FA CUP - Rovers v Lincoln

[Gray]

So many new experiences this season! The draw for the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup has just been made and we've got Lincoln at home. Looking at some of the smaller teams still in the draw there could have been really interesting ties against some real minnows. I would have liked to have drawn Chorley purely for personal / family reasons! My local club where my son plays, Coventry Sphinx, was only recently knocked out, they play in the Midland League Premier (about the 8th tier I think!).

For a club spending our first year in 93 out of the league our priority has to be promotion this season rather than a cup run, however I would like to progress a few rounds and see how this team stacks up against league opposition.

Tie to be played on 24th October.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

This is not the easiest tie we could have had, but we should be confident of beating any non-league team at home. However, while a good cup run would be good for the fans and the coffers, I would not cry if we lost this one as I'm not sure we have the squad to contest three competitions effectively. We've got much more chance of a good run in the FA Trophy.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

About as tough a draw as we could get at this stage, but at least we are at home. I don't want to lose any game, but the FA Cup is very much secondary to the league for me this season.

It would have been nice to have the romance of a game against one of the real minnows, but perhaps we will get that in the first round.

 

[Boz]

Disappointing draw, like RLC would have opted for an unfamiliar lower league opponent and would like Rovers to make the first round proper at least.

I think that some of the later rounds of the FA Trophy are played the same day as and take priority over National League games. Hence wouldn't be gutted by an early exit from that.

 

[Ian]

No interest in cups this season. Keep the focus on the league.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

No interest in cups this season. Keep the focus on the league.

Bet you change your mind if we win a couple of games in either competition! But I don't believe we have the strength in depth yet to mount a challenge for promotion, never mind the cups.

 

[drwhoman]

I agree BBTC. It would be really great if the youth team conveyor belt started moving again. I wonder how we build strength in depth when we are simply relying on solid but not outstanding players on short term contracts. There must be a limit to Mark's wallet I would have thought. Maybe Gary will need to think about blooding a few of the young guys later in the season if it is clear that we are unlikely to be promoted. I hope this does not sound too pessimistic as even if we were promoted we would have exactly the same problem. We loose a few key players and we are struggling. Thanks for the 'heads up' on Dawson by the way.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I agree BBTC. It would be really great if the youth team conveyor belt started moving again. I wonder how we build strength in depth when we are simply relying on solid but not outstanding players on short term contracts. There must be a limit to Mark's wallet I would have thought. Maybe Gary will need to think about blooding a few of the young guys later in the season if it is clear that we are unlikely to be promoted. I hope this does not sound too pessimistic as even if we were promoted we would have exactly the same problem. We loose a few key players and we are struggling. Thanks for the 'heads up' on Dawson by the way.

Ironically, we probably have the best crop of youngsters for a while, but they are not quite ready for the first team and to blood them now in this campaign would not help anyone. We will probably have to loan them out first to get more experience. As an ex-youth team coach at Everton, you should expect that Gary will know how to handle them.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

No word yet on the team for Saturday. It must be tempting for Gary to play some of the fringe players to give them a run-out, but I'd rather he kept the momentum going by fielding an unchanged side with the exception of Steve McNulty for Martin Riley. We have started a four-week spell with no midweek games (unless Saturday's game is drawn), so there's no point in resting players.

I have a slightly uneasy feeling about this game and am not confident of a win. But if we do win, we must have a good chance of a good cup run. Since the draw was made we have strengthened the side quite a bit.

 

[Ian]

We don't have that much in reserve for GB to change things around too much. I think we'll win this one by a few.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think this will be a very tough game as Lincoln are on a great run at present and are a big, physical team. Matt Rhead is a handful and is scoring pretty much every game at the moment. The battle between him and McNulty will be interesting to say the least: the irresistible force meets the immovable object.

Liam Hogan misses out following his operation, his treatment deliberately timed to coincide with a period when we have fewer league games. McNulty will replace him, but otherwise I would expect we will be unchanged from last Saturday. The home debut of GTF and Big Mac should put a few hundred extra on what will be a pretty small gate I would imagine.

Tricky opponents, but we should have enough quality to get the job done.

 

[Ian]

I hope it is a physical battle so we can see what difference mcnulty makes .

 

[Boz]

As Ian says, we don't have many fringe players, while BBTC is right to point out the lighter schedule at this period of the year. GB has also made comment about the Cup being important to us, so all these factors suggest a strong starting xi. Personally I'd rather Sutton than Riley alongside McNulty, although Riley was apparently MoM at Forest Green.

