Set-piece admission made as Doncaster Rovers look to make marginal gains next season
Grant McCann, the Doncaster Rovers manager, says one area he is keen to brush up on next season is the team's prowess at defending set-pieces.
Rovers conceded 21 goals through set-pieces last term - inclusive of penalty kicks. Only five sides (Leyton Orient, Blackpool, Huddersfield, Exeter and Barnsley) conceded more and it's something McCann believes needs addressing in 2026-27.
"From January onwards, we produced top-six form, so why can't we do it the whole season?" McCann said during a post-season debrief after seeing his side finish 14th in their first season back in the third tier after three years away.
"One thing we do need to get better at is set-plays, for and against. Kyle (Letheren, goalkeeping coach) was telling me that we conceded 31 per cent of our goals from set-plays.
"So if we can bring that down to 15 per cent, does that get us an extra six or seven points? There's all these little things that we're looking at, so there's a lot to do over the summer, but it's enjoyable."
In a recent, wide-ranging interview with the Free Press goalkeeping coach Letheren spoke about the importance of free-kicks, throw-ins and penalties - an area he oversees from the dugout in-game.
The Welshman said: "When I first came into the building, the manager handed me that role and I've jumped into it with both feet. It's about daily research and what types of delivery do the opposition put in the box? what's their corner routines? Do they go short?
"If you look at set-pieces, they're a huge part of the game. Over 33 per cent of goals scored in League One are from attacking set-plays. So if a third of all goals come from that area why wouldn't you go through it and make sure that everybody knows their jobs and responsibilities each game? It's massive."