By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
I think irrespective of the injuries, which is obviously a major factor he has signed these players. I don’t buy the fact they are young and inexperienced. If that’s the case, what use are they? People are far too protective of ‘young players’. These lads are either going to make it or not. And let’s have it right… typically by the age of 20 the best ones are already playing at the top level.
You instantly know whether they will ever make the grade. Just compare Ramming with Robert Sanchez. From the same club, similar path etc. Sanchez was brilliant for us. He had an error in him but that was because he actually did what a keeper should do. Come audaciously for crosses etc. Ramming is not good enough and you can see it immediately.
Wilson the same. He’s playing like it’s academy football. No bite, no urgency, casual. No doubt he will upload clips on his social media to portray all is good and how impressive he looks in our strip.
It’s not the time for allowing people to learn. We needed stability and strength mentally and physically. We’ve got too many loans players, and the the signings made across the back are poor too.
He’s got the balance of the squad completely wrong and the money needed to be spent wisely and unfortunately it looks been blown.
Interestly. Maguire and Sherring are surely not a product of MRKT. So he’s also been allowed to veer off from this. A question for the fans forum maybe.
All is not lost. But comparing us to York which is only fair given our journey. Keeper aside, they did not have a single loan player in the squad yesterday. We’ve rocked the ship.
I am not picking out those two players because I can do it to many more. But comparing them with Perry and Whatmuff as a recent example. Absolutely worlds apart.
That 4th goal was nothing to do with coaching that was purely down to the players who seemed to have thrown the towel in..I’m sure once our first choice players are back we will progress.
I’d be sorely tempted to start with Mani and Hendo together.
That 4th goal was nothing to do with coaching that was purely down to the players who seemed to have thrown the towel in..I’m sure once our first choice players are back we will progress.
I’d be sorely tempted to start with Mani and Hendo together.
So you'd drop Brown, who has been putting in all the effort, rather than Mani, who has looked mostly uninterested?
I’ve tried not to be too reactionary in my seasoned years of following Dale, but having thought about it properly last night, I honestly think the Newport game, and particularly that second half yesterday, ranks among the worst displays I’ve seen in nearly 40 years of supporting Rochdale. I’ve seen some pretty grim periods and some truly awful performances over the years, across various eras of infamy at the club, and that second half yesterday was right up there with them. I don’t say that lightly.
Under Watson, I can think of only one occasion where I’ve genuinely seen what I believe he is trying to achieve. Against Shrewsbury, the opposition were incredibly passive and gave our players time and space to play. If that is the only set of circumstances in which this system is capable of working, then frankly we are doomed.
The problem is that sacking him isn’t a simple decision either. It is going to cost the club a significant amount, regardless of what clauses are or aren’t in a three-year contract. And then comes the next question: what decent manager actually wants to take on this squad, particularly with the current injury list? It’s no fallacy that reputations are damaged as easily as they are made in the EFL.
Any manager coming in is going to know they are inheriting a difficult situation, and they will also know that they have very little room for error.
I’ve seen Maynard’s name mentioned numerous times. He may well be an excellent manager, but to me he looks like a project manager. Someone who needs time to build and develop something. At York, he inherited a very good squad and, when he took over, wasn’t hamstrung by resources or the constraints of a transfer window. That is a very different proposition to walking into the current situation at Rochdale, where the window is closed and you would imagine Watson has used most of the budget already.
He may ultimately be the best long-term option, but I wonder whether what we need right now is someone more in the Karl Robinson mould, an experienced manager who can come in, stop the downward trend and stabilise things quickly.
But then again, would someone like that even be interested in taking this job now? And would our board entertain that sort of appointment? We simply don’t know, particularly when we have no idea who is advising them from a footballing perspective.
What I do know is that I don’t think inaction is an option anymore. If a change is going to be made, it needs to be made immediately. A new manager needs to be identified, brought in, assess the squad, work out what he has to work with and then get games under his belt. Even starting from today, that process takes time, and time is precisely what we may not have before we become cut adrift.
Whatever anyone thinks of Watson as a manager, or however much we may want things to work, I think we have to be brutally honest about where we are.
