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Reply | Mani Dieseruvwe
at 22:46 7 Sep 2025
Having someone who can head the ball and hold it up and lay it off has changed the dynamics of our attacking football. The service he gets was there last season too but we simply didnt have a player capable of taking real advantage because he couldnt head the ball effectively....As I have said many times, scoring 2 goals a game is the simple requirement in this League assuming you have a competent defence...
The re-emergence of EEL as a defensive force is the platform that allows midfield more freedom to create and Mani completes the jigsaw.. Its not perfect, yet, but there are now players ready to step in and we are well poised to have a great season, even if we pick up a few injuries along the way....we now just need another 1000 people to turn up to watch! |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Sutton United
at 19:05 26 Aug 2025
Unfortunately whats done is done, we may end up a point short of promotion at the end of the season and the decision to change 10 players will look like a poor one. Equally, Sutton may be thinking that if we had had a bit less in the tank on Monday they could have beaten us...we scraped home and took 3 points we could well have drawn on Saturday and yesterday so we could consider we are a point better off.....
Winning home games is paramount....however, 2.2 points a game is the requirement for100 points and we are on target with 2.4, we have to convincingly put away the poorer teams and ensure we take points from the better sides.
So far, of the top 7 clubs we have had the 3rd most difficult start based on the league positions of the teams we have played against and we are at a top 7 club in Wealdstone on Saturday... FGR are top at the moment having played Solihull, Yeovil, Sutton, Halifax and Eastleigh which is currently the highest placed club of the 5 (in 15th place) that they have played..... |
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Reply | BRACKLEY TOWN
at 11:59 24 Aug 2025
There is anoter element that I dont think has been mentioned and that is what dropping 10 outfield players has done for their attitudes and confidence. I am sure the decision was explained to them, but I doubt they were happy with it . Players want to play, I doubt any of them went to the " Head Coach" and said," I am a bit tired after Wednesday, can you put my understudy in on Saturday for me"?.... |
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Reply | BRACKLEY TOWN
at 22:27 23 Aug 2025
Oops ... i was busy putting up a new shed and didnt see any of it I was sure someone said it was plastic last week...anyway another excuse crossed off.....maybe the wrong sort of grass? |
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Reply | BRACKLEY TOWN
at 21:59 23 Aug 2025
Its interesting that McN was talking about the lack of experience in big games being one of the reasons we fell short last season and then makes such a weird decision which smacks of panic at finding his team at the top if the table.. Most would have perhaps replaced a few players today and a few more on Monday and used substitutes selectively based on yards run and general fitness leading into this run of games. A point today would have been acceptable so why not set the team up for a 0-0 and hope for a 0-1 win? Instead he gambled recklessly on 10 outfield changes, thinking the opponents may be tired rather than believing he could play Wednesdays team, win the game in the first half and then make changes...was he overthinking the whole situation,? A game too far too soon? A plastic pitch? Another game on Monday? Only he knows , but second guessing isn't managing. Worry about Monday on Monday morning not Saturday afternoon,, play the cards as they fall not as you would like them to fall... Injuries happen, deal with it when and if you have to.... not before |
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Reply | GATESHEAD
at 00:33 21 Aug 2025
This was the performance we have been working towards for the last 2 seasons. There have been glimpses and false starts but tonight was the night the club turned a corner and has begun its resurgence. Suddenly it has clicked, there is a confidence, a touch of arrogance, a belief. It was palpable, you could almost taste it, this is a TEAM, all for one, one for all...
From boardroom to pitch the atmosphere has changed, we have a spring in our step that many supporters will never have felt before....players who have become a team, management with a clear remit and the execution of it and a board with a plan and the determination to implement it. Tonight felt like lift off, the start of something big...tell your mates to get to Spotland on Monday and be part of it... the Dale train is leaving the station, its time to get on board....... [Post edited 21 Aug 8:26]
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Reply | Truro vs York
at 01:09 17 Aug 2025
I think flights to Newquay from Manchester mostly go and return via Dublin and are 5+ hours of a job... and its only 6- 7 hours to drive with a services stop en route....its not as cheap as it used to be either...
CornwallDale's family run the Priory Lodge Hotel on Mount Wise in Newquay and do B and B... and well worth checking out..... |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Altrincham
at 19:08 16 Aug 2025
We seemed a litttle tentative at the start and then they scored and we woke up a bit, and began to get stuck in a bit more , especially in midfield where they dominated using their size and strength... sometimes you have to win the physical battle before you can play football, as Allarakia found out when he just didnt get tight enough to their right winger and then redeemed himself with a screamer...we improved when Gilmour started to battle and Barlow started to carry the ball more. Mani had 2 or 3 half chances and successfully tied up Sassi at the back. Our second goal confirmed Allarakia's attacking credentials and the "if you dont shoot you wont score" mantra.
Pritchard's arrival helped to stem the Altrincham reply with some timely interceptions and some good old-fashioned " ratting" in midfield....a good substitution and well timed.
Generally a decent day at the office for all concerned and a platform for further understandings and partnerships to be developed.. roll on Wednesday...
