7 games into their League One return, newly promoted Doncaster Rovers have started life in the Third Tier like a duck to water, translating their Title-winning momentum into the new campaign, partnered with some excellent Summer business.
Doncaster Rover’s Start to the 2025/26 Campaign
Against all odds, last Saturday’s stellar display against fellow high-flying promoted side Bradford City (A side previously predicted to do well by Lower Tiers puts Grant McCann’s Doncaster Rovers in the dizzying heights of second, tied on points with first-placed Cardiff City, following an outstanding opening month and a half in the division McCann has not shied away from expressing his high aspirations for this season, publicly aiming for another promotion for his club, referring to the likes of Wrexham and Stockport’s recent success.
While others laugh at this, a single reference can be made to his interview at the start of the 2024/25 season (in reference to title-winning ambitions) “I said if there’s anyone who doesn’t think they can, tell your agent to call me and find a new club.”
Losing on just one occasion to title favourites Huddersfield Town at the Accu Stadium, the visitors, even then, seemed hard done by with the full-time result, having proven to be a worthy opponent for the hosts on the evening. Across all competitions, Doncaster Rovers have dropped points on just two occasions, with a 1-1 draw at home to Wycombe and the 2-0 defeat at Huddersfield doing the only real slowing of Rovers.
In cup competitions, Doncaster have continued this excellence, demolishing Championship side Middlesbrough in a 4-0 rout, despite making 11 changes, alongside a 2-0 away victory at Accrington Stanley in the Second Round. Much to the delight of the travelling faithful, this has sealed themselves an enticing road trip away to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium later this month.
But What Exactly Is The Cause Of Such A Strong Start To Their Season?
While last season’s League successes certainly have played a role in deciding Doncaster Rovers’s confidence heading into this season, Grant McCann insists that the idea of ‘momentum’ has now passed, and that this league success is instead a factor of simply being a good League One side.
Grant McCann’s Masterclass
There can be no doubt that Grant McCann’s system was the key factor for Rover’s success in their title-winning season, but this approach, for now at least, has been just as successful for Rovers.
During their stay in the fourth division, Grant McCann’s system seemed to always share one key focus: the future. Whether this related to contract lengths, tactical alterations, or even player departures, McCann’s gameplan always seemed to focus on the idea of League One football, and the importance of key players, and systems when that finally arrived.
Flash forward two seasons into the future from his return to the club, and here they are, back where they belong in the Third Tier, unsurprisingly prepared.
Doncaster’s Tactical Setup
For a manager with no managerial experience in League Two prior to his return to Doncaster Rovers, Grant McCann’s performance in the Fourth Division started with a rough patch, finding his side sitting uncomfortably in 20th by the turn of the January window of the 2023/24 season. Seemingly stubborn with his tactical alterations at times, the odd occasion saw Doncaster’s representatives questioning McCann’s decision-making, as the manager continued to get a feel for the division.
But due to his undoubtable track record in the league above, the Doncaster faithful’s support for their gaffer never wavered, unconcerned by their underwhelming league position. Having been subject to some horrendous football by the previous two of three managers since their relegation to League Two, their faith in McCann stood firm, with expectations of a true rebuild sitting clear at the forefront.
But with a brief introduction of some key League Two pedigree and fresh loanee talents, Grant McCann’s side, supported by new boys Matty Craig, Hakeeb Adelakun, and Timothee Lo Tutala, found themselves making a historic second-half come-back, winning 12 games on the trot to rise to 5th on the final day of the season, sealing a playoff spot.
McCann’s tactical system has always focused on the attacking threat of his wingers, utilising their technical capabilities to apply pressure for attacks. Instructed to press high up the field and win the ball back as close to the opposition’s goal as possible, McCann’s unwavering tactical setup has proven to be a troubling, aggressive system to counter.
Typically structured in a flat four-back line, the full-backs in his system often prove to be just as vital to his wingers in terms of attacking play. Encouraged to push high up the field, overlapping his wide playmakers, McCann’s wing-play tends to cause headaches for the opponents’ defensive setups. McCann’s favoured 4-3-3 system tends to focus on build-up play from deep in his own half, though this system was continuously altered throughout the seasons, though one thing remained: the key component of counter-attacking football.
Doncaster Rovers’ ranging midfield system, featuring two deep-lying playmakers and one forward-thinking midfielder, McCann found success in League Two last season as a result of his squad’s goalscoring capabilities across the field. While attackers Rob Street, Luke Molyneux, Billy Sharp and Jordan Gibson contributed most of the goals throughout the season, the important development of his Rovers side since his arrival was the contribution of goals from elsewhere in his squad.
Applying forward-thinking in his midfield three, the likes of Harrison Biggins, Owen Bailey, and Harry Clifton each contributed goals to the McCann system, and heading into this season, this goalscoring form has continued with confidence. As it stands, midfield maestro Owen Bailey, a master of all trades in McCann’s side, sits comfortably as the club’s leading goal scorer, netting on five occasions in all competitions this season, already matching last season’s tally.
Just one notable alteration can be established from McCann’s promotion story with Doncaster Rovers last season, and that featured the centre-forward role. Previously encompassing his system around a hold-up-playing target man, such as the 24-goal Joe Ironside in his first season, McCann’s introduction of a new player profile in Lincoln City loanee Rob Street changed his preparation for this season, with hold-up man Joe Ironside slowly fraying from the first team, before his eventual sale to Tranmere Rovers last week.
