Doncaster Rovers v Morecambe: Richie Wellens calls on supporters to get behind team

Few clubs are doing it as tough at the minute as Doncaster Rovers, winless in the league this term and without a victory at home in just over six months.

With players slowly returning to the fray, the Rovers chief sees hope down the line and cites the recent upturn in Rovers’ neighbours Sheffield United as proof that things do turn.

Wellens said: “As you have seen with Sheffield United, they got a great result and have kicked on and they will start winning more or less every week.

“Once we get one win, the confidence in our players will grow rapidly.

“We’re also getting the squad to get to know each other. We went out for a meal this week in Doncaster, as for the previous eight weeks, it seems that two or three players have come in and then we have not seen two or three as they have had Covid.

“And they come back and something else is missing... Now we have everybody in, we want to get that team spirit going and the belief going forward, once we get that first win.”

The autumn period will define whether Rovers face a relegation struggle until May or can consolidate after a rough and disruptive start to the campaign and Wellens is conscious of not just his players retaining hope and positivity, but also fans.

It is a salient point ahead of what could be a tense afternoon against Morecambe.

Wellens observed: “Our supporters don’t know how crucial they are going to be in the next six or seven weeks.

“I keep going back, but we have a young group of players who are learning. We go 1-0 up at Wigan and within two minutes, the referee has made a bad decision to give a free-kick against us and as we are defending the free-kick, our supporters are singing: ‘We’ve scored a goal’. That is not a mentality we want to have.

“Just get behind the players. If you want to throw any flak, I will take all the flak. I am the head of this club.

“I will take all the flak in the world, but please support the players. Once you start to support these players and they start to grow, I think we have got the makings of a really good team.”