| The Real State Of Play... 20:57 - Dec 23 with 23150 views | Cleedale |
OK, haven't posted for possibly years and haven't actually been to a game for about a year, BUT, used to, quite regularly, even though living a long way away. Home & family together with other 'life stuff' has eaten into the bug I used to have and afraid it isn't the priority in my life it once was. However, it still hurts to see poor results.
So, without rabbiting forever, what's happening? Has the style of play been sussed by opps? Have we no longer the quality for Div 1 where I guess some mighty big budgets exist? Is Div 1 a difficult level to blood youngsters (btw, have seen the opportunities Dale give out in that area)?
Are we panicking yet? (I'd see relegation as something that must be avoided at all costs - well, not ALL costs)!
Or, are we just missing a couple of jigsaw pieces? Obviously a Jonah, Lambert, Dawson etc., I think we all know that Dale have had more than our fair share esp. in the last 10'ish years. |  | | |  |
| The Real State Of Play... on 09:43 - Dec 26 with 2778 views | 442Dale |
We'd be onto our 17th goalkeeper of the last year at Blackburn today, whilst the entire bench and two rows of seats behind would be full of strikers if our former assistant had been involved.
Hill's recruitment was poor because it didn't acknowledge the obvious issues to the point we eventually signed Daniels and didn't use him at CH until recently. Instead of signing Brown and Slew we should have been looking to bring in people who improved on what we have; there were enough players in the squad to cover whatever they'd bring, especially when we will always give youngsters a chance. |  |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 10:25 - Dec 26 with 2705 views | TVOS1907 |
| The Real State Of Play... on 04:37 - Dec 26 by Newbury_Dale |
In respect to our recruitment, the general standard seems to have really declined since David Flitcroft left the club. Could there be a genuine link here ? |
It’s over six years since Flitcroft left the club and almost five years since Hill returned.
In his four full seasons since then, we won promotion once and finished in the top half of League One three times.
This is the only season where we have genuinely struggled, so I would say last summer’s recruitment was poor, but not in other years.
It’s certainly got nothing to do with Flitcroft. [Post edited 26 Dec 2017 10:25]
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| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 12:55 - Dec 26 with 2544 views | Shun |
I do wonder about recruitment though. Obviously it's turned out that the summer's recruits have been a disappointment, but at the time I was fairly pleased.
Recapturing Done seemed like a masterstroke. A player who'd shone for us twice previously, and just played a healthy (if not integral) role in a title-winning side, what could go wrong?
Nthle seemed like a good signing - an attacking left-back, and competition for an area where lack of cover sorely cost us last season.
I was impressed with the club's attitude with the Williams11 signing. We moved early, paid a fee, and beat off competition to acquire him. I was pleased with what seemed to be a new boldness from the club, whilst at the same time retaining the financial sense that defines us.
Inman was an impressive capture too, judging from his form for his previous two clubs.
Slew has been a terrible signing and seemed it at the time, as did Brown. But with the latter there's an argument to suggest he was signed to fill the true utility man hole we've not really filled since Bennett's departure.
Then there was centre-back, our weakest area for years now, so what does Hill do? He signs an ever-present centre-back from a side who were League One Champions 2 seasons prior, someone who can also fill in at right-back. Nothing poor there at all.
All in all, at the time I don't think it seemed like poor recruitment at all, but it's clear they aren't performing to the standards Hill would've expected. |  | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 13:13 - Dec 26 with 2522 views | D_Alien |
| The Real State Of Play... on 12:55 - Dec 26 by Shun |
I do wonder about recruitment though. Obviously it's turned out that the summer's recruits have been a disappointment, but at the time I was fairly pleased.
Recapturing Done seemed like a masterstroke. A player who'd shone for us twice previously, and just played a healthy (if not integral) role in a title-winning side, what could go wrong?
Nthle seemed like a good signing - an attacking left-back, and competition for an area where lack of cover sorely cost us last season.
I was impressed with the club's attitude with the Williams11 signing. We moved early, paid a fee, and beat off competition to acquire him. I was pleased with what seemed to be a new boldness from the club, whilst at the same time retaining the financial sense that defines us.
Inman was an impressive capture too, judging from his form for his previous two clubs.
