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Reply | Match Thread, Dale v In form top of the table Barnet
at 12:05 23 Feb 2025
Another factor re Jim`s tenure is that he has now been with the club as player and manager exactly 10 years. You would think this would have given him a great advantage over most new managers coming into a new club usually in difficult circumstances. But I wonder if that is such a good thing. Is he too comfortable- 3 year contract as well. There are so many references to him being a nice guy-he is certainly loyal to his players- except for Hendo I think they are all his signings (April 23 onwards). This is a very unique situation for an unproven manager. Forget last season- he probably did well to keep the results coming with all the background problems, but he doesn`t seem to have any attack-minded flair.
If he is losing the dressing room, and it certainly looks that way on the pitch, then he is in great danger of losing the crowd support as well. |
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Reply | Match thread Halifax Town
at 12:38 20 Feb 2025
Only just seen McNulty`s post-match interview.
He seems to be completely deluded.
He said it was a good performance.
He said they showed bravery and took risks- He wasn`t referring to the risks the defenders continue to take in their own penalty area. And Halifax were more cautious.
He said he was excited about meeting Barnet on Saturday (managed to get in an aside that they were undefeated in 18 games- preparation for a thumping?)
Well Jim, I`m excited as well but not I think for the same reasons.
He repeats ad nauseum how good the players are on the training pitch.
To join in with earlier posts, what they are playing at the moment can only be described as boring, Do any of the 900+ that went last night disagree? |
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Reply | Match thread Halifax Town
at 12:18 20 Feb 2025
On the 11th February, 9 days ago, Hendo played a full 90 minutes against Wolves u-21s and scored 2 goals.
You can`t tell me he can`t do a lot more than 5 minutes at the end of a game.
Unless he has some private agreement with McNulty. |
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Reply | Tonight’s games
at 11:03 12 Feb 2025
All the more curious he has just brought in an extra defender on loan, and played both Kingdon and Ferguson as subs in the Ebbsfleet game. Surely one of the many midfielders or a junior striker-Kelly? |
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Reply | Oldham game
at 14:19 5 Feb 2025
Jim implied in his interview that he did not approve of the long ball used by the team.
Q Why did he not stop them? |
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Reply | Oldham game
at 12:11 5 Feb 2025
The really big statistics this season so far are the results against the top 6 sides.
Out of the 6 games played we have scored 2 goals and conceded 5, won 1, D1 and Lost 4.
This sums up where this team is this season. Fine in defence but woefully short in attack and goalscoring in particular. All season we have been short of that 3rd effective attacker.
I don`t know our shots on goal statistic but its a fair bet it is very low.
Team tactics must certainly be mainly responsible for this IMO.
Time for a change J Mc. Your tactics have got us this far, but the fans deserve better. |
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Reply | Southall bankruptcy
at 14:20 29 Jan 2025
This is a great read if only to remind ourselves just how much worse things could have been,
Cheer up the grumblers and groaners. |
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Reply | Forest Green away thread
at 12:46 19 Jan 2025
Having started the season with only 2 full-time strikers we now find ourselves unsurprisingly with a goals shortage. But all is not what it seems. Although Mitchell and especially Rodney may seem wasteful of their efforts, in fact 18 combined goals from 37 league starts is a fair result.
What has been a disaster is the lack of goals from midfield. With the honourable exception of McBride with 4 league goals from 14 starts, the other 9 midfielders have scored a paltry 6 league goals from 104 starts.
Compare this with some midfielders in the past 4 seasons:
Lund 10 league goals in 2021
Keohane 10 goals in 2021 and 7 in 2024
Sinclair 10 goals in 2024
Hayes 7 goals in 2024 (in 22 appearances)
In 2022 and 2023 the goals scored dropped badly in all areas.
Imagine how a few extra goals from midfield could have made a points difference in so many of our narrow defeats this season.
I also think starting Henderson in only 1 league game has not been a good solution, though presumably Hendo is happy with the arrangement. He is still our only natural striker positionally. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 10:33 7 Jan 2025
No complacency here.
Not after 60 years. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 09:44 7 Jan 2025
Despite some people`s gloom, just think how lucky we are still to have a club.
