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Match thread from the Meadow Park ( Boreham Wood) - Play Off. The First Team > Fixtures & Results
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Legend of the game 2,708 posts Lady Magpie Legend of the game 2,708 posts
Lady Magpie
Tonight's team news:
 
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Live team sheet updated during the match:     www.forestgreenrovers.co.uk/team-sheet
 
LM
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Foggy GOAT 5,116 posts
Foggy
O well it wasn’t to be.. great effort from all including the 550 fans who travelled on a midweek. Credit to you all !!…. Already looking forward to retained list and who’s moving on! I’ll always support Fgr whatever league. Hope everyone has a good summer 😊
Agreed, fantastic turn out for a weekday evening, not far off what we took to Brentford in the League Cup a few seasons back...must be one of our top ten away followings for a non-Wembley game...maybe Lady M knows, or can let Temi out of her wardrobe long enough to scour the club records for an answer!
 
Just watched the interview with RS last night, don't think we will have to wait too long for the retained list as he mentioned having a day off then meeting with the players on Friday to have some difficult conversations.
Green in a sea of red!
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Pops Armchair Manager 293 posts
Pops
Yeah, but only one person called out the ref for being a woman or implied that it would have an impact on her performance.
Try not to let it ruin your week Foggy..
 
It was a tongue in cheek comment - appreciate some are uber sensitive these days around that sort of thing.
 
The referee should be scrutinised in the same way whether they are male or female. In my experience whilst a lot of referees in the national league are not up to the job I havent come across a female ref thats half decent. Lino maybe but not a referee...they often arent strong enough and struggle to control a game.
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Nick M Jamal Lacoste Legend of the game 1,336 posts
Nick M Jamal Lacoste
Try not to let it ruin your week Foggy..
 
It was a tongue in cheek comment - appreciate some are uber sensitive these days around that sort of thing.
 
The referee should be scrutinised in the same way whether they are male or female. In my experience whilst a lot of referees in the national league are not up to the job I havent come across a female ref thats half decent. Lino maybe but not a referee...they often arent strong enough and struggle to control a game.
 
Surely sexist comments being passed off as "tongue in cheek" can get in the bin by now. At least own your bigotry.
 
You had an issue with the referee being female and then you watched the game with confirmation bias. And now you're doubling down by applying sexist tropes such as "not strong enough".
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Foggy GOAT 5,116 posts
Foggy
Try not to let it ruin your week Foggy..
 
It was a tongue in cheek comment - appreciate some are uber sensitive these days around that sort of thing.
 
The referee should be scrutinised in the same way whether they are male or female. In my experience whilst a lot of referees in the national league are not up to the job I havent come across a female ref thats half decent. Lino maybe but not a referee...they often arent strong enough and struggle to control a game.
When you are digging a hole there is a time when it is best to stop digging, put the spade down and walk away...I was calling you out for sexism and stand by that!
Green in a sea of red!
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Funfly Armchair Manager 489 posts
Funfly
Watched it on DAZN and thought both sides played well but who is going to win against Rochdale anyway. Also ponder if the Rochdale ‘style’ is the sort of football we want to aspire to?
Think that RS style of management hasn’t been the best for us, apart from his inexperience he is a ‘celebrity’ character and the season has always been about new players (cronies) and trying new tactics, different formations etc. my simple mind says that by the end of the season we should have had a more settled team in place. Too much ‘Robbie’ not enough ‘FGR’!
interesting the the commenters on DAZN referred to one team as ‘we’ and the other as ‘they’. Makes a big difference to our funny Bristol pair who are biased in our favour.
Finally, the end of the season, my best wishes from up here in the North West to all the wonderful posters on here with special thanks to LadyM for tireless input.
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Paulhatrick Armchair Manager 166 posts
Paulhatrick
On reflection- 100% effort from the lads. Just cannot understand why RS could not see that they were exausted 4 minutes before BW scored their goal and why subs were not made in the 80th minute when you could see we were struggling - common sense and game management are one of RS's weaknesses, or what do I know!
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cookiemonster Legend of the game 1,032 posts
cookiemonster
I imagine RS would say he didn't make the usual raft of subs on the hour because of the possibility of extra time. But by not doing so, perhaps we missed the opportunity to nick it within the 90 mins. Tough call but I think he got it wrong.
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Lady Magpie Legend of the game 2,708 posts
Lady Magpie
Yes I was disappointed last night but not surprised at the results. I agree with others that all the players worked hard for most of the match but were they the right players on the pitch. With Moore-Taylor out with a dodgy foot, the big question was: Where was Innis or Bunker? Doomed from the club as anti-players of Robbie Savage.
 
