Let's talk about the FC United game.

[selby]

  A team in the bottom half of the Northern Premier League who have played 6 won 1 drawn 4 lost one of their league fixtures and went out of the FA trophy 3rd qualifying round 3-2  at home to Marske United last weekend.
  So on the face of it not the worst draw out of the bag we could have got, but this is a cup game, we are Doncaster Rovers, we are on the TV for a reason, and that is they want us to slip up in front of a national TV audience against a non league side  and broadcast to the rest of the country that is the romance of the cup
  As the game at Wimbledon showed, we can absolutely batter a team and not win a game of football and on Saturday the vast majority of football fans of any other club in the country want a smile on their faces at our expense.
  Well I am not for that at all, I want to go there and in front of everyone muller them, be absolutely horrible party poopers and show the world the difference in class.
   Pick our strongest side to start the game and never let them have a minute from start to finish, and get used to scoring goals.
    What's your thoughts?
   Lot's to discuss please have your say.

[dknward2]

We must play the strongest team and hopefully win if Darren wants to rest any players they should rest on the Tuesday night game.

This game is a banana skin and the fcum players will really step up.

We need to score early and not let up and give them a sniff

[RobTheRover]

Fej to get a hat-trick and kick start his confidence.

[Alan Southstand]

I hope that was sarcastic, Rob!

It would be nice to see Richards and Gomez back and have confirmation that the other 2 ‘sick notes’ are back in the running! Just what is going on with JJ and Tulloch? The latter has hardly kicked a ball in anger, yet. What were Bolton saying about young players last season?

[steve@dcfd]

Fej to get a hat-trick and kick start his confidence.

What I’ve seen so far and his body language he needs to get his head up and shooting boots on if he’s going to score another goal, 3 would be a luxury.

[SoundbiteBarmyArmy]

Going into this game, what would you say our weakness is regards attack or defence?

I'd like to think an early goal to settle us in and with the calibre of loan players we have, we can see this one out (probably just completely jinxed it!).

By the sounds of it, Bursik isn't impressing many people - I'd like to see Louis Jones given a chance.

Desperate to proceed this season, due to the potential funds we could receive. 

[Keenstonian]

Right side defence needs improving, Jones to start in goal, maybe a run out for Ravenhill?

[Campsall rover]

Need to take this game deadly seriously.

Very strong team required lets go and get some goals scored.
Financially it is imperative we make progress into the next round and then into the 3rd round as an absolute minimum.

[Bezza]

Will Sims want to cup tie himself? can see him missing this one,

[Dutch Uncle]

Will Sims want to cup tie himself? can see him missing this one,

On the other hand he might want to put himself on show on national TV for the January window?

[eastender]

Will Sims want to cup tie himself? can see him missing this one,

On the other hand he might want to put himself on show on national TV for the January window?

I think Southampton will have the final say.

[Alan Southstand]

If DM plays too many ‘fringe’ players, he could end up handing the impetus to the opposition, however there’s definitely 2 lads queuing up to start, that is Gomes and Richards. If he plays both, it disrupts the side quite a bit - Smith back in his defensive midfield role, with Richards taking the middle of the front 3 position. Gomes could replace either Sims or Taylor.

In defence, maybe keep Amos in at left back and possibly bring in Butler for a game? Halliday and Wright to take the other positions? In goal, is it worth trying young Jones?

This is the game where, if they were available, you would like to see an alternative up top, as Okenabirhie is looking like a spent force! However, that may not be at all possible, due to the lads not even being back with us, which in itself is a complete mystery to me. It seems we maybe having another ‘Sterling’ situation brewing.

All the above possible changes could/will be too many for the manager I would think, but they are all feasible.

[EasyforDennis]

If DM plays too many ‘fringe’ players, he could end up handing the impetus to the opposition, however there’s definitely 2 lads queuing up to start, that is Gomes and Richards. If he plays both, it disrupts the side quite a bit - Smith back in his defensive midfield role, with Richards taking the middle of the front 3 position. Gomes could replace either Sims or Taylor.

In defence, maybe keep Amos in at left back and possibly bring in Butler for a game? Halliday and Wright to take the other positions? In goal, is it worth trying young Jones?

This is the game where, if they were available, you would like to see an alternative up top, as Okenabirhie is looking like a spent force! However, that may not be at all possible, due to the lads not even being back with us, which in itself is a complete mystery to me. It seems we maybe having another ‘Sterling’ situation brewing.

All the above possible changes could/will be too many for the manager I would think, but they are all feasible.

Do you realise that "young Jones"  is actually older than Bursik?

[Alan Southstand]

Still ?young? and much less experienced.

[donny dave]

I would give Jones a run out and give him a run in the league games also.

[Campsall rover]

Play the strongest possible team in the FA Cup match imo.

Give Jones, Butler, Gomes, Richards ( if both fit ) and possibly any one else coming back from injury on Tuesday against Wolves in the other competition.
Is it seriously now called the Papa John trophy?

[EasyforDennis]

Still ?young? and much less experienced.

And will remain less experienced as long as we don't give him a chance.

