Doncaster Rovers crashed out of the Carabao Cup last night following a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of League Two Grimsby Town.
A thirty-nine minute strike from Jordan Cook was enough to send the Mariners through to the second round for the first time since 2008.
It was a toothless display by Rovers who dominated possession and controlled the game but were unable to convert a host of chances into goals. Rovers have so far failed to replace last seasons top scorer John Marquis following his departure to League One rivals Portsmouth, and it showed as smart and fluid play more often than not petered out in and around the eighteen-yard area.
New boss Darren Moore appears to be struggling to land his transfer targets and Rovers fans are not happy with the club’s activity in the summer transfer window. The club has not replaced other vital players in last seasons successful team such as Tommy Rowe and Mallik Wilks, and although the Marquis fee was undisclosed, reports suggest it was around £2 million, and fans are starting to question why this is not being reinvested back in the squad.
Fans were not happy when they took to social media to react to the result with many pleading with the club to sign a striker.
Here is a selection of their responses on Twitter.
Spend some money lads
— bradredshaww (@bradredshaw) August 13, 2019
We need strikers !!!!!!! Without a doubt!!!!
— Diane Webb (@dianewebb5236) August 13, 2019
Not our day, but it is starting to come together.If we get another striker all well & good, but once we do there will suddenly “be a need for someone else in another position”.Very quick to spend other people’s money.
— Antony Styles (@AntonyStyles5) August 13, 2019
Lost to a L2 team who haven't seen the second round since 2008. Pathetic toothless performance. Big man's got alot of work to do if this lot are gonna be promotion chases lol shocking.
— Mark (@YorkieInTheMids) August 13, 2019
Why does anyone have expectations this season? Last seasons top 4 goal scorers all gone, replaced by nobody! Where does the club expect to finish, bottom 6 I reckon? #GRIDON
— Gav Worboys (@DonnyGav7) August 13, 2019
@drfc_official Any chance of signing anyone vaguely resembling a striker. How does a team of professional footballers have 24 shots and only get 3 on target.
— Dene Rollitt (@DRollitt) August 13, 2019
I would like to say I feel optimism for this coming season but that would be a lie after pre-season and the games so far.
— Michael Shaw (@SilverTop669) August 13, 2019
Ffs spend some money and buy some decent players, you let 7 go in the summer and you have not bought one player, we are doing our bit you do yours
— Richard (@Ricardos54) August 13, 2019
We will be hearing that alot this season if he doesn't get a striker asap
— Ben savage (@Bsavage89) August 13, 2019
What is going on? I know we are not a big club but you look at our attendances and we are not a small club in league 1.Yes admittedly we are not sunderlan but the players we have lost with no replacements and no striker. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to work out there is only one way if we dont get some signings and someone who knows where the net is. It is no good playing lovely football with no end product. And I predict another loss on Saturday from a club smaller than us where one of our better players last season is playing his trade. It doesnt make sense.
I agree we have lost key players .Andy butler .Rowe.downing .wilks.kane marquis.mason..and why didn’t we sign wilks.he has gone to Barnsley…eaves kane.akinde.johnson are just a few why do we keep selling our best players .and get none back in .thos is the story of the rovers since the 1950.s .they would have sold slick Jeffrey if he hadn’t broke his legs ..look in the lower divisions mr moore
Doesn’t support the boards sustainable championship 5 year plan does it. Fergy and Mcann seemed to work ou the best way to the championship is with another club.John Marquis appeares to have the same idea. Why oh why did they break up a team that was a penalty kick away from a Wembley final. Replace it with free players. Obviously the board prefer Div 1.
Since Darren Moore arrived we have played 7 games in pre-season, league one and a cup game. We won 1, drew 4 and lost 2. Hardly motivating and any evidence that we have a team to be mid table in League One let alone fight for a playoff place. I don’t judge Rovers by what anyone says, I judge the club by results.
All great observations and hard to argue against anything said, Wilks and Kane were always going to be difficult to keep and John was always going to leave. Letting Butler and Andrew go to league 2 and smaller a league 1 side was shocking. Downing to Pompey was a bit more understandable but surely given he was a Rovers player for half of last year we should have had more than half a chance of keeping him if we were following a Championship agenda. It’s very early days but the signs are not looking all that good. McCann’s move to Hul was very badly timed and he appears ultimately responsible for letting the reasonable players go before he left and then recruitment was placed on hold. Only time will tell whether Grant saw the writing on the wall in terms of alleged savings not being invested back into the playing staff. If a rebuild is on the cards the board and Darren may need to consider resetting the time period for getting back into the championship. Either way we need two strikers and fast otherwise this may well have the hallmarks of a very long season.