"Sod it, it's time to attack!" That headline on the Rovers web site said what we all wanted to hear prior to last weekend's match with Boston, as the manager made it clear that he would throw everything forward to try and salvage something from a mediocre league campaign. By the time we took to the field against the League's worst club Kidderminster the following Tuesday, Ian Atkins' philosophy had retreated to the safety-first tactics we have come to know and love. Faced with opponents who had conceded nearly two goals a game this season, Rovers lined up with five at the back. Maybe the half-hearted attempt at ploughing through Boston told Atkins what most of us had already accepted weeks ago, that this team was not good enough to make the play-offs. With nothing to play for, besides the LDV Vans, what else is there to do but experiment with next year in mind. I see why we should try out the wing-back system, as we have three decent centre-backs in the squad who can't all play in a back four, but against the whipping boys of the division? If this is the time to tinker, why did we not test an attacking formation against such weak opposition? Rovers will have to go for broke at Southend next week if the team are to stand any chance of reaching the Vans Final and an away game such as Tuesday's would have been the perfect setting without the pressure of a baying home crowd. There is something about Kidderminster's ground that turns Rovers players into jibbering wrecks every time we go there and perhaps the management team knew all about the 'Aggborough Effect' and realised that forces beyond our control would ensure we were never going to win. Whatever the reasons for such a negative line-up, instead of taking the game to their fragile defence we gave Kidderminster the initiative to come at us and when we went behind, there was no alternative but to change the system. At least Atkins shook things up straight away like he did against Southend, which deserves some credit, rather than wait until the last twenty minutes to bring on another defensive player in the manner Ray Graydon used to. Unfortunately, John Anderson's reaction to coming off early may affect his future at the club. Nobody likes being substituted because even when it's for tactical reasons, you still feel as if you're being singled out as the weak link, but that's no excuse for being petulant. The manager lambasted his players for their first half performance and suggested that a few members of his squad are just going through the motions knowing that they will pick up a tidy wage at the end of the month regardless of how well they play. Certain players like James Hunt, Dave Savage and Ali Gibb have been with him at other clubs and Atkins knows them inside out, so I think the criticism was aimed at some of those he has not worked with before this season. Despite the hand gesture at Lincoln the other week, Junior Agogo still appears to be in the boss's good books and well-taken goals against both Boston and Kidderminster got us a point in each game. Every successful team boasts at least one prolific striker and Agogo is on the verge of netting twenty for the season. But if his goals are only serving to rescue draws all the time, it is obvious we need to beef ourselves up at the back to stop other teams getting their noses in front. © Chris Chappell - Friday 25th February 2005 Back to Index