We fought far too hard to get back to this level to blow it away in a single season because of some misguided sense of loyalty or sentiment.
Nobody wants another managerial change. Nobody wants the financial consequences of it. And nobody wants to admit that the current plan might not be working.
After 5 games Newport and Crawley have one win each.
Both against Dale… both looked streets ahead of us.
So Newport and Crawley who looked far better than Dale occupying 20th and 21st place.
We are in trouble.. Walsall away and then Oldham at home.. we will need something new from the management team and players or we will be 7 games in with only 3 points.
I think irrespective of the injuries, which is obviously a major factor he has signed these players. I don’t buy the fact they are young and inexperienced. If that’s the case, what use are they? People are far too protective of ‘young players’. These lads are either going to make it or not. And let’s have it right… typically by the age of 20 the best ones are already playing at the top level.
You instantly know whether they will ever make the grade. Just compare Ramming with Robert Sanchez. From the same club, similar path etc. Sanchez was brilliant for us. He had an error in him but that was because he actually did what a keeper should do. Come audaciously for crosses etc. Ramming is not good enough and you can see it immediately.
Wilson the same. He’s playing like it’s academy football. No bite, no urgency, casual. No doubt he will upload clips on his social media to portray all is good and how impressive he looks in our strip.
It’s not the time for allowing people to learn. We needed stability and strength mentally and physically. We’ve got too many loans players, and the the signings made across the back are poor too.
He’s got the balance of the squad completely wrong and the money needed to be spent wisely and unfortunately it looks been blown.
Interestly. Maguire and Sherring are surely not a product of MRKT. So he’s also been allowed to veer off from this. A question for the fans forum maybe.
All is not lost. But comparing us to York which is only fair given our journey. Keeper aside, they did not have a single loan player in the squad yesterday. We’ve rocked the ship.
I am not picking out those two players because I can do it to many more. But comparing them with Perry and Whatmuff as a recent example. Absolutely worlds apart.
The more cynical may see the signings of Maguire and Sherring as a manager helping his mates out.
This is a national league team in div 2 that is simply not fit for purpose. Who would be able to do anything with this team? Mani is the nl david kelly and the rest of them including the well past it hendo should have been left in the national league.
The performances this season wouldn't be good enough on the National League. No good suggesting the players are NL standard. The players are individually good enough in the main - the tactics, the attitude, the performances are not.
What worries me is that we have played the teams that have either had poor starts too or were expected to be relegation favourites. And we weren't at the races in all but one game. We are desperate for a coach that understands the strengths of the players we now have. No good blaming injuries - how did we let their lad dance past 9 paid professionals to score yesterday. And just because we make Mani the captain, why did it take 80 minutes for the manager to realise punting the ball long to him wasn't working? Surely Hendo and other senior pro's are able to talk to Watson about the strengths and capabilities in this squad.
I’ve actually begun to feel sorry for Watson. God knows how he must have felt last night. Totally depressed I should imagine. And he knows he has to go into work tomorrow and raise other people’s deflated spirits. He can’t help the injury list. He has to shoulder responsibility for recruitment though. He has to shoulder responsibility for poor match day management. Why did it take so long to get Gilmour on the pitch for example after the dismissal of Francis? And he has to shoulder responsibility for some rank bad team selection especially for the Crawley game. It’s a big weekend for the board too. Do they give Watson longer given that the prospects of gaining points in the next couple of games seem bleak? God knows what Fondop will do on Saturday week! Is the short term solution a temporary DOF? A fresh perspective on things to help Watson. It’s a big week for Josh too trying to boost Ramming.
I think irrespective of the injuries, which is obviously a major factor he has signed these players. I don’t buy the fact they are young and inexperienced. If that’s the case, what use are they? People are far too protective of ‘young players’. These lads are either going to make it or not. And let’s have it right… typically by the age of 20 the best ones are already playing at the top level.
You instantly know whether they will ever make the grade. Just compare Ramming with Robert Sanchez. From the same club, similar path etc. Sanchez was brilliant for us. He had an error in him but that was because he actually did what a keeper should do. Come audaciously for crosses etc. Ramming is not good enough and you can see it immediately.
