Doncaster Rovers (U17s) 4-0 I2i Academy

Doncaster Rovers (U17s) 4-0 I2i Academy
Friendly
Tuesday 21st January 2020

This was a good workout as a mixed Doncaster Rovers team made up predominantly of Under 16s but also including some youth team scholars, comfortably dispatched the I2i Academy.

Lexie Escritt opened the scoring in the early stages, before first-year forward Luca Nelson doubled the lead by half-time with a well-placed lob over an oncoming 'keeper.

Rovers continued to dominate and dictate proceedings and Corrie Cole bagged a third with a thunderbolt 25-yard attempt that flew into the top corner and would have been a 'Goal of the Month' contender in a different environment, before Ben [surname unknown] wrapped things up late on.

A plethora of other opportunities came to pass - some being saved by the visiting 'keeper whereas others just lacked accuracy. What would have also been a brilliant goal following a nice defence-splitting move was disallowed for offside, whilst there was a blatant penalty appeal (which looked nailed on) somehow not given by the officials.

All in all, the lads were good value for their win.

They played some decent football; pressing well throughout the game to force their opponents into errors, showing a hungry work-ethic - both in and out of possession, creating chances aplenty, and it was a good demonstration of their capabilities.

Unfortunately I don't know all the names of the current Under 16s having only seen snippets of them in action. Nevertheless, of those players who I do recognise; goalkeeper Luke Chadwick was steady enough between the sticks (though it wasn't the busiest night he'll ever have), whilst frontman Alex Wolny chased a lot and was a nuisance due to his work-rate.

The current youth team players who featured were Lewis Cunningham, Luca Nelson, Owan Derrett, Josh Clemitson and second-year Nathan Dimou.

Rolling substitutions ensured every player got a fair amount of game-time and several individuals featured in different positions, which is one of the many reasons why these games are useful.

A special mention needs to go to Luca Nelson, who has been in and out of the Under 18s starting line-up so far this season. He put in a good, eye-catching display - in my opinion the best which I've seen him have in a Rovers shirt to date. His goal midway through the first period; a clever, well-taken dink over the oncoming 'keeper from the edge of the area demonstrated composure and was just reward for his efforts. However, he also put himself about, chased, probed, caused problems and led the line very well. This is his benchmark to 'kick on' from - especially with the remaining Football League Youth Alliance games beginning again this weekend.

I'm glad I got to see this game and, whilst I don't know which Under 16s have earned scholarships, it was clear and obvious to see in this performance that they've been schooled well by Tony Mee and the rest of the coaching staff. Absolutely fair play to them all!

Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Coventry City

Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Coventry City
Sky Bet League One
Saturday 18th January 2020

Jordan Shipley's speculative strike gave Coventry City a well-deserved win over Doncaster Rovers to enhance their promotion challenge.

Though Donny didn't play either particularly well or as badly as some of the restless, knee-jerk, natives would have you believe, sometimes you just have to appreciate the quality of the opposition and what they possess.

The Sky Blues moved the ball better, were good in and out of possession, difficult to break down and worthy winners; so impressive that I'd describe them as one of the best teams to have visited the Keepmoat Stadium to date this term.

Rovers' forward line didn't offer enough to warrant a result and sometimes looked rather anonymous as a collective; Niall Ennis struggled throughout whilst Rakish Bingham did incredibly little in his 45 minutes after replacing Kieran Sadlier at the half-time interval.

Boss Darren Moore chose to leave things as they were in the closing stages (as opposed to making substitutions) when his team were chasing the game and the overall performance just underlined the need for an out-and-out front player.

All that said, Coventry were decent, did their jobs and deservedly won. The only criticism which could be labelled at them was their inability to get a second goal as it resulted in a nervous finale as they had to 'shut up shop' and defend things out. In a different game, against a side with more attacking depth, they might have come unstuck and lost a couple of points.

Donny did muster up a few openings; one early in the second half where James Coppinger hooked a dangerous ball across the goalmouth which needed clearing, whilst the visitors gave away a few set-pieces in dangerous positions on the edge of the box that they weren't punished for.

Ennis possibly should have been awarded a penalty just before half-time when he spun away and got past his marker inside the box before going to ground. My instinctive reaction was that he had a justifiable shout for a spot-kick, though it wasn't given and the game continued.

On the whole, I was far from 'bowled over' by the collective display from the officials as they missed quite a bit - especially as the game progressed, but it's by no means an excuse in regards to the final result.

From the outset, the visitors who were backed by a quite lively following of at least 2,000 supporters, got in the ascendancy, dictated the middle battle and enjoyed quite a bit of territorial pressure - with their forward-play and movement allowing for some decent openings.

