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Really enjoyable second half. Hendo's cameo a pleasure to watch and fitting for him and Rodney to combine for the winner. Respect to everyone who made it down there this morning.
Some 24 hrs in our lives as Dale fans. Still rubbing my eyes reading yesterday's statement and thinking is this really happening. But you know what, we deserve it. We've stayed true to our standards and values and after suffering enough maybe the time has come for the tide to turn like it always does in the end.
Let's see. Have a fun summer everyone and decompress for a while when the sunshine finally arrives. Looking forward to seeing the next chapter unfold :)
Also wouldn't be surprised if our winning streak comes to an end today, but either way it's a cracking looking starting XI and bench. I'd be very happy if the majority of these were still with us come August.
Been in complete control 2nd half, reminiscent of some of the earlier season games. Watching on stream but the Dale fans who've made the trip seem to be really enjoying themselves :)
Clayton and Keohane still sat on the bench is so frustrating when we're crying out for some control and experience. I almost wish we could go back to Jim not having selection options, there was an effective consistency through necessity earlier in the season.
On balance, I still love Jim to bits, feel very positive about his future with us, and enjoyed almost everything about his part in last week's fans forum.
Listen back to it at 48 mins though and I think there was an insight into the culture that's maybe seeping onto the pitch in recent weeks - 'what a platform to start from, that's what this season is'.
I understood where that sentiment came from, but I thought it would have been a more appropriate comment to make in May not with 12 games to play.
In terms of culture development, off pitch empathy, aligned values to who we are - Jim's perfect for me. But one thing I'd be keen for him and the team to develop next season is a more ruthless intensity, game in and game out. That balance seems to be one the best managers all possess.
We seem a bit like Arsenal of the last decade or so until the penny has started to drop for them recently - likeable and easy on the eye but lacking a killer instinct and winners mentality. Next season when we have the likes of Wealdstone on the back foot I want us to walk off the pitch having scored 6, like Arsenal did on Monday night and probably wouldn't have done in recent seasons.
Missing Clayton for so many games probably hasn't helped, he clearly drives high standards. And I expect if the takeover goes through that might see greater accountability start to come from the boardroom towards performance and results.
So overall, whilst I reckon 45 points from 36 games is a good few less than we might have expected given the qualities of this manager and playing squad, I also think it will come (maybe as soon as the next fortnight given the upcoming fixture list) and the future looks bright. I just want Jim to evolve ever so slightly into a manager I'd less like to go for a pint with than I do right now!
Cheers 442. Another good update, timely and well written.
If there's no more developments between now and the voting deadlines, that's good enough for me now. A big leap of faith and contrary to so many of our values that makes us who we are, but it is what it is.
If it all goes tits up in a few years, I'll be happy to have this post referred back to and own my share of accountability.
But equally, what makes me more relaxed is the confidence if it all goes tits up in a few years that doesn't mean it'll be the end. Contrary to some of the predictable national media articles being written of late, there'll always be good and wise folk attracted to this football club we're all so passionate about, and as long as that's the case I reckon we'll always have a club to support and a community to feel part of, in whatever form that takes.
Whatever anyone's point of view on these responses, once again this is first class communication and transparency Judd.
I say this purely as an eternal optimist exile with zero knowledge of the specific detail behind your recent decision - however you've given us a taste of your leadership and it seems the vast majority of us want more. Once all this has been settled one way or another in the coming weeks, if we still have a club to support I'd love to see you find a way to return to your position at the head of the Trust and figure out the procedural alignments necessary to bring the other members of the Trust board on the journey with the rest of us.
Like you say, fundamentally they're all good people, and if anyone can do it I'd back you to be able to make that happen for the long term benefit of us all at a time when we're really going to need the kind of leadership you've been providing :)
6 of our next 7 against teams currently outside the top 10. Every chance we might have ridden out our usual winter slump and we often seem to finish the season strong. Just hope we revert to having all 3 of East, Clayton and Gilmour back together in the middle of the park when the sun comes out and the pitches start to firm up again.
Excellent communication and transparency again - when you can't say much, saying just enough and in the right way can have such a powerful impact. There's diligence and diplomacy in everything the Trust is doing of late.
I don't think Simon is a wrong 'un but I do think he comes across aloof, and it's maybe this that creates the sense of being dismissive to us and vacuums to form for our minds to fill with worst possible scenarios.
