So what exactly is the answer?

[Chris Black come back]

Money was spent last January - probably quite a lot - but it went on players that didn’t and probably couldn’t turn it around.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

JUST SIGN SOME PLAYERS THAT ARE GOOD AT PLAYING FOOTBALL.

Fairly easy solution to it all.

Exactly, even if some folk got their wish and forced regime change, which would take how long? It would still come down to this!

I thought we went through that last time?

When you lose the likes of Danny Andrews to your rivals, that set the tone for where we are now.

Substantial fund were available last January and that turned out to be broken promises resulting in relegation.

We have to face facts we are where we are due to decisions made from above.

I don't think many people lost much sleep about Danny Andrew. Poor defender, questionable fitness record and only got some credit from the odd goal.

I'd take Reece James over him anytime.

[no eyed deer]

JUST SIGN SOME PLAYERS THAT ARE GOOD AT PLAYING FOOTBALL.

Fairly easy solution to it all.

Exactly, even if some folk got their wish and forced regime change, which would take how long? It would still come down to this!

I thought we went through that last time?

When you lose the likes of Danny Andrews to your rivals, that set the tone for where we are now.

Substantial fund were available last January and that turned out to be broken promises resulting in relegation.

We have to face facts we are where we are due to decisions made from above.

I don't think many people lost much sleep about Danny Andrew. Poor defender, questionable fitness record and only got some credit from the odd goal.

I'd take Reece James over him anytime.

Both good league one players, far better than what we have now. Lost Reece and replaced him with Horton.

[ncRover]

Is the memory of the trajectory of the glory years holding us back? That was a model built on taking players who were not getting a look in at other clubs / diamonds in the rough and developing them in to something greater (Stock, Wellens, Copps, Mills etc). Similar to the starting positions of our more recent signings (Hurst, Miller, Maxwell, Griffiths, Olowu, Mitchell etc etc). This transfer policy at present is not working.

We should be looking more at the Dean Saunders L1 promotion season for inspiration but of course in a way that suits the game and the division at present. Solid performers and tough proven pros at the level (Jones, McCombe, Paynter, Spurr, C.Brown). It was short term success but did the job for that season. At L2 level, you would have thought that we’d have the budget for this sensible approach.

Or am I overthinking it?

[DonnyOsmond]

Is the memory of the trajectory of the glory years holding us back? That was a model built on taking players who were not getting a look in at other clubs / diamonds in the rough and developing them in to something greater (Stock, Wellens, Copps, Mills etc). Similar to the starting positions of our more recent signings (Hurst, Miller, Maxwell, Griffiths, Olowu, Mitchell etc etc). This transfer policy at present is not working.

We should be looking more at the Dean Saunders L1 promotion season for inspiration but of course in a way that suits the game and the division at present. Solid performers and tough proven pros at the level (Jones, McCombe, Paynter, Spurr, C.Brown). It was short term success but did the job for that season. At L2 level, you would have thought that we’d have the budget for this sensible approach.

Or am I overthinking it?

Stock wasn't getting a look in at a Championship team after impressing in League One to get a move to that level.
Wellens was in TOTY for League One the two previous seasons.
Copps was doing well in the Conference so we signed him after we were promoted to League One.
Mills, yeah, young player we gave a chance to on loan from Man City then subsequently signed permanently.

O'Connor, Heffernan, Roberts and Hayter were other players who had done well at League One and we ended up signing.

[ncRover]

Is the memory of the trajectory of the glory years holding us back? That was a model built on taking players who were not getting a look in at other clubs / diamonds in the rough and developing them in to something greater (Stock, Wellens, Copps, Mills etc). Similar to the starting positions of our more recent signings (Hurst, Miller, Maxwell, Griffiths, Olowu, Mitchell etc etc). This transfer policy at present is not working.

We should be looking more at the Dean Saunders L1 promotion season for inspiration but of course in a way that suits the game and the division at present. Solid performers and tough proven pros at the level (Jones, McCombe, Paynter, Spurr, C.Brown). It was short term success but did the job for that season. At L2 level, you would have thought that we’d have the budget for this sensible approach.

Or am I overthinking it?

Stock wasn't getting a look in at a Championship team after impressing in League One to get a move to that level.
Wellens was in TOTY for League One the two previous seasons.
Copps was doing well in the Conference so we signed him after we were promoted to League One.
Mills, yeah, young player we gave a chance to on loan from Man City then subsequently signed permanently.

