Our squad next season in League One

[DRFCMach2man]

We need to sort out our defensive/set piece issues primarily otherwise they would be exploited more so in League 1. TBH I think working with the strikers we have close season will help our return to league 1 Alfie May has all the potential but needs work on his finishing and AW does not become a poor striker overnight - stick with him for now - good strikers are expensive so better put the cash into our defence and midfield. We have a sound basis of a league 1 squad just 2-3 signings midfield and defence should suffice. McCulloch back is a real bonus just got to keep him fit and we will need to use Copps sensibly. DF knows what he needs to do and I have no doubt he is already preparing for the new season - onwards and upwards as they say things are looking pretty good at Doncaster Rovers

[drfchound]

TBF it must have done alright seeing as how we are top of the league.

We won't be top of league 1 if we don't address the pace issue

So 39 games played, we are top of the league, pace is suddenly an issue and by pure chance we have accumulated more points than anyone else.

Lewis Guy was quite fast wasn't he?

[Syme]

The four who went up last season are currently 9th, 10th, 13th and 14th in League One, with last year's champions and 99 pointers Northampton the lowest of the four.

I think the point about pace is that our position at the end of this season isn't a great indicator of how we'll do next season.

[drfchound]

You could argue that 9th, 10th, 13th and 14th are not too disastrous given that all four have made a step up.
Usually at least one team that goes up will be in a relegation battle the following season.

[the vicar]

Lund - Needs to push on next season.
 Push on you say has he not just come back from a bad injury. He  WILL BE FINE WHEN HE GETS FIT give him a chance to get back before you start shooting him

[RoversAlias]

I'll be more than satisfied if we finish between 9th and 14th in L1 next season.

[Syme]

Top half would do me next season.

But the point DearneValleyRover was making was if we want to be top of League One then we need more.

[DonnyOsmond]

Lund - Needs to push on next season.
 Push on you say has he not just come back from a bad injury. He  WILL BE FINE WHEN HE GETS FIT give him a chance to get back before you start shooting him

When did I shoot him? As a youngster you get to 21-22 and you really have to start pushing for a first team spot or you just become a backup player. So calm down.

[The Red Baron]

Top half would do me next season.

But the point DearneValleyRover was making was if we want to be top of League One then we need more.

I think you have to see it as a two season plan. Next season I agree that we should be aiming for top half and ideally at least flirting with the play offs. Then you assess your squad, sort the wheat from the chaff and build a side that can win promotion AND survive in the Championship with an addition or two.

That's more or less what we did from the time O'Driscoll came in. The advantage Fergie should have is that he will have had a lot longer to assess players and develop a strategy.

[boro_rover]

I think we ought to be looking at the playoffs next year. We have the core of a good team now. I think the loanees we have had this season have been given a chance and that won't do our relationships with their parent clubs and the players themselves any harm at all.

I really hope we can clear out the dead wood such as Keegan and Evina and have a few quid spare to improve the team with a few solid permanent deals. Fergie knows they are out there. Blair and Baudry are testemant to that.

My feelings for next year are a left back and an improvement on Butler and a good left sided player to free up Rowe to play a central role and take some pressure off Copp's. I know it is a fragile point - but I would let Williams go and look to bring another striker in. Marquis will get goals next year and Mandeville is a real asset. May has still got a lot to prove, so an experienced pro would be a good acquisition.

[drfchound]

Keegan is set to leave in the summer and his contract is up anyway.

[DearneValleyRover]

TBF it must have done alright seeing as how we are top of the league.

We won't be top of league 1 if we don't address the pace issue

So 39 games played, we are top of the league, pace is suddenly an issue and by pure chance we have accumulated more points than anyone else.

Lewis Guy was quite fast wasn't he?

I'm talking about next season and with a bit more power and pace we would have hit the 100 goal/ point tally easily this season. I'm not saying we aren't good but isn't the point to the thread what we need to keep progressing.

[drfchound]

Totally agree DVR about continued progression.

I hope we get back to back promotions, not only because it would be great but also because i have a 9/1 bet on us getting it.

In reality though, would a top half finish be considered as progress?

[idler]

In one way a top half finish would be progress. In another way it would take us back to where we were 18 months ago.

[DonnyOsmond]

If next year we get around the play offs but add a few more players who could potentially compete in the Championship then I'd take that. The long term aim is to be sustainable in The Championship so we don't want to go up with a weak team and end up doing a Rotherham.

[drfchound]

IF we ever get back to the Championship i would think there would always be a danger of doing a Rotherham.
For a small club like us with a small fanbase it will always be difficult to compete at that level.
Would we prefer to be winning more games than we lose in L1 or battling to stay in the Championship?

[DonnyOsmond]

IF we ever get back to the Championship i would think there would always be a danger of doing a Rotherham.
For a small club like us with a small fanbase it will always be difficult to compete at that level.
Would we prefer to be winning more games than we lose in L1 or battling to stay in the Championship?

I know we're not going to go up and finish in the play offs but I feel you can go up too soon to the Championship then they end up constantly signing players as stop gaps desperately trying to stay up. We're better signing younger lads like Lawlor, Wright, Mason, Grant who can one day hold their own there or be sold off for a healthy profit.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Not sure I agree with that. You have to be ready to go up if the chance presents itself.

It was only later when Mills and Wellens left etc., that we had to start plugging the holes and that's when we started to struggle.