Wilson the same. He’s playing like it’s academy football. No bite, no urgency, casual. No doubt he will upload clips on his social media to portray all is good and how impressive he looks in our strip.
It’s not the time for allowing people to learn. We needed stability and strength mentally and physically. We’ve got too many loans players, and the the signings made across the back are poor too.
He’s got the balance of the squad completely wrong and the money needed to be spent wisely and unfortunately it looks been blown.
Interestly. Maguire and Sherring are surely not a product of MRKT. So he’s also been allowed to veer off from this. A question for the fans forum maybe.
All is not lost. But comparing us to York which is only fair given our journey. Keeper aside, they did not have a single loan player in the squad yesterday. We’ve rocked the ship.
I am not picking out those two players because I can do it to many more. But comparing them with Perry and Whatmuff as a recent example. Absolutely worlds apart.
It's becoming increasingly clearer that Yorks' 2025/6 squad was much more EFL ready than ours in terms of age and length of EFL experience of their core members. That's down to McNulty and the Board but Watson has added to that with so many loans and the lack of emphasis on signing experienced, fit defenders.
It's becoming increasingly clearer that Yorks' 2025/6 squad was much more EFL ready than ours in terms of age and length of EFL experience of their core members. That's down to McNulty and the Board but Watson has added to that with so many loans and the lack of emphasis on signing experienced, fit defenders.
Admittedly not as familiar with York this season, so had a look at their team for the opening day win v Bristol Rovers. Apart from Ollie Banks, there was very little EFL experience in their starting XI.
Their line-up yesterday had a bit more with Fallowfield and Newby but they are far from an experienced Football League squad.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but decimating a squad which was incredibly close, had been through so much together, bringing in what has felt like tens of new faces including too many loans, and then asking them to play a completely new system (though we have seen little evidence of what that is) was making a hard job even harder.
Probably would have been best to transition slowly away from mcnulty’s squad and formation, replace Perry, WhatMuff and Gordon with similar players first, and go from there. Clearly being solid is the first requirement and we are getting ripped apart at will at the moment.
I’m very worried for us, we simply cannot get cut adrift or fall back into the NL.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but decimating a squad which was incredibly close, had been through so much together, bringing in what has felt like tens of new faces including too many loans, and then asking them to play a completely new system (though we have seen little evidence of what that is) was making a hard job even harder.
Probably would have been best to transition slowly away from mcnulty’s squad and formation, replace Perry, WhatMuff and Gordon with similar players first, and go from there. Clearly being solid is the first requirement and we are getting ripped apart at will at the moment.
I’m very worried for us, we simply cannot get cut adrift or fall back into the NL.
There was an argument that numbers needed to be increased. It was apparent that was never the issue and we should have looked at working with a smaller group initially.
From there the injuries hit and more arrived.
The signing of a fifth winger the other night was partially pushed to one side with a good victory. It remains a perfect example of how the squad construction, especially after the season began, has only added to the problems.
The whole thing has been a mess from start to finish. The ownership need to recognise that and make changes fast.
We came back from summer and went on a pre season trip with barely 11 players. We did half of pre season without a signed goalkeeper and we've been playing catch up ever since.
Injuries or not Watson had a capable squad there as well clearly saw on Tuesday that again elected to not give us much of anything yesterday. In 5 games how many attempts at goal have we actually seen? Bar a cross into the box I don't recall us having a dig at anything and that's not the first time I've said that this season.
I'm sick of managers coming in with word salad and pretending football is a science. This is a simple game being made overly difficult.
Mani needs to get more involved or he needs replacing. He was playing against part timers last season and currently looks like he's running through treacle.
Ramming needs dropping immediately. Clearly not capable and the wrong signing at the wrong time. We've been crying out for an established number 1 for years and we elect to give an untested goalie his work experience.
What a way to burst the bubble on what was an outstanding season last year. I can take the early losses but it's the complete lack of any urgency or thought that's making it tough to swallow, and I think the players are now starting to show their frustration too.
He has 1 more game I think to turn it around, otherwise we look elsewhere and hope for a new manager bounce before we get embarrassed by the Biffos.
