EFL Trophy Pizza Cup Rovers (0) v Wigan (0) pen 5-6

[Boz]

A dead rubber, with Rovers already out of the competition. I guess that this will be a team of mainly fringe players, though it may be worth giving Dennis a half alongside one of the other forward options, if we're going to continue with 2 up.
Expecting to see starts for Yarney and Morris, while would expect James Norris, Belehouan and Hughes to feature at some point. McGee, Jennings, Apter and Walker shouldn't be in the squad to protect them ahead of the Sutton game.
Given it's such a meaningless fixture, wonder if Danns will get another chance at taking charge...

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Apart from a respectable score line, all I want from this game is no injuries or bookings. If a couple of recently injured players get a few minutes of match time or a few fringe players get a chance to shine, so much the better.

Hats off to anyone attending the match, where only pride is at stake and the weather won’t be pleasant. You are the true fans.

 

[Am on mobile]

I would not even play Dennis we can't afford to get him injured

 

[drwhoman]

Apparently Leake is fit enough to get some minutes.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Might learn who is on the scrapheap and not just injured, so many are off radar now. Nigel needs to make at least ten available.

 

[Boz]

Might learn who is on the scrapheap and not just injured, so many are off radar now. Nigel needs to make at least ten available.

Pike Belehouan Starbuck have deals only to January, likewise Apter’s loan.
Unclear who exactly is injured.
I can’t see that much demand for our squad and those we could sell we wouldn’t want to. Coupled with the risk of a Micky Adams revolving door kind of approach being something Mark
should be wary of.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Pike Belehouan Starbuck have deals only to January, likewise Apter’s loan.
Unclear who exactly is injured.
I can’t see that much demand for our squad and those we could sell we wouldn’t want to. Coupled with the risk of a Micky Adams revolving door kind of approach being something Mark
should be wary of.

We have a lot of players who serve no purpose to us but could be unloaded, for free fees are out of the question, maybe on a 50% wages basis. Unload six and you could sign three. Getting rid of McAlear, Hughes and Hockenhull will not make relegation anymore a threat. i could throw a few more in there

 

[Ian]

Agreed. We seem to have a boatload of useless signings. Apter being the exception.

It's a good chance tonight for experimenting.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

£10k prize money and a runout for the fringe players are all that‘s on offer tonight. Same for Wigan, as they’ve already qualified. So we might well push our record low attendance, whatever that is.

So long as any positives we get from the game outweigh the negatives I’ll be content.

Btw it’s now the Used Car Dealer Cup, not the Pizza Cup. Much classier..

 

[Am on mobile]

Should be called the we are not botherd trophy

 

[Boz]

We have a lot of players who serve no purpose to us but could be unloaded, for free fees are out of the question, maybe on a 50% wages basis. Unload six and you could sign three. Getting rid of McAlear, Hughes and Hockenhull will not make relegation anymore a threat. i could throw a few more in there

Would agree with the first two you name. I don’t understand why Rhys Hughes has been so frozen out by Dawes then Adkins. There isn’t anyone better in the squad at taking set pieces, Hendry with current responsibility is no better than average in that aspect of his game. Of course being decent at free-kicks etc doesn’t guarantee a first team slot, but the occasional goal from a free-kick could make a difference to our survival prospects.

 

[Ian]

Bristol Street Motors Trophy.. dear me..

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

How could that replace the pizza cup, the paint pot cup or the Zenith data systems malarky?

 

[ADD]

 

[ADD]

Jolley as Captain is a new one on me.... Wil be interesting to see how Belehouan does. Hopefully Taylor will get back into the forefront of Adkins thinking.
Thought Robson might have got a start.

 

[bigmart]

Not sure what formation we will be playing possibly 4 3 3.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Apart from Joe Murphy, it's a very young team with eight players (including the captain) 22 or under. Making Jolley captain says a lot about how Nigel rates the older players' leadership skills.

Interesting that Callum McManaman starts for Wigan. Like Hemmings and Norris on Saturday, surely he must score against his old club.

 

[Boz]

Jolley as captain against his old club is a surprise, perhaps Beck doing a guest manager slot. Given how little match action he’s had recently would have thought Morris might start, while Dennis not even on the bench. Hopefully some of the fringe players give Nigel something to think about.

 

[Ian]

Think its 442 with Saunders and Jolley up front, Taylor on the right, Hughes on the left. Good to see Leake back but he'll have a busy game marking Jonny Smith.

 

[Ian]

Good effort from Taylor. Cuts inside gets a shot off, curls just wide.