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Doncaster Rovers are preparing themselves for a massive clash against top-of-the-table Queens Park Rangers this weekend, with the aim of halting what appears to be a march towards the Premier League for the London side.
Rovers go into the clash off the back of a fantastic draw against another promotion contender in Nottingham Forest last weekend, but Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll anticipates something very different from Saturday's Championship opponents at the Keepmoat Stadium.
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"In a division as tight as the Championship, to go ten points clear and concede twenty-three goals - if you're at the top of the table by ten points, then all of the stats will add up to that," said O'Driscoll ahead of the clash against QPR.
"But to concede only 23 goals and to score probably more goals than anybody else - and have a player like Adel Taarabt, who they have really tried to nurture, then you have to say that they are doing something right."
And O'Driscoll goes on to emphasise the importance of QPR's talismanic skipper, who has been tipped to win many of the Championship Player of the Year accolades.
"We're not very good at nurturing talented players in English football," says the Rovers manager.
"It always seems to be 'he can't do this' or 'he can't do that', instead of looking at the positives and admitting that the boy's got undoubted ability. He's just trying to add a bit of responsibility to that and I think that the QPR team, the players that play with him and the staff - the management - have done a really good job with him. He's never going to be a tackler or a header or a player who tracks back, but he plays with responsibility and the games that he has been brilliant in are the games where they want him to do the special things - and that makes a difference."
"He's arguably one of the best or the best player in the division."
With Swansea City sitting in second place in the league - ten points behind QPR - it's understandable why it looks as though the R's could be taking on the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal next season.
"They've ticked a lot of boxes. And if you are going to put together a team in the Championship that is going to be successful, then they need to defend when they need to and attack when they need to. They're there on merit, not luck - they are there because they are the best team in the division and it will be a difficult game for us on Saturday.
Rovers go into the clash off the back of a fantastic draw against another promotion contender in Nottingham Forest last weekend, but Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll anticipates something very different from Saturday's Championship opponents at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Article continues
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"In a division as tight as the Championship, to go ten points clear and concede twenty-three goals - if you're at the top of the table by ten points, then all of the stats will add up to that," said O'Driscoll ahead of the clash against QPR.
"But to concede only 23 goals and to score probably more goals than anybody else - and have a player like Adel Taarabt, who they have really tried to nurture, then you have to say that they are doing something right."
And O'Driscoll goes on to emphasise the importance of QPR's talismanic skipper, who has been tipped to win many of the Championship Player of the Year accolades.
"We're not very good at nurturing talented players in English football," says the Rovers manager.
"It always seems to be 'he can't do this' or 'he can't do that', instead of looking at the positives and admitting that the boy's got undoubted ability. He's just trying to add a bit of responsibility to that and I think that the QPR team, the players that play with him and the staff - the management - have done a really good job with him. He's never going to be a tackler or a header or a player who tracks back, but he plays with responsibility and the games that he has been brilliant in are the games where they want him to do the special things - and that makes a difference."
"He's arguably one of the best or the best player in the division."
With Swansea City sitting in second place in the league - ten points behind QPR - it's understandable why it looks as though the R's could be taking on the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal next season.
"They've ticked a lot of boxes. And if you are going to put together a team in the Championship that is going to be successful, then they need to defend when they need to and attack when they need to. They're there on merit, not luck - they are there because they are the best team in the division and it will be a difficult game for us on Saturday.
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