Instead of utilising a strong centre forward to develop attacks from the front, as seen in his first season in League Two, the recruitment of Rob Street, and therefore an injection of pace in behind, allowed a new dimension of attacking football, with balls over the top of the defenders for the speedy forward to latch onto.
This brief tactical alteration saw Rovers rise from the outskirts of playoff football to sealing the title, as Street netted 12 goals in 24 appearances for the reds.
There can be no doubt that McCann’s experience in this division sets him up perfectly for further success in League One. In his previous managerial stints, McCann comfortably sealed the League One title with Hull City – a first a first title in over 50 years – alongside multiple playoff finishes, including a previous stint with Doncaster Rovers, in which a heartbreaking penalty affair cut hopes short of a return to the Championship. McCann knows exactly what it takes to seal a high finish in this division, and with a confidence-ridden title-winning side, what better a platform to build on than that?
Summer Transfer Window + Other Business
Focusing the club’s resources on the idea of continuity, Grant McCann’s long-term aims of reaching the Championship, and returning Doncaster Rovers to “Where it belongs” brought about a new era of business. Previously limiting themselves to two-year contracts and therefore risking the untimely exits of key aspects of the playing squad over the years, Grant McCann’s implementation of long-term contracts allowed his new recruits the chance to really develop and excel under his tactical system. By introducing a key balance of youth and experience to the fold, McCann’s plan for the future of Doncaster Rovers unfolded in a way that, in a short while, would perfect his gameplan to escape the division.
An example of these long-term investments can be seen in the likes of Jay McGrath and George Broadbent. Recruited from the depths of non-league and the Irish First Division, these example players have developed crucially in McCann’s system, cementing themselves as starters, not only in League Two, but now in League One.
However, an interesting observation to make about McCann’s time at Doncaster Rovers may be that this was in fact his plan all along. Despite sitting in the fourth division, McCann claimed to not only strengthen his playing squad for the League Two season, but also beyond, as players worthy of performing just as well, if not better, in the League above, playing football in a league that they are more suited to. Once again, we have seen this in midfielder George Broadbent.
While the midfielder excelled in Doncaster’s promotion-winning campaign, the 24-year-old has earned his plaudits further this season at a higher level, performing to an even higher level in a footballing league that the number eight has been designed for. After 7 league performances, the midfielder has now accumulated an average 7.4 rating thus far.
In opposing fashion, midfielder Ben Close, having joined the club the season Rovers found themselves relegated to League Two, found himself struggling for gametime, and was resultantly sent out to the National League’s Aldershot, supposedly in preparation for League One football, much to the amusement of Doncaster’s fanbase. Sent out of the club in preparation for a higher division, despite dropping to the one below?
The move made little sense, until this season of course. Finally earning himself a place back in the starting eleven over two Carabao Cup fixtures the midfielder, exiled in non-league for six months, showcased exactly what Rovers had been missing, scoring on either appearance, with Man of the Match-worthy performances in either fixture. The midfielder, placed on the outskirts of the starting eleven, tore Championship side Middlesbrough apart in the first round of the cup away from home, and was just as vital in their second-round victory at Accrington.
Dipping into the Summer transfer market for further League One pedigree in preparation for the step up in quality, McCann continued his recruitment balance of youth and experience with the likes of EFL royalty Matty Pearson, alongside youthful prospects Sean Grehan and Connor O’Riourdan. Matching this theme of continuity, familiar faces Charlie Crew and Timothee Lo Tutala made their return to the club, having made themselves proficient in McCann’s system in previous seasons.
The start of their season, though strong, raised questions over their lacking conviction in front of goal, and unfortunate blunt strike force, with just 39-year-old Billy Sharp showcasing that key threat of scoring. Doncaster’s new number 9 Brandon Hanlan has not kicked off life in League One by smashing any records, and fan favourite Joe Ironside has unfortunately left the club on a permanent basis.
With the expectation of another strong season in the EFL, McCann’s aspirations of a high finish in League One relied heavily on the introduction of a new playing profile – one much like that of title-winning hero Rob Street, and a player profile like Rob Street he has recruited. Having seemingly made an uncalculated transfer to the MLS with Houston Dynamo, former SPFL star Olusanya of St. Mirren has made the short-term move to Doncaster, in the hopes of rekindling his form in front of goal. Boasting unquestionable pace in behind, the tricky centre forward once recorded a top speed of 36.6 Km/h during his time with Middlesbrough.
Lacking any real pace up front with Hanlan and Sharp the only alternatives, Olusanya provides further strength in Doncaster’s striker department and will keep the cogs turning in McCann’s tactical showcase.
In Summary
Long-term planning has seemingly been a crucial aspect of Doncaster’s preparation for League One now for several seasons, not just over the past five months or so. Whether this includes McCann’s slow establishment of slow-building football, or simply the recruitment of able League One footballers, whilst still in League Two, Doncaster’s consideration of their future in the EFL has been a multi-year project, rather than a hastily equipped playing squad for the new division.
Each recruited player, either from past seasons and the current campaign, have been carefully addressing weakened areas of the playing field, slowly building toward an able League One side. League Two quality for promotion had always been an essential recruitment plan, but a future in League One was always the priority for manager Grant McCann to build on.
McCann has finally adopted a starting eleven and a tactical setup that works regardless of the opponents’ efforts to defy them, causing real trouble for the opponents’ defensive setups. And with the recruitment of pacy striker Olusanya, Doncaster now have a new, threatening pathway of attack.
Now they find themselves in the third division and one step closer to the platform that they belong, in the Championship, Grant McCann’s Doncaster Rovers, sitting pretty in second, are well and truly on the path to another season of success.
