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Thread | Glory of the Cup
at 12:48 3 Nov 2017
Interview on the official site: Keith Hill admits the FA Cup was "unimportant" in his first spell at Rochdale, against the priority of winning promotion. Says this has now changed in his second spell.
With reduced ticket prices, closed stands, cut-down programme and non-league referee, I'm not sure anyone else has got the same message.
The salary of the current Staff and Players owes a debt to the past; to Man U in '86, Liverpool '96 and the televised Wolves game in '03. We've had cup success in recent seasons without the reward of a real big-money tie. Let's hope that this year, from such low-key cut-price beginnings, we can make a cup run to remember.
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Thread | To summarise Dunphy's time as chairman
at 08:21 16 Jan 2012
Inherited a club in sound financial position thanks to three decades of hard work by Mssrs Kilpatrick and Morris.
Inherited the best management team in the history of Rochdale AFC.
Nearly undid all the good work by under-selling the likes of Will Buckley and failing to offer Dagnall a good enough contract.
Finally put his hand in "his" pocket to buy O'Grady for £100k and was rewarded straight away with a promotion.
Nearly undid all the good work by under-selling Craig Dawson.
Saw the team achieve the joint best ever league position in League One thanks to the continued brilliance of Hillcroft.
Failed to persuade Hillcroft to stay (I'm thinking a contract of £200k-£300k would have seen Hill stay and that would have been better than pouring the money on £2k per week loanees)
Had "unbelievable" applicants for the manager position and instead went for a man 99% of Rochdale fans had never heard of and whose previous duties were nothing more than a bit-part assistant in the Man City youth team.
Sold O'Grady.
Allowed our new manager to bring in a ridiculous number of players including the likes of Benali and Barnes-Homer that just didn't make any sense.
Sacked Eyre and failed to put a new experienced manager in place for four weeks (and counting).
*PLEASE NOTE* - We are expected and required to accept this because we are little old Rochdale and our rightful place is 18th in League 2.
I'm a fan, but that doesn't mean I'd make a good chairman. |
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Thread | Squeeky Bum Time
at 08:38 13 Jan 2012
I think we're at the point where draws need to turn into victories, you couldn't call tomorrow a must-win game but if we don't start winning soon we'll leave ourselves needing promotion form just to finish 20th. Let's hope BOG and Brett step up to the plate and provide that cutting edge we've been missing. I still think we're better man-for-man than the teams around us but poor motivation and tactics is killing us. We seem to play better with a simple 4-4-2 and proper wingers (not strikers pushed into wing positions) and an old-style work ethic and willingness to run for 90+ minutes.
Oh, and I agree with the posts that say Jones should be rested in favour of Tutte for a couple of games to see how that works out. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe we've ever seen Tutte play in the advanced midfield position? |
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Thread | 4-4-2
at 08:39 8 Jan 2012
Like we saw under Eyre, playing 4-4-2 is not just a matter of sending players out in that formation, it mean playing with proper wingers. Playing a centre-forward out wide is NOT the same. I was worried ten minutes before kick-off when the team sheet said Bog, Ormerod and Ball. Proper wingers next time please Beech |
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Thread | Bored so looking at tomorrow fixtures
at 12:23 2 Dec 2011
Noticed both Sheffield clubs are at home with a 3o'clock kick off. Wonder why that's been allowed? Look out for news of trouble in the city. |
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Thread | Q. What have Aldershot, Accrington, Dagenham, Port Vale ...
at 22:30 13 Nov 2011
... Crawley, AFC Wimbledon, Hereford, Macclesfield and Cheltenham all got in common?
A. These are the League Two teams who have managed to beat Bradford this season.
If we can't win games like this now, as a League One team, then what chance do we have next season if we go down? 
The way we're playing strongly suggests we will be a League Two team next year. The Bradford results suggests we'll spend next season fighting for our status as a Football League club.
Eyre's inabilities as a manager are undoing the good work of the last 5 years. They may yet undo the good work of the last 100 years 
Sack Eyre now, invite candidates to apply and put Chris Beech in caretaker charge for the Preston game. |
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Thread | Not much wrong with that performance
at 21:57 8 Nov 2011
We were under pressure first half but the defence stood up pretty well, some superb defensive headers under pressure.
