New Signings Required Urgently 14:09 - Dec 13 with 7373 views | Drigdale | I can't help but feel sorry for Jim at the moment because he is having an awful run of bad luck. Maybe he has walked under a ladder, had a herd of black cats run across him and broken a few mirrors. Whatever has happened the squad is down to the bones and there is a run of 5 league games until the 6th Jan. We have lost Rodney again, Mitchell is out for a while, Hayes has returned to Fleetwood and Ferguson is still out. Potentially other loan players may return to their parent clubs. At the moment that leaves 15 senior players which includes a rookie goalkeeper and a couple who can be best described as fringe players. I don't know how he can be expected to compete with those resources and the fact he can remain positive is a credit to him. However unless some additions are made the footballing side that was a couple of weeks ago looking promising is in danger of collapsing completely. Is there any chance of funds being made available for signings? | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 14:21 - Dec 13 with 5596 views | SuddenLad | None is the most probable answer. Add to that, the rumour circulating last night, that Ryan East is likely to be recalled by Bradford before Christmas then the situation is desperate. | ![](/images/avatars/5895.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 14:32 - Dec 13 with 5554 views | EllDale | Factor in the possible departure of Nevitt and perhaps even other players in the transfer window and the cupboard is bare indeed. When I say other players, I suspect that if we got an offer for the likes of Sinclair or EEL, then it would be taken rather than see them leave for nothing when their contracts expire in the summer. I was quite optimistic a month ago but the glass is very much half empty this afternoon. God knows how BJ feels. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 14:59 - Dec 13 with 5486 views | 49thseason | McNulty has to put his senior players on the pitch on Saturday irrespective of the positions they end up in. If we are to beat York, we need someone for Henderson to play off. I expect EEL will return, so John has to come back in at LB, Jimmy to RB and Taylor has to play.... at centre forward! Cometh the hour.... Moulden Keohane EEL Nevett, John Gilmour, Clayton East Henderson Taylor Sinclair | ![](/images/avatars/1190.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 15:07 - Dec 13 with 5463 views | James1980 | Might get derided by some for this but could we also be at risk of our head coach also being prised away, if the right opportunity came his way? | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 15:43 - Dec 13 with 5338 views | D_Alien |
New Signings Required Urgently on 15:07 - Dec 13 by James1980 | Might get derided by some for this but could we also be at risk of our head coach also being prised away, if the right opportunity came his way? |
If others do deride, they'd have to ask themselves this: if an opportunity arose at a club where they'd at least be guaranteed to get paid at the end of the month, would the deriders turn that down? Even if it meant going as assistant somewhere? Same for any players for whom an offer is made | ![](/images/avatars/1219.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 16:07 - Dec 13 with 5245 views | Edindale |
New Signings Required Urgently on 14:59 - Dec 13 by 49thseason | McNulty has to put his senior players on the pitch on Saturday irrespective of the positions they end up in. If we are to beat York, we need someone for Henderson to play off. I expect EEL will return, so John has to come back in at LB, Jimmy to RB and Taylor has to play.... at centre forward! Cometh the hour.... Moulden Keohane EEL Nevett, John Gilmour, Clayton East Henderson Taylor Sinclair |
Taylor may as well play CF in the circumstances. Keohane in midfield for me as we need his energy and combative style. Can we also get Oscar Kelly into the squad? Otherwise we are desperate for a couple of signings maybe on a pay as you play basis. Not easy for BJ but presumably he knew what he was taking on. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 16:13 - Dec 13 with 5218 views | Dale96 | As someone who doesn't really follow football finances, can I ask why it is that we have so little money? There are 21 professional teams in our division, and we have the 6th highest average attendance. Obviously ticket prices vary, but I imagine we are top 10 in terms of gate receipts. We receive parachute payments this season, and (based on our small squad size) have reduced the wage budget a lot. So what's the big difference between us and someone like Gateshead, off the pitch? Are our L2 players like EEL and Hendo earning so much that the parachute payments don't cover them? Do the other professional clubs (especially those with smaller fanbases) have rich owners subsidising them? I've seen the odd comment suggesting we may need to drop down a division to be sustainable, and I'm trying to understand why that is. Apologies if this has been asked and answered before. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 16:49 - Dec 13 with 5109 views | Rodingdale |
