Lincoln City v Doncaster Rovers: Boss Gary McSheffrey calls on players to step up after Pompey hiding

After taking on a fragile group of players whose confidence was shot after an atrocious first half of the season – with a number also bearing the scars from being part of a Rovers side who went into freefall in the final third of 2020-21 – McSheffrey’s first task was picking them up off the floor.

It has been a slow rebuild. There have been one or two morale-boosting moments at least, with fine recent wins at top-six contenders MK Dons and Sunderland being two cases in point.

Following that surprise win on Wearside, Rovers have lost to Ipswich and Portsmouth, with a dire second-half at Fratton Park seeing the visitors ship four unanswered goals.

An inwardly seething McSheffrey elected to keep his powder dry with his players afterwards.

But he had clearly seen enough. His players certainly saw his angry side on the training ground on Cantley Park yesterday.

McSheffrey said: “I absolutely had to try and get confidence levels up (at first) and I couldn’t hammer and batter players as they don’t respond to that well in the modern game. Youngsters don’t really respond to it well, although some older players do.

“But you have a spell where you see them day-in, day-out over a two-month period and game-in, game-out and there comes a point where you have to think: ‘I can’t be a soft touch myself’.

“The anger was more today (Monday) as I’d time to reflect and watch things. I don’t just like to go in blind and ranting and raving for the wrong reasons where there is emotion after a game.

“There were some firm words and I’d like to think the lads have taken them on board and (will) have a little bit of a look at themselves and think: ‘Am I actually doing enough here and at home and out on the pitch?’

“Deep down, if they look in the mirror, two or three are doing enough. The rest need to home in and raise the bar with everything.”

He continued: “I have played with some good managers; (including) a couple at this club.

“You look at the likes of Darren Ferguson; a great guy who was approachable and you could talk to him about anything and he’d give you good advice and you’d talk through the game well and he was very intelligent.

“But there was a line and when he said something and meant it, you listened and when he lost his head, you listened. It’s getting the balance over that right and (thinking) enough’s enough.

“You have had that honeymoon period where there was a bit of a boost in confidence levels. But now it is about producing on a regular basis and you cannot keep playing players who keep making the same errors and not producing.”

Among some pretty wretched statistics, the fact that Rovers have shipped 39 league goals in the second half of games this term is one of the most damning.

One of the major problems has been a lack of concentration over 90 minutes. Just as physical tiredness can kick in as games progress, so can mental fatigue.

McSheffrey, who retains hope that Rovers can survive this term – citing the example of Newcastle as to how things can quickly change – added: “It is consistency and concentration levels. I had a chat with a couple of the lads (on Monday) such as Joe Olowu.

“From the outside in, everyone asks me about him and he is having a terrific first season at first-team level. But if his concentration levels could be there for ninety minutes, he has got the chance to be a top centre-back and have a top career.

“But he does switch off – and he will not be bothered I am saying this – and he knows it’s an area he needs to develop and improve.

“That is why I say: ‘concentration levels, game management, leadership skills, character and soft touch’... We have got to be better at those individual traits.”

Rovers line up against a familiar face in John Marquis tonight, a player who is highly likely to expose any lapses in concentration from his old side this evening.

Doncaster were priced out of a move for the 29-year-old in January, with Marquis being the exact sort of individual who Rovers could ideally have done with.

On Marquis, who joined the Imps on a short-term deal from Portsmouth, the Rovers chief said: “John had a great three years at this club and that earned him a contract he deserved at another club who can afford to pay those big wages.

“Lincoln have stumped up the money to match that and get him. They felt they needed a couple of strikers in the building and went ‘all out’ with the wages to pay those type of players.

“John was never one we could afford to bring back unless he really wanted to come back and take a considerable wage cut.”

Last six games: Lincoln LWLLWD; Doncaster WLLWLL.

Referee: B Speedie (Merseyside).

Last time: Lincoln 0 Doncaster 1, January 30, 2021; League One.