'That's not how I want my team to represent Doncaster Rovers' - Andy Butler says his side must grow up after defeat at Bristol Rovers
Andy Butler says his Doncaster Rovers side must grow up if they are going to emerge through their poor run of form in a positive manner.
Rovers suffered a 2-1 defeat to struggling Bristol Rovers on Bank Holiday Monday having failed to build on a positive start which saw them lead through James Coppinger.
“More of us need to learn from those so-called dark arts and we need to grow up as a team,” Butler said.
“We need to start looking at how teams nullify our threat, work on how we can battle against that but at the same time when we take the lead, look at how we can manage the game ourselves.
“It’s something I’ll look at when I sit down to watch the game.
“I’ll get on the bus, watch the game back and go through everything I and my staff feel we have done wrong and what we’ve done right.
“There were some good bits but not enough of them.”
Ultimately Rovers were outfought and out-hustled by Joey Barton’s side, much to Butler’s frustration.
“That is the disappointing aspect of the game,” he said.
“I think people know me as a person and a player who demands hard work, who demands hard running on and off the ball, hard work when we don’t have the ball, even harder work when we do.
“If you don’t get those ingredients then you’re fighting an uphill battle.
“That is something I’ve got to address because that is not how I want my team to play or this team to represent Doncaster Rovers.
Bristol Rovers had lost their previous five matches and had been blasted by Barton following their Good Friday defeat to Ipswich Town.
Butler was disappointed that his side failed to turn the screw, particularly after taking the lead.
“We started the game well and we took the lead,” he said.
“But after we took the lead we stopped doing everything that had given us the lead and let Bristol Rovers back into the game.
“I’m disappointed, frustrated, angry.
“When you’ve got a team low in confidence, struggling in the league and you do the basics right in the opening 15 minutes, moving the ball - to allow them back into the game is disappointing.”