With no new additions this summer and Richie Wellens heading for Leicester Doncaster Rovers will have to work very hard to ensure second season syndrome does not strike at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Last Season: 14th in Championship Doncaster Rovers enjoyed their first season back in the Championship, securing a midtable finish after a difficult start and winning plenty of friends for their style of football along the way. Back in August 2008 many, LFW included, expected Doncaster to struggle very badly. They had brought tears of joy to en entire nation by beating Leeds United in the League One play off final but lost Paul Green to Derby last summer and hardly strengthened at all. Of the signings they did make centre half Matt Mills proved to be a great success from Man City, and has since been subject to repeated bids from Nottingham Forest, but striker Darren Byfield hardly featured at all. Doncaster played some lovely football though, under the quite and understated guidance of manager Sean O’Driscoll. This combination of a team that everybody expects to struggle surprising a few in the Championship proved to be something of a manager killer with Norwich, Nottingham Forest and QPR all sacking managers shortly after poor defeats to Rovers. They won just two of their first sixteen matches, including an opening day success at Derby, but wins against Forest and Burnley at Christmas set them up on a run of seven league wins from eight matches that pushed them into midtable where they stayed.

Head to Head: QPR and Doncaster fought out a one sided 2-0 victory each last season. At Loftus Road first half goals from Dexter Blackstock and Emmanuel Ledesma defeated a naïve looking Rovers side in only the third game of the season. By the time Rangers paid their first visit to the Keepmoat Stadium Paulo Sousa was in charge, and QPR were utterly abysmal in defeat as defensive calamities resulted in an own goal by Damion Stewart and a deflected effort from Paul Heffernan.
QPR 2 Doncaster 0
Doncaster 2 QPR 0

Odds: The bookies don’t fancy Rovers much again this season with only four teams boasting longer odds for the title. You can get them at 50/1 with totesport, or 80/1 with Bet365, BoyleSports and several others.

Manager: Sean O’Driscoll comes across as the quiet man of the Championship, and is rarely linked with other jobs despite the superb work he did in a decade at Bournemouth and now Doncaster as well. At Dean Court he built an attractive, passing side with the likes of Wade Elliott to the fore, and he has carried that on at Doncaster. Shies away from the spotlight, an intensely likeable man and a damn good manager into the bargain. People though Doncaster owner John Ryan was mad for parting company with Dave Penney who had brought such success to the club, but this appointment of O’Driscoll was a well researched master stroke.
Survival Chances – 8/10

Players: Doncaster’s only transfer activity this summer has seen the protracted sale of top midfielder from last season Richie Wellens, who has gone to Leicester for £1.2m. They have held onto centre half Matt Mills under considerable pressure from big spending Nottingham Forest but I dare say there will be a few nervous Rovers fans in the pubs and clubs around Dony with the season now upon us. The goal threat will again be provided by Paul Heffernan (ten last season), James Hayter (four last season, all in the final six matches) and injury prone former Bristol City man Steve Brooker if they can ever get him fit. James Coppinger is now the star attraction in midfield and Martin Woods caught the eye with some great goals, a welcome departure from his previous performances on Liam Lawrence’s home videos. Mills anchors a defence backed up by veteran goalkeeper Neil Sullivan.
Likely Star Man – Matthew Mills

Transfers:
No incoming players
Out:
Richie Wellens to Leicester City - £1.2m
Gordon Greer to Swindon Town – Free
Jason Price to Millwall – Free
Gareth Taylor to Wrexham – Free
Darren Byfield – Released
Tomi Ameobi – Released

Prediction: Doncaster last season were very much like Reading when they first went into the Premiership. They barely added to their promotion side, everybody tipped them to go straight back, in the end they caused a real stir in securing a midtable spot. In that second season though Reading were relegated, and with Wellens leaving Doncaster this summer and again no sign of any significant incomings it is hard to envisage anything other than a season of struggle. Beware second season syndrome.
Verdict: Relegation struggle.

Photo: Action Images

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