Let's talk about the Grimsby Town game

[selby]

 Tuesday night's game could be much more important than usual in this competition, lose and it carries on our poor form, and with another hard game away at Leyton Orient next Saturday, and a certain Mr Wellens no doubt keen as mustard to put one over us, could be part of a worrying fall from grace.
  So I am of the mind this game has more going for it as regards our well being than normal in this competition and as a whole for the season ahead. and treat it with more respect than teams seem to do and we need to look to get a result.
  The normal way we and others treat these games is to mix the team around the squad and not always pick the clubs strongest side with fringe players coming in and even youths never to be seen again at first team level.
  Personally I would go strong from the start in this game, probably start the same team as yesterday injury allowing, We are not in form, we use at least 14/15 players a game and we have had no real  consistency of team selection from the start of the season some because of form and injury, but a lot of tinkering on top during games and team selection, which is all right when things are going well, but doesn't help when they are not.
  Apart from that watching games most of the players brought in apart from  Middleton and O'Riordon have hardly pushed my admiration button and watching Grimsby this season know they are a big useful side that are well organised and physical, if they go strong they are a team to show respect to.
  So easy, what would you do, has anyone done enough to shove for a start, McGrath possibly but has been so so this season and misses Olowu's covering pace alongside him, The keeper position reversed is a normal change, personally if O'Riordon is injured I would stick with Pearson's experience alongside Grehan  at the start of the game just to talk him through it to start with, Grimsby quick and Physical up front.
  Lot's to discuss, lots on what usually is deemed an annoyance to some, which it certainly is not to clubs that get to the final. Please have your say.

[steve@dcfd]

TLT in goal
Grehan is on international duty therefore he won’t be available for Grimsby or Orient
Sterry injured hes not available for about 5 weeks
Therefore we will have to be careful with Nixon
ORiordan who has got my admiration and has been our best defender with more pace than Olowu had last year, will he be fit for either Grimsby or Orient
Pearson and McGrath may have to play both games
Senior I would think will play against Grimsby
Midfield Broadbent Bailey is Gotts fit give him a game
All the new signings need games result or not against Grimsby
Ajayi Hanlan Middleton and Olusanya will need play some part if not the full game.

Subs
Who Evers available plus young professionals

[Chris Black come back]

We should be starting with a front three of Ajayi, Hanlan and Olusanya. Cannot expect them to get up to speed playing final 15 minutes of each game.

[selby]

 I would start the same forward line as yesterday if fit, we need to get back on it with our best players IMHO, and playing games is the only way to get back confidence in your own game.
  Like yesterday the players can be replaced after an hour or so, realistically by players who have not shown a lot in previous games.
  At Tottenham and yesterday we have done a lot of switching about, no player has been overworked apart from Bailey, and he thrives on it.

[selby]

 After beating Everton u23s a win would see us through most likely
and like last season keeps interest in cup football later in the season with the FA cup to come.
  The two cup competitions were the base we built our late league run in on and gave the club a lift.
  We need to try and replicate it again.

[Alan Southstand]

We’ve got to do something to stop this Jekyll & Hyde performances, but what that is, God only knows! From looking like a top half L1 side in the first half to a relegation National league side in the 2nd half is worrying. GM has to do some soul searching and take some of the responsibility for Saturday’s shambolic second half and put an end to it. There are certain players in our squad that just simply can’t be relied on right now and giving them more game time may well end up exacerbating the problem still further!

Fair enough, Tuesday is not a league game and we’re not going to lose yet more points, but something needs working on for Saturday’s difficult trip to Orient.

Imho, GM has very little to pick from up the top end of the pitch. Our best 3 all played on Saturday, with only Middleton looking like good enough to take one of those places, possibly for Mols, who got clobbered at the end of Saturday’s game. In midfield, Broadbent will probably come in and, hopefully, a fully fit Gotts alongside the ever-present Bailey.

Defensively, again hopefully, O’Riordan can come in alongside McGrath, flanked by Senior and Nixon. TLT back in goal.

[Thorney]

Unfortunatly we are too early in the season and too far away from January to be fully casting ajayi, olusanya and hanlon aside.

So we need to use them because we cannot give the others 90mins every game.

So a vertu trophy game is a chance to use them as much as possible and hopefully something clicks with them. 

[roversdude]

Do we have any youth team centre half’s who can step up/not out on loan as we are if O’Riordan is not fit down to 2

[donnyguy]

Sam Straughan-Brown In contention to play. His loan deal says he can play for rovers in this cup.

