Post by stevek192 on Sept 23, 2018 10:40:02 GMT
After such a disappointing game and performance last Saturday followed by a much better performance against West Ham U23 in the week I turned up yesterday wondering which Rovers we would see and more importantly what players we would see selected to have the task of winning what could only be described as a must win game both for the Manager and the team. If the result had gone against us I would seriously have doubted if DC was the man to turn our fortunes around because although the "must win" is very loosely applied at this stager of the season 1 point from five home games backed up by some truly awful performances in the league recently would IMO have been very difficult to recover from.
How did I feel when I saw the team selected by DC for this fixture? In all honesty I had mixed thpughts on it as good performances in my book deserve selection in the next game and Leadbitter, Broadbent, Upson, Payne and particularly Jacubiak could all justifiably feel disappointed to be left out. The performance Tuesday and its importance in terms of confidence could not be over emphasized as without it whatever team DC selected apart from Bonham there is nobody who could justifiably complain at being left out! I certainly would not have selected the team which DC put out but there again I was not overly disappointed with the selection. Personally I would have brought Craig in for Broadbent and played Upson in place of either Ollie Clarke or Sinclair and kept Stefan Payne and Jacubiak as my front two. Well after the game as is often the case I was proved wrong and DC got it spot on- thankfully.
It was another crowd that was well below the expected crowd for this fixture when you consider that the opposition sold out of their tickets but I feel it reflects the feelings around the club at present. I couldn't see the owners in their box although that is not to say Wael wasn't there but there is a strange sort of emptiness about the whole atmosphere at the moment. It is like a ship without a Captain heading through rough seas and not knowing if the storm will get worse or better. Rumours are flying around about takeovers, sell outs, shared ownership and through it all there is a deadly silence from the owners which seems to indicate there is rarely smoke without fire and perhaps one of the rumours is right, perhaps they are all partially right or is the silence a smoke screen until the ship comes into calm seas because when it comes down to it this is a results business and the lack of good results has put more and more pressure on Wael and Co. Time will tell the truth and perhaps we ; as supporters; should just wait and see what happens rather than spreading such a wide range of rumours. What is going to happen will happen and one way or another only by waiting patiently will we find out the truth. Thankfully yesterdays performance and result put a wide smile on most supporters faces leaving the Mem and at least for the next week we can walk around with our heads held high and forget the uncertainty that surrounds our club.
It is often said that any team cannot win a game without at least half the team being on top form and the fact that the only arguments after the game would have been over Man of the Match because there were quite a few contenders- Bonham, Sinclair, Ollie Clarke, Lockyer and Kelly were all IMO the main contenders for different reasons. I have gone for Ollie Clarke for an outstanding all round performance crowned by a magnificent strike that the keeper could only help into the top corner for the third goal. It was the match winning goal because had Coventry only been one goal behind after scoring the result could have been much different! In truth It was a strange game because but for Bonhams' brilliance in the first five minutes it could have been us who were two or three goals down instead of the possibility that we could and probably should have been four or five goals up at half time.
Bonham 8.5 Probably the most important signing made this season so far. Another outstanding performance of superb saves (one an absolute worldly on 5 minutes0, dominance of the box and coolness under pressure. This signing reminds me of when we signed Brian Parkin with the only difference being that Parkin replaced a top,top keeper in Nigel Martin and probably a nearer comparison is the signing of Joe Lumley on loan.
J.Clarke 7 Should have scored when clean through but that aside he gave a good all round performance.
Lockyer 7.5 Outstanding at the back and scored the important second goal with a well placed flicked header. Calm authority when under pressure and seems to have recovered his form since Bonham has been behind him and that could be said for the defence as a unit.
Craig 7 Not far behind Tom. No pace and not the greatest passer of the ball but comes out on top of most battles based around having been there and done it in a no nonsence style that I really can't understand those who criticise him because in truth with him there we do not look like conceding a lot. it is only the general lack of height in the defence as a whole that can present problems but the goal conceded yesterday looked more a caser of a midfielder losing his player but Lines apart we do lack height in that department too so if we do concede it is likely to be in the air.
