Positive thoughts from Thomas

[rover-n-out]

Just read this on the O/S, Wayne Thomas is ready for action and very positive regarding the Rovers at the moment. A good \"Tub Thumping\" read.
Quote:-

Wayne Thomas has declared himself ready to play and is confident he can do a job for Doncaster Rovers when called upon.

Thomas returned from injury to feature in a practice game on Tuesday afternoon and admitted he would prefer to be thrown into competitive action sooner rather than later.

The towering central defender has been out since the beginning of September following a challenge in training which left him with a frustrating fracture injury.

\"I actually fractured my tibia,\" reveals Thomas.

\"I chipped a little bit of bone off the back of the knee. However, I was two or three weeks ahead of schedule and now it is a case of bringing me up to fitness, more specifically match fitness and just getting that sharpness back. After that, I can hopefully force my way back into the team.\"
Article continues
Advertisement

Thomas stepped up his recover on Tuesday afternoon, playing an hour of a behind-closed-doors practice game against Hull City at Cantley Park.

\"My knee feels good. Obviously, you need to get the mileage back into your legs so to speak. You can run on treadmills, you can swim, you can go on cross trainers and bikes - but there is no substitute for game time and game situations. It's good to get a bit into the legs and hopefully I can recover very quickly, which is important, and be available when called upon.\"

Rovers take on Millwall at the Keepmoat Stadium this weekend, and despite only playing an hour of a practice game against Hull, the former Southampton man is adamant that he can and will do a job for Doncaster Rovers, if called upon by the manager.

\"You've got to feel ready to be called upon,\" says Thomas.

\"At some point you've got to give it a go, and it should be sooner rather than later as far as I am concerned. You might be a little bit leggy, you might be a little bit tired and you might need to come off - but as long as you defend and try to keep clean sheets by throwing yourself in front of the ball and defend for your life; that's the most important thing as a defender in my opinion.\"

There is an opportunity for Thomas within the Rovers team, with boss Sean O'Driscoll yet to settle on a regular central defensive pairing - with injuries one of the factors hitting the position during the start of the season.

\"We went from having eight defenders to no defenders, having to use youth team players on the bench. Now the manager suddenly has six defenders available again, so it has been difficult. Either fortunately or unfortunately, it would have made the manager's job easier had we kept a lot of clean sheets. Obviously, when you concede goals - and we've conceded a few this season - you don't cement your place in the side and that can go back to the Cardiff game, myself included.\"

\"When you get complacent, that's when you get sloppy. It's great that there is competition here and there is a great camaraderie between the defenders. In training, its defenders against attackers and you have to stick together, work with each other, help each other and congratulate each other when you do well. At the end of the day, we're all pulling in the same direction and we want to be in and around the Play-Offs and challenging for a place in the Premier League. It's easy to get hold of the shirt, but keeping hold of it is difficult. As of yet, none of us have done that but it is up to us to do that.\"

Rovers take on a Millwall side that currently lies one place above Doncaster in the Championship table after 14 games this season.

\"They're a good side,\" says Thomas.

\"They can be direct, but they also have some good footballers in their team. They are a strong, physical, well-organised team, which most teams in this division are going to be. What I feel we need to do is match teams for work rate, ethic and desire. The football will come after that. I think that everybody is aware that we have the players and the ability in this team to cause any team in this division problems football-wise. When we develop that will to win and it clicks, we will be as good as anybody in this division and hopefully that will come soon.\"

[george-friend]

Only say what every other player says.
What the fans want to hear thats why i try my best to avoid player interviews.

(nothing against thomas btw)

[DonnyBazR0ver]

If any of you saw him in the pre-season friendly at the KM, or the second half appearance at home to Bristol, he brought an instant change to our organisation at the back.

The same can't be said about the match away at Cardiff however. Along side Lockwood and Friend, we were done for pace, so I hope that's no reflection on his normal game.

I still think it essential that he plays along side JOC. Only then I think we'll begin to see a back 4 (if Chambers also included - eventually) that will look more assured.