Like A Dagger To The Heart

‘It’s a funny old game’ is a cliche that is used all too often.  In most cases, it is very true as football has an unpredictability about it that many other sports lack.  In the game between Rochdale and Dagenham & Redbridge, only an idiot would not see the end to this game coming.  With Dale leading 2-1 for most of the game and in poor form away from home, there was only one way the game was going to go from there…

It all started predictably too.  It took 8 minutes for Dagenham; a side who had embarassed Dale at home earlier in the season and lead the goal-scoring charts in League Two, to take the lead via a Mark Arber header.  The way things have been going recently, that could effectively have been the end of Dale’s chances in this game, but they found the character to reply on 16 minutes.  Tom Kennedy, who probably hasn’t slept since his embarassing own goal last week, provided the equaliser with a sumptuous free-kick, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the last-minute winner against Chesterfield early in the season.  Even more unpredictable would be a second goal for the Dale and debutant Nicky Adams provided just that; finding himself in a great position to tap the ball beyond Tony Roberts in the Daggers’ goal.  2-1 to Dale was the scoreline.  Half-time came and passed.  50 minutes came and passed.  Then an hour and 70 minutes also went by without incident.  Could Dale hang on?  Would Dagenham do what they do best and score the necessary goals?

Of course, the latter occurred.  Dagenham didn’t even toy with Dale, content to steamroll over Dale’s lead with a 5 minute-double-salvo.  First, Matt Richie smacked a volley in to draw them level.  Secondly, Southam smashed another in and the match was over as a contest.  Sam Saunders was sent off towards the end of the game, but it was immaterial; Dale had lost on the road again.

With their promotion hopes dented in spectacular fashion, Dale will travel back up north to face Notts County at home in the week.  Anything could happen in this unpredictable sport.  It probably won’t, Dale will walk it.  Nowt like a bit of confidence, is there?

Bogey Teams: They Drive You Mad

It’s fair to say that Lincoln City are a bogey team of Rochdale.  All to often, Peter Jackson’s side manage to deny Rochdale from taking all theree points.  The first meeting between the sides this season ended up in a 1-1 draw as Danny Hone headed an equaliser in the last few minutes to cancel out Adam Rundle’s stunning volley.  The only surprise was that Jamie Forrester didn’t score it (he had left Lincoln to score against Rochdale for Notts County by this point).  It was fair to say that the majority of fans expected a draw today.  The two teams didn’t disappoint.

The match started with Scott Wiseman being named as the starter at right-back, but Simon Ramsden appeared.  This was a surprise (even for the bloke reading out the teams), but it turned out he had a slight hamstring strain in the warm up.  On to the match, the first half was all about Dale.  Lincoln boasted an impressive frontline with Anthony Elding and Geoff Horsfield (best of luck to him after his recovery from cancer), but they were non-existent in a half  that Dale dominated from start-to-finish.  After the Lincoln defence repelled many attacks from the Dale attack (especially from Buckley, who’s dribbling caused problems no-end for the Imps), Adam Le Fondre finally gave Dale the lead on 26 minutes.  A shot from Adam Rundle was parried by Burch into the path of Le Fondre who was ruled onside as he mercilessly slammed the ball into the roof of the net from 6 yards.  That was the half-time score amazingly.  It really could have been 5 or 6.  Buckley was playing upfront with Le Fondre and seemed to be revelling in a role he originally played when he joined the first-team.  His move to the wing has seen him improve substantially and he is now playing with the confidence that has many convinced that he has a big future in the game.  He didn’t revel quite as much in the second half.

It took 3 minutes for Lincoln to equalise.  Rochdale’s midfield took a snooze, allowing Horsfield to waltz through and cross for Elding.  The ball didn’t get to him, but it didn’t have to as Tom Kennedy sliced the ball into his own net.  This was pretty hard to take after such dominance in the first half, but 15 minutes later this misery was compounded.  The ball was rolled to Danny N’Guessan, who his manager later admitted had been’anonymous in the first half’, who turned and unleashed a stupendous volley with his left foot from the edge of the area.  It rocketed into the top corner and gave Fielding no chance on his debut in the Dale net.  As far as many were concerned, all hope was lost.  Evil had other ideas.

