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Reply | Twin Town success!
at 20:39 2 Apr 2025
There is most certainly unrealistic ends to both end of this particular spectrum.
Then there is a middle ground where it is seen that perhaps both sides have a case. One which doesn’t create a narrative to suit an opinion but looks at what we all can see.
In retrospect, that Stockport game will remains the pinnacle of that type of football we’d all love to see again. |
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Reply | Twin Town success!
at 19:48 2 Apr 2025
Plenty of people choose to point out his approach to games and interviews, some all the time, some after defeats/bad results/poorer performances, some in response to correct/incorrect analysis of individual games.
Whether that comes under defending him is up to those posting and reading. In general when detailed reading of what is being posted takes place, then maybe there should be less assuming and more acceptance of opinion along with what has actually occurred.
His interviews, much like Hill’s, often don’t help. But again, it’s about what each listener chooses to take from them or whether to ignore them completely.
Same as those from the Bielefeld manager who, after taking over in 2023, oversaw a first season where they struggled to score goals and finished the season in 14th. This season they’ve pushed on and are up near the top with a chance of promotion, whilst having a very good cup run.
As we’ve only got a few lines to go off for what his interviews are like, as opposed to a very familiar looking set of stats, then I’ll hold fire for now on an opinion on what he’s actually like.
He’s already one step ahead of McNulty in the cup, that’s for sure. Saturday is massive. [Post edited 2 Apr 19:50]
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Reply | Twin Town success!
at 19:13 2 Apr 2025
The point was that those were his comments after that game, that they have struggled in games they should have won and not scored that many goals in relation to their position. Unless we are all watching Bielefeld every week, to compare the two would be pretty pointless.
Though, similarly at Spotland last Saturday we saw a team on the “front foot all the time”. |
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Reply | Twin Town success!
at 18:42 2 Apr 2025
Interestingly, like the games Dale have been very effective ‘playing on the front foot’, Bielefeld look to have good days and bad days.
A fact supported by them being fourth in the table, whilst also drawing at home to the side second bottom in the league in their last home game and scoring 46 goals in 30 games. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 23:59 1 Apr 2025
My sights aren’t set anywhere. I turn up to games hoping to see a good performance and wins. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t. This season it’s been a lot more than usual. I still hope it can improve further and said so.
At the same time I expect the manager to make effective use of the resources at his disposal, get results and produce an entertaining side. He’s fallen a bit short for me this season but I can also recognise progression and acknowledge that 6th in the table and a cup semi is a decent campaign, so maybe I’m being a bit unfair with the criticisms of squad construction and an over reliance on one formation. If it’s a very poor league, York fans must be absolutely furious to be heading for the play offs with the quality in their squad.
Confirmation that TAR, Burger and Adu Poku all unavailable through injury/illness tonight. [Post edited 2 Apr 0:00]
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 23:36 1 Apr 2025
Nor am I saying we’re consistent at home. More that it was the big issue with how we played and/or results. At home we have the fourth best record in the division and about half the games have been a good watch.
That may or may not be good enough for some. Personally I think it’s alright and could be better. I’m appreciative that we are Rochdale, able to compare it to recent and historical years and where we currently are in the football pyramid. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 23:11 1 Apr 2025
This is it in a nutshell. The perfect analysis of what we are trying and failing to achieve. Get that second, often on the break (see the chances at Southend/Oldham/even tonight in some situations) and that’s what they are trying to achieve.
It’s that they’re failing at present. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 23:09 1 Apr 2025
Isn’t overpassing at the back and boring football McNultyball? Or is it going deep and being unable to hold onto leads when a goal up away from home?
If it’s the latter, Steve Parkin made a Dale career out of it. Except we won quite a few doing it.
There’s no defending the manager here, it’s simply asking for consistency in the criticism. We’ve moved from home displays being the issue, to away ones. Isn’t that indicative of a particular issue as a season develops rather than any particular philosophy? Otherwise we’d be trying to hold onto one goal leads at home too.
