Rovers loanee Thimothee Lo-Tutala.placeholder image
Rovers loanee Thimothee Lo-Tutala.
Thimothee Lo-Tutala isn't the first to reference it, and he's unlikely to be the last to do so.
The 'fake league table' that Doncaster Rovers players see every day when they walk into the Cantley Park training ground canteen is serving as ample inspiration for Lo-Tutala and his colleagues. Ever since Grant McCann dusted off the idea in January, Rovers have seen their form get a much-needed upturn. The synthetic 22-game 'table' began life with following the trip to AFC Wimbledon - a game Rovers won 1-0 - and it's clearly helping provided a different sort of motivation.
"Credit to the gaffer," said Hull City loanee Lo-Tutala, "I know we all say that we take it game-by-game but it's (the table) definitely something that is motivating for us.
"We want to be at the top at the end of the day and then if we are, at the end of the season, then we'll see where we are in real table. It's definitely something that keeps us driven, keeps us motivated and I feel like life's about perspective.
"So if you see that table and you strive to be top of it, then at the end of the season, you're going to look at it and be lik 'wow, actually we've done something amazing here'."
Rovers' upturn in form in recent months has certainly become a trend under McCann. In his two previous seasons since returning to the Eco-Power Stadium in the summer of 2023, the Northern Irishman has seen a team catapult themselves from the relegation picture in League Two up to the play-offs, before a similar surge 12 months later saw his side come out on top as champions.
As a member of the first of those sides, in the 2023-24 campaign when Rovers produced a club-record ten-game winning streak, Lo-Tutala is well-placed to talk about late-season blooms in this part of South Yorkshire. "I couldn't tell you. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't know!" he says, when asked what the secret is to Rovers always seeming to end seasons strongly.
"I guess teams always seem to fall off, don't they? And late bloomers have been in this situation before. I just feel like towards the end of the season, some teams' style of play changes. I feel like for the teams at the top, the pressure starts getting towards them.
"Then the teams in the middle maybe start pushing a bit too much. And then the ones at the lower end, they've got nothing to lose at that point. So you play naturally with a bit more freedom. Maybe that's the case or maybe I'm wrong. But that's my perspective on it."
Key to Rovers' resurgence of late has been tightening up defensively, with the 23-year-old putting in some assured performances which contributed to three successive clean sheets for the first time since that aforementioned winning run two seasons ago.
Lo-Tutala adds: "You can look at the best teams in the world, for example Arsenal. And right now, their defence is probably the best in the world, which gives the attackers licence to go and express themselves.
"I think that's the case for us as well. We (defence) just have to keep doing our jobs, really."
Whilst he currently has custody of the gloves, Lo-Tutala knows McCann is not shy to make big calls. He has regularly chopped and changed his goalkeepers this term and with fellow loanee Zander Clark back fully fit and having shaken off a recent bout of illness, he knows he needs to maintain high standards for the final seven games of the season - starting with Good Friday's home game against Mansfield: "Listen, the best clubs in the world have healthy competition. Goalkeeping is such a specific position because you want to play, but there's only one spot.
"Credit to Zander because he's such a good guy and such a good goalkeeper. We encourage each other but ultimately you need to perform when you're called upon and he has done and so have I. At the end of the day, it's the manager's decision."
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