The King is Dead....long live the King!!

[silent majority]

So, 1 game in and 3 points in the bag.

A new era has begun, the winds of change are whistling around the Keepmoat and I sense that we are just beginning to see and hear about some of the new faces that will become familiar in the not too distant future. I've heard some really good things today,and some of the training ground stuff has to be a bonus.

The approach may be more pragmatic than what we are used to, but we are in a results business and the lack of exactly that has been very difficult to cope with. I'm just glad that we aren't going to spend the rest of the season propping up the rest of the division and being ridiculed by the other Yorkshire clubs.

Maybe the transfer from one Manager to the other wasn't seamless, but it was becoming necessary and time will tell just how astute JR has been yet again. Somebody once told me that you always get more of what you focus on, SO'D's focus was survival, JR's has always been success and ambition. I'm with JR for the ride, care to join me?

Long live the King!

[mushRTID]

What you heard???? Go on, you know you want to share.

[silent majority]

I'll not post everything, but rest assured that the option taken by JR was the right one for all kinds of reasons. But mostly because of what I posted above, if you are content to focus on survival and not change things around from a positive perspective then that's what you get, more of what you focus on.

We've all known JR longer than we knew Sean, we all know that JR has made a lot of promises and he's always delivered, lets be content that this decision and the change in approach was made for that very reason.

Apparently, according to some of the players, training on Friday was a time of learning and laughing! According to some, laughter was actually heard on the training ground and DS has already introduced some new techniques which have allowed the players to play without worry, without fear of being called irresponsible and subject to the doublespeak of SO'D.

As I said earlier, a new era, one in which the dream we've all had for some time, and which has been put aside for the last few years, has been brought out from the cupboard, dusted off and put back on its feet.

[redwine]

Doubleplusgood

[VikingJames]

Good posts s_m. In my opinion, we were in need of a fresh approach to help bring about a change in fortunes - hopefully we can continue in the same way as we did in the second half today.

Saunders has said the right things in his first two days in the job, and the second half today showed that some of his ideas are already coming across in our football. Without getting carried away, I liked what I saw today. The first half allowed DS to evaluate the players, and the second half was much better after he addressed the weaknesses he saw. I was pleased to see us play with a bit more freedom and positivity, and with more of a focus on winning rather than avoiding defeat.

[Nudga]

I'm liking Deano already. He actually has a personality and sounds like he loves his football. He doesn't talk in monotone and was quite frank in his first assessmnet of the match. But most of all, he sounds like he wants to attack teams and hurt them, something IMO we haven't done in a long time.
I have always said I enjoyed the Dave Penney years more than the Sean O'Driscoll one's and I hope we can go back to the swash buckling, cavalier football that I love. I never did sophisticated.

[silent majority]

I think that's exactly where we are Nudga, no more psycho doubletalk from SO'D and back to playing proper football. And acquiring players who can play football, not that fit into a system, or thinking footballers, or footballers who can take responsibility or any other 'A' level type footballer, just those who can play.

[Dutch Uncle]

I have always said I enjoyed the Dave Penney years more than the Sean O'Driscoll one's and I hope we can go back to the swash buckling, cavalier football that I love. I never did sophisticated.

Not many players have played for both Swansea and Cardiff because of the animosity between the clubs fans......

Even fewer have managed Doncaster Rovers

Step forward Dave Penney and Dean Saunders

P.S. I loved SOD and will always think of him as a great manager for our club - like Penney before him he left the club in a higer and better position than when he started. But I have a grudging sneaking suspicion this may have been a good decision, albeit not made in the best manner. Now if Deano should also end up leaving the club at a higher level...........

[graingrover]

Keep those statistical analyses flowing Dutch ...I forecast positive thinking will bring back smiles on faces and goals in the onion bag!

[RTID75]

On reflection, I feel awful admitting it to myself so soon, but I too would probably say I *overall* preferred Penney's gung-ho way of playing than Sean's. It seemed to gain us more wins over a long period of time. Occasionally it failed spectacularly, but more often than not it was solid.

Sean's style was breathtaking and superior to anything I've ever seen us play when it worked, but latterly it very much didn't. Teams had got us sussed and there was absolutely no plan B. It was clear things couldn't stay the same.

I'm apprehensive / scared / worried, but at the same time very much looking forward to what happens next in our new chapter.

[donnybel]

RTID75....you've stolen my thoughts!!!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

One concern that I have is acknowledging SOD's ability to coach, educate and get the best out of young players, or those who have lost their way, will Saunders be more of a manager rather than a coach?

