It's stage one.. patience is key, and we're doing well

IMO, Hillcroft have way exceeded my own expectations, in their 8 months at the helm. Considering the budget cuts, the 1500 lost fans, the sale of our captain and POTY, even I (I wanted em ere) saw only a relegation battle ahead for us.
Unlike many, I quite liked the bravery in Keith's summer recruitment drive from mainly the lower leagues. I had grown tired of journeymen prem flops looking for one last pay day. And I remember the likes of Redfearn, Bullock, Sheridan and Hassell starting out in the basement division. Im not a fan of the loan system, but in these tough economic times, I accept that the loan market will play a big role for us. But there are ways of using it, and I felt it was abused under the last two managers.
The first few games - the 3 consecutive home defeats especially - were a hard watch. And Hillcroft and their squad were never afforded a honeymoon or settling-in period.
I am at a loss as to why people expected everything to just click.
But over time, as the lads clearly got used to both each other, and Hillcroft's methods, we began to look decent. Solid at the back, and actually unbeaten away from home for a couple of months - culture shock for us that! And during the first three months, we were playing some strong sides, with at times just 16 or 17 fit players. That bad luck on the injury front was unreal, and I cant remember a crisis quite like it in my 24 years at the 'Well.
But as we headed towards xmas - and the playoffs - we suffered another blip in form/results, and then our horrid luck on the injury front returned. We expected to lose our captain and star player Jacob Butterfield in January. But we lost him in a different and unwelcome manner on New Years Eve. Dirty Leeds...
We had already lost influential midfield pair Danny Drinkwater and Jim O'Brien to the injury curse, but losing Butts for the season and any potential transfer fee, again left us down to the bare bones, and with little money to solve it.
We then lost loanee Drinkwater to Leicester, and have had to scratch around the lower leagues once more to strengthen the squad. We have two prem loanees, but as talented as they are, they are unfit, and need to get up to speed. And all that is rounded off by the 50k departure of Danny Haynes, and the [insert figure] transfer of top scorer and "football ghost" Ricardo Vaz Te to Champions elect West Ham Utd... that is a hell of a lot of adversity in just 8 months at a new club, at a new level, for a manager who clearly has a lot to say.
All that said, I repeat, Hilly and Flicker (and their players) have way exceeded my own expectations thus far. I also believe that in general, the product on show has improved tenfold. And while our early defensive solidity has disappeared, I would say we have been royally entertained this term - and we did the Dirty Double!
.
Its stage one people. And Im sure Keith and Flicker are just as aware as we are, of the pts gained from behind issue.
I trust them to fix it by stage 2

 

Why do you feel that the last two managers abused the loan system while the current one is using it perfectly? What's the difference?

 

Disagree. I don't see how Robins signed a squad full of loan players.

 

Bloody hell - I agree with you

 

Putting words in my post (mouth) there Supertyke.
I never made reference to whether or not Keith's loans were a success or not.
For the record, I think Drinkwater was a quality addition at a key time, and I think the two latest lads in midfield were needed.
Conversely, the lad Park, and of course Miles, didnt work out.
I believe Mark Robins spent a fortune - compared to Keith - bringing in Shackell, Lovre, O'Brien, Liam D and JayMac... and then didnt play most of em, and instead made short term loan after short term loan. I would have rather seen him acquire the likes of Perkins (Arismendi), McNulty (Hill), Davies (O'Coke) and played Butterfield (Mellis)..

 

Good post... I must say that I ditched my season ticket under Davey as I felt disillusioned every time I left the ground. I went to loads of Robins' matches but never renewed because, again, the team were trying to play % football and trying to not lose rather than to win. I had a good think in the summer, looked at Hill's relationship with the Rochdale fans, tried to work out what the 'football' was like and I decided to renew my season ticket. I had a good vibe in other words. I think the football so far has been the best we have seen for over ten years (in patches) and if Hill continues to develop the club and squad like he is obviously doing then next year, when financial constraints start to bite on many clubs, I think we will be in an excellent position. I am really pleased I went with instinct and renewed my season ticket. So far it has been a good investment re the entertainment (even the Ipswich game was entertaining!!). I would urge any non-season ticket holders to try and get down to a game or two this season if circumstances allow. The Reds are doing ok at the moment and if 2-3 thousand more start turning up it will make a difference....

 

I had been going pretty much every week since 1987. It has become more difficult to go in recent years due to family/work but these reasons also gave me an excuse not to go - to be honest I was losing interest under Davey and then Robins.

Hillcroft have got me interested again and I will be buying a season ticket next season. I probably won't be able to go every week but I think they deserve that investment such is a good job they are doing. The ludicrous pricing for one off games is also forcing me into buying a season ticket. I wouldn't say that system has particularly worked though; I think we will have lost a number of fans in the long run as a result.

 

The lack of paragraph use which has been highlighted before and beginning sentences with 'but' just ain't good enough for a wannabe journalist I am afraid. Have you heard of proof reading dear boy or are you just trying to be like Mr Lodge? Your content of the actual post I cannot comment on, as the layout makes it virtually unreadable to me Whitey old chap.

I do hope this assists in your literacy studies.

 

Beginning sentences with but, and etc is now accepted practice I think you will find.

Hope this helps.

 

Well of the eight you mentioned only really Trippier, Harewood and McShane were good for us, so Bobins strikerate from those you mentioned is less than 50%.

 

Rather have hill than mceveley, mellis was decent too.

 

Accepted yes, but still poor I am afraid.

 

O`Connor while he was on loan was very good, Mellis was a quality player, Hill was better than JayMac, all good loans
Arismendi was going to be a fantastic signing according to 90% of posters on here at the time, also Wood was going to score loads because he had played in the World Cup.
Not all work out, but many do.

 

McShane for what he must have cost didn't exactly help our leaky defence. He didn't have much about him either other than booting the ball into touch and getting booked.

Mellis seemed loved because he came from big club Chelsea. Did he ever finish a game? He always looked blown up and wasn't a 90 minute player.

 

Erm it was your post that included McShane.