Lee McEvilly had picked up a familiar role of ’super-sub’ in his latest stint at Rochdale and, with 6 minutes to go, he carried it out once more.  Fellow sub Dagnall passed him the ball and he bundled the ball over the line in also-familiar fashion.  For some reason, I celebrated this like I had won a Golden Wonka Ticket (the singing wasn’t quite as tuneful), but I should have known that a point would be rescued and that would be that.  My optimism is amusing now that I think about it, I’ve seen enough games to know that 2-2 would be the final score, but I suppose that is what makes me a fan: if I don’t believe, how will the players?

Either way, Dale dropped two more points at home and, with the away form faltering, they can ill-afford these setbacks.  I’m not expecting much from the away trip to free-scoring Dagenham & Redbridge, but I hope the players don’t know that….

Halfway There

With 23 games of the season gone, it is time to evaluate how the first half of the season has gone for Dale.  Rochdale currently reside in 7^th place, which is the final play-off position, and lie only three points off 2^nd place with a game-in-hand on some of their main competitors (only 2^nd placed Brentford have played 22 games).  Needless to say, this is an encouraging situation and pretty much where many fans expected Rochdale to be at this stage.

 

Hill’s side have a tendency to be better in the second half of the season, so it seems the only way is up!  I certainly think that there is a good chance of improving on last year’s 5^th place finish, even (whispers) automatic promotion is an option.  For that to happen, it is clear that recent form will have to be improved upon.  Drawing has often been a problem in home games (aside from the last couple of games) and the last few away games have seen some disappointing defeats.

 

Another problem has been the derisory total of two clean sheets.  This is a serious problem, though Hill’s reminder that Dale have conceded the same as they had at this stage last season will take the edge of that concern.  Maybe the signing of keeper, Frank Fielding, will improve matters (albeit only for the month that he is here).  At the other end, McEvilly has made his loan deal a permanent one, which is likely to make an immediate difference, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Lee Thorpe (One of Dale’s other target man-like striker).  If the rumours of an ‘ankle injury’ (ahem) over Christmas are true, it is unlikely that his services will be retained beyond January, when his contract expires.

 

Speaking of injuries, Jon Shaw has moved on loan to Crawley until the end of the season.  The summer signing has been beset with injuries ever since his arrival, scoring one goal and making only four starts.  I hope that 6 months in Crawley should allow him to play regularly and gain some form for next season, though I fear his days are numbered.  It would be a shame, but it looks ever more inevitable.  Marcus Holness also moved into non-league for the remainder of the season at Barrow.  This is a more positive move than Shaw’s departure as this is purely to allow the youngster to gain some first-team football and, with chances at Spotland limited, it makes sense to let him go out on loan.

 

I’m not expecting a great deal more moves for Rochdale during the January transfer window.  It appears that Dale are chasing the same targets as Bury at the moment.  Both teams were in for Danny Carlton of Carlisle and Jason Taylor of Stockport recently, with Carlton going to Darlo on loan and Taylor moving to Rotherham on a free.  Dale were, according to Hilly, on the verge of signing Taylor, though he chose Rotherham for more money.  This left Hill bemoaning his lack of spending power that comes from running the club sensibly, pointing out that Rotherham where a totally different entity: how can they afford to pay such high wages?  The club that has been in administration twice in four years are quite irresponsible, it seems, so expect their future to be limited to the short-term.

 

Dale have managed to sign former Bury midfielder Nicky Adams on a month-long loan from Leicester.  He moved there at the end of last season but has barely played so is looking for first-team football.  I doubt he could shift Rundle or Buckley from the wide positions, unless one is leaving…  Even if he doesn’t play, his value as a method of winding up the Shaker fans is priceless.  I intend to take full advantage.

 

There is still a concern amongst supporters that there could be some permanent departures from the playing staff.  Will Buckley being the prime example.  It is no secret that he is highly regarded by many and scouts have been monitoring his performances throughout the season, with Preston North End and Bolton rumoured to be interested.  If he is to leave, it is likely to happen in the final hours of the window as Rochdale’s ‘better’ players often leave at this point.  This makes the anticipation unbearable, but I suppose that is one of the positives of the window.  It’s exciting.  Fingers crossed that he stays, he could be important for the promotion push, but, should he go, good luck to him and I can only hope for a large fee.   There should be no other departures, though familiar rumours persist to surround players, such as Tom Kennedy (he is waiting before signing a new deal), Rory McArdle (a hot prospect at this level) and Nathan Stanton (he’s always linked with somebody).  That comprises three of our back four, but I’m not worried (I think).