New Signings Required Urgently on 15:43 - Dec 13 by D_Alien | If others do deride, they'd have to ask themselves this: if an opportunity arose at a club where they'd at least be guaranteed to get paid at the end of the month, would the deriders turn that down? Even if it meant going as assistant somewhere? Same for any players for whom an offer is made |
Spot on this. I certainly wouldn’t deride McNulty for being prised away. I would be fascinated to understand the ‘prisers’ rationale for wanting to do so, I’d want to reserve the right to deride their reasons though. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
New Signings Required Urgently on 19:15 - Dec 13 with 4787 views | kel |
New Signings Required Urgently on 16:49 - Dec 13 by Rodingdale | Spot on this. I certainly wouldn’t deride McNulty for being prised away. I would be fascinated to understand the ‘prisers’ rationale for wanting to do so, I’d want to reserve the right to deride their reasons though. |
Don’t you think he’s doing a decent job under very difficult circumstances then? The bloke has two hands tied behind his back and the odd poor performance shouldn’t be held against him imo. | ![](/images/avatars/1007.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 19:42 - Dec 13 with 4698 views | Rodingdale |
New Signings Required Urgently on 19:15 - Dec 13 by kel | Don’t you think he’s doing a decent job under very difficult circumstances then? The bloke has two hands tied behind his back and the odd poor performance shouldn’t be held against him imo. |
It’s possible to use adversity to galvanise, it’s also possible to get your excuses in first and say well what can you do, when, sure enough, you fail. “What could you do” poor old Jim. Listen to the away commentators on NL TV. “Dale again with patient build up” “Ebanks Landell at walking pace here” “Rochdale happy to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper” “Rochdale really do need to show some urgency if they’re going to get anything out of this game” “Dale really haven’t made use of their possession and have paid the price” ……. I think it’s boring and negative, anything but a good watch. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:13 - Dec 13 with 4637 views | kel |
New Signings Required Urgently on 19:42 - Dec 13 by Rodingdale | It’s possible to use adversity to galvanise, it’s also possible to get your excuses in first and say well what can you do, when, sure enough, you fail. “What could you do” poor old Jim. Listen to the away commentators on NL TV. “Dale again with patient build up” “Ebanks Landell at walking pace here” “Rochdale happy to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper” “Rochdale really do need to show some urgency if they’re going to get anything out of this game” “Dale really haven’t made use of their possession and have paid the price” ……. I think it’s boring and negative, anything but a good watch. |
What position in the table did you expect us to be in at this stage of the season? I think we’ve played well in a fair number of games this season, but then again I tend to try to be positive and not overreact when we lose a game or two. I’d rather be where we are in the league playing as we are than where Scunthorpe were last season. | ![](/images/avatars/1007.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:22 - Dec 13 with 4603 views | blackdogblue |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:13 - Dec 13 by kel | What position in the table did you expect us to be in at this stage of the season? I think we’ve played well in a fair number of games this season, but then again I tend to try to be positive and not overreact when we lose a game or two. I’d rather be where we are in the league playing as we are than where Scunthorpe were last season. |
Scunny are top of their league last time I looked 😎 On a serious note though… club etc sold, Debts sorted & seem to have bad days behind them | ![](/images/avatars/22716.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 20:23 - Dec 13 with 4589 views | kel |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:22 - Dec 13 by blackdogblue | Scunny are top of their league last time I looked 😎 On a serious note though… club etc sold, Debts sorted & seem to have bad days behind them |
That’s why I said “last season” | ![](/images/avatars/1007.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:28 - Dec 13 with 4552 views | 442Dale |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:13 - Dec 13 by kel | What position in the table did you expect us to be in at this stage of the season? I think we’ve played well in a fair number of games this season, but then again I tend to try to be positive and not overreact when we lose a game or two. I’d rather be where we are in the league playing as we are than where Scunthorpe were last season. |
