Doncaster Rovers 0 West Ham United 1 (13/08/11)

[whufcspoon]

So excited for the match! Great that we have sold it out, get behind the lads and no reason why we cant smash them 3-0! IRONS!

[Puff Daddy]

save our season match!

in all seriousness, if we don't win today we will probably be 5 or 6 points from the top already. Can't afford to get so far behind in this tough league.

Agreed ~ If we lose this match today, expect to see the 'Reasons to be positive' thread posted on here around 5:00pm this evening and the first rumblings of discontent about BFS, possibly followed by a ''Who do you want for our next manager' ? thread

[BondsOfOslo]

And me to start it

[cockney hammer]

how are things in your country mate hope things are getting better

[Sweeney Bod]

As of yesterday, Rovers had sold just over 7,500 tickets. With us selling out, and those buying tickets on the door, it looks like it will be one of their biggest crowds of the season, (their highest attendance last year was 13,293 against Leeds).

[screech]

Where's Baggio today with the pre watershed team news?
Always handy to get the heads up before the official team news is released as the odds are always better in the morning
On the first goal scorer Market

[Jiblexic]

Is this one being streamed anywhere?

[BondsOfOslo]

Thanks for askin CH

Things have come more back to "normal" .
22/7 has made an enormous impact on us all and I think that last Friday perhaps was one of the worst days as we had more than 30 funerals on one day. As a small and peaceful country as Norway is, it's very hard to se this happen.

[bobo]

I think one of the biggest problems Big Sam has is we do not have a winning mentaillty, we just don't know how to win games.

Teams like Cardiff, Forest, Reading, they are all use to winning more games then they lose after being in this division for so long. We don't have that winning mentallity that can see through games, even if you are not playing well. You can have as many big name players as you like but if you don't have the focus & belief you are always going to struggle.

We need to just put 3 or 4 wins toghether & it don't matter how ugly it looks we just need the confiedence from winning games (this is a great time to start with two away games).

We need to be positive then the rest will come.

I'd take a scrappy 1-0 right now.

[bobo]

Double Post.

[rigoberts song]

Thought I would share my hard luck story with you re Donny.
Met a lovely girl at my Village Fete a month ago she was singing in a band there, tall, slim, rock chick.
Got talking and she started texting me inviting me up for the game to stay over.
My Missus has booked the family holiday and we fly out to Spain at 1230 today !
ARSE !

[Geordie Hammer]

Bit gutted. Was supposed to be heading to Donny today but have to work instead!

When the fixture list came out I immediately discounted the first match (regardless of who we played) as it was always going to be a circus...a bit of a white elephant match. Today's is the true start to the season.

Feels weird looking at teams in the Championship thinking "this one could be tough" when we have players like Parker et al...but this one really could be tough. "The oppositions FA Cup final" and all that! Donny played well last week by all accounts.

But I'm going to stick my neck out and go 2-1 to us.

[MATTD5677]

Can't see too many changes happening here and don't think either McCartney or Carew will start so I would like to see

Green

O'Brien Reid Tomkins Ilunga

Parker

Barrera Collison Nolan Taylor

Cole

[scatts]

Amazing set of match facts on the BBC.

Head-to-head
• All 22 previous meetings have been in the old Second Division, with Doncaster winning 10, West Ham seven and five drawn.

• These clubs last faced each other 53 years ago.

• Doncaster's most recent victorious trip to Upton Park was in February 1955.

Doncaster
• Pressing for a first win in 14 league games, since a 3-1 away triumph over Derby on 1 March.

• Gained three of last season's 11 Championship wins in the first six matches.

• Not lost successive opening fixtures of a league season since 1997, when they went on that season to lose their league status.

West Ham
• Chasing a first win in 11 Premier League and Championship matches, having suffered an opening day 1-0 loss to Cardiff.

• Kicked off last season with four straight Premier League losses.

• Sam Allardyce has never lost the first two league games at a new club, in his managerial career.

Not sure I can handle the depression - my own and in here - if we lose this one!

[Jiblexic]

I would like:

---------------Green----------------

O'Brien Reid Tomkins Illunga

Faubert Noble Nolan Taylor

------Cole --------- Piq ----------

[Konark_Hammer]

Hopefully we will pick up the win at the Keepmoat.

GK: Robert Green
RB: Joey O'Brien
CB: Abdoulaye Faye
CB: James Tomkins
LB: Herita Ilunga
RM: Pablo Barrera(But Collison or Stanislas will probably start)
CM: Scott Parker
CM: Mark Noble
LM: Matty Taylor
AMC: Kevin Nolan
ST: Carlton Cole

My main worry is the striker position. Cole will simply not score and will be constantly offside or foul the defenders. We have to rely on Nolan getting ahead as well and winning free kicks in dangerous areas hoping that Matty Taylor can punt them in. We should win but it will be a narrow 1-0 victory.

[WHU-Nejtin]

My team would be:

Green

O'Brien Tomkins Reid Taylor*

Parker

Collison Noble

Nolan

Sears** Cole


2-0 to us.

* I know Taylor is not a left back but Ilunga is *****.
** If we are going to insist upon playing Sears at least play him in his natural position as he will never be a decent winger.

[screech]

My team would be:

Green

O'Brien Tomkins Reid Taylor*

Parker

Collison Noble

Nolan

Sears** Cole


2-0 to us.

* I know Taylor is not a left back but Ilunga is s***e.
** If we are going to insist upon playing Sears at least play him in his natural position as he will never be a decent winger.

Did you see ilunga last week? Barring the mistake at the end he was one of the better players on the pitch
As for putting Taylor at left back you would be taking our best performing player out of his natural position especially as it's been a while since we have had a true lefty in the team and have you forgot we now have ringo!!!

[WHU-Nejtin]

Did you see ilunga last week? Barring the mistake at the end he was one of the better players on the pitch
As for putting Taylor at left back you would be taking our best performing player out of his natural position especially as it's been a while since we have had a true lefty in the team and have you forgot we now have ringo!!!

Linda will not play as he is not match fit.

As I said last week, I am not going to judge Ilunga on one game. I am going to judge him on the last 2 seasons. He is *****.

If we had not let Spence go we could play him as he is already ten times the player Ilunga will ever be.

[COYI]

From last week I'd like to see two changes. Cole for Piquionne and Barrera for Sears.