Squad size

[Chris Black come back]

McCann said last night a small number of players might be moving on, and he’s got the ok from Terry and Gavin to replace them if so. We’ve got this huge squad already and if we are bringing new players in, those lads are going to be expecting to play. God knows how we keep this massive group happy.

Youth player going out on loan to a National League side this week. Probably Flint?

[Danmckay456]

I’ll be amazed if close and Westbrooke are here next month

[mushRTID]

Agree with Crew coming in.

[Move DRFC]

Close Westbrooke and Ironside 

[Ian Nimmo]

Can’t believe you are linking Ironside with the other two!

[GazLaz]

Close Westbrooke and Ironside 

I think if we moved those three on we could bring in better players. I like Westbooke but Grant appears not to.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Summary from DFP.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/grant-mccann-gives-update-on-doncaster-rovers-transfers-kyle-hurst-and-impending-departure-5237251

Guess it will depend if players want to move on or sit out their contracts, in which case loaning  them out maybe the option.

Maybe Westbrooke could be kept as a utility player.

[ncRover]

Westbrooke is one of the few players who has proven himself in League One who’s under the age of 30 in the squad

Played well with Hanlan at Bristol Rovers

[5minstogo]

Could be a case of financially. For instance we lose maybe three on lower wages and bring in one or two higher paid, better players.

[Alan Southstand]

Choose any 2 from Close, Westbrook, Hurst and S’Barra.

[selby]

  The two obvious players other teams wanted in Flint and Faulkner and to a point Brown who went to the same team as last year were and will be easy to get out to another club because of what they did in loans last season and are seen as players who can improve even more than the level they are at now.
  Most of the other fringe players have either gone out and been underwhelming or have been bench warmers here and not that well thought of by our own supporters on here.
  Why would other teams want them?

[NickDRFC]

  The two obvious players other teams wanted in Flint and Faulkner and to a point Brown who went to the same team as last year were and will be easy to get out to another club because of what they did in loans last season and are seen as players who can improve even more than the level they are at now.
  Most of the other fringe players have either gone out and been underwhelming or have been bench warmers here and not that well thought of by our own supporters on here.
  Why would other teams want them?

Just because a player doesn’t fit into a system at one club, or has even been out of favour, doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t work out for them elsewhere.

[selby]

  Hurst and Close had poor loans last season.

[Barmby Rover]

Can’t believe you are linking Ironside with the other two!

Quite easily done, he was nothing but a liability last season. He spend more time wrestling with centre halves rather than trying to get in a position to get the ball. If there is not improvement he should be shipped out at Xmas.

[GazLaz]

  Hurst and Close had poor loans last season.

Close was decent at Eastleigh.

[grayx]

Can’t believe you are linking Ironside with the other two!

Ironside was very poor last season tbf

[selby]

  Close was our best paid player a couple of years ago, his new contract will not be as good, but I would have thought places like  Eastleigh would not be paying his full wages, and if you say he did OK there I would hardly expect doing just OK at Eastleigh would attract many this season unless he was cheap, or desperate which I doubt at this time of the year.
  Loans at this time of the year are usually for players you really want, like our supporters want Crew.

[Move DRFC]

Ironside got 4 in 39 last year in the division below and was crap. Bin.

[In the box]

Ironside got 4 in 39 last year in the division below and was crap. Bin.

Being carrying an injury apparently..last season .

[steve@dcfd]

Ironside got 4 in 39 last year in the division below and was crap. Bin.

How many games did he start and he had an injury
He may not start many games this year but him leaving is down to GM and Joe himself and a club that wants him.
I would love to see Street but that down to the player GM us paying a good transfer fee and Lincoln accepting it.

[Alan Southstand]

Ironside, when fit, is a handful for most defenders, has been in L2 and (with a previous club) in L1. Keep, for me, unless Street wants game time and joins us on loan!

The department that needs strengthening is midfield. Yes, we’ve now got Gotts, which helps, but there’s room for Crew - but it looks like someone has to go for that to happen.

[Avsuptem]

A fit Joe Ironside scored 20 goals in 45 games for us in 23/24 so you would have thought it would not be too difficult to find another home for him. 

[Usher wide.]

We don’t have a striker who can hold the ball up like Joe & bring others into play.

I think he’ll get more game time this season & if he can get a couple of goals ‘early on’ it’ll give him a new lease of life.

[GazLaz]

We don’t have a striker who can hold the ball up like Joe & bring others into play.

I think he’ll get more game time this season & if he can get a couple of goals ‘early on’ it’ll give him a new lease of life.

Hanlan is good in that role.

[Chris Black come back]

Ironside has been a real asset to us but is time catching up with him? He’s 32 in October and his last full season in League One delivered four goals in open play. He’s a tough old warhorse so you’d be brave to write him off but this is going to be a different level to what we have seen for many years. League One is very strong.

[boro_rover]

Ironside was very poor last year, carrying an injury or not. I think he hit his purple patch the season before last and won’t ever replicate it. His record before joining us was hardly that of a prolific striker. If we are looking at progressing as a team I think Joe’s time has come.

[ncRover]

Ironside was very poor last year, carrying an injury or not. I think he hit his purple patch the season before last and won’t ever replicate it. His record before joining us was hardly that of a prolific striker. If we are looking at progressing as a team I think Joe’s time has come.

If goals scored is the only way you're measuring a centre forward's contribution to the team I suggest you don't look at Hanlan's record!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We don’t have a striker who can hold the ball up like Joe & bring others into play.

I think he’ll get more game time this season & if he can get a couple of goals ‘early on’ it’ll give him a new lease of life.

We've got to hope it's an injury that turned his performances downwards. His percentage of holding up the ball and bringing others into play must be really low, when you think of the duals he goes into. I'm guessing 50% will result in a foul one way or another, he might win 25% but only complete a pass to a teammate 15% of those. By the time he's dualed for it, won it, then laid it off, defenders are back in position and momentum is lost.

As others have said, we don't want a centre forward who grapples with defenders, we need a centre forward who defenders can't get hold of.

We aspire to play fast paced football, why on earth do we need anyone to hold it up? (in the traditional sense).

[Chris Black come back]

McCann said last night a small number of players might be moving on, and he’s got the ok from Terry and Gavin to replace them if so. We’ve got this huge squad already and if we are bringing new players in, those lads are going to be expecting to play. God knows how we keep this massive group happy.

Youth player going out on loan to a National League side this week. Probably Flint?

Flint has gone to Gateshead on loan for the season. National League football, good move for him.