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Blimey, that was the most arduous journey I've ever undertaken getting home. Typically, the Rochdale roads were by FAR the worst encountered on the journey with the home stretch of the M62 quite terrifying. The M6 wasn't much fun either but at least this motorway had been gritted and salted so everything kept moving, despite only the inside lane being negotiable. We had to alight the M62 at Milnrow coming home through town only to find our main trunk roads just passable in 2nd gear at 10mph.
Anyway, enough of the travel chaos. We decided pretty much last minute to go, despite not having a full car and set off just after 4 arriving in good time anxious to see if Hilly could instigate some immediate change to the rabble rousers he has inherited.
The line up was pretty similar with Jk returning for BBM. The 3 Degees led the line whilst Haworth was on the bench.
It was a bitterly cold night behind the net, and the second half brought quite heavy rain and a strong swirling wind. All this culminated in a scrappy encounter, which the weather won as neither side edged it and there are no decent chances or incidents to comment upon.
One or two things of note were apparent however. Occasional glimpses of good team play moving the ball quickly and accurately through the different departments of the team were pleasing to note.
The discipline seemed different also. Not once did our players surround the ref and I only saw one innocuous dive near the touchline by Tutte (after he'd been fouled a second earlier tbf).
Grimes was most industrious and looked our best threat. Given Hillys track record at polishing up strikers, this is one partnership to watch. Dele came on for 20 minutes and looked hopeless. We joked amongst ourselves that Hilly's first words to Dele on Monday were, "fooking hell Dele. Are you still playing?" given the number of times Hill must have marked the striker in his own playing career!
Cheltenham were nowt special, and although we finally kept a clean sheet, we did not look comfortable at the back ever, although Lillis barely had a save to make. Indeed, we were the more threatening of the two sides without ever looking likely to score. Cav had a decent game but has this knack of mis-placing crucial passes when well placed. Still a lack of width, but Hill can only pick from the players we have and Barcelona don't use wingers either! We heard his next two targets are a winger and a defender, via a mole.
No point really marking the players....they can all have a 7 (each) for showing willing on a horrid night against one of the better sides and refusing to buckle. The work rate was there, and the Scouseness was mostly absent.
My final thought was: imagine being underwater for as long as your body can take it. When you are losing your mind you finally gasp air. Tonight was that air.
Thanks again for a great report R17ALE. I had questioned Marj if you had gone, but she seemed to think not. Obviously doesn't think you are as mad as we know you are! As you say finally a clean sheet (first away all season) so it has to be a good sign. Glad you got back safely, doesn't look like it is stopping any time soon either does it?!
P.S. You have a message.
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
upthedale.nl
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Just got back, just. on 03:32 - Jan 26 with 5224 views
Just got back, just. on 03:12 - Jan 26 by BlueDutch
Thanks again for a great report R17ALE. I had questioned Marj if you had gone, but she seemed to think not. Obviously doesn't think you are as mad as we know you are! As you say finally a clean sheet (first away all season) so it has to be a good sign. Glad you got back safely, doesn't look like it is stopping any time soon either does it?!
P.S. You have a message.
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
No. it is shyte. I actually had to dig my car into my street. Took me half an hour to travel 20 yards!
Great report. The journey back to South Bucks was pretty hairy too, though it was torrential rain rather than snow that made it difficult. Well done to everyone that made it.
The weather was the only winner of the game, to be honest. Such hard conditions to play in. We seemed to shade the first half, with some nice interplay going forward, as R17ALE says. In fairness, from the games I've seen, we were doing that before Hill returned: I hope Hill can develop that further. I thought we looked slightly - slightly - stronger at the back. Most of the frailties were down to the ball holding up in the wind. Second half was shaded by Cheltenham, I think: Lillis pulled off one incredible save (far end: can't be sure) and they had quite a few corners.
It's clear to me that Hill must ensure we keep Grimes and Grant up front. Hes got a great strikeforce there. Dele was indeed limited, but he did get a couple of shots in. I also thought the same thing about Hill's first conversation with him! Gornell will get there, but isn't quite the finished article yet. Cav was solid but a few wayward passes detracted from those that did find their target. Jk put himself about but wasn't an impact. Bennett struggled to cope with the conditions. Haworth came on for 2 mins but didn't look match sharp in the two instances he was on the ball. As OP reports, a winger and (more than) one defender is needed. Just need to get some players off the payroll!
Nice to hear chants of KHBA! Would have liked us to ask Keith to give us a wave too! Good to see Keith send the players over to the fans at the final whistle.
A solid away point and a clean sheet (in fact, they never scored against us in either game!) against a team that I didn't think was great in either game, but is physical.
