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.

 

[thewwfc]

Dodds has openly said the league is the priority so I expect as many of the stiffs will get a run-out as possible.

That said, we’ve signed a truckload of players both in January (some of whom have still barely featured ) and over the summer - so Dodds has no clue who his best XI is at this stage…so who are “the stiffs”?!

I’m predicting an easy Orient win, and no there’s no jinxing reverse psychology BS there.

Unfortunately we seem to be a club with more money than sense right now (and I never thought I’d say that, however little sense we’ve had at various times…).

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Coventry away for us, familiar trip and ground so don’t expect huge levels of support. We don’t do well in the league cup recently but at least we will go out to higher league oppo compared to the usual L2 defeat.

 

[masi51]

Coventry away for us, familiar trip and ground so don’t expect huge levels of support. We don’t do well in the league cup recently but at least we will go out to higher league oppo compared to the usual L2 defeat.

Really????

you have played 40 times in your history

Doubt you have played 5 times since the 70s

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Really????

you have played 40 times in your history

Doubt you have played 5 times since the 70s

14 times since 2017.

So yes, really.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Lost 1-0 in a very low intensity affair that was essentially a pre season game. Started quite bright but it faded in the second half. Fanne, Kodua showed some good touches and Woodrow provided some creativity - I don’t see Woodrow being a starter but off the bench he at least provides an option.

Minutes for a few but main learning I think that Holmes is the odd man out at a crowded CB position and needs moving on, and Nordas unfortunately just not good enough. A very strange signing indeed - wouldn’t surprise me if who moves back to Norway before the window is out.

 

[kieran_vale]

Won 1-0. Very pleasantly surprised by that as we made 9 changes from the Cardiff game and Blackpool were largely full strength.

1st half was a quasi-friendly but second half we kept growing into the game and in the end looked good value for the win. Blackpool it's clearly teething problems for them with the amount of recruitment done in the summer but not great for them to get booed off pretty loudly by their fans at the end. Suggests a short leash.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Won 1-0. Very pleasantly surprised by that as we made 9 changes from the Cardiff game and Blackpool were largely full strength.

1st half was a quasi-friendly but second half we kept growing into the game and in the end looked good value for the win. Blackpool it's clearly teething problems for them with the amount of recruitment done in the summer but not great for them to get booed off pretty loudly by their fans at the end. Suggests a short leash.

Cant see Bruce lasting much longer