Second half we had the better of the game and deserved a draw at very least. Should have had a pen towards the end when Grimes was fouled. Although Preston's keeper would have probably saved it.
I'm still not sure about Ecclestone, I'd rather swap Adams in for him. And if Barry-Murphy can look like an accomplished left-back I don't know what that says about Pim.
Overall, much better, and probably good enough to keep us up if we could reproduce that every week |
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Thread | Personally I'd give him til Yeovil (H) 17th December
at 08:21 7 Nov 2011
If we're still in the mire at that point, with no sign of improvement tactically or defensively, then we can honestly say we gave Eyre as much chance as we could allow. Without getting a reputation as a club who sacks managers before they've barely got started.
At that point we would have 25 games left with, worse case, 36 points needed to get to 50 points. Or to put it another way, 12 wins from 25 games.
You put someone new in charge now and the "honeymoon" period is against difficult teams to play against. The last thing we need is for the new manager to get off to a bad start. Unfortunately we've wasted our "easy" run of games in October.
Yeovil is the next league game we've got against someone in a similar position to ourselves. It would be good to see someone new in charge for that game, however I don't believe Dunphy will sack someone after games against promotion pushing sides. Therefore I think Eyre will survive until mid-December no matter what, but hopefully anything less than a win against Yeovil will see him sacked.
It was posted elsewhere that in Eyre's post-match interview he didn't seem to be under pressure. I'm sure he's not that naive(?) but if it's true then Dunphy needs to spell out to him exactly what position he's in. For me, I would want Dunphy to tell him he has four league games left to sort things out then his time is up.
Final point is regarding the rumours of player unrest. However clueless the manager, no player should EVER show dissention in the ranks, and everyone selected should give their all for the team on every match day.
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Thread | Supporters game tomorrow?
at 12:23 4 Nov 2011
I just read on another thread that there's a supporters game against MK Dons tomorrow? Although I think the supporters game is a fantastic idea in general, is it just me that still detests everything about that fake club and the way they were created?
It happened to be Wimbledon they destroyed, it could so easily have been us.
They can have a nice ground, nice fans, good team, decent manager - for me it all still goes into the bracket of never forgive, never forget. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Thread | Experienced head required urgently or we're down for sure
at 21:01 29 Oct 2011
I was dead against the idea of a "Director of Football" to work alongside Steve Eyre because I thought it would just undermine him completely. I've now changed my mind and would say that it couldn't possibly get any worse. If there is an experienced head out there who could come in on a short term deal, even on a salary of 10/15 grand a month it would be worth it just to sort out the problems we've got tactically.
If Eyre is really on a three year deal then we have to try everything we can to make him into a manager because we can't afford to pay him off. Unfortunately, at the moment, he is massively out of his depth.
I'm sure that Eyre's reputation as an excellent coach can't be wrong, and if he can learn the management ropes then he could still be a good asset to the club. However if we don't get someone in to help him then he will take us down at least one division while we're waiting for him to learn the art of management.
Some experienced names available, there are countless others :
Glenn Roeder
Joe Kinnear
Peter Reid
Sten Ternent
Earlier (wiser) posters than me who suggested this already pointed to the success of this system at MK Dons. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Thread | Shockingly bad AGAIN
at 22:12 25 Oct 2011
Second home game in a row we've been awful, and very lucky to escape with a point. Keep playing like that and those points won't be enough to keep us up. Eyre in his interview was explaining why he wanted to go 4-3-3, well I'm sorry Mr Eyre but what you played tonight was one up front and very negative. 60 minutes before we had a shot on target, and we could have easily been 3 or 4 down before we equalised. Dropping Adams was a stupid thing to do, and Ecclestone looks like yet another loan player who isn't an improvement on what we have already.
I'm really NOT HAPPY tonight! I am in awe of the handful of fans who clapped the team off at the end, you clearly have a lot more patience than me |
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Thread | Non-existent advertising for tonights game
at 12:21 4 Oct 2011
Not posted on this specific subject before, but the lack of advertising for tonights game has really got my back up.
I know it's the same every time, but tonight is a bit of a different case, it's a very cheap game to attend, it's an early kick-off which people need to be aware of, and it's a cup game so wouldn't appear on any fixture lists issued at the start of the season. Lots of reasons there why people would miss the game who otherwise would want to attend.