Something else Parkin was good at. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 23:03 1 Apr 2025
Because we are a National League team with a manager who makes plenty of mistakes, sometimes consistently, and with players who are not consistent. Every team, bar Barnet, could be said to fall into this category. Even York where some fans question the signing of Stones and how that changed the way they play.
All concerned will stand or fall based on results. Much like any other walk of life.
Right now? Sixth and a cup semi final. Lose on Saturday and the next three in the league? Problems for all concerned. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 22:49 1 Apr 2025
It may appear to be that, but it isn’t. I blamed how we saw the game out and went too deep.
It’s that in fair enough to say that the pitch impacted how we retain the ball. It may be football at this level, and ours, Halifax’s and Oldham’s pitches have been poor in recent weeks, it’s that tonight’s was worthy of comment because it was far worse than any of those.
Facts are we dropped two points because of a silly challenge. Like Southend, Oldham, Maidenhead it is on the manager why this happens. Nobody is defending that.
At the same time, get it right, move twenty yards up the pitch, make the most of the chances we have and it’s the perfect away performance. As you say, that’s football. Especially at this level. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 22:31 1 Apr 2025
Yes, I did. It impacted the whole game. For both teams and from a Dale perspective, knowing how players better, we clearly struggled with the irregular bounce of the ball and it meant we changed tactics (effectively) to go long. Unfortunately it also impacted our ability to kill the game with ball retention and passing, because we couldn’t.
That’s not blaming the pitch, it’s establishing facts that had to be dealt with. Which we did quite well until that silly challenge.
Edit to your edit: always agree to disagree on individual performances, and those players you said did well did too. Just I thought Weston was good in trying circumstances, impressed by his calmness. [Post edited 1 Apr 22:36]
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 22:26 1 Apr 2025
Rodney was playing the same position as Saturday. Unfortunately he works better with Henderson at no.9 than Mitchell.
Ten more points would put us fourth. With an outside chance of third. I think that’s fair.
But is it so much worse than where we are? [Post edited 1 Apr 22:28]
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 22:25 1 Apr 2025
Sorry, didn’t see this.
Agreed entirely on individual decisions like the Allarakhia one you mention. But that’s player choice mid game.
Similarly the Mitchell chance and others. McNulty should have got them further up the pitch, that’s on him, the rest, including the challenge for the penalty is on the players.
I’ll stick by that being the worst pitch of the season by a country mile though. It was like Springy Park on a balmy Thursday night when you’ve got six ‘Sunday’ league games to play. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 22:18 1 Apr 2025
Where am I blaming the pitch?
If you couldn’t see the shift Weston put in, in difficult circumstances on debut, then I accept it’s all about opinions.
And I clearly pointed out about the game management and what we were at fault for. The issues are indeed away from home, indicating and exacerbated by how much we’ve improved at home as well.
Could and should Rochdale be doing better than what they are this season? Yes. Would we all have took 6th with seven games to go and a cup semi with a team that is, at present for various reasons (some of which are down to the management) all patched up? You’d hope so. And you’d hope it would be with the same level of humility we’ve always shown as a fanbase when compared to others. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 21:56 1 Apr 2025
We definitely should have seen it out and our decision making, on and off the pitch could have been in better in the second half. But it was far from embarrassing with that team and all the injuries. It was incredibly disappointing and two points dropped.
At no stage did we overplay or shoot ourselves in the foot with our football, more a case of not being decisive and ensuring we played twenty yards further up the pitch.
Thought Weston did well and the back three too in the main until the last five minutes. Selections didn’t cost us today, our game management did.
I’m not making McNulty’s excuses for him, and it was the same for both teams, but don’t underestimate how bloody awful that pitch was. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 21:21 1 Apr 2025
Easily the worst pitch we’ve played on this season. We have to take extra touches all the time. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Woking v Rochdale
at 20:50 1 Apr 2025
Burger was barely able to run at the end of Saturday’s game.
When is TAR suspended? [Post edited 1 Apr 20:52]
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