O'Connor, Roberts and Hayter were other players who had done well at League One and we ended up signing.

Fair enough. I guess we’re just tight b*starts now then

[Glyn_Wigley]

Is the memory of the trajectory of the glory years holding us back? That was a model built on taking players who were not getting a look in at other clubs / diamonds in the rough and developing them in to something greater (Stock, Wellens, Copps, Mills etc). Similar to the starting positions of our more recent signings (Hurst, Miller, Maxwell, Griffiths, Olowu, Mitchell etc etc). This transfer policy at present is not working.

We should be looking more at the Dean Saunders L1 promotion season for inspiration but of course in a way that suits the game and the division at present. Solid performers and tough proven pros at the level (Jones, McCombe, Paynter, Spurr, C.Brown). It was short term success but did the job for that season. At L2 level, you would have thought that we’d have the budget for this sensible approach.

Or am I overthinking it?

Stock wasn't getting a look in at a Championship team after impressing in League One to get a move to that level.
Wellens was in TOTY for League One the two previous seasons.
Copps was doing well in the Conference so we signed him after we were promoted to League One.
Mills, yeah, young player we gave a chance to on loan from Man City then subsequently signed permanently.

O'Connor, Roberts and Hayter were other players who had done well at League One and we ended up signing.

Fair enough. I guess we’re just tight b*starts now then

Or were spending money like water then.

[ncRover]

Is the memory of the trajectory of the glory years holding us back? That was a model built on taking players who were not getting a look in at other clubs / diamonds in the rough and developing them in to something greater (Stock, Wellens, Copps, Mills etc). Similar to the starting positions of our more recent signings (Hurst, Miller, Maxwell, Griffiths, Olowu, Mitchell etc etc). This transfer policy at present is not working.

We should be looking more at the Dean Saunders L1 promotion season for inspiration but of course in a way that suits the game and the division at present. Solid performers and tough proven pros at the level (Jones, McCombe, Paynter, Spurr, C.Brown). It was short term success but did the job for that season. At L2 level, you would have thought that we’d have the budget for this sensible approach.

Or am I overthinking it?

Stock wasn't getting a look in at a Championship team after impressing in League One to get a move to that level.
Wellens was in TOTY for League One the two previous seasons.
Copps was doing well in the Conference so we signed him after we were promoted to League One.
Mills, yeah, young player we gave a chance to on loan from Man City then subsequently signed permanently.

O'Connor, Roberts and Hayter were other players who had done well at League One and we ended up signing.

Fair enough. I guess we’re just tight b*starts now then

Or were spending money like water then.

Was lots of money spent (relatively) in the Dave Penney era of back to back promotions? I was only young at the time

[normal rules]

Is the memory of the trajectory of the glory years holding us back? That was a model built on taking players who were not getting a look in at other clubs / diamonds in the rough and developing them in to something greater (Stock, Wellens, Copps, Mills etc). Similar to the starting positions of our more recent signings (Hurst, Miller, Maxwell, Griffiths, Olowu, Mitchell etc etc). This transfer policy at present is not working.

We should be looking more at the Dean Saunders L1 promotion season for inspiration but of course in a way that suits the game and the division at present. Solid performers and tough proven pros at the level (Jones, McCombe, Paynter, Spurr, C.Brown). It was short term success but did the job for that season. At L2 level, you would have thought that we’d have the budget for this sensible approach.

Or am I overthinking it?

Stock wasn't getting a look in at a Championship team after impressing in League One to get a move to that level.
Wellens was in TOTY for League One the two previous seasons.
Copps was doing well in the Conference so we signed him after we were promoted to League One.
Mills, yeah, young player we gave a chance to on loan from Man City then subsequently signed permanently.

O'Connor, Roberts and Hayter were other players who had done well at League One and we ended up signing.

Fair enough. I guess we’re just tight b*starts now then

Or were spending money like water then.

Was lots of money spent (relatively) in the Dave Penney era of back to back promotions? I was only young at the time

The cup run beating city, villa and the arsenal game would have boosted the coffers.

[dickos1]

Quote from Dickos
Guff about the biggest budgets in the league? Just open your eyes and look at our squad compared to the others in this league and you’ll see it’s blatantly one of the most expensive squads in the league

If that’s the case then the level of these players is not good enough. We are 12pts  off the automatic promotion places and do not look as though we can win enough games or score enough goals to get there. So we have wasted money on players if you are and others are right about one of the biggest budgets

I agree some of them aren’t good enough but the board didn’t choose the players they made the money available and others spent it on players that aren’t good enough

[dickos1]

I think it's easier to answer why we find ourselves in the position we're in rather than try and figure out how we get out of this mess, and you have to put that down to those running the club.

