| Watson..... 21:00 - Sep 5 with 17837 views | Sandyman |
|  |
| "And only as far as Casey Pettit......" |
| |  |
| Watson..... on 14:24 - Oct 5 with 1892 views | 49thseason |
The difference the Ogdens have made is not just the availability of finance, it is the simple application fo continuous improvement, which actually goes beyond the immediate requirements and develops the future needs too.
Hence, a manager who has the capacity to improve, a new home for training and the academy, huge improvements to the pitch and the ground, these are the building blocks.
Players will notice these things and be much keener to come here. Better recruitment will create a better squad, the new Academy home will improve youth recruitment and ultimately will generate the money for more improvements. Continuous improvement , the Honda and Toyota method, applied to any business situation.
As we go forward the improvements become smaller, less dramatic but nontheless important. Its a classic strategy that the club has simply never previously had the money to implement, we can now start to look into the future, the age of fire fighting has past, the calibre of new management arrivals is remarkable, lets see where the next 7 years take us.... "Little Rochdale" has gone, its replacement has just started to flex its muscles... Crede Signo....Numquam Respice...Never look back..... [Post edited 5 Oct 14:26]
|  | | |
| Watson..... on 07:21 - Oct 6 with 1302 views | fitzochris |
Three wins in a row changes the conversation around Ian Watson. It has to.
I’ve been sceptical since those pre-season games and, if I’m being honest, a few good results haven’t completely changed my mind. However, they have given me an optimism that was previously lacking and Watson putting three maximums on the board in a row deserves credit.
What I would say is that we haven’t exactly blown teams away in doing it. These have been hard-fought games rather than performances that suddenly make me think everything has clicked into place. Yet even that is something we weren’t doing at the season’s start, so it’s worthy of credit.
I’ve also been surprised by the standard of League Two and not necessarily in a positive way. From the games I’ve watched away from ours, I don’t see a level that is miles above what we faced last season. There have been plenty of matches where neither side seems particularly capable of taking control of the game. It’s a bit more physical, with teams chucking it in the box more. Maybe that changes as the season develops, or maybe I’ve not watched the right teams, but so far I’m not seeing this huge gulf in quality that I might have expected. It’s an extremely tight league as a result, and Salford’s ascent from bottom to top illustrates this.
For me, the real test of Watson is still to come.
I want to see what he can do when he has something close to a full squad available to him, when he has to manage his squad rather than pick a team dictated by injury. That’s when we’ll get a better idea of whether he is building something capable of taking us where we want to go.
So, yes, credit where it’s due. Three wins is three wins, and getting points on the board matters more than anything else.
But just as I wouldn’t be screaming for Watson to be sacked if we lose a few games this month, I’m not going to start eulogising his tenure because we’ve won three in a row. Let's see where we are in the New Year and then at the season's end. If we are roughly where we are now in terms of league position, I’d be delighted. |  |
| |
| Watson..... on 08:34 - Oct 6 with 1223 views | judd |
| Watson..... on 07:21 - Oct 6 by fitzochris |
Three wins in a row changes the conversation around Ian Watson. It has to.
I’ve been sceptical since those pre-season games and, if I’m being honest, a few good results haven’t completely changed my mind. However, they have given me an optimism that was previously lacking and Watson putting three maximums on the board in a row deserves credit.
What I would say is that we haven’t exactly blown teams away in doing it. These have been hard-fought games rather than performances that suddenly make me think everything has clicked into place. Yet even that is something we weren’t doing at the season’s start, so it’s worthy of credit.
I’ve also been surprised by the standard of League Two and not necessarily in a positive way. From the games I’ve watched away from ours, I don’t see a level that is miles above what we faced last season. There have been plenty of matches where neither side seems particularly capable of taking control of the game. It’s a bit more physical, with teams chucking it in the box more. Maybe that changes as the season develops, or maybe I’ve not watched the right teams, but so far I’m not seeing this huge gulf in quality that I might have expected. It’s an extremely tight league as a result, and Salford’s ascent from bottom to top illustrates this.
For me, the real test of Watson is still to come.
I want to see what he can do when he has something close to a full squad available to him, when he has to manage his squad rather than pick a team dictated by injury. That’s when we’ll get a better idea of whether he is building something capable of taking us where we want to go.
So, yes, credit where it’s due. Three wins is three wins, and getting points on the board matters more than anything else.
But just as I wouldn’t be screaming for Watson to be sacked if we lose a few games this month, I’m not going to start eulogising his tenure because we’ve won three in a row. Let's see where we are in the New Year and then at the season's end. If we are roughly where we are now in terms of league position, I’d be delighted. |
He's been nominated for manager of the month for September.
Good luck to him.. |  |
| |
| Watson..... on 09:15 - Oct 6 with 1149 views | fitzochris |
| Watson..... on 08:34 - Oct 6 by judd |
He's been nominated for manager of the month for September.
