Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann fully aware of Wigan threats after watching back video nasty
Grant McCann and his Doncaster Rovers staff must be gluttons for punishment.
Ahead of this weekend's home meeting with Wigan Athletic, the Rovers chief revealed he and his coaches watched back the video nasty of the 3-0 defeat at the Brick Community Stadium back in September.
That day in Greater Manchester was one to firmly forget for Rovers fans. They found themselves all at sea and 2-0 down inside the opening 15 minutes. It was an afternoon where McCann's men never got going. Whilst you wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to re-live that loss - which began a wretched ten-game winless streak in the league - McCann says it was important to watch it back.
"We watched the game back from earlier in the season this week, as a staff, and we started so slow that day," he said. "We didn't get going and looked disorganised. We've tried to analyse that game and also look at some of Wigan's games recently.
"They're a good team with good players and a good manager. They went to Preston and beat them away in the FA Cup. We need to make sure we get the organisation of the team better than we did at their place and start the game better. Because we never gave ourselves a chance conceding so early and then again not long after."
Rovers, thankfully, are on their way back up after a torrid winter. Their form since the turn of the year has improved, so too results. A 1-1 draw with Bolton on New Year's Day was the starting point and they then sealed a long-awaited win down at Wimbledon last weekend.
McCann wants to build on that further against the Latics but is acutely aware they possess plenty of threats, despite sitting just four places and four points above his side.
McCann, taking charge of his landmark 500th game as a manager this weekend, added: "They obviously have good players and have just signed Joe Taylor, who I know from Peterborough when I managed him.
"He's good at this level but they have threats all through their team with (Dara) Costelloe, (Christian) Saydee and others. It's a good team that's in and around near us and for whatever reason haven't got themselves in a position where they maybe expected to be certainly for a club the size of Wigan. They may be expecting to be closer to that top six but like I always say, there's a long way to go.
"It wouldn't surprise me if they went on a good run to get up and around it because they've got a good manager. But from my point of view I'm focusing just on us and trying to get us on that sort of run."