Kelly 7 Thankfully DC went for youth over experience and he looks a fine talent both defensively and as an outlet and he will only get better.
Sinclair 8.5 This man represents all that is good about the club and without doubt has blue blood. Back to his best which is surprising after such a long lay off. Never gave Coventry a moments piece from his first tackle to the moment where, despite being injured and about to be replaced , he raced through the suspect Coventry back line and had his shot blocked by the keeper. like James Clarke with his chance he should have scored but could be excused in the circumstance. He covered every inch of the pitch, welcome back Stu.
O. Clarke 9 MOM To take the Man of the Match from either Stuart Sinclair or Jack Bonham would take an outstanding performance and Ollie provided what was IMO his best game ever in the quartered shirt. He was involved from start to finish and strode through the game powerfully winning tackles, showing class on the ball and crowning it with the magnificent third goal. I have always doubted his consistency and quality but if he can keep this level of performance up he will be the first name on the midfield. Awesome performance.
Lines 8 Back to his very best winning headers and tackles and then running at opponents in long flowing runs and always being available. Was not far behind either Ollie Clarke or Sinclair and the only question now would be how do we fit Sercombe into the side but that is a nice problem for DC to have.
Bennett 6.5 He can be irritating by holding on to the ball too long but he can be absolute class as he floats in and out of the game producing clever dribbling skills and showing great balance as well as giving the feeling that something good is going to happen when he is in possession and running towards goal.
Nichols 6 Worked hard and showed qualities but no nearer an elusive goal. It is a brave decision by DC to stick with him through a goal drought. We all hope that goal will come soon and then it will be like Bristol Buses and they all come at once. We can but hope.
Reilly 8 Took his goal excellently in a way that only Matty Taylor could have done. There is something about him that makes me feel he must be persevered with as he has upper body strength to hold off defenders and the eye for goal. Perhaps at some stage we will see him and Jacubiak as our two strikers and maybe they will just click together. that first goal for the club could be the start of something special. Did tire which is hardly surprising considering the amount of running and closing down he did.
Subs: Payne 4 Awful. Looked like a player who was throwing his toys out at his non inclusion in the starting eleven which I can understand but no excuse. That said was it lack of effort or just not able to get into the pace of what was an end to end game. He should have been played in by Jacubiak when in a great position and should have done better with another chance.
Jakubiak 6 Has that look of quality about him and very unlucky not to start. In fact only a Manager like DC would not have started him after Tuesdays performance and then we might not have had the opening goal !! I am sure there is more to come from him as to me he looks better than Dom Telford and I hope he does get more chances. Away from home next week it might be worth starting with him and Reilly up top but there again I think I'll just leave it to the expert to decide.
Matthews 6 Not on long enough to really mark but did nothing wrong and showed good close control in possession.
Crowd 7 Got behind the team despite the lack of numbers. We have had to put up with a lot of below par performances this season and deserved yesterdays performance and result. only consistency will bring back the support we have lost as without doubt last season the crowd would have been over 10,000.
Ref 8.5 Apart from missing a blatant penalty I felt he was the best we have had this season but not helped by a couple of ridiculous decisions by his linesmen.
Coventry 7 Very good footballing side who were economical with the ball and rarely gave it away. Their problem will be that their defenders whilst great with the ball and confident in possession were not that good when it came to actually defending! Add to this what looked like a shaky keeper and you have the reasons why we were victorious and they were not.
DC- Got everything right apart from the substitution where he could so easily have substituted the substitute! This was a very important win for him and hopefully can change our fortunes and be the start of a winning run. Hope he approaches Bradford City as a game we can win if we are positive in our approach and sticks with the players who played so well yesterday. If we can get Rodman and Payne back to their form of last season and find a place for Sercombe then we have a squad that are more than good enough to hold their own.
So we move on to a game that we are capable of winning and we must approach it that way. For me we should actually keep the same team or just give Jacubiak a game up top in place of Nichols.Consistency of selection could well get the best out of this group of players as the problem when bringing in new recruits is that they may well not take to DC's selection which quite often does not reward a good last performance.
