League Cup 22/23

[Stocky]

Leicester at home. Remember playing them in L1 in 2008/09. 7 years later they won the Premier League and we had just finished mid table in the National League North. Talk about going in different directions.

 

[PuB]

Exeter at home in round 2, I’m sure they’re as delighted as we are.

 

[BlackHaddock]

Our home tie against Forest; will they play a second 11 (concentrating on staying in the Prem), or will they turn up with their main players and try get a cup run to help confidence?

Either way a full house and maybe a chance to progress; might even be one of the TV games.

 

[chrisblor]

Sheffield Wednesday away. Meh. I'd have much preferred Blades. Hillsborough is bloody miles from the city centre.

It's about 10 minutes on a tram from the city centre or a 30 min walk away from Kelham Island which has some of the best pubs in the country. Most of the city centre pubs here are shite. What more could you want?

 

[Back in the DHSS]

It's about 10 minutes on a tram from the city centre or a 30 min walk away from Kelham Island which has some of the best pubs in the country. Most of the city centre pubs here are shite. What more could you want?

The Fat Cat, Kelham island is a classic.

 

[Son of Cod]

It's about 10 minutes on a tram from the city centre or a 30 min walk away from Kelham Island which has some of the best pubs in the country. Most of the city centre pubs here are shite. What more could you want?

Both the Wendies and the Blunts are great away days.

 

[F!RTHY]

Blackburn at home:

A bit meh in the grande scheme of things, and I’m sure they feel the same.

Hughes’ old stomping ground - Harry Chapman, Ritchie Smallwood and Matty Platt, too.

Home draw; decent Champ side, of whom will likely field a weakened side in hope that fringe and youth will overcome L2 peasant opposition - should be easy for them, surely.

Anyway, we see it as another Champ side coming to Valley Parade, flinging their cory about - rabbits in headlights when it goes tits up (see Dull).

Likely not to be televised, unless the SKYSPORTS-Hughes love-in continues, so should be a decent crowd. Don’t hold much hope in them bringing many - they struggled to fetch 2,000 when dropping into L1 a few seasons ago.

Owt near 8k seems achievable/commendable. 10k+ if we start turning things on domestically.

 

[Huntsman94]

Good draws for the Stockport and Grimsby lads. At home to Lincoln, not a dream tie by any stretch but definitely a winnable game to get in amongst the biggest of the names.

Pretty happy ourselves with Newcastle at home. Hopefully get Prenton Park sold out and possibility for a TV game there.

Should add a decent little bit of revenue in for the club too! Some great draws overall though with a lot of lower league sides at home to Premier League clubs

 

[Kauto Star]

7 changes from Saturday, Hartley knew this was a hiding to nothing, no point risking players for Northampton.

Shocking attitude from your manager then. Disrespecting your fans too, especially the ones who probably took the afternoon off work to travel to Blackburn on a weekday evening

 

[Salvador]

It's about 10 minutes on a tram from the city centre or a 30 min walk away from Kelham Island which has some of the best pubs in the country. Most of the city centre pubs here are shite. What more could you want?

I've just never enjoyed Wednesday away, sorry. And we've played them a fair few times in cups. Always preferred Blades. Not that its a choice between the two. Might have something to so with with a crap record of never scoring at Hillsborough. When I say miles from the centre i'm more meaning the station. I've never done the journey stadium - station in less than half an hour and that probably renders the mid week train and a crawl around Kelham a non starter for me, sadly.

 

[joethegill]

Exeter at home in round 2, I’m sure they’re as delighted as we are.

The fact it's at home is about the only thing good about this draw. Dull tie, an opposition we've played in a cup not long ago and not a local team so there's no hint of a derby about it.

Could go either way, mind.