Slew has been a terrible signing and seemed it at the time, as did Brown. But with the latter there's an argument to suggest he was signed to fill the true utility man hole we've not really filled since Bennett's departure.
Then there was centre-back, our weakest area for years now, so what does Hill do? He signs an ever-present centre-back from a side who were League One Champions 2 seasons prior, someone who can also fill in at right-back. Nothing poor there at all.
All in all, at the time I don't think it seemed like poor recruitment at all, but it's clear they aren't performing to the standards Hill would've expected. |
Bang on the money there, Shun
It's not the recruitment, it's the deployment, and perhaps "something in the water" this time round |  |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 13:25 - Dec 26 with 2500 views | 49thseason |
Judging by the number of late goals we concede, I don't think this team is as fit as in previous seasons. We have also collected an unusual number of minor injuries which makes me think there is something amiss with the training regime. |  | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 13:46 - Dec 26 with 2468 views | EllDale |
This late conceding of late goals is not something new, it was going on in the second half of last season.
Are we back to a debate about pre-season training and the merits or otherwise of training camps abroad? | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 14:01 - Dec 26 with 2447 views | 1mark1 |
| The Real State Of Play... on 13:46 - Dec 26 by EllDale |
This late conceding of late goals is not something new, it was going on in the second half of last season.
Are we back to a debate about pre-season training and the merits or otherwise of training camps abroad? |
Also game management comes into it . Look at the better teams, usually they find a way to hold onto a lead, or a draw when required. Fitness problems of course lead onto these other issues, of making mistakes including not managing the game situation well. |  |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 14:06 - Dec 26 with 2442 views | fitzochris |
| The Real State Of Play... on 12:55 - Dec 26 by Shun |
I do wonder about recruitment though. Obviously it's turned out that the summer's recruits have been a disappointment, but at the time I was fairly pleased.
Recapturing Done seemed like a masterstroke. A player who'd shone for us twice previously, and just played a healthy (if not integral) role in a title-winning side, what could go wrong?
Nthle seemed like a good signing - an attacking left-back, and competition for an area where lack of cover sorely cost us last season.
I was impressed with the club's attitude with the Williams11 signing. We moved early, paid a fee, and beat off competition to acquire him. I was pleased with what seemed to be a new boldness from the club, whilst at the same time retaining the financial sense that defines us.
Inman was an impressive capture too, judging from his form for his previous two clubs.
Slew has been a terrible signing and seemed it at the time, as did Brown. But with the latter there's an argument to suggest he was signed to fill the true utility man hole we've not really filled since Bennett's departure.
Then there was centre-back, our weakest area for years now, so what does Hill do? He signs an ever-present centre-back from a side who were League One Champions 2 seasons prior, someone who can also fill in at right-back. Nothing poor there at all.
All in all, at the time I don't think it seemed like poor recruitment at all, but it's clear they aren't performing to the standards Hill would've expected. |
Yes, I would agree the recruitment this summer hasn’t worked out.
You can understand the thinking behind each signing, as you highlight Shun, so they’re not poor signings as such, they just haven’t really worked out.
There’s time yet, of course, for something to click, but I think it needs an external factor to make that happen. The arrival of a player to give the others boost seems the most obvious cure. |  |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 15:25 - Dec 26 with 2372 views | 49thseason |
Nope. Just making the point that we generally seem a yard short of other teams, short of energy in the last 15 minutes and that we have collected lots of small niggles, pulls and strains which has meant no consistency of team selection. Andrew and Rafferty both out today kinda makes the point. Of course its possibly just bad luck, but luck usually has an underlying cause...in the immortal words of Gary Player, "the more I practice the luckier I get" | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:04 - Dec 26 with 2326 views | Ninco |
To be honest, we are only just half way through the season, and it already feels as though this season is going to be a non-event. I have followed Dale since the late 1980's and even during the bad times, I have always had some hope that we would turn things around. I haven't got that feeling of hope this time. In fact, as we are currently set to lose another game today, I have feelings of despair.
This is a season when it is reported that we have sold extra season tickets, yet the attendance is down to the bare minimum. People are fed up of paying a lot of money to watch the ball hoofed anywhere. I have seen better pub games than some of the games I have watched recently. It needs sorting and if we get through the January transfer window not having made changes, I will be disappointed.