 

Dale fans may be more bothered about the departures of non-playing staff at the moment.  It appeared on Sunday 11^th January that 2009 would start badly for Dale as it appeared Keith Hill’s departure was imminent.  Prior to watching the Manchester United- Chelsea match, I checked on Sky Sports News to see the teams and the headlines of the day, only to be greeted with the news that Keith Hill had applied for the vacant position at Walsall.  I was shocked, though not surprised as his recent comments had suggested he was tiring of Dale’s promotion attempts.  I then went to the pub to tell my mates and we discussed whether his professional ambitions or loyalty were more important throughout the United game.  Apparently, it seems that some fans had made up their minds on the subject as they attacked him on message boards.  I felt this was unfair as he was still Dale manager at this point and nothing had been confirmed.  That said, various members of Rochdale’s support seem to be overly critical at points like this, so that didn’t surprise me.  When I returned home, I immediately checked Sky Sports News and the item had changed to ‘Keith Hill denies applying for the Walsall job’.  Reassuring, but hardly conclusive.  Further research suggests that Hilly was in the gym and had no idea that he had applied to be the Saddlers’ manager.  While this was clearly the work of some prankster, there is no denying that this could be an eerie view of the future, especially if Dale don’t go up this season.  I doubt Hill’s ‘seven-year plan’- to reach the Championship in seven years – will come to fruition.

 

Crisis averted, it is time for a prediction.  I genuinely believe that automatic promotion may be achieved.  Dale seem to have the quality to compete with others who are going for it, so why can’t Dale secure it?  Let’s hope that I am right (and Bury finish 8^th).

3-1 To You, Boys! Rubbish!

It’s not often in League Two that the managers’ comments to the press outshine the match, but the incredible statements from Keith Hill and his Accrington counterpart, John Coleman, are fascinating to put it mildly.  More on that later.

The game in question was, of course, between Rochdale and Accrington at Spotland Stadium.  This was the 2nd time that the two clubs had met this season, with the reverse fixture ending up in a convincing 3-1 victory for Dale courtesy of a penalty by Adam Le Fondre and strikes from Will Buckley and on-loan Jonathon Rhodes.  On that day, Rochdale struggled to get to grips with a Stanley side that constantly got in their faces, in order to press home a physical advantage.  Things would be similar here.

In a first 20 minutes that surprised very few, that is exactly what happened.  The Stanley team hacked and harried Rochdale in an attempt to stop their slick passing game forming and it worked a treat.  Dale found themselves with little opportunity to create anything and were on the backfoot, often having to resort to the long ball.  This is not a tactic that will yield the small Rochdale side much success as the tall Accrington team are set up for this strategy.  It took a moment of creativity and skill to break the deadlock.

Will Buckley picked up the ball just inside the Accrington Stanley half with the usual attention of four defenders.  He then proceeded to attempt a mazing run that beat all of them before he was clattered inside the area.  It was a stone-wall penalty and everyone knew it.  Adam Le Fondre stepped up and thundered the ball into the roof of the net, giving Dunbavin little chance between the posts.  Just like in September, Alfie had opened Dale’s tally for the day.  What followed was somewhat unfamiliar.  Literally seconds after the restart, Accy had the ball in the net causing their fans to celebrate wildly, though, to the amusement of me and the rest of the Dale fans, play was pulled back after Rory McArdle upended an Accrington player at the edge of the Dale box.  Stanley were livid, but they needn’t have bothered as what came next was rather predictable.  Up stepped Accrington’s captain Cavanagh to curl the ball beyond Russell and into the top corner.  All this happened in the space of about a minute, Dale clearly forgetting that you are most vulnerable after you score.  The remaining 20 minutes of the passed without incident and only a few chances as most of the play was stuck in midfield.  Accrington’s strong-arm tactics appeared to be working and Dale were hoping to play a bit more football after the break.

