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Reply | Watson.....
at 13:38 6 Sep 2026
Ian Watson seems a decent bloke and nobody enjoys calling for someone to lose their job, the injury list has been brutal and he’s said himself he’s never known a start like it. New club, new league, half your first choice XI unavailable — that’s a rough hand.
nobody sensible thought this season was going to be easy. Coming up into League Two is a big step. Better players, better teams, harder games week in week out. Most of us went into August expecting a scrap and would’ve taken fourth from bottom in May and been glad of it.
But that’s exactly why the start matters, and injuries don’t explain what I watched yesterday.
One win from five. Three points. Twenty-second. Beaten at home by Crawley, done late at Colchester, then 4-1 by a Gillingham side who hadn’t won all season and who lost two players injured inside the first half hour. Tuesday against Shrewsbury was a proper performance and it felt like we’d turned a corner. Yesterday made that look like a one-off.
Now look at who we’ve actually played. Newport, Crawley, Shrewsbury, Gillingham, Colchester — with respect, that’s the half of the division we’re supposed to be competing with. Those were our points. And it doesn’t get any kinder from here: Walsall away then Oldham at home, both flying, and a run of decent sides after that. We could very easily be ten games in, cut adrift at the bottom, with a squad of borrowed kids who’ve learned nothing all season except how to lose. That’s the bit that frightens me. Once losing becomes the habit at this level it is very hard to break, and by then you’re not sacking a manager to improve, you’re sacking him to survive.
My real problem is what’s been thrown away. Last season was a triumph — record points, Wembley, back in the Football League. Then McNulty went to Stockport and took Taylor and Done with him. Kyron Gordon followed them, Perry and Whatmuff went back to their clubs But the spine of that squad stayed. Players who knew the system, knew each other, and knew how to win games.
Watson’s come in and pulled it apart. He binned the back Three, went to a four, shipped three at Newport, then switched back to a three by game three. Two systems in five matches and we don’t look right in either.
Yesterday we had a loan keeper in Ramming and three of the back four loanees under 21. Charlie Tasker had been here four days, he looks a decent player. But you can’t build a defence out of kids who’ve never played senior football, who have never played together,
Watson has been backed. The club have put their hand in their pocket for him this summer, He hasn’t been asked to do it on nothing. He was given the money to go and get experienced League Two players and he’s spent the summer assembling a squad of loans and projects instead.
The crowds have been superb on top of it. 4,005 in yesterday, nearly 3,900 for Crawley. That won’t last forever though, and watching a borrowed back four get taken apart by the bottom team in the league is a quick way to lose it.
The job wasn’t complicated. Spend that money on proper replacements for the ones we lost. Stick with the shape and the habits that got us up. Get some points on the board in August. Then bring his own ideas in gradually once we’re settled.
Instead he’s changed the lot at once, in a division we’ve only just come up into, with a squad that’s half built and half fit. Too much, too fast.
I hope I’m wrong. I’d love to be sat here in April saying he turned it round. But we spent three years getting out of the National League and I’m not prepared to risk a season finding out. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Crawley Town
at 11:04 23 Aug 2026
Yesterday’s performance was a marginal improvement on Newport. The switch to a back three appears to have been driven by injuries and the personnel available, which is understandable in the circumstances. It is not, though, the reason the performance fell short — the issues lie in what was done within that shape, not the shape being forced upon us.
If personnel were the constraint, the selection choices become harder to explain rather than easier. Hannant performed well at wing-back last season and was not considered for a role the system actively requires. We have players available who were recruited to compete for a wide position that the shape does not accommodate. Playing Moss and TAR on their unnatural flanks was also notable
There is a further inconsistency around Adeeko. Having been identified last week as the profile of midfielder the side needs, leaving him on the bench with resources already stretched is difficult to reconcile.
The equaliser shifted momentum clearly in our favour and the game was there to be won. Substitutions at that point looked necessary to most in the ground, and the failure to act was a missed opportunity — one that owed nothing to the injury situation.
Done and Taylor were significant contributors to last season’s success and their absence is being felt. The wider concern is whether Watson has the experience, or the requisite expertise within his backroom staff, to guide his decision-making. The early signs are concerning
I would very much like to be proven wrong, but nothing so far has given cause for optimism. [Post edited 23 Aug 11:26]
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Reply | Chorley (A) Match Thread - Pre-Season Friendly
at 22:26 15 Jul 2023
I was there today and putting it into perspective it was a pre season friendly. However apart from being impressed with a couple of Chorley players,Tyrese Sinclair Trialist A & Dos Santos it was a terrible game to watch. I'm trying to tell myself that pre season is about getting minutes into the players legs but we should be starting to see patterns of play and partnerships forming,?