 

[Fedora Dale]

I've just never enjoyed Wednesday away, sorry. And we've played them a fair few times in cups. Always preferred Blades. Not that its a choice between the two. Might have something to so with with a crap record of never scoring at Hillsborough. When I say miles from the centre i'm more meaning the station. I've never done the journey stadium - station in less than half an hour and that probably renders the mid week train and a crawl around Kelham a non starter for me, sadly.

Almost certainly not going anyway, but purely from an ambling round pubs perspective the choice of an away match at a big club in Yorkshire for me would be Middlesbrough, which has some crackers...

 

[Luke Imp]

Good draws for the Stockport and Grimsby lads. At home to Lincoln, not a dream tie by any stretch but definitely a winnable game to get in amongst the biggest of the names.

Fancy a best of three rock, paper, scissors instead?

 

[Soup Ladle]

Shocking attitude from your manager then. Disrespecting your fans too, especially the ones who probably took the afternoon off work to travel to Blackburn on a weekday evening

Nah, he did say he was gonna make wholesale changes after the Wimbledon game.

Yes Blackburn are a good Championship side and they have some good players but P3 conceded 8 and scored 0 with about 4 shots on target combined is a questionable start. Especially as Hartley promised "fast-paced attacking football". That's fine if the results aren't coming but we're trying to get on the front foot, work in progress etc. We're seeing the polar opposite, poor defending and zero goal threat.

That's unlikely to improve at Northampton on Saturday. Never mind that it's already a tough game but we've won there once in 26 attempts or something since 1959.

 

[Loyal Dale]

Almost certainly not going anyway, but purely from an ambling round pubs perspective the choice of an away match at a big club in Yorkshire for me would be Middlesbrough, which has some crackers...

Been a few times to Hillsborough. Never even seen us score !! Almost a bye to R3 for the Wendies who have always been really friendly at their place, but less so at ours.

Going on the train from Dale is a pain. It should be a doddle, but isn't.

Hey ho. I'm sure they are completely nonplussed at the prospect of playing us again. Sub 6000 crowd.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Been a few times to Hillsborough. Never even seen us score !! Almost a bye to R3 for the Wendies who have always been really friendly at their place, but less so at ours.

Going on the train from Dale is a pain. It should be a doddle, but isn't.

Hey ho. I'm sure they are completely nonplussed at the prospect of playing us again. Sub 6000 crowd.

Expect about 10k if priced right. Was 8.5k last night on sky

 

[Chief Rocka]

Shocking attitude from your manager then. Disrespecting your fans too, especially the ones who probably took the afternoon off work to travel to Blackburn on a weekday evening

No one is forced to go to matches and you've no right to demand who plays in them, it's the risk you take, I'd happily see us dumped out at the first round of every cup if it brought us league points.

 

[Huntsman94]

Our game v Newcastle has been selected for TV. Should add some funds to the bank!

Bolton v Villa has also. Surprised the Stockport v Leicester game wasn’t chosen tbh. Or Grimsby v Forest

 

[ForzaCounty]

Shocking attitude from your manager then. Disrespecting your fans too, especially the ones who probably took the afternoon off work to travel to Blackburn on a weekday evening

We made 9 changes and were significantly better for it!

 

[Kauto Star]

No one is forced to go to matches and you've no right to demand who plays in them, it's the risk you take, I'd happily see us dumped out at the first round of every cup if it brought us league points.

I never get why people think a cup run damages your chances of league points.

We got to the League cup final in 2013 and promoted 2 months later.

Love to be involved in cup runs and we've had a few memorable ones in the last few years beating the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa and our dirty neighbours from Leeds

 

[RiftHouseLad]

No one is forced to go to matches and you've no right to demand who plays in them, it's the risk you take, I'd happily see us dumped out at the first round of every cup if it brought us league points.

Two ways or more of looking at it, If you want your starting 11 to gel (barring injury) you play them as many times and quickly togeather.
If a Lge 2 pro can,t handle 2 games a week then should they be in the game, can understand Championship and Prem players needing a break, But Lge 2 really.
Think Hartley is struggiling already.

