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Reply | Refwatch - Sutton United v Rochdale
at 08:16 9 Apr 2025
Yes but Edwards is now playing because there are no other options - our point is the same. Midfield is an area that absolutely should have been strengthened and not just on the deadline, well before. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Sutton United v Rochdale
at 08:07 9 Apr 2025
Firstly, in response to the question about McNulty's recruitment – I actually did mention this in my original post, particularly with the lack of a proper No. 9 to challenge Mitchell. I’ve also highlighted that Edwards, while performing well in last night, shouldn’t be in the first-team midfield for a side chasing the play-offs, given his lack of experience. So, my concerns about recruitment are clear – particularly with the forward line and midfield. I agree that the number of wide players recruited doesn’t solve our central issues. That’s a fair point, and it’s something I’ve said previously when discussing the imbalance in the squad.
As for your point on McNulty’s tactical approach, I’m not overlooking that either and never have. The regression we’ve seen in the second half of away games, especially a lack of threat that leads to us conceding late goals, has been frustrating, to say the least. In my original post, I acknowledged the challenges in the squad but maintained my support for McNulty because of the good work he has done this season, bringing us to the verge of Wembley and a play-off spot. That’s what I meant by that. You can say it’s a poor league, and it is, but there are teams like Solihull, Wembley finalists twice last season, having a mare this time around, so I always think things could be worse.
However, I also recognise that things haven’t been ideal for us this season, particularly in the latter half of games. So, yes, there is definitely room for improvement on that front, both tactically and in terms of how we manage the game as it progresses.
For me, quoting the appointment of managers such as Steve Evans is not the answer. How long before everyone gets fed up with his approach?
Personally, I would see how McNulty does with the improved budget this summer. I’d want to see proven players come in to build a squad, rather than loans and projects. You want to be looking at players who have stood out in underperforming teams such as Alex Reid, Nick Haughton and Josh Rees to complement the younger decent player we already have. For me, that would be a good start.
If then, with that backing, nothing improves, there is only one place the finger can be pointed and I’m sure that person themselves would accept that. So, not a three-year plan for me but two. [Post edited 9 Apr 8:14]
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Reply | Refwatch - Sutton United v Rochdale
at 07:28 9 Apr 2025
Sadly, last night’s performance is yet another stark reminder that failing to adequately strengthen the squad is going to cost us this season. The cracks are now too obvious to ignore, and our lack of depth and quality has been laid bare in the worst way possible.
The most glaring mistake was not bringing in a No. 9 to properly challenge Mitchell. Whatever has gone on behind the scenes, whether it's the pressure of criticism following his barren spell or perhaps something else entirely, the fact is that Mitchell no longer looks capable of leading the line week in, week out. Henderson, despite still showing flashes of class, isn't the solution either – he's not the consistent presence we need up front to get us the goals and wins.
Edwards, while he did alright last night, is another player who's being asked to do too much too soon. As much as he’s shown promise, he shouldn't be a first-team midfielder when we're chasing the play-offs in the business end of the season. The environment is far too unforgiving for someone still developing the experience needed to brush off the pressure and potential toxicity that comes with it.
Our poor goal return is now starting to cost us points on a regular basis, and last night was probably the most brutal example of this. Sutton, a side that looked uninterested in scoring, still managed to take the win thanks to a fluke. The reality is that we offered even less at the other end, which is unforgivable.
In the first half, we had golden opportunities to put the game to bed. Mitchell had two clear chances to make it 2-0 and effectively seal the game. He fluffed both, leaving Sutton in it and giving them hope. We’ve been here before, and the same pattern repeats: we fail to take our chances, and the opposition takes advantage.
As I’ve said from the start, I would remain supportive of McNulty, as he had us on the verge of Wembley and a play-off spot, and I can’t fault him for the work he had done up to this point. But now, as one opportunity has slipped away in ignominious fashion and the other looks worryingly likely to follow suit, we have to acknowledge that something needs to change and I don’t necessarily mean the head coach.
I didn’t expect us to win the play-offs this year, but I did expect us to make them and to at least compete. Now, it feels like we're fighting a losing battle. The three-year plan might involve heavier investment this summer, but I’ll tell you this: it’ll need to. We absolutely cannot enter the latter stages of next season with a squad this imbalanced and depleted. If we do, we’ll be facing the same issues all over again.
Let’s hope the club takes a hard look at the situation, because if things don’t change, we’re in for a long, difficult road ahead. [Post edited 9 Apr 7:32]
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Reply | FA Trophy semi
at 09:08 6 Apr 2025
I had hoped that a night’s sleep would help me see things differently, but alas, I’m feeling just as hollow as I did at the final whistle yesterday.
We had the most favourable draw of the semi-finals and, whatever way you look at it, we blew it. A huge opportunity for the club on numerous levels, gone in the blink of an eye thanks to a missed penalty.
Of course, it’s not as simple as that. A lacklustre first half, despite a bright start, was followed by a dominant second half that lacked the requisite volume of goals to put the game to bed. This is a theme that’s been all too familiar this season, and unfortunately, the outcome has been terminal. Usually, it’s two points dropped, but in this case, the weight of it feels much heavier to bear.
I was punching with positivity on two fronts, and now one of those has gone in ignominious fashion.
If us fans feel this dejected, I can only imagine how the players will feel.
