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Reply | Allarakhia at the AFCON
at 18:27 23 Dec 2025
He had a real chance just before the break that he’ll be disappointed he didn’t do better with. Ball laid off on the edge of the box but hit his effort straight at the keeper. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 12:25 22 Dec 2025
I think we have the best constructed squad in the league with respect to how we play, how players fit in and how well coached they are. There should be no doubts about our potential to win the league, it was obvious from pre season that we have all the attributes to do that. We can’t control how other teams do, only ourselves. If York do continue as they are, fair play. Apart from the last day we can do nothing about that.
Losing the odd game here and there will happen, as it has already. When we do we have proven we respond, so the calmness seen by the management and the squad should be replicated amongst everyone when it happens again. If not, it risks a Carlisle-type scenario. Doubt creates doubt. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:50 21 Dec 2025
Hughes said after he’s out for five weeks so any move may be up in the air now.
Lots of criticism again today, including from their own player Kelly in an interview after. They’ll be a playoff side at best. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 16:59 21 Dec 2025
Carlisle looked very average when we beat them. The signing of Conn-Clarke made a real difference, Linney benefitting from his arrival too but both have had dips in form recently too it seems. They certainly don’t have the options we do in those forward areas to make changes.
Expect their fans to increase demands for a managerial change if this scoreline stays as it is. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 13:25 21 Dec 2025
It’s the same tactic we’ve used for over two years, we’ve just got better at dealing with teams who do put pressure on and those who don’t. The ball down the channel after relentless passing about at the back led to two goals on Friday.
It probably takes hundreds of hours of work on the training ground to get right. It’s interesting to see how the new keeper and Waller have fitted in, their immediate positioning when we have the ball in our own third shows a real commitment to the structure that’s been established. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 13:19 21 Dec 2025
I don’t think it was that unbalanced, more we over-recruited in midfield/full back in hindsight. As we stand, Humbles, Mancini, Hosannah and Tutonda are signings we haven’t really needed to have made.
The amount of strikers was right - if Amantchi had made the impression we’d all have hoped, we’d be fine now. He hasn’t, so we aren’t.
The only position we were missing prior to the season was a player who could play both in the centre and one of the wider defensive three. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 21:17 20 Dec 2025
That’s a great observation about the injury situation being turned into a positive. Squad players have indeed stepped up and new arrivals have done well immediately - Broome and Waller last night being a good example.
Not sure Pearce would leave York after recently signing a new deal but it’d be interesting to see how they cope if he got injured. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:52 20 Dec 2025
The squad that we’ve built over time is undoubtedly a real plus. We’ve also seen that choosing our strongest team is difficult because of all the other factors, including those we aren’t always aware of like when players need a rest to avoid longer term issues.
There will be times when they make choices to change the starting XI and it doesn’t work, that’s happened over the season and might again. But you’re right, that decision making others can contribute to has worked much more than the odd occasion when they’ve got it wrong.
Looking at the last ten games, we gained 22 points. That’s great form. It would see us on 91 points after 40 games should we replicate it. I’m sure most would take that if offered now.
If York replicate their last ten games over the next twenty, they’ll have played 42 and have 100 points. But we will have two games in hand! That’s why I believe they need to have a ‘bad’ patch or two. One where they draw and lose in a 3/4 game period. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:31 20 Dec 2025
Agreed. We’re a totally different side to York. Once which I think is more capable of getting a result when it matters. The wins by the odd goal and how we’ve beaten rivals has shown that. Diesruvwe will be vital in those games.
York are scoring lots on a very consistent basis. The remark about them having a bad patch would be based on how they react in the games where they aren’t likely to score four. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:26 20 Dec 2025
Yep, your last point is the one I’m hoping for. There will be a requirement for results to go our way on occasions.
100 points has been mentioned, there’s a thread somewhere where some were hoping we could be half way there by Boxing Day which would have been our 23rd game. We could still be at that level with two games more to play.
