This is the Rochdale thread | Page 7 | Vital Football

This is the Rochdale thread

No complaints, Rochdale deserved at least a point; their movement was much better than ours and the young 17 year old left sided player (Baah) tormented Graham and Jackson for large chunks of the game. Graham a bit off, generally, today and Dempsey possibly trying a bit too hard, maybe in light of the last week`s publicity and the likely presence of interested scouts.

Rochdale look a better team than their league position suggests; on to Tuesday and Crewe , another decent team who`ll present a tough challenge. UTG.
 
Mixed bag of a performance. When we pressed them high up the pitch, they were there for the taking. When we stood off they looked pretty decent. On the two goals we let in I'll say this: The first one looked to be a misunderstanding between Graham and Jackson. While the scorer was initially Graham's man Graham seemed to expect Jackson to be covering in behind and that, I think is why Graham stopped tracking him. Not sure who's wrong/right there, You'd have to ask the coaching staff. For the second, while I'm by no means a Jackson hater he's encouraged his man to cut in from the wing, where usually you'd want to prevent that and make the winger go the long way round. Two preventable goals, but then ours both came from set-pieces. Can't complain.
 
Gills 58 said:
Crap again. Lucky to get a point. Their defence looked dodgy but we did little to pressurise it.
Well done Akinde. Didn't see that coming.
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Agree and disagree! We were crap, but deserved a point. I also did see that coming re Akinde as was calling for him to come on at half time.

It was a strange game. We were outplayed in the first half, but Rochdale only had one really good chance with Lund missing a sitter (very similar to Ogilvie's fail that I'l mention later!) We undeservedly took the lead, but it was far from unsurprising as Rochdale's defence and keeper looked shaky and really susceptible to crosses or anything played in the box (why didn't we do it more?!?!)

The second half was a role reversal. Rochdale continued to play the better football, but we were easily the more progressive and threatening and should have gone 2-0 with Ogilvie missing that sitter then O'Connor shanking a great chance. Rochdale then pushed a bit more in the last 20, but didn't really threaten, however we seemed to really open up and leave space on two occasions with Rochdale sticking away two very tidy goals, but poor defensively. We only really threw everything at them in the last five minutes, but again, we looked dangerous with balls crossed, thrown and pumped into the box and got the equaliser we deserved in the end. I say deserved not because we played well, but because beyond the two goals and the Lund miss, Rochdale create little for all of their tidy play - we created a lot more clear chances despite performing poorly and scrapily.
 
SteveTreacle said:
Agree and disagree! We were crap, but deserved a point. I also did see that coming re Akinde as was calling for him to come on at half time.

It was a strange game. We were outplayed in the first half, but Rochdale only had one really good chance with Lund missing a sitter (very similar to Ogilvie's fail that I'l mention later!) We undeservedly took the lead, but it was far from unsurprising as Rochdale's defence and keeper looked shaky and really susceptible to crosses or anything played in the box (why didn't we do it more?!?!)

The second half was a role reversal. Rochdale continued to play the better football, but we were easily the more progressive and threatening and should have gone 2-0 with Ogilvie missing that sitter then O'Connor shanking a great chance. Rochdale then pushed a bit more in the last 20, but didn't really threaten, however we seemed to really open up and leave space on two occasions with Rochdale sticking away two very tidy goals, but poor defensively. We only really threw everything at them in the last five minutes, but again, we looked dangerous with balls crossed, thrown and pumped into the box and got the equaliser we deserved in the end. I say deserved not because we played well, but because beyond the two goals and the Lund miss, Rochdale create little for all of their tidy play - we created a lot more clear chances despite performing poorly and scrapily.
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Thanks for your observations Steve it is much appreciated.Given we are still short of numbers in vital areas I suppose we should not get too depressed about getting a point. I would guess both managers will feel it was theirs for the taking.
I know I have been critical of Jackson in the past.He has qualities but most are not defensively.With Graham in front of him it does make for things opening up at both ends.Perhaps someone yelling at Jackson occasionally would help lack of a voice and playing as a unit appears to be our main problem as others have said.
For me there is a choice replacement or at least a real alternative to Jackson a more defensive player. Or we sign a commanding centre back as part of a three and allow Jackson more licence to get forward.Which of course would possibly mean playing more narrow and might limit Graham.
Leave things as they are and goals dry up a little as of result of not replacing Samuel and we will see more teams attacking our right and putting our defence on the back foot .A better team would have beaten us today of that I am certain.
 
SteveTreacle said:
Agree and disagree! We were crap, but deserved a point. I also did see that coming re Akinde as was calling for him to come on at half time.

It was a strange game. We were outplayed in the first half, but Rochdale only had one really good chance with Lund missing a sitter (very similar to Ogilvie's fail that I'l mention later!) We undeservedly took the lead, but it was far from unsurprising as Rochdale's defence and keeper looked shaky and really susceptible to crosses or anything played in the box (why didn't we do it more?!?!)

The second half was a role reversal. Rochdale continued to play the better football, but we were easily the more progressive and threatening and should have gone 2-0 with Ogilvie missing that sitter then O'Connor shanking a great chance. Rochdale then pushed a bit more in the last 20, but didn't really threaten, however we seemed to really open up and leave space on two occasions with Rochdale sticking away two very tidy goals, but poor defensively. We only really threw everything at them in the last five minutes, but again, we looked dangerous with balls crossed, thrown and pumped into the box and got the equaliser we deserved in the end. I say deserved not because we played well, but because beyond the two goals and the Lund miss, Rochdale create little for all of their tidy play - we created a lot more clear chances despite performing poorly and scrapily.
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I think our heroes were off the pace today (Graham of all people with a couple of bad touches eg), but kept battling and got their justs. I agree that Rochdale looked flimsy when we pressed, but we could only sustain it for short periods.
 
