Premier development Cup

[steve@dcfd]

Another loss at the Keepmoat for a DRFC representative side against Sheffield United Academy side.
Score 1.    3.   Yet again we miss chances and can’t stop the opponents scoring. It appears at all levels at this moment in time we can’t win games at the Keepmoat even with some of the second string players who will be on the subs bench at least this weekend.

[selby]

  Unfortunately our fringe players are proving in repeated games that they are not up to the standard we require.

[DonnyOsmond]

  Unfortunately our fringe players are proving in repeated games that they are not up to the standard we require.

Our reserves aren't as good as a team in the league above us reserves? Shambles. McCann Out!

[selby]

  Donny, I am not bothered whether they are as good as Sheffield United's reserve side or not, if they were better, I would be a lot happier if when called on to replace injured first teamers, or even push them for a start, they were up to the job.
   From Christmas last season and when called on this season that has not been the case, none of them establishing themselves when given the chance, or achieving good results in the development games to warrent promotion to the first team.
  That is over a ten month period under two different managers, if you are happy with that so be it, I am not.
   Anderson, Kane, and Wilks are all better than any of our full time fringe players, if their loans are not renewed after Christmas, or are not replaced with players of their class, we will be in for the usual poor finish to the season because we have no one who are good enough to replace them at this level.

[idler]

I think that that is a fair assessment Selby and I'm sure that GM will have come to a similar conclusion.
I'm sure that most of us are concerned but we have to wait and see what solutions GM and the board come up with in January.
I'm sure that discussions about this will have already taken place.

[steve@dcfd]

  Unfortunately our fringe players are proving in repeated games that they are not up to the standard we require.

Our reserves aren't as good as a team in the league above us reserves? Shambles. McCann Out!

None of Sheffield United players were fringe players for the first team. They were majority Academy players who play week in week out in their premier league 2 development team. So yes it was disappointing yet again we couldn’t score from open play and conceded goals. Yet we are expecting May, Anderson, Crawford, Beestin and maybe Longbottom to make a difference if selected from the bench in our league games. Let not forget GM said we had strength in depth perhaps he’s having to have a rethink.

[Alan Southstand]

Steve, there's more than just GM who thought we had excellent strength in depth. I think there will be a few people who write on here that may well be having a re-think as well.

One more injury or sending off in the centre back position and we're truly up a certain creek without a paddle. It was always going to be a risky strategy going into a season with 3 centre backs!

And our squad is such that there is absolutely no leeway for the manager to make positive changes for things like this current massive loss of form. We just have to keep churning out the same 13 or 14 players and hope they pull themselves out of it. Or, at least, that is very much how it seems to me.

January is going to be a very interesting month, in more ways than one and, hopefully, we're not looking over our shoulders by then.

[Lesonthewest]

Totally agree Alan, surely GM knows now what some of us thought during the lack of activity in the summer, the squad is paper thin & it is now showing, injuries, bans etc. Taylor has done nothing for me & apart from showing the odd glimpse has been disappointing & a mistake GM needs to rectify, he has made one start & we are now almost mid November, how long do we wait for him to get fit, half the season. He was a cheap gamble that's failed for me. God forbid we get another injury to a centre back as you say, or to a certain striker for that matter. Big decisions to be made. I don't believe McCullough or Mandeville are the answer either.

[Alan Southstand]

Totally agree, Les.