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Reply | Heaven to Hell in 4 months
at 09:43 10 Sep 2026
I would be surprised if this doesn't reflect the thoughts and fears of the vast majority of the fanbase. |
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Reply | Unacceptable
at 09:50 6 Sep 2026
I’ve tried not to be too reactionary in my seasoned years of following Dale, but having thought about it properly last night, I honestly think the Newport game, and particularly that second half yesterday, ranks among the worst displays I’ve seen in nearly 40 years of supporting Rochdale. I’ve seen some pretty grim periods and some truly awful performances over the years, across various eras of infamy at the club, and that second half yesterday was right up there with them. I don’t say that lightly.
Under Watson, I can think of only one occasion where I’ve genuinely seen what I believe he is trying to achieve. Against Shrewsbury, the opposition were incredibly passive and gave our players time and space to play. If that is the only set of circumstances in which this system is capable of working, then frankly we are doomed.
The problem is that sacking him isn’t a simple decision either. It is going to cost the club a significant amount, regardless of what clauses are or aren’t in a three-year contract. And then comes the next question: what decent manager actually wants to take on this squad, particularly with the current injury list? It’s no fallacy that reputations are damaged as easily as they are made in the EFL.
Any manager coming in is going to know they are inheriting a difficult situation, and they will also know that they have very little room for error.
I’ve seen Maynard’s name mentioned numerous times. He may well be an excellent manager, but to me he looks like a project manager. Someone who needs time to build and develop something. At York, he inherited a very good squad and, when he took over, wasn’t hamstrung by resources or the constraints of a transfer window. That is a very different proposition to walking into the current situation at Rochdale, where the window is closed and you would imagine Watson has used most of the budget already.
He may ultimately be the best long-term option, but I wonder whether what we need right now is someone more in the Karl Robinson mould, an experienced manager who can come in, stop the downward trend and stabilise things quickly.
But then again, would someone like that even be interested in taking this job now? And would our board entertain that sort of appointment? We simply don’t know, particularly when we have no idea who is advising them from a footballing perspective.
What I do know is that I don’t think inaction is an option anymore. If a change is going to be made, it needs to be made immediately. A new manager needs to be identified, brought in, assess the squad, work out what he has to work with and then get games under his belt. Even starting from today, that process takes time, and time is precisely what we may not have before we become cut adrift.
Whatever anyone thinks of Watson as a manager, or however much we may want things to work, I think we have to be brutally honest about where we are.
We fought far too hard to get back to this level to blow it away in a single season because of some misguided sense of loyalty or sentiment.
Nobody wants another managerial change. Nobody wants the financial consequences of it. And nobody wants to admit that the current plan might not be working.
For me, though, we are sadly at that point now. |
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Reply | LANCS
at 20:33 4 Sep 2026
The last 6 innings - 151, 180, 137, 129, 187 and 136. Absolute shambles and it needs a massive shake-up over the close season. Question is, do the club hierarchy care enough to do so? |
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Shrewsbury Town
at 07:16 2 Sep 2026
Last night was probably the first time I’ve genuinely seen what I think Watson is trying to achieve with his style of play, particularly the use of the wingers. There was a real purpose to getting them involved and stretching the game, and at times it worked really well.
It’s fair to say Shrewsbury helped us out by being pretty passive, but as the well-trodden cliché goes, you can only play what’s in front of you. We did that very well last night.
The defence deserves a lot of credit too. Yet again we had to reshuffle because of another injury, but they dealt with it magnificently. Dan Moss was imperious and, dare I say it, Taylor’s switch from left wing to left back may have uncovered a new calling for him. He looked very comfortable there.
And three very well-taken goals, all of them pleasing on the eye. We’ve not had any games this summer where you can sit back and actually enjoy watching the goals go in, so that was a welcome change.
There are still things to watch, though. Our defence has crumbled when teams have really put us under pressure, and Shrewsbury largely didn't do that. The big question now is whether this new-found confidence at the back can stand up when we're put under much greater pressure.
The other obvious point is that, as good as it was to get three goals, sooner or later we need our 9 and 10 to start providing more of them if we're going to be safe this season. You can't expect the rest of the team to keep carrying that burden.
All in all, though, it was a win Watson and us supporters desperately needed. I said previously that he needed to find a way through the injury crisis while, in fairness, the crisis itself seems to be worsening. Last night showed that he can do that.
