Let's talk about the Shrewsbury Town game

[PDX_Rover]

I’m questioning the whole shooting match - for me, it starts at the very top. The Board are simply not taking ANY responsibility for this utter shambles of a set-up.

How do you know they're not taking responsibility?

Martin, I think some sort of statement or an extraordinary MTO meeting would clear the air somewhat.

I truly believe the board have Rovers best interests at heart. You don’t put millions into something year after year to see it fail so dismally on the pitch.

I think Club Doncaster is good. It’s progressive and generates revenue that helps fund Rovers. No question.

What we do need to have is a good, honest discussion about the structure and setup of Rovers in terms of team management, recruitment and identity.

There’s no shame in admitting mistakes have been made in the past two years. Yes, McCann and Moore being tapped up by bigger clubs is out of the owners’ control, and hindsight is a wonderful thing… But a proven manager should have been appointed when Moore left. Easier said than done of course, and as we know too well, there’s never any guarantee of success. But we’ve lurched from crisis to crisis with two completely unproven managers and Wellens, who was slightly proven.

I really like Gary McSheffrey as a footballing person. He clearly understands the game, what’s required, and talks with knowledge and great insight. But for some reason the dots clearly aren’t connecting. Do we let him build on the glimpses of improvement we’ve seen and have a crack building over the summer for L2, or do we thank him for his efforts and have him go back to his old position? I know many want the latter. If that’s the case, then which managers are available that could be the right appointment? And if a new man comes in, how quickly?

I’m disappointed that we’re going down but that’s part and parcel of football and especially supporting Rovers.

I think the Head of Football is a key development and a crucial appointment.

The decisions made in the next month are going to be the most important in years.

I’d love you honest thoughts purely as a supporter.

RTID

[silent majority]

I’m questioning the whole shooting match - for me, it starts at the very top. The Board are simply not taking ANY responsibility for this utter shambles of a set-up.

How do you know they're not taking responsibility?

Martin, I think some sort of statement or an extraordinary MTO meeting would clear the air somewhat.

I truly believe the board have Rovers best interests at heart. You don’t put millions into something year after year to see it fail so dismally on the pitch.

I think Club Doncaster is good. It’s progressive and generates revenue that helps fund Rovers. No question.

What we do need to have is a good, honest discussion about the structure and setup of Rovers in terms of team management, recruitment and identity.

There’s no shame in admitting mistakes have been made in the past two years. Yes, McCann and Moore being tapped up by bigger clubs is out of the owners’ control, and hindsight is a wonderful thing… But a proven manager should have been appointed when Moore left. Easier said than done of course, and as we know too well, there’s never any guarantee of success. But we’ve lurched from crisis to crisis with two completely unproven managers and Wellens, who was slightly proven.

I really like Gary McSheffrey as a footballing person. He clearly understands the game, what’s required, and talks with knowledge and great insight. But for some reason the dots clearly aren’t connecting. Do we let him build on the glimpses of improvement we’ve seen and have a crack building over the summer for L2, or do we thank him for his efforts and have him go back to his old position? I know many want the latter. If that’s the case, then which managers are available that could be the right appointment? And if a new man comes in, how quickly?

I’m disappointed that we’re going down but that’s part and parcel of football and especially supporting Rovers.

I think the Head of Football is a key development and a crucial appointment.

The decisions made in the next month are going to be the most important in years.

I’d love you honest thoughts purely as a supporter.

RTID

Hi PDX,

I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said so far.

To be honest its difficult to separate out the two parts of my position here, firstly as a supporter and secondly as a VSC official because others on this board can't see where one starts and one stops.

I have my own thoughts on the football side, and I very rarely comment for the above reason. I find the clarity in relating to ownership issues and how DRFC deal with its supporter base much easier to comment on. And of course my conversations with the club are based on the second rather than the first.

