Millers v Dons

[RUFC1986]

Well, here we are, finally. As always, it's a time for optimism, until 5pm where it's back to doom and gloom. I've just had a quick look on the Dons Forum, and 90% have RUFC finishing bottom, and a percentage of the rest have us also relegated. So, if they get beat, they are in for a long, long Season. I don't think Steve Evans and the team think it is a cut & dried as that, but obviously people in Milton Keynes do.

Onto us, we have had a solid pre-season, culminating in beating a very strong Mainz05 side on Saturday. Although Friendlies are not always the best barometer, I've seen enough so far to believe we will be competitive. Evans and the Chairmen are talking of a top half finish, and, if we are in that position come Christmas, we will have the funds to invest and look upwardly.

Quite a few new signings will be involved on Saturday, and as ever, Evans has us guessing on the starting line up. I'm going:

Roos
Halford Thorpe Collins Newell/Richardson
Ledesma Smallwood Frecklington White
Derbyshire Maguire

2-1 Millers

 

[BetterCallSaul]

Not really sure how this game is going to go, first ever game in the championship will be interesting. Think we will be stronger in a few weeks when all out new signings are fit.

Don't see us getting a result unfortunately but I'm expecting us to have a slow start.

Rotherham 3-1 MK Dons

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Shift this to the match threads please Mods.

good write up though RUFC1986

 

[markwwfc1992]

To be fair fans on own team forums are usually as deluded as they come. I could probably pick and find a quote from a Wolves forum where some guy predicts us to win the Champions League in the next 5 years. I wouldn't read too much into what they predict on there.

 

[Inspector Todd]

Well, here we are, finally. As always, it's a time for optimism, until 5pm where it's back to doom and gloom. I've just had a quick look on the Dons Forum, and 90% have RUFC finishing bottom, and a percentage of the rest have us also relegated. So, if they get beat, they are in for a long, long Season. I don't think Steve Evans and the team think it is a cut & dried as that, but obviously people in Milton Keynes do.

Onto us, we have had a solid pre-season, culminating in beating a very strong Mainz05 side on Saturday. Although Friendlies are not always the best barometer, I've seen enough so far to believe we will be competitive. Evans and the Chairmen are talking of a top half finish, and, if we are in that position come Christmas, we will have the funds to invest and look upwardly.

Quite a few new signings will be involved on Saturday, and as ever, Evans has us guessing on the starting line up. I'm going:

Roos
Halford Thorpe Collins Newell/Richardson
Ledesma Smallwood Frecklington White
Derbyshire Maguire

2-1 Millers

Agree with the Wolves lad, there's little point in going off individual forums. Most of our forums are deluded as they come. However I imagine a trip to Millers Mad or whatever it's called probably has us bottom in most predictions.

Think BCS is going along the right lines with the score, it's a tough start for us that is made more dfficult with the fact that September is looking absolutely brutal in terms of fixtures, so there must be a little pressure from the off.

Would take a point now, feel we'll succumb 2-0 though.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Agree, as much as I want to be positive, I can't be. Wish this was a home game as I think then we would have a good crowd and have a good chance of winning. Away, no.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

I'd imagine most people would be saying this should be a game where you need to pick up points but i just don't see it that way. i think when we have Benavente, Aguzo and Jennings fit we will be a much stronger side, we will just have to wait and see. might start the season poorly but wen we have everyone available and we can pick our strongest team results will come.

 

[Inspector Todd]

I'd imagine most people would be saying this should be a game where you need to pick up points but i just don't see it that way. i think when we have Benavente, Aguzo and Jennings fit we will be a much stronger side, we will just have to wait and see. might start the season poorly but wen we have everyone available and we can pick our strongest team results will come.

I don't think Benavente and Aguza will be too far off in terms of general fitness. Would hope we see one or both of them against Leyton Orient to be honest. Match sharpness will be the problem.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

sooner that international clearance comes the better! hurry up Real Madrid!

 

[Inspector Todd]

Sounds like it will be sorted this week.

