| Harrogate (h) Match Thread 16:08 - Dec 1 with 36850 views | HullDale |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:03 - Dec 3 with 4020 views | Frog |
We've lost the most games in the top 4 divisions, going to be difficult to retain our league status at this rate. Reminds me of the bleak old days of the 70's and 80's. |  | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:04 - Dec 3 with 4019 views | blackdogblue |
Just updating prediction league & thought I would just add...
I stand by my decision after the first match of the season, unless things improve on the pitch, I am still not going.. |  |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:07 - Dec 3 with 4005 views | since58 |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 17:59 - Dec 3 by dawlishdale |
Wish I hadn't bothered today...like nearly all our players. That was a truly horrible performance and each and every player should be ashamed of their lack of effort.
Even in the first 5 minutes, you could sense that they wanted it more than us, and were causing us trouble with much better movement.
When we scored (much against the run of play) even the boost of a goal failed to rally us, and it was no shock when they scored, although I'm sure our keeper will be annoyed at being beaten from such distance.
I would have honestly struggled to pick a man of the match today...the only ones who came out with any sort of credit were Brierley and Odoh, although both would not have scored above a 5 out of ten.
John at full back must have been guilty of passing to them more than he passed to his own team, and Keohane was skinned so many times I lost count.
As for Ball and Diagouraga, lets just be kind and say they had bad days at the office.
Up front, we had next to nothing, because Quigley clearly isn't fit and Hendo has lost a yard or two of pace.
I thought Harrogate played some really good stuff... but they were made to look better than they should have been due to our sheer incompetence.
Where do we go from here? I really don't know what the answer is, but we are in desperate need of a huge shake up on the pitch, and I'd like to see more ambition shown by the Management (still dropping all 11 back when 3-1 down at home ffs) plus making four subs at once, but not changing the shape of the team when we should have been throwing the kitchen sink at them. |
Pace doesnt matter.
So ive been told.!!! |  | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:08 - Dec 3 with 3989 views | fourfourtwo |
An absolute disgrace and embarrassment of a performance.
Surely one of the darkest days in most of our Dale supporting careers. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:12 - Dec 3 with 3946 views | rich_dale |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 17:59 - Dec 3 by dawlishdale |
Wish I hadn't bothered today...like nearly all our players. That was a truly horrible performance and each and every player should be ashamed of their lack of effort.
Even in the first 5 minutes, you could sense that they wanted it more than us, and were causing us trouble with much better movement.
When we scored (much against the run of play) even the boost of a goal failed to rally us, and it was no shock when they scored, although I'm sure our keeper will be annoyed at being beaten from such distance.
I would have honestly struggled to pick a man of the match today...the only ones who came out with any sort of credit were Brierley and Odoh, although both would not have scored above a 5 out of ten.
John at full back must have been guilty of passing to them more than he passed to his own team, and Keohane was skinned so many times I lost count.
As for Ball and Diagouraga, lets just be kind and say they had bad days at the office.
Up front, we had next to nothing, because Quigley clearly isn't fit and Hendo has lost a yard or two of pace.
I thought Harrogate played some really good stuff... but they were made to look better than they should have been due to our sheer incompetence.
Where do we go from here? I really don't know what the answer is, but we are in desperate need of a huge shake up on the pitch, and I'd like to see more ambition shown by the Management (still dropping all 11 back when 3-1 down at home ffs) plus making four subs at once, but not changing the shape of the team when we should have been throwing the kitchen sink at them. |
Bentley is similar to Stockdale in that sense - has a favoured formation in his head and is reluctant to change it. Could have put Hendo up with Quigley when the subs happened, for example. Harrogate played with two central strikera and looked better for it, without appearing to lose anything elsewhere on the pitch. In fact, it often looked like they had a man extra. We were equally lacking in organisation and tactics today as we were in desire and individual performances. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:24 - Dec 3 with 3833 views | DaleiLama |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 17:23 - Dec 3 by Dalenet |
The Sandy singing "you're not fit to wear the shirt" was the most appropriate comment of the day. Doesn't look like anybody cares. I have no idea what Jim does now |
Joint most appropriate for me. I also departed early, and exited the ground with the words "You're fecking shit" from Town fans ringing in my ears. Spot on. |  |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:26 - Dec 3 with 3811 views | James1980 |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:12 - Dec 3 by rich_dale |
Bentley is similar to Stockdale in that sense - has a favoured formation in his head and is reluctant to change it. Could have put Hendo up with Quigley when the subs happened, for example. Harrogate played with two central strikera and looked better for it, without appearing to lose anything elsewhere on the pitch. In fact, it often looked like they had a man extra. We were equally lacking in organisation and tactics today as we were in desire and individual performances. |
Also Hill towards the end and BBM stuck with a formation. Question I am asking is why have the last 4 managers been reluctant to change the system we play during a game? | |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:31 - Dec 3 with 3756 views | 442Dale |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:04 - Dec 3 by blackdogblue |
Just updating prediction league & thought I would just add...
