and our poor points total. I think that will always let relegated teams down. We are far from down. Reading have Ipswich away and Wigan at home as their next two games. After those two games their run in has a similar look to ours. They have Leeds and West Brom at home, looking their hardest games and Norwich, Bristol. C and Middlesbrough amongst their away games. We have Norwich and Middlesbrough at home and Sheff Utd, West Brom and Derby away amongst the top seven. Both clubs have to play a sprinkling of clubs towards the middle of the table.
Ben Wiles wasn't on the bench yesterday, so he is still struggling with an injury or he is well down the pecking order. Forde played ninety minutes yesterday and appears to have the faith of our manager behind him. Next Saturday is a game where i think Warney will give starts to Williams on the right and Newell on the left. I know he like s to start with Taylor at home and Forde has done a decent job in our troublesome position. Three points is needed on Saturday and i think those two might give us our best offensive hopes.I have said this many times. Newell is the fit wide left, its now time he showed us what he showed after christmas last season. He gives us that quality ball in from the left going forward and links well with Mattock when on song. Lets hope he starts to show up again soon. UTM.
When someone says, 'Get behind the lads' and 'Make some noise for the boys', it reminds me of the Black Knight sketch in the film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Black Knight is beaten very badly but still fights on to the end. Sure, get behind the team, but don't expect too much. There won't be many, if any Tony Awards winging their way from the USA to the NYS this Championship season
Thought of the day.
Pawns may be cannon fodder but one king eventually gets found out.
I know where you're coming from Watsisname, but It is what it is and we all have to make the choice of who we watch/support I guess. I lived in Wolverhampton for many years back in the 70's and I 'watched' the Wolves regularly but I still regarded myself as a Rotherham 'supporter' but that was back in the day.
These days we are often told that there is no loyalty in football and I tend to agree with that; but, it seems to me, we as fans are expected to remain loyal to a chairman, manager or the 'Lads' through thick and thin which appeals to the tribal in us. As a lad in Kimberworth we would throw stones and fight with the kids from the next street, but we would form an alliance to fight and throw stones at kids from Masborough, same sort of tribalism.
The only problem for me in this respect is that it often fosters blind faith and I believe that in turn is exploited by football clubs who encourage loyalty, but we then find the Chairmen, managers and players more often than not failing to practice any loyalty themselves. They, all come and go but the fans remain constant and buy the season tickets, the new shirts each year and pay top dollar to watch games and dig deep to travel away to 'get behind the lads' on their inflated wages, depending on which team you support and in which league.
Football is not the game I started watching as a boy when £20 a week was the max for players, this was quite rightly challenged and overthrown, but has now swung so far away from reality; they live the dream we have the reality wages.
I therefore support TS in his apparent stance on wage structure; however how can one man fight his corner when all others are 'investing'. How can we expect the Rotherham public, not on the same income as an average Championship footballer, shell out good money from a tight family budget week in week out and not go home happy.
IN footballing terms the Pawns and their agents are not the canon fodder but if the king will not play the game he will be the one to be found out . Its very disappointing and very very frustrating; but it is what it is. Sadly.
-- Edited by wotsisname on Sunday 24th of February 2019 06:12:56 AM
We have made it hard for ourselves. It's a shame cause we have the basics of a decent championship side. If we go down we'll lose our better players. Fans will have to get used to inferior players again. Players like Ajayi & Vaulks aren't easy to find. Warney give it our best shot at stopping up. We have to play 4-5-1 but play Williams for Forde from now on. We need game changers to give us our best chance of staying up. I want to us to go toe to toe with the Sheffield clubs next season. Especially Wednesday, we owe them one.
Blimey, our next four home opponents comprise two European Champions, a Premier League winner and the team which finished third in the first Premier League season. And we are hoping for a couple of wins and no defeats. By way of contrast, Chesterfield's next four home opponents are Eastleigh, Sutton United, Dagenham & Redbridge and Maidstone United. Thanks Sir Tony.
If we forget every other team in and around and just compare the stats then Reading are favourites to stay up. Im not saying that. The Bookies are saying that.
The recent run of draws is as good as it seems to get. We haven't excelled this type of form. It seems to be our level.
45 points I suggested several weeks ago. Looking at the form I thought getting 37 would be difficult. Now 40-42 Might well be enough. It sure looks that way. It would be very unusual, but then again its been regarded by many as a very poor championship season.
So the bookies have us quite clearly down. The form is poor and hasn't risen above that but for a month out of Nine.
We should remind ourselves that we cant influence other results. We should remind ourselves that rarely do football teams suddenly become better than the opposition after most of the season has been played out.