Dale once again struggled to impose themselves in the second half, finding themselves entrenched in their own half at the beginning of the period.  They simply had no outlet to get out of their half and, when this is coupled with some atrocious passing, all they could do was repel Accrington’s bombardment of crosses and defend their goal.  It was with great surprise then that Dale took the lead against the run of play 10 minutes after half-time.  Adam Rundle was the man who finally provided the outlet as he hared down the left wing.  He then delivered a low cross which Will Buckley poked in at the near post.  Out of the blue doesn’t quite describe it!  This knocked the stuffing out of Accrington and they resorted to evermore underhand tactics to regain parity (Bobby Grant’s diving).  Dale looked comfortable with their newfound advantage and took the opportunity to rotate the strikers with McEvilly and Le Fondre making way for Dagnall and Higginbotham.  It was Higgy’s first appearance in quite some time after he had suffered some performance problems in recent months.  Ironically, he had just completed a loan spell at Accrington.  With many Dale fans convinced that he was now surplus to requirements, he, of course, rounded off the victory by running clear and striking a tame shot through Dunbavin (it wasn’t the goalie’s finest hour).  It seemed like a deserved three points and a simple victory, though the two managers had other ideas.

Firstly, Jon Coleman declared the refereeing to be ‘farcical’, citing three penalties for Accrington as proof.  To be honest, I don’t remember any of them or any other occasions where I felt they were hard done by.  There was a handball, according to Coleman, but I certainly could not tell you when it occurred.  And as for Coleman’s claims that Bobby Grant was pushed, the amount of diving and moaning that he did all afternoon warranted exactly what he got in return: Nothing.

Secondly, and most importantly, came Keith Hill’s frankly astounding comments on the Dale website (www.rochdaleafc.co.uk to see it in full in the Interviews section).  Hill said that his team were “rubbish” and “lacklustre”, but what was said about man-of-the-match Will Buckley was startling (the sponsors picked him because he scored, like they do every game).  Buckley was criticised for not ‘playing with shape’ and “no responsibility”, Hill even went as far as saying that “it was probably his dad or another part of his family” that gave him the man-of-the-match award.  While this is undoubtedly Hill’s honest appraisal, his reasons for being so publicly open about this lie a lot deeper.  With Buckley being considered as one of the hottest prospects in League Two and repeatedly linked with a move to Preston among others, is this is an attempt to throw clubs off the scent?  Is it a bitter parting shot?  Is it just the simple slap on the wrist that it appears to be?  Who knows?  All I know is that the next month is going to be interesting.  Will he be here after January?  My crystal ball has gone very cloudy indeed.

Vale Defeat Dale

The phrase ‘missed opportunity’ is synomonous with Rochdale Football Club.  A 2-1 defeat to a struggling, ten-man Port Vale must surely be added to the plethora of examples that exist.  Port Vale are, for all intents and purposes, not-that-great so a win was very much expected, therefore, leaving Vale Park with nothing is supremely disappointing- especially in this fashion.

It took 74 minutes for Vale to take the lead, courtesy of the boss’ son.  Danny Glover tapped home after an excellent cross-in, probably securing himself free reign over the telly when he got home. On a less happier note, Dale were behind in an away fixture yet again.  Luckily, Glover decided to be a ‘difficult’ son and gave his dad a headache by getting himself dismissed for a late tackle on Tom Kennedy.  All this within five minutes of putting Vale ahead.  Could Dale punish this indiscretion?

Initially, it seemed they would as Alfie brought Dale level from the spot after he was hauled down in the area.  With 7 minutes remaining, Dale were favourites to scoop the victory.  A key tactical point to mention is that Rory McArdle, Dale’s big centre-half, had been used as a forward since Dale fell behind.  I have to say, Keith Hill is exceptional with his tactical flexibility at times and it seemed he had pulled it off again.  McArdle stayed upfront as Dale pushed for the winner…leaving them open at the back, allowing Steve Thompson enough time to hit the post and strike in the rebound and seal the points.  Credit to Hill for trying and he “couldn’t believe Dale had lost” at the end, but that’s football sometimes.

So inconsistency strikes again.  That will have to improve in the second half of the season and the halfway point is marked on Saturday as Dale take on Accrington Stanley.  Surely, a win against the smallest side in the Football League is achieveable.  Surely.