All the recent managerial appointments we've made have been internal candidates or external unknown quantities. They weren't the easy options - they were the cheap options.

I certainly don't fall for the guff about "one of the largest budgets in the league" or "we'd pay the manager a high wage regardless of who we hired". It's gaslighting by the board pure and simple, and unfortunately plenty of fans are happy to listen and believe those comments despite evidence to the contrary.

Would getting new owners in solve the issue? Depends who you brought in and how ambitious they'd be. The answer is - probably not. Doncaster isn't a Southern club which seem to be the clubs attracting foreign investors - unless you're a Northern club with a previous Premier League pedigree.

We don't get enough fans in ground even when we're doing well, so gates are always below par. That puts off investment. Remember John Ryan's constant rallying cries when we were in the Championship?

So you need a local investor(s) who is a lifelong Rovers fan and isn't bothered about losing money. I don't see that person or persons coming frankly.

Guff about the biggest budgets in the league? Just open your eyes and look at our squad compared to the others in this league and you’ll see it’s blatantly one of the most expensive squads in the league

Does make me laugh posts like this. Written as though you know all other 23 L2 squads inside out.

Maybe you can list detailed squad comparisons for those of us who aren’t experts on the other 23 clubs. Should be easy as it’s “blatently”

From what I can see, Rowe, Anderson, Taylor and Close i would expect to be the biggest earners…everyone else I would expect to be very modest wages.

Surely other teams have a handful of higher earner too?

I’d add to that, knoyle and molyneux, these 6 players will Be amongst the best paid in league two.
That’s pretty obvious

[Avsuptem]

It is the Manager's job to motivate the players to perform, to develop a winning style of play that utilises the individual player's strengths and to create a winning mentality. The whole should be greater than the sum of it's parts. At the moment we do not appear to be achieving this. Either that or our players are just not good enough.

[Upton Rover]

It is the Manager's job to motivate the players to perform, to develop a winning style of play that utilises the individual player's strengths and to create a winning mentality. The whole should be greater than the sum of it's parts. At the moment we do not appear to be achieving this. Either that or our players are just not good enough.

totally agree, I think it’s a mixture of bad management, poor player’s and I don’t care attitude board

[mushRTID]

I think it's easier to answer why we find ourselves in the position we're in rather than try and figure out how we get out of this mess, and you have to put that down to those running the club.

All the recent managerial appointments we've made have been internal candidates or external unknown quantities. They weren't the easy options - they were the cheap options.

I certainly don't fall for the guff about "one of the largest budgets in the league" or "we'd pay the manager a high wage regardless of who we hired". It's gaslighting by the board pure and simple, and unfortunately plenty of fans are happy to listen and believe those comments despite evidence to the contrary.

Would getting new owners in solve the issue? Depends who you brought in and how ambitious they'd be. The answer is - probably not. Doncaster isn't a Southern club which seem to be the clubs attracting foreign investors - unless you're a Northern club with a previous Premier League pedigree.

We don't get enough fans in ground even when we're doing well, so gates are always below par. That puts off investment. Remember John Ryan's constant rallying cries when we were in the Championship?

So you need a local investor(s) who is a lifelong Rovers fan and isn't bothered about losing money. I don't see that person or persons coming frankly.

Guff about the biggest budgets in the league? Just open your eyes and look at our squad compared to the others in this league and you’ll see it’s blatantly one of the most expensive squads in the league

Does make me laugh posts like this. Written as though you know all other 23 L2 squads inside out.

Maybe you can list detailed squad comparisons for those of us who aren’t experts on the other 23 clubs. Should be easy as it’s “blatently”

From what I can see, Rowe, Anderson, Taylor and Close i would expect to be the biggest earners…everyone else I would expect to be very modest wages.

Surely other teams have a handful of higher earner too?

I’d add to that, knoyle and molyneux, these 6 players will Be amongst the best paid in league two.
That’s pretty obvious

Knoyle can’t have been on much at Cambridge. Was probably happy with a modest increase and L1 football when he joined us. I would then expect those wages went down on relegation.

Molyneux it was said was waiting for higher league offers but none came off. Again I expect he accepted a modest increase from Hartlepool.

