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Reply | Carlisle v Woking
at 19:59 11 Dec 2025
Good result for us last night.
Proof that this league is still capable of throwing up the odd strange result. The total meltdown amongst some of Carlisle’s fanbase wont help them, with players who have appeared regularly now being deemed not good enough.
Such an overreaction will only work in favour of other teams in the title race. So that’s another positive from Woking’s win.
Edit: meant to post a new post rather than quote. It wasn’t a direct response! [Post edited 11 Dec 20:01]
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Reply | Carlisle v Woking
at 19:35 10 Dec 2025
Some fans weren’t bothered if we went out of the cup before we played York too. As I said, each to their own.
The comparison about last season’s Trophy defeat with participating in the Trophy this season was to try and establish if the Trophy itself is “meaningless” or whether it’s dependent on any particular moment in time. Many Dale fabd may be travelling down on Saturday hoping we take our first steps on the way to winning a trophy
With Aldershot, that particular moment in their history was huge as the reaction illustrated at the time. Unfortunately football doesn’t do trade offs, but yeah some fans across the game may take that offer up.. |
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Reply | Carlisle v Woking
at 19:20 10 Dec 2025
Not sure Dale fans thought that when that last minute header dropped in to take the game to penalties back in April. Accept that there will be individual fans who may believe that, each to their own.
Don’t know what Aldershot fans think now, but it was certainly a huge moment in their history when they reached Wembley last season. Maybe a cup run could kickstart their league form this time around. Who knows. [Post edited 10 Dec 19:21]
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Reply | Carlisle v Woking
at 18:34 10 Dec 2025
All National League clubs are playing in the Trophy on Saturday, so it’s not as though we could have used the date for anything else. If we do go out though, we could possibly move a game to 10th Jan which is free for the 4th round. Unfortunately Accrington’s ground isn’t available that day.
Whilst we’d all take promotion over a Trophy win, the chance to win a national competition at Wembley is something most Dale fans would see as a highlight of their time supporting the club. That’s why last season was so disappointing.
Do I think the Trophy could cause issues? Yes. Did it last season? No, it actually helped until the disappointment of the semi final. If we can play some squad players and get through, all well and good.
It’s also worth remembering that as fans, nobody (on here at least) expected us to win the league when the season began. The goalposts have moved slightly after the best start in the club’s history, but other teams are keeping pace too. We may end up in the playoffs even if we go out on Saturday. Either way, we should just go out to win every game and see where it takes us. [Post edited 10 Dec 18:40]
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Reply | Pitch video
at 17:46 8 Dec 2025
Informative watch. Good to hear from the people doing it with a detailed explanation.
Better than the amateur experts making assumptions! |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 16:10 7 Dec 2025
Where was that issue with the drainage mentioned?
Also haven’t seen anything about Bowlee being signed off and work starting so not sure why that would have been a cost this season. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 14:50 7 Dec 2025
Suppose as Dale fans that’s always been the case. Especially with the lack of success historically in terms of promotions.
Hill himself had two seasons of almost achieving that success only to fall short. There’s even an argument that we actually went backwards in 08/09 with the playoff semi defeat, a tie Gillingham always looked like winning.
His first promotion came with a side that looked to have won games before they started, something that he replicated during his second spell. The current team is the nearest we’ve had to that mentality, built on the back of a lot of work albeit with a massive slice of luck when the Ogdens arrived.
The post about injuries is now the major concern, the depth is there but my concern is how consistent the spine of the team has been. The back three, midfield two and centre forward have been set in stone for four months. Whilst having faith in the squad that’s been built, it’s whether the lack of game time of replacements may lead to some issues. Hopefully those who do step in can do so at the level Pettit did at Tamworth. [Post edited 7 Dec 14:54]
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 12:16 7 Dec 2025
Someone mentioned yesterday about the club providing regular updates on the work, including reporting on problems encountered as they’re discovered. Would give us all a better understanding of what might have gone wrong in the past and what will be in place going forward. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 11:52 7 Dec 2025
Good point about Tutonda. Would play him or Galvin on the left of the three next week and see how they do.
Pritchard is so crucial now if Allarakhia goes to the AFCON. The signings of both Berkoe and Galvin don’t seem to have fit with how we play. Can see problems developing down that side this next couple of months. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 11:41 7 Dec 2025
Based on the continued improvements, aided by the support he’s received, seen across all the games we’ve witnessed in the last 2.5 years, my opinion is he’s getting better as a manager.