 

[Dazza]

3-1 Rotherham

 

[Third Team Lucky]

As OP said, this is the best time of the season - unblemished by failure and subsequent realism. With my rose coloured specs firmly in place I'm going for a totally undeserved 2-1 Dons win purely on the basis that the last time we lost the first game of the season was in 2008.

 

[Camdenite]

Got a horrible feeling McFaz is out for us. Subbed after 30 mins on Monday night, didn't appear at the Shirt Presentation Evening on Tuesday and finally couldn't be seen on the training match footage on Dons Player today.

Don't think we're anywhere near ready for this. Robbo doesn't seem overly concerned, but we haven't put in a performance yet where we've looked half decent for more than 45 minutes this pre-season.

Anyway, looks like we'll have the best part of a thousand up there, which is good for us, especially with so many families on holiday.

 

[Third Team Lucky]

Got a horrible feeling McFaz is out for us. Subbed after 30 mins on Monday night, didn't appear at the Shirt Presentation Evening on Tuesday and finally couldn't be seen on the training match footage on Dons Player today.

Don't think we're anywhere near ready for this. Robbo doesn't seem overly concerned, but we haven't put in a performance yet where we've looked half decent for more than 45 minutes this pre-season.

Anyway, looks like we'll have the best part of a thousand up there, which is good for us, especially with so many families on holiday.

I understand your concern based on pre-season but I've seen a big difference in preparation this year. Robbo seems to have a plan (well that's a start) where he's tried out different combinations and positions during the pre-season games using a fairly strict 60 minute / 30 minute split without regard to the score. I'm naïve enough to think he is learning from those times he has been caught out, such as the very rapid decline of Smith and Chadwick and the lengthy absence of Reeves. It's always good to have some alternatives and it's clear he sees Rasulo as his 'fill in' player this year from his regular games over the last 6 weeks.

Anyway, I'm still confident we can sneak this. I'm not gutted at all that I'll miss it as I'm typing this in the noodle bar in the Cathay lounge at Hong Kong Airport and will be in Auckland at game time on Saturday.

 

[MK_Army]

3-1 up! Come on you Dons


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[BetterCallSaul]

4-1 hahahha SERNWA we're going to be whipping boys are we?

 

[MK_Army]

4-1 sounds as if we dominated the majority of the game. Good start to the season. COYD


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[PrestonCha]

Rotherham bummed into oblivion at home by a newly promoted team? Impossible.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

Where's SERNWA?!?! Gone hiding and he's been smashed by the "Mkat" oddest insult ever that name.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Well, didn't see that coming although it's difficult to read anything into the score without seeing the game. That was basically with our league 1 side though so it's more promising than I was feeling before today.

Still, a good start and will give us confidence going to the Preston game.

 

[Ciderhead]

Some result that!

 

[JJH]

Fair play MK. What a result.

 

[SamScfc]

Why did Baker not start for MK?

 

[Camdenite]

Why did Baker not start for MK?

Rumour was that him and McFaz were doubts today.

Strange game. We were as under the cosh as I've seen us in about five years for fifteen minutes or so. Rotherham missed two glorious chances and we just relied upon a clown of a 'keeper at the other end.

I said coming out that we'll be glad of those three points in April. We'll be entertaining, but the way we play will lead to a spanking or six. Rotherham didn't take their chances, but plenty of others will. That said, we moved it well and looked very slick at times.

 

[markwwfc1992]

Nice one MK!

 

[Luke_ciderhead]

No surprises that the little runt has gone AWOL.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

No surprises that the little runt has gone AWOL.

Give us all this abuse about how they are going to smash us and we will be whipping boys. He's an embarrassment.

 

[Scrumpy]

Kelle Roos in goal?

We had him on trial a couple seasons back and couldn't get a contract, looked very very poor!

Despite the result, was he any good yesterday/has he looked good during pre-season.

From what I saw of him (previous), you might want to cancel that loan deal. 2 years down the line, I can't expect him to be that much better....

 

[old parkender]

Fair play Dons!!!

 

[WhiteRussian]

I think it was more about how bad Rotherham were

Still, as is always said, you can only beat what is in front of you and that we did.