Having started their campaign so brightly, even peaking at the top spot of the division for a brief few hours in the early game weeks, Doncaster Rovers survival aspirations have stagnated, following a pretty dire run of, or lack of, point-accumulating form.
From their last thirteen game weeks, Doncaster Rovers have managed to win on just the one occasion, with a surprise victory over Luke Williams’ firing Peterborough United side.
We’ve seen Doncaster Rovers make season-altering signings previously under McCann, with the likes of Matty Craig and Timothee Lo-Tutala in January 2024, alongside their title-defining signing of Rob Street last January, to help seal the League Two title.
With January’s transfer window looming around the corner, there’s no doubt that Rovers will require some mid-season recruitment to inspire hopes of an improved second half of their season.
We’ve chosen three key options for Doncaster to consider signing in order to turn their league woes around.
Whilst performances have been improving in recent weeks, Doncaster Rovers seemingly have become their own enemies, often preventing themselves from winning most of the time as a result of never-ending individual errors across their back line.
Defensively, Doncaster have made far too many errors in the final third leading to goals, and goalkeeper Timothee Lo-Tutala, looking to match the hype of his 2024 Doncaster spell, has performed far below expectations.
If you were to watch their recent fixture with Cardiff City, for instance, a seven-goal thriller, it would appear that the Frenchman was responsible for, at the very least, two of the hosts’ goals, particularly their winner, and starved the visitors of, at the very least, one very deserved point on the day.
Unable to keep hold of a relatively routine attempt on goal, Lo-Tutala’s spill fell directly into the path of an unmarked Bagan to strike home a heartbreaking winner.
To worsen the situation, Doncaster Rovers backup goalkeeper Ian Lawlor equally hasn’t been up to scratch, in either this division or the one below.
With just thirteen appearances over the course of the last two seasons, Lawlor has often appeared too shaky in goal, particularly regarding his high claims.
His defenders ahead of him are often unable to predict his movements and decision-making, and this has often led to miscommunication at the back.
For that matter, as harsh as it may seem, Doncaster Rovers may have to explore goalkeeper options in the January window.
Delving, for the most part, into the free agent and loan market, the January market leaves Doncaster with very limited options available at present. That said, one particular name stands out.
Given his profession, the 27-year-old has an ironic name to say the least. Available for transfer on a very shortlist of free agents, the goalkeeper could well be a real coup of a signing for Doncaster, given the Australian’s range of senior experience, both in the EFL, and overseas.
Rising through the Tottenham Hotspur academy, Tom Glover made his name back home in Australia, first with the Central Coast Mariners, before joining Melbourne City the following year for a long-term spell.
Over the course of four seasons, the shot stopper made 109 appearances for the Australian first division side, before sealing a deserved move to the English second tier’s Middlesbrough in July 2023. From here, Glover operated as more of a backup option for the Boro, slowly slipping out of the first team squad, before his eventual release last Summer.
One criticism for Doncaster Rovers recruitment in recent years has been their lack of consistency and long-term recruitment of goalkeepers, particularly with their reliance on temporary loanees.
For Doncaster, the signing of Glover could not only add some consistency in the squad, starting the same goalkeeper for several seasons, rather than a 12-month period, and would allow the squad’s defensive setup to gain an understanding and trust of their new number one behind them.
At 27, the ‘keeper still has some development left in him, and in a free deal, the signing of the goalkeeper could certainly transform into a key bit of business should it fabricate.
In the end, Grant McCann may well see young Timothee Lo-Tutala as his starting goalkeeper for the remainder of the season.
But with the fanbases’ growing concerns surrounding the Frenchman’s performances this season, with the lowest save percentage in the division, it would not be overly surprising to see a shot stopper added to the Doncaster ranks come the start of February.
That said, Doncaster’s defensive woes over the last two months haven’t stemmed entirely from the goalkeeping department.
While blame will be pointed towards the Doncaster ‘keeper, errors have also become quite apparent within the central defender pairings of Grant McCann’s 4-3-3 system.
There seems to have been so much chopping and changing throughout Rovers’ season that Doncaster’s defensive pairings have never really been given a true chance to adapt to one another.
Some fixtures have featured Pearson and O’Riordan beside one another, or McGrath and Grehan, or Grehan and Pearson, Pearson and McGrath, McGrath and… you get the gist…
Now, the idea of adding another defender to an already jumbled mass of options in McCann’s arsenal may appear to be a poor idea, though recent rumours surrounding Blackburn loanee Connor O’Riordan have raised questions around the likelihood of the 22-year-old’s unavoidable, untimely return to his parent club.
With rising injury woes, Blackburn are in desperate need of defensive squad depth, perhaps forcing some of their loan projects to take the jump into Championship football, something in which their talented youngster seems more than capable of.
As a result of this, as obvious as it is, would be the required replacement of the towering defender in Doncaster Rovers lineup.
But, luckily enough for the South Yorkshire side, the market for centre-halves is slightly less scarce than the goalkeeper market, though the club should consider this particular name.
