Doncaster Rovers' FA Cup run came to an end as they lost 4-0 to West Ham United - it wasn't a disgrace and it wasn't really a shock either yet the over-reaction to the result in some quarters from several supporters on different social media platforms has been ridiculous (and that's being polite)!
Granted, the result was disappointing - everyone hoped, believed and wanted a different outcome - even more so with a juicy carrot dangling of a Fifth Round trip to either Old Trafford or Anfield. It would have been nice for everyone involved to get through but ultimately it wasn't to be and it was always going to be a tough ask to beat a Premier League team in their own environment.
Having watched the game, West Ham did so many things well and their performance was superb - it was a case of a good, in-form Premier League outfit who were full of confidence and belief, acquitting themselves well to the challenge infront of them and being efficient and ruthless when it mattered. Their quality shone through in their touch, their movement on and off the ball, their technique and it was 'next level' in comparison to anything which the DRFC players will have come up against in the past six months or so.
Sometimes it's difficult to fully appreciate just how good top level international footballers actually are until you come up against them and this was one of those occasions. There was no 'disgrace' (a word which I've seen used to describe the performance) nor a lack of effort on the part of any player wearing a Rovers shirt. It was literally just high pedigree players performing to a top standard. The better team won and you can only stand back, applaud and admire their performance.
I won't pick out specific comments for criticism but two lines of thought doing the rounds are Rovers didn't get stuck in enough and the team selection was wrong - okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
It needs to be remembered that even if they were 'in the faces' of West Ham from the first whistle until the last one, the home players would still have possessed the same quality of touch, the same clever movement, the same good attitude and willingness and the same skill and technique which they showed in abundance. It should actually be remembered by the critics that between the first and second goals, despite all their possession, the Hammers didn't create a plethora of openings where they got shots away. Ellery Balcombe didn't have a vast amount to do and Rovers' shape/structure was alright.
As for a different team selection, whilst Taylor Richards did appear lively when he appeared from the bench, it's worth remembering Rovers' best opportunity was when Matt Smith rattled the upright with an attempt shortly before any substitutions were made. As good as Richards is, it's unlikely that he alone would have been able to alter proceedings to such a significant extent and, given West Ham's undoubted preparation, I've no doubt they'd have had plans on how to combat his threat over a longer period of the game.
Even if it the scoreline had hypothetically stayed at 0-0 (or even 0-1) for a lot longer, would Rovers have been able to find a route to success? It's unlikely - even more so when you also consider the strength in depth and talented players on West Ham's bench who were unused substitutes. For example, how good must Declan Rice be if his team-mates can perform to such a high standard without having to call upon him, when he's considered one of their best players? And if he had come on, could he have taken them to an even higher performance level?
Quite a few comparisons have been drawn with Cheltenham's display in their clash with Man City, but in reality that game is so different for so many reasons.
1) Cheltenham were playing at home, in their own environment, on their own (sloping) pitch at a different time of day and in familiar surroundings - those things make a massive difference.
2) They weren't playing West Ham so they'll have prepared for an entirely different proposition and how best to counteract it. You prepare best for what you're up against!
3) Their squad has a different dynamic to it, possesses a different style (e.g. the long-throw option and being more direct when it's needed) and is actually more experienced than Rovers' line-up - again, that makes a bigger difference than what you might initially believe!
There are other things too and ultimately, despite Cheltenham's best efforts, they still lost the game. They sure gave it everything and to the best of their ability - just like Rovers' players did, but it wasn't enough and I doubt there'll be many people criticising their performance today.
I also doubt there were many FC United of Manchester fans criticising their team when DRFC did to them what West Ham did to Rovers. Even though Darren Moore or one or two players might have thoughts such as 'What if this had happened?', etc, or they might not be happy with some things or think they could have done better, when the dust settles they'll quickly realise the level of quality in what they came up against was ridiculously good - if you want to be 'Premier League' standard, that's the benchmark that has to be equalled and I've serious reservations that any other side in League One would have got a result in that stadium playing against the Hammers in that type of form.
In one respect, the over the top criticism isn't necessarily a bad thing because, being honest, if the same group of players hadn't performed so admirably in League One for much of the season, the benchmark in what to expect would be significantly lower.
On the flip side, some of the comments and negativity which I've seen are just ridiculous.
If the team were say 18th in the table at this stage and were being smacked in a league game by 'struggling' Rochdale or 'relegation-threatened' Burton Albion, etc, then fair enough - the criticism would certainly have to be expected and maybe even justified in some cases.
That isn't the case though so the 'knee-jerk' reaction is plain stupid - especially when the defeat was to such high calibre, high quality opponents who are doing well two divisions higher.
Some people reading this may agree or disagree with my comments and that's fair enough. I won't get everything correct which I write on this blog - that's life! If any grumpy souls read this and think I'm just a 'happy clapper' because I've no qualms about the performance I can assure you I'm no 'happy clapper' by any stretch of the imagination and there's plenty of things which I disagree with regarding matters involving the club from time to time.
But context and common sense is needed and I'm baffled beyond belief by the negative outcry the defeat has caused when there's absolutely zero need for it. I just don't understand it and, to any of the critical voices, please tell me one West Ham player who had a poor or bad game? From my eyes, none of them did - which underlines just how much of a formidable challenge it was to try and achieve a good result.
A win either over Wimbledon in midweek or at Lincoln next weekend; both games against opponents of a similar standard who aren't exactly Premier League quality, will go a long way in the short-term to helping the team achieve the overall objective for this season - and it should be remembered that DRFC are in a very good position to challenge for promotion.
That's what really matters!
Totally agree West ham did a professional job, and didn't take us lightly from the 1st 2nd to last they pressed up high up the pitch and when we lost possession with trying to play football it was mostly in our half and put them on the front foot playing teams in league one gives our players more time on the ball and to express them selves more
ReplyDeleteOne of the best accounts I've read this weekend and I've read some rubbish well written and accurate
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