I stand by my decision after the first match of the season, unless things improve on the pitch, I am still not going.. |
Whilst there is no excuse for performances like today, the club is going to need all the fans it can get over the next few months.
Completely understand fans who would have gone today and not wanted to turn up again next week but performances had improved at times over the last few months, so how many good displays would it take for you to return?
It’s impossible to guarantee. |  |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:33 - Dec 3 with 3741 views | NorthernDale |
That was the worse performance, I have seen for some time and I was embarrassed by the way the team did not fight for the ball, could not control or pass the ball and Dale looked like a pub team, who had been on the p*ss.
I have not enough time to criticise player by player, but please some one tell, me what Odoh brings to the team and why he starts, it is one of the mysteries of the universal.
I like JB, but he must think 'how can I turn this pile of sh*t into a team that can play football', it is like asking him to become a alchemist. If we survive this season, then most of the team need to go. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:37 - Dec 3 with 3710 views | 442Dale |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:07 - Dec 3 by since58 |
Pace doesnt matter.
So ive been told.!!! |
Who said that?
We have pace, it’s how we utilise it. Can’t play Henderson and Quigley together unless it’s a 4-4-2 with our quick players out wide.
Could also play Rodney in a front two. | |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:38 - Dec 3 with 3708 views | diver |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:24 - Dec 3 by DaleiLama |
Joint most appropriate for me. I also departed early, and exited the ground with the words "You're fecking shit" from Town fans ringing in my ears. Spot on. |
I take comfort from Steve Eyre’s comments on Radio Manchester that we will avoid relegation.He recons we will have a run of win one lose one draw one which will be enough. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 18:47 - Dec 3 with 3633 views | SaxonDale |
*Didn’t watch today disclaimer
It’s been said a million times that BBM should’ve got more out the squad he had but I still cant quite believe how in 18 months we’ve gone from the most talented squad individual-wise I can remember to a squad which is quite simply full of footballers who aren’t good enough to play professionally. We will never win a game comfortably until we can control games and string more than a few passes together. I’m sure Bentley will be able to have us competing and working hard (today seems an exception) but we can’t go into games hoping for a 0-0 1-0 or 0-1.
The concern I have is that understandably the pot won’t be brimming in January so I think Bentley will have to strengthen with a maximum 2/3 signings unless we can move on the huge piles of dead wood. I think Bentley has showed generally that he can tighten up the defence so I’d prioritise with a central midfielder (maybe 2) and a pacy wide player with end product. Even then I think we’d have to get the run of the green with injuries and suspensions to have a chance of staying up.
It really is bloody depressing! |  | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:03 - Dec 3 with 3495 views | SaxonDale |
Also if we somehow achieve what at the moment I’d put down as a miracle and stay up lessons have to be learnt going forward. I know it sounds a bit fancy but I’d love us to recruit a director of football who can really ensure that the team is sticking to a style and helping the manager recruit for that system. Under Stockdale we had a manager completely out of his depth who signed players either useless in the first place or now completely irrelevant due to Bentley’s preferred formation.
Find a formation we want as a club and stick to it as much as possible (433 would be my preference). If we lose a ball playing centre back (O’Connell) try and replace him with another ball playing centre back so we don’t have to completely change styles- EEL has never been a cultured cb!
A DoF worth his salt would also have a decent contact list meaning we wouldn’t have to rely on the dregs we recently have been for loan players. If, Bentley aside, we stick with a route of hiring promising coaches then we have to give them as much help as possible to ease their transition into management. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:05 - Dec 3 with 3476 views | DaleFan7 |
The team selections have been relatively similar recently. Watching that today as a manager must be depressing, yes he sets them up but when there's no effort or fight in a player once they're on the pitch there's not much you can do.
