Let's talk about the Lincoln City game

[selby]

An old adversary we have not played for a while, due to quite a few years out of the league, but now seem to be on a mission going the other way up the pyramid.
  A team that has a couple of our ex players in in Harry Toffolo and Jason Shackle, and have probably the most saught after management duo in ex school teachers the Cowley brothers at the helm.
  Their team is full of respected lower division players such as Grant, Eardly, Bostwick, and other players we have come up against in the past with other sides, and know that they deserve the utmost respect for what they have achieved over the last few seasons, and are a team used  to winning and scoring quite a number of goals.
  A very hard game in prospect, and a true test of if we can push for a top half finish or even better, and no prospect of them claiming to be too tired to play a game.
  My past experience of games between the sides are not the best memories I have of watching the Rovers, Lincoln very rarely letting us take the points in the games I attended in the past, hopefully things will start to change this coming weekend although they seem to have adapted to the step up a league look easy up to now.
     Unless we do sign another front man, I think we will go with much the same starting line up to last week now the Bolton game has not gone ahead.
   Who wins the battle in midfield will be crucial, and Whiteman and Sheaf will have to step up their game from last week.
    Would you make changes?
    Are you expecting a large away following?
    After the disappointment of the Bolton postponement are you looking forward to this game?
    Do you expect any more signings before this game?
    Lot's to discuss, please have your say.

[Padge_DRFC]

Sheaf needs to start getting to the actual pace of the game and start putting himself about. White man carrying him so far

[selby]

  I agree to a point with his passing Padge, but I don't think he is a shrinking violet, and has put in some robust tackles, so don't see a problem there. A bit more urgency when in possession  yes I can agree on.
 He did well as an emergency central defender, and looks to have a good range of passing, but under hits them at times and looks casual, he will learn, and get used to the pace at this level I am sure, and will be a big asset when he does.

[drfchound]

Whiteman hasn’t been at his best yet, in fact he was very dodgy against Fleetwood.
However, we all know how good he can be and players don’t lose their class.
Lincoln are very much on a roll right now and will be a tough opponent.
We have won the last twice we have played them, in fact they have only defeated us once in the last twenty years.
We should start with the same eleven that began the last match.
We are beginning to get a few players together now that can push for first team spots so things are on the up for us.
I guess that as things are just now a draw would be a reasonable outcome for us and I dare say that Lincoln will probably be happy with that outcome too.

[Barmby Rover]

A win for Rovers here, the pace will increase and players are getting to know each other's game. They will outpace Shackel etc and cause chaos in their defence.

[dknward2]

They are losing to mk Dons at the moment hopefully we can take advantage

[john_donc857]

Watched their game tonight and although they lost they were superb. Tremendous energy levels, much fitter than mk dons .  Shackel was unlucky not to score, hitting the bar with the last kick of the game. It’s going to be a really tough game Saturday and they’ll be bringing a few with them

[drfchound]

It will be good to have a busy away end.
Gillingham didn’t bring many and Fleetwood brought a couple of mini busses with their fans in.

[NewDonny]

We could hope that Huddersfield make an approach for the Cowley Brothers between now and then and they are off there.

Perfectly plausible!

[since-1969]

We could hope that Huddersfield make an approach for the Cowley Brothers between now and then and they are off there.

Perfectly plausible!

It’s Chemistry I can’t see them leaving . They are a phenomenon like congenital twins who think and feel the same things at the same time . It has to be the subject of science experiment at Porten Down .

[RoversAlias]

I think Lincoln will run out of steam, perhaps not this early in the season but at some stage they will.

It'll be a very tough game on Saturday but we have the capability to match them. I'm hopeful of a strong performance.

[roversdude]

Cowley whinging that we have an advantage with having not played on Tuesday

[drfchound]

Cowley whinging that we have an advantage with having not played on Tuesday

Getting the excuses in early?
Perhaps he should write to the EFL.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Valid point in some ways though we would argue the preparation isn't the best given the mess Bolton created.  I also think we'll get better with games so it damages us as another game helps the team gel.

[deebee]

Sheaf needs to start getting to the actual pace of the game and start putting himself about. White man carrying him so far

Bit racist that!