It’s that if we drew at Morecambe to reach 50 and then lost the next two, getting halfway to the 100 points after exactly half the season would now be seen as a bit disappointing. This season is like no other so far with the amount of sides at over two points a game, that we are where we are is remarkable and at the same time way more than any Dale fan would have hoped for at this stage. [Post edited 20 Dec 20:33]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:21 20 Dec 2025
It’s that York are getting better and better, especially with how many goals they’re scoring. PPG since Maynard took over is only slightly lower than ours, 2.33 v 2.49. Once he got his formation bedded in - he switched to a back three, evolved to using forward players at wing back on occasion and brought Stones in from the cold - they’ve been relentless.
Expectation has been raised by our start and I believe we’ve shown a strong mentality as seen in the responses to defeats. Just think it’s going to need York to also experience some defeats/draws to maintain the gap though, because their form over the last two months is remarkably even better than ours. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 19:47 20 Dec 2025
Finished 4-0. 59 goals in 22 games is crazy. We can only control ourselves but I think it’ll take York to have a bad patch in the second half of the season for anyone to finish above them. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 15:49 20 Dec 2025
Yeah, don’t think many would have predicted he’d start in the league, though that training video did hint that he might be!
His lack of involvement for me goes back to only really being an option in that one position now and with Dieseruvwe he hasn’t been needed until now. That’s probably why he started last week in the Trophy too.
The others all play the wider forward roles, not sure Henderson can do that effectively anymore, his game has changed. We probably all hoped Amantchi would step in but that probably hasn’t worked out as everyone hoped. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 15:33 20 Dec 2025
Didn’t notice his weight at all, just don’t think he’d have started if he wasn’t match fit. The only thing that stood out was his movement and how much he contributed with the way we put pressure on opposition defences as has been noted earlier in the thread.
Would argue that right now with Mani out injured he was McNulty’s choice at centre forward as others (Rodney and Smith) don’t really play than role of someone who can be a focal point and Amantchi doesn’t appear to be a starting option for whatever reason. Whether that changes at Morecambe is something we’ll have to see, but Henderson definitely responded well last night to thoughts he isn’t really an option now. My own thoughts included!
He certainly wouldn’t be someone I’d use in the other two forward roles not though. He’s exclusively a central striker at this stage. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 13:20 20 Dec 2025
It was Henderson’s best performance of the season. There were concerns about how much he could contribute, but he looked sharp and his movement was very good.
He looked as fit as ever and he’s been better as a no.9 for the last year, as seen at the back end of last season.
Would expect someone will replace Amantchi in January and depending on how long Mani is out, possibly another. [Post edited 20 Dec 13:21]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 10:20 20 Dec 2025
Last night was probably the best example of that so far. Altrincham were undoubtedly on top after half time, though we were still in control and defending well, then the subs came on and took it up a level and we scored again. Pettit is a great player and obviously whilst hoping Gilmour is fine, I’d give him a rest at Morecambe and play East and Pettit together.
There’s a post from this site on Twitter showing our season form - after every defeat we’ve immediately gone on a good run again. 6 wins after losing at Brackley, 10 points in four games after Halifax, 4 wins on the bounce since we lost at York (6 including two cup matches).
There’s a winning mentality across the whole squad. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 22:09 19 Dec 2025
It’s the way McNulty has as well being fair. He played above the level many would have expected of him.
Our own form will dictate it, but we are well above par at the moment and there will be the odd blip. It’ll depend if York have similar. As mentioned the other week after Carlisle dared to lose at home, their fans overreacted. Fans have a part to play if that happens to us.
Keeping calm in adversity has won us games this season. Even tonight when Alty were on top after half time. Same will apply after the odd defeat. [Post edited 19 Dec 22:10]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 21:55 19 Dec 2025
Of course they’ll have added extra, that experience has to help. It’s all been added to season on season with tonight’s performance another illustration of how well the players know our system and how they fit within it. The coaching staff have obviously bought into that on arrival too.
At no stage do we have players who don’t know where they’re supposed to be and what their role is. Gilmour said how long it took him to get used to it, when you think how long he’s been here it shows how patience and commitment to a plan by the club is paying off.
I still think top three is the aim with injuries and other club’s form (mainly York) dictating our final position. |
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