Do winless Doncaster Rovers have a losing mentality? Here’s what boss Grant McCann said

Grant McCann refused to be drawn on whether Doncaster Rovers have a losing mentality - but he does want to transform the culture at the club to one of success.
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Rovers have won just two of their last 23 games – a run stretching six months – and have failed to shake off the relegation form they ended last season in.

Doncaster lost 25 of their 51 matches last term as they recorded their lowest finish since returning to the Football League 20 years ago, 12 months after suffering relegation from League One.

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That demotion came off the back of a drastic collapse in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, which saw them lose 15 games out of 23.

Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann (centre) and his assistant Cliff Byrne.Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann (centre) and his assistant Cliff Byrne.
Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann (centre) and his assistant Cliff Byrne.

"I don’t think we can comment on what’s happened,” said McCann, whose side is bottom of the table and still looking for a first league win of the season.

"We want to try and turn this football club into a winning football club.

"We have seen lots of positives over the last four or five games that we can turn it around and make us a force in this division, like we said when we first came in.

"But everything takes time.”

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This was not the start to the season anyone envisaged for Doncaster, who trail the play-offs by ten points already.

Can they still deliver on their hopes for promotion this season?

"There’s a long way to go,” said McCann.

"There’s 39 games left, there’s a lot of games to be played."

McCann bemoaned his players’ lack of ‘killer instinct’ in the wake of last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Wrexham, their fifth defeat from seven in League Two.

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He revealed he saw some of what he wants from his players in their much-fancied opponents.

"Wrexham have got a fear factor with what’s going on behind the scenes, the players they have, the goals they are scoring and the TV cameras,” said McCann.

"They will win a lot of games there because of that fear factor.

"We want to get that here.

"The last time I was here it was a tough place to come. We want to have that about us as a football club.

"It’s a by-product of winning games and looking hard to beat.”