I agree the Rhead v McNulty battle of the giants will have a big impact on how the game turns out. The new signings, discounted tickets and retro theme may bolster the crowd a little, but not expecting more than 3k. I think it will be an entertaining tie, 3-2/2-2/2-3 the most likely outcomes.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Frustrating. While it was not a great performance today, we played enough good football and created enough chances to have won the game, particularly in the first half. However, if you don't score you don't win and we were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net at times. GTF again showed his quality, but on occasions he got into great areas and chose to set somebody else up when he would have been better shooting himself. I think today's game showed how much we miss Mangan. You can have all the good approach play in the world but finishing is the most difficult skill in football.

The first half display was better than the second, as were particularly flat for 25 minutes after half time. Both GTF and McNulty showed what they will bring to the side in the coming weeks. Elsewhere, I thought Jay Harris in particular had a decent game today. Marlon Jackson again showed why he is not good enough, consistently getting into dangerous areas but failing to produce a final ball. Riley and McNulty seemed a decent partnership at the back, with the former quicker and more mobile, the latter good in the air and reading the game well. As expected, Lincoln were physical and direct but only really threatened from set plays; we played the better football. In the second half their persistent fouling and time wasting made Eastleigh look like model sportsmen. Another shocking referee did not help in this regard.

Disappointing, but I still fancy us to win the replay.

 

[Boz]

Missed this due to transport problems. A decent turnout,including from Lincoln, but must be a concern that in recent home games after Bromley, we've been unable to convert our chances. With a tough game against Dover next weekend, we could have done without a midweek replay.

Couple of thoughts; is McNulty and Riley going to be the recognised central defensive pairing from hereon, or will the other central defenders get a look-in? Should Brabin have looked to use another sub, given we weren't able to break Lincoln down. Either Margetts for a short spell, Askew, though asking a lot of a youth winger, or Sutton/Ihiekwe and deploy Maynard further forward?

 

[bigmart]

Tough team to play against very physical but with a tendancy to roll around on the floor a lot especially the big number 9 up front. A frustrating game which really we should have won, going to be a tricky game on Tuesday now

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I would imagine McNulty and Hogan will be the regular pairing once Liam is fit. I don't think there is much between Sutton and Riley, but the latter is playing well at the moment, including yesterday I thought.

GTF and Norwood both played well yesterday and Margetts has been awful in the last two or three games he has featured, so I can understand why Brabin was reluctant to change things. We did not struggle to break Lincoln down so much as miss our numerous chances. However, I think Boz has a point regarding Maynard, arguably our best natural finisher after Mangan. We probably could have done with him in and around the eighteen yard box yesterday and he is a bit wasted at right back (let's not open that can of worms again........).

 

[Sparky]

I've said for a while we need another striker and yesterday only convinced me further. The signing of GTF whilst welcome has not changed my mind. Even in his glory days he generally played the number 10 role or on the right. I don't think he is a natural finisher and his attempts yesterday haven't made me change my mind. He failed to hit the target when he should have and hit one straight at their keeper. He will get goals but without Mangan we do have a problem of not having a real poacher in the side.

Norwood also will get goals but has missed some straight forward chances this season when clean through. Margetts I am a fan of despite an awful display against Barrow but don't forget his 2 goals against Bromley and poaching instincts against Everton U21 admittedly pre season.

So if GB isnt the biggest fan of Margetts and Mangan is going to be injury prone, I still have concerns about the potency and genuine regular goal threat of our attacking force. Maynard too will chip in with goals but isn't an out and out striker, but I agree with RLC, playing Lois at right back takes away a genuine midfield goal threat especially when Jenno/Harris don't score often.

I assume this is one reason why we have been linked with Lowe......love him or hate him.

 

[Ian]

Some good points raised above. Little bit frustrating as we were the better side and had much more quality than Lincoln but as has been mentioned, we failed to take our chances and we wasted a lot of the play hoofing balls up field only for their two central defenders to head it out.

We were a lot more enterprising with the ball on the floor and even more now than ever we have players who can really play and make things happen with the the ball. GTF is excellent in this regard and I do agree, hes not a natural goal scorer but is excellent in creating chances and finding spaces. We need to exploit this rather than resorting to long balls.

I'm a little bit concerned about Norwood as for someone who's scored goals, his finishing doesn't seem great. He had some good chances yesterday and fluffed them.

Thought McNulty was OK although slightly dwarfed by their ridiculously big no.9 who was probably slower than McNulty believe it or not.

I agree about Maynard. Decent at the back but probably wasted in that position. Riley was OK but I'd prefer a McNulty/Hogan partnership.

Still think we are quite weak in the wide areas. Still not convinced about Mekki. Jackson and Ridehalgh aren't good enough as wingers with their crossing being very poor.

Same problems at home though with physical opposition and some dodgy refereeing we failed to score whilst never being out of control. Very frustrating.

 

[drwhoman]

No Mekki Tuesday night but Mangan may be back which is positive. Maybe Gary cannot find a decent loanee winger but they cannot keep using Jackson surely?