Even if he thinks our squad or bench players aren't good enough, there's got to be big changes to the starting XI because it can't get much worse than today.
I'd say Stockport could be getting revenge for our 7-2 winning there, next week but then that would require us being able to score 2 goals. Something we've managed to do twice in 20 league games this season... | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:07 - Dec 3 with 3457 views | fourfourtwo |
Is it worth the club getting into debt to stay in the football league?
Just listened to Bentleys interview and it was a fairly depressing listen. Not very positive at all when you scratch under the surface. When asked about bringing players in during January it came across like getting one over the line would be a result.
We all can see that we need an influx and an exodus if we’re to survive.
So my question would be; if we don’t have the required funds available, would it be worth the directors acquiring a source of funding EG secured loan, whatever, to bring in a Bentley hit list of players to see us through this season and hopefully next.
You’re always going to pay over the odds in January, but financially what would relegation mean for the club?
The National League frightens me to death when you look at the size and scale of some of the clubs languishing down there.
I believe in Bentley. He’s a good fit for the club and I would trust him with a war chest.
So going back to the original question, is it worth the club getting into debt to stay in the league?
I think I’d say so on the balance of things. There’s been too many mistakes with Stockdale and the playing side of things over the last 18 months. I would rather have a league club with a small amount of debt rather than a mortgage free non-league side. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:12 - Dec 3 with 3408 views | DaleFan7 |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:07 - Dec 3 by fourfourtwo |
Is it worth the club getting into debt to stay in the football league?
Just listened to Bentleys interview and it was a fairly depressing listen. Not very positive at all when you scratch under the surface. When asked about bringing players in during January it came across like getting one over the line would be a result.
We all can see that we need an influx and an exodus if we’re to survive.
So my question would be; if we don’t have the required funds available, would it be worth the directors acquiring a source of funding EG secured loan, whatever, to bring in a Bentley hit list of players to see us through this season and hopefully next.
You’re always going to pay over the odds in January, but financially what would relegation mean for the club?
The National League frightens me to death when you look at the size and scale of some of the clubs languishing down there.
I believe in Bentley. He’s a good fit for the club and I would trust him with a war chest.
So going back to the original question, is it worth the club getting into debt to stay in the league?
I think I’d say so on the balance of things. There’s been too many mistakes with Stockdale and the playing side of things over the last 18 months. I would rather have a league club with a small amount of debt rather than a mortgage free non-league side. |
It's certainly a balance that the board have to get right or else we could end up in freefall. We currently have a squad that can't score goals and I doubt that would change in the division below.
The scary thing is, look who are in the bottom two of the National League this season. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:19 - Dec 3 with 3340 views | mikehunt |
This is not a team. No cohesion. No rapport. No skill. Some rate O’Donnell but even he has his faults: he doesn’t appear to get down to low shots quickly enough.
This “team” is one of the worst I have ever seen. Majority of these players don’t seem to want to be here. Prising them out of their contracts is not going to be easy either. They should all be ashamed of themselves.
We are doomed with this squad. |  |
| The worm of time turns not for the cuckoo of circumstance. |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:44 - Dec 3 with 3173 views | TomRAFC |
Bentley has tried to set us up to be hard to beat and today that approach collapsed. Conceding 4 goals and having zero creativity is a dangerous mix.
The likes of Ball and Odoh are one trick ponies who can grab a goal or dribble but can't do the most basic things right. IOMDale hit the nail on the head, I really don't feel much affinity for anyone in the squad.
The performance was absolutely embarrassing, fortunately the passionate atmosphere creators were out in force. Cocaine in the toilets, drumming songs about going down to the National League, we even got the same song about Oldham over and over again. Absolutely cringeworthy. I feel sorry for the old guard who've shifted from standing at the back of the Sandy.
Not even my first Bovril of the season was enough to cheer me up. [Post edited 3 Dec 2022 20:12]
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:50 - Dec 3 with 3118 views | EllDale |
I can’t add much to what’s been said already in this thread.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about today for me was I actually thought before the game that Harrogate were there for the taking.
They weren’t in really good form, had a lot of young inexperienced players in the team.
I could, to an extent, have stomached that result if it had been Leyton Orient who had turned up and battered us.
