Doncaster Rovers Season Preview 2021/22: All’s well that ends Wellens

For much of last season, Doncaster Rovers threatened to be in the automatic promotion mix up, but a terrible run from mid-February onwards saw them win just four of their final 23 matches.

It is easy to suggest this dip was caused by the departure of Darren Moore, who left for Sheffield Wednesday, but the rot had already set in. The problem was, the club did very little to stop it.

Andy Butler was left in charge despite the terrible run continuing and an eventual 14th place finish was an indictment of a lack of leadership from those on high.

They have, however, redeemed themselves with the appointment of a manager, in Richie Wellens, who plays some of the best football the lower leagues have seen in recent years.

To mastermind Swindon’s promotion in 2019/20 deserves a lot of credit and he will, no doubt, get Doncaster heading back on an upward trajectory.

The current Donny squad should fit well with his tactical philosophy. At the County Ground, he tended to use a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 set-up which got the best out of then Robins frontman Eoin Doyle.

Playing as a striker in a Richie Wellens team must be a joyful experience, so expect the Keepmoat will be a great place to watch football in 2021/22.

The Squad

Doncaster can no longer call upon the wizardry of James Coppinger after the midfielder retired at the age of 40, but he will remain involved as a club mentor.

They do still have star defender Tom Anderson and talented 21-year-old Cameron John in defence while they have also added Ro-Shaun Williams from Shrewsbury. Kyle Knoyle also joins and he could be a key player in a Richie Wellens set-up next season. The attacking full-back was probably the best in his position last season in League Two and his ability to get forward will suit the way Donny are likely to play this year.

Tommy Rowe returns to play left-back but could also bulk up the midfield after a couple of seasons in the Championship with Bristol City and Ben Close has signed on from Portsmouth. Matt Smith, who was a loan signing during Wellens’ time at Swindon, has arrived from Arsenal and clearly has a lot of potential if the new Donny boss can extract it.

Aiden Barlow joins after an impressive trial this pre-season, scoring five goals in three matches as Donny prepare for the new campaign. He was a Manchester United youth player but his only first-team experience came when on loan in Norway with Tromso.

The attacking option available to Wellens are quite exciting. Fejiri Okenabirhie is a natural finisher who could bag himself a hateful of goals in 2021/22 while Omar Bogle might finally be able to show everyone what all the fuss was about during his time at Grimsby. Jon Taylor and new signing Jordi Hiwula are the other players that could feature up top.

Newcomer to watch: Ben Close

Ben Close is a great signing for Doncaster for two reasons. Firstly, he looked like a really good player at times last season for Portsmouth and secondly, they nabbed him on a free.

This is a great bit of business for a man with 138 EFL appearances under his belt and who is still only 24. Not yet the complete article but a player who should really blossom in a side that will play progressive football.

Verdict

Doncaster will look back on last season and think what might have been. They move into a new era, a post-Coppinger era, with a manager who has the personality and the pedigree to build something special at the Keepmoat. It might not happen overnight but if Wellens is given time he’ll put Donny in a position to challenge but for next season, a top-half finish is a realistic target.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football