Grant McCann puzzled at his Doncaster Rovers players as he makes Billy Sharp point
Grant McCann says his Doncaster Rovers players need to take a leaf out of Billy Sharp's book.
The veteran was arguably the only member of the team to take any credit out of Saturday's 4-0 humbling down at Leyton Orient. The centre-forward, who turns 40 in a few months, played the entire match and never stopped running and cajoling the Orient defenders, albeit to little reward.
Rovers posted their worst performance in a long time in the capital, shipping two goals in each half with Dom Ballard hitting a hat-trick and Aaron Connolly also on the scoresheet. McCann, who issued an apology to the travelling Rovers contingent, said post-match: "Billy was absolutely outstanding. I just don't get how our players can see a 39-year-old run around like he did today.
"Every time he touched the ball he was getting fouled left, right and centre but the referee ignored it. Second half they (Orient) couldn't handle his movement, his desire, his runs. Yet our lads in the dressing room don't want to seem to learn off someone like that. Or at least that's the way it seems at this moment in time."
McCann admits that only Sharp and skipper Owen Bailey have a valid claim for a regular starting role right now. "Nobody's putting their hand up and saying 'I want to play week in, week out'. That's the facts," said the Northern Irishman.
"If I'm brutally honest, maybe apart from Owen Bailey or Billy (puffs cheeks) - I'm scratching my head as to who else puts their hand up week in, week out saying 'pick me'. That's where we are at this moment in time."
McCann had nothing but praise for Orient and especially Connolly, who played a starring role in this result. The former Premier League man scored a terrific goal from a well-worked corner and also chipped in with an assist.
McCann said: "He's a Championship player playing in League One and there's obviously reasons as to why that is. But this is what our players need to understand. If they want to go and play consistently in the Championship or higher in their careers then they're going to come up against players like him, if not better than him, every week. So this was a good learning curve."
Rovers are back in action next Saturday, at home to Northampton Town.