The plain fact of the matter is that the recruitment of RS/Shan left us with only four proper midfield players (Toums, Ball, Kelly and Brierley), too many contracted central defenders and a lot of others odds and sods who we’re not sure what their best role is.
Where do the likes of Sinclair or Tulloch fit into the scheme of things, neither fish nor fowl. I’m sure the latter was taken on in a panic when Charman injured himself.
All the subs looked busy when they came on but there’s nil penetration and Harrogate had taken their foot off the gas to a certain extent by that time otherwise we could have been looking at another Shrewsbury Town score line.
I was disappointed to see, after they scored that breakaway second goal, Sam Graham appear to have a right go at Brierley. On one hand I’m glad he seems to care but it doesn’t look good.
And the attendance. For the first time on a Saturday this season I think that the home crowd dipped below the 2000 mark. And I’ve never seen so many leave the ground with 25 minutes to go either, even in the dark days of the 1970s.
As has been said above, I don’t know what EBJ does. How many bollockings does it take?
The fact of the matter is, there are far too crap players there who it will prove impossible to shift. People that we paid transfer fees for and who will be on decent wages who are stuck with.
To slim the squad he’ll probably have to send most of the loan players back who aren’t really contributing and hope he can bring in two quality midfielders, a winger (yes, they do still exist) and a striker.
Sounds easy doesn’t it. | | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 20:38 - Dec 3 with 2900 views | D_Alien |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 19:50 - Dec 3 by EllDale |
I can’t add much to what’s been said already in this thread.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about today for me was I actually thought before the game that Harrogate were there for the taking.
They weren’t in really good form, had a lot of young inexperienced players in the team.
I could, to an extent, have stomached that result if it had been Leyton Orient who had turned up and battered us.
The plain fact of the matter is that the recruitment of RS/Shan left us with only four proper midfield players (Toums, Ball, Kelly and Brierley), too many contracted central defenders and a lot of others odds and sods who we’re not sure what their best role is.
Where do the likes of Sinclair or Tulloch fit into the scheme of things, neither fish nor fowl. I’m sure the latter was taken on in a panic when Charman injured himself.
All the subs looked busy when they came on but there’s nil penetration and Harrogate had taken their foot off the gas to a certain extent by that time otherwise we could have been looking at another Shrewsbury Town score line.
I was disappointed to see, after they scored that breakaway second goal, Sam Graham appear to have a right go at Brierley. On one hand I’m glad he seems to care but it doesn’t look good.
And the attendance. For the first time on a Saturday this season I think that the home crowd dipped below the 2000 mark. And I’ve never seen so many leave the ground with 25 minutes to go either, even in the dark days of the 1970s.
As has been said above, I don’t know what EBJ does. How many bollockings does it take?
The fact of the matter is, there are far too crap players there who it will prove impossible to shift. People that we paid transfer fees for and who will be on decent wages who are stuck with.
To slim the squad he’ll probably have to send most of the loan players back who aren’t really contributing and hope he can bring in two quality midfielders, a winger (yes, they do still exist) and a striker.
Sounds easy doesn’t it. |
I was there to witness both the Shrewsbury drubbing and the 0-6 against Plymouth, but on neither occasion did the thought cross my mind to leave before the finish. Today was a watershed moment, and i nearly got crushed in the stampede to leave the Sandy
The December home fixtures are traditionally not well-attended as Xmas comes into view. If we weren't playing Stockport next week and i didn't have a SC, i wouldn't be there. What can we pull out of the bag? Quigley to grab a couple against his employers, in the hope they'll take him back? I really feel for EBJ having to front up after today. He sent out his assistant last time but can't do that twice |  |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 20:43 - Dec 3 with 2868 views | NotEyreClue |
Absolutely atrocious today.
Haven’t seen their first goal back but it appeared to be an absolute pea roller. I honestly don’t get the hype with O’Donnell. He’s not the worst keeper we’ve ever had but he doesn’t inspire me with confidence.
Defence was garbage. Keohane isn’t the same player he was before his injury. John kept wellying the ball up the line and out of play. Graham and Ebanks Landell (man of the match?!) absolutely bummed by Armstrong all game.
