Rochdale should in theory present only a moderate challenge on Saturday. They give the impression of a club which is not really able to progress up the ladder because they are surrounded by bigger clubs that consume a great deal of the local interest and resources. Maintaining the status quo is an achievement and it must be very difficult for them to stay where they are. Yet they do.
I suppose the harsh commerciality of modern football breeds great resilience amongst the leaders of lower league clubs, but as the game moves more and more in concert with the financial backers, clubs like Rochdale, living in such a crowded environment, will do well to survive. You have to admire those who run and support teams like them and Oldham and Accrington.
They have very experienced players like Ian Henderson, Coppinger-like and 35 and at the other extreme, young Tyler Smith who was with us last year and joined them on loan last month.
I have bad memories of these fixtures, but there was only one series (of 4 matches between 2015 and 2017) when we lost two and failed to win the other two; it seemed dreadful at the time.
You could say that we are a developing force and for once in a very long time, we have 19 players who are potential starters, more even than in SOD’s time. They are Dieng, Halliday, James, Ramsey, Anderson, Wright, Baptiste, John, Sheaf, Sadlier, Blair, Whiteman, Taylor, Gomes, Lokilo, Copps, Okenabirhie, Ennis and Cole. And there is also Kiwomya, Watters, Hasani, Lawlor and Amos.
The challenge is for DM to put out a team of players in form which can get the better of our rivals.
Rochdale have had some tough fixtures recently and although they lost away at MK Dons who are improving and at Wycombe, they beat Shrewsbury last time out and before that drew with Gillingham and away from home they are average.
So we need to play well if we are going to win, which means DM has the challenge of choosing a winning team.
Dare I say 3-0 again with Okenabirhie/Copps/Anderson?
DPL vs Rochdale
posted on 8/2/20
Rovers 3-0 Rochdale
Ramsey to score.
Small Azza
Rovers 4-0 Rochdale
Ramsey to score.
posted on 8/2/20
Rovers 3 Rochdale 1; Taylor to score.
posted on 8/2/20
Rovers2 Rochdale1 cole
posted on 8/2/20
Micky 4 points ; The rest 0 !
posted on 9/2/20
A wake up call for our young lions. Rochdale are not like Southend or Tranmere. They didn't allow time to play, and in the 81st minute our midfield did an impression of a cake left out in the rain. Tired young legs perhaps but it allowed Rochdale an equalizer that they probably deserved. There is a lot of promise in our squad but the new players need time to blend in.
posted on 9/2/20
Probably a fair result at the end of 90mins.
They stuck to their game plan.
Maybe we should have had a late pen.
Gomes probably should have gone of early did some good things but not a patch on his performance at Tranmere.
Ennis sparked it up when he came on.
Difficult to give a mom.
Possibly Sadlier or Anderson.
Wright did well but slow predictable passing out.
Bad goal to concede but they all are.
Roll on Tuesday night.
3 points no excuses
posted on 9/2/20
Tank you Sadier for hitting Taylor with your cross-come-shot and giving me 4 points!
I agree with the above comments, and the main difference from recent games was that Rochdale did not gives as much time to play "our" game. Much of their play was better than their league position would indicate, and may be that position is because of the lack of killer instincts in the final third.
For me, MoM was Sadlier, and I agree Anderson and Wright were just about as solid as usual. Gomes seems to have forgotten what he showed in the last few games, and how did Cole get that ball over the bar from that close! I thought Jacob would have a quiet game after his dynamic debut.
I was worried that Dieng fumbled a few balls as that is very unusual for him, and why again did we let a player travel that far and give him room to let fly from 25 yards without anyone going near him?
posted on 9/2/20
New subject - I see two ex-Rovers players scored to put the Blades into fifth place in the Premier League. However it is interesting to see that they are only 15 points above a relegation position but 34 behind Liverpool and only 12 behind Manchester City. Other than Liverpool it is tight and the next eight teams probably think they have a chance of a Champions' League place.
posted on 10/2/20
The teams that do not give us time on the ball have got the better of us before. What is the answer? Can we improve our close control or is something else required?
posted on 10/2/20
I think it is harsh to say that Cole should have done better with the one he put over the bar.
The ball was slightly behind him and he just instinctively tried to get his foot around the ball.
Unlucky is more realistic.