In that respect I'll be chatting with Gavin this week and tell him exactly what I believe the club should do with regard to communication, and he'll  expect that of me as well. Whether that's another MTO or not (can't see that myself) I don't know but we do need to be a lot clearer in that. GB will know that of course, he's on our wavelength despite what people say about him.

But plans are in place to make major changes, the club have already expressed that, and I'm sure those announcements will include everything else you're looking for. HoF will be key, as will other steps that are planned.

As a supporter, I'm gutted, and leaving this league in the wrong direction is more than disappointing. A lot of effort has gone into making sure this club is set up to expect good things, its just so galling to see it not go according to plan.

[NickDRFC]

I’m questioning the whole shooting match - for me, it starts at the very top. The Board are simply not taking ANY responsibility for this utter shambles of a set-up.

How do you know they're not taking responsibility?

Martin, I think some sort of statement or an extraordinary MTO meeting would clear the air somewhat.

I truly believe the board have Rovers best interests at heart. You don’t put millions into something year after year to see it fail so dismally on the pitch.

I think Club Doncaster is good. It’s progressive and generates revenue that helps fund Rovers. No question.

What we do need to have is a good, honest discussion about the structure and setup of Rovers in terms of team management, recruitment and identity.

There’s no shame in admitting mistakes have been made in the past two years. Yes, McCann and Moore being tapped up by bigger clubs is out of the owners’ control, and hindsight is a wonderful thing… But a proven manager should have been appointed when Moore left. Easier said than done of course, and as we know too well, there’s never any guarantee of success. But we’ve lurched from crisis to crisis with two completely unproven managers and Wellens, who was slightly proven.

I really like Gary McSheffrey as a footballing person. He clearly understands the game, what’s required, and talks with knowledge and great insight. But for some reason the dots clearly aren’t connecting. Do we let him build on the glimpses of improvement we’ve seen and have a crack building over the summer for L2, or do we thank him for his efforts and have him go back to his old position? I know many want the latter. If that’s the case, then which managers are available that could be the right appointment? And if a new man comes in, how quickly?

I’m disappointed that we’re going down but that’s part and parcel of football and especially supporting Rovers.

I think the Head of Football is a key development and a crucial appointment.

The decisions made in the next month are going to be the most important in years.

I’d love you honest thoughts purely as a supporter.

RTID

Hi PDX,

I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said so far.

To be honest its difficult to separate out the two parts of my position here, firstly as a supporter and secondly as a VSC official because others on this board can't see where one starts and one stops.

I have my own thoughts on the football side, and I very rarely comment for the above reason. I find the clarity in relating to ownership issues and how DRFC deal with its supporter base much easier to comment on. And of course my conversations with the club are based on the second rather than the first.

In that respect I'll be chatting with Gavin this week and tell him exactly what I believe the club should do with regard to communication, and he'll  expect that of me as well. Whether that's another MTO or not (can't see that myself) I don't know but we do need to be a lot clearer in that. GB will know that of course, he's on our wavelength despite what people say about him.

But plans are in place to make major changes, the club have already expressed that, and I'm sure those announcements will include everything else you're looking for. HoF will be key, as will other steps that are planned.

As a supporter, I'm gutted, and leaving this league in the wrong direction is more than disappointing. A lot of effort has gone into making sure this club is set up to expect good things, its just so galling to see it not go according to plan.

I think it’s a small, idiotic minority who think the plan was to get relegated, but I think the main reason we’re going down is because of either a lack of a structured plan or a very poor one for the last 18 months. Maybe the board accept that which is partly why this Head of Football Ops position has been identified, but I agree with posts that talk about a lack of public accountability as we just haven’t seen it.

[PDX_Rover]

I’m questioning the whole shooting match - for me, it starts at the very top. The Board are simply not taking ANY responsibility for this utter shambles of a set-up.

How do you know they're not taking responsibility?

Martin, I think some sort of statement or an extraordinary MTO meeting would clear the air somewhat.