What happened to the posters outside newsagents detailing the next home match? Failing that I'm sure there's lots of shops would be happy to let Dale put a poster up in the window for a few days. Unless you check the websites, you wouldn't even know there was a game tonight.
For goodness sake, even the notice outside the stadium still had Wycombe down as the next match, and that was this morning!
*EDIT* Since the club don't want to advertise themselves, would it be possible for a small amount of Trust money to go into advertising space in local media, posters etc? [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Thread | A New Start
at 08:50 28 Sep 2011
The players confidence is probably shot by a bad start to the league campaign and defeat to Aldershot in the cup match. We need to start the season again, from now, the players need to forget what's gone before and play with pride, passion and belief. It's our first week training at our own proper training ground, we've got a fellow relegation candidate at home on Saturday, and everyone connected with the club needs to raise themselves up like never before.
Now's the time to keep the game simple, stop thinking about the opposition, and just put our best players in their best positions, and have the belief and confidence that we have enough to beat Wycombe and get three vital points. The likes of Trotman etc, who have still to show their potential, have to forget what's gone on already and just show 100% concentration and desire.
October is a critical month for Dale, in which we play a lot of struggling teams, and we need to make the most of our opportunity to play ourselves out of trouble.
On Saturday, the players on the pitch need to raise the crowd, because it won't happen the other way round. If us fans see the effort and desire on the pitch then it will create the vocal backing. We need to get at Wycombe from the off and never let go. We need Eyre to get them fired up, and Jonah to keep that momentum going on the pitch.
Start the season again now, and hopefully in a few months time we'll all be laughing about how bad it once looked. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Thread | 1PM on a Monday
at 13:40 26 Sep 2011
... before I could pluck up the courage to come on here!
The negative posts (from people who actually went to the game!) all seem spot on in my opinion. We seemed to lack any sort of belief in attacking areas, and we weren't capable of keeping possession at any point. Shame really, because defensively we actually stood up quite well. Still conceded our usual two goals minimum but at least made Notts work hard for their chances.
We still play too many long balls up to a lone striker, so now's maybe the time for a rethink and go two up front and two wide men. Since we're going to concede goals anyway, we may as well stop thinking about five in midfield, and just try to get possession in good areas.
Trotman had a good game, and has the potential to be our most effective Centre Half if he cuts out the errors. It could go horribly wrong, but I'd start him on Saturday.
My team for Saturday would be :
Kean
Darby, Holness, Trotman, Widdowson,
Adams, Kennedy, Jones, Tutte
Grimes, Thomson *
*Assuming JLAA injured and Ball gone back |
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Thread | Balkestein
at 08:09 14 Sep 2011
He has his technical limitations (to put it as nicely as I can) but he's starting to become a very important part of the defence.
Should we be looking to extend his loan / make the move permanent? |
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Thread | Neil Trotman
at 10:05 30 Aug 2011
I think Neil Trotman has the attributes we need for a dominant centre half, which is what our defence is crying out for.
He's had a bad start to his Rochdale career, far too many mistakes in pre-season and regular season, culminating in his disaster at Oldham.
In many ways he reminds me of Nathan Stanton. He seems to have an air about him that strikes of over-confidence, and the way he lost his head at Oldham seemed very reminiscent of some of Stanton's "moments".
This (believe it or not) is not a character assassination, more a desire to see Trotman get more game time and ease him back to his best. The ability is there but the concentration levels have to be 100%, and for some reason that's slipping at the moment.
Trotman is tall, strong and fast - all of which adds up to the ideal Centre Half. I hope we don't give up on him too quickly. If he hadn't had injury problems and loss of form at his last club, we'd never have had a chance to sign him in the first place. Plus he must be costing us a few bob in wages, we need to get the best out of him. |
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Thread | Craig Davies
at 12:29 26 Jul 2011
According to our new friends (!) on the Barnsley board, they seem impressed with Craig Davies, praising his strength and pace etc. Hopefully this will convince Hill he doesn't need to splash the cash for O'Grady. I still think that if Barnsley came calling then O'Grady would go.
P.S. The Barnsley fans in general seem like a fairly decent lot. Obviously I want to hate them but I can't. I see the Rotherham and Notts County boards are still mong-some, and our new found friends at Sheff Wed are always good for a laugh. |
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 11 | | Comment Votes: | 0 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 11 |
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