I see this U23 game was not reported by DRFC.

[steve@dcfd]

I have not seen mentioned on Twitter or DRFC site that we played an away tie in the U23 cup against Blackburn Rovers on Monday night.

We put out a stronger side and still got beat.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/december/u23s-report-doncaster-rovers-pl-cup/

[The Red Baron]

Pretty poor effort really. I thought the Ressies were playing Port Vale today but I haven't seen any mention of it.

[steve@dcfd]

Pretty poor effort really. I thought the Ressies were playing Port Vale today but I haven't seen any mention of it.

Yes poor effort by the team chosen and poor effort by the media side of DRFC.

[selby]

Apart from the youngsters and Marosi, most of the rest have disappointed every time they have been given a chance, Mansfield,Notts County, Newcastle u21s now Blackburn u23s.
   They are proving just not good enough to be back up players to the first team.

[drfchound]

Why do you say it was a stronger team?
Stronger than wahat?
Marosi and Wilks are the only two players who have had any regular first team outing for us this season.

[steve@dcfd]

Why do you say it was a stronger team?
Stronger than wahat?
Marosi and Wilks are the only two players who have had any regular first team outing for us this season.

Last team in the development Cup was not as strong as this one that’s why.

[Colemans Left Hook]

Pretty poor effort really. I thought the Ressies were playing Port Vale today but I haven't seen any mention of it.

Yes poor effort by the team chosen and poor effort by the media side of DRFC.

you've just let the cat out of the bag we were trying to keep it quiet and sign their striker on loan along with Scott Minto

a Nuttall & Minto  strikeforce would be a mouthful for teams to swallow

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Bah, humbug!

[RoversAlias]

Never before this season have I ever seen fans criticise the reserves for not winning games against other reserve sides, yet now it seems every game is an excuse to say our squad isn't strong enough. Whats it all about? Nobody ever gave a toss what our second XI was doing until recently.

[steve@dcfd]

Our philosophy is to develop players and progress for the first team. It was started by DF and was supposed to be continued by GM and his staff. So from U18 level to Reserves we appear to be failing with developing players. Even first team squad players are not even showing their qualities in these games. Therefore having  lost the head of the academy and not appearing to have the finances to go into academy 2 status is it worth continuing down this path of supposedly developing young players.

[drfchound]

Very few lads come through our academy to become regular first team players.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Yet our U18 seem to win every week? why isn't there a thread on here every time that happens?

the club really started to push this development thing a couple of years ago but it takes a bit longer to see the benefits of that at 1st team level. And results really don't matter in reserve football in fact i'd often expect a team full of good hungry u18 to beat one with more experience who are there for the fitness and not to get injured.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Very few lads come through our academy to become regular first team players.

Very few lads come through any academy in divisions lower than the championship. A few exceptions but generally the bigger clubs hoover up all the talent and starve the other local clubs. Should we stop trying to do the right thing because of this i'm not sure. If we want to one day be a bigger club we have to try and act in the right way

[dickos1]

The last 4/5 years we have had more players being involved in the first team than I can remember in all my time watching rovers.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Never before this season have I ever seen fans criticise the reserves for not winning games against other reserve sides, yet now it seems every game is an excuse to say our squad isn't strong enough. Whats it all about? Nobody ever gave a toss what our second XI was doing until recently.

Same few folk who said we didn't have the strength in depth to mount a challenge. 20 games later, we're well placed, so if they can't prove that, let's look at the youth/development level!

Losing development games, doesn't necessarily mean we haven't got sufficient players who can step up when required. The result on Monday is insignificant if it served a purpose.

[RoversAlias]

Never before this season have I ever seen fans criticise the reserves for not winning games against other reserve sides, yet now it seems every game is an excuse to say our squad isn't strong enough. Whats it all about? Nobody ever gave a toss what our second XI was doing until recently.

Same few folk who said we didn't have the strength in depth to mount a challenge. 20 games later, we're well placed, so if they can't prove that, let's look at the youth/development level!

Losing development games, doesn't necessarily mean we haven't got sufficient players who can step up when required. The result on Monday is insignificant if it served a purpose.

Bang on Baz. Surely we should expect our U23s to get beat by the development squad of a club with the resources of Blackburn?

[scawsby steve]

Apart from the youngsters and Marosi, most of the rest have disappointed every time they have been given a chance, Mansfield,Notts County, Newcastle u21s now Blackburn u23s.
   They are proving just not good enough to be back up players to the first team.

Bring back McCullough and Mandeville; along with National Service, the Black and White Minstrels, and the Billy Cotton Band Show.

[selby]

   Taylor, Beestin, Ben Khemis are supposed to be way beyond the development stage, and that is almost a third of the outfield players, and are seen as backup players for the first team., and their failure in this game at reserve level is not the first this season.
   Could it be not showing the right attitude? or not being able to get about the field? or just not good enough?