It is vital that we find out exactly where we stand as regards "Off the Field" matters as soon as possible to reunite Owners, Manager, Team and fans so we are all fighting as one again to take this great little club forward.
UTG
How did I feel when I saw the team selected by DC for this fixture? In all honesty I had mixed thpughts on it as good performances in my book deserve selection in the next game and Leadbitter, Broadbent, Upson, Payne and particularly Jacubiak could all justifiably feel disappointed to be left out. The performance Tuesday and its importance in terms of confidence could not be over emphasized as without it whatever team DC selected apart from Bonham there is nobody who could justifiably complain at being left out! I certainly would not have selected the team which DC put out but there again I was not overly disappointed with the selection. Personally I would have brought Craig in for Broadbent and played Upson in place of either Ollie Clarke or Sinclair and kept Stefan Payne and Jacubiak as my front two. Well after the game as is often the case I was proved wrong and DC got it spot on- thankfully.
It was another crowd that was well below the expected crowd for this fixture when you consider that the opposition sold out of their tickets but I feel it reflects the feelings around the club at present. I couldn't see the owners in their box although that is not to say Wael wasn't there but there is a strange sort of emptiness about the whole atmosphere at the moment. It is like a ship without a Captain heading through rough seas and not knowing if the storm will get worse or better. Rumours are flying around about takeovers, sell outs, shared ownership and through it all there is a deadly silence from the owners which seems to indicate there is rarely smoke without fire and perhaps one of the rumours is right, perhaps they are all partially right or is the silence a smoke screen until the ship comes into calm seas because when it comes down to it this is a results business and the lack of good results has put more and more pressure on Wael and Co. Time will tell the truth and perhaps we ; as supporters; should just wait and see what happens rather than spreading such a wide range of rumours. What is going to happen will happen and one way or another only by waiting patiently will we find out the truth. Thankfully yesterdays performance and result put a wide smile on most supporters faces leaving the Mem and at least for the next week we can walk around with our heads held high and forget the uncertainty that surrounds our club.
It is often said that any team cannot win a game without at least half the team being on top form and the fact that the only arguments after the game would have been over Man of the Match because there were quite a few contenders- Bonham, Sinclair, Ollie Clarke, Lockyer and Kelly were all IMO the main contenders for different reasons. I have gone for Ollie Clarke for an outstanding all round performance crowned by a magnificent strike that the keeper could only help into the top corner for the third goal. It was the match winning goal because had Coventry only been one goal behind after scoring the result could have been much different! In truth It was a strange game because but for Bonhams' brilliance in the first five minutes it could have been us who were two or three goals down instead of the possibility that we could and probably should have been four or five goals up at half time.
Bonham 8.5 Probably the most important signing made this season so far. Another outstanding performance of superb saves (one an absolute worldly on 5 minutes0, dominance of the box and coolness under pressure. This signing reminds me of when we signed Brian Parkin with the only difference being that Parkin replaced a top,top keeper in Nigel Martin and probably a nearer comparison is the signing of Joe Lumley on loan.
J.Clarke 7 Should have scored when clean through but that aside he gave a good all round performance.
Lockyer 7.5 Outstanding at the back and scored the important second goal with a well placed flicked header. Calm authority when under pressure and seems to have recovered his form since Bonham has been behind him and that could be said for the defence as a unit.
Craig 7 Not far behind Tom. No pace and not the greatest passer of the ball but comes out on top of most battles based around having been there and done it in a no nonsence style that I really can't understand those who criticise him because in truth with him there we do not look like conceding a lot. it is only the general lack of height in the defence as a whole that can present problems but the goal conceded yesterday looked more a caser of a midfielder losing his player but Lines apart we do lack height in that department too so if we do concede it is likely to be in the air.
Kelly 7 Thankfully DC went for youth over experience and he looks a fine talent both defensively and as an outlet and he will only get better.
