by Adam Stubbings

Rovers find themselves in dire straits after yet another defeat in midweek. Starting with the trip to play off chasing Bradford this weekend, the manager, players and fans alike need to find a way to become brothers in arms and steady the ship currently sinking into League Two.

For anyone that had the misfortune of attending the 2-0 defeat to Scunthorpe on Tuesday evening, the plight of this proud club could not be any more apparent. Not a single shot on target was registered in the game, and in truth the game looked lost as soon as Tom Hopper converted to make it 1-0 in just the 7th minute. That was the tenth time in this eleven game winless run that Rovers have conceded the first goal, and the reality of this situation is now too stark to ignore any further.

The 'Romeo and Juliet' love affair between the manager and the fans has also ceased, with large sections of the support vocally turning on the team for their perceived lack of heart and desire at Glanford Park. That toxic atmosphere is borne out of the growing concern for our third tier status. At Valley Parade this Saturday, the team need to dig deeper than they have before to grind out a result much the same as they had to last season, when a cold autumn afternoon in Bradford yielded three points courtesy of a stunning Curtis Main strike. The Reds hadn't won in five games going into that fixture but found a way to win, and the players still here from that day will do well to remember what it took back then.

The two meetings since then, both at the Keepmoat, have ended in defeat, a 3-0 reverse on Good Friday one of the worst showings of the Paul Dickov era, and a 1-0 loss under Rob Jones back in October just prior to the arrival of Darren Ferguson settled after just 45 seconds. It is in many ways the story of the season, slack defending costing the team early on and no recovery being mounted. Bradford are now a better side than they were back then and despite a recent home loss to bottom of the table Colchester, the Bantams are in good form and knocking on the door of the top six. They defeated runaway leaders Burton in their last match, so there is no doubt this will be a tough ask for Rovers to end their miserable run.

You don't get money for nothing in this sport and the financial implications of a second relegation in three seasons mean that every person from the boardroom down to the turnstile operators will feel the aching woe of dropping into League Two. If Rovers don't halt this slide now then they will soon run out of chances to. This game is the first of eleven remaining opportunities to take control of the situation and save the season.

Finally, a word on the ticketing situation that has engulfed the build-up to this game. Whether you are braving the price to support the team in person or taking part in the organised peaceful protest co-ordinated between the club's supporter groups, stand together and get behind the team for this, the most crucial period in the recent history of Doncaster Rovers.