Dean Saunders has overseen a squad overhaul at Doncaster, but will his methods see Rovers safe?
Dean Saunders has overseen a squad overhaul at Doncaster, but will his methods see Rovers safe? Skysports.com argues both sides.
Dean Saunders has put his neck on the line at Doncaster, but will his gamble pay off?
The Welshman has inherited a squad that was down on its luck and struggling to pick up points.
The answer to that dilemma, in Saunders' eyes, has been to draft in a number of fresh faces.
These are not just any old fresh faces, though, these are players with Premier League pedigree.
Not such a bad thing, you might think. Surely a side languishing at the foot of the second tier could do with an injection of top-flight talent?
It is difficult to argue against that, but there are a number of other factors that need to be taken into account.
Firstly, these players do not come cheap. Wages, which will be substantial in some cases, need to be taken into consideration, with there no point chasing the dream if you cannot afford to see it out. Just ask any Leeds supporter what they think about Peter Ridsdale and his cash-happy approach to life at Elland Road.
Of course, on the flip side, you have to speculate to accumulate and Rovers will believe that the money they spend now will be recouped if they remain in the Championship.
It is a difficult call to make, with there inevitable pros and cons to any financial decision in the current economic climate.
Future
Doncaster also need to be wary of drafting in Premier League cast-offs that are just happy to pick up their money.
Loan spells will allow them to get a few games under their belt, work on their fitness and possibly catch the eye elsewhere.
If their future does not depend on results, will they be prepared to give 100 per cent to the cause game in, game out?
Saunders needs to ensure that the likes of Habib Beye, Herita Ilunga and Marc Antoine Fortune are not allowed to just go through the motions before returning to their respective parent clubs.
Doncaster are placing considerable faith in these loan 'stars' and they must make sure that their generosity is not taken for granted.
Rovers must also try to bring the best out of El Hadji Diouf, an enigmatic talent who really should be setting the second tier alight.
The Senegalese forward has arrived at the Keepmoat on a free transfer and may feel that he has a point to prove to those who opted against offering him terms over the summer, following his release by Blackburn.
Diouf has a reputation for being difficult to handle and prone to the odd moment of madness, but his ability is not in question and if Doncaster can get him playing to his potential they will reap the rewards and their gamble will have been worth it.
Results
There are, however, a lot of ifs and buts knocking around the South Yorkshire club at the moment.
Saunders has already, justifiably, pointed to the fact that results have started to turn since he inherited the managerial reins from Sean O'Driscoll.
Since his arrival on 23rd September, Doncaster have taken 12 points from 11 games.
They remain rooted to the foot of the Championship table, but they are only six points adrift of safety and still have 28 games in which to haul themselves to safety.
Saunders will argue that a 21st place finish will be good enough, and he would be right.
Rovers are already talking about 'the future' and second tier consolidation, following a tricky opening to the campaign, must be the target.
There are, however, already dissenting voices emerging from the stands, with accusations of a lack of club identity starting to do the rounds on fan forums.
Saunders will hope to counter these claims with results on the field, but he will know better than most that should his overhaul of the Doncaster squad fall flat and the club are relegated, he will likely to have to pay the price.
At the moment it is difficult to say which way his luck will fall, but by the turn of the year we should have a better idea as to whether Doncaster's experiment will prove to be a masterstroke or a costly error of judgement.