I’m not expecting miracles this season. For me, a safe, consolidated finish is the minimum expectation. I don't want us anywhere near a relegation scrap. If Watson can deliver that, then I think most of us will continue to back him, as long as there are clear signs that we can push on in subsequent seasons. Once our squad is fully fit, or as near as can be, it should be more than good enough to do that.
Last night was a proper step in the right direction. Now let's see if we can build on it, especially as we have yet to play any of League Two’s more fancied sides. [Post edited 2 Sep 7:40]
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Reply | Refwatch - Rochdale v Crawley Town
at 08:49 24 Aug 2026
Firstly, I thought the switch to a back three was a brave decision. Whether it was by design or necessity, it at least showed a willingness to be flexible and change something that hadn't been working. I don't think anyone can reasonably complain about a manager refusing to adapt when he actually does so.
That said, I don't think the change ultimately solved the problems. We still had the same issues defensively, with personnel simply not matching up well enough against their opposition. The first Crawley goal in particular was calamitous.
We did get into wide areas much more effectively in the first half, but there was very little end product once the ball went into the box. The second half was more encouraging. We looked more threatening across the whole final third and, importantly, a bit more aggressive in competing for balls into the box. That eventually contributed to the goal. But even then, we didn't really test their keeper enough.
The impact of the substitutions makes the decision to wait until the 82nd minute even harder to understand. There was noticeably more impetus after the changes and you'd have thought there was an opportunity to make them earlier.
But, for me, the biggest concern coming out of this is the potential for the atmosphere around the club to turn toxic.
I know some people want entertaining football, and I certainly didn't find Saturday boring. Frustrating, absolutely, but not boring. I will always advocate winning football over entertaining football. If you can have both, brilliant, but if I have to choose, I'll take winning football all day long. The likes of José Mourinho figured out a long time ago that football is a competitive sport, not a trip to the cinema. I appreciate others will see it differently, but that's my view.
The problem is that, entertaining or otherwise, we need to start winning football matches. If we don't, even the most patient supporters are inevitably going to start asking serious questions.
We've only just fought so hard to regain our EFL status. We absolutely cannot afford to put that in jeopardy.
There is plenty to improve, and I don't think pretending otherwise helps anyone. But equally, I really don't want to see the feel-good factor that surrounded last season's promotion evaporate within a few weeks and be replaced by venom. We need to be demanding improvement without losing sight of where we've come from and what is ultimately at stake. Watson has had such a bad hand dealt to him with regards to injuries. He must have walked under a ton of ladders and kicked in a load of mirrors on his way down to Spotland from South Shields. Still, he has to find a way to get results until that situation resolves itself. If he doesn’t do so soon, I can see patience everywhere wearing out. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Newport County v Rochdale
at 10:28 16 Aug 2026
After the Bradford game, I was left thinking there were some things Watson needed to work on, but that there were enough mitigating circumstances to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I'm less inclined to do that after Newport.
The obvious difference is that Bradford are a League One side who pressed us very well. Newport aren't. We should be expecting to compete with Newport, particularly given they are tipped to struggle this season. We barely laid a glove on them.
The possession stat is almost misleading. Watching the game, I was surprised when I saw it afterwards because all I recall, especially in the first half, was us giving the ball away time and time again, either by being weak in the challenge or misplacing basic passes.
Very little of what we did was actually hurting Newport. The possession stat may have been boosted by the fact we spent far too much time passing it between the goalkeeper and the centre-backs, then into midfield and back again, without really getting through them.
That's something I mentioned after Bradford and I thought it was even more obvious here.
If you're going to play with a back four and two in midfield, those two midfielders have to be available all the time. They need to be close enough to the defence to receive the ball but then be able to turn and get us up the pitch. Too often at Newport they were either marked, too far away or easily pressed and overrun, so the defenders didn't really have a good forward option.
That then has a knock-on effect. The ball goes has to go wide, but there's often nobody close enough to combine with the winger and that winger is closely marked. We end up asking them to beat their man, which they can’t, or play it backwards, and the whole thing starts again, if they haven’t already lost possession.
And when we did eventually get into their half, there wasn't enough happening in front of the ball.
