Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann arrived at Sincil Bank talking about belief, bravery and grit, but left pointing fingers at softness and handbrakes.
Our win over Doncaster should have been remembered for Frankie Okoronkwo’s header and the decisive chaos that followed a long throw, yet McCann’s reaction told its own story about a side sliding through a nine-game League One winless run.
Throughout his post-match interviews, the Doncaster boss cut a frustrated figure.
“There are too many playing with the handbrake on at this moment in time,” he said. “It is why we are losing games. It is easy to play like that when you are 2-1 down.
“It is easy to show that grit and determination in the last 20 minutes. I want the team to do that from the start.”
Then came the line that will follow his players into the next few weeks.
“We are a few months away from January. If I do not see an upturn in people getting to the levels that we expect then there will certainly be changes.”
While Michael Skubala praised our spirit and spoke about building on recent performances, McCann chose to push the opposite narrative, talking about standards dropping and players not reaching the levels he demands.
From our viewpoint, it is always interesting listening to an opposition manager describe what we have just watched. McCann spoke about Doncaster being better once they adjusted, and in the second half, they did look brighter. Hanlan’s finish was a good one. Yet within sixty seconds, the game unravelled for them in a moment that perfectly captured their season.
“The second goal is horrendous,” added McCann. “It is basic stuff. It is just a throw into the box. Three around the two in the box and somehow it ends up on their player’s feet.
“Then Timmy saves it and it ricochets in off Robbie Gotts. The goal is a comedy show really.”
From the home end, it looked less like comedy and more like a reward. We had forced the issue, immediately pushed them back, and punished hesitation.
McCann’s comments might be refreshing for some, but given the spirited display against a side now joint-top of the table, and given the chances they created, I am surprised there wasn’t a little more positivity.