I don't post that much other than when HT winds me up enough or to ask when the box office is open but I think this is a decent point to take stock of the season so far. After pre-season I was overjoyed by the football we were playing; easy on the eye with quick on the deck passing. However I was also aware that pre-season is an entirely different kettle of fish to competitive games. I knew we were going to be far from the most technically gifted team in the division, and certainly not the most physical. In order to carry over the results to the league we would have to marry the passing ethic to work rate, team work and tactics. These things were not challenged by pre-season and so I went into the first game cautiously optimistic but feeling that it could go either way. After the Morecambe game I thought we were going to be in trouble. Not only had we been found wanting technically in those first few games, it seemed that the work ethic, tactics and team work were either not there or weren't sufficient to overcome the natural disadvantages that come with building a team on a shoestring. Looking back, it may be that putting that pre-season form into practice in competitive games was not as easy as the players expected, and that they needed some time to adapt to the increased tempo and physicality of those games. Since then we have gone from strength to strength. I was concerned about the signings we made, but Addison (and possibly Wiseman - I am not sure about his defensive abilities but he has had good games so the jury is still out) aside they have all performed admirably. Perkins in particular, if he doesn't p*ss player of the year I'll get my ar*e out on the town hall steps. Done has looked capable whenever he has come into the side, McNulty is forming a solid partnership with Fozzie, Drinkwater is a quality box to box midfielder, and in Davies and Vaz Te we have two forward players who in terms of goals to minutes will be dangerously close to averaging the magical 1 goal every 180. The team has been moulded into what is (from what Rochdale fans had to say), a typical Hillcroft side. We work hard and press teams without compromising the belief that football should be played properly. I have been impressed with Mr Hill (occasional media missteps aside) and note that unlike previous managers he will be proactive in making changes whether due to possible selection errors on his part (Perkins at LB tonight) or the fact that he sees that a substitution could change the game. It is a refreshing change from subs being brought on only where there is an injury or it is past the 75th minute. So what now? Like others have mentioned we have been in similar situations at this point in the season with different managers. However with those managers it felt like an unsustainable peak. Under Hillcroft I feel that it is part of an ongoing development, that the team will continue to gel and improve and that, whether this season or the next, we could genuinely challenge for top 6. I only hope that Hillcroft are around to be part of it. In some ways I hope that we either finish in the top 6th or 12th-15th this season and not inbetween. Hillcroft strike me as being (rightly) ambitious, and I fear that if we finish in the top 10 we may struggle to keep hold of them.
Thanks for that. You should post more often mate... My only post of the night, too busy working to post my thoughts, but will do so tmra. UP THE TARN
Good post. Like you said it feels different under Hillcroft, there is a real belief that we're making progress.
Re: Very interesting read Thank good for that, for a minute then l thought we were signing Brian Stock, that cripple from down the road!