Sam McCallum was their chief threat and enjoyed a couple of openings - one where his volley was blocked at a set-piece before the subsequent rebound shot was blazed over the upright by Liam Walsh, and in another move where he was in a good position to capitalise on a dodgy half-clearance by Tom Anderson but lacked accuracy with his attempt.

Shipley was also foiled in another attack - and in truth, the only thing which was missing from Coventry's performance in the opening 25 minutes was a goal.

It eventually came just a minute later, when Shipley picked up possession just inside the Rovers' half and was allowed to venture forward with it. Despite having the option to slide a ball out wide towards the advancing right-winger, he instead capitalised on the 'backing off' and unleashed a powerful low drive which flew past Seny Dieng into the bottom corner. 0-1.

The Sky Blues were now filled with confidence and continued to move the ball about really well; again their forward play was excellent and the hosts' defence needed to be alert and 'on their toes' to prevent any further damage to the scoreline.

Towards the end of the first period, the officials - who up to this point hadn't missed anything significant, began to 'lose the plot' a bit - starting in the incident where Kieran Sadlier was left with a bloodied nose during a spell where Rovers put some good balls into the danger zone.

It culminated in no penalty being awarded when Ennis went to ground inside the area - and going on my gut reaction; it was a spot-kick, but the referee said play on. Subsequently, only moments later, Ben Sheaf flashed a header wide from Jon Taylor's cross.

In the first quarter-hour period following the interval, after a dodgy couple of minutes, Doncaster began to enjoy their best spell as they seized the initiative (to an extent) and put some more balls into dangerous positions.

In one quick, counter-attack, veteran birthday boy James Coppinger received the ball on the inside-right and floated a teasing delivery across the goalmouth that required attention from his former team-mate and current City goalkeeper Marko Marosi.

Taylor and substitute Bingham (who'd replaced Sadlier at half-time) then had half-attempts on goal, though crucially Rovers weren't able to muster up a clear, decisive 'gilt-edged' opening to get back on level terms.

Instead, as the second half progressed, the defensive shape and organisation of Mark Robins' team began to stand out above everything else. With few out-and-out attacking options on the bench aside from youngster Max Watters, Robins' counterpart in the opposite dugout, Darren Moore, opted against making any further changes - with his best team available already out on the pitch.

It was frustrating to watch but a sign of where the home team are currently and, at the same time, a realisation was needed that Coventry are just a good side who are slightly ahead of Rovers in certain key areas at present.

However, that said, the Sky Blues couldn't add a second goal. Callum O'Hare struck a post with a long-range effort in one move whilst a dangerous counter-attack from the visitors, where they initially had a 3-on-2 also came to nothing.

Naturally, Rovers pressed more as the minutes ticked away and the visitors respected what they had and 'defended things out' - owing to some excellent shape which you could tell is something they've worked hard at on the training pitch.

There was to be no equaliser as, ultimately, it was one of those frustrating afternoons of realisation. From a Rovers perspective, not much was learned in this game that wasn't already known beforehand - but there was certainly no need to get overly negative (as some fans did) at the final whistle.

In my opinion, the game was probably won in the middle as Coventry's midfielders stamped their authority on proceedings better, which allowed them to create more and get the goal. Ultimately, as has been proved time and again, goals change games and had it gone the other way, a different result could well have happened - just like the recent Oxford United encounter!

Barring the penalty shout, Niall Ennis had a poor game against a decent and organised defence (it happens - he's young and will have games like this during his development), Rakish Bingham didn't offer a vast amount having come off the bench, whilst Kieran Sadlier hadn't effected things or made any significant impact up to the point where he was forced off. Jon Taylor was the best of the attacking bunch though lacked an end product.

Looking forward and not dwelling on Rovers’ weaknesses (as despite them I’m still more than content with the season to date), the next League One game represents something of a free-hit.

It’s against a Sunderland team who pretty much wiped the floor in South Yorkshire to deservedly win three weeks or so ago, yet now they’re in good form, on their own patch and it’s hard to see anything other than a tough night at the Stadium Of Light.

Thoughts on the transfer window so far...

A lot of talk/discussions amongst Doncaster Rovers supporters over the past few days have centred on Darren Moore's efforts to bolster his attacking options in the transfer market.

Several names/potential targets (call them whatever you want) have been linked with a move, a stir has been created, then rumours have either played down or dismissed altogether.

It's been met with a series of predictable responses; outcries of disgust that nobody has been signed yet, conspiracies from others against the board/directors and accusations about a 'lack of ambition' whilst other supporters have questioned what the manager is trying to achieve. On the flip side, to counteract the negativity, there are the evergreen 'happy clappers' who always take a blinkered view and see the positives, no matter what happens.

