Don Goodman: Doncaster Rovers are ‘behind schedule’ - survival will always be tough with their budget
Don Goodman has shared his assessment of Doncaster Rovers so far
Former Doncaster Rovers striker Don Goodman believes survival in League One will always be a challenging task for the club due to their budget - and the financial muscle of other sides around them in the division.
Goodman, who had a brief spell at Belle Vue towards the end of his playing days in 2003, says he was impressed to see Rovers secure a 14th place finish in their first campaign back in the third-tier after promotion, but feels the club are unlikely to challenge for a place in the Championship any time soon.
Back in July, McCann told The Free Press: "We're aiming for the stars again - we want to get promoted.
"We want to go again and try and have a real push at the title. People might laugh at that but what's the point in going into this division if we're not going to aim for something? We feel we've got a young and energetic group with pace about it and real experience as well, so we'll have another go. If we don't quite get there then maybe we'll end up with the play-offs or whatever. But first and foremost there'll be a real push at being the best team in the division."
However, Goodman claims Rovers are very much behind schedule if that remains their objective.
Speaking to Casinolyze, he explained: "You have to look at Doncaster's context over the last decade: they've spent that period moving between League One and League Two. In League Two, the expectation is to challenge at the top, but their League One budget will always be towards the lower end, making survival tough.
“I count nine former Premier League clubs in League One this season, which is as high as it's been for a long time. That's the calibre of opposition Doncaster are up against. “Finishing 14th last season was an excellent effort after promotion. Grant McCann would love progression, but right now they're slightly behind schedule in that regard.”
Rovers return to League One action on Saturday 21 November when they face Bradford City at Valley Parade.
As it stands, the South Yorkshire side are 20th in the table, one point clear of the drop zone and 10 away from the play-off places.