 

[F!RTHY]

I never get why people think a cup run damages your chances of league points.

We got to the League cup final in 2013 and promoted 2 months later.

Love to be involved in cup runs and we've had a few memorable ones in the last few years beating the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa and our dirty neighbours from Leeds

Having said that though, we were in and around the automatic mix come December, then we started taking the piss out of Wigan, Arsenal and Villa. We dropped down to 12th mid-March. Got dicked by Swansea in the final and won 5 of our last 9 games to sneak 7th - losing once.

If anyone thinks our cup run didn’t prevent us from achieving automatic promotion/winning the league that season, I’d say they’re wrong.

I wouldn’t change anything, though.

 

[joethegill]

Having said that though, we were in and around the automatic mix come December, then we started taking the piss out of Wigan, Arsenal and Villa. We dropped down to 12th mid-March. Got dicked by Swansea in the final and won 5 of our last 9 games to sneak 7th - losing once.

If anyone thinks our cup run didn’t prevent us from achieving automatic promotion/winning the league that season, I’d say they’re wrong.

I wouldn’t change anything, though.

I'd say that you had no chance of winning that league that season. It was only ever Vale that was a threat to us winning it all year. Rotherham had a stonking end to the season but even then they were never REALLY in striking distance.

 

[F!RTHY]

I'd say that you had no chance of winning that league that season. It was only ever Vale that was a threat to us winning it all year. Rotherham had a stonking end to the season but even then they were never REALLY in striking distance.

We’ll never know, but playing 60 games in a single season doesn’t help your chances - and there’s no arguing that our league form dipped ridiculously for 3.5 months throughout our cup shenanigans.

 

[BarraMatt]

Two ways or more of looking at it, If you want your starting 11 to gel (barring injury) you play them as many times and quickly togeather.
If a Lge 2 pro can,t handle 2 games a week then should they be in the game, can understand Championship and Prem players needing a break, But Lge 2 really.
Think Hartley is struggiling already.

See I'm the opposite, why do players at the highest level need a break more than anyone else? Players in the PL are supposed to be some of the best athletes the sport has to offer, they should be able to handle 50 odd games including a European campaign, especially with these massive squads they have. I can never buy Klopp and the like moaning about fixture congestion.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Two ways or more of looking at it, If you want your starting 11 to gel (barring injury) you play them as many times and quickly togeather.
If a Lge 2 pro can,t handle 2 games a week then should they be in the game, can understand Championship and Prem players needing a break, But Lge 2 really.
Think Hartley is struggiling already.

I was gonna say he needs a win. but a goal would be a start!

Let's see where we stand after 10 games, I've never known so many panicky Pools fans after 3 games.

 

[RiftHouseLad]

I was gonna say he needs a win. but a goal would be a start!

Let's see where we stand after 10 games, I've never known so many panicky Pools fans after 3 games.

Well if i,m being honest, We should/could have had 2-3 against the Wombles
With better finishing or a bit of luck.
But the sooner we break the deadlock the better we all will be.

 

[Cas]

Blackburn tomorrow. Fancy us to win. Same score as Hull. 2-1.

 

[F!RTHY]

Blackburn tomorrow. Fancy us to win. Same score as Hull. 2-1.

​

 

[F!RTHY]

Blackburn might rest a few, but I’m not confident that they will. They’ve lost their last 2 games 3-0 and will be looking to instil a bit confidence back into the squad.

I think we’ll make changes, but not wholesale - much like the Hull game.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matty Platt
CB: Romoney Critchlow
LB: Liam Ridehalgh

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Yann Songo’o
CM: Alex Gilliead

RW: Scott Banks
ST: Andy Cook
LW: Kian Harratt

For some reason, I think Hughes will adopt the 433 formation for this one.

Around 1,000 Rovers make their way over t’Pennines. 6,000-7,000

2-1 City