Doncaster Rovers: Ferguson explains decision to loan out Liam Mandeville

Darren Ferguson has urged Liam Mandeville to discover consistency in his performances during his loan with Colchester United.
Liam MandevilleLiam Mandeville
Liam Mandeville

Mandeville joined the League Two promotion hopefuls for the rest of the season on Wednesday evening after struggling for game time with Rovers in recent weeks.

Ferguson feels the 20-year-old needs to play games regularly but also prove he can he string strong performances together.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I just think he needs consistency,” Ferguson told The Star.

“There’s only been one period in my time here where he’s been consistent to a level I expect of him.

“He would probably admit that himself.

“He’s still young and sometimes it takes that little bit longer for the penny to drop or find that consistency within his game.

“Perhaps for him, he’s still not sure whether he’s a number nine or ten. He’s in between.

“I really like Liam as a player and he knows that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This move doesn’t really have a bearing on him long term, I don’t feel.

“That will come in the summer, that decision.”

Mandeville saw himself dropped from the matchday squad for November’s trip to Wigan Athletic after Ferguson disapproved with his easy-going reaction to being left out of the starting XI.

The move typified Ferguson’s conflicting frustration and admiration for the academy graduate.

Mandeville enjoyed an excellent spell with Rovers last season, scoring ten goals before suffering an injury on New Year’s Eve which limited him to only three appearances in the second half of the campaign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The forward has scored four goals in 24 appearances for Rovers this season, 13 of which have come off the bench.

“He needs games,” Ferguson said.

“He needs to go out and show the quality he showed in the same league last year.

“And the quality he’s shown at times in this league.

“I just think he needed games. He was getting frustrated.

“And I felt with the strikers we’ve got, we’re ok.

“The big important thing was how Alex Kiwomya came back after the two games he’s played and he’s fine.

“That made my decision quite easy.”

Mandeville heads to a Colchester side sitting 11th in League Two, seven points off the final play-off place.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Us have failed to win any of their last six league matches and Ferguson hopes Mandeville can help reignite their play-off hopes.

He said: “I don’t think there’s any harm in going to a club like Colchester, who play good football.

“I know the people there very well and they will look after him.

“Hopefully he goes there and does well for them and perhaps gets them into the play-offs.”

Ferguson confirmed Kiwomya will be part of the matchday squad for Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth after completing his recovery from the auto-immune disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome.