Rochdale... is it because it’s Lancashire or is Rochdale an especially unexciting football club amongst the red-rose collection? Once every 4 years would be enough, but 4 times in a year with no result so far is painful to contemplate.
A cold dank winter evening will doubtless put them in their element and I think we will really have to work very hard for the points. They have a shrewd and experienced manager who has chosen not to admonish his players for doing what earned them the description of “sorry" vs Blackburn and I doubt whether they will be cowering before us expecting another reverse.
He doesn’t have to remind them that they have got the better of us twice already because those results will stand out enough as highlights in a rather thin season thus far.
Comfortable then it will not be. We will need to be fully effective and perhaps it will mean a start for Mandeville and Beestin, saving Copps and May for the bigger test at Peterborough.
I’ll say 2-0 to us and Rowe the scorer, Marquis if he is rested. 6800 would be my guess at the attendance.
DPL - Rochdale
posted on 29/12/17
Well done Uthred the Viking - within 2 of the attendance. I should have stuck with 2-0!
Good first half, but big drop-off in the second - Lawlor was somewhat busy at times.
A win is a win!
posted on 29/12/17
One peach of a goal from Whiteman and one fluke from May, but then if you don't shoot you don't score! Rochdale played some lovely football and Lawlor made some great saves. We certainly were under the cosh for a big chunk of the second half until Blair replaces Copps. This change gave us a lot more attack down the right not to mention some stout defending when it mattered. Rochdale continued to press to the end but they ran out of time. May got MoM but, for me, Lawlor got us the points. My companion would have picked Marquis who sweated blood from beginning to end.
posted on 29/12/17
Good game.
Good team performance.
May got mom .He didnt have a bad game but there were 9 men better.
They had some glorious chances....bad misses and top keeping stopped them scoring.
Mason mom 4 me excellent balls into box.
Albi . Marquis was magnificent although boo boys are gathering.
posted on 29/12/17
Marquis my MoM lightly ahead of Mason and Lawlor but every player contributed well again tonight.
Good to bring Blair on to give Dale something to think about down the right and to rest Copps for the last half hour with Peterbro in mind.
When was the last time we won three in a row without conceding.
Things are looking quite good again.
posted on 30/12/17
At least we go to the same game hound.
Some near me must be watching a diff game.
2 full backs playing well also.
Both very young I just hope the fans give them a chance.
I will continue to give May time but for me he is just not good enough.
As i said last week i dont think 26 is 100%.
No.one mentions Butler now everyone just expects the same every week from him.
I wonder if df ever rues that silly tiff that cost us.
Baudry still a bit airy fairy for me.
posted on 30/12/17
On Baudry, the thing I see is his positional sense.
He reads the game really well and doesn’t seem to have to do desperate stuff.
A bit like Bobby Moore but obviously not at the same level.
posted on 30/12/17
The Rochdale manager was critical of his team when I thought he would praise them for their enterprise in the second half; there were certainly spells when they seemed to press hard.
As for May it was his quick thinking that kept the move which led to the first goal alive; with the ball in no-man's-land he was the first to move and prod it through to Whiteman. It was also the speed that he got on to the ball that brought his goal. He is invaluable and when I have seen him works just as hard as Marquis albeit in a different way. A bit like Lawlor, he is probably better in situations where he just reacts and does not have time to think.
It is good that the defence is looking better overall though and heartening to see DF giving Garratt a good run to establish his confidence. Is he managing the same with Mandeville? I can imagine that he is not too happy and with some justification if you compare his position with that of Garratt.
posted on 30/12/17
I like him hound just think hes not quite on it right now.Baudry that is.
Masons dead ball delivery last night was some of the best i can remember.
posted on 30/12/17
Brilliant set of results for us today to, still 10th!
posted on 30/12/17
I agree azza, I didn’t think it would happen.
Hope we can get something at Peterbro now.