For me, if you draw a line somewhere between the exaggerated ends of the different viewpoints, it's probably an accurate, measured reflection of reality right now.

Certainly, the manager isn't stupid. He'll know exactly what he wants to achieve - both in the short and long-term, where he needs to improve his team and which players he'd like to sign in order to do just that. Targets will have been identified which fit into a 'budget' (however big/small that budget is) though often it's the case that these players will be popular and in demand as prospective signings amongst quite a few other managers as well.

Those criticising the club for 'not having signed anyone yet' should remember that if the current crop of players go to pot for the remainder of the season (effectively what happened in 2015/16) and the team sinks down the table, it could get the manager the sack as a consequence. Darren Moore will 100% know this! He's accountable for what happens on the pitch, for results, and therefore he's hardly likely to risk his job which he's fought tooth and nail to get in the first place, due to not trying his damnedest to get new bodies through the door whilst the transfer window is open!

He'll have seen everything which supporters have seen on matchdays, plus a lot more behind-the-scenes, so will have a pretty strong inclination as to what he believes will make his team as strong as possible for the remainder of the campaign.

Criticism of him is ridiculous. He certainly doesn't deserve some of the uneducated, abusive drivel which has aimed his way on social media platforms by a handful of 'supporters' - nor does Adam Henshall (the new Head of Recruitment who hasn't long since joined the club), nor does Liam Hoden either, who is just doing his job for the Doncaster Free Press and has articles to write/sports pages to fill, etc.

Therefore, the focus/attention comes onto the board/directors.

For me, there's little doubt the purse-strings could be loosened as this 'top-six budget' talk which has existed is almost certainly a myth. All the myth does is raises expectations and can lead to knee-jerk reactions - the like of which has been seen in places. The fact the board/directors choose to take a 'quiet approach' with their business maybe goes against them, too, given that it's the polar opposite to John Ryan's techniques in an era which most fans remember with great fondness. Their lack of 'prominence' also allows speculation about their actions to escalate and even manifest. Nor are they helped by a tyrant-like figure who heads up a small supporters organisation shouting down others who air reasonable, justified and measured concerns.

All this said, however, my gut feeling is that if the manager went to the board/directors and said something along the lines of: 'Can you stump up X amount for this player? He's the one, we've done our homework, he'll improve the team and have a decent resale value' then the board/directors would probably back him - thus nudging negotiations a step nearer to a successful outcome, even though there aren't any guarantees. I'd certainly like to think this would be the case, anyway!

In some ways, a prudent approach from the board in keeping the purse-strings tight isn't a bad philosophy because there are some managers around who'd regularly want X amount for this player, X amount for that player, X amount for another player and could easily blow a budget in practically no time whatsoever, yet still not be satisfied with what they've got at their disposal.

Nevertheless, with prudence, there still has to be a 'loosening of the purse-strings' when it's justified to do so - and if the manager can show that it's justified right now, with any potential targets that have been identified, then ideally it should happen. Moore's comments in a Free Press article published on Thursday; the gist of which said that he wouldn't be happy if there was no incoming players in this transfer window, suggests to me that something will happen.

Lets not forget that throughout the division there hasn't been a vast amount of movement since the transfer window opened and, often, many deals aren't completed until close to the deadline.

It's easy to understand the viewpoint from fans who want to see something of a statement signing - given how close the League One table currently is. Then again, I'm sure Burton Albion, Wycombe Wanderers, Shrewsbury Town and many others also have similar thoughts that bolstering in a few areas could turn them into promotion contenders.

On the flip side, given the total upheaval which occurred last summer when Grant McCann and half the squad departed, there's no reason for negativity given the players' performances thus far this term have quashed any fears about a relegation battle.

Again, if you draw the line between those viewpoints, the middle ground probably hints at a cautious approach and possibly even using the present (this season) as a platform to build on.

What's probably needed more than anything is patience; an understanding that most business at clubs won't be completed until late on, when players have pondered their options, agents have 'got busy' and most of the serious and decisive discussions occur. Criticism from some quarters over the past few days, which has bordered on neanderthal squawking akin to a child throwing their toys out the pram, has been ridiculously over the top. Concern, however, is by no means a bad thing - and it shouldn't be forgotten that plenty of time remains in the transfer window, nor is the devastating worst case scenario of relegation a likely outcome if nothing happens.

Splashing the cash early on, making loads of signings and being 'noisy' is idealistic though even then it isn't always a guarantee for success - just ask Darragh MacAnthony!

Lost in Liguria...

Sampdoria 0-1 AC Milan
Serie A
Friday 16th September 2016

Anyone who knows me well enough will be aware that I'm half-decent at speaking Italian; not fluent by any means, but not bad either...