His starting team wasn't right and his substitute timing was shocking. Mellor missed 2 easy chances, Buyabu was playing silly buggers and lucky to have stayed on the pitch, if Rees or Doidge were on the pitch would they have missed those easy headers. Why wasn't Haughton playing?
 
Now I've said before that I like Robbie as a person, but because of his team selections and players disappearing into the Savange darkness I'm really worried about next season.
 
At least he seemed to approve of me keeping Babalola in my wardrobe to the end of the season, he gets a bonus point for that.
 
LM
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T50 BOS GOAT 4,467 posts
T50 BOS
Running Rover your point about Dale supporting the acquisition of top players … against the odds we somehow landed the NL’s best player of 2024/25 and managed to suck the life out of him so anyone looking at how we’ve treated Nick Haughton will probably think twice about joining us in the summer 🤷‍♂️
 
Anyway, imho, with Kyle’s (alleged) imminent departure RS should build the team around Nick for next season
He is absolute quality and I still can’t believe he was bench warming for 105 minutes last night.
 
Oh, and if we are looking at good quality players then spend well on some bloody centre backs 🤬
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lewis Legend of the game 1,670 posts
lewis
Running Rover your point about Dale supporting the acquisition of top players … against the odds we somehow landed the NL’s best player of 2024/25 and managed to suck the life out of him so anyone looking at how we’ve treated Nick Haughton will probably think twice about joining us in the summer 🤷‍♂️
Anyway, imho, with Kyle’s (alleged) imminent departure RS should build the team around Nick for next season
He is absolute quality and I still can’t believe he was bench warming for 105 minutes last night.
Oh, and if we are looking at good quality players then spend well on some bloody centre backs 🤬
100% correct. Haughton is an excellent National League player, as is McAllister. Both (or one, if only one will be with us next season) need to be the focus.
 
Like you, I think we need to invest in two decent central defenders. I'm not sold on any of those we currently possess beyond the more experienced pair that are probably on the way out.
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Tommo Legend of the game 2,912 posts
Tommo
Just to pick up on a few recent posts.... I thought the ref was fine and her only mistake was not to allow their early 'goal'. She let the game flow and didn't book as many as refs who think the game is about them would have.
 
The DAZN commentators were very biased and I got bored by them saying it was a low quality game (I disagreed; I thought it was pretty entertaining and had great moments) and that Buyabu should have been booked/sent off.
 
The first big miss by Mellor was huge. At least he was in the right place to score but Doidge would have buried it. That would have made a big difference to the game of course.
 
I wish Borehamwood luck but would rather play them next season than Rochdale or Carlisle.
 
On the fitness thing, I think we are as fit as most but we play a game which involves a lot of running - more than most other teams. That tires us out. Not putting subs on early enough compounded the problem. Plus it was clear that Mingi and Mendy (groin) were carrying injuries from about 60 minutes onwards.  McAllister's running was incredible; he is what the others should aspire to but maybe the high press needs to be done more judiciously.
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Taffgr Semi-Pro 90 posts
Taffgr
Managed to make the game. Great turnout from the fans to be very much applauded especially on a Wednesday evening 👏
 
The game itself wasn't the best quality, having watched the SUFC Vs SUFC the night before I hoped for more. Mellors missed header was crucial, it seemed harder to miss. Isted was man of the match, although very lucky with the disallowed goal as he collided with his own team mate.
 