[donnyguy]

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/news/2025/october/06/pre-match--straughan-brown-looking-to-shine-in-vertu-trophy-tie/

[dknward2]

As he has done the pre match interview I would say he is probably at 95 percent chance to start

[steve@dcfd]

Listening to Cliff, Sam trains with the squad about 3 days a week so he may get his chance tomorrow also Will although being full time he doesn’t train with us in the week.
There was no guarantee they would start the game but they should be involved
9 subs in this game so they should get on the bench at least.
I’m hoping Bobby Gotts will be available as well for this game

[NigelJ]

I see we've got Oldham in the cup again...this time as referee!

[Alan Southstand]

O’R back on the grass, as is Clifton (albeit behind O’R), which is good news.

[drfchound]

Good on both counts then.
I think that Clifton is much more important to the function of the team than many people think.

[Alan Southstand]

Agreed ‘hound, but why we havn’t seen Gotts more is a mystery! I appreciate he was pulled at Luton, but there was no mention of an injury in GM’s presser prior to the Burton game.

[steve@dcfd]

Good on both counts then.
I think that Clifton is much more important to the function of the team than many people think.

Yes that’s the case but Gotts injury has not allowed him to gain game time to show what he really can do.

[drfchound]

Like many, I haven’t seen much of Gotts, but I have been impressed with what I have seen.

[sedwardsdrfc]

I’d try playing 442 with Hanlan and Olusanya up top. We don’t look like we have a forward who can play on their own up there so let’s give them a chance. Hopefully would be a standing point to build from.

I’d go
       TLT
Nixon Pearson Mcgarth Senior
Ajaiy Gotts Broadbent Middleton
           Hanlan Olusanya

[selby]

  Could well be an interesting addition to the squad tonight that FA rules allow as well as Sam. I hope so anyway.

[GazLaz]

I can see us playing a pretty strong team as a kick up the arse to the players after recent results.

[steve@dcfd]

Is it a kick up the arse or that on a consistent basis the players can’t keep producing their brand of football in league 1. The front three of Molyneux Sharp and Gibson are possibly the best three but chances for goals have not been taken.
The midfield can produce good football but once harassed and closed down then that goes away. Burton on Saturday brought on three subs at halftime and produced a better performance with a high press that we could not cope with.  Is the level of an opponent higher therefore it begs the question is the overall team and squad good enough to meet the expectations

[scawsby steve]

  Could well be an interesting addition to the squad tonight that FA rules allow as well as Sam. I hope so anyway.

Could possibly be Will Flint, according to the DFP.

[jmt23]

Not the ideal team to play when we are in the midst of a confidence issue and need a win to stop the slum,  and of course appease the fans. They are in decent form, but I suppose it depends on changes made.
Just go for goals and build the confidence, play the strikers we have bought in for a full game, let them find their feet.

[GazLaz]

Not the ideal team to play when we are in the midst of a confidence issue and need a win to stop the slum,  and of course appease the fans. They are in decent form, but I suppose it depends on changes made.
Just go for goals and build the confidence, play the strikers we have bought in for a full game, let them find their feet.

They’ve picked the reserves. Pretty strong side from us.

[scawsby steve]

Not the ideal team to play when we are in the midst of a confidence issue and need a win to stop the slum,  and of course appease the fans. They are in decent form, but I suppose it depends on changes made.
Just go for goals and build the confidence, play the strikers we have bought in for a full game, let them find their feet.

They’ve picked the reserves. Pretty strong side from us.

Apart from the forward line. Let's hope they surprise us.

[Alan Southstand]

Not the ideal team to play when we are in the midst of a confidence issue and need a win to stop the slum,  and of course appease the fans. They are in decent form, but I suppose it depends on changes made.
Just go for goals and build the confidence, play the strikers we have bought in for a full game, let them find their feet.

They’ve picked the reserves. Pretty strong side from us.

Are you sure, Gaz?

[ncRover]

Danny Rose is always a bloody pest against us

[Filo]

Not the ideal team to play when we are in the midst of a confidence issue and need a win to stop the slum,  and of course appease the fans. They are in decent form, but I suppose it depends on changes made.
Just go for goals and build the confidence, play the strikers we have bought in for a full game, let them find their feet.

They’ve picked the reserves. Pretty strong side from us.

There’s only 2 starters from Saturday for us

[Barmby Rover]

A decent strength side with a strong bench if we need them.