Richie Wellens' clear message to Doncaster Rovers players ahead of Cheltenham Town clash

Richie Wellens is acutely aware that patience is running thin among the Doncaster Rovers fan base and delivered a clear message to his players ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Cheltenham Town.
Richie Wellens. Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty ImagesRichie Wellens. Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images
Richie Wellens. Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images

Rock bottom Rovers already find themselves six points from safety after losing nine of their opening 12 games and scoring just six goals in the process.

Wellens has been encouraged by his side’s most recent performances but a lack of conviction in the final third was all too evident at Gillingham on Tuesday night.

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Rovers’ boss admits his team needs to create more chances but when those opportunities do come along he has warned his players they simply must be more ruthless in front of goal.

Wellens said: "In football it's a results-based industry. We all know that. I know that more than anybody.

“We've got two home games now in which we need to pick up points.

“Our performance levels in the last three games against MK Dons, Wycombe and the other night at Gillingham have been really positive.

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“We need to make more chances but the areas that we're getting in we then need to have more belief in that final third from individual players.

“We can work on rotations or whatever you want to work on but we get into those areas [on Tuesday] and we should take the lead after two minutes. It's quite an easy chance, we have to hit the target.

“Patience always wears thin at any club in the world when you're not winning but we need to stick together and we know in football it can turn very quickly.”

Rovers have fallen behind six times in the league this season and failed to score a single goal in those games – underlining the value of scoring first and scoring when on top in games.

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“If you'd have watched us the other night we didn't look like a team that was struggling and devoid of any confidence. I think at times we actually looked very fluent,” said Wellens.

“We have to just take our chances when they come along.

“If Kyle Knoyle scores after three or four minutes and we're keeping the ball their frustration intensifies and we dominate the game even more and then they leave spaces and we can pick them off and the game changes.

“It doesn't matter who you are if you score goals at the right times you can take the game away from people.

“At the moment we're not taking our chances when they come along.”