Oh, and to the security man on the Sandy turnstiles, searching a pensioner in the " gentlemans tackle" area is not the way to win friends and influence people. I may have wear my old cricket box on Wednesday if this is the standard we are to expect, mind you I haven't been groped in public for the better part of half a century, perhaps I should be paying extra? I wonder what his reaction will be if I bring a bag of Mint Imperials and a Toblerone? |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Burnley U21 - National League Cup
at 23:32 14 Aug 2025
Apparently (according to someone sat nearby,) Micky Mellon was watching the game on Wednesday......wonder if McNulty managed to ask him what the secret sauce is when it comes to play offs? And why was he there? Looking for loans from Burnley or checking out one of our players ? Or maybe his Scottish upbringing meant he couldnt pass up on a free match? |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Burnley U21 - National League Cup
at 21:29 14 Aug 2025
Gibbins taking a hike to Cardiff probably freed up up enough dosh to employ both Done and Taylor. Having some new voices on the training ground is probably a good thing, no pre-concieved opinions, no axe to grind and everyone with a clean sheet and a new chance to impress.... |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Burnley U21 - National League Cup
at 15:20 14 Aug 2025
Initially seemed a bit off the pace and his touch wasn't what he would have wanted, but he got better once he had grown into the match a bit.... I thought he was getting into some interesting positions and was playing some balls that will eventually be exceptional when those around him realise they can make runs that he will see and pass into... there was something of the Frank Worthington about him.....I await his full fitness with bated breath...... |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Burnley U21 - National League Cup
at 10:32 14 Aug 2025
Seemed like there were lots of grandparents with their grandkids there taking advantage of a free afternoon and loads of kids in dale kits..Other than cost, its hard to see how lots of those youngsters will not become lifelong fans going forwards. Well done Dale...a quantum improvement in customer relations, good weather, a pleasant atmosphere, a decent game and a win, what more could you ask for? |
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Reply | 🎥 Live Screening: Boreham Wood v Rochdale AFC
at 11:10 11 Aug 2025
Perhaps you could remind me of the last time the England mens team won anything?.....The POMO is an accepted fact, most goals are scored inside an 20 x 12 yards box, coaches today talk about the 2nd 6 yard box rather than the 6 yard box drawn for goal kicks but the principle remains the same. Charles Hughes simply turned statistics into a coaching philosophy and the stats show that delivery of the ball into the POMO produces goals. The data is still used at the highest and lowest levels of the game and its logic is undeniable.
Having said that, there is the other side of the coin, the need to protect the same space defensively.
https://community.thefa.com/coaching/b/insights-analysis-blogs/posts/in-the-zone |
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Reply | 🎥 Live Screening: Boreham Wood v Rochdale AFC
at 00:08 11 Aug 2025
Judging from what I saw in the friendlies, the delivery from front to back was just a little ponderous, too many defenders needing extra touches to get the ball forwards when often a single touch was all that was required. Now that we have an actual footballer at centre forward, the quicker the delivery, the more the opposing defenders will struggle to get into position to stop him and space for Rodney and others will appear. Stats indicate that 8 out of 10 goals are the result of 3 or fewer passes....If we get early crosses onto the 6 yard line or there abouts Mani and the others will score bags of goals, it doesn't need to be a perfect cross, early and along the 6 yard line is all that is required, too far out for the keeper to be confident of catching it and for defenders of being confident of clearing it , close enough for any headed contact to be decisive. Its the old Charles Hughes POMO.. position of maximum opportunity......the triangle from the posts to the penalty spot..
https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/issue-8/dont-shoot-the-messenger-the-first-foot [Post edited 11 Aug 0:09]
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Reply | Squad numbers
at 14:28 7 Aug 2025
Lucky number?
"Reasons why 47 might be considered lucky or significant:
Numerology:
In numerology, 47 is a combination of the energies of 4 (representing hard work and diligence) and 7 (representing spirituality and intuition).
Cultural Significance:
Some people believe 47 is a "love number" associated with building strong bonds and loyalty.
Personal Experiences:
Some individuals associate 47 with positive experiences or coincidences in their lives, leading them to believe it's a lucky number for them.
Pop Culture:
The number 47 has appeared in various movies, TV shows, and books, sometimes with a special or symbolic meaning. In the context of movies, "number 47" most prominently refers to Agent 47, the protagonist of the Hitman video game series and its film adaptations. Wikipedia says he is a genetically engineered assassin with a barcode on the back of his head.
Rapper Capital Steez:
Late rapper Capital Steez was known for his fascination with the number 47, viewing it as a representation of balance and the connection between the heart and the mind. " |
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Reply | Friendly versus Man Utd U21
at 12:45 5 Aug 2025
Agreed, the need is to score twice as a minimum.. We dropped loads of points last season because we either didnt score or only managed one goal where two would have seen us pick up points.
I have alluded to the idea of continuous improvement many times and it seems we have found some better players than the ones we had last season so it is reasonable to assume more goals and more points. The question mark being the tactics that will be employed. Does McNulty have an attacking mindset is the $64,000 question, is winning prioritised over not getting beaten? We shall see soon enough, although the arrival of new forwards hints that he understands the requirement.
We need to attack for the sake of project 5000 too, people want to see us score goals, the more the better. Its time to get on the front foot and take the game to our opponents |
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Reply | Friendly versus Man Utd U21
at 20:14 2 Aug 2025
From back to front we looked excellent this afternoon, the new keeper has all the attributes, he's two footed, quick and athletic, and he is continually shouting at his defenders... EEL looks fitter, a stone lighter and moved the ball quicker, Pritchard has added a bit of bite and gets into good positions, Mani is an excellent target and his hold-up play takes the pressure off our defenders and allows us to get up the pitch more directly... I thought Rodney was quiet in the first half and better in the second, but Amantchi was impressive for his cameo appearance.. I dont think many centre halves will relish 90 minutes up against Mani and Amantchi, Rodney and Henderson, and it will be interesting to see how we line up next week.
With two players for every position, there will be pressure to perform which will sharpen things up a bit,. This team can go toe to toe with the whole division with no fear, and if we can avoid dropping points to the bottom of the table sides and pick up more against those in and around the other promotion places this could be our best season for years....the mantra of continuous improvement is becoming manifest....on and off the pitch....... |
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