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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 20:40 26 Dec 2025
The centre forward position does need addressing, especially as Amantchi wasn’t even on the bench today. We can’t expect Henderson to keep starting games and although he’s definitely contributed to our attacking play, we didn’t retain the ball well enough in the final third today. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 20:23 26 Dec 2025
Henderson’s performances at no.9 at the back end of last season meant he was always an option, but a forgotten one whilst Mani stayed fit. McBride has stepped up well, even though I wish he’d have more faith in himself in front of goal. Pritchard’s ability to play in the same forward role as McBride on the opposite side has helped Henderson in that lone central striker position too, they seem to be on the same wavelength.
Pritchard’s departure at half time has been a bit overlooked because of how well Burger did, but it’s to be hoped he isn’t injured again. If nothing else because it reduces our options at LWB. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 20:04 26 Dec 2025
I’m not a massive advocate for it. My posts over the year should (hopefully!) reflect that I prefer attacking, effective football. Right now, with the way we retain the ball and play so cleverly in a tactical way, we are also capable of switching it up by going more direct leading to decent football and decent results. We got in behind twice early on down the right due to this. Two poor crosses by TAR spoilt it though.
It’s reached the stage that seeing a group of players who obviously enjoy playing in a particular style whilst getting results is what matters, even if I might find parts of that frustrating.
There’s enough Dale teams down the years who have had plenty more faults and not been anywhere near as successful as this one! |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 19:57 26 Dec 2025
Yeah, that familiarity is what Gilmour has mentioned in interviews. Those who’ve been here that long have been committed to the system and way of playing for three seasons. It’s taken time, building the squad and a lot of patience. We might not all agree with it all of the time, there’s plenty of times I haven’t and still don’t, but it’s obvious that the manager, his staff and the team are all in with it.
The almost 2 points a game at home last season, improved on this year with a stellar away record has most certainly backed up the results business theory. It’s also another example of how going all Carlisle (or Savage) when we do stumble, as could have happened today, won’t help. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 19:35 26 Dec 2025
It was said the boring football would keep fans away when we were going for promotion last season, in reality it was always a results business. As a team, Dale have evolved to ensure the preferred way of playing is both effective and, more often than not, quite entertaining.
At Spotland, we’ve been getting consistent results for two seasons now, adding that on the road is capitalising on what home fans witness each week. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 19:28 26 Dec 2025
The game has undoubtedly changed over the last few years. Whilst we continue to retain the ball by going sideways and backwards, what we have done is added better players and developed different options when we do it. The amount of times we got in behind today after playing forward suddenly from the back was very noticeable in the first half.
TAR benefits from it a lot - see the third goal at Altrincham - and McBride should have scored today from that ball into him but he decided to try and pass. We’ve perfected how to shift the opposition to open up areas further forward, the East/TAR/Gordon triumvirate are where we benefit most from it at present after the opposition are drawn in by us going backwards or sideways. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 19:14 26 Dec 2025
That tactic is part of how we play, it might be frustrating at times but the players know exactly what they’re doing. There are plenty of examples this season of how it’s resulted in a goal.
Note the Savage interview today. He’s taking responsibility apparently… yet still blaming players. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Morecambe v Rochdale
at 17:05 26 Dec 2025
Great win. Didn’t play that well but you’ve got to have the steel to get results in games like that and we have that.
There is so much obvious confidence in each other that they can respond to adversity and still remain consistent to the overall plan knowing it will get a result.
Requiring York to have a sticky patch? It’s only one game, but that creates doubt. They have it. We don’t.
A word for Jake Burger - never let us down, played in various positions displaying lots of potential and today he came on at half time and was our MotM in the second half. Everything good we did went through him. There’s a real player there, hope we see him become one at Dale. |
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Reply | Update on the pitch
at 17:53 24 Dec 2025
Watching that end battle in Avengers at 0.25 is much the same. |
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Reply | Allarakhia at the AFCON
at 18:27 23 Dec 2025
He had a real chance just before the break that he’ll be disappointed he didn’t do better with. Ball laid off on the edge of the box but hit his effort straight at the keeper. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 12:25 22 Dec 2025
I think we have the best constructed squad in the league with respect to how we play, how players fit in and how well coached they are. There should be no doubts about our potential to win the league, it was obvious from pre season that we have all the attributes to do that. We can’t control how other teams do, only ourselves. If York do continue as they are, fair play. Apart from the last day we can do nothing about that.
Losing the odd game here and there will happen, as it has already. When we do we have proven we respond, so the calmness seen by the management and the squad should be replicated amongst everyone when it happens again. If not, it risks a Carlisle-type scenario. Doubt creates doubt. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:50 21 Dec 2025
Hughes said after he’s out for five weeks so any move may be up in the air now.
Lots of criticism again today, including from their own player Kelly in an interview after. They’ll be a playoff side at best. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 16:59 21 Dec 2025
Carlisle looked very average when we beat them. The signing of Conn-Clarke made a real difference, Linney benefitting from his arrival too but both have had dips in form recently too it seems. They certainly don’t have the options we do in those forward areas to make changes.
Expect their fans to increase demands for a managerial change if this scoreline stays as it is. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 13:25 21 Dec 2025
It’s the same tactic we’ve used for over two years, we’ve just got better at dealing with teams who do put pressure on and those who don’t. The ball down the channel after relentless passing about at the back led to two goals on Friday.
It probably takes hundreds of hours of work on the training ground to get right. It’s interesting to see how the new keeper and Waller have fitted in, their immediate positioning when we have the ball in our own third shows a real commitment to the structure that’s been established. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 13:19 21 Dec 2025
I don’t think it was that unbalanced, more we over-recruited in midfield/full back in hindsight. As we stand, Humbles, Mancini, Hosannah and Tutonda are signings we haven’t really needed to have made.
The amount of strikers was right - if Amantchi had made the impression we’d all have hoped, we’d be fine now. He hasn’t, so we aren’t.
The only position we were missing prior to the season was a player who could play both in the centre and one of the wider defensive three. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 21:17 20 Dec 2025
That’s a great observation about the injury situation being turned into a positive. Squad players have indeed stepped up and new arrivals have done well immediately - Broome and Waller last night being a good example.
Not sure Pearce would leave York after recently signing a new deal but it’d be interesting to see how they cope if he got injured. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:52 20 Dec 2025
The squad that we’ve built over time is undoubtedly a real plus. We’ve also seen that choosing our strongest team is difficult because of all the other factors, including those we aren’t always aware of like when players need a rest to avoid longer term issues.
There will be times when they make choices to change the starting XI and it doesn’t work, that’s happened over the season and might again. But you’re right, that decision making others can contribute to has worked much more than the odd occasion when they’ve got it wrong.
Looking at the last ten games, we gained 22 points. That’s great form. It would see us on 91 points after 40 games should we replicate it. I’m sure most would take that if offered now.
If York replicate their last ten games over the next twenty, they’ll have played 42 and have 100 points. But we will have two games in hand! That’s why I believe they need to have a ‘bad’ patch or two. One where they draw and lose in a 3/4 game period. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:31 20 Dec 2025
Agreed. We’re a totally different side to York. Once which I think is more capable of getting a result when it matters. The wins by the odd goal and how we’ve beaten rivals has shown that. Diesruvwe will be vital in those games.
York are scoring lots on a very consistent basis. The remark about them having a bad patch would be based on how they react in the games where they aren’t likely to score four. |
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