[Archived] Rochdale

[tomphil]

If that's our First XI next season we will go down - absolutely no doubt about it.

What even with superman Lowe in there ?

I doubt we'll get any of the Hanley cash for a sale, it will no doubt just be used to bring the debt down.......

The debt that never actually goes down and infact gets increased year on year by the constant chopping and changing.

[LDRover]

Rochdale look a very decent side and with better finishing, particularly in the second half, would have clinched the victory they deserved. We badly need reinforcements and the quicker we sell Hanley to raise some cash the better. We need a left-back, Hendrie may be OK for back-up but he looks very raw. I'm not quite sure what Stokes is, he certainly doesn't look like a striker and positionally is all over the place. On Saturday he drifted to the left wing and in this game he was dropping back very deep, at times just in front of his own back four, wanting to play the ball from deep positions. Ward and Bennett looked good throughout while Feeney and Guthrie played well for the time they were on the pitch. Bennett and Feeney put in some excellent crosses and Graham scored a cracking goal getting on the end of a cross. McDermott's goal was an outstanding free-kick. Early days, but there is an awful lot of work to do to make us into a mid-table team.

Thanks for the report Parson.

On Hendrie though, if he's only OK for back up and a bit raw why the hell have we got him in on loan? It's not like we're going to reap the benefits of any slight improvement is it? Also why the hell are we now after another left back (probably on loan as well)?

[BlueMonday]

Edit: wrong thread

[Parsonblue]

Parson thanks for the summary.

Can I ask how we played using 4-4-2 formation in the first half compare to 4-2-3-1 formation in the second half?

Do you think Stokes might be trying too hard to impress?

How did Lowe do at right back and Wharton at centre back?

We played the same formation in both halves but just changed the personnel. It was a 4-4-1-1 formation. Stokes began playing behind Graham but drifted all over the place so Graham was often isolated on his own up front in the first half. In the first half, after a very shaky opening ten minutes, we looked the better team and dominated the play. In the second half, after Lenihan had been replaced, Rochdale dominated the game. Stokes moved to the left wing and Bennett moved over to the right. Byrne played just behind Graham whilst Guthrie and Akpan were the two in the centre of midfield. Byrne did very little and looked lost at times whilst Stokes was all over the place, often dropping back deep into his own half wanting the ball and playing it from deep positions. Lowe was average and no more, Hendrie on the other flank was awful and Wharton is a young lad learning his trade and made mistakes as one would expect. Ward, Bennett, Feeney and Graham were the plus points from last night.

[gumboots]

We played the same formation in both halves but just changed the personnel. It was a 4-4-1-1 formation. Stokes began playing behind Graham but drifted all over the place so Graham was often isolated on his own up front in the first half. In the first half, after a very shaky opening ten minutes, we looked the better team and dominated the play. In the second half, after Lenihan had been replaced, Rochdale dominated the game. Stokes moved to the left wing and Bennett moved over to the right. Byrne played just behind Graham whilst Guthrie and Akpan were the two in the centre of midfield. Byrne did very little and looked lost at times whilst Stokes was all over the place, often dropping back deep into his own half wanting the ball and playing it from deep positions. Lowe was average and no more, Hendrie on the other flank was awful and Wharton is a young lad learning his trade and made mistakes as one would expect. Ward, Bennett, Feeney and Graham were the plus points from last night.

And surprise surprise 3 of them were Lambert signings originally

[chaddyrovers]

Ok thanks ParsonBlue

[AggyBlue]

I don't think we will get the money for signings but it will release money to pay wages of loans or free transfers.

It depends on the budget set aside for wages. Even without Hanley we might still be over the set budget, in that scenario it doesn't free up anything.

[unleaded]

See Steele hasn't improved .... Watched it sail over his head ...

[AggyBlue]

Rochdale looked better than us.

Passed the ball around really well and sliced through our defence on numerous occasions.

Applied themselves much better than our players and showed far more enthusiasm.

Seems we'd have been better off appointing Hill as manager.

[gumboots]

Rochdale looked better than us.

Passed the ball around really well and sliced through our defence on numerous occasions.

Applied themselves much better than our players and showed far more enthusiasm.

Seems we'd have been better off appointing Hill as manager.

Wed have been better off appointing me. I might not be very goodat football tactics but at least i wouldnt have lied to you.

[Peteb2014]

Wed have been better off appointing me. I might not be very goodat football tactics but at least i wouldnt have lied to you.

You would have to go to the games then though

[gumboots]

Well i could probably avoid that too. I said i was no good at tactics. I could leave it to my underlings

[Blueandwhitemike]

I think we have to be very careful about reading too much into preseason games, especially negatives, because neither team usually try very hard. Last preseason the last game before the start, i remember Duffy being abysmal, surely unpickable, then first game of the season (and most of the rest of it) he played quite well.

I went last night and I'd agree with most of what Parson says.

My thoughts

Hendrie didn't play very well, as mentioned, but I didn't think Lowe was much better. Ward dominated in the air. Bennett played in a few nice crosses, I thought he did a bit better than Feeney but he had a lot longer...

Guthrie did alright, I know he has been injured almost as much as Grella, but you see glimpses of his quality and just wish he could stay fit. He looks to have beefed up a bit, maybe in an attempt to stave off injury, and I think if he can only get a run of games to find true match fitness and form he'd do well for us.

Stokes looked lively and should have scored at least one from where I sat, Danny G still looks very good.

Whilst I think we'd be mad to let Hanley and Duffy go, I don't think even the club as it is now wouldn't replace them. It might sound crazy but I think if we sold both for 10 mil plus we might even spend a few hundred thousand on a replacement...