I was a bit bemused that no changes were made earlier. Rees was clearly unfit and shouldn't have been chosen, hard to say after his two goals the week before, but morcombe and BW are different teams. Haughton should have been on much earlier as well. He has the ability to turn in a tight space and has a cracking shot.
 
I can't fault the efforts and pemberton was obviously tired which led to the BW goal. Sounds like a few of the players were suffering before the match (RS obviously wouldn't want to announce that publicly) and biggest shame was JMT not being fit enough.
 
As for the season itself, started well, then I think the other teams worked us out. Biggest change for me was when Josh Bowen got involved, our bad patch coincided with that appointment. Not sure of his pedigree but clearly meant that Dan Connor was pushed out by means of the back door which was a shame for everything he has done for the club. The loss of Whitwell was also crucial, shame that wba wouldn't let us have him back.
 
As for next season, I do hope RS stays as the football is more entertaining and he clearly is passionate about doing the best for dale/mark/Asif/us the fans. Will be interesting who is retained/released (we know some of them already probably) but also how the approach to loan players works out. Getting Whitwell back would be a priority (if possible). One trophy on the cabinet anyway 🏆
 
Anyway, I do hope Rochdale go up as they deserve to do so but nothing certain. Be interesting if Macclesfield go up and we play them next year. They'll definitely be up for it.
 
Here's to a break from the ups and downs of fgr, the world cup and then pre-season (slimbridge away anyone lol)
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Lady Magpie Legend of the game 2,708 posts
Lady Magpie
Agreed, fantastic turn out for a weekday evening, not far off what we took to Brentford in the League Cup a few seasons back...must be one of our top ten away followings for a non-Wembley game...maybe Lady M knows, or can let Temi out of her wardrobe long enough to scour the club records for an answer!
 
Just watched the interview with RS last night, don't think we will have to wait too long for the retained list as he mentioned having a day off then meeting with the players on Friday to have some difficult conversations.
Yes our 550 following was the best this season with
 
462 going to Luton Town for the FA Cup match and
 
402 going to Solihull Moors in the league
 
also
 
335 was the highest we took away in the previous league season, again to Solihull Moors.
 
As a very old supporters with long memories, I remember going to an away match at Coventry Sporting where FGR took 9 supporters, Don't laugh but the whole match attendance was 10, it was a night match and abanned due to fog.
 
LM
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White Horse Rover Legend of the game 1,696 posts
White Horse Rover
We certainly were not "played off the park", but our weaknesses in missing the target and failing to make the most of set pieces were certainly on display. I think I'd question the timing of the substitutions too (although their lateness is more explicable by the growing sense it might go to extra time) - they weren't "criminally" late as were those that never happened in the play off against Southend.
 
McAllister and Isted were both formidable, Mendy gave a great deal and all in all it was a close run and entertaining game.
 
So despite the slightly lower finish in the league table than last year, I'd still regard this season as a greater success than that one. Yes, too much chopping and changing of players and failure to establish a regular starting 11, but more positively we have a team that it is generally a pleasure to watch (which was not the case for much of last season) and a manager who doesn't seem to be locked in mutual antipathy with too sizable or vocal a chunk of the regularly attending fan base.
 
None the less, even if we can reclaim the song about going to both Barrow and Eastleigh again, I don't really want to go to Worthing to be honest, so hope we might somehow be able to get over the final hurdle next year.
 
I was very sceptical about Savage's appointment but overall I think it's generally been the right degree of success - he's performed sufficiently well to make it desirable for us to want to keep him, but no so much that he is expected to be immediately poached by a bigger team. Plus his rapport with the club (unlike that of the former "I didn't know chips were vegan" manager) - leadership and fans - seems about as authentic as can be in what is always ultimately a temporary appointment.
 
I do wish BW well and look forward to playing them again - they play attractive but non-prissy football, and their ambition is also admirable. Luke Garrard's whole history with them, as both player and manager and local boy, is also quite something.
 
I do hope Rochdale go up though. Both because they deserve to based on the year's performance, and because it would be good to have one fewer relatively larger club in this division next year (and it looks as though that at least one of the two relegated from the EFL if not both won't be that).
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