EFL Cup 1st Round

[Kenneth E End]

Most teams will probably use this as an extra pre-season friendly to try and get fringe players a bit more field time.

Matches involving L1 teams:

Middlesbrough v Doncaster
Stockport v Crewe
Accrington Stanley v Peterborough
Blackburn v Bradford
Blackpool v Port Vale
Chesterfield v Mansfield
Harrogate v Lincoln
Salford v Rotherham
Tranmere v Burton
Wigan v Notts County
Barnsley v Fleetwood
Bolton v Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield v Leicester
Cardiff v Swindon
Charlton v Stevenage
Coventry v Luton
Gillingham v AFC Wimbledon
Leyton Orient v Wycombe
Northampton v Southampton
Plymouth v QPR
Portsmouth v Reading
Cheltenham v Exeter

 

[kieran_vale]

I’m certainly hoping we rotate our squad as much as humanly possible. Got a much more important game away at Burton on Saturday so everyone who needs minutes should get them here. I’m expecting Blackpool to win comfortably anyway, they will undoubtedly have a point to prove after a pretty ordinary start to the season so can see a bit of a backlash coming our way.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Hard to say, we usually play quite strong sides, got to the fourth round two seasons ago (beat some Premier League outfit whose name escapes me..) but the prize money is pathetic and should we lose at Cheltenham i wont be too upset

 

[valefan16]

I would make 9-10 changes for this, last season we arguably played a stronger side in the BSM than we did this and expect the same, two years ago we made the quarters and got relegation (and made zero money) so not fussed at all about this one.

Game time for Marosi, Humphreys, Shorrock, Hennegan, Waine, Faal, Walters and Shipley, if fit enough to get minutes Gabriel and Garrity, in fairness thats still a decent enough competitive set of players but don't want anyone risking if possible.

 

[masi51]

No interest in this, give fringe players a run out.........Used to slaughter premier teams when they rotated in cup games.
We all do it now..............pointless cup

 

[valefan16]

No interest in this, give fringe players a run out.........Used to slaughter premier teams when they rotated in cup games.
We all do it now..............pointless cup

We made more money 2 seasons ago getting out the drop stage of the BSM Trophy than we did making the quarter finals of this our POD was discussing this weekend. Mad really.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Not expecting anything from boro, not a team we generally do well against

 

[denzel ecfc]

I would make 9-10 changes for this, last season we arguably played a stronger side in the BSM than we did this and expect the same, two years ago we made the quarters and got relegation (and made zero money) so not fussed at all about this one.

Game time for Marosi, Humphreys, Shorrock, Hennegan, Waine, Faal, Walters and Shipley, if fit enough to get minutes Gabriel and Garrity, in fairness thats still a decent enough competitive set of players but don't want anyone risking if possible.

I remember two seasons ago you got shit draws every round and like us ended up going out to Boro.
But when you exited you were in a good position in the league, it was only late in the season you had a nightmare

 

[valefan16]

I remember two seasons ago you got shit draws every round and like us ended up going out to Boro.
But when you exited you were in a good position in the league, it was only late in the season you had a nightmare

Yeah it was dull, we beat Fleetwood H in R1, Crewe in R2 on Pens, Sutton R3 at Home then Mansfield A in R4 so all sides below us at the time.

Got to the Quarters, 6 Premier League sides and Middlesborough left in it aside from us and you just knew we'd get the dire draw. Record breaking run for us in this competition but there was no glam tie or any money made and we were awfully flat in the Boro game we didn't really get going, and Arblaster got a bad injury which ended our season there and then really.

Mansfield Away was a great night, atmosphere was decent and we were excellent that night, Arblaster, Devine and Ojo in that midfield was pure cheat code.

We had already started to nose dive though as the run progressed and some arguments to say we kept Crosby on to give him the QF despite the league form, he probably should of gone after the horror show against Cheltenham at home the weekend before Mansfield.