Football Season Guide

Doncaster Rovers will be hoping go one better this time around and seal promotion to League One. A play-off push looked unlikely for much of last season in truth, until Rovers finally found their form and finished the regular season like a train. They remained unbeaten in their last seventeen league matches, winning 14, but let slip a first leg play-off semi-final lead to lose on penalties to Crewe Alexandra. One defeat in 19 matches does at least illustrate that Grant McCann has turned around a club that had been on a downward spiral for almost three years. He had to battle for a lengthy injury list for much of the campaign yet still guided the side to a top seven finish. There is real cause for optimism that they could challenge for automatic promotion. Doing so would require a need for more quality, especially with three key loanees in Thimothee Lo-Tutala, Hakeeb Adelakun and Matthew Craig having returned to their parent clubs. Goalkeeper Ted Sharman-Lowe and Ephraim Yeboah are somewhat unknown quantities after signing on season-long loans from Chelsea and Bristol City. Harry Clifton will be hoping to realise his potential after moving from Grimsby Town whilst Joe Sbarra caught the eye with his performances for Solihull Moors. Winger Jordan Gibson has already impressed during pre-season after signing from Carlisle United whilst striker Billy Sharp needs no introduction. He could be a crucial foil for the likes of George Miller and Joe Ironside. McCann already has the basis of a good side, and the summer additions good look on paper at least. If they can start the season in the same form as they finished the last and McCann can keep his squad fit, they have a great chance of challenging for promotion.