[RoversAlias]

Cowley whinging that we have an advantage with having not played on Tuesday

He should just get his club to call it off citing player welfare - they've had to play more than us this week after all!

[roversdude]

To be fair he did allude to that (tongue in cheek) stating he only has 18 players and as they played last night they may be tired so call it off on Friday, having listened again despite the dig about us being fresher it made sense and had a dig at EFL

[donnievic]

Having watch sum of last nights game they do look like full of energy and like to get men forward quickly but we’re left short at the back at times

[Colemans Left Hook]

that pensioner Shackell played again last night  for Lincoln he scored a header on Saturday after being out for a long while -- i expect them to drop down the league  having managed to win a few early. He must be a certainty for a booking against fast players. 

by the way did anybody see coventrys equaliser bloke hit it from a corner in the box and 2 portsmouth players both let it go through their legs -- these things happen in football even when you have 9 men -- if the luck is with you -- let's see if Lincoln had luck at the start of the season (yes one was 4-0)

[Donnywolf]

A win for Rovers here, the pace will increase and players are getting to know each other's game. They will outpace Shackel etc and cause chaos in their defence.

A defence with 3 ex Rovers in it ? Toffolo Shackell and Lewis or am I out of touch as usual ?
Shackell has been pasted already in this thread but what do we think of the other 2 ?

[selby]

  Toffolo looked to be just getting into it when he picked up a bad injury at Oxford I think it was, and drifted  out of it. Lewis never played again I think after the  Luton game away last season, substituted at half time in that game, and might have come on as a sub in a game later on but not quite sure. At MK Dons  Toffolo was voted MOM for his performance in that game, overlapping and getting good reviews.
   After the game at Luton Lewis came in for some stick as not good enough, although on the day nobody played well and Blair in front of him had a nightmare, giving the ball away constantly and out of position, with the Charlton game away it was Blair's worst game of the season constantly leaving him with two players coming at him on a charge.
  Both players are decent defenders, with some pace, Lewis is small in stature, so a match for May, but Luton constantly flighted the ball at him in that game.
  Looks like they have done well for themselves since leaving here.
  Shackle I am hoping is nothing like he was when he played for Barnsley's nursery team.

[Donnywolf]

Lewis chopped that bloke at Luton I seem to recall over to our right and so maybe went off to avoid going to 10 men

I didnt think he was pulling up any trees so will probably play out of his skin now

[RoversAlias]

I doubt Lewis will trouble us at all, he'll be sat on the bench.

[drfchound]

Shackell was a superb CB in his heyday but haven’t seen him for quite a while.
He will probably be at least as good as Andy Butler though, very good still.
Toffolo and Lewis didn’t really shine for us but if Lewis does play, what odds on May scoring a header.

[Chris Black come back]

He is knocking on a bit but surprising he dropped down to Lincoln City when he did. Could have wrung an extra year or two from someone in Championship I reckon.

[Al4475]

I think they can pay decent wages which helps. I was speaking to Liam Scully not long after they'd signed frecklington - they pulled him from right under Steve Evans' nose - Scully was well-chuffed! Lol

[normal rules]

Sadly, I’ll predict there will be bother off field for this one. This is a game the Lincoln trouble element will have been looking forward to for the wrong reasons. The first train into donny will be chocker with those looking for confrontation. The early ko will dampen it a bit, but all the signs were there a couple seasons ago when we played them in a pre season, which turned out to be anything but friendly on Lincoln High Street.
They have a substantial number willing to have a row also.

[Pancho Regan]

White man carrying him so far

Careful Padge, could be seen as racist abuse by TLO Joey Barton

[Pancho Regan]

Sheaf needs to start getting to the actual pace of the game and start putting himself about. White man carrying him so far

Bit racist that!

Sorry deebee.... didn’t read your post!

[5 on Tour]

White man carrying him so far

Careful Padge, could be seen as racist abuse by TLO Joey Barton

Joey Barton is the pinnacle of all things fair and just in this world. He is a shining beacon of what we should all aspire to be... or at least that’s the general message he tries to put across in his interviews!