It doesn't have to be this way, and I hope the quality of communication on display from the Trust leadership starts to rub off soon. Positive glimmers, looking forward to seeing what's next.
The Trust newsletter is excellent. The quality, professionalism and transparency of communication has been superb of late. Really like the way you've embraced the BOGS group when it could have been easy to create a 'not invented here' us and them mentality. Great to see the Squad Builder already reaping rewards and huge respect to the anonymous provider of the large donation. Feels like there's lots of good stuff happening.
We often seem to finish the season strong once spring comes around. If we can stay in touch through what looks a tricky Feb and get some of our key players back I reckon we might be in for a fun final phase when the sun starts to poke its head back out.
Another excellent and transparent email update from the Trust last night/this morning on last Saturday's meeting.
My personal tupennyworth would be to accept there's no perfect solution and go all in on the squad builder fund - it feels the most marketable way to get the fanbase and wider town behind a single undiluted project with simple unified messaging, and channel financial support where the club is currently being led most successfully, on the pitch by Jim and his players. That said I can absolutely see the rationale and concerns behind the fighting fund too.
Anyway, another great piece of communication, really positive to get such detail on the thinking behind decisions and where we're at.
Cracking interview with him on the youtube channel, comes across as another really grounded and likeable young man. A trait that's becoming a very positive theme under Jim's leadership so far.
I won't be at the meeting tomorrow but trust the Trust and those fans present to figure out the best plan and will donate what I can once that path is made clear. Best of luck, hope it's a good meeting and we have another 3 points come 5pm :)
Just watched last night's game. No idea how but we did what you asked of us DL!
Another season making a fool out of anyone that likes to predict. Maybe it's karma that Baltimore and Miami are at the head of a QB sidelined AFC given Lamar and Tua had their own injury issues last year?
Anyway, it's a good occasional distraction from all the madness at Spotland I suppose. Let's see what the rest of the season brings.
Great to read, and really excited by what could come out of Thursday's Trust meeting.
Personally I think the time has come to bring everything to a head and lance the boil once and for all.
All we're doing at present it swinging exhaustively from crisis to crisis putting sticking plasters over the symptoms rather than addressing the bigger picture. Simon and other board members continuing to bail us out simply perpetuates that, as laudable as the acts always are in themselves.
We're a club and a fanbase whose sympathetic nervous system has completely taken over and we're stuck in a permanent state of fight or flight. Look yourselves in the mirror and ask yourself honestly how your anxiety levels have been the last few years. Then imagine what that must be like for those in the boardroom or at the head of the Trust.
For me, we can only truly set ourselves free if we're prepared to consider real change, and accept that might mean things getting worse before they get better. There's models out there for us - Exeter has been mentioned again the last couple of days and I can't think of a better example that plays to all our strengths as a town and club built on values of cooperation and association. We might have to cut our cloth accordingly for a while whilst we evolve into a new structure, but unity and passion can overcome many things.
Jim, his support team and the players are doing a fine job in changing the culture on the pitch. To complement that, what we need now is new leadership to emerge off it. Leadership that thinks and ideally speaks in a Rochdale accent. Adversity reveals genius and I genuinely believe there's the opportunity for a new generation of Overcoat Men and Women to take this situation by the scruff of the neck and set in motion a beautiful new chapter for the club. I'd love to hope these are the sorts of radical conversations being considered this Thursday night. If they are I for one will be with you all the way.
So good to see Dev back on the pitch in the starting line up.
Might take them all a few weeks to get up to speed again but the prospect of him, Kairo and Ty as a front 3 is something to really look forward to for the second half of the season.
Echoing everything positive that's been said about Col's service to the Dale for the benefit of us all. Getting that immersed in something you care so deeply about can be a bruising experience. I hope no scars have been inflicted, and if they have hopefully they'll prove to be temporary.
I lurked on here for years before sticking my head above the parapet, and during that time I used to find Col's contributions particularly reassuring and aligned to my own thoughts. The Trust's gain has been this message board's loss in recent years in my opinion, and I hope this now offers the opportunity for more frequent contributions with an ability to once again express true feelings just like the rest of us do :)
I was so confident going into this new season I treated myself to a vintage Ickey Woods jersey off Etsy so I could celebrate with a shuffle every Sunday night. Oh well, it would be greedy to have both Dale and Bengals simultaneously playing well I suppose.
Other than us it looks largely the same teams as last year hitting the ground running. Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out as the cold nights draw in!
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