Doncaster Rovers: James Coppinger happy to be held accountable and put legacy on the line

Rovers’ all-time record appearance holder has been in post since April and played a major role in bringing new head coach Danny Schofield to the club as his first hire since being appointed.

The decision to recruit a youthful coach, rather than an experienced manager, has been criticised by some.

But Coppinger wants the best fit for the club’s current consensus-based model, which involves working closely with him, rather than someone who might try and take everything on themselves.

Discussing his biggest call yet, the Doncaster legend, who retired in 2021, said: "I’m accountable and that’s what I like.

“That’s what I missed when I stopped playing. The one thing that was missing out of my job was that accountability and pressure.

"That feeling of decision making and having a positive influence and effect on things.”

Making tough calls in a leadership position won’t always be popular, something Coppinger was accepting of and at ease with.

He added: "People aren’t always going to agree with me, like they didn’t when I was a player.

"When I first came to the club I got quite a bit of stick. When I got over 32, 33, people wrote me off.

"You are never going to please everybody but trying to do the right things for the club is what my job is.”

Asked who will make final calls between himself and Schofield, who expects to speak to his line manager daily, Coppinger said: "It’s a conversation.

"Let’s meet, let's speak about it, let’s understand and see what’s right – not just for me and him – but for everybody.

“We will get to that decision collectively.”

Coppinger said the head coach model is becoming increasingly popular in football and added: “Ten years ago I felt like this should have been the way.

"A lot of clubs have this unicorn figure as a manager that does everything. How can you fully focus on the football when you are trying to do everything? It just doesn’t work.

"The structure we are putting together, I think you will see the benefits down the line. But it has to be short-term as well.”

The decision to sack Gary McSheffrey on Monday was also a collective one, Coppinger said.

He added: “My role is to advise and to give my opinion but ultimately it’s down to the chairman, the board, the act on that.

”We sat down and spoke and that was the outcome.”

Disussing the decision-making process, Coppinger said: “It was based on results, performances, maybe a lack of progression.

"We started the season really well but then as things developed there was that real lack of clarity on what we were trying to do and how we were trying to do it.”

Asked what criteria the club wanted from their new boss, Coppinger said: “Ultimately a plan.

"A methodology of ‘this is the Doncaster way’. You need someone that has a way and wants to deliver it, and understands how to deliver it to players.

"Danny fits that criteria in a massive, massive way.”