After overseeing almost as many different team selections as games, Darlington assistant manager Mark Proctor has labelled David Hodgson and himself The Tinkermen.

Because of his indifference to maintaining a settled line-up Claudio Ranieri was nicknamed The Tinkerman while Chelsea manager - but now the Italian has moved on the Darlington management duo appear to have taken on that mantle.

In eight games this season, including the League Cup tie with Barnsley, seven different teams have started as the pair seek a winning formula.

As Hodgson and Proctor shuffle the pack, 15 different players have started with another two - Neil Maddison and Leandro Scatascini - getting into the action from the bench.

Prior to Saturday's draw with Scunthorpe, summer signing Joe Kendrick had started every game but made way for Curtis Fleming, while Mark Convery started only his second game of the season after swapping his place on the bench with Neil Wainwright.

Proctor explained: "We're still tinkering with things.

"We're pleased with how it's going but we're continuing to tinker with the team until we get it right.

"We're becoming a bit like Ranieri!

"Because we're not scoring as much as we'd like to we're tinkering with things.

The ingredients for the cake are all there - we're just trying to find that icing on the cake.

"We're making the odd adjustment but we haven't quite found what we want yet."

Proctor added: "Me and David have discussions and sometimes slight disagreements over team selection and team shape.

"For instance, I'd have picked a different team on Saturday, but it's healthy that we both have ideas.

"It can only be a positive thing that we're able to bounce ideas off each other.

"We're not a closed shop. We do speak to the players about the team and ask what they think but even though they're all professionals you tend to find that only the very senior members of the squad have something to say.

"The rest are quiet, although they might say things privately, which you can understand.

"But if you're a player and your place in the 4-4-2 is almost a certainty then you're not going to suggest switching to 5-3-2 if you might get dropped.

"Convery, for instance, prefers the 5-3-2 because he can play in the hole behind the strikers in that formation so that just shows that they all have their separate agendas to a degree."

And if and when in a forward finally arrives, more changes will follow.

Proctor said: "If we get the positive news on the striker issue that we're all hoping for then it would everyone a big lift.

"It's what everyone, not only myself and David but also the fans and players too, are waiting for."

Convery emerged from last season with credit and followed that with an impressive pre-season but has spent most of this season on the bench with fellow playmaker Wainwright the preferred option.

The pair are looked upon as key assets but despite the struggles in front of goal they rarely feature in the same side with one substituting the other on three occasions this season.

They haven't started a game together this season and, of the 720 minutes Quakers have played, Convery and Wainwright have been on the pitch together for just 47 of those, but Proctor said: "Con and Wainy both give you another dimension in that they run at defenders which defenders would tell you they do not like.

"But not playing them at the same time is not something we're consciously aware of."

l Former Darlington winger Adam Rundle has been released by non-league Carlisle United and signed for Dublin City, managed by former Cumbrians boss Roddy Collins. Rundle, 20, emerged in season 2001/02 and was tipped for the top but switched to Carlisle in January 2003 and was part of the team relegated to the Conference.

Read more about Darlington here.