Gary McSheffrey happy to embrace expectation levels at Doncaster Rovers

An ambitious manager in Gary McSheffrey would not have it any other way.

So far this term - barring a slip-up against Mansfield Town - Rovers have handled the expectation well in League Two in 2022-23.

They have a target on their backs, as do Yorkshire rivals' Bradford City and there is no getting away from that fact either.

McSheffrey, whose sixth-placed side visit another team who have started the season well in Barrow on Tuesday evening, said: "We are a big club in the division and there's going to be an expectancy level to bounce straight back. I won't hide behind it.

"I obviously want to get promoted. But in terms of success, people judge it differently.

"We could play a great brand of football and win a lot of games and then fall short in the play-offs for example. Is that successful?

"People might think you have had a great season but not gone up. It could be unsuccessful.

"Ultimately, we want to bounce back and do it playing a good brand of football.

"It's a big club and a huge town which is now a city with big expectancy levels. We have to be able to deal with that.

"It has been another one of the characteristics in our recruitment. Can you deal with that? Wil you freeze? We have to embrace that challenge and expectancy level."

Last season, one of the criticisms of Rovers surrounded their collective mentality and inability to recover after going behind.

Early days it may be, but Doncaster are starting to show a stronger jaw with their spirit by way of several key late goals in league games so far pointing to a better mindset this time around.

McSheffrey added: "We have got quite a healthy spine in that team within. You add the likes of Ben Close, Ro-Shaun Williams, Tom Anderson and Joseph Olowu with the amount he has had to step up last year in getting that experience, we are going to have some good leadership quality in that spine of the team.

"That core group with the addition of good players coming back from injury will drive the team and we are a different animal.

"You need lads that can play and fight for the shirt to the end to win. But you still need good players to produce the end product."