So many would have taken avoiding relegation before we started. That we’ve done so well so far, with plenty of decent performances as you say, against a backdrop of so much uncertainty is really to the credit of McNulty and the players. The understandable frustration comes when we see displays that are pedestrian and don’t suit our players, but they aren’t every week and it’s easy to get distracted when they do happen. | ![](/images/avatars/1212.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 20:54 - Dec 13 with 4465 views | EllDale | I think the fear is, however irrational, that with the squad stripped of so many key players, a real losing streak could see Dale at the wrong end of the table. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:05 - Dec 13 with 4433 views | Rodingdale |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:13 - Dec 13 by kel | What position in the table did you expect us to be in at this stage of the season? I think we’ve played well in a fair number of games this season, but then again I tend to try to be positive and not overreact when we lose a game or two. I’d rather be where we are in the league playing as we are than where Scunthorpe were last season. |
With the pedigree of core players we have, Sinclair, Henderson, Clayton, East, Landell, John, SAJ - all with significant higher level EFL experience not to mention Hayes’s cameo - I’d have hoped we’d be higher, with more attacking tactics and a better drilled defence. MRKT have done some good recruiting - Moulden on loan. But this is a poor league, Bromley are in second place for example, and forgive me for not getting too excited when we beat Dorking. We should be don’t you think? It’s more a question of style in possession, it’s too slow and predictable. The opposition just wait for us to make a mistake and bang. Described as walking football regularly on this forum by lots of posters, which coaching manual has five defending players in our box for a goal kick? (Wealdstone). His interviews describe performances which only happened in his mind. If you and James1980 think there’s a queue of clubs wanting to buy into the brand of football Jim brings, I would be surprised. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:18 - Dec 13 with 4390 views | kel |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:05 - Dec 13 by Rodingdale | With the pedigree of core players we have, Sinclair, Henderson, Clayton, East, Landell, John, SAJ - all with significant higher level EFL experience not to mention Hayes’s cameo - I’d have hoped we’d be higher, with more attacking tactics and a better drilled defence. MRKT have done some good recruiting - Moulden on loan. But this is a poor league, Bromley are in second place for example, and forgive me for not getting too excited when we beat Dorking. We should be don’t you think? It’s more a question of style in possession, it’s too slow and predictable. The opposition just wait for us to make a mistake and bang. Described as walking football regularly on this forum by lots of posters, which coaching manual has five defending players in our box for a goal kick? (Wealdstone). His interviews describe performances which only happened in his mind. If you and James1980 think there’s a queue of clubs wanting to buy into the brand of football Jim brings, I would be surprised. |
Where did I say I think there will be a queue of clubs in for him? | ![](/images/avatars/1007.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:32 - Dec 13 with 4334 views | Rodingdale |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:18 - Dec 13 by kel | Where did I say I think there will be a queue of clubs in for him? |
To summarise. James1980 posted he wondered if McNulty was at risk of being prised away. I suggested prisers would be subject of derision, you challenged my suggestion, and posed a further question, to which I provided further elaboration in answer to your question. I concluded that I’d be surprised if anyone was queuing up to prise him away. In the meantime, James1980 has logged off 🙄 | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:37 - Dec 13 with 4316 views | TVOS1907 |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:32 - Dec 13 by Rodingdale | To summarise. James1980 posted he wondered if McNulty was at risk of being prised away. I suggested prisers would be subject of derision, you challenged my suggestion, and posed a further question, to which I provided further elaboration in answer to your question. I concluded that I’d be surprised if anyone was queuing up to prise him away. In the meantime, James1980 has logged off 🙄 |