Good luck to him.. |
Good luck to him indeed. The back-to-back league wins will certainly have contributed to his nomination. Similarly, Peter Cklamovski taking Salford from bottom to top will have been equally noted (albeit their budget dictates they should have been there from the start anyway). | |
| |
| Watson..... on 09:29 - Oct 6 with 1128 views | dingdangblue |
| Watson..... on 08:34 - Oct 6 by judd |
He's been nominated for manager of the month for September.
Good luck to him.. |
Yep - It will go to Salford with 4 wins and a draw in their 5 games. Great response by Watson after a horrendous start - if there is a players award Flint must be in the running.
Edit * There is a players award and somehow they have omitted Flint - good for us I suppose as it keeps him under the radar. [Post edited 6 Oct 9:53]
|  |
| |
| Watson..... on 11:55 - Oct 6 with 937 views | D_Alien |
| Watson..... on 07:21 - Oct 6 by fitzochris |
Three wins in a row changes the conversation around Ian Watson. It has to.
I’ve been sceptical since those pre-season games and, if I’m being honest, a few good results haven’t completely changed my mind. However, they have given me an optimism that was previously lacking and Watson putting three maximums on the board in a row deserves credit.
What I would say is that we haven’t exactly blown teams away in doing it. These have been hard-fought games rather than performances that suddenly make me think everything has clicked into place. Yet even that is something we weren’t doing at the season’s start, so it’s worthy of credit.
I’ve also been surprised by the standard of League Two and not necessarily in a positive way. From the games I’ve watched away from ours, I don’t see a level that is miles above what we faced last season. There have been plenty of matches where neither side seems particularly capable of taking control of the game. It’s a bit more physical, with teams chucking it in the box more. Maybe that changes as the season develops, or maybe I’ve not watched the right teams, but so far I’m not seeing this huge gulf in quality that I might have expected. It’s an extremely tight league as a result, and Salford’s ascent from bottom to top illustrates this.
For me, the real test of Watson is still to come.
I want to see what he can do when he has something close to a full squad available to him, when he has to manage his squad rather than pick a team dictated by injury. That’s when we’ll get a better idea of whether he is building something capable of taking us where we want to go.
So, yes, credit where it’s due. Three wins is three wins, and getting points on the board matters more than anything else.
But just as I wouldn’t be screaming for Watson to be sacked if we lose a few games this month, I’m not going to start eulogising his tenure because we’ve won three in a row. Let's see where we are in the New Year and then at the season's end. If we are roughly where we are now in terms of league position, I’d be delighted. |
Less than ten games into our league season back in the EFL
Some good points, but is "blowing teams away" some kind of new standard that Watson has to achieve? i don't recall Dale "blowing teams away" under the previous regime, even after three seasons. I recall having a great deal of possession, with a perennial impression of doing far less with it than we should've been. That's now changing, with fast wingers and greater effort engaged in getting the ball into their feet.
Whilst Shrewsbury had their chances against us, we ended up putting them to the sword, and this in a higher division
No-one - absolutely no-one, is getting carried away with the upturn in form. A long winter awaits us. Just last Spring, we got turned over 2-4 by Morecambe, who were relegated. Yes, in the midst of record-breaking points accumulation... in the NL
I fully agree though, the standard isn't that much higher. I've made this point elsewhere. I think people lost sight of just how ordinary teams can be and still survive at this level. It just takes an extra "something" to get yourself up into the higher positions, and challenging
[Post edited 6 Oct 12:02]
|  |
| |
| Watson..... on 12:39 - Oct 6 with 839 views | fitzochris |
| Watson..... on 11:55 - Oct 6 by D_Alien |
Less than ten games into our league season back in the EFL
Some good points, but is "blowing teams away" some kind of new standard that Watson has to achieve? i don't recall Dale "blowing teams away" under the previous regime, even after three seasons. I recall having a great deal of possession, with a perennial impression of doing far less with it than we should've been. That's now changing, with fast wingers and greater effort engaged in getting the ball into their feet.
Whilst Shrewsbury had their chances against us, we ended up putting them to the sword, and this in a higher division
No-one - absolutely no-one, is getting carried away with the upturn in form. A long winter awaits us. Just last Spring, we got turned over 2-4 by Morecambe, who were relegated. Yes, in the midst of record-breaking points accumulation... in the NL
I fully agree though, the standard isn't that much higher. I've made this point elsewhere. I think people lost sight of just how ordinary teams can be and still survive at this level. It just takes an extra "something" to get yourself up into the higher positions, and challenging
[Post edited 6 Oct 12:02]
|
I don’t disagree with much of that, to be honest, but I am not sure why you have started by referencing the number of games played so far. The start to the EFL campaign, in terms of performance and results, warranted the concern it generated. We were in danger of our team existing for the sole purpose of giving opposition fans a Roman holiday every week.