I sat in the seat directly in front James Ball & his girlfriend so that was another positive for me today, not the fact I was sat near him but the fact that he was not on the pitch or in the squad
In all fairness Chorley looked a very decent outfit and I wish them a the best this season |
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Thread | Saturday v Carlisle
at 22:37 26 Jan 2023
I know this is going to be hard given the current status quo but we really need to put every effort in getting behind whatever team is on that pitch on Saturday for the 90 minutes. The overcoaters have created some Fantastic atmospheres this season inside the ground and it’s been great to see and hear! Yes things are not great! Yes we are all fed up with the lack of signings that we all know are desperately needed whilst our rivals are bringing players in daily! yes there have been baffling team selections/substitutions, and many many below par performances from this squad of players but this is our club one which has in the past given us some Fantastic memories currently sitting rock bottom with a squad devoid of any kind of confidence worry wether they are worthy of our support after the game, but on Saturday, for just 90 minutes we need to come together and get behind them! our opinions and frustrations can be aired at the upcoming fans forum, A toxic atmosphere (which mostly I agree with on every social platform is already ingrained) on Saturday this will inevitably transfer onto the pitch and result in a defeat. Nobody wants that! I know it’s crap it hurts and we are all worried about the future of our club but a toxic atmosphere in the COA on Saturday will not help our plight one bit! Guaranteed it will affect the players (deservedly or not) and put us deeper in the shit! UTD 🙠|
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Reply | Newport County (H) Match Thread
at 18:06 7 Jan 2023
Much better performance today, Especially first half. It was a shame Kelly lost his footing when played in by Lloyd just after our first if that goes in we win the game imo.
Kelly & Lloyd both brilliant today
Quigley & Ball as said already I halve feel sorry for ball but the lad just ain’t good enough how he gets in the team I will never know surely EBJ isn’t blind to his sub par performances? Quigley was superb at Carlisle in his first game, he has obviously got the quality as his career has proven so how he can be so bad is beyond me! Apart from these two I think everyone else had a decent game maybe there is hope! |
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Reply | Doncaster Vs Dale
at 20:31 29 Dec 2022
The attempted clearance/toe poke from John just before the free kick was the real reason there was any tackle to make by Kelly |
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Reply | Match Thread: Dale v Hartlepool
at 12:47 28 Dec 2022
After the chairmans update on the club, especially the financial situation and after The Boxing Day shambles this squad of “players” should be knocking on the chairmans door and forfeiting any wages until they can put in any kind of a performance that deserves being payed a wage for! They Need to understand they got us into this mess with consistent sub par performances individually and collectively, they get praised when they do well and take the plaudits but don’t like it when criticism is aimed at them! As we fear for the very least existence of our football club this lot take the money and give us nothing in return, no pride no effort no desire nothing I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed going to a game. It’s become a chore there is nothing to like about this squad of “players” at all, misplaced passes, long balls to nothing, constant lazy offsides, slow throw ins and set pieces, no end product, horrendous first touches and finishing, not tracking back, missing headers, it’s crap! I’ve seen better on bowlee and figrove and this lot are supposed to be professional footballers Robbie Stockdale put this shambles together so yes in part he is to blame but this lot need to get there heads out of their arses stop feeling sorry for themselves and start to realise that it’s their responsibility to earn their own f@@@ing wages, put some effort in show some desire |
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Reply | Sutton United (a) Match Thread
at 18:18 19 Nov 2022
Wow that was awful! So bad EBJ sent Nick Chadwick out to do the post match interview! I cannot remember such a weak set of players turning out for the club! We have players pulling out of tackles they are jumping for headers but not challenging to actually win the header, it’s garbage |
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Reply | 2022-2023 Squad
at 16:33 22 Jul 2022
He looks very good seemed to be involved in most of the highlights I’ve seen of the game against Scunthorpe |
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Reply | 2022-2023 Squad
at 20:36 20 Jul 2022
Anybody know who trialist A is? |
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Reply | Much Better..
at 23:04 29 Mar 2022
Give it a rest! That was the best performance for a long long time! Never going to have it all your own way for 90 mins that’s just football, we did what was required we got the three points. I agree about the corners and in general our set plays, But can you really fault RS tactics tonight after a 2-0 win? We got stuck in we seen the players running themselves into the ground, we did the basics right defended well and put the ball in the net twice. Something us fans have not seen at least for the last 6 matches |
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Reply | Clueless
at 21:27 16 Nov 2021
Apologies not all |
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Reply | Clueless
at 21:22 16 Nov 2021
Unreal....Oh to be a Dale fan
I find it very hard to believe that a manager would pick any player that does not care or try when they are on the pitch , Having played football at a very low level i can honestly say i never once went on the pitch and didn't care or try or want to win but i can remember countless times i played crap but never on purpose Does anybody honestly believe that any of these players dont care?
Stockdale came into the Job with very little time and into a club in turmoil from top to bottom, the players all believed BBM would be there and they were left high and dry when he left (O'Connell being just one) and Stockdale had to pick up the pieces of a squad who had been playing with no confidence and accused of not trying for at least 2 seasons, He has brought in a few quality players but the rot has set in with the majority of this squad and its going to take time to get rid of it.
The reality is we are in a transition period both on and off the Pitch League two football next season is a must and all that matters! it seems to me the Rot has also set in with the supporters too. Maybe we need to try and support this manager and these players? Boo's, moans and groans, criticism, accusations of no effort its all very toxic and it transfers onto the pitch? Some fans need a reality check....Clueless? Aye
UP THE DALE [Post edited 16 Nov 2021 21:28]
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Thread | Our defence
at 20:05 2 Oct 2021
What has max Taylor done wrong? For me alongside o’connell He was one of the stand out performers during our recent winning run! Then dropped for our last two defeats? If he is carrying an injury fair enough but there has been no mention of him being injured Dorset and graham for me are nowhere near as good [Post edited 2 Oct 2021 21:31]
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