2012 Prediction League; Game 25 v Rotherham United (away)

Div3North · 28-12-2012, 02:21

Rotherham United

V

Accrington Stanley

2012/3 Prediction League – Game 25; v Rotherham (away)

Well that’s a couple of records we wouldn’t have wanted; as at tonight – according to the FA website - we’re the only League Two side with 2 players serving suspensions

(Winnard and Rachubka), and the only side with a player suspended on or after 1st January (Paul Rachubka) ………….and by my count, Toto’s collected nine bookings, so one more will mean two games off……………….

Happy New Year!

Anybody want to be Manager of Blackburn Rovers?

57 days- what’s that all about?

Not the shortest reign ever – nor was Cloughie’s 44 days at Leeds, Steve Coppell’s 33 days at Man City, Paul Hart’s 28 at QPR, Martin Ling’s 9 at Cambridge Utd or Dave Bassett’s 4 at Palace (it was actually Leroy Rosenior’s 10 minute stint at Torquay) – but certainly one of the most depressing (and inevitable – why would Venky’s, with their track record with Kean and the vox populi of Blackburn, want to appoint a former player whose managerial experience consisted of Lyn Oslo (wasn’t she in the New Seekers?

) and Lillehammer?)

Worse, in so many ways, was Sean O’Driscoll’s dismissal at Notts Forest (who’ve appointed Alex McLeish, I see)

; after a career which involved 148 games at Fulham between 1979 and 1984 and 423 at Bournemouth between 1984 and 1995 (leaving him second on their all-time appearances list) he went on to manage the Cherries from 2000 – 2006 (326 games), and Donnie from 2006 to 2011 (268), was appointed First Team Coach at Forest in January, left in May to take over at Crawley, left them after two months and no football

(in July) to go back to the City Ground as Boss, had 160 days and 26 games there (of which he won 10, drew 9 and lost 7

), and was sacked unceremoniously a few hours after beating Leeds 4-2, which saw Forest in 8th place on 36 points from 24 League games. “He can count himself unlucky to have lost his job with the team just one point away from the top six," Forest chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi said. You got that right, son

. “Lack of consistency” has been cited (they never won more than two games on the run); sounds more like “We didn’t pick him in the first place ……” to me.

The greater picture is pretty awful; at least 49 changes of manager in 2012, and 21 – all but a quarter of all the teams – have had a new manager since the 2012-13 season started in August …………… Fickle or what?

Meantime, at the New York Stadium (Rotherham) Paul Raynor, the Millers’ Assistant Manager, was at it again after their 2-1 home defeat by Port Vale on Boxing Day; explaining the loss, he said;

· "They've had two opportunities and punished us ……………”

If you look at the game stats you’ll see what he carefully wasn’t saying; Rotherham had 14 shots, of which 2 were on target; Vale had 5 shots, of which 4 were on target …………. Both teams scored with 50% of their ‘straight’ shots ………But Vale had more straight shots ………so they won. Seemples!

I can’t decide who gives better quotes, frankly – him or that nice Mr Evans! Or who’s the dafter of the two ………..

We all remember, I know – it’s why so many are currently so depressed – that after 9 games of the season Stanley were 4th, with 5 wins, two draws and two defeats (17 points)

; we can all see that since then we’ve played 15 League games, winning but two (Bristol Rovers 1-0 at home, and Fleetwood 3-1 away), drawing four (at Morecambe 0-0, and 1-1 at Barnet, and home to Gillingham and Plymouth) and losing 9, which leaves us in 18th place on 27 points …..and we wonder how we go from W5 D2 L2 to W2 D4 L9, or – overall – W7 D6 L11. Good question; how many of those have been losses by the odd goal? Have we had our slump? And do we believe that everybody will have one during the season?

Oxford? Won three on the bounce, then couldn’t win for toffee, and now making decent strides (3-1 at Exeter ain’t bad). Or are the ‘good’ sides running away with it?

Well, let me tell you, they aren’t; we’re 8 points above the relegation places but only 9 off the playoffs

……………Rotherham, as you’ll know from the League table, lie 6th, which implies that they’re beating all comers; actually, in November their League form was P6 W3 D1 L2 (3-2 at home to Wycombe and 5-0 at the Daggers – neither of whom are automatic promotion material

); 6 games, 10 points

. In December, having lost their game at Bristol to the weather (they intend to make a complaint against the Pirates for not stopping it raining, or some such tosh

) and having Cup games to play, they only managed three in the League – of which they lost two; both at home (2-1 to Gillingham and Port Vale). Yes, I know they’re first and second in the League ………….tell that to Barnet, who did Gillingham in Kent 1-0 on 26th Dec

. And mighty Rotherham – laying waste all around them? Their last nine League results have them with 4 wins, one draw and four defeats ……and that’s good enough for the playoffs?

Keep the Faith!

Two wins, two draws and seven defeats on the head-to-head count does suggest we owe them one; or two; or quite a few, actually ……..they are our bogey team (just as we were Bradford’s

); perhaps it’s time our luck changed? Back at the end of November, in the re-arranged game, they beat us 2-1 at Fortress Crown (I must stop calling it that – it’s either that or Valairian’s reverse psychology that keeps losing us games!

); our 2nd minute lead (from Dean “Sorry I can’t make it on Saturday” Winnard ) being cancelled out by goals in the 5th minute, and the 3rd minute of the second half, by ex Man U, QPR, Barnsley and Exeter striker Daniel Nardiello (can we concentrate a bit longer, lads?) 13 scorers so far for them; the main contributors having been Daniel Nardiello with 11, and midfielders Ben Pringle (who has a day job knitting sweaters, I understand

) – who started with Newcastle Blue Star, then travelled via Ilkeston Town, Derby and Torquay - with 6, and Michael O’Connor (24, ex Iron) and Lee Frecklington (ex Lincoln, on loan from the Posh), each with 4.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 29th December. Tight game? 11 goal thriller? Ounch-up on the side lines? Red cards galore? Lots of penalties? .............. Who knows?

Good luck to everyone.....................A Very Happy 2013 (in New York) to each and every one of you .......... and thanks for playing!

And I'm very glad the I'm not Anthony Taylor, the ref who sent off Everton's Darron Gibson and West Ham's Carlton Cole in Everton's 2-1 win at Upton Park on Saturday last

; they both appealed the red cards successfully yesterday

, as did Millwall defender Adam Smith following his sending off at Barnsley on the same day

..........in fact the only appeal which failed, as far as I can see, was Rachubka's

.....................