Grant McCann remains convinced Doncaster Rovers can again surge in the second half of the season, drawing confidence from recent history despite a difficult first half back in League One.
The Doncaster boss believes the foundations laid over the past two campaigns will again come to the fore as Rovers look to pull clear of danger and climb the table.
History offers Doncaster encouragement
After storming out of the blocks earlier in the campaign, Doncaster find themselves hovering just above the relegation zone on goal difference, with 22 points taken from their first 20 League One fixtures. It is a stark contrast to the momentum they carried up from last season’s League Two title win, yet McCann insists there is no panic inside the camp.
He can point to a recent precedent. Two seasons ago, during his first year back at the club, Rovers sat 20th in League Two at the halfway point, collecting just 24 points from 23 games. What followed was a dramatic turnaround, with another 46 points added in the second half of the campaign to secure a play-off place.
Last season told a similar story, albeit from a stronger position. Doncaster were fourth at the mid-point with 37 points, before finishing even stronger and adding 47 more to lift the League Two title. In both campaigns, no side in the division accumulated more points than Rovers after the halfway mark.
That pattern underpins McCann’s belief that this season can yet follow a familiar arc, even with the step back up to the third tier and a current run of just one win in their last 13 league outings.
McCann confident in groundwork and mentality
“We set the groundwork in pre-season and everything we do comes from there,” McCann explained. “The players know they can go to levels way beyond what 90 minutes of football takes out of their body.
“The last couple of years the fitness levels, the robustness, the injury room being empty have been really important in the second half of the season.
“But it’s also the mentality of it being a 46-game season. It doesn’t finish after 20. The league table doesn’t bother me until February or March because that’s when you get judged.”
League One context and Cardiff defeat
The challenge, McCann admits, is greater at this level. Rovers were edged out 4-3 by leaders Cardiff City at the weekend, a reminder of the fine margins and attacking quality that exist across the division. For sides like Lincoln City, currently positioning themselves firmly in the promotion picture, results such as that underline how unforgiving League One can be.
From a Lincoln perspective, Doncaster’s insistence that the table should only be taken seriously later in the season is a familiar refrain. We have seen before how quickly momentum can shift, particularly once squad depth, fitness, and mentality begin to separate contenders from those merely surviving.
McCann accepts his side cannot afford to drift too far away, but remains confident they will stay in the mix.
“It’s a league where you’ve probably got to keep yourself in the conversation,” he added. “You can’t be way adrift because it’s more difficult than League Two, but we’ll certainly give it the best push we can.”
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