The Wellens Fallout

In the end, it was the Doncaster Rovers board who blinked first. And, in fairness, they didn’t have much choice in the matter.

Their failure to put Richie Wellens – and the thousands of supporters who idolised him as a player – out of his misery would have all but signalled the hierarchy’s disregard for the current season and beyond.

Wellens speaks to the media

Can a club ‘take the hit’ of meekly accepting relegation before Christmas? No, and nor should they. Rovers, are in a tight spot, make no bones about it. So, they had to do something to initiate a response from a squad that has, thus far, laboured to 13 points from 19 league games - incredibly, they’re still not bottom of the pile.

And so the axe fell on Wellens.

The Rovers suits knew what they were getting when they appointed him, or certainly they thought they did. A ‘heart-on-sleeve’ former midfield general could galvanise an alienated fan base from the dugout.

This wasn’t “married at first sight” either, Rovers had a good long look at the 41-year-old and selected him as their choice out of more than 100 applicants for the vacancy after Andy Butler fluffed his lines as Darren Moore’s successor.

Everyone strapped in for a bumpy ride, but it was short-lived rather than turbulent. The board and manager characterised a stubborn married couple who were trying to make their relationship work when, in truth, they were incompatible from the off.

Wellens began life at the Keepmoat Stadium inauspiciously. His reasons for sub-par results, such as Covid-19, and injuries, were valid to begin with.

However, an unwillingness – and inability – to adapt soon blurred the lines between reasons and excuses. A run of SEVEN games without scoring also didn’t help as Wellens continued to bemoan his luck, while knowing his one and only fit goal scorer, Fejiri Okenabirhie, was a long term injury. 

Wellens confronts an official at Wigan

The incessant complaints about referees were just about tolerated and cries of “bad luck” were largely accepted. The moans about lack of depth, when he had signed the bulk of the squad did ring a little hollow, particularly when he’d publicly ostracised two senior members of his playing staff. 

Ultimately, when it came to recruitment he’d got his priorities wrong and this was to be his undoing. By focussing on other areas of the pitch, Wellens hadn’t been able to sign someone to score goals. Choosing instead to spend money on other areas of the team.

Herein lies the bottom line; the Rovers board simply didn’t trust Wellens in another transfer window and were forced to act in the nick of time.