Look if any of you have slept since Sunday you're better people than I am.
How I think Bowyer will line up: .......................Phillips Dijksteel Bauer Pearce Sarr Purrington ...................Bielik Cullen ......................Aribo .................Taylor Parker
How I would line up: ................Phillips Dijksteel Bauer Sarr Purrington ..............Bielik ......Cullen......Reeves ..............Aribo ...........Parker Taylor
I've been saying it for the past couple years, but I think that Pearce drops too deep and forces us to defend too deep/leave gaps between defense and midfield. But I think that Bowyer will start with him in a back three.
In the team I would choose, it's tough between Reeves, Williams, and Morgan. Morgan has obviously shown himself to be very skillful. Williams, we know his class. And Reeves has quietly had quite a good season. I've gone with Reeves to 1) Let Aribo play in the 10 role, and 2) because he does an excellent job of helping us retain possession, and I think our best approach to this game is to stifle them with possession. He also can get stuck in and get into passing lanes. Going with Williams or Morgan also has their upside. I just hope we don't go with Pratley in there. With Bielik and Cullen we have enough defensive ability, and while Pratley has improved second half, he doesn't provide much in possession and slows things down drastically. And also, can get caught out of position.
Lastly, I think Bowyer would be dead wrong to drop Dijksteel for Solly. Dijksteel has been excellent for weeks. Solly has had a meandering season. Solly has traditionally played best when he has competition, which we haven't had enough of at RB in recent years. But right now, the shirt is Dijksteel's to lose.
Swap Reeves with Williams and I am with you 100%. I don't think Bowyer will be too defensive at the Valley. We need to set up and play in the same way as we have been doing at home and I reckon he knows that.
See that Donny are piping up on there forum "We'll beat that poor man's crystal Palace, no problem" "I struggle to place Charlton in the football pecking order, it just seems like a club that lacks identity. I forget they exist until we play them. Leyton orient have more relevance to me." "Charlton, for me, are like somewhere between not quite good enough to really push on in the Championship, but far too good for League One"
Superb stuff!
That's a bit harsh coming from the poor man's Scunthorpe.
As harsh as it would be in Albie Morgan, I think Bowyer will go for the jugular from the off, and why not, we’re at home and they’ve gotta have a go back, toe to toe we will have a enough, also Dijksteel is pretty undroppable IMO.
As harsh as it would be in Albie Morgan, I think Bowyer will go for the jugular from the off, and why not, we’re at home and they’ve gotta have a go back, toe to toe we will have a enough, also Dijksteel is pretty undroppable IMO.
As harsh as it would be in Albie Morgan, I think Bowyer will go for the jugular from the off, and why not, we’re at home and they’ve gotta have a go back, toe to toe we will have a enough, also Dijksteel is pretty undroppable IMO.
Morgan has created more goals than Williams though
Didn’t know that, and I was singing his praises Sunday, but Williams unpredictability and skill will shock them more so, especially as we’ll have more of the ball and I’d imagine their tactics this week will be fully focused on Taylor and Aribo, so the element of surprise also.
We've even got millwall on the Donny forum slagging Charlton. This is going to be a corker.
They’ve got really weird this last week or so, they smothered Twitter with charlton stuff, I mean the “we don’t care about charlton” nonsense was put to bed ages ago we all know they don’t like us, but Jesus we’re a division below and they’re still angry.
It's a shame about that goal and the defensive subs by Bowyer. As much as we know that we are the better side Donny now have convinced themselves that we didn't take our foot off the gas and they genuinely went through the gears. Delusional confidence can be a dangerous trait, hope it doesn't come back to bite us
Dijksteel must stay at RB instead of Solly and Reeves must come back on the bench for the home game as he can and does play better at the valley. (Plus he can score) Bielik will revert to midfield and we should be pro active and not concede ground like we did for last 25 minutes at Donny.
4-4-2 with Aribo in the box supporting Parker everytime Taylor drifts to the wing. I have no idea what the score will be but we must go for it in a controlled way. He who dares. Game on.
I keep reading from the Donny side that their “second half performance showed what we are capable of”.
Is it just me that didn’t really feel threatened in any sense in that second half? If anything I thought they were more dangerous in the first half prior to us scoring our goals.
Is this Donny spin? I genuinely feel we have nothing to fear.
There is a good chance we keep a clean sheet on Friday. There is an even better chance that we restrict them to one goal or less. If they score twice then I will consider it a fluke, given their away record and our overall defensive record.
That means scoring one home goal should be enough in 90% ish of cases. Two goals virtually guarantees progress.
The cross for their goal took a lucky deflection. We should have scored another two that half. But hey ho - we didn't and we came back to fortress Valley with a lead.
If he wants to play 3 at the back and Beilk in midfield I would rather play Solly on the right then Pearce play, drops far to deep because of his lack of pace and isn't great with the ball at his feet.
Be surprised if they keep Wilks anyway what with him on loan from Leeds
Leeds go up they’ll be looking at a Champ loan for Wilks. Point still stands though, Doncaster have assembled a half decent side and it’ll be torn apart (like ours) should they lose.