[Campsall rover]

Still ?young? and much less experienced.

And will remain less experienced as long as we don't give him a chance.

I am just going to trust DM’s judgement on this one. It’s a difficult one but he is on the shop floor and we are not, so we have to trust in the manager on team selection.
We really can only criticise his decisions when we start losing more matches than we are winning.

[Rovers91]

I would give Jones, Butler a run out and then only other changes I would potentially make is if Richard's and Gomes are fit as they may help to improve the team. We need to go strong as money from a cup run would help the club and we dont want to be the ones that get knocked out to non league on national tele.

[Campsall rover]

Sorry to change the subject.

Why are all apostrophe’s turning into question marks? 
I am having to go back and change them after every post.

[rich1471]

Play the strongest squad avalible , the club need the money, so we need a good cup run to help balance the books in these difficult times

[sha66y]

How about you lot stop worrying over a very low placed team that shouldn?t theoretically get near our second string ..... I want to see every fringe player on that park including the young ones we kept.....this is a stroll in the park for even our weakest team , I?d let Fej get about 3-4 before subbing him at half time.....

This is not , I repeat,  NOT, ! ? a banana skin ?

and our homegrown young keeper should get a full 90 mins

6/7 nil, fej 4 and others getting a bit of shooting practice...

Lighten up you lot, ya putting too little faith in what we have on the fringes...

[since-1969]

Something is wrong when we beat quality sides and loose to teams who on paper and form are struggling . So Utd United of Manchester should have a field day ! 🍌. It?s the FA cup after all and it?s on the BBC what more needs to said ! RTiD 🤩

[Campsall rover]

How about you lot stop worrying over a very low placed team that shouldn?t theoretically get near our second string ..... I want to see every fringe player on that park including the young ones we kept.....this is a stroll in the park for even our weakest team , I?d let Fej get about 3-4 before subbing him at half time.....

This is not , I repeat,  NOT, ! ? a banana skin ?

and our homegrown young keeper should get a full 90 mins

6/7 nil, fej 4 and others getting a bit of shooting practice...

Lighten up you lot, ya putting too little faith in what we have on the fringes...

How do you know this match could not be a banana skin? Do you have the ability to see into the future?
Or are you just trying to be your usual controversial self?      

[Campsall rover]

Sha66y your talking like you have never seen Rovers play in the FA Cup before.

Since my time 1975 watching Rovers we have made the 4th round on only 3 occasions ( the last 32 ) and the 5th round once. ( the last 16 )

On one of the occasions we reached the 4th round we started in the 3rd round as we were in the Championship.

That is a pretty awful record over 46 seasons. Is it not?
In fact it is horrendous and as Brian ( Selby ) keeps pointing out must be one of the worst records in the entire Football League.

[Chris Black come back]

I am not pretending we are a glamour tie for them, but don?t forget this is a team playing in the Northern Premier League. They are despite their profile, playing at a pretty poor level. They are live on national TV and have a chance to get through to second round. They will be well up for this.

[Chris Black come back]

I would give Jones, Butler a run out and then only other changes I would potentially make is if Richard's and Gomes are fit as they may help to improve the team. We need to go strong as money from a cup run would help the club and we dont want to be the ones that get knocked out to non league on national tele.

Would agree with that. Would rest one or two and get in some solidity which is probably going to be more valuable. Would start Butler and Halliday at back. Maybe push Amos or James out to left midfield, with the other playing left back. Jones can be brought in I think. Midfield and Fejiri picks itself at present.

[selby]

CBcb, they cannot be underestimated, they play at a lower level but will mostly have been brought up in academies or at very good local sides.
  And they will want to show other sides that they can play at a higher level and will want to do well for their own pride with national coverage.
  A game we should win, but in any sport a game is never won until it is lost and pride and effort has overcome skill and ability many times in the past when the superior bigger sides have underestimated a smaller side.

[drfchound]

How about you lot stop worrying over a very low placed team that shouldn?t theoretically get near our second string ..... I want to see every fringe player on that park including the young ones we kept.....this is a stroll in the park for even our weakest team , I?d let Fej get about 3-4 before subbing him at half time.....

This is not , I repeat,  NOT, ! ? a banana skin ?

and our homegrown young keeper should get a full 90 mins

6/7 nil, fej 4 and others getting a bit of shooting practice...

Lighten up you lot, ya putting too little faith in what we have on the fringes...

Non league teams ever beat league teams do they.
I have seen posts on here berating PL teams who lost to a ?lesser? team and said it serves them right.

[steve@dcfd]

Team for me would be
                  Jones
Halliday Wright Anderson James

          Whiteman. Smith

Lokilo      Coppinger.         Sims

              Okenbhirie

Bursik John. Butler  Gomes.  Richards Taylor Williams

Could start Butler with Anderson then Wright and John could start Tuesday. Another option:

Six out the seven subs should start on Tuesday night if Gomes and Richards are fit enough for the bench on Saturday. Amos should be available Tuesday night as NI U21 game is on 17th. Let?s hope JJ and Tulloch are back then they can play their part on Tuesday. Or are their sick notes being prolonged.