I certainly don’t think ‘blowing teams away’ is some new benchmark Watson has to meet. My point was more that the three wins haven’t, in themselves, convinced me that we’ve suddenly become the side Watson wants us to be. They’ve been close games that we’ve found a way to win, which is actually a positive given that we weren’t even doing that earlier in the season.
And I agree that the previous regime could dominate possession without necessarily doing enough with it. However, let’s not forget the numerous times that side did do enough, winning by three or four many times over the past two seasons.
The Shrewsbury game was a particularly good result, as woeful as Shrewsbury themselves were in their passive approach. We made the most of it though, absolutely.
My caution is really about judging Watson over a longer period rather than the past three games. Equally, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to give him credit for those three games without suddenly deciding the earlier concerns were all wrong.
And I’m glad you are in agreement about the standard of the league. If anything, that has made me more optimistic about what might be achievable. There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount separating a lot of these sides, so if Watson can find that extra something you mention, there’s no reason we can’t be competitive. That ‘extra something’ would be an extra option up top in January, as far as I’m concerned. More essentially, it is about judging him more fairly once he has a squad to freely choose from rather than based on whoever isn't in the treatment room any particular week.
Ultimately, though, I’m not asking for us to blow teams away. I’m asking to see enough over the next few months to convince me that Watson is building a side capable of consistently getting results at this level to match what the Ogdens have laid out as the next target. Three wins is a very good start to that argument.
However, if it comes to January, say, and we are back fighting it out with the bottom two, it would be fair to say that that would be concerning. If we are where we are now, or even higher (which is what we all want), then it would be fair to say that Watson definitely appears to be the right choice. | |
| |
| Watson..... on 13:26 - Oct 6 with 721 views | D_Alien |
| Watson..... on 12:39 - Oct 6 by fitzochris |
I don’t disagree with much of that, to be honest, but I am not sure why you have started by referencing the number of games played so far. The start to the EFL campaign, in terms of performance and results, warranted the concern it generated. We were in danger of our team existing for the sole purpose of giving opposition fans a Roman holiday every week.
I certainly don’t think ‘blowing teams away’ is some new benchmark Watson has to meet. My point was more that the three wins haven’t, in themselves, convinced me that we’ve suddenly become the side Watson wants us to be. They’ve been close games that we’ve found a way to win, which is actually a positive given that we weren’t even doing that earlier in the season.
And I agree that the previous regime could dominate possession without necessarily doing enough with it. However, let’s not forget the numerous times that side did do enough, winning by three or four many times over the past two seasons.
The Shrewsbury game was a particularly good result, as woeful as Shrewsbury themselves were in their passive approach. We made the most of it though, absolutely.
My caution is really about judging Watson over a longer period rather than the past three games. Equally, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to give him credit for those three games without suddenly deciding the earlier concerns were all wrong.
And I’m glad you are in agreement about the standard of the league. If anything, that has made me more optimistic about what might be achievable. There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount separating a lot of these sides, so if Watson can find that extra something you mention, there’s no reason we can’t be competitive. That ‘extra something’ would be an extra option up top in January, as far as I’m concerned. More essentially, it is about judging him more fairly once he has a squad to freely choose from rather than based on whoever isn't in the treatment room any particular week.
Ultimately, though, I’m not asking for us to blow teams away. I’m asking to see enough over the next few months to convince me that Watson is building a side capable of consistently getting results at this level to match what the Ogdens have laid out as the next target. Three wins is a very good start to that argument.
However, if it comes to January, say, and we are back fighting it out with the bottom two, it would be fair to say that that would be concerning. If we are where we are now, or even higher (which is what we all want), then it would be fair to say that Watson definitely appears to be the right choice. |
I don't think we disagree on very much at all (and why should we, seeing pretty much the same product on the field in relation to what's happening in the treatment room)
I take your point about Watson's abilities to manage a full squad who're in contention for selection being an unknown. I'm inclined to think he'll be just fine. He has a lot of options on both attacking flanks, especially with Hayes now nearing match fitness. Silcott-Duberry did little wrong in his appearances but Watson clearly thinks others are more likely to create chances and in selecting Middleton he's right. In addition, bringing Hannant on when Smith went off early doors against Swindon, then taking Hannant off for Hayes, shows he's not afraid to take decisions which players might feel inclined to be upset about
Hayes probably wasn't ready for 75-80 minutes which may have influenced his decision, and Watson probably considered we needed someone with defensive qualities for that length of time whilst we toughed it out before introducing Hayes. All of this suggests managerial competence. I was critical of lack of subs at the right time in earlier games, but in mitigation i think he was possibly lacking in confidence prior to putting a few points on the board, aware of the intensity of fan "feedback", yet has overcome both, at least for now
I began with the "less than ten games" point because that's exactly where we are: in effect, there is so little "earlier in the season" it almost seems trite to speak of it; it's still early in the season
[Post edited 6 Oct 13:28]
| |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.