The whole thing has been a mess from start to finish. The ownership need to recognise that and make changes fast.
We came back from summer and went on a pre season trip with barely 11 players. We did half of pre season without a signed goalkeeper and we've been playing catch up ever since.
Injuries or not Watson had a capable squad there as well clearly saw on Tuesday that again elected to not give us much of anything yesterday. In 5 games how many attempts at goal have we actually seen? Bar a cross into the box I don't recall us having a dig at anything and that's not the first time I've said that this season.
I'm sick of managers coming in with word salad and pretending football is a science. This is a simple game being made overly difficult.
Mani needs to get more involved or he needs replacing. He was playing against part timers last season and currently looks like he's running through treacle.
Ramming needs dropping immediately. Clearly not capable and the wrong signing at the wrong time. We've been crying out for an established number 1 for years and we elect to give an untested goalie his work experience.
What a way to burst the bubble on what was an outstanding season last year. I can take the early losses but it's the complete lack of any urgency or thought that's making it tough to swallow, and I think the players are now starting to show their frustration too.
He has 1 more game I think to turn it around, otherwise we look elsewhere and hope for a new manager bounce before we get embarrassed by the Biffos.
Sadly, the inability to turn the promise of last Tuesday into the prospect of gaining some momentum vanished into thin air. The forum on Thursday will be tasty, and if we're embarrassed at Walsall (not just a narrow defeat after playing with intensity) the board should cut their losses
Even if we go into the Oldham derby without a replacement, the toxicity that's taken hold wouldn't then be multiplied in such a vital game
I've always been a believer of never go back but we now need people who are going to make tough decisions for the better of the club. This is a great watch
I would imagine Cameron and Simon are having a sit down today. There is two people I would have on that Teams call / office meeting…and with lots of people saying they don’t have the football experience, irrespective of whether we think Ebanks Landell is at this level, he’s been around football and Rochdale long enough an experienced enough to know whether this ‘project’ is going to be a success. He must be consulted. And of course, Sir Ian Henderson. I would suggest his opinion is the one that counts the most. Clearly, he planned to retire and the wedding dates have that away. Somebody convinced him to stay on probably for the obvious reason of stability, continuity and true ambassador for the club and its culture. I would take that man’s opinion as gospel.
Like any organisation, it’s imperative they get the views of the people on the shop floor. The culture, the positives and the negatives all need to be considered in the feedback. That is true leadership by going bottom up and coming to a conclusion.
Body language on Saturday was harrowing. Carl Magnay appeared to face the dugout and kick something, after the fourth goal went in. I think it was his posh new dugout char. And then Ian Watson seemed to pull his cap further and further down his forehead. For long long periods he was stood on his own, and then at critical points of the game he opted to sit in his chair in the dugout. It reminded me of Jim’s first season where he didn’t have anybody to consult with or sound off. Taylor and Done provided that and it’s been well documented what we all thing they added to our season. Surely he needs something similar if he stays?
The substitutions are the tipping point for me. They change changes and in 5 matches, apart from a like for like swap which is hard to disagree with. I am yet to be convinced he is proactive as opposed to reactive.
But as pointed out above. The opinions of those two chaps is vital. It could get us to a decision far more efficiently.
I would imagine Cameron and Simon are having a sit down today. There is two people I would have on that Teams call / office meeting…and with lots of people saying they don’t have the football experience, irrespective of whether we think Ebanks Landell is at this level, he’s been around football and Rochdale long enough an experienced enough to know whether this ‘project’ is going to be a success. He must be consulted. And of course, Sir Ian Henderson. I would suggest his opinion is the one that counts the most. Clearly, he planned to retire and the wedding dates have that away. Somebody convinced him to stay on probably for the obvious reason of stability, continuity and true ambassador for the club and its culture. I would take that man’s opinion as gospel.
Like any organisation, it’s imperative they get the views of the people on the shop floor. The culture, the positives and the negatives all need to be considered in the feedback. That is true leadership by going bottom up and coming to a conclusion.