Like others before him, including Hill, he says a lot of things I don’t agree with. But I personally can look past that because going to games is enjoyable again. Even when we get it wrong. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 11:20 7 Dec 2025
It was posted earlier in the thread what he said.
He makes a point of giving the current regime full credit for their work in the interview. Unless there are quotes to the contrary, rather than an interpretation of it, that’s where we are. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 09:50 7 Dec 2025
But he didn’t call the club a car crash. He said “this is the car crash of football management that I’ve been exposed to in my time here.”
Whether we feel his whole time at the club is deserving of that opinion is up for debate, but I can imagine everything those working at the club went through was very difficult for quite a long time. As he notes, that’s improved beyond belief since the takeover. Something fans will agree with too of course. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 09:44 7 Dec 2025
Don’t think he does hard done by, just sharing what he feels about managing the club. Like he shared how he felt about all the work the Ogdens have done recently in addressing the pitch issue.
He was probably, like everyone, rightly annoyed by what happened with the pitch at the start of the year. The criticism on here and from supporters in general then was justified, so the manager and others may have had similar opinions.
What annoyed me most yesterday were any comments about the pitch costing us a game we were winning. It didn’t, because we were only winning because of the pitch. The game should have been called off before then, so debating whether it could have finished makes no sense. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 09:32 7 Dec 2025
Yep, yesterday was inevitable and nothing could be done above what we’re doing.
He didn’t say the club was a car crash.
He praised the work the current regime are doing and that they don’t turn a blind eye to anything. [Post edited 7 Dec 9:33]
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 09:10 7 Dec 2025
McNulty’s comments about being manager at Dale:
“I’m still in a bit of shock about the sequence of events that unfolded, although I shouldn’t be because as the Rochdale manager, this is the car crash of football management that I’ve been exposed to in my time here. I spoke to someone earlier in jest saying that I feel like I’ve managed 20 clubs by just managing one, because of the amount of stuff we’ve gone through in my tenure. It’s just unbelievable, unbelievable.”
We don't have to agree with everything said, but he’s entitled to that opinion having managed the club through that time. Something many have praised him for dealing with, including on here.
He’s continually full of praise about the work of the current regime, but it seems quite obvious that first year in non-league has had a big impact on many, including supporters of course. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 08:34 7 Dec 2025
Whilst I didn’t agree with all the stuff about the pitch being the same v Solihull and Utd u21s, McNulty was full of praise about the current ownership. He said about the club turning a blind eye to the pitch for years and hoping the weather isn’t bad has cost us - he’s right on that. He also stated “the new owners don’t turn a blind eye to anything”.
There’s little doubt plenty of mistakes have been made over the pitch down the years, including in the last year or so. This messageboard has seen plenty of criticism in that time too. The difference now is we have people who recognise that and are able to do something about it. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 20:01 6 Dec 2025
It’s the same as we have played all season most recently last week against Eastleigh, we’ve never changed away from knocking it across the back but as you say, it was obvious it wasn’t working on that pitch. The players have to take more responsibility to recognise when it’s not possible on surfaces like today, because having to play that slowly nullifies how effective it’s been so far. The bench should be screaming at them to stop too. To their credit, it did get better towards the end of the half and definitely after the break.
I don’t think we set up cautiously, it was more a case of poor selection. Expecting Galvin to play so high and wide wasn’t working and it relied on Allarakhia to do all the work down that side. Same as when we played Berkoe in that role, doesn’t offer enough in the final third. That said, with Beckwith’s injury we might now see Galvin as LCB. Pritchard’s fitness may prove crucial these next couple of months. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Southend United
at 18:51 6 Dec 2025
Have always thought the risks often outweigh the rewards myself, however it’s how they want to play and they’ll argue it works as the results are proving it. We’ve always looked better when we mix it up, but that’s just my opinion.
Don’t agree with some of what McNulty said, that game wasn’t anything like the Solihull or Utd u21s games. The pitch was unplayable from around the hour mark. If we hadn’t taken the lead, nobody would even be discussing the abandonment.
Not sure why there was doubt about what happens next either, of course the result won’t stand! Nor should it. |
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Reply | world cup draw
at 18:37 6 Dec 2025
Yeah, undoubtedly a rise at the top end as noted, just it didn’t seem to feed down to all levels. As ever with Dale, it’ll all depend on what we do when opportunities arise.
Looking at the figure, it shows how having a successful team really did make a difference in the past. Average home crowds were at the 3000-3300 mark for a couple of seasons before that 6th place, before leaping to 4686 in 64/65. They then dropped back to the previous level the year after. |
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