'I'm worried' - Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann reviews Blackpool loss as poor run continues
Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann admits he is "worried" as his side's poor run of form continued at Blackpool on Boxing Day.
Rovers lost by a solitary goal against their fellow strugglers, with substitute Tom Bloxham's early strike the difference between the two teams.
The lively Danny Imray got in down Rovers' left flank and his centre picked out Bloxham who scored from close-range. McCann's men fashioned barely anything of note first half and only slightly improved in the second half: Brandon Hanlan came closest, seeing a goalbound shot cleared off the line by a back-tracking Tangerines defender.
The result means Rovers are now three points adrift of safety and have won just once in their last 15 league games. When asked post-match about the situation, McCann said: "The team's not winning games, so I'm worried. My team's not winning football games.
"We're not producing. None of us are producing. So all we can do is analyse it, look at it, try and go again and try to get a team on the pitch that can go to Stockport and play with a wee bit more expression. Only two weeks ago when we were at Cardiff we played with it (expression) but we couldn't defend.
"The same thing has happened here today. We just didn't play with any expression, apart from the last 20-30 minutes of the game. "But ultimately we've conceded another poor goal. It's difficult to stand there and see that. It's hard. One player has to stick and go through with their job. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately it doesn't happen."
McCann added: "We're just too safe as a team. I said to the players at half-time 'you're matching them up but why are you not attacking them?'
"But it's where we are at this moment in time. We're too safe. We're not in positions really at times to receive and we're a little bit in our shell. So it's important that we try and get them out of that.
"It's important that we get players on the pitch who are brave because at this moment in time I'm not seeing enough of it. I'm not seeing people wanting it and wanting the ball to get on and make things happen. We'd rather just get rid of it and then go from there.
So we've just got to keep working. We've got to keep working, we've got to try and find a balance and find a starting 11 that can keep us stronger for larger spells and games but also carry the threat at the top end."
Rovers head to Stockport County on Monday for their final game of 2025.