Weather 1 Cheltenham 0 Rochdale 0
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Just got back, just. on 09:46 - Jan 26 with 4878 views
The club ought to strike a medal for the fans who travelled last night - with a bar for the man who posted a report before going to bed at 3am. Let's hope the match was indeed the early rays of a new dawn.
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Just got back, just. on 09:53 - Jan 26 with 4849 views
The club ought to strike a medal for the fans who travelled last night - with a bar for the man who posted a report before going to bed at 3am. Let's hope the match was indeed the early rays of a new dawn.
Strewth! There is absolutely no way we could afford to buy him a bar.
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Just got back, just. on 10:28 - Jan 26 with 4741 views
I didnt see enough games under the previous regime to make a comparison, but the thing that stood out last night for me was the commitment shown by the players in difficult conditions. Grimes epitomised this, working his socks off. Players like JK, Rafferty, Edwards who struggled to make an impact under Coleman, looked far more effective.
There looked to be a subtle change in formation too with Tutte playing wide left (with a license to come inside), with Grant wide right. Cav and JK in the middle. Gornell up top with Grimes in the hole.
The weather rather killed the game as a spectacle, but plenty of positives for me.
Just got back, just. on 10:52 - Jan 26 by AtThePeake
Quick check and that's our first away clean sheet since Colchester away last February. 11 months without one and in Hilly's first game...
I'm being harsh, but I wouldn't read too much into the clean sheet. There were a couple of goal mouth scrambles that ordinarily would have seen us concede and an absolute wonder save by Lillis that had goal written all over it.
The improvements were certainly there though. Tactically (which is never my strong point), I reckon we lined up as a 4-2-3-1 which provided more width, but more importantly ensured that we weren't playing football inside our own half - playing this way we won't have to rely on 30 yard screamers every time we want to score. Our players ran into each other a few times that I'd like to think was down to wanting to impress, but as mentioned several times, the second half it was close to impossible to play in those conditions. The wind ensured that every ball kicked ended up looking like Warne to Gatting such was the movement.
Might be reading too much into it, but the nasty cheating argumentative side seemed absent last night. I think Hilly has been told that they need to clean their act up, and that certainly came away last night. Was at least two occasions that I thought that the players would have dived had Coleman been in charge.
The journey back was fun. 2 and a half hours to Birch Services, 1 and a half from there home.
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Just got back, just. on 11:11 - Jan 26 with 4589 views
Thanks for the report R17ALE. I have been driving from Phuket to Krabi and back today and it wasnt very pleasant i can tell you ( cough cough) .
You know when you are suffering from hay fever and you have the air conditioning on full blast but its still too hot, well thats what its been like. I would kill for 10 minutes in the snow right at this minute!!
Anyway, up the Dale and seriously well done to all those who travelled down to Cheltenham.
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Just got back, just. on 11:26 - Jan 26 with 4519 views
I'm being harsh, but I wouldn't read too much into the clean sheet. There were a couple of goal mouth scrambles that ordinarily would have seen us concede and an absolute wonder save by Lillis that had goal written all over it.
The improvements were certainly there though. Tactically (which is never my strong point), I reckon we lined up as a 4-2-3-1 which provided more width, but more importantly ensured that we weren't playing football inside our own half - playing this way we won't have to rely on 30 yard screamers every time we want to score. Our players ran into each other a few times that I'd like to think was down to wanting to impress, but as mentioned several times, the second half it was close to impossible to play in those conditions. The wind ensured that every ball kicked ended up looking like Warne to Gatting such was the movement.
Might be reading too much into it, but the nasty cheating argumentative side seemed absent last night. I think Hilly has been told that they need to clean their act up, and that certainly came away last night. Was at least two occasions that I thought that the players would have dived had Coleman been in charge.
The journey back was fun. 2 and a half hours to Birch Services, 1 and a half from there home.
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
"Are you into all that roll your sleeves up and let's see how hard you are nonsense?!"
Ha.
Tangled up in blue.
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Just got back, just. on 11:50 - Jan 26 with 4444 views
The club ought to strike a medal for the fans who travelled last night - with a bar for the man who posted a report before going to bed at 3am. Let's hope the match was indeed the early rays of a new dawn.
It was no probs. Getting in after that drive, it's impossible to go straight to bed as your eyes are very much open. It's today that the recovery period will kick in!
Have to say although travelling a similar distance,my journey back south was an hour or so quicker than most going back to 'Dale.
There was torrential rain back down the M5 and standing water from Taunton. First disruption got turned round by cops as river had burst banks and claimed at least one vehicle (don't know what happened to occupants).