Body language on Saturday was harrowing. Carl Magnay appeared to face the dugout and kick something, after the fourth goal went in. I think it was his posh new dugout char. And then Ian Watson seemed to pull his cap further and further down his forehead. For long long periods he was stood on his own, and then at critical points of the game he opted to sit in his chair in the dugout. It reminded me of Jim’s first season where he didn’t have anybody to consult with or sound off. Taylor and Done provided that and it’s been well documented what we all thing they added to our season. Surely he needs something similar if he stays?
The substitutions are the tipping point for me. They change changes and in 5 matches, apart from a like for like swap which is hard to disagree with. I am yet to be convinced he is proactive as opposed to reactive.
But as pointed out above. The opinions of those two chaps is vital. It could get us to a decision far more efficiently.
[Post edited 7 Sep 12:28]
I wonder what went on during training between last Tuesday and Saturday
Watson referenced the change from crisp and accurate passing to lethargy (or whatever words he used) in his post-match interview. Question: Why??
The players, coaching staff and fans (some more cautiously than others...) were on a high after we saw off Shrewsbury. The confidence was visible, though fragile. As said, i couldn't make it on Saturday but how do you turn that into what sounds like a debacle? Was it really just conceding the first goal... surely not, every player will have played in countless games where they conceded first
As we move towards the Forum, the mood is probably worse than if we'd drawn both home games, in a hard-fought manner, with fewer points returned. There's just no backbone in the side; that's what's unacceptable
I wonder what went on during training between last Tuesday and Saturday
Watson referenced the change from crisp and accurate passing to lethargy (or whatever words he used) in his post-match interview. Question: Why??
The players, coaching staff and fans (some more cautiously than others...) were on a high after we saw off Shrewsbury. The confidence was visible, though fragile. As said, i couldn't make it on Saturday but how do you turn that into what sounds like a debacle? Was it really just conceding the first goal... surely not, every player will have played in countless games where they conceded first
As we move towards the Forum, the mood is probably worse than if we'd drawn both home games, in a hard-fought manner, with fewer points returned. There's just no backbone in the side; that's what's unacceptable
[Post edited 7 Sep 13:28]
We started the game exactly as we left off on Tuesday. Good pace, good wing play, and I thought we'd give the Gills a game. They had a lad injured just by the box and Ainsworth realised they were being skinned down the right hand side (as we attack). So he not only subbed the injured player, but another as well. Completely changed the momentum of the game. Fair play to him, as an experienced manager he knew he had to change it round.
We then started hoofing the ball to Mani and hoped he could hold it. Of course he can't, and he can't jump either. I thought we'd change it around at half time....it wasn't working. Everyone in the ground could see that. And then the flood gates opened. Lets be clear, Gillingham weren't a top of the league side. They just worked out how to nullify any threat we posed and open us up by running at us. It was a tale of a very accomplished and experienced manager that knew he had to change things versus one that looked lost.
I would imagine Cameron and Simon are having a sit down today. There is two people I would have on that Teams call / office meeting…and with lots of people saying they don’t have the football experience, irrespective of whether we think Ebanks Landell is at this level, he’s been around football and Rochdale long enough an experienced enough to know whether this ‘project’ is going to be a success. He must be consulted. And of course, Sir Ian Henderson. I would suggest his opinion is the one that counts the most. Clearly, he planned to retire and the wedding dates have that away. Somebody convinced him to stay on probably for the obvious reason of stability, continuity and true ambassador for the club and its culture. I would take that man’s opinion as gospel.
Like any organisation, it’s imperative they get the views of the people on the shop floor. The culture, the positives and the negatives all need to be considered in the feedback. That is true leadership by going bottom up and coming to a conclusion.
Body language on Saturday was harrowing. Carl Magnay appeared to face the dugout and kick something, after the fourth goal went in. I think it was his posh new dugout char. And then Ian Watson seemed to pull his cap further and further down his forehead. For long long periods he was stood on his own, and then at critical points of the game he opted to sit in his chair in the dugout. It reminded me of Jim’s first season where he didn’t have anybody to consult with or sound off. Taylor and Done provided that and it’s been well documented what we all thing they added to our season. Surely he needs something similar if he stays?