If this pitch problem had happened last January, after Simon Gauge had admitted he had run out of funding to keep the club afloat, Chris Dumphy had offered to take over the club then changed his mind, and there was no sign of the Ogden family on the horizon, then the cost of the pitch and the lost income would almost certainly have seen the end of things.
We should all be grateful for our good fortune.
UTD |
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Reply | Fylde away match thread.
at 11:52 28 Dec 2024
This was the Ryan East from last season. Looking for the through ball rather than a sideways pass. So much more effective with Rodney and Mitchell ahead.
Special mention for Okeke who got involved in most of the dangerous moves. |
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Reply | Norman Bodell RIP
at 22:24 15 Dec 2024
Forgot about Frank Lord and Brian Green.
And probably others. |
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Reply | Norman Bodell RIP
at 22:21 15 Dec 2024
The first I can remember to come through the ranks. |
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Reply | Sutton match thread
at 15:27 10 Nov 2024
Couldn`t go yesterday, so decided to watch the Barnet/Oldham game instead. Very interesting to see how others set up instead of being tied up with the game.
Nothing much in it but better than 0-0 sounds. Noticeable from our games, especially at home was:
Much faster build-up from both teams. Far more forward movement particularly from midfield, Turning with the ball rather than playing square(or back).
Goalkeepers clearing the ball quickly and powerfully-no moving round the area. Some hopeful punts but at least got play into the opponents half while the defence reformed.
None of what some of us call tippy-tappy at the back.
No zonal marking that I could see and one forward left at set pieces (mainly).
Having said that it was a game of few chances and both defences on top. Good to watch for quality of football though.
Suspect both teams will be well up there, but probably not good enough to catch York and Forest Green. |
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Reply | Barnet match thread
at 10:09 27 Oct 2024
Surprised noone has mentioned it but now that Kairo has hit his bad patch, inevitable with any striker, particularly after his spectacular start to the season, why do we have to fall back on a striker coming up to 40 to supplement him. Hendo will always be my hero and was superb yesterday, but there should be alternatives.
All those missed chances. |
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Reply | Halifax match thread
at 18:05 23 Oct 2024
Halifax were better than us in speed, closing down, and I agree with Jim, in hunger.
But their threat was all on the wings. They had very little power in central attack. But still created many more chances.
Allarakhia, Burger, McBride and Robson won the game for us. |
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Thread | Kairo
at 10:58 14 Oct 2024
All this discussion about Kairo`s transfer prospects is very interesting but am I the only one concerned about the current striker crisis?
Kairo now has about 50% of all Dale goals this season. Rodney has 20% and is now injured and looks increasingly an injury doubt. Only McBride with 3 could be said to contributing from midfield.
Ayinde and McBride also injured.
Kairo will be a heavily marked man from now on. The word will be round the managers. Mark Mitchell and Rochdale don`t score.
We now have a run of 7 games:
Southend
Halifax
Barnet
Sutton
Wealdstone
Oldham
Anyone see any easy games there?
Perish the thought but what if Kairo gets injured? We have no other strikers fit. Why has Jim allowed this situation to arise?
Plus there are FA Cup games to come. Fascinating this talk of who we`d like to meet. I would settle for the one with the weakest defence. |
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Reply | T'test series in Pakistan
at 10:11 10 Oct 2024
You were right.
Still cant get my head round it.
As a Lancastrian, even I have to applaud 2 Yorkies.
Olli Pope must be groaning. |
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Reply | T'test series in Pakistan
at 18:21 9 Oct 2024
you do realise a lead of 200 would put the total score at around 800 in the innings. I just cant get my head around that somehow. |
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Reply | Ebbsfleet away match thread
at 10:41 6 Oct 2024
Sorry to keep resurrecting this point, but why oh why didn`t we go for another young striker when all the transfer activity was under way instead of collecting multiple midfielders. Rodney now out for 6 weeks (again) so all the responsibility for goals now falls on Mitchell again.
I suppose Jim now has to flounder around the loan market. Personally I would bring Hendo back into a starting position even if only for an hour or so. |
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