Squad size

[mattco]

Great result today but a few more bookings.  I hope we can stay injury and suspension free with games coming up thick and fast.  Remember that the season before last (when we finished 21st) we were 9th the week before Christmas and being talked about as likely play-off contenders.  Then the injury jinx came and we only won 3 games between Christmas and the end of the season.  We do need a few more in the squad if we are to keep pressure on the leading teams.  But roll on Preston and Shrewsbury!

[glosterred]

Going to have to bring more players in if we keep picking up silly bookings like we did today.

COYR

[BillyStubbsTears]

Very big point that you make there.

Consider the following.

In November and December, we currently have 11 league matches on the slate.

On top of that, there is the FA Cup 1st round on 1st Nov. If we were to win the first round match AND beat Chesterfield in the JPT 2nd round, we'd have two more cup matches in December.

So that's a minimum of 12 games in 59 days already fixed. Two cup wins gives us 14 games over that period. Potentially SIXTEEN games in 59 days if we were to have replays in Rd 1&2 of the Cup.

Oh aye. And if that wasn't enough, the last two games before that run are the two hardest of the season - away to Tranmere and Notts County in the space of four days in the last week of Oct.

Ever get the feeling that someone doesn't like us?

[albie]

Bookings are sometimes par for the course for defenders, taking one for the team and all that.

Pointless bookings, like verbal dissent or kicking the ball away like a kid, deserve to be punished by the club with a fine.

If we end up struggling for numbers because of avoidable suspensions, the reasons behind the problem are in view now, so lets stamp it out.

[MachoMadness]

You'd hope that now we've got rid of Pestilence the physio we'll have a bit more luck with injuries now. However, the point remains that we have an awful lot of games in a short time and the knocks are going to start piling up. Dean does say there is money to replace one or two injuries but any more than that and we'll be stretched dangerously thin again - it's a risky strategy to be sure.

Just makes you wonder what could have been if we didn't have a physio who was as helpful as a bear trap in keeping the squad fit.

[pubteam]

We picked up two bookings today for kicking the ball away. One for Bennett, and the other I can't remember, might have been Paynter. Stupid really.

[grayx]

I'd like to think Saunders has now got a few quid to play with when the need arises. And it will.

[MachoMadness]

We picked up two bookings today for kicking the ball away. One for Bennett, and the other I can't remember, might have been Paynter. Stupid really.

Aye, very silly from the pair of them. The other one was Paynter. That's not as bad as attacking minded players tend to rack up far less bookings than defenders, and all our defenders seem to have their heads screwed on right when it comes to that sort of thing. However it is still frustrating picking up silly, petulant bookings like that.

[Donnywolf]

Agreed .... some Refs let tackles go that they are unsure about but NEVER miss the chance to get a Card out (especially for "away" players) when they are dissenting or time wasting

[Chris Black come back]

2003/4 season we had probably the smallest squad we have had since returning to the league. Played a very settled side all season with the odd loan player thrown in (Brown, Melligan, Akinfenwa) and didn't struggle at all. This was a 46 game league season and arguably a tougher physical demand. Don't understand why folk seem to think we need a massive squad.

We did seem under SOD to pick up players who were either crippled when we bought them or got injured with us and stayed injured. Not the case these days and long may this continue.

[DonnyNoel]

2003/4 season we had probably the smallest squad we have had since returning to the league. Played a very settled side all season with the odd loan player thrown in (Brown, Melligan, Akinfenwa) and didn't struggle at all. This was a 46 game league season and arguably a tougher physical demand. Don't understand why folk seem to think we need a massive squad.

We did seem under SOD to pick up players who were either crippled when we bought them or got injured with us and stayed injured. Not the case these days and long may this continue.

Using nothing but my memory and a squad list from the end of that season I'd say we had 20 "significant" players that season (ignoring cover loans like Williamson and Hynes and players who didn't really feature like Patto and Jackson).

http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2003-2004/d3/doncast.htm (FWIW I counted 1-6, 8-10, 12, 14, 16-21, 23, 26, 30)

I think you've got a fair point. Players like Mulligan and Akinfenwa made telling contributions and were only signed when needed. Our bench looked very strong today but I don't really think we should be in a position again when we can't fill a bench. One more versatile defender would do me given the rate we're picking up bookings.

[Chris Black come back]

Interesting similarity as well is looking at that squad, Leo aside the furthest south our squad was from was Nottingham. Lots to be said for northern grit. Jones, McCombe, Brown, Syers, Husband, Quinn, Blake, Woods M, Paynter all good northern lads.

[Chris Black come back]

Doolan was 13 stone. Nearly three stones heavier than Paterson and two stones heavier than Greeny. What a legend that guy was. Him, Stock and Oster tremendous passers of ball in recent years.

[DonnyNoel]

Doolan was 13 stone. Nearly three stones heavier than Paterson and two stones heavier than Greeny. What a legend that guy was. Him, Stock and Oster tremendous passers of ball in recent years.

Haha, thats a different meaning of squad size. Not surprised to see Mulligan win the "I can see your ribs" award. (Assuming we're happy to accept those stats of course!)

[Chris Black come back]

Who was worse? Tomi Ameobi or Mamadou Bagayoko?

[Chris Black come back]

Dennis Souza or Habib Bamogo?

[Chris Black come back]

I suppose point is that all managers sign crap players and christ has there been some crap in the past few seasons. Metaphorically, we are still trying to wash a lot of that crap away. It is sadly refusing to budge though.

[MachoMadness]

Alun Armstrong or Lamine Diatta?

Can't wait for the Rovers Top Trumps set to come out.

[Chris Black come back]

Alun Armstrong or Lamine Diatta?

Can't wait for the Rovers Top Trumps set to come out.

Name: Paddy Wilson
Convictions: Numerous
Goals: 0
Links to Richardson regime: 9/10
Likelihood of knowing a man who could help you get something: 9/10

[Sticky-Rover]

Yes your right Chris,but not every player will be a success,and Sean did sign some very poor players,but also signed a lot of very good player's,Dean doesn't seem to have wasted a signing up to now,apart from Robbie Blake,which i hope is just the match fitness and not due to his age,he's done a very good job up to now,good team spirit,hard to beat a very competitive side,plus we seem to be steadily making progress off the field,we will come back from this relegation a much stronger club on and off the field,both came to us past there best so neither:scarf:

I haven't seen Blake do that much wrong really, he brings people into play quite well and has a good passing range. Decent back up.

[MachoMadness]

By all accounts Blake did really well when he started against Norwich and looks good when it's played into his feet. 2 years on the sidelines at Bolton looks to have affected him a lot but the technique is still there. He'll be dangerous for us when he's fully fit I reckon. It's one of those awkward catch 22 situations though where he can't get match fit because we can't play him much... because he's not fit.

[Sticky-Rover]

True, but for his age he's getting quite a decent amount of football. He doesn't really have to be that match fit because he should be able to read the game, or that's the theory anyway.

[RedJ]

be fair - at least Baga put a shift in and looked alright once fit

Ameobi looked like he'd won a contest to play football for a living

[Chris Black come back]

be fair - at least Baga put a shift in and looked alright once fit

Ameobi looked like he'd won a contest to play football for a living

Correction: Ameobi looked like he had LOST  contest to play football for a living but we signed him anyhow.