As part of our recent Big Doncaster Rovers Survey we asked you to send us your questions for Paul Dickov.
We put a few of those to Dickov recently (before the takeover collapse). Here’s what he had to say:
Darren King, Didcot
How many players do you feel you need to sign in the summer to have Rovers fighting for promotion?
PD: We’ve got a group of players that know how to get us out of the division and we’ll be trying to add experience, enthusiasm and pace going forward.
Depending on who we’d like to come in and who we can get, it could be anything up to six or seven players.
Jacko
The pitches are worse, the football is more physical, do we change our style or go again?
PD: No we go again. I’ve said all along we’ve got to be adaptable. In League One, especially over the last few years, there’s a lot more teams in there who like to try and play football.
We know we’ve got the ability to do that. But we’ve also got the ability to mix it up a bit if we have to.
Nathan, Cantley
What’s the one thing you will do different this season from last?
PD: Win more games.
Steve Trewick, Armthorpe
Where do you see both Rovers and yourself in five years time?
PD: Five years time? I find it hard to think what I’m going do in the next five minutes never mind five years! An established Championship club, pushing for the Premier League.
Mark D, Haxey
What lessons have you learned as a manager this past year?
PD: I’ve learnt a lot of things. I’ve reflected over what happened and hindsight is a wonderful thing. But there’s certain things I’m going to change, in myself as a manager and how I run the football club.
I didn’t think we were that far away last year and you can look back and blame a lot of different factors for it.
If we had one correct decision go our way we would have stayed up. There were a lot of things that didn’t go our way.
But, in saying that, I’ve got to learn and I’ve got to be better. For me to ask the players to learn, it’s got to start from the top.
Without entering into specifics, I will be changing certain things this year.
Michael Nixon, Hexthorpe
If you could pick one player you could sign, who would it be and why?
PD: Of all time? Patrick Viera. He’s the best player I’ve played with and against. And he’s the Manchester City under 21 academy coach, so if I say his name I might get some players! And Van Gaal and Mourinho!
Matthew Jobson, Goldthorpe
What is the answer to poor officials?
PD: Pass!
Adam Bates, Hatfield
Who do you feel will be the strongest contenders next season in League One?
PD: You look at Preston, Bristol City and Peterborough - all clubs that have been there or there abouts. Add in Barnsley, Sheffield United and Leyton Orient.
They’re all clubs with similar ambitions to ourselves.