Confession. I dozed off wore up just in time to see Dempsey do brilliantly to win the header for Akinde to hit home.

Might be an important point come Relegation time.
 
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A bit better than the Burton game and overall a draw was just about right in my opinion. I think Rochdale have some good players, that I wouldn't mind seeing in our team. Lund (sitter apart), Rathbone and the right back (can't remember his name).
 
Why does our play become so clumsy at home ? I lost count of the number of poor touches and simple passes missed. It’s seems to be a recurring theme at home, but not so apparent in away games.
 
Therealwaldo said:
Why does our play become so clumsy at home ? I lost count of the number of poor touches and simple passes missed. It’s seems to be a recurring theme at home, but not so apparent in away games.
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The home and away records this season are very similar I would argue that it is merely a lack of consistency. Typical with a young team.Any home advantage is less this season anyway with no attendance. Travelling itself appears not to be detrimental which is a good thing.
 
I'm very content. There isn't a poster on this forum who wouldn't have been happy with 4 points from the two games just before Accie.
 
Therealwaldo said:
Why does our play become so clumsy at home ? I lost count of the number of poor touches and simple passes missed. It’s seems to be a recurring theme at home, but not so apparent in away games.
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More worrying is the repeatedly poor starts while that had no affect on today's result it is evident that for whatever reason Evans tactics are more effective in the second half.Although this first half table appears to prove that it is not affecting results.https://www.fctables.com/england/league-1/first-half/
Fitness being a strong point of this team it seems odd or bad luck we have had so many injuries.But perhaps it is the lack of fitness of other teams that we are benefiting from in the second half?Where our lads perhaps concentrate on keeping it tight in the first half then go for it later in the game which perhaps works better against the poorer sides in the main.
 
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markinkent said:
Might be an important point come Relegation time.
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I think that must be a typo Mark.
You realise we are mid-table, 7pts from playoffs and 8pts from the relegation spots?

chris who said:
Where our lads perhaps concentrate on keeping it tight in the first half then go for it later in the game which perhaps works better against the poorer sides in the main.
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That was definitely our mojo last season. During that long unbeaten run, so long as we were in the game at half time, I always felt confident we’d be the better side in the 2nd half and especially the last 20 mins.

Not quite so evident this season. For whatever reason we just can’t put together any sort of consistent performance, either winthin a game, or from game to game. The difference between our best and worst is huge.
 
OneSirKeefy said:
I think that must be a typo Mark.
You realise we are mid-table, 7pts from playoffs and 8pts from the relegation spots?



That was definitely our mojo last season. During that long unbeaten run, so long as we were in the game at half time, I always felt confident we’d be the better side in the 2nd half and especially the last 20 mins.

Not quite so evident this season. For whatever reason we just can’t put together any sort of consistent performance, either winthin a game, or from game to game. The difference between our best and worst is huge.
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We are certainly not as difficult to play against as we were last season. We struggle to keep clean sheets, both through individual errors and collectively being disorganised, not a good recipe for trying to win games and build confidence. Not sure if that's down to personnel or just poor tactics/no time on the training ground but if we continue to gift teams goals we're going to struggle to be anything above mid table at best.

It was our defence last year that allowed us to get into upper mid table.
 
Captainreblue said:
We are certainly not as difficult to play against as we were last season. We struggle to keep clean sheets, both through individual errors and collectively being disorganised, not a good recipe for trying to win games and build confidence. Not sure if that's down to personnel or just poor tactics/no time on the training ground but if we continue to gift teams goals we're going to struggle to be anything above mid table at best.
It was our defence last year that allowed us to get into upper mid table.
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See Captain, I didn’t think that we gifted them easy goals.
I thought that they scored two very good goals that I’d have been chuffed at if we had scored them, particularly their first.
We’ve got to remember that everything that was are trying to do, the opposition is trying just as hard to stop us, and visa versa.
If all teams had watertight defences, it would be a dull old match.
 
From a defensive point of view the first goal was avoidable. The first goal is a typical Jackson type goal, the player comes inside and Jackson follows the ball without being aware of what's going on around him. The ball then goes back into an area where Jackson should be as RB but he's not because he's now in an area where he can have no affect either by putting pressure on the ball or by defending the space in the RB position , Graham doesn't track the runner and bingo, goal.

Not being harsh on Jackson, its what he did the last time he was here and is still doing, he ball watches far to much. Both the goals Rochdale scored yesterday came down our right, as did the early chance that Bonham tipped onto the bar.

I played RB to a fairly decent level and positionally Jackson is far to often out if position but he's a cheap option.
 
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On the subject of players, who are positionally aware and have a sense of the game around them, I give you Slattery. Very impressed with that part of his game and he is pretty cute about fouling to break up play; Peter Lloyd was spot on about his fortune to have avoided a yellow for persistent fouling. I like him, hope he stays for the full loan period and keeps improving.
 
Captainreblue said:
From a defensive point of view the first goal was avoidable. The first goal is a typical Jackson type goal, the player comes inside and Jackson follows the ball without being aware of what's going on around him. The ball then goes back into an area where Jackson should be as RB but he's not because he's now in an area where he can have no affect either by putting pressure on the ball or by defending the space in the RB position , Graham doesn't track the runner and bingo, goal.

Not being harsh on Jackson, its what he did the last time he was here and is still doing, he ball watches far to much. Both the goals Rochdale scored yesterday came down our right, as did the early chance that Bonham tipped onto the bar.

I played RB to a fairly decent level and positionally Jackson is far to often out if position but he's a cheap option.
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Get your boots and report to SE tomorrow morning. We need you and LSB to shore up that right side.
 
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