As good as we were on Saturday against Yeovil, tonight we matched it – and I’d argue it was even more complete. Robbie Savage’s team seems to be improving with every passing day.
Two things stood out to me. Firstly, our press was relentless. In my view, it was the catalyst for the result. Sutton were constantly glancing to Steve Morison for guidance on how to cope with the intensity of Rovers’ pressure – an answer never came.
They struggled to leave their half, and when they did, they were immediately smothered by the luminous, seemingly unending wave of pink shirts.
I referenced it in my article on Saturday, but tonight it truly felt like there were 13 Rovers on the pitch, such was the dynamism of the XI.
Secondly, the improvement in set pieces was clear. There were numerous examples throughout the game – a sneaky free kick from Kyle McAllister set Haughton into a good position, the corner that led to the goal, and a later corner that found Clarke with acres of space. The work put in by the staff at the training ground is evident – no stone has been left unturned.
The opening goal stemmed from a smart piece of interplay between Kyle & Nick, resulting in the latter getting swept down. Honestly, from that moment, Rovers held total control & never looked back. From JMT’s stooping header, to Harry Whitwell’s’ emphatic finish, you could sense more goals on the cards as the evening chill set in on the top of the hill.
Jili’s introduction caused further havoc for the Sutton fullback & he was soon notching a further goal contribution, laying the ball for Kyle McAllister to make it 4. Even with 10 men, Rovers looked by far the more likely team to score, driven on by their manager & his staff on the touchline.
Everything is done with an impressive urgency at the club, it feels like a real culture shift amongst not only the players, but the backroom staff. Whether that be Tom in the fitness department, Jake in the medical department, the energy from the bench is undeniable.
Upon the third goal, you could feel players gaining in confidence – what’s exciting for me, is this team will get better as we move into the Autumn. We have the options in terms of quality & quantity to freshen it up throughout games, making spells like this (3 games in 6 days) not present too daunting a prospect.
All in all, a great evening at The New Lawn. The players deservingly have been given tomorrow off to recuperate, as they look forward to a trip to Halifax Town on Saturday.
Forest Green fan Tom Carter hands out the ratings following Rovers’ 4-0 victory over Sutton United.
Player Ratings
McNicholas – 8.0 – It’s tricky this one! I feel guilty for giving only a 7.5 but such was Rovers dominance, Luke again didn’t have masses to do. Everything he did do, was with a measured quality than rubbed off on his defence.
Pemberton – 8.7 – Yet another assured performance from Tre, who seems to be growing in confidence with every game. His first-half drive into the penalty area was the mark of a player who knows he belongs at this level – and has the ability to push even higher.
With the ever-impressive Mendy providing cover at full-back, Tre had the freedom to surge forward at will. It was also endearing to see him try to push through what looked like a touch of cramp late on, determined to finish the job.
Moore-Taylor – 8.9 – Another fine outing from the Rovers skipper, who opened his account for the season with an impressive stooping header. Once again, his incisive line-splitting passes caused real problems for Sutton’s midfield.
Jordan consistently picked the right option, despite having four or five teammates making themselves available every time he got on the ball – a reflection of the energy and movement in Rovers’ midfield and forward line.
Kanu – 8.5 – I felt Kanu had a flawless game. In his first game alongside JMT, I mentioned it will take time for the pair to form a bond. That bond would appear to have been formed, with the pairing barely conceding a chance, yet alone a goal. Kanu made some impressive moves into midfield & released the ball efficiently. The shorts do still make me slightly anxious though!
Kengni – 8.4 – For me, this was his best game in a Rovers shirt. I was pleased to see him retain his position in the starting XI – he justified that decision this evening. He gave his opposing winger no change all evening, while showing real aggression and creativity on the ball. My gut feeling suggests Neil is a player who will thrive with more confidence & become a real outlet for us.
Moore – 8.2 – I could probably copy & paste large parts of Isaac’s performance across his 3 Rovers appearances so far. His maturity at the heart of the Rovers engine room continues to impress me. What may go slightly under the radar, is his capacity to press, recover & then still drive on the ball.