I've been all over the country - spending the most time in the northern regions such as Piedemont, Lombardy or Tuscany, but also occasionally enjoying visits to Rome which becomes a more eye-opening experience on every visit.

However, for this blog post I'm in the region of 'Liguria' on the north-west coast and within a couple of hours drive of the French border. Specifically, at Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa which will be recognisable to many folk of a certain age as it was used in Italia '90.

Probably like many others, my fascination with Italian football/culture stems from Saturday mornings in the 1990s spent watching Channel Four and a balding bloke with a series of newspapers usually in a restaurant somewhere. Highlights of different games were intermittent and the programme in question was, of course, Football Italia.

Hosted by James Richardson, the series lasted a decade and began in the aftermath of the 1990 World Cup when Luciano Pavarotti's vocals, Gazza's Tears and England's performances won the hearts of people in the UK. It was broadcast in an era when Italian clubs were very much the all-conquering dominant force, the world's best players went to Serie A and there was a genuine appetite for foreign football. This was largely because the wall-to-wall three-games-a-day type-coverage which you see nowadays simply didn't exist, coupled with the effects of the five-year ban on English clubs from competing in European competitions.

Like everything, the show 'ran it's course' over time as the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League (both of which were formed in the early 1990s) grew in both strength and commercial appeal, and satellite broadcasters started to screen more live football.

Eventually, Football Italia ceased in 2003, though it still created great memories - it's hard to forget Alessandro Del Piero ripping to shreds some unlucky full-back at Perugia or his strike-partner Filippo Inzaghi being flagged offside for the 17th time against Bologna!

Or, obviously, James Richardson enjoying spaghetti for the eighth successive week in some plush city centre 'restaurant with a view' in Rome with sixty mope-heads per minute flying past!

If you grew up in the 'Football Italia' and watched the show, it's hard not to have been left with an impression - and even harder to resist the temptation to just throw caution to the wind and live the good life for yourself.

I'd arrived in Genoa by road (including a crossing on the Morandi Bridge which collapsed around two years later - tragically killing 43 people) after a week of much-travelling/sightseeing on the continent and the game I picked couldn't be more nostalgic.

The hosts were Sampdoria, where David Platt enjoyed a spell during his playing days, whilst the opposition came in the shape of AC Milan. Both clubs had much success during the 'golden era' - Sampdoria in reaching the 1992 European Cup Final whilst the Rossoneri were frequently successful in all competitions.

However, fast-forward to 2016 and times were vastly different with current superstars having long since 'looked elsewhere' to get the maximum from their careers.

Tickets weren't difficult to purchase and were done in advance. Juventus aside, which sometimes requires a bit of luck in being able to purchase tickets, usually it's not difficult to get tickets for most games in Serie A (even for big derbies) as attendances are comparable to the second tier in England. You just have to remember to take your passport/identification to the game as this is compulsory.

Genoa is a lovely city with plenty to see, do and explore and pretty much everything is within walking radius. The one major thing to expect, for anyone that's never been previously, is several steep inclines - both on major roads and obscure side-streets which means A LOT of steps so it won't be long until you're blowing out your backside.

A late-summer heatwave didn't help my cause (or budget - as deodorant cans are generally expensive in Italy) but I was still determined to enjoy every bit of my time here.

As numerous hills overlook Stadio Luigi Ferraris, I enjoyed some glorious views on my route to the ground from my accommodation which was generally a downhill walk. Nevertheless, I do remember having quite a few fleeting thoughts with regards to the 'uphill' walk later on which, albeit in 'cooler' conditions, I knew would be tough.

Just seriously don't underestimate the amount of steps in this city!

The stadium itself is iconic, albeit council-owned and neglected, therefore it's quite worn out in some places, quite dusty, and the stands share similarities to a multi-story car park. It's comparable to a concrete version of Preston North End's Deepdale - albeit with a larger capacity but with less 'glitz and glamour' surrounding it.

As for the game, Sampdoria (who'd got off to a good start) dominated and put in quite a decent performance - minus the finishing from the front players. They created plenty of chances, moved the ball better and should have won, but instead were undone thanks to a late Carlos Bacca goal - assisted by Suso (who once upon a time I thought would be the next 'big thing' at Liverpool).

The final whistle prompted some of the funniest abusive language/behaviour that I've ever witnessed as practically every Sampdoria fan individually stopped on their way to the exit and either made rude hand gestures or screamed 'BASTARDO' or 'BASTARDI' at the away fans who were in a segregated corner quite nearby, before continuing down the steps towards the exit. It was comedy of a different kind that you just don't get in the UK.

The following couple of days were spent exploring and enjoying Genoa whilst trying to decipher the routes to everywhere which had as few steps as possible.