David Hodgson has thrown down the gauntlet to the small number of players at his disposal and challenged his squad to prove themselves worthy of a place in the Darlington first-team.

Although just three games into the season, Hodgson has demanded an improvement from every player as he begins to think about making alterations.

With the end of administration imminent, and with it the end of the restriction that limits Darlington to an 18-man squad, Hodgson will be able to wheel and deal in the transfer market - and he has made sure all his players know it.

The club has been in administration for eight of the ten months that Hodgson has been in charge, limiting his access to the transfer market and ensuring he could ill-afford to let anyone go.

Hodgson wasn't pleased with the manner of his team's defeat to Kidderminster last week and said: "It's up to the players left at the club to earn their place in the team and at the club.

"Take away the lads at the club that I can't play - Michael Coghlan who has a long-term injury and McGurk who's out on loan - and I'm left with 19. Get a couple of injuries and then I'm struggling.

"So the message to the players is that I will soon be able to bring players in more freely and they aren't going to be coming here to sit on the bench.

"I didn't speak much to the players after the match because I think it's a bit early in the season yet to be having a go, but what annoyed me most was that the desire to get a grip of the game didn't seem to be there.

"I want to see an improvement from everyone against Bristol Rovers."

After the Kidderminster defeat Hodgson hinted at making changes to his line-up which will please Mark Convery, who can count himself unlucky not to have started the last two matches, while Ian Clark impressed in the reserves in midweek, and when he came on as a sub for Joe Kendrick last week.

A change to the formation can't be ruled out with the home win over Grimsby achieved with a 3-5-2 line-up. In the two away games since - a draw and a defeat - a less attack-minded 4-4-2 has been used and it has given Hodgson and assistant Mark Proctor plenty to think about.

Hodgson said: "Mark has his own ideas and of course we talk about different systems and different players all the time - that's what management is all about.

"I'm willing to listen to Mark's opinion, that's what he's here for - it would be no use bringing Mark in and then ignoring him. It would be a bit like buying a guard dog and then barking yourself.

"There might be a change to the team, we'll have to see. But you can plan all you like and then something can go wrong as it did before the Grimsby game when Curtis Fleming got injured."

One area of the team that looks unlikely to change today is up-front where Craig Russell and Matt Clarke should continue.

Darlington were yesterday beaten to the signature of long-time target, Rob Friend while West Ham's Greg Pearson, who trained with the club two weeks ago, has joined Lincoln on loan.

Having watched him in training and in a West Ham reserve game Pearson had been earmarked for loan move but instead he's signed for the Imps, but it's Friend's decision to sign for Norwegian's Molde that will upset Hodgson most.

Quakers have cast their eye over several trialists, but Friend remained Hodgson's priority and even up until Wednesday when the manager spoke to the Canadian international he remained confident he would sign.

Friend has signed a two year deal with Molde, but Hodgson said: "We're well aware of the situation we're in and it is not ideal but it's not for the want of trying.

"Certain things have not gone our way with certain players and we have to accept that.

"We haven't jumped in and signed any old player because we want to bring in the right one. And there's still lots of avenues to explore, lots of different areas that haven't been exhausted yet. I've got another six or seven potential possibilities I'm looking at."