The S'OD team the took the field in that first Championship game at Derby was virtually an unchanged from the one that won at Wembley. Only Gareth Taylor played up front instead of JJ and Greeny was playing for Derby. It was only after Christmas however the players realised they were   good enough to compete.

[drfchound]

True Baz and it was SoD's insistence on having a strong first 12 or 13 without much in the way of quality back up that eventually caught up.

[ballysbackin]

IF we ever get back to the Championship i would think there would always be a danger of doing a Rotherham.
For a small club like us with a small fanbase it will always be difficult to compete at that level.
Would we prefer to be winning more games than we lose in L1 or battling to stay in the Championship?

I agree totally - nice being in The Championship but just sitting in the stands with teams ooozing money and waiting for the goals to go in Donny's net is not something I enjoyed nor wish to see again. By all means be very good L1 Club but our problem is the fan base and has been for about 40 years.  Too long in the doldrums while people went down the Lane. Pigsborough and Weeds, plus the normals who go over the hills to see "Their Team" in Lancashire County - even though it mainly now called Greater Manch or THe Wirral

[Bristol Red Rover]

Not sure I agree with that. You have to be ready to go up if the chance presents itself.

It was only later when Mills and Wellens left etc., that we had to start plugging the holes and that's when we started to struggle.

The S'OD team the took the field in that first Championship game at Derby was virtually an unchanged from the one that won at Wembley. Only Gareth Taylor played up front instead of JJ and Greeny was playing for Derby. It was only after Christmas however the players realised they were   good enough to compete.

The side that won at Wembley was a significant update from the side that was promoted to League 1. It took time to get to that.

Being ready if we did go up next season can lend itself to being too reactive, a boom and bust scenario. We aren't a rich enough club to buy success. Not that I wouldn't enjoy the ride! Going up, maybe suffering the pain of being the whipping boys for a season, and THEN being ready for a proper go at the Championship is maybe one route.

Remember the 5 year plan. This is year 2 I think? Next year would almost certainly be a season in which success would be a bonus, the following year we should be aiming at play offs at least and the year after would be "the" ripe year for going up in the perfect scenario.

And then sustaining Championship status is another story, the next plan, and quite possibly one involving new input on the board.

[Goole Rover]

How will anyone know whether Marquis will score goals regularly in L1 until he is given the chance though?

I've heard he won't score more than 5 in L1 next season 

For me the priority in the summer will be to sign Houghton again and get a proper left back in as that has ben a huge problem position for us for a long time now, probably since Spurr and Husband left.

Where is Husband now - he would be perfect far left in this formation

[Goole Rover]

Sorry sent the previous message prematurely.
What I meant to say in reply was that I believe we're better off without Husband never seemed interested. When giving away free kicks or more importantly that penalty he never appeared to show remorse. For me he had a higher opinion of himself than we did.

[drfchound]

That penalty that never was a penalty?

[Goole Rover]

It was, have a look at the football results for 3rd May 2014.

[Alan Southstand]

The Championship is the league to be in, definitely. Forget about League One - not interested.

We want and need to be mixing it with the big boys. It brings in the crowds, its a far better atmosphere, good away followings and occasionally doing one of the fancied teams over gives immense pleasure.

Standing still in League One is not progression. Just staying in the Championship is. I think the Club have targeted the Championship and, for me, that is the right way to go, but when we get there, we need another 5 year plan on how we are to achieve staying in it.

[drfchound]

It was, have a look at the football results for 3rd May 2014.

We know differently though don't we.

[drfchound]

The Championship is the league to be in, definitely. Forget about League One - not interested.

We want and need to be mixing it with the big boys. It brings in the crowds, its a far better atmosphere, good away followings and occasionally doing one of the fancied teams over gives immense pleasure.

Standing still in League One is not progression. Just staying in the Championship is. I think the Club have targeted the Championship and, for me, that is the right way to go, but when we get there, we need another 5 year plan on how we are to achieve staying in it.

I agree with you on this Alan, any sportsperson should want to be at the highest or best level that they can be at.
It was great when we were in the Championship even though it was tough trying to stay there.
As you say, the crowds are better, the away end revenue is worth an extra £1m in revenue alone.

[colincramb]

The Championship is the league to be in, definitely. Forget about League One - not interested.

We want and need to be mixing it with the big boys. It brings in the crowds, its a far better atmosphere, good away followings and occasionally doing one of the fancied teams over gives immense pleasure.

Standing still in League One is not progression. Just staying in the Championship is. I think the Club have targeted the Championship and, for me, that is the right way to go, but when we get there, we need another 5 year plan on how we are to achieve staying in it.

I completely agree Alan. Obviously I'm over joyed for us to get promotion this season but it's not the same feeling as when we've been promoted previously. Maybe it's because the modern fan of the club has become greedy with the success we've had, but it just doesn't feel the same. I for one think we could be a surprise package next season and if we do win the league, the momentum this could provide might be the key. Rotherham did it after being promoted to L1 and we definitely can next season.

Aim high

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I agree and I think the owners see it that way too. Any resurgence in interest would soon be killed if there was no effort to push on.

Let's face it, Darren Ferguson would not be here if he didn't believe the Championship was a realistic aim. We're only getting back to where we should have been.

Ironically, I think we're in better shape as a club now than 12 months ago, and 15 months ago we were on the edge of League One play-offs!