When you say among the best paid in L2 what you saying? Top 10, 20?

[ncRover]

Spending the wage doesn’t guarantee success. There will be good deals and bad deals to be had.

Swindon have just signed Charlie Austin.

[normal rules]

Spending the wage doesn’t guarantee success. There will be good deals and bad deals to be had.

Swindon have just signed Charlie Austin.

Alfie May wasn’t a bad signing for Cheltenham was he? 116 apps 43 goals since he left rovers.

[goalkick]

Be careful what you say! 

[dickos1]

I think it's easier to answer why we find ourselves in the position we're in rather than try and figure out how we get out of this mess, and you have to put that down to those running the club.

All the recent managerial appointments we've made have been internal candidates or external unknown quantities. They weren't the easy options - they were the cheap options.

I certainly don't fall for the guff about "one of the largest budgets in the league" or "we'd pay the manager a high wage regardless of who we hired". It's gaslighting by the board pure and simple, and unfortunately plenty of fans are happy to listen and believe those comments despite evidence to the contrary.

Would getting new owners in solve the issue? Depends who you brought in and how ambitious they'd be. The answer is - probably not. Doncaster isn't a Southern club which seem to be the clubs attracting foreign investors - unless you're a Northern club with a previous Premier League pedigree.

We don't get enough fans in ground even when we're doing well, so gates are always below par. That puts off investment. Remember John Ryan's constant rallying cries when we were in the Championship?

So you need a local investor(s) who is a lifelong Rovers fan and isn't bothered about losing money. I don't see that person or persons coming frankly.

Guff about the biggest budgets in the league? Just open your eyes and look at our squad compared to the others in this league and you’ll see it’s blatantly one of the most expensive squads in the league

Does make me laugh posts like this. Written as though you know all other 23 L2 squads inside out.

Maybe you can list detailed squad comparisons for those of us who aren’t experts on the other 23 clubs. Should be easy as it’s “blatently”

From what I can see, Rowe, Anderson, Taylor and Close i would expect to be the biggest earners…everyone else I would expect to be very modest wages.

Surely other teams have a handful of higher earner too?

I’d add to that, knoyle and molyneux, these 6 players will Be amongst the best paid in league two.
That’s pretty obvious

Knoyle can’t have been on much at Cambridge. Was probably happy with a modest increase and L1 football when he joined us. I would then expect those wages went down on relegation.

Molyneux it was said was waiting for higher league offers but none came off. Again I expect he accepted a modest increase from Hartlepool.

When you say among the best paid in L2 what you saying? Top 10, 20?

Knoyle was in the league two team of the year when we signed him, so we would’ve had to give him a good contract for him to come to us,
Molyneux was recognised as one of the best players in league 2 so again we would’ve had to offer a good contract to get him

[steve@dcfd]

Both players are taking time to impose their game on this league. In fact Molyneux as been disappointing for me. Not saying he’s a bad player but I expected a lot more of him both going forward and scoring, which he’s not doing. His defensive qualities are poor as well.
Knoyle under Schofields formation I would want him at RWB then we would see more of his qualities. Going forward fro RCB then makes the defence vulnerable.

[mrfrostsdad]

Well, I think I've found the answer: win 2 games on the run and everyone is happy!!
Some great comments on the thread though. Just shows how much difference a week makes

[Upton Rover]

Well, I think I've found the answer: win 2 games on the run and everyone is happy!!
Some great comments on the thread though. Just shows how much difference a week makes

Some people are easy pleased, same as they are easy displeased

[ravenrover]

Well, I think I've found the answer: win 2 games on the run and everyone is happy!!
Some great comments on the thread though. Just shows how much difference a week makes

Some people are easy pleased, same as they are easy displeased

Including yourself in that?

[ncRover]

There’s no point pointing the finger at one portion of fans or the other every time there’s a win or loss.

Our league position is very flattering on us. A -4 goal difference and only 4 teams have conceded more. Yet we are a point off the play offs.

Consistent performances and collective work rate from the team will bring everyone around.

[Upton Rover]

Well, I think I've found the answer: win 2 games on the run and everyone is happy!!
Some great comments on the thread though. Just shows how much difference a week makes

Some people are easy pleased, same as they are easy displeased

Including yourself in that?

Everyone has a right to feel displeased the way the first half of the season as gone, just like we can be pleased with the last 2 wins, even though not convincing wins, to many of you Mr positive who just sit and wait to slag a negative post off.