For the 4-2-3-1 system to really dominate, your holding 6’s are pivotal – they need to be risk adverse enough to mitigate being overloaded, whilst providing an out ball in the early phases of build up. Then, out of possession, you need to be decisive in your actions, when to foul, when to sit, when to drop off. Isaac encompasses the quality to be a seriously good footballer, his progression must be pleasing.
Mendy – 8.5 – Mendy’s continued brilliant performances will go hand-in-hand with FGR’s dominance. With Isaac and Mendy anchoring midfield, it gives the No.10 total freedom to dictate play. Players like Nick, Kyle and Clarke can only thrive when someone like Mendy is there, occupying two or three opposition midfielders on his own.
You know a player is special when you sign him in the summer and already fear losing him to a higher level before the window even closes. Outstanding – and further proof that some players just need the right opportunity to shine.
Kyle McAllister – 9.5 – The highest rating of the reason thus far. I commented last time how I wanted Kyle to take the game to the opposition – and he did in some style. Electrically sharp, clever interplay & the end product to match. With 2 goals & an assist this evening, Kyles starting to move through the gears. I believe he’s not only the best footballer in this League, but possibly the league above. His game translates perfectly to higher levels of football, such is the footballing brain he possesses. You can tell Kyle is becoming more & more comfortable in this new system, which I believe will propel his levels of goal contributions beyond that of last year.
Haughton – 8.3 – Nick’s off-the-ball movement paid off inside the opening five minutes, with the Sutton defence left with no choice but to hack him down to halt his run. His addition to the squad will only become more valuable as he builds match fitness, with his composure and quality in possession dovetailing perfectly with the team’s dynamism. It’s another clear nod to the sharp level of recruitment this summer.
Clarke – 7.9 – Jayden started brightly this evening, thriving with Haughton’s inclusion in the XI, which allowed Clarke to operate on his favoured left side. He covered a huge amount of ground and once again played a major role in driving Rovers into the final third, contributing heavily to the team’s attacking momentum & frankly ridiculous amount of final third entries. Without the full data to hand, I’d be confident in saying we’ve had over 100 final third entries across the opening 3 league games – I highly doubt there’s a club in England that would be higher than that.
Mitchell – 8.2 – The Sutton centre halves grappled with Kairo endlessly through the evening. It looked as though they were looking for an early shirt swap with the Rovers centre forward, with the ref appearing to let a lot of the Sutton questionable defensive actions go. He battled hard through the evening, holding the ball up & working tirelessly to stretch the pitch. His positioning is also extremely good, he picks up tidy half spaces, evidence by his goal on the weekend.
Subs
Buyabu – 8.5 – Even as Jili was preparing to come on, you could tell he was ready to pick up exactly where he’d left off 96 hours earlier. The Sutton bench visibly grimaced, fully aware of what awaited them. He’s preposterously quick, but it’s paired with genuine technical quality. Apologies to those around me – I’ve seemingly developed a habit of becoming Jili’s biggest cheerleader whenever he gets the ball. You just know something’s about to happen.
Whitwell – 8.7 -When Robbie took the reins at The New Lawn, he promised impactful substitutions – and my word, has he delivered. Just a week on from Harry’s standout display for the Baggies, he was dazzling in pink on his home debut. Several WBA fans had told me Harry would quickly make his mark and become a regular; within 30 minutes tonight, I was convinced of the same. The only problem is, I’ve said that about 14 players this evening – the way its going, we will have 20+ players with a genuine case of starting every game.
Doidge – 7.8 – Coming on at 3–0 as a centre forward can be a tricky task, especially with FGR down to ten men just 10 minutes later. Christian was forced to drop a little deeper to compete in his duals, but once again he didn’t put a foot wrong.
Bamba & Knowles – With the duo having only around five minutes with a full complement of players, it’s tough to give a proper rating this evening. Both looked sharp on their entry, and their attacking intent was clear despite being a man down. It’s a credit to the manager that his substitutes are so eager to make an impact – both for him and the fans.
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