Doncaster Rovers: '˜I'll never hide away from those statements', says target-setter Grant McCann

Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann does not regret challenging his team to go top of League One and will not shy away from going public with his targets.Â
Grant McCannGrant McCann
Grant McCann

McCann, who takes his team to Rochdale this weekend, laid down the gauntlet to his players after the 3-2 win at Plymouth Argyle a fortnight ago.

Rovers lost their next two games against Accrington Stanley and Fleetwood Town and travel to the Crown Oil Arena in sixth place but that will not stop the 38-year-old sticking to his principles.

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Asked by BBC Radio Sheffield if he regretted his comments, McCann said: 'No [I don't wish I'd not said it] because we would've been top if we had won those two games.

'Portsmouth got beat by Gillingham and Peterborough lost so we would've been top.

'I'll never hide away from those statements.

'A lot of people might do but I won't.

'I'll set the tone to the players and I'm not afraid to say it to you [the media].

'That's the way I work.'

McCann also revealed at his pre-match press conference that there was no inquest into last weekend's 4-0 home defeat to Fleetwood Town.

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'I didn't speak to the group about it,' he said. 'We left it.

'We do de-brief every game but I felt it wasn't necessary.

'All I'd be doing would be pointing fingers at individuals and it's not worth it.'

He added: 'I think as a manager if you pinpoint things all the time to individuals then it's degrading really. I remember being a player in those sort of meetings.

'They know. We know what we did wrong. It didn't need to be shown again.'

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Ali Crawford or Jermaine Anderson will replace suspended Herbie Kane against Dale, while Alfie May is banging on the door after scoring twice against Grimsby Town in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night.

Goalkeeper Ian Lawlor and centre back Tom Anderson could also come into contention.

'I've thought about team selection a lot harder this week than I have in recent weeks,' admitted McCann.

 

 

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