Gaffer assesses Frickley friendly before squad head to Portugal.
Paul Dickov outlined his plans for his Doncaster Rovers squad when they travel to take on Frickley Athletic (7:30pm).Fans will be hoping to see new boys Thorsten Stuckmann, Andy Williams, Gary MacKenzie and Richard Chaplow in action.
“The most important thing is for them to get their heads on for 45 minutes – we’ll play two teams of 11 – so that it’s a pure 45 minutes fitness workout,” said Dickov.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t want to win but we’ll be looking for them to have the quality even though it’s early doors that I know they’ve got.
“It’s pre-season; they’re in a very privileged position to be doing what they’re doing. They’ve been put through their paces and with a game coming up in the week; we’re going to use it as a fitness session for them as well.
“The aim, at the beginning will be double or even sometimes treble sessions, including a session before the Frickley game. It will be good to go in to that game tired, if that makes any sense, because throughout the season, the last twenty minutes of games is critically important. We want people to be able to handle the ball and pass the ball when they’re tired.”
Dickov who is entering his third season in charge of Rovers eluded to the fact that the penny has dropped with some players. “Maybe they have taken heed of what’s been said,” he admitted.
“The boys have come back flying in regards to the ones that were here last season and the test that we did at the end of the season. Everyone has come back with the same weight or body fat and the majority of everyone’s general fitness is a hell of a lot better; everyone’s beating their own personal times in test runs.
“Perhaps what I said has been taken in.”
Fans can gain admittance to the game at the following prices:
£7 – Adults
£5 – Concessions
£3 – Under 16’s
Follow the ROVERS WALL or @drfc_official for updates throughout the evening.
There are just 30 days until the start of the 15/16 season. Click below to secure season tickets or call 01302 762576.