Doncaster Rovers see benefit of organisation

DONCASTER Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll says his players must never forget the importance of organisation.

O'Driscoll was delighted with his side's performance against Hull City and felt improvement in organisation was the key after the previous weekend's 4-0 Championship defeat at Cardiff City.

"We learned the lessons that Cardiff City taught us last week and, for any team that is trying to develop, that's always a good sign," he said.

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"We have never yet won a game in the Championship when we have not been organised but we have lost plenty.

"In this division, you cannot get away from the fact that, if you are not organised, you have got no chance unless you have a team

of superstars. And we haven't so we have to be organised in whatever game we play.

"Its like when you're talking to your kids and saying 'don't eat between meals'," he added.

"Unless you keep telling them, they will keep doing

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it. It doesn't matter whether you want to succeed or survive in this division, they are exactly the same things you need to do."

O'Driscoll revealed that he had deliberately set out to exploit the advancing years of Hull's former Newcastle United winger Nolberto Solano.

Now approaching his 36th birthday and playing at right-back for the Tigers following his summer arrival on a free transfer, Solano endured a torrid time as Rovers aimed a succession of balls in his direction.

"It's nothing sophisticated, just common sense," said the Rovers chief.

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"It was a case of good player, intelligent, but coming to the end of his career.

"We wanted to work him to death to be fair. Every time we got a chance, we put it down his throat, and he was up against a 23-year-old (Martin Woods)."

Looking ahead, O'Driscoll added: "I don't think anyone is going to run away with it in this division.

"And if we want to do well ourselves we have to stick with the things that have helped to keep us in the Championship for the last two seasons."

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Defender Wayne Thomas, who only joined Rovers two weeks ago, was missing from Saturday's game after suffering a potentially serious knee injury in training on Friday.

The former Southampton and Burnley centre-back, 31, is due to visit a specialist in London tomorrow and, if the news is bad, O'Driscoll may have to go back into the transfer market.