I think there is less pressure on Donny than there would be if they had got a draw or a narrow victory. Part of them, even if they don't admit it, will think they have missed their best chance. This is probably because they have! So this will remove some pressure, although how much, it is difficult to say.
Having nothing to lose is better than having a lot to lose in terms of pressure- but it is better to have the pressure of having a foot in the final surely. Because you then have a foot in the final.
I keep reading from the Donny side that their “second half performance showed what we are capable of”.
Is it just me that didn’t really feel threatened in any sense in that second half? If anything I thought they were more dangerous in the first half prior to us scoring our goals.
Is this Donny spin? I genuinely feel we have nothing to fear.
There is a good chance we keep a clean sheet on Friday. There is an even better chance that we restrict them to one goal or less. If they score twice then I will consider it a fluke, given their away record and our overall defensive record.
That means scoring one home goal should be enough in 90% ish of cases. Two goals virtually guarantees progress.
We created more chances in the second half and arguably had more more of the ball. Apart from the goal, Donny's best football was early on when Phillips made the save and they but the bar.
Comments
How I think Bowyer will line up:
.......................Phillips
Dijksteel Bauer Pearce Sarr Purrington
...................Bielik Cullen
......................Aribo
.................Taylor Parker
How I would line up:
................Phillips
Dijksteel Bauer Sarr Purrington
..............Bielik
......Cullen......Reeves
..............Aribo
...........Parker Taylor
I've been saying it for the past couple years, but I think that Pearce drops too deep and forces us to defend too deep/leave gaps between defense and midfield. But I think that Bowyer will start with him in a back three.
In the team I would choose, it's tough between Reeves, Williams, and Morgan. Morgan has obviously shown himself to be very skillful. Williams, we know his class. And Reeves has quietly had quite a good season. I've gone with Reeves to 1) Let Aribo play in the 10 role, and 2) because he does an excellent job of helping us retain possession, and I think our best approach to this game is to stifle them with possession. He also can get stuck in and get into passing lanes. Going with Williams or Morgan also has their upside. I just hope we don't go with Pratley in there. With Bielik and Cullen we have enough defensive ability, and while Pratley has improved second half, he doesn't provide much in possession and slows things down drastically. And also, can get caught out of position.
Lastly, I think Bowyer would be dead wrong to drop Dijksteel for Solly. Dijksteel has been excellent for weeks. Solly has had a meandering season. Solly has traditionally played best when he has competition, which we haven't had enough of at RB in recent years. But right now, the shirt is Dijksteel's to lose.
Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington
Morgan, Bielik, Cullen. Aribo
Parker, Taylor
3-0 (Parker, Bielik, Taylor)
Phillips
Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington
Bielik
Cullen, Aribo
Williams
Taylor, Parker
2-0 Parker, Bauer.
GM | Our second-half performance in the first game was much better, we managed to get a goal which keeps us right in it. #DRFC
GM | We’ve got to believe in ourselves, we’re here because we deserve to be here after what we did in the regular season. #DRFC
GM | We’re a goal down and have to find a way back into the tie, we will be giving everything we can to go and score goals. #DRFC
Club Captain: Andy Butler then spoke:
AB | Getting the goal back helps us massively, we showed what we’re capable of in that second-half and it’s kept us in with a shout. #DRFC
AB | Now is not the time for holding anything back and we have to go there and express ourselves. #DRFC
AB | People see us as underdogs which is fine, anything can happen in football and we know that we’ve worked hard to get us this far. #DRFC
AB | This group is great to be a part of and hopefully we can produce a good performance on Friday to get the job done. #DRFC
Donny huff and puff for the first fifteen minutes of the second half but can’t find a way through and then give up.
The last thirty minutes is a procession with 24k CAFC fans singing que sera sera continuously.
Bielik will revert to midfield and we should be pro active and not concede ground like we did for last 25 minutes at Donny.
4-4-2 with Aribo in the box supporting Parker everytime Taylor drifts to the wing.
I have no idea what the score will be but we must go for it in a controlled way.
He who dares. Game on.
Is it just me that didn’t really feel threatened in any sense in that second half? If anything I thought they were more dangerous in the first half prior to us scoring our goals.
Is this Donny spin? I genuinely feel we have nothing to fear.
There is a good chance we keep a clean sheet on Friday. There is an even better chance that we restrict them to one goal or less. If they score twice then I will consider it a fluke, given their away record and our overall defensive record.
That means scoring one home goal should be enough in 90% ish of cases. Two goals virtually guarantees progress.
Lose and they have 0 chance of keeping Marquis and Wilks, they lose some of their other OK players to the championship too.
The loser of this game won’t challenge at this level again for a while. It’s massive.
Point still stands though, Doncaster have assembled a half decent side and it’ll be torn apart (like ours) should they lose.
Having nothing to lose is better than having a lot to lose in terms of pressure- but it is better to have the pressure of having a foot in the final surely. Because you then have a foot in the final.