He might be washing his hair! | ![](/images/avatars/1107.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 21:42 - Dec 13 with 4294 views | James1980 |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:32 - Dec 13 by Rodingdale | To summarise. James1980 posted he wondered if McNulty was at risk of being prised away. I suggested prisers would be subject of derision, you challenged my suggestion, and posed a further question, to which I provided further elaboration in answer to your question. I concluded that I’d be surprised if anyone was queuing up to prise him away. In the meantime, James1980 has logged off 🙄 |
I'm just having a pint of a very pleasant red ale in my local. I did wonder if my question might we be at risk of losing McNulty might be met with 'who would want to employ him?' from some fans. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 21:47 - Dec 13 with 4273 views | RAFCBLUE |
New Signings Required Urgently on 20:28 - Dec 13 by 442Dale | So many would have taken avoiding relegation before we started. That we’ve done so well so far, with plenty of decent performances as you say, against a backdrop of so much uncertainty is really to the credit of McNulty and the players. The understandable frustration comes when we see displays that are pedestrian and don’t suit our players, but they aren’t every week and it’s easy to get distracted when they do happen. |
The recent trend for EFL relegated clubs over the last decade is not to bounce straight back. Of the last 9 clubs relegated from the EFL since May 2018 (Stevenage were reprieved in 2020), only 2 have made it back - Notts County after four seasons and Grimsby after one season. Five of those seven will not make it back this season either. Every other club that has come down has uncertainty and most finish in the mid-table as they get to grips with relegation. Usually off field issues take time to resolve. We will be no different and we'd do well to accept that we will be at this level for some time and rebuild accordingly. | ![](/images/avatars/6471.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 21:48 - Dec 13 with 4265 views | TVOS1907 |
New Signings Required Urgently on 21:47 - Dec 13 by RAFCBLUE | The recent trend for EFL relegated clubs over the last decade is not to bounce straight back. Of the last 9 clubs relegated from the EFL since May 2018 (Stevenage were reprieved in 2020), only 2 have made it back - Notts County after four seasons and Grimsby after one season. Five of those seven will not make it back this season either. Every other club that has come down has uncertainty and most finish in the mid-table as they get to grips with relegation. Usually off field issues take time to resolve. We will be no different and we'd do well to accept that we will be at this level for some time and rebuild accordingly. |
TBF, I think some of us have accepted that. | ![](/images/avatars/1107.gif) |
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New Signings Required Urgently on 22:01 - Dec 13 with 4176 views | EllDale | I was definitely reconciled to not bouncing back straight away. Yet we’ve been given hope by some of the results and performances in the last few weeks. Beating Aldershot for example who’ve won at Stockport tonight. The frustrating part for me is the sheer inconsistency of the team. Performances such as those against Eastleigh, Barnet and Aldershot are balanced by equally frustrating displays in other games. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 23:23 - Dec 13 with 4024 views | surb_dale | Considering the small squad of senior players this situation was always going to happen with injuries in key areas. It seems we’re now left with one senior 39 yr old striker available for at least a month more likely two. Assuming we’ve no plan to recall Tahvon Campbell then we really need to get someone in on loan. It sounds like we’ve no money to get someone in but could the Dale trust help with aid of fans assist in funding this? | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
New Signings Required Urgently on 00:56 - Dec 14 with 3951 views | D_Alien |
New Signings Required Urgently on 23:23 - Dec 13 by surb_dale | Considering the small squad of senior players this situation was always going to happen with injuries in key areas. It seems we’re now left with one senior 39 yr old striker available for at least a month more likely two. Assuming we’ve no plan to recall Tahvon Campbell then we really need to get someone in on loan. It sounds like we’ve no money to get someone in but could the Dale trust help with aid of fans assist in funding this? |
We do need to reinforce up front, and we've taken on MRKT to help source the right players - at some expense. We now can't afford to bring players in, but i assume we'll still be paying MRKT | ![](/images/avatars/1219.gif) |
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