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Match Preview - Hereford v Dale
Match Preview - Hereford v Dale
Friday, 24th Aug 2007 07:37

The only way is up, baby,
For you and me, baby,
The only way is up,
For you and me.

Hereford
vs
Rochdale
Match preview

Build Up

So here we are, bottom of the whole football league. And the only team that we've beaten sit nicely on top of the Championship. If ever, you could sum the hundred years of Dale up, then that would be it.

But of course, tweaking away it may well be, and its not so much that we're in a false position, it's just the whole League Table after two games sort of thing, and the effect the slightest thing can have.

To that extent, Keith Hill was right when he slammed the End is Nigh mentality that has crept in over the past few days. I know its all what ifs and maybes, but that incorrect offside decision stopped us going 10th and it would have been full steam ahead on the good ship Revolution.

And whilst its all well and good for us to dismiss the importance of these fledgling league tables, there's no denying they are out there and whilst we can tell ourselves over and over how meaningless that they are, we can't help but look at them.

But one thing we do have to remember is that there is a new way of doing things this time round. Where there's issues, we deal with them. And we've seen this over the past couple of days. There was a problem with the defence, so we've gone out and done something pretty substantial about it by drafting in Guy Branston.

Now Branston's a pretty solid defender, and should certainly be more than good enough at this level. And taking a look at him, we certainly aren't going to get bullied by any Neanderthal striker. He looks an absolute beast who takes no crap off anyone. You wouldn't argue. And Doolan's got a tag team partner for when he comes up against the Monkhouses of this world now. Not that he needs one.

Confidence remains very much upbeat and will continue to be so, irrespective of the result at Hereford. And its easy to see why things are so up. Have you ever known a Dale where picking the team has been so difficult for all the right reasons?

Twelve months ago, the team picked itself and the only issue was whether we could select a bench. Now we're struggling to keep people out, and whatever side Hill decides to go with at Hereford, we will have a bench which is capable of changing the game if need be.

And one final thought. It's nice of Dale thought isn't it. With the return of the fanzine 92nd Club, what a great way of promoting it by ensuring that we're bottom of the Football League.

Prediction League

Don't forget to make your prediction of the score and first score by taking part in the Dale Prediction League

Oppositionwatch - Hereford United

So far so good for the Bulls this season. In fact, despite widespread tips of relegation from all quarters, Hereford have made an excellent start to the season and one in which they certainly something to build upon.

Early days it may well be, but they remain unbeaten, and without doubt the pick of their results so far was the 4-1 thumping over rivals Yeovil Town in the League Cup last week.

That should bring some much needed confidence to a Hereford side which lost a number of key players over the Summer. In our pre-season prediction of Hereford's chances for this season, we reckoned that there was too much quality leaving Edgar Street, with the likes of Alan Connell, Rob Purdie and Andy Williams not really being replaced.

Trevor Benjamin was a late signing for the Bulls who seemed to slip through the radar without being noticed. Benjamin has always been a funny player. Clearly, he's got the ability as you don't make £1.5 million transfers to the Premiership unless you've got something, but since that failed Leicester switch, he's just gone from club to club. He's has something like 14 different clubs since joining Leicester. I don't know whether its an attitude thing with him, or whether he just got lucky in his early days, but either way, its been a decent start for him at Hereford.

Played for both

We tried to get together a team of players who had played for both Dale and Hereford United, but we could only stretch as far as eight players, so we've scrapped that.

Here's a list of the players we reckon have turned out for both Dale and Hereford:

Robert Betts
Derek Hall
Keith Hicks
David Norton
Kevin Rose
Gareth Stoker
Winston White
and the fantastically named John Dungworth

Form Guide

last five matches

Rochdale Hereford United
18.08 Chester (h) 1:2 18.08 Barnet (a) 2:1
14.08 Stoke (h) 2:2 (win on pens) 14.08 Yeovil (h) 4:1
11.08 Peterborough (a) 0:3 11.08 Rotherham (h) 0:0
04.08 Northwich (a) 2:1 04.08 Cheltenham (h) 2:0
31.07

Drolysden (a) 2:4

01.08 Wolves (h) 2:3

last five away (competitive)

last five home (competitive)

LDWWL WdLWd

Best Odds Available

Dale Win draw Hereford win
2-1 9-4 11-8
Find the best odds at Oddschecker.com

Photo: Action Images



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