ROVERS FANZ VIEW COLUMN
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Unbeaten runs can make you feel like your team is the best on the planet, an indestructible points-scoring machine sweeping away everything put before it. However, the tracks came off our tank last Saturday and we lost 2-1 at Huddersfield. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did, and I was deliberately avoiding the subject in previous columns so not to give our run the kiss of death. If you include the three wins and the draw at the end of last season, we stayed undefeated for a quite impressive eight league games in all. Now I don't want to worry anyone, but the last time we pulled off eight straight matches without loss was three years ago, and Rovers were relegated. Ian Holloway's team bagged five draws interspersed with three victories, one of them being a 6-2 demolition job of Brentford at Griffin Park. The current team earns slightly less in terms of wages than that side, but hopefully this time the club can earn more points for its pounds than the class of 2000-01, who subsequently died a death soon after losing their unbeaten tag at Bury that September. A home win any time now would do wonders to dispel any doubts of a relapse, particularly as the relegation team took until late February to finally win at the Memorial Stadium. We have plenty of chances to break the duck with three of the next four Saturdays playing host to home games, although the clashes with Conference old boys Kidderminster, Boston and Cheltenham could prove quite difficult as we have only won once against any of them, when Kiddy handed us the match on a plate after a flurry of red cards in 2001. Managers often churn out the old saying that you need about ten games before you can realistically tell how you are going to fare. While it has been lovely treading water in the top five, it is unlikely that we will run away with the Championship and you have to remember where we are coming from. You need a bit of magic dust if you are to transform from two-time survival strugglers into promotion candidates overnight, and maybe the defeat at Huddersfield will induce a dose of reality for some of us who might be getting carried away. Paul Tait is the only striker that has scored so far, with Junior Agogo and Calum Willock still desperate for a goal, though these frontrunners have set up two goals each. Then in midfield, Ray Graydon is trying to squeeze Hyde, Savage and Quinn into his formation, with the result that we started without any wingers up at the McAlpine last weekend. If we persist without any width, then the forwards may be even more subdued, and both Hodges and Carlisle give us that extra dimension of flair in the team, which the fans love. The defence has been sound, as Danny Boxall has looked very solid so far and has deservedly kept his place ahead of the talented Sonny Parker at right-back. And over on the left, Ijah Anderson could be getting some welcome competition if trialist Alfie Carter signs on. Adam Barrett's absence last weekend through suspension may have rocked the boat somewhat, as the spine of any team relies on the strengths of its partnerships. Kevin Austin is an able replacement, but Barrett and Christian Edwards have built up a decent rapport up to now, so to lose one of them could have been a big factor in our defeat, as the understanding would not have been so sharp. We must try to grab as many points as we can from these upcoming home fixtures because there are some tough away games on the horizon with trips to early pace-setters York, Doncaster, Oxford and Swansea over the next month or so.
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