by Paul Williams

There’s been a mainly positive reaction to the appointment of Darren Ferguson as the new Doncaster Rovers manager on social media and Viking Chat. You certainly can’t argue with his win ratio or his record at Peterborough, where he achieved promotion three times to the Championship playing mainly attacking football.

He knows he will be allowed every opportunity at a stable club to carry out the board’s aims and we, as supporters, need to give the Scot time to get the players on his wavelength and start turning things around. Fergie Jr won’t take charge of team matters until Monday, however, and it will be Rob Jones who picks the teams and decides the tactics against Bradford City at the Keepmoat this Saturday.

Overall fortunes haven’t taken a massive upturn under The Corporal’s leadership but the last two home matches have provided more entertainment than under the previous managerial incumbent.

The players have had a week to get over that dismal JPT defeat at York and are still defending an unbeaten record. They also have a score settle with the Bantams for a  wretched 3-0 defeat at the Keepmoat last season which more or less ended all hopes of the play-off.

City have had a big turnaround in staff over the summer but, like us, have only shone intermittently, though did win at Rochdale on the same day we beat Barnsley when loanees Lee Evans and Devante Cole were on the score-sheet.

Luke McCullough has returned from international duty and should be available to renew his partnership with Andy Butler at the heart of the Rovers defence while Curtis Main and Harry Forrester scored for then U21s in midweek and could also feature.

Let’s hope for a strong performance to impress the new boss in the stands and three points.

by Paul Williams

Are footballers more transient nowadays – or do we simply have a lot of Rovers’ cast-offs still plying their trade in the Football League? We seem to come up against an ex-player every week somewhere and it’s the turn of former loanee Michael Ingham at York this Tuesday. The goalkeeper was only on the bench for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Cambridge, however.

The Minstermen are managed, of course, by former Rovers favourite Russ Wilcox but many of City’s fans aren’t exactly enamoured with the boss at the minute. The York team also includes John McCombe, younger sibling of ‘Boom-Boom’ Jamie, though that link is so tenuous that it’s barely worth mentioning. You could also include Emile Sinclair in a list of ex-Rovers at York but to describe the one-time Peterborough striker as a former player is stretching truth to the maximum – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a footballer more keen to conserve energy than Emile!

Luke McCullough has been called up by Northern Ireland so won’t play at Bootham Crescent, where Rovers won a Capital One Cup tie last season thanks to a late goal from Harry Forrester. The latter could be one of several changes made by Rob Jones in what could The Corporal’s last game in charge as the JPT doesn’t capture anybody’s imagination until the Wembley Arch is in sight. Paul McKay, Liam Mandeville and Harry Middleton could also get a start, along with Paul Keegan and Cameron Stewart.

It would be nice to get a winning run going and kudos to all those heading up the A19 to support the boys but don’t forget that terrace behind the goal can be a miserable place when the weather is unpleasant so wrap up warm.

by Paul Williams

Us and Barnsley have more in common than we’d like to admit. Our industry and economy has been decimated over the last 30 years but we still delight in taking every opportunity to poke fun at our respective stereotypes and this is a proper local derby, unlike those sham ones against the mighty Sheffield clubs.

No doubt the coal carts will be clogging up the road between Dingle Dell and the Keepmoat again this Saturday. Barnsley fans reckon there will be 3,000 supporters in the North Stand, though when you’re all out of fingers and toes at 24 it’s hard to say how accurate that estimate will be.

What we don’t like is Tommy Tyke and his chums getting all uppity because they happen to be higher than us in the league at present - pride before a fall and all that! They think they’ve stolen a gem from us in the shape of Reece Wabara (who ironically refused a new contract in the summer as he wanted to play at a higher level, though I suppose Barnsley is more elevated than Doncaster in geographical terms).

Paul Dickov once described Wabara as a superb athlete – unfortunately he just seems to suffer from occasional memory losses during which, for 90 minutes, he forgets he’s a footballer.

The form book suggests we might struggle to give the Tykes their annual beating this time but our near-neighbours are still a work in progress themselves and due a bad one after beating high-flying Gillingham last Saturday.

Things are slowly improving under Rob Jones and, though the big man will be back on the touchline again this weekend, we could have some joy if we can get Keshi Anderson on the ball enough to force Barnsley backwards and we all know Copps loves playing against this lot more than anyone else.  

by Paul Williams

Whatever the rights or wrongs of Gary Mackenzie’s red card on Saturday, his suspension means that it will be yet another different Rovers back four for the visit of Swindon.

It could be a quartet of southpaws (left-footers) if Rob Jones has to dig the boots out of mothballs, which would make us look even more lop-sided than normal at the back (hard to imagine, I know). But maybe it would confuse the Robins enough for us to sneak a much-needed win.

Swindon made the play-offs last year and won 2-1 at the Keepmoat, even though Rovers had taken the lead by that rarity – a Curtis Main goal. But they’ve hardly set League 1 alight this season so far and are clearly missing the goals of Andy Williams who will, of course, be lining up against his former team-mates for Rovers this week. Fabian Robert has moved in the opposite direction and the Frenchman has settled in well at the County Ground so will be a threat for the visitors, who are proving better on the road this season.

Crystal Palace loanee Keshi Anderson could make his home debut for Rovers having looked lively before lack of match practice told on Saturday and Jones’ attacking options have increased in the last week with the return to fitness of Danny N’Guessan and Harry Forrester. How good would it be to go into Saturday’s clash with the Dingles on the back of three points?

by Paul Williams

So Billy is a Blade again! Our old number 10 must be hoping it’s third-time lucky at the club he’s always supported but I’m sure he’ll be respectful to the Rovers fans at Bramall Lane this weekend given the support we’ve given him in the past.

Five goals in as many games suggests Sharp is enjoying himself again and the Rovers defence will have to make sure they restrict his sights of goals. But it hasn’t been all plain sailing for Sheffield United lately, especially at home where they’ve lost to Bury and Colchester already this month, and patience is not a virtue common with most United fans who have seen their team fail to win any of their last four.

They do concede a lot of goals though, of course, that may not matter much given Rovers’ lack of firepower at present.

Jones has said Andy Williams is "fine" and should be at the Lane, despite being forced off with a broken nose against Oldham. Nathan Tyson is edging closer to a first-team return and Danny N’Guessan is going to be an asset once he’s fully fit. On loan strike Keshi Anderson will be keen to impress and Richie Wellens was the best player on the pitch in the corresponding fixture last season so could make his first start under Rob Jones in the South Yorkshire derby.

We don’t have a bad record at Bramall Lane and could do with a lift. The longer we can keep Sharp and co at bay, the more home fans will get frustrated – they are, after all, supposed to win League 1 this season! What better place to properly get our campaign up and running.