Doncaster Rovers players have got fitter under me says Danny Schofield

Schofield spoke of his desire to improve their fitness levels when he took over from Gary McSheffrey in October – and says the data is now showing that.

The players will be made to train on Christmas Day and fitness data has been pinned up at Doncaster’s Cantley Park training base to encourage them to continue improving towards levels seen in the Championship.

Schofield previously spoke of wanting to ensure training was more difficult than matchdays, which would help Rovers blow their opponents away.

He said: “There’s definitely been a shift in that sense in terms of the total distance and, more importantly for me, the high-speed running.

"Every game, you have got to put it into context what the game is tactically.

"That mirrors then what the GPS output is. One big thing which I’ve been really impressed with is that the players have been really driving that themselves.

"They are conscious that they want to improve their physical output as well. When you can get that, I think it can only go one way.”

Rovers skipper Adam Clayton believes the club is heading in the right direction under Schofield, who has won three, lost three and drawn one of his eight games in charge.

He said: “Whenever a new manager comes in you have a period of transition. I think we have got through that phase.

"We have had a lot of work on the training ground and hopefully the Newport win can be the one that propels what we are trying to do.”

Clayton, who has won back his place in the starting XI after being dropped for six weeks, added: “He (Schofield) has definitely got his own way of playing the game, he really believes in it and the players can see that.

"He's not going to go away from what he believes and we are going to keep trying to get better at that. It’s a process.”

Doncaster take on Tranmere Rovers on Boxing Day knowing a win could move them back into the League Two play-off places.

Their next opponents are winless in their last eight games.

Clayton said: “It’s up to us now to put 50, 60, 70-minute performances together and really dominate.”