Richie Wellens: Doncaster Rovers sack boss after six months in charge

Struggling League One side Doncaster Rovers have sacked boss Richie Wellens after six months in charge.

The 41-year-old took over in May but won just three of his 19 league games and leaves with the club 23rd in the table and six points adrift of safety.

His last game in charge was Wednesday's EFL Trophy defeat by Crewe.

Doncaster said in a statement that they had taken the decision now to have a permanent successor in place for the January transfer window.

Former Doncaster winger Gary McSheffrey, the club's under-18s manager, has been placed in caretaker charge for Saturday's FA Cup second-round tie against Mansfield and will be assisted by academy coach Frank Sinclair.

Meanwhile, Wellens' assistant Noel Hunt has also left the club.

Wellens returned to the club for whom he played 199 times across two spells, having previously had stints in charge at Oldham, Swindon and Salford.

He had guided Swindon to promotion to League One in 2019-20 before leaving in November 2020 to take over at Salford.

However, despite winning the EFL Trophy, he left the League Two club by mutual consent after less than five months in March.

Wellens won promotion to the Championship during his first spell as a player with the South Yorkshire club but repeating that feat in the dugout never seemed likely as Rovers struggled from the beginning of the campaign.

He departs after losing 2-0 to Crewe, the only side below them in the league table, in the Papa John's Trophy.

Wellens asked to succeed in 'impossible job'

Analysis - BBC Radio Sheffield sport editor Andy Giddings

In many respects it was the impossible job. Richie Wellens was brought in to recreate the style and success of the glory years under Sean O'Driscoll with a much smaller budget.

Rovers hierarchy made no secret of their financial issues in a post-Covid era, but difficulties became all too apparent before a ball was kicked in August.

Trialists were forced to leave because contracts couldn't be finalised, whilst existing Rovers players couldn't or wouldn't move on because of the deals they were on.

Injuries have also blighted Wellens tenure leading to a distinct lack of potency; it's the main footballing reason they are where they are, with just 11 goals in 19 games. So another long term plan hasn't lasted from one window to the next.

The former Rovers chairman John Ryan used to say that the best chairman knew who their next three potential managers should be. Rovers start their latest recruitment drive on Monday.