True league one pedigree, Elliot Moore is currently available to one lucky team on a free transfer basis, upon leaving Championship Side Oxford United upon the conclusion of his 6-year stint last summer.
Having excelled throughout his 5 years in Doncaster Rovers division, the towering 6”4 defender would be a perfect replacement for Connor O’Riordan’s playing profile, and at 28, a long-term deal would certainly be a viable option.
With Doncaster’s goals this season largely coming from the midfield department, McCann may look to add playing profiles that guarantee goals, particularly in the defensive department.
Elliot Moore adds this exact profile, netting 20 career goals during his illustrious career. Among these, Moore netted the decisive winner in Oxford’s playoff semi-final against Peterborough two seasons ago, to help propel the club into the Championship.
At 28, the defender has bucketloads of ability and would certainly become a guaranteed starter in McCann’s back four.
His defensive prowess statistically has been consistent over recent years, while his promotion experience and tutoring value can not be understated.
A deal like this one should be a priority, considering O’Riordan may leave the club in January, with the only real barriers surrounding wages and contract length, rather than the financial burden of a fee and loan spell demands.
In November, the centre half was reportedly tracked by both Mansfield Town and Blackpool, so Doncaster must make an immediate move to avoid missing out on what could become a key investment on both a long-term and short-term basis.
One final area to address in the January window should be the club’s centre forward position. Having signed both Brandon Hanlan and Olusanya in the Summer window, Doncaster have failed to fill the hole left by talented loan striker Rob Street.
Olusanya has truly underwhelmed since joining the club on a loan basis from Houston Dynamo, and with few appearances on the bench over the past month, it appears that the striker’s six-month loan spell will come to an end with very little fuss.
Number 9 Brandon Hanlan has slowly improved in recent weeks, finally finding his goalscoring touch, though his inability to displace a 39-year-old Billy Sharp in the opening weeks of the campaign has proven a lack of trust in the attacker at times, despite Sharp’s considerably inconsistent performances. Hanlan could well excel eventually in the league under McCann’s altered tactical setup, as displayed last Saturday vs Cardiff, marking increased support from his midfielders and wingers on counter-attacks with a goal.
With the impending exit of Olusanya slowly creeping up on Doncaster, the wage bill will hopefully free up slightly and may offer the flexibility to investigate the centre forward market for competition and squad depth.
Brandon Hanlan has showcased his ability to score in recent weeks, though healthy goalscoring competition is the best possible thing for him to maintain his current form, or even exceed it. Billy Sharp is, as harsh as it is, not getting any younger, and so a youthful loanee, or short-term deal for an experienced target man could be the perfect profile to fill in Olusanya’s hardly noticeable void.
Linked with the club previously in the Summer transfer window, the former Millwall attacker possesses an unquestionable attacking threat. Sparking his career in non-league with Altringham, the attacking-minded player made his move to Sunderland, with the club sitting in the Premier League at his time of arrival. After six years struggling for game time, Duncan amassed a total of 37 Premier League appearances, scoring on three occasions in the top flight, before eventually moving on to local Teessiders Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Over three seasons, the striker, moving across the front three as a winger, centre forward, and attacking midfielder, and bagged a total of 21 goals. During his time at Millwall, however, the attacker seemingly fell down the pecking order. Struggling for game time, Watmore amassed just 12 goals, but showcases a clear ability to score in the Championship second tier. Dropping into the division below could absolutely work in Doncaster’s favour, with a striker who has shown true capability in higher levels of football.
In some ways, Watmore emulates Rob Street’s playing profile. Adequate with the ball at his feet, and of course with those dangerous and testing runs in behind, Watmore has a notorious ability to stretch defences and get in behind. As a combination of Doncaster’s current striking options, Watmore could be a solid addition for the squad, offering Sharp’s evasive movement and Hanlan’s pace in behind. One thing can be sure, he really just can not be any worse than what Olusanya has showcased during his short stint at the club.
Since he is available on a free transfer, Doncaster Rovers may make a short-term agreement for the forward, with Billy Sharp perhaps leaving Doncaster at the end of the season, with the veteran turning 40 in early February. By finding an experienced attacker to enter the fray, a short-term deal would allow Doncaster to test the ability of the 31-year-old in McCann’s system, before deciding on a longer-term agreement.
All in all, Doncaster have not been too worrying so far this season. Their opening handful of games saw the club win five of their first seven games in the division, picking up crucial points for buoyancy above the relegation zone. While they have often struggled to accumulate points in recent weeks, their attacking prowess has clearly improved, and their recent run of opponents has been unquestionably difficult. Goalscoring has yet to become a real issue, with midfielder Owen Bailey surprisingly finding his goalscoring touch – on 9 goals for the season, alongside Billy Sharp’s consistent finishing capabilities – netting 7.
Without any doubt, however, change is needed to turn these good performances into wins before it is too late. Saturday sees them facing 20th-placed Plymouth in a key game for either side, while Boxing Day sees Doncaster facing another relegation contender in Blackpool. Doncaster requires key recruitment once again to remain afloat, before the rot becomes too much to overturn.