Different ways of going about things and we hear of his grounding at other clubs but if he has to acquire ready made players at this level then that will mean spending money we haven't got.

I like what I hear from him about injury prevention and his psychology, so time will tell I suppose.

[CusworthRovers]

according to some of the players, training on Friday was a time of learning and laughing!

Sounds like that's been lifted straight from a Dickens novel. Good arrows


As one of Sean's biggest fans and one of the biggest fans of his philosophy on football and how it should be played, I very much took it like a death in the family, and I still feel numb now.

However, I'm very much a DRFC fan and the title of this thread is what's needed for DRFC.

My numbness and fear is actually for the long term future of this club. I was convinced that Ryan and Sean had a long term plan both on and off the pitch that would suit our football club in it's current state. A plan that could cope with relegation and promotion to whatever League and keep our club in a healthy state......and if you think the plan failed because we were rock bottom, then I don't buy that one iota. That's merely short term thinking. There is no doubt in my mind that DRFC will be relegated, be that this year, next year, the year after or whatever, no matter who is in charge. There was no doubt in my mind after the jubilation of Wembley and the restoration of calmness in me days after, that we would certainly be relegated again. The question was always when, and I thought we did amazingly well beyond all expectations to last this long.


I'm a realist and I need to see facts, I need to see plans, I need to see reliability. I saw all that in Sean and John and knew whatever the scenario was, we would be ok and fight it and fight another day.

In the current climate I have no idea what Deano will be like (but he gets my 110% support as he now manages my club). I see a huge shockwave in the boardroom that can/could effect the long term plan of my club, and again that makes me edgy. Whilst all MIGHT be good for the future, equally it MIGHT be bad for the future. One thing for certain and looking to the future I was more than happy/comfortable/sleep easy at night with the current set up 1 week ago.


As for Ryan, well I take my hat off to the bloke. He cannot keep this club going alone and needs more money in the club at his level and at fan level to satisfy the X Factor audience and keep us at these giddy heights. He's taken a huge kick in the pods, eaten a huge slice of humble pie for what he suspects is the greater good of the club. I really hope it all works out for him and us.

Here's to 3 points Tuesday night and hopefully us off the bottom

[The Red Baron]

according to some of the players, training on Friday was a time of learning and laughing!

Sounds like that's been lifted straight from a Dickens novel. Good arrows


As one of Sean's biggest fans and one of the biggest fans of his philosophy on football and how it should be played, I very much took it like a death in the family, and I still feel numb now.

However, I'm very much a DRFC fan and the title of this thread is what's needed for DRFC.

My numbness and fear is actually for the long term future of this club. I was convinced that Ryan and Sean had a long term plan both on and off the pitch that would suit our football club in it's current state. A plan that could cope with relegation and promotion to whatever League and keep our club in a healthy state......and if you think the plan failed because we were rock bottom, then I don't buy that one iota. That's merely short term thinking. There is no doubt in my mind that DRFC will be relegated, be that this year, next year, the year after or whatever, no matter who is in charge. There was no doubt in my mind after the jubilation of Wembley and the restoration of calmness in me days after, that we would certainly be relegated again. The question was always when, and I thought we did amazingly well beyond all expectations to last this long.


I'm a realist and I need to see facts, I need to see plans, I need to see reliability. I saw all that in Sean and John and knew whatever the scenario was, we would be ok and fight it and fight another day.

In the current climate I have no idea what Deano will be like (but he gets my 110% support as he now manages my club). I see a huge shockwave in the boardroom that can/could effect the long term plan of my club, and again that makes me edgy. Whilst all MIGHT be good for the future, equally it MIGHT be bad for the future. One thing for certain and looking to the future I was more than happy/comfortable/sleep easy at night with the current set up 1 week ago.


As for Ryan, well I take my hat off to the bloke. He cannot keep this club going alone and needs more money in the club at his level and at fan level to satisfy the X Factor audience and keep us at these giddy heights. He's taken a huge kick in the pods, eaten a huge slice of humble pie for what he suspects is the greater good of the club. I really hope it all works out for him and us.

Here's to 3 points Tuesday night and hopefully us off the bottom

Excellent post, Cussy. Can't disagree with any of that.

[i_ateallthepies]

Post of the year for me that Cussy lad.  Totally TOTALLY agree with every word.  

We have to look forward now and it was always likely to be this way at some point, but doesn't change those apprehensions about the long term prospects.