I'm not blaming the forwards for that. If the ball isn't getting into useful areas, there's only so much they can do. But having to play Rodney out wide and Brown as a No.10 also highlights some of the limitations we currently have in that area. Neither is really playing in what you'd imagine to be their natural or best position, and it means we're trying to make the pieces fit rather than necessarily getting the best out of them. Jenkins being unavailable is particularly significant in that regard. He was clearly brought in to give us something between midfield and attack, and without him we're asking other players to fill roles that don't necessarily suit them.
The defensive side worries me more. EEL and Sherring don't look particularly comfortable defending large spaces, and the current set-up seems to leave quite a lot of ground for them to cover. The goals weren't all down to the formation, obviously. There were individual mistakes in there for the Newport goals that simply shouldn't happen, but the system doesn't seem to be giving us much protection either. Ramming had a difficult afternoon and there are obvious questions about his decision-making, particularly coming off his line.
This is where I keep coming back to the back three. I'm not saying we have to go back to it because that's what worked under McNulty, but I do think the squad looks better suited to it at the moment.
With three centre-backs you've got that extra player in the first line of the build-up and, assuming the wing-backs are doing their job, you've got your width without asking the midfield to spread itself too thinly.
It also potentially gives you another body in midfield. That might be more important than anything else at the moment because we don't seem to be getting enough out of the middle of the pitch. East and Gilmour are both perfectly capable footballers, but asking two players to control that area when the opposition can simply get tight to them isn't easy.
Maybe that's something that improves with time. Maybe the answer is different personnel. Or maybe Watson decides that the answer is simply to use a different shape. I'm not particularly bothered which it is, to be honest.
I said after Bradford that I'd be quite happy for Watson to change the system if he decides the squad is better suited to a back three. I still feel the same way.
There is still the injury situation to take into account, too. Jenkins being out is a big problem as said, but Pettit's injury is awful timing as I think the bite that was missing yesterday is something he would have provided. Hayes is another one missing on a longer-term basis. Then there are the players who have been unavailable that we have no information on at all.
At some point you simply run out of like-for-like replacements.
I do think there is a question to be asked about the recruitment as well, though. The calibre of some of the players we've brought in looks promising and I don't think anyone can accuse the club of simply signing bodies for the sake of it. But quite a few of them seem to come with less than ideal injury records, and we're already seeing the consequences of that.
And, given how wedded Watson appeared to be to playing with a back four when he arrived, I'm also surprised that we haven't signed a quality full-back. You'd have thought that would have been one of the more obvious priorities if that was going to be the system we're building around.
It might be that there are still players to come in, of course, and I'm not writing off the recruitment based on a few weeks. But if you're going to commit to a particular way of playing, you need the personnel to make it work.
But, equally, injuries and recruitment don't explain the lack of intensity at Newport. That was the part I found hardest to accept.
Newport looked like they wanted the game more than we did, particularly once they got ahead. There wasn't much sign of us changing the momentum. That's something Watson needs to address quickly.
One thing I don't want to do is write off the manager after one league game. But having time doesn't mean doing exactly the same thing every week and hoping it eventually clicks. We've seen that in the past. He has to look at what he's got and adapt it.
The Watson team we were promised might still be in there somewhere, but at the moment we're not really seeing it. I'd like to see some evidence that he's prepared to sort it out rather than simply persevere with what he came in intending to do.
At the moment, I'm not particularly bothered what exact formation we use. I'd just like us to adapt and look like we know how to get from one end of the pitch to the other. [Post edited 16 Aug 10:31]
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Reply | Refwatch - Bradford City v Rochdale (Carabao Cup Round 1)
at 10:22 9 Aug 2026
When Watson was first rumoured to be in the running, I spent a bit of time looking at how his South Shields side played and shared some of it on social media, including a video of him training.
One thing I remember thinking at the time was how his preference for a back four would work here, especially when trying to play out from the back.
His system seemed to rely quite heavily on the two in midfield being available as an outlet. That is a change from what we had under McNulty, even though East and Gilmour were used that way.
With the back three, you've got that extra player in the first line and the wing-backs give you an obvious outlet. There are usually more options when you're trying to play through a press. With four at the back, a lot more depends on those two midfielders being comfortable taking the ball and making themselves available.
I thought you could see some of that against Bradford in the first half. Their press was very good, but there were also times when we had nowhere obvious to go. The distances between the defence and midfield looked too big and, once Bradford got onto us, we started forcing passes and making mistakes.
