James Coppinger on expectations for the new season for Doncaster Rovers

In the previous two summers, Rovers have endured a change of manager, with Darren Moore’s appointment last year coming just three weeks before the start of the new season.

It has meant that expectations for the club have been difficult to gauge amid the change.

The true impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the League One landscape will not be known until the season has begun.

Coppinger says the situation means setting expectations for Rovers is difficult and believes the ‘wait and see’ approach to which the club has become accustomed will serve them well.

“I think the expectations should be the same as the last two or three seasons,” he told the Free Press.

“We’ve had new managers for the last two summers. Grant McCann came in and the expectations were ‘we don’t really know’ to a certain extent because you’re starting from the beginning again. It was the same last year.

“We’ve got a good set of lads, a good group of players and the club is run in the right way.

“It’s almost like we do as we go.

“It’s not like we’ve got the biggest budget in the league.

“We’ve got an understanding of where we want to be. As players we come and apply ourselves the best we can.”

The 39-year-old believes Rovers delivered the most of themselves last season, given the late arrival of Moore.

And he says more of the same will be needed in what is likely to be a very difficult campaign.

“We showed last year with the transition from Grant to Darren and the way we played and how we performed, it was almost the maximum we could have got out of the group and each other,” he said.

“Had the season gone on, we’d have been pushing for the play-offs. We ended the season well, we had players in form and it’s such a shame it ended the way it ended.

“The last two seasons have been very similar so I can’t imagine that next season is going to be any different.

“There will be a lot of clubs in a similar situation - having to deal with small squads, players on less money.

“For Doncaster, it’s about building on what we did last season and trying to improve and bring the right players in.

“Again, there’s been times when I’ve turned in for pre-season when we’ve had a really small squad, with loans coming in late.

“I can’t remember which keeper it was but he turned up one day before the start of the season.

“That’s the way it is at Doncaster and you’ve got to get your head around it. The more you fight it, the harder it is.

“If you come to terms with it and know it’s going to be the case then you can concentrate and focus on yourself rather than worrying about anyone else.”

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