[dickos1]

They’re back up players though, put one in the first team and they’ll be fine as they’ve all proven in the past, when they’ve played individually in the first team

[sedwardsdrfc]

May played in plenty of the other games we lost and has come into the starting 11 and done enough to keep Wilks out. Nothing to say Beestin etc can't do that when they get the chance either. As Dickos says the reality is one or two at a time will need to step up not a full 11.

If a 3rd division team has a reserve 11 as good as their 1st choice 11 then their 1st choice 11 isn't going to be very good! Said it before i'd rather have a smaller squad with greater quality all day long.

[selby]

  So would I Sedward, but it looks as if we are going to have to do some trading in January to achieve it.

[sedwardsdrfc]

  So would I Sedward, but it looks as if we are going to have to do some trading in January to achieve it.

eh achieve what? a reserve 11 as good as our 1st 11? not really what I was saying if thats what your getting at

[RedJ]

Suppose the fact that we're 7th doesn't show we have a good enough squad to compete then does it?...

[NickDRFC]

Never before this season have I ever seen fans criticise the reserves for not winning games against other reserve sides, yet now it seems every game is an excuse to say our squad isn't strong enough. Whats it all about? Nobody ever gave a toss what our second XI was doing until recently.

It’s only the same few who keep saying it regularly rather than the majority seeing it as an issue.

[steve@dcfd]

Suppose the fact that we're 7th doesn't show we have a good enough squad to compete then does it?...

Yes we have about 15/16 players who can be judged as good enough for the first team squad. That was my opinion and the manage has reiterated that this morning in a free press interview. So eleven selected on Saturday plus 4/5 others which will include I believe no facts. Marosi, Wright, Coppinger, Crawford, Wilks and maybe Amos. That’s the reason GM is looking to bring in 2/3 players in the transfer window.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/doncaster-rovers-two-new-signings-already-lined-up-for-january-1-9478064/amp?__twitter_impression=true

[selby]

  Dickos, you will get away a couple of times with players who are not good enough, until opposition managers start to target the weakness, then it is much more difficult to cover the weakness. When two or three are required to play because of injury etc. like the end of the last couple of  seasons, and numerous second team games this season, we are found out because the collective is not good enough.

[vaya]

Suppose the fact that we're 7th doesn't show we have a good enough squad to compete then does it?...

Yes we have about 15/16 players who can be judged as good enough for the first team squad. That was my opinion and the manage has reiterated that this morning in a free press interview. So eleven selected on Saturday plus 4/5 others which will include I believe no facts. Marosi, Wright, Coppinger, Crawford, Wilks and maybe Amos. That’s the reason GM is looking to bring in 2/3 players in the transfer window.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/doncaster-rovers-two-new-signings-already-lined-up-for-january-1-9478064/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Although just to re-iterate, the current first team squad is good enough to have us 7th in the table, just outside the play-offs, unbeaten in six games and comfortably through to the next round of the cup, irrespective of how the U23s, U18s, U5s or Ticket Office pub quiz team are doing.

[selby]

  Vaya, I can remember leaving the Southend ground in January just a couple of seasons ago, after a very good display thinking we will get in the playoffs, and if we play like that we could go up automatically, and I think we were that evening in sixth position.
  The manager then switched to a system of play that clearly did not suit the players we had. Players who had scored goals before January stopped scoring at all, other lesser players were picked who had been fringe players before Christmas, the manager showed his obstinacy, and we ended up being relegated.
   If we stand still, and it looks with today's news of new players being brought in, the manager has the same views,we could very easily have our what has become the norm in recent seasons poor end to a season.
  The next six/seven weeks, and the business we do with regard to players both coming to and leaving the club will determine our progress.

[Alan Southstand]

What we also need to be very mindful about is the fact that so many of our first team squad are up for contract renewals, so it's not beyond the reams of possibility that we could lose 1or 2 in January. And then there's the Kane situation to keep an eye on.

Hopefully, all will be ok and we will kick on.

[dickos1]

  Vaya, I can remember leaving the Southend ground in January just a couple of seasons ago, after a very good display thinking we will get in the playoffs, and if we play like that we could go up automatically, and I think we were that evening in sixth position.
  The manager then switched to a system of play that clearly did not suit the players we had. Players who had scored goals before January stopped scoring at all, other lesser players were picked who had been fringe players before Christmas, the manager showed his obstinacy, and we ended up being relegated.
   If we stand still, and it looks with today's news of new players being brought in, the manager has the same views,we could very easily have our what has become the norm in recent seasons poor end to a season.
  The next six/seven weeks, and the business we do with regard to players both coming to and leaving the club will determine our progress.

The manager didn’t switch the system after that game at all, results went to shit, players performances dropped and after a while we changed things in an attempt to stop the rot