There is a personnel issue here as well. The current centre-back pairing looked a bit short of pace yesterday and, regardless of the system, the error that led to the first goal simply shouldn't happen. You can argue that playing out from the back carries an element of risk, but playing a backpass that wasn’t on like that is an individual mistake, pure and simple.
There was another problem too. We weren't getting the ball wide quickly enough, which meant we were trying to play through the middle far too often. Rodney then found himself isolated or behind the play, while Mani D was channeling his inner Harry Kane at times with how deep he had to drop to get involved.
None of that really helps the ultimate objective, which is having someone in and around the box to actually threaten the goal. The shots-on-target count says it all.
I'm not saying that means Watson's system won't work but the players might simply need to get better at playing it and, importantly, get the right players available to make it work.
The injuries make it difficult to judge as well. Pettit's injury is horrible timing, Hayes now looks to be out and we've had a number of players missing or coming back at different stages. Watson hasn't really had the luxury of putting his preferred defence and midfield together week after week and letting them develop an understanding.
McNulty had that advantage over time, as 442Dale says. His players eventually knew the shape inside out, where the next pass was going and what the player beside them was likely to do.
Watson is asking them to learn something different, and doing that while constantly changing personnel can't be easy. Some may still be too wedded to the old way.
At the same time, I think the sheer number of injuries now means the club probably has to start thinking about “cover for the cover”. That's how rotten the luck has been. Brown looks a good addition as a No.9, but Jenkins was clearly the marquee No. 10 and his absence is being felt. You can build a squad with sensible cover for each position, but when the cover is then injured as well, it creates a different problem.
The left-back position can't be neglected either, particularly after Bilongo appeared to pick up an injury yesterday. We don't want to get to a situation where we're solving one injury problem by creating another positional weakness somewhere else.
There are concerns from Bradford. Of course there are. If we're going to play out from the back, we need to be much better when teams press us aggressively. Bradford showed how quickly it can go wrong but then they are a League One club likely among the promotion contenders.
Watson will need time to work it through. And I'd be quite happy for him to change the shape if he decides the squad is better suited to a back three. The formation should ultimately be about getting the best out of the players he's got.
I suppose that's what makes the next few weeks interesting. We haven't really seen Watson's team yet, just a squad dealing with a new manager, a new system and a pretty brutal injury list.
I'd rather judge the system once he's had a proper chance to put his players together. [Post edited 9 Aug 10:28]
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Reply | What do you think York fans are thinking?
at 14:49 9 Apr 2026
I said it has to be the players AS WELL AS the coaches who deliver the required upswing in performances, not JUST the coaches. And it’s not just down to shooting more often, it’s about cutting out the mistakes defensively that have cost us - or almost cost us - recently, too. That happens once the players are out on the pitch.
Lots of people have been reactionary during McNulty’s tenure, not just you. Being supportive doesn’t mean being uncritical. I’ve had plenty of criticisms during McNulty’s tenure and haven’t shied away from them. Support, for me, is about believing that, overall, his approach is the right one for the club - and that it’s an evolutionary process, not something judged week to week. Others disagree and that’s fine.
I also think York have the stronger squad on paper, and there are areas where we’re light - Duku being the only real like-for-like option for Mani D is an obvious one. It doesn’t mean we can’t outperform them over the next three games though.
As you say, it’s not complicated. It doesn’t need different folk in the dressing room giving the message. |
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Reply | What do you think York fans are thinking?
at 13:15 9 Apr 2026
I don’t need to be seen to be supportive - I am supportive, and have been throughout McNulty’s tenure. I’m not chopping and changing my view in a reactionary fashion based on a few results.
I was simply outlining what I understand to be the reality in the dressing room, which makes perfect sense when you think about it - it’s hardly revolutionary.
Yes, the last few performances have been below par and need to improve over the next (hopefully final) three games, but that’s on the players as much as the coaching staff. |
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Reply | What do you think York fans are thinking?
at 12:43 9 Apr 2026
From what I understand, both Taylor and Done contribute to all team talks, which are, quite rightly, led by the head coach. They are certainly not passive spectators to be wheeled out on special occasions. They are every much part of McNulty’s collaborative environment. |
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Reply | The Run in
at 15:00 24 Mar 2026
It’s a shame he’ll be playing Hartlepool. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Yeovil Town v Rochdale
at 17:44 14 Feb 2026
Level heads are needed now, from players and supporters alike.