I truly believe the board have Rovers best interests at heart. You don’t put millions into something year after year to see it fail so dismally on the pitch.

I think Club Doncaster is good. It’s progressive and generates revenue that helps fund Rovers. No question.

What we do need to have is a good, honest discussion about the structure and setup of Rovers in terms of team management, recruitment and identity.

There’s no shame in admitting mistakes have been made in the past two years. Yes, McCann and Moore being tapped up by bigger clubs is out of the owners’ control, and hindsight is a wonderful thing… But a proven manager should have been appointed when Moore left. Easier said than done of course, and as we know too well, there’s never any guarantee of success. But we’ve lurched from crisis to crisis with two completely unproven managers and Wellens, who was slightly proven.

I really like Gary McSheffrey as a footballing person. He clearly understands the game, what’s required, and talks with knowledge and great insight. But for some reason the dots clearly aren’t connecting. Do we let him build on the glimpses of improvement we’ve seen and have a crack building over the summer for L2, or do we thank him for his efforts and have him go back to his old position? I know many want the latter. If that’s the case, then which managers are available that could be the right appointment? And if a new man comes in, how quickly?

I’m disappointed that we’re going down but that’s part and parcel of football and especially supporting Rovers.

I think the Head of Football is a key development and a crucial appointment.

The decisions made in the next month are going to be the most important in years.

I’d love you honest thoughts purely as a supporter.

RTID

Hi PDX,

I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said so far.

To be honest its difficult to separate out the two parts of my position here, firstly as a supporter and secondly as a VSC official because others on this board can't see where one starts and one stops.

I have my own thoughts on the football side, and I very rarely comment for the above reason. I find the clarity in relating to ownership issues and how DRFC deal with its supporter base much easier to comment on. And of course my conversations with the club are based on the second rather than the first.

In that respect I'll be chatting with Gavin this week and tell him exactly what I believe the club should do with regard to communication, and he'll  expect that of me as well. Whether that's another MTO or not (can't see that myself) I don't know but we do need to be a lot clearer in that. GB will know that of course, he's on our wavelength despite what people say about him.

But plans are in place to make major changes, the club have already expressed that, and I'm sure those announcements will include everything else you're looking for. HoF will be key, as will other steps that are planned.

As a supporter, I'm gutted, and leaving this league in the wrong direction is more than disappointing. A lot of effort has gone into making sure this club is set up to expect good things, its just so galling to see it not go according to plan.

I think it’s a small, idiotic minority who think the plan was to get relegated, but I think the main reason we’re going down is because of either a lack of a structured plan or a very poor one for the last 18 months. Maybe the board accept that which is partly why this Head of Football Ops position has been identified, but I agree with posts that talk about a lack of public accountability as we just haven’t seen it.

Spot on Nick. Cumulative errors.

[Alan Southstand]

Martin, with all due respect, you know the answer to the question posed to me, but, there again, point to the part of my post where I said I knew. Do I need to repeat what I wrote?

Show me a quote from any of the 3 top men where they have told us that they take any responsibility for what has transpired over the last few seasons?

The last thing I read, from Gavin, is that we’re not in a relegation battle! Was that back in November?

Given the circles you move in, you personally, may have been told something different, but to the rest of us long suffering supporters there is only silence. Can you not wonder how that can be interpreted by those ‘not in the know’?

This has been, quite simply, the worst season for many a long year. As yet, there has been nothing (to my knowledge) put out in the public domain. We are all waiting, with baited breath, for something positive to come out of this God-awful mess!

[Chris Black come back]

Still waiting for us to have “one of the strongest squads in the league” that was promised for March and the relegation run-in. Taylor, Close, John, Fejiri and Anderson not going to be seen playing until next season, as we all knew would be the case. Not one of them going to play a further minute this season, again as we all knew despite the line we were given.

[tommy toes]

Was talking to Ben Close at the gym.
He said that he would be fit for pre season and is staying.
Sounds like a nasty, painful injury he had.