The substitutions are the tipping point for me. They change changes and in 5 matches, apart from a like for like swap which is hard to disagree with. I am yet to be convinced he is proactive as opposed to reactive.
But as pointed out above. The opinions of those two chaps is vital. It could get us to a decision far more efficiently.
[Post edited 7 Sep 12:28]
I’m not sure we can rely on Simon Gauge to make any sensible decisions here. It was him in charge for the Robbie Stockdale appointment. You might have thought that debacle would have put him off appointing a young inexperienced manager again, but here we are. I’m actually surprised the Ogdens have kept him around as he had no football experience to begin with and doesn’t seem to have learnt too much in the past few years either.
I’m not sure we can rely on Simon Gauge to make any sensible decisions here. It was him in charge for the Robbie Stockdale appointment. You might have thought that debacle would have put him off appointing a young inexperienced manager again, but here we are. I’m actually surprised the Ogdens have kept him around as he had no football experience to begin with and doesn’t seem to have learnt too much in the past few years either.
I have never understood the vindictiveness from a couple of individuals to Simon Gauge.
This is the man who used £500,000 of his family money to keep the club alive during its darkest hours, effectively wrote it off by converting it to a minority share, and during his time as drector and chairman never received any remuneration from the club ( unlike the unmentionable Bottomley, and others). Didn`t sell his shares to the other unmentionables unlike some "heros" like Mr Dunphy.
I think his efforts deserve some appreciation. The club would certainly have folded if he had not stepped in.
I have never understood the vindictiveness from a couple of individuals to Simon Gauge.
This is the man who used £500,000 of his family money to keep the club alive during its darkest hours, effectively wrote it off by converting it to a minority share, and during his time as drector and chairman never received any remuneration from the club ( unlike the unmentionable Bottomley, and others). Didn`t sell his shares to the other unmentionables unlike some "heros" like Mr Dunphy.
I think his efforts deserve some appreciation. The club would certainly have folded if he had not stepped in.
The post you are replying to was not vindictive in any way.
You can be appreciative of all of the support that Gauge give the club in its time in need whilst still criticising his decision making and questioning his footballing credentials.
I would go as far to say that this is the stance/opinion of most sensible supporters of the club
The post you are replying to was not vindictive in any way.
You can be appreciative of all of the support that Gauge give the club in its time in need whilst still criticising his decision making and questioning his footballing credentials.
I would go as far to say that this is the stance/opinion of most sensible supporters of the club
Tend to agree that there are quite a few people who don't appreciate just how important a job Simon Gauge (and Richard Knight) did when we were so very close to going out of business. Without the money they put in, we simply wouldn't have a club to support and for that, we should be very thankful.
That is totally different to also agreeing that they haven't always got decisions right. Stockdale especially, and latterly Watson would seem to be good examples of that, whilst McNulty was a big success. It's very obvious that the Ogdens have been hugely important in investing, bringing stability and planning for the future, but it does seem that we are lacking in "football experience" on the Board.
Surely the whole board or at least both Co-Chairs were involved in the decision to employ Watson and Magnay it would be unfair to apportion blame and one person's door
I'm not a public school debating champion and don't be obtuse
Surely the whole board or at least both Co-Chairs were involved in the decision to employ Watson and Magnay it would be unfair to apportion blame and one person's door
It would, and therefore the managerial procurement question comes back into play
It's something i'd hoped might become redundant after last Tuesday, but best not use the term "redundant"...
The post you are replying to was not vindictive in any way.
You can be appreciative of all of the support that Gauge give the club in its time in need whilst still criticising his decision making and questioning his footballing credentials.
I would go as far to say that this is the stance/opinion of most sensible supporters of the club
Most sensible fans do indeed recognise the two sides to the coin.
Similarly, the issues around footballing decisions by the club were brought into question when McNulty was here - there are plenty of threads from the failed playoff season where the board’s decision making came up.
Of course, a few good results (or 34 wins and a victory at Wembley) shift opinion. Yet winning a football match shouldn’t mean that the constructive debate about how the club is run off the pitch shouldn’t still be relevant.
The same questions exist now as they did after winning on Tuesday as they did when we were top of the league and when we were losing to Southend.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.