I am not normally one to directly blame the manager for poor performances, as some of the blame has to lie with the players, but I am sick of hearing the same old thing. People saying how marvellous Hill is because he got us two promotions. It's time people realised that previous records don't have any effect on whether we stay up or not this season, so he should be judged on his current performances. Lets not forget that there aren't many if any previous managers who had the luxury of all the backroom staff that Hill has his disposal, or the playing budget that Hill has, so it's only to be expected that Hill would do better. The trouble is that all the money being spent on that backroom staff and the extra playing budget isn't getting us anywhere this season.
Time for a change. | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:16 - Dec 26 with 2303 views | dingdangblue |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:04 - Dec 26 by Ninco |
To be honest, we are only just half way through the season, and it already feels as though this season is going to be a non-event. I have followed Dale since the late 1980's and even during the bad times, I have always had some hope that we would turn things around. I haven't got that feeling of hope this time. In fact, as we are currently set to lose another game today, I have feelings of despair.
This is a season when it is reported that we have sold extra season tickets, yet the attendance is down to the bare minimum. People are fed up of paying a lot of money to watch the ball hoofed anywhere. I have seen better pub games than some of the games I have watched recently. It needs sorting and if we get through the January transfer window not having made changes, I will be disappointed.
I am not normally one to directly blame the manager for poor performances, as some of the blame has to lie with the players, but I am sick of hearing the same old thing. People saying how marvellous Hill is because he got us two promotions. It's time people realised that previous records don't have any effect on whether we stay up or not this season, so he should be judged on his current performances. Lets not forget that there aren't many if any previous managers who had the luxury of all the backroom staff that Hill has his disposal, or the playing budget that Hill has, so it's only to be expected that Hill would do better. The trouble is that all the money being spent on that backroom staff and the extra playing budget isn't getting us anywhere this season.
Time for a change. |
The playing budget Hill has at his disposal is because of Hill!  |  |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 16:19 - Dec 26 with 2295 views | Ninco |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:16 - Dec 26 by dingdangblue |
The playing budget Hill has at his disposal is because of Hill! |
Yes, but you are missing the point that we are almost bottom of the league, so despite the extra budget, we are doing no better than managers who had a lower budget. | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:20 - Dec 26 with 2292 views | Dale23years |
| The Real State Of Play... on 14:06 - Dec 26 by fitzochris |
Yes, I would agree the recruitment this summer hasn’t worked out.
You can understand the thinking behind each signing, as you highlight Shun, so they’re not poor signings as such, they just haven’t really worked out.
There’s time yet, of course, for something to click, but I think it needs an external factor to make that happen. The arrival of a player to give the others boost seems the most obvious cure. |
The recruitment has been poor, been saying it all season.
The players Hill brought in ain't/wasn't good enough to push this club on, which both Hill and the club stated would happen.
Anybody who signs Brown and talks about promotion needed there head testing. If any other manager signed Brown this forum would be up in arms and demanding answers.
Our squad is not good enough for league 1,even though our wonderful manger has had the biggest budget we've had in league 1 , but that's ok cause's it Keith hill. This Squad would struggle in league 2 that s how poor it is but it's ok we got Keith hill. We give contacts out to players who don't deserve them, but it's ok we've got Keith Hill.
Our squad is so unbalanced,but it's ok we've got Keith Hill.
Our attendances are dropping due to our style of football,but it's ok we've got Keith Hill.