Tuesday is a big one. It’s a game in hand and a real opportunity, but it won’t be straightforward. Scunthorpe will be desperate to respond after a horrific home result, and that makes them dangerous. We can’t expect anything other than a reaction from them.
From our side, it’s about focus and backing the team properly. This is one of our key games in hand, a chance to go back top and regain the psychological advantage.
There’s still plenty of football to be played. Stay calm.
Today there were too many individuals off it. We seemed stunned by their equaliser and swing in momentum that generated, and never truly recovered, in my opinion. Most of these players have contributed a ton more to our season than they didn’t today, so no one needs berating. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Forest Green Rovers
at 06:39 12 Feb 2026
Going through 2026 with a maximum return so far in the league deserves the highest praise for the manager, his staff and every one of those players. To put a run like this together at this stage of the season, with the pressure that comes with being at the top, says an awful lot about the character within the group.
There’s still a long way to go and nothing has been won in February - nobody sensible is taking anything for granted - but beating four of the main promotion challengers during this spell is nothing short of incredible. These aren’t routine fixtures being ticked off.
It also perhaps serves as a reminder that stability, patience and a bit of perspective can go a long way in football. Managers need time and backing to build something. Right now, the evidence of that is there for everyone to see. |
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Reply | Solihull Wednesday
at 06:30 23 Jan 2026
I think that’s always been part of the game-plan too, though. How many times in the previous seasons did we score as a result of a kick out from Moulden, for example? Or EEL? It’s not really been mentioned this season, but I think it all comes down to that “total options” approach McNulty mentioned back on day one. |
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Reply | The Fitzture List - Rochdale Rising: Inside McNulty’s push for sustainable suc
at 16:15 3 Jan 2026
We do have a lot of players for the No.10 role and some players (not just in that role), really haven’t troubled the starting 11 enough. It probably does need a mid-season review and I expect that is happening.
As to Amantchi, he probably did tick all the boxes but no signing comes with a cast-iron guarantee of success. Amantchi could easily have been another Jay Bird but, for whatever reason, he hasn’t cut it and his minutes have been limited.
All the more reason to make whoever comes in next has as little risk of a repeat as possible. |
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Reply | The Fitzture List - Rochdale Rising: Inside McNulty’s push for sustainable suc
at 15:23 3 Jan 2026
I posted all this on another thread re the No.9 spot, so will amalgamate into one here.
It has to be the right player who comes in, and when we’re talking about doing that without paying a transfer fee, the market becomes extremely difficult, especially in January. That’s true for any position, but it’s even more so when you’re looking for a centre forward.
McNulty is clearly more than aware that we need a replacement for Amantchi, and not just that, cover for Mani D while he’s injured also. However, finding the right player isn’t something that can be rushed. We know from McNulty’s interview at the start of the season that recruitment for him isn’t solely about ability; character and fit within the squad matter just as much. That inevitably narrows the pool and makes the process slower.
For those reasons, I’m confident we will see an addition before too long, but it’s understandable why it hasn’t happened instantly.
I also agree with the point about how important the role is (my latest blog post makes much the same argument). Where I think context is important, though, is in acknowledging how McNulty’s system works. He plays with a single No.9. That means anyone who isn’t first choice is likely to spend a lot of time on the bench. When you don’t have significant money to throw at players, it’s a tough sell to convince someone to come in knowing they’ll probably be playing second fiddle.
Yes, you can talk about competition for places, but that’s already a hard enough conversation in positions where there are multiple spots available on the pitch. The situation with Casey Pettit is a good example of how difficult that balance can be.
Ultimately, I’ll reiterate the main point from my original post: it’s not easy to find a player who does all the No.9 things well, fits the system, has the right character, and is willing to accept the role on offer. That’s why patience is probably required here. |
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Reply | The Fitzture List - Rochdale Rising: Inside McNulty’s push for sustainable suc
at 12:47 3 Jan 2026
I think, in a game not seen to be as important as our league fixtures this season, it would be the ideal chance to try something like you suggested, with the personnel you named too. I take on board the various caveats about the pitch, but if those players are available, I would have no qualms seeing it trialled with the option to change it mid-match, as you highlighted.
There is always the option to try it with first XI personnel in the future, if the experiment proved useful.
Away from formations, I would be hopeful to see Whatmuff, Allarakhia and a new forward in situ for our next league fixture. I’m a little more pessimistic about Mani D, as it seemed Jim put an “at least a month” prognosis on his injury. |
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