Rovers manager Brian Flynn spoke to Rovers Player ahead of the trip to the South Coast as Rovers face promotion rivals AFC Bournemouth.
Brian reflected on Tuesday evening’s disappointing defeat at the hand of MK Dons and gave his honest opinion on where he thought it went wrong.
“We were well beaten,”
“Honesty is the key in football and we were well beaten by a team that was better than us on the night. It could have been worse than it was; they had a lot more chances than us.
“Our control and retaining of possession was poor; that was the whole team not just one department. Throughout the team our ball retention was very low; if that happens you end up playing very poorly.
“We need to get back to doing that [retaining the ball] well and making it difficult for the opposition, which we didn’t do on Tuesday either.”
Captain Rob Jones will be missing after picking up an ankle injury on Tuesday. Brian admitted that Rob will be a big miss but has challenged his players to show that they can cope without him.
“You have to deal with people getting injured and suspensions too, all these things come into play at this time of the season. Rob is a big influence on the team and the squad so he will be missed; it’s now up to the others to show that he’s not being missed.”
Brian was complimentary of opponents Bournemouth’s style of play and revealed that he believed that they will be in the promotion picture come the end of the season.
“They’ve got very talented players up-front,” he said
“Bournemouth have had a difficult period but they are a good set of players, and I think that they will be there or there about, as will we.
“They’ve got different types of players who can all create chances so we are going to have to be good defensively. We will definitely need to retain the ball and counter attack better.
“They’ve got lots of creativity in midfield in Harry Arter and direct play from Marc Pugh who plays in the wide positions so they’ve got a good balance in the team.
“They’ve always been a good footballing side and at the start of the season they would have been classed as one of the favorites for promotion.
“It will certainly be a boost for us to get something out of the game because we are top of the league and we want to retain that position.
“We’re now at the ten game marker and this is where the class comes through, this is where you show what you’re all about.”
HEREThe full interview is available to view on Rovers Player
Can't get to Bournemouth this weekend? Well, you can listen to the whole match on Rovers Player free of charge!
Don't miss out on any of the action, take advantage of the Rovers Player 14 day free trial and you can, not only listen to live match commentary, but also you can be the first to see the post match reaction.
With Rovers sat top of the League going into the final 10 games of the season, Rovers Player is the perfect way to keep up-to-date with all the action on the pitch as well as off.
Throughout the month of March, Rovers Player is available free of charge for a 14 day period.
What better way to get closer to YOUR club.
Claim your 14 day free trial and you can enjoy access to the below features:
· Live Match Commentary
· Full Match Replays
· Extended Match Highlights
· Exclusive Interviews
Many fans have already signed up to Rovers’ official multimedia channel and for those that haven't - now is the perfect time!
https://secure.player.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/buyDon’t miss out, claim your 14 day free Rovers Player trial HERE -