All our problems this season are down to one person and one person only, | |
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| The Real State Of Play... (n/t) on 16:24 - Dec 26 with 2285 views | Yorkshire_Dale |
[Post edited 26 Dec 2017 16:27]
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| The Real State Of Play... on 16:42 - Dec 26 with 2241 views | dingdangblue |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:19 - Dec 26 by Ninco |
Yes, but you are missing the point that we are almost bottom of the league, so despite the extra budget, we are doing no better than managers who had a lower budget. |
We are halfway through a season - and Hills 1st EVER season of struggle with us? He deserves more patience than any other manager because of his past achievements with us. | |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 16:52 - Dec 26 with 2214 views | 49thseason |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:42 - Dec 26 by dingdangblue |
We are halfway through a season - and Hills 1st EVER season of struggle with us? He deserves more patience than any other manager because of his past achievements with us. |
we are halfway through the season with 22 points needing 50-52 to stay up. Have look at the fixtures and tell me where those 28-30 points are coming from bearing in mind we have won 4 games this season so far.its a tall order for this squad. Conclusion.... we are going down. | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:57 - Dec 26 with 2187 views | Ninco |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:42 - Dec 26 by dingdangblue |
We are halfway through a season - and Hills 1st EVER season of struggle with us? He deserves more patience than any other manager because of his past achievements with us. |
Seriously??? Do you think if Hill was manager at any premiership club, with a performance like he has at Dale this season, they would persist with him until the end of the season just because of what he has achieved in the past? Of course they wouldn't.
He achieved his past successes with far better players than he has at his disposal this season, and I think those days are over. People need to get their heads out of the sand and look at where we are now. Not where we were a few seasons ago. | | | |
| The Real State Of Play. on 16:59 - Dec 26 with 2173 views | mightydale |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:42 - Dec 26 by dingdangblue |
We are halfway through a season - and Hills 1st EVER season of struggle with us? He deserves more patience than any other manager because of his past achievements with us. |
When would you start to question or doubt our manager baring in mind we've 4 points adrift from safety, and our football (well the 3 games I've been to this season) has been like watching Rochdale Catholic club play in the Sunday league. |  |
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| The Real State Of Play... on 17:08 - Dec 26 with 2117 views | MancDale |
| The Real State Of Play... on 16:57 - Dec 26 by Ninco |
Seriously??? Do you think if Hill was manager at any premiership club, with a performance like he has at Dale this season, they would persist with him until the end of the season just because of what he has achieved in the past? Of course they wouldn't.
He achieved his past successes with far better players than he has at his disposal this season, and I think those days are over. People need to get their heads out of the sand and look at where we are now. Not where we were a few seasons ago. |
Burnley stuck with Sean Dyche. He got them relegated but they were smart enough to realise he was still the best long term option. The same applies to Keith Hill. | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 17:18 - Dec 26 with 2082 views | Bobbyjoe |
Sacking the manager only works when players are clearly underperforming and in need of a new stimulus. From the few games I've seen, other teams have simply had the better players. Of course, this hasn't saved managers in the past! | | | |
| The Real State Of Play... on 17:20 - Dec 26 with 2070 views | richfoad32 |
| The Real State Of Play... on 17:18 - Dec 26 by Bobbyjoe |
Sacking the manager only works when players are clearly underperforming and in need of a new stimulus. From the few games I've seen, other teams have simply had the better players. Of course, this hasn't saved managers in the past! |
Sacking the manager when they've just signed a new five year deal doesn't really work from a financial standpoint either..... | | | |
| The Real State Of Play. on 17:29 - Dec 26 with 2039 views | dingdangblue |
| The Real State Of Play. on 16:59 - Dec 26 by mightydale |
When would you start to question or doubt our manager baring in mind we've 4 points adrift from safety, and our football (well the 3 games I've been to this season) has been like watching Rochdale Catholic club play in the Sunday league. |
I don't have any fear of relegation - in fact I'd look forward to Hill bringing us back up. | |
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| The Real State Of Play. on 18:02 - Dec 26 with 1980 views | windowsbug |
| The Real State Of Play. on 17:29 - Dec 26 by dingdangblue |
I don't have any fear of relegation - in fact I'd look forward to Hill bringing us back up. |
You honestly believe that? |  | | |
| The Real State Of Play. on 18:11 - Dec 26 with 1946 views | dingdangblue |
| The Real State Of Play. on 18:02 - Dec 26 by windowsbug |
You honestly believe that? |
Believe what? That Hill can get promoted from lge 2? [Post edited 26 Dec 2017 19:31]
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| The Real State Of Play... on 18:17 - Dec 26 with 1922 views | TVOS1907 |
| The Real State Of Play... on 17:18 - Dec 26 by Bobbyjoe |
Sacking the manager only works when players are clearly underperforming and in need of a new stimulus. From the few games I've seen, other teams have simply had the better players. Of course, this hasn't saved managers in the past! |
Only those who deserved it. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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