For starters, it'd be nice if the club communicated with us better. At least the weekly In The Dugout kept us up to date...

Whatever we're doing now isn't working. We've tried DR, we're now doing things on our own but without success.

Are the club's finances such that survival is the name of the game? I don't know...

Club Doncaster have been accused of not coming up with the finance for the Dons this season and that remains to be proved IMO. I believe League 1 sides used to receive 75k from the RFL, that is now said to be 25k. Are Club Doncaster even in a tight year short of 50k to make up that shortfall?

It remains to be seen, but as you highlighted on another thread the playoffs are the best we can hope for and that is no guarantee this season. Another frustrating season DM. It is an the clubs DNA unfortunately apart from brief seasons of success we are just a jobbing League 1 RL club, nothing less nothing more.

Its the hope that it will come good that is the kicker. Father in Law often says "we are never going to see any success are we" and at 93 next I am sadly reminded that he will be correct.

An interesting stat ...

The Dons have only finished on the right side of Bet365's Handicap once this season (league & cup). So either the bookies are constantly overrating the Dons or the Dons are constantly underachieving.

As you are aware the Bookies are not in the habit of handing over money willy nilly

Yes, very interesting. I didn't check the odds yesterday. How much start were they giving us at Rochdale?

From memory, I don't the bookmakers gave us much chance last season. They regularly believed others were better than us.

This season's games have become extremely predictable in terms of who will win. We know we'll beat the bottom four, we're pretty sure to be outclassed by the top four with the Oldham and Hunslet matches being close.

The absence of one Gary Fox (Wanderer) has clearly had a negative impact on performances too. His return is much needed!

Wilf, tell your father-in-law to look after himself and keep hoping. With a bit of luck, we might get to the Championship again before he reaches 100!

Dons +14

Thanks Gary.

After the N Wales results, I thought it might have been more than that.

How do you think the bookies handicap will look for the next game against Hunslet? Possibly Hunslet +6?

I'd be surprised if it isn't somewhere around there, possibly Hunslet +8.

I was more than happy with our performance at the weekend as I was expecting a drubbing after our display against London.

A very even game where the Dons were the better side for 60 minutes.

A brief ten minute spell midway through the second half saw Rochdale brake the line to score on three successive occasions killing off the game as a contest.

A good amount of travelling support as well, which made for a great afternoon.

A few comments on the Dons supporters page complaining about the result ,but as usual its the same people who don't attend games and still say its their right to comment.
It seems some fans love to see the team get beaten so they can come on and slate the coach and players.
Reading some of the comments, its more like some people have a vendetta against certain people in the organisation and would be happy for them to lose their jobs.

I have only missed one game this season due to work commitments ,and I can say that was our best performance of the year. Yes, we lost but the effort shown was there for all to see.
If the boys put that effort in then I for one will have no complaints.

Whether or not Horne gets sufficient funding we don't know. I strongly suspect our main remit is to break even and if we got success that would be a bonus.
However you can't really get success without really good players.. and we don't have enough.
Furthermore I see little evidence that Horne develops the players he has and adds value.
The players more or less play rhe same every game...I see nobody coming through quickly.
Not one new player do I think of as better than our division apart from Johnston.
So I don't see Horne as a player developer that can make a difference to what is an ordinary side.

In the past we have known when the Dons were pushing seriously fo promotion...it happened under Fisher and Hanley and also under Singe although he was unlucky.
And the common factor was we had great players in our side.
Now we only have the conman factor....the money is not being spent, we don't have great players...we are going nowhere.
But keep the faith some say!
Going to do a a Gary next year if no money is spent...not coming...simples!
Sick of it!

Herein lies the biggest problem: if the club don't show ambition, the fans will ebb away. Once lost, habits change and it's difficult to win people back again. We cannot afford to lose the likes of Gary and S/O.

The second problem is poor communications. Who is trying to rally the fans to get behind the club? No one. Where is the reassurance that we have ambitions to get promoted and to be competitive in the Championship? What is the plan to get us there? What are we going to do differently as what we're presently doing is mediocre?

None of you mention Carl Hall, the man we never see or hear from these days. I believe the reason for that is because he has lost interest and given up on what he had hoped for. The reason being that under the current owners there will never be any ambition to progress and the funds to do that will never be made available. Bramhall has said he is no longer prepared to put a million quid a season into keeping the Rovers going. So what hope have the Don's got.