Sinclair 8.5 This man represents all that is good about the club and without doubt has blue blood. Back to his best which is surprising after such a long lay off. Never gave Coventry a moments piece from his first tackle to the moment where, despite being injured and about to be replaced , he raced through the suspect Coventry back line and had his shot blocked by the keeper. like James Clarke with his chance he should have scored but could be excused in the circumstance. He covered every inch of the pitch, welcome back Stu.
O. Clarke 9 MOM To take the Man of the Match from either Stuart Sinclair or Jack Bonham would take an outstanding performance and Ollie provided what was IMO his best game ever in the quartered shirt. He was involved from start to finish and strode through the game powerfully winning tackles, showing class on the ball and crowning it with the magnificent third goal. I have always doubted his consistency and quality but if he can keep this level of performance up he will be the first name on the midfield. Awesome performance.
Lines 8 Back to his very best winning headers and tackles and then running at opponents in long flowing runs and always being available. Was not far behind either Ollie Clarke or Sinclair and the only question now would be how do we fit Sercombe into the side but that is a nice problem for DC to have.
Bennett 6.5 He can be irritating by holding on to the ball too long but he can be absolute class as he floats in and out of the game producing clever dribbling skills and showing great balance as well as giving the feeling that something good is going to happen when he is in possession and running towards goal.
Nichols 6 Worked hard and showed qualities but no nearer an elusive goal. It is a brave decision by DC to stick with him through a goal drought. We all hope that goal will come soon and then it will be like Bristol Buses and they all come at once. We can but hope.
Reilly 8 Took his goal excellently in a way that only Matty Taylor could have done. There is something about him that makes me feel he must be persevered with as he has upper body strength to hold off defenders and the eye for goal. Perhaps at some stage we will see him and Jacubiak as our two strikers and maybe they will just click together. that first goal for the club could be the start of something special. Did tire which is hardly surprising considering the amount of running and closing down he did.
Subs: Payne 4 Awful. Looked like a player who was throwing his toys out at his non inclusion in the starting eleven which I can understand but no excuse. That said was it lack of effort or just not able to get into the pace of what was an end to end game. He should have been played in by Jacubiak when in a great position and should have done better with another chance.
Jakubiak 6 Has that look of quality about him and very unlucky not to start. In fact only a Manager like DC would not have started him after Tuesdays performance and then we might not have had the opening goal !! I am sure there is more to come from him as to me he looks better than Dom Telford and I hope he does get more chances. Away from home next week it might be worth starting with him and Reilly up top but there again I think I'll just leave it to the expert to decide.
Matthews 6 Not on long enough to really mark but did nothing wrong and showed good close control in possession.
Crowd 7 Got behind the team despite the lack of numbers. We have had to put up with a lot of below par performances this season and deserved yesterdays performance and result. only consistency will bring back the support we have lost as without doubt last season the crowd would have been over 10,000.
Ref 8.5 Apart from missing a blatant penalty I felt he was the best we have had this season but not helped by a couple of ridiculous decisions by his linesmen.
Coventry 7 Very good footballing side who were economical with the ball and rarely gave it away. Their problem will be that their defenders whilst great with the ball and confident in possession were not that good when it came to actually defending! Add to this what looked like a shaky keeper and you have the reasons why we were victorious and they were not.
DC- Got everything right apart from the substitution where he could so easily have substituted the substitute! This was a very important win for him and hopefully can change our fortunes and be the start of a winning run. Hope he approaches Bradford City as a game we can win if we are positive in our approach and sticks with the players who played so well yesterday. If we can get Rodman and Payne back to their form of last season and find a place for Sercombe then we have a squad that are more than good enough to hold their own.
So we move on to a game that we are capable of winning and we must approach it that way. For me we should actually keep the same team or just give Jacubiak a game up top in place of Nichols.Consistency of selection could well get the best out of this group of players as the problem when bringing in new recruits is that they may well not take to DC's selection which quite often does not reward a good last performance.
It is vital that we find out exactly where we stand as regards "Off the Field" matters as soon as possible to reunite Owners, Manager, Team and fans so we are all fighting as one again to take this great little club forward.
UTG