Grant McCann has praised his Doncaster Rovers side’s turnaround in 2026, which has seen them climb to joint 12th in League One.
Rovers looked set for a relegation battle at the turn of the year. However, a run of eight wins and four draws in 16 has propelled them up the table.
Most recently, they beat bottom-side Port Vale 1-0 at home. It’s a win that takes McCann’s side to 50 points and, crucially, means they are eight points clear of the drop zone.
McCann Praises Doncaster Rovers Players
Speaking to the club’s website after their victory against Port Vale, McCann said:
“It’s been a massive shift from the boys, really, from New Year’s Day.
“The turnaround in form and results have been excellent.
“We’re level with 12th in the division and it just shows how quickly things can change in the league.”
The Rovers boss went on to say his side are eager to carry on their good form, with Mansfield Town up next:
“We’ve been really good since New Year’s Day and we just want to carry it on for the last seven games.
“We’ll not think about it too soon. We’ll recover the players and they’ll get a couple of days to rest and recuperate before we get cracking again for the Mansfield game on Good Friday.”
Doncaster Rovers Exceeding Pre-Season Expectations
Before a ball had been kicked, many had Doncaster Rovers down as potential relegation candidates.
Opta’s supercomputer gave McCann’s side a 26.4% chance of going down, but it believed they would stay up, finishing 19th come May.
Now, though, Opta has predicted Rovers will finish 16th while getting at least nine more points before the end of the season.
There’s still the small probability they could go down, with the supercomputer suggesting there is a 0.44% chance of relegation.
Who Has Stood Out for Rovers?
Two attacking players have certainly stood out for Donny this season.
The first is midfielder Owen Bailey. He currently leads the team for the highest average Sofascore rating (7.05) and goals in the league (12).
Bailey’s scoring output is by far the best of his career. Last season, he scored five goals in total, while this season he has 14 goals in all competitions to date.
Doncaster’s star last season, Luke Molyneux, has also impressed. He is second in league goals to Bailey with eight, but does have the most league assists in the team with seven.
The pair also lead Rovers in all the main attacking statistics. Bailey and Molyneux are the top two for total shots per match, shots on target per match, and big chances created.
Molyneux has missed the last two games, but as long as Bailey carries on his fine form, Rovers could find themselves finishing in a comfortable league position.
