Five changes at Doncaster, but Wednesday still need an answer

Henrik Pedersen changed five starters at Doncaster and finished with the same scoreline he had left Nottingham with four days earlier. Whatever the merits of the individual choices, the response on the scoreboard was absent.

Palmer, Max Lowe, Mitchell, Morrison and Al-Hamadi replaced Bernard, James, Slattery, Gray and Jamal Lowe. Those changes reached from the defence to the attack. This was a substantial reshuffle, rather than a single player being asked to lift the performance.

The most damaging feature of the afternoon was how quickly the new side fell behind. Bailey’s second goal arrived in the 16th minute. From there, Wednesday were trying to repair the match while Doncaster could protect what they had.

Burstow’s introduction at the interval gave Pedersen another attacking option. He went on to test Simkin, but Wednesday still finished without a goal. That leaves the manager balancing the chances created later in the game against the failure to take them.

For Cambridge, I would favour giving the attack a settled combination over another sweeping change. Forwards need time together: to learn who comes short, who runs beyond and where the next pass is likely to arrive. A selection cannot develop those habits if it is abandoned at the first difficult afternoon.

That does not mean treating Saturday’s opening as acceptable. The players picked on Tuesday must do the basic defensive work that allows the attack time to function. Changing names is the manager’s prerogative. Getting a more complete performance from them is the job.