After attempting 3 or 4 other routes and finding those back roads with water deeper than I was sure of eventually got close to home only to come across another flood. Cars were turning round and buggering off but I waited and watched a high top van get through so gave it a go and managed to plough through.
On the game. Mixture of the above. There seemed to be a more determined effort when defending - personally felt less uncomfortable when Chelts had the ball in our half than other games. As with Razz's 7 all round, it was difficult for the players in that weather but they did come up with some good quick, short passing that found room for further advancement up the pitch. Whilst Dele did provide amusement by his "momentum" causing him to fall over in the manner we all experienced as kids - running flat out down hill when your mate just gives a slight push in the back and your legs can no longer go at the speed your torso is, heading for the deck ending up in a crumpled summersaulting heap - after taking a shot, he did hold the ball up well in what I thought was an attempt to play the Cog role (as someone predicted on here earlier this week) and getting off a couple of weak shots.
In all pleased I went to a game I had no intention of going to only a few days ago.
YOU do not have the right to give someone else permission to tell me what I can and can't do.
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Just got back, just. on 13:08 - Jan 26 with 4202 views
I'm being harsh, but I wouldn't read too much into the clean sheet. There were a couple of goal mouth scrambles that ordinarily would have seen us concede and an absolute wonder save by Lillis that had goal written all over it.
The improvements were certainly there though. Tactically (which is never my strong point), I reckon we lined up as a 4-2-3-1 which provided more width, but more importantly ensured that we weren't playing football inside our own half - playing this way we won't have to rely on 30 yard screamers every time we want to score. Our players ran into each other a few times that I'd like to think was down to wanting to impress, but as mentioned several times, the second half it was close to impossible to play in those conditions. The wind ensured that every ball kicked ended up looking like Warne to Gatting such was the movement.
Might be reading too much into it, but the nasty cheating argumentative side seemed absent last night. I think Hilly has been told that they need to clean their act up, and that certainly came away last night. Was at least two occasions that I thought that the players would have dived had Coleman been in charge.
The journey back was fun. 2 and a half hours to Birch Services, 1 and a half from there home.
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
You're spot on about the back-chat/dissent, which is something Hilly has alluded to in his interview in the Observer today.
When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf?
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Just got back, just. on 13:08 - Jan 26 with 4201 views
Just got back, just. on 11:11 - Jan 26 by TalkingSutty
Thanks for the report R17ALE. I have been driving from Phuket to Krabi and back today and it wasnt very pleasant i can tell you ( cough cough) .
You know when you are suffering from hay fever and you have the air conditioning on full blast but its still too hot, well thats what its been like. I would kill for 10 minutes in the snow right at this minute!!
Anyway, up the Dale and seriously well done to all those who travelled down to Cheltenham.
We feel for you, TS. We really do.
When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf?
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Just got back, just. on 13:29 - Jan 26 with 4146 views
Just got back, just. on 11:11 - Jan 26 by TalkingSutty
Thanks for the report R17ALE. I have been driving from Phuket to Krabi and back today and it wasnt very pleasant i can tell you ( cough cough) .
You know when you are suffering from hay fever and you have the air conditioning on full blast but its still too hot, well thats what its been like. I would kill for 10 minutes in the snow right at this minute!!
Anyway, up the Dale and seriously well done to all those who travelled down to Cheltenham.
Go to the boat noodle bar in krabbi, great grub, where you staying?
Gissa job
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Just got back, just. on 13:37 - Jan 26 with 4135 views
Just got back, just. on 13:37 - Jan 26 by TVOS1907
Not surprised you know that neck of the woods so well.
Yeh krabbi was nice a little touristy for my liking, koh lanta was the place, no sex trade just beach bars to chill, phukets a shi t hole, koh lipe next time I go, totally unspoilt, anyhow goin for a pint down the local, fancy a swift one TV?
Gissa job
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Just got back, just. on 13:51 - Jan 26 with 4087 views
Yeh krabbi was nice a little touristy for my liking, koh lanta was the place, no sex trade just beach bars to chill, phukets a shi t hole, koh lipe next time I go, totally unspoilt, anyhow goin for a pint down the local, fancy a swift one TV?
Cheers, but I have some work to do. Have one for me.
When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf?
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Just got back, just. on 20:53 - Jan 26 with 3779 views
Yeh krabbi was nice a little touristy for my liking, koh lanta was the place, no sex trade just beach bars to chill, phukets a shi t hole, koh lipe next time I go, totally unspoilt, anyhow goin for a pint down the local, fancy a swift one TV?
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