Doncaster Rovers talking points from Blackpool loss including unwanted McCann record + full-back issues
Doncaster Rovers suffered a 1-0 defeat on Boxing Day, away at Blackpool. Here's a look at some of the talking points to emerge from the game:
A slight improvement but still the same result
Heading into this game, Rovers' players knew they needed to vastly improve on the pitiful showing they posted six days prior as they were humbled by Plymouth.
Whilst they were nowhere near as poor at Bloomfield Road, the end result was still a defeat. For the first hour of the game, Grant McCann's side offered virtually nothing from an attacking point of view. An early header was put wide by Owen Bailey but after that it was slim pickings. You had to wait until almost the hour mark before they first asked a question of Blackpool stopper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, with Jay McGrath's tame header easily dealt with. Better chances did come, with Brandon Hanlan denied on two occasions, although the equaliser ultimately evaded them.
Speaking to the Free Press post-match, McCann said: "If you look at the stats after the game, we've had as many opportunities as they've had through the game.
"Unfortunately for us, really, we don't take them. We don't take the opportunities that we get. The first half, we looked like we couldn't create anything. The last 30 minutes, I thought we were better."
Unwanted McCann record
Across both spells as Rovers manager, McCann has never before lost four straight league games - he has now.
This latest setback in Lancashire means Rovers are three points adrift of safety as we tick towards the halfway point of a season that started with plenty of promise.
It's well-documented that it is just one win in 15 now. The manager's recent post-match press conferences have seen him almost as baffled as supporters at the reasoning behind the horrid run of form.
His comments to BBC Radio Sheffield were particularly eye-raising, when asked about fans' concerns: "They should be worried because the team's not winning games. I'm worried. We're not producing. None of us are producing. So all we can do is analyse it, look at it, try and go again."
Goalkeeping quandary
McCann threw a curveball on the Fylde coast with goalkeeper Ian Lawlor returning to the starting line-up. It was his first league start since the battering down at Leyton Orient in mid-October.
That was the last of his three-game run in the team before Thimothee Lo-Tutala was reintegrated into the side. Now, Lawlor has the gloves again and against Blackpool he didn't do too much wrong. It will be intriguing to see how long his stay in the side lasts this time around.
Full-back concerns
James Maxwell was woefully caught out by the trickiness of Danny Imray for the only goal of the game. Imray forged space down Rovers' left flank and picked out Tom Bloxham for a close-rang tap-in. But that wasn't the only time Maxwell was targeted. Imray constantly had him on toast and it was a surprise to most Rovers fans that Maxwell re-emerged for the second half. He didn't last too long after the restart though, with Jack Senior coming on before the hour mark and making a better fist of things defensively.
On the other side of defence there's a potential concern for the trip to Stockport on Monday. Jamie Sterry picked up a thigh injury which saw him go off at half-time. If he's unavailable then Tom Nixon may be asked to come in. However, the 23-year-old has had a dearth of competitive football of late, with just one competitive start under his belt since mid-October. Plenty to ponder for McCann, then.