Doncaster anxious as Burnley continue attempt to persuade 0'Driscoll to move to Turf Moor

DONCASTER ROVERS were last night sweating over whether Burnley want Sean O'Driscoll to be their new manager.

The 52-year-old is among the frontrunners to succeed Owen Coyle along with former Sheffield Wednesday chief Brian Laws and another, as yet, unnamed candidate.

The Yorkshire Post understands O'Driscoll met the Turf Moor board last Sunday for initial talks which, according to sources in the Lancashire town, went so well he was invited back yesterday morning to outline, in detail, his long- and short-term vision for the Clarets.

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In his absence, Rovers assistant manager Richard O'Kelly took training back in south Yorkshire as bookmakers SkyBet slashed the odds on O'Driscoll taking charge of Burnley to 1-25.

Later in the day, however, that price had lengthened to 2-5 with Laws, who has also been interviewed twice, the second favourite at 7-4.

The Premier League club are keen to make an appointment before the weekend trip to champions Manchester United due to Coyle taking all his backroom staff with him to the Reebok Stadium, leaving youth team manager Martin Dobson in charge.

It is believed the Turf Moor board are long-standing admirers of the football O'Driscoll's team play, likening it to the style Coyle employed last season when leading the Clarets into the top flight.

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Whether it is enough to persuade them that the ex-Bournemouth manager is the ideal candidate to keep the Lancashire club up remains to be seen .

Doncaster, for their part, seemed determined to give little away by failing to return calls.

But what is not in doubt is the reputation O'Driscoll, who signed a three-year deal last summer, has built since taking charge of Rovers in September 2006.

Within seven months, Rovers had lifted the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with an extra-time 3-2 victory over Bristol Rovers at the Millennium Stadium.

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The following season saw Doncaster promoted to the Championship after triumphing 1-0 in an all-Yorkshire play-off final against Leeds United at Wembley.

Expected to struggle on their return to the second tier after a 50-year absence, Doncaster initially did just that and they went into Christmas 2008 rock bottom of the division after winning just four of their opening 24 games.

Relegation seemed more a probability than possibility but O'Driscoll stayed true to his footballing roots and Rovers responded by winning eight of their next 10 games to eventually finish comfortably clear of trouble in 13th place.

This time around, despite losing Player of the Year Richie Wellens to Leicester City for 1.2m, O'Driscoll's men are closer to the play-off places than the relegation zone.

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Rovers are, understandably, keen to keep hold of their manager with chairman John Ryan having credited his club's reputation as the "Arsenal of the Championship" to O'Driscoll's influence.

Laws, meanwhile, spent nine years at Scunthorpe United before being tempted away from Glanford Park by a return to Hillsborough.

Wednesday went on to finish ninth, 16th and 12th under his charge but had slipped into the relegation zone by the time he was sacked in December.

Laws did, however, last season lead the Owls to their first derby double over Steel City rivals United in 95 years.