DPL FA Cup v Hull City

Whereas this might have been some potential icing on the cake had it been played earlier in the season, it has now faded in significance. The emphasis now must surely be to get back to winning League games reinforced perhaps by fresh talent. What might have looked like a winnable game now looks just like the fulfilment of a fixture with the hope that it is not a morale-sapping defeat.

The fact that the opposition is still needing to concentrate on the league may work in our favour a little, but in current form, Hull are scoring goals and picking up points against good Championship opposition and seem likely to climb out of the relegation spots. They won 1-0 at Blackburn and came back to draw at home against League leaders Leeds most recently.

You might expect them to put out a weakened side and strengthen as necessary from the bench if they cannot crack us open easily, but I imagine that we will not have enough to match them.

Perhaps we may be further strengthened by another signing or signings by then, but it seems unlikely to affect the result.

The big question right now is will Craig choose Rovers or Mansfield and I suspect he’ll go with the League 1 option.

The big picture is not exactly a pretty one at Rovers right now and the chances of another Blockbuster climax to the season look meagre. At the moment you might consider 7th place feasible, but we will not be Champions and McCann’s objective will be missed by some margin.

Hull City 4 : Rovers 1 (Sharp)

It must be disturbing for everyone watching what’s happening in LA, and we know Mickey is on that west coast. I would have said 600 miles north and certainly in a different climate too, but in fact when I looked it up it’s over 900 miles north. Apparently we hear from someone who has a lot to say for himself that it’s all the fault of the Democratic politicians and not related to climate change (which seemingly is not acknowledged to be happening by the incoming administration).