In Boxing terms, we need a knockout. That means looking for something very special. To me, that means at least 13 points-13 points from 12 games is very good form in this league.
no point in listing our opponents because if I did that there would be 13 points anyone could see and be sane.
I can imagine a scenario where Reading and Rotherham struggle to get 35 points.
Bolton, I would suggest are very much in the mix with Us and Reading. I'm not sure why they have disappeared from the equation.
Millwall and Wigan all have a chance of being caught too.
Wigan Millwall Reading Rotherham Bolton Ipswich
anyway, who knows. Odds change from week to week. Like the Weather, they still haven't worked out long term forecasting.
One thing guaranteed is that we will be looking for signs in the sky all day and cursing the Gods for such a horrid and unpredictable last 2 months of the season.
come rain, hail or shine. Its just a season of the soul tomorrow things will be right again The Northern Hemisphere is change, change, change.
-- Edited by ian on Monday 25th of February 2019 04:21:55 PM
Just watched extended highlights from Reading. We got the luck back from the Wednesday game big style. Reading had clear chances in the 2nd H. Then Newell just wide with the last chance of the game. My old mate Fordey! Clear chance early, missed his kick completely. Got to change it now Warney. Vyner who should have kept his place after the Hull game for Jones. Williams for Forde. If Newell is at last fit in for Taylor. Reading looked a half decent home side but couldn't score.
Going to be hard need to keep injuries to zero almost. But what do they say Warney faint of heart never won anything.
-- Edited by gwru on Monday 25th of February 2019 05:58:52 PM
Been watching Sky Roos still doesn't look great hope he plays when we play Derby you never know in football you sometimes get results you don't expect I honestly think this league is not as good as Mr SKY keeps going on about we shall see.
Team for me is
Price why cos Rodak has been making a few errors
Jones rb
Vyner cb
Robertson cb
Mattock our only lb
Williams rm
Vaulks cm
Ajayi dm
Newell lm
Taylor am
Smith forward
Nothing wrong with Taylor playing behind Smith Taylor has found the net might help Smith out with the defenders having to worry the little fella running at them while they group hug Smith and get away with it time and time again.
That's certainly drastic changes Hillsborough. Four changes from the last starting eleven, with Price in goal who has hardly figured, vyner at centre back who has played there for less than a couple of hours for us and Taylor in the hole, a position he hasn't really been tried in. It looks like you would play a 4:1:3:1:1. formation. Something we have never tried before.Do you really think we have been that far away in the last five draws that we need such action ? I personally don't think we do but it will be interesting to see what others think.
I don't see any reason at all to change the keeper or defence. What on earth has Ihiekwe done wrong since coming back in, apart from getting away with wiping out Forrestieri? I would stick with the same keeper and back four that started at home to Wednesday and away at Reading. I would also keep Ajayi and Vaulks in midfield, and Smith up top.
The question marks for me are around the third (more attacking) midfielder and the two wide men. Not because anyone has been playing poorly, but because we have options and there isn't all that much to choose between them.
You can make a case for Towell or Crooks in midfield. I like a lot of what Towell does but his decision making and final ball/shot often let him down. Crooks doesn't have Towell's energy but he is nice and composed and strong on the ball. As we know, Williams has sometimes played as a ten and on Saturday Warne said that they have thought about playing Newell there. Wiles didn't do a lot wrong either before his injury setback.
You can make a case for any of Taylor, Williams, Newell or Forde playing wide. All have their relative strenghts and weaknesses.
It is those areas where we have choices to make but also the option to change things round and freshen it up off the bench, whoever starts.
-- Edited by smiler on Tuesday 26th of February 2019 09:56:55 AM
I have reservations about Rodak I feel he has goNe backwards this season but for me there is no alternative. With that in mind I would go same team same subs.
I only go to home matches so any comments are based purely on what I have seen at NYS. If we go down it be because we have failed to beat teams who were worse than us on the day. We should,in my opinion, have beaten Hull,QPR,Bolton,Wigan,Sheffield Wednesday,Bristol City. The results against Sheffield United,Leeds and Stoke could have been wins. The games against WBA And Brentford we were well beaten. It’s not been pretty but we have been in most games which would suggest to me the standard is not as high as we think it is.
We needed during the transfer window to bring in players who would take the pressure of the likes of Rodak,Smith,andVaulks the fact we did not leaves me very concerned and confused. We have an employee whose only job is to identify players who should be recruited and he failed. I find it unbelievable that there are no players out there, at a price we can afford.
Price are you having a laugh. Rodak not done alot wrong. Vyner at right back but Jones can do a job. Williams play him on the right not in midfield. Taylor we aren't going to play in the hole behind Smith at this stage of the season. Forde I wouldn't even have him on the bench. Type of player who'll take us down. Sooner have Wiles involved.
