Doncaster Rovers v Newcastle United: O'Driscoll asks his players to give him the bird

DONCASTER Rovers' Sean O'Driscoll hopes to clip the wings of the Magpies tonight – after asking his players to think as birds.

O'Driscoll, whose modern style of management has already ruffled feathers in this season's Championship, put his squad through a personality test, often employed in the business world.

Speaking ahead of tonight's game with leaders Newcastle United – who are nicknamed the Magpies – O'Driscoll explained why he opted to use the assessment which requires participants to draw comparisons between themselves and doves, owls, eagles or peacocks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Basically, we are trying to improve players," he said. "This was a way of saying we are all different and we all have to try to understand our weaknesses and make sure we use the strengths other people have.

"People have different personalities and it was just a personality questionnaire," he added. "Knowing the make-up of your team is one way to get the best out of each other. It helps to see what the dynamics of the group are and helps make sure we press the right buttons."

O'Driscoll, who has been linked with vacancies at both Burnley and Bristol City this season, was dubbed the Arsene Wenger of League One by Rovers chairman John Ryan.

After winning promotion two summers ago, he has forged a reputation as one of the great thinkers in Championship football and his methods have lifted his club to within eight points of the play-off zone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Technically, I am not going to improve a player like Gareth Roberts, who is 30 to 31 years of age," he said.

"We also lost Matt Mills and Richie Wellens and didn't have the finance to replace them. So how do you improve a team?

"You can't improve them technically, but you can improve the way they think about football and their performance levels.

"It is about players taking responsibility – that is one of the cornerstones of what we are trying to do," he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Football, like every job, can get boring. I say the same things all the time but I have to try to do it in different ways. This is just another way of players taking responsibility and understanding why they do what they do.

"If an eagle is talking to another eagle you can just grab him by the short and curlies and tell him what you want," said O'Driscoll. "If an eagle is trying to talk to a dove, you have got to do it in a different way.

"One person has qualities that another doesn't and, if you put them together, you have a team rather than a team of individuals."

Striker Billy Sharp, who returns to action tonight after sitting out Saturday's 1-1 draw with his parent club Sheffield United, cited the peacock as his bird character while goalkeeper Neil Sullivan was an eagle.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sharp told the Yorkshire Post: "Some of the things I have done at this club have been different but I will give anything a try and it's all been good. You have to think every day, you don't just come to training and go home – you have to be on your toes.

"The exercise did work and it helped everyone understand each other more as a group. It is good to have an intelligent manager and it has brought on my game just playing in his team."

Tonight's opponents Newcastle are two points clear at the top of the table and unbeaten in eight games.

However, Sharp, who has hit 15 goals so far this season, insists Rovers are capable of pulling off a victory which would maintain their push for play-off qualification.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We know it is going to be tough because they are, by far, the best team in the league," said Sharp.

"But they won't like coming to us and they have also been beaten by Scunthorpe and Blackpool away this season.

"The play-offs are not out of reach and, if we win this game and (sixth-placed) Cardiff City slip up against Sheffield United, the gap will be even closer."

Rovers have announced a new three-year shirt sponsorship deal with One Call Insurance.

Last six games: Rovers DWDWWD, Newcastle WWWDWD.

Last time: Rovers 0 Newcastle 3; November 1, 1947; Second Division.

Referee: KD Hill (Hertfordshire ).