Diagouraga is one of the worst midfielders we have ever had at the club. You can count the amount of times he touches the ball on two hands. An absolute passenger who is just living out his final days as a pro. The less said about Ball the better. Loves berating people but takes no responsibility whatsoever. Brierley is a young lad so you can’t be too harsh but he goes missing too often and isn’t ready to merit a regular starting place just yet.
Odoh has flashes but has some of the worst decision making I’ve ever seen. Henderson, unless being played bang up front, is just another passenger.
Quigley is quite clearly a good finisher and the ball sticks to him when he’s playing well. But in games like today, he offers nothing and is bone idle. Compare that to a similar player in Beesley who ran his absolute socks off (which we are really missing at the moment).
All in all, really depressing and we looked a relegated team today despite the fact that it’s early December. |  |
| The modern pioneer of mealy mouthed bollocks. |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 21:12 - Dec 3 with 2743 views | dingdangblue |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 15:58 - Dec 3 by Dalenet |
Didn't get your wish. Hope second half improves. Both teams are poor. |
Not sure about both. |  |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 21:31 - Dec 3 with 2671 views | 49thseason |
I thought I might have calmed down by now but I cant shake off a sense of foreboding that we have eventually arrived at exactly the place I have been dreading for the last 6 years.
We are skint, losing ÂŁ1000s a week, with a squad you would struggle to give away and a Manager who seems unable to extract anything more from the "team" (essentially a collection of never were's, never will be's , a promising kid, an older man and some crocks). The Board have personally been forced to buy a shed -load of shares and now a dwindling number of supporters are being asked if they will invest and buy more shares.
These are dark days, and the lack of so much as a candle flickering leads me to believe we are on the cusp of disaster.
And I can identify the exact day when the whole edifice started to crumble, for me, it was that away game at Luton when Roger (the dodger) sacked Hill and in a single ill-considered moment set in train a series of events that have led us to where we are now. Yes we were in trouble then but that decision has proved to be a catastrophe, the first of a series of ill judged moves by a halfwit CEO
Professional Football is not a game for financially poor clubs in financially poor towns with no history of footballing success to speak of. We have banked the money from season tickets, if no one turns up we are not much worse off, but there is nothing to spend in January unless we can save a couple of wages by sending some loanees back.
Bentley may well have been at Morecambe for 7 years or whatever but football is evolving rapidly, on and off the pitch and he doesn't give the impression of a man with a master plan, his early success is turning to disappointment either the players don't want to play for him or he has run out of ideas and his sheer physical presence isn't cutting any ice with the players. I do not attach any blame to Bentley or the Board, but they now need to tell us what they want to try to do. They have to spell out a plan to turn around the fortunes of our club... or admit that they don't know how to.
This afternoon was exactly what we didn't want or need, not in the fact of a 4-1 defeat, God knows we have seen plenty of those and worse but more in it's manner, the the essentials of a team were nowhere to be found, no desire, no guile no pride, no pace no energy. Maybe the players simply don't give a toss? Maybe these are all we can get and they and their ilk will never be good enough until we arrive at a level of the pyramid they can compete at?
We have now lost 49.5% of the last 238 games over this season and the previous 5. Our home win rate in that time is just over 1 in 4 with a total of 141 points from 118 home games altogether and just 104 goals in the process, looking at the stats, its a miracle anyone turns up to watch. I imagine Stockport will outnumber us 2 or3 to one.
Is it really too much to ask that we can go to a match and at least take the fight to the opposition and at least shoot at the goal occasionally? For the benefit of younger fans, the goal is that white rectangle at each end of the ground through which. the idea is to kick or head the ball as often as possible......watch visiting teams for an example or four of how to do it... |  | | |
| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 23:10 - Dec 3 with 2397 views | R17ALE |
"And I can identify the exact day when the whole edifice started to crumble, for me, it was that away game at Luton when Roger (the dodger) sacked Hill and in a single ill-considered moment set in train a series of events that have led us to where we are now. Yes we were in trouble then but that decision has proved to be a catastrophe, the first of a series of ill judged moves by a halfwit CEO"
The finest paragraph ever posted, and he'll be laughing his cock off tonight, what with being a lifelong fan.
I was at Luton that day and detected an upturn in performance. |  |
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| Harrogate (h) Match Thread on 23:35 - Dec 3 with 2314 views | kel |
A perfect example of the attitude of one of our players. A bit of respect wouldn’t be out of the question would it?
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