Consistency

[MachoMadness]

Saw this graphic on Twitter. Sums up the season perfectly.

https://x.com/SkyBet/status/1918591360959180954?t=I7D4Hgg-vqOVR3eZe4x_dA&s=19

Never out of the top 7, rarely out of the top 5. Always kept the leading pack within touching distance and peaked at the perfect time. We were the only club that kept the pace the whole season - fully deserved champions.

Frustrating as it's been watching us at times, we've been the best team all along. Well done lads!

Just think how good we'll be when it finally clicks, eh?

[Pancho Regan]

What a finish to the season.

While all around us lost their heads, we steamed in with 4 straight wins to blow our rivals away.

One statistic screams out to me …… we’ve finished the season with the best goal difference in the League!

And to think a few short weeks ago, even I thought this might be our downfall!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Saw this graphic on Twitter. Sums up the season perfectly.

https://x.com/SkyBet/status/1918591360959180954?t=I7D4Hgg-vqOVR3eZe4x_dA&s=19

Never out of the top 7, rarely out of the top 5. Always kept the leading pack within touching distance and peaked at the perfect time. We were the only club that kept the pace the whole season - fully deserved champions.

Frustrating as it's been watching us at times, we've been the best team all along. Well done lads!

Just think how good we'll be when it finally clicks, eh?

I slightly beg to differ.

We rarely looked better than about 4th-6th spot until the last third of the season, and especially the last sixth.

We averaged 1.68 PPG over the first 31 games. Then 2.13 over the final 15, and 2.33 over the final 6.

Just like last season, there was absolutely no sign of that change of gear coming in the final third. But it has done in both seasons.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Actually, there's a more obvious point at which our form changed.

First half of the season, we won 37 points from 23 games. That's typically enough to give you a decent chance of 6th/7th place.

Then we signed Rob Street, and when he settled in, he gave us an entirely new dimension up front.

Second half of the season, we won 47 points from 23 games.

Fascinatingly, our second half of the season record this year was identical to last year's
P23 W14 D5 L4 PTS47


 Those two rank up with the first half of 20/21 under Moore (48 points from 23) and the first half of 03/04 under Penney (49 points from 23) as the best halves of a season since our return to the League. And probably for a lot longer than that.

[richtherover]

How great does it feel to finally get our hands on a trophy? It was galling to watch the likes of Wrexham and Stockport, good as they were, and Crawley who were awful, getting the plaudits and promotion. Still, the wait is over and now it's our turn. Boy it feels good and the future looks bright. I'm so proud to be a Rover.

[Colemans Left Hook]

In simple terms it was a MASTERMIND season 

A fly on the wall of our dressing room after the first match reported McCann  saying "I've started (top) and I'll finish  (top) "



https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/doncaster-rovers/league-progress

that red line is near as dam it a straight line

[PDX_Rover]

Walsall lost two engines over Berlin at the end there…

[andyst79]

Actually, there's a more obvious point at which our form changed.

First half of the season, we won 37 points from 23 games. That's typically enough to give you a decent chance of 6th/7th place.

Then we signed Rob Street, and when he settled in, he gave us an entirely new dimension up front.

Second half of the season, we won 47 points from 23 games.

Fascinatingly, our second half of the season record this year was identical to last year's
P23 W14 D5 L4 PTS47


 Those two rank up with the first half of 20/21 under Moore (48 points from 23) and the first half of 03/04 under Penney (49 points from 23) as the best halves of a season since our return to the League. And probably for a lot longer than that.

Without disrespect to others Street coming in down the middle was the catalyst for us to kick on after Xmas, coupled with a change in our style of play as we seemed to do away with the tippy tappy nonsense at the back and play a more direct style where we get the ball forward quicker.

[roversdude]

Once we stopped trying to shoehorn Street in on the wing and made him the focal point of our attack we looked a different team

[drfchound]

Saw this graphic on Twitter. Sums up the season perfectly.

https://x.com/SkyBet/status/1918591360959180954?t=I7D4Hgg-vqOVR3eZe4x_dA&s=19

Never out of the top 7, rarely out of the top 5. Always kept the leading pack within touching distance and peaked at the perfect time. We were the only club that kept the pace the whole season - fully deserved champions.

Frustrating as it's been watching us at times, we've been the best team all along. Well done lads!

Just think how good we'll be when it finally clicks, eh?

I slightly beg to differ.

We rarely looked better than about 4th-6th spot until the last third of the season, and especially the last sixth.

We averaged 1.68 PPG over the first 31 games. Then 2.13 over the final 15, and 2.33 over the final 6.

Just like last season, there was absolutely no sign of that change of gear coming in the final third. But it has done in both seasons.

The season is over 46 games, not up until a team kicks into top gear.
I wonder what Walsall fans are thinking this morning.

[Peebles Rover]

I have to confess I didn’t think we were good enough to make the automatics. There were games I watched in Feb and March where it was so frustrating to watch us. It felt like we were nearly a good team, but didn’t quite have the quality. Then finally we did find the extra gear we’d been looking for all season. In particular the last 4 games. Did this also coincide with us keeping a more consistent team? It’s so nice to wake up this morning as champions and to look at the sides we’ll be playing next year! Some crackers in store!

[ravenrover]

When you think about it you could say what a collapse by Walsall or you could say what a performance over the whole season by Rovers. What was it in January 12 points behind changing that to a 7point advantage. What a turnaround

[pib]

Crew in the middle made a big difference IMO.

[Colemans Left Hook]

When you think about it you could say what a collapse by Walsall or you could say what a performance over the whole season by Rovers. What was it in January 12 points behind changing that to a 7point advantage. What a turnaround

Funny thing is exactly the same thing happened from January onwards last season comparing  Notts County's form with ours - can't remember how many points they were ahead of us  - but that also turned out nice.