It’s McNulty’s job to pick them up and see us over the finish line, so the second front of positivity is at least fulfilled. However, hearing his post-match interview was a concern, and I can only hope that a night’s sleep has done more for his outlook than it has for mine.
We have a squad, still riddled with injuries and low morale after the semi-final, that somehow has to secure a top-seven spot. Ordinarily, with the games in hand, you'd be looking at at least a fifth-place finish. But with this squad now, who knows?
The end of this season needs a serious sit-down with the Ogdens and the football operations side of the club. This three-year plan then needs to be laid out clearly to us supporters so that we aren’t labouring under any false comprehension of what McNulty’s objectives are, year on year. It’s no good the fans berating him for this and that if the Ogdens are telling him something different. A bit of transparency will at least let us know where we stand with our own expectations.
Regardless of that, this summer has to be about a solid squad rebuild. A proper no.9, a no.10, central midfield, and crucially, a permanent keeper are all priorities. The current situation between the sticks isn’t sustainable, and we need a reliable long-term solution in goal.
There also needs to be less reliance on loan players across the rest of the pitch and less project players. The players we bring in should be our own, there to bide their time on the sidelines for when they’re needed, not brought in as a panic measure when they’re suddenly required.
That’s the best way to withstand the rigours of a campaign at this level.
Finally, there simply has to be more urgency in that final third. I’m in the minority when it comes to the patient build-up, I know, but honestly, I don’t care as long as, when the ball gets into the final third – whether by air or along the ground – we terrify opposition defences. With the right personnel, that’s the way to ensure we don’t end up drawing games we should’ve won or losing games we should’ve drawn. Our comprehensive victories this season show we’re more than capable when that urgency is applied |
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Reply | Deadline day 5pm
at 10:55 28 Mar 2025
The fact we haven't replaced Waller ("popped" hamstring) and Bird (unspecified but "serious" foot injury) is of grave concern.
I still live in hope that we indeed actually have brought in players for those positions and someone is adding to the drama by waiting for a big reveal.
I expect to be disappointed, however. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 11:20 26 Mar 2025
But if he's out for any length of time right now, we only have Kelly. So he is a big loss between now and the end of this current season unless he can be replaced before the end of this week. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 11:16 26 Mar 2025
Very stark difference with McNulty and BBM - one currently has us in the play-offs and the other led us to relegation. Allowing the latter to rumble on, especially with the secret contract extension, proved terminal.
As for what McNulty says after a match, I'm not sure how much of it he actually genuinely means. There are definitely examples where he should know better by now. Perhaps if he was asked more pertinent questions, there may be better, more genuine responses, but you will never get that from an in-house media team and we no longer have a decent local press to force such issues. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 10:32 26 Mar 2025
You make valid points and I would only disagree in terms of the timeframe. I would argue we were not awful until just before York scored (just after Waller made two attempts to claim a Pearce shot).
We started with urgency, played quick triangles, played through their midfield (Ayinde in particular) and got crosses in from both flanks that actually caused Male issues.
The problem is, we didn't score.
After York scored, it all changed. We stopped doing any of the above (we couldn't get a cross off the ground) and York's middle three, Felix especially, took over the show. From that point on we looked toothless and lacked anybody (Bird) who could hold the ball up. Allied to that, we made it very easy for York to advance and shoot almost at will with cheap turnovers of possession - and it was unacceptable.
The real issue was that there was nothing on the bench that could really help us shake things up. We could've tried a three in midfield but Weston seems to be on the naughty step, so that wasn't going to happen - and Mitchell at the minute is not the answer as the tip of the spear. We would've needed Rodney there to try a two up front with Henderson.
Losing Waller only compounds the misery. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 09:20 26 Mar 2025
Yep understood. But again, we are muddying the waters by talking about what is right or good for McNulty.
No one has said that, I don't think. McNulty is only good enough while he is good enough for Rochdale AFC. If that is bringing promotion to the EFL or our first national trophy, then absolutely great. He benefits but, more importantly, we do.
The minute those things aren't delivered, especially the former, then its adios muchachos to he and his staff. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 09:15 26 Mar 2025
I'm glad we agree on the relevance of the moniker.
It’s a shame you’re now staying home as it means you will have also missed our four recent wins too. That’s the risk taken when staying away, I guess. It’s any fan’s prerogative though, so fair play.
Each and every game has it flaws. Some costly, others not so. Some even collectively frustrate over the season. I’m not denying that and I’ve written screeds on what I personally would like to see done differently - more urgency in the final third every game and not just in some, being the primary.
And as I have said already on this thread, last night's performance and result are unacceptable.
But the fact remains, right now, we are still on track to compete in the play-offs and a cup semi-final for a Wembley appearance. Should neither of those things ultimately come to pass, I’ll add my own dissent on the matter. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 08:18 26 Mar 2025
There’s no mention of Project 5000 because I’m not sure what parameters have been set for it in regards to McNulty's own performance.
As I’ve said before, if we achieve success on the pitch, the board won’t sack McNulty and nor should they. From the outside, it would make us look like a basket case if they did. And if people stop attending matches while we’re on track for promotion, that too would be strange, in my opinion.
I want to stress that last point — this is just my opinion.
What would be interesting is if the three-year plan for promotion did included parameters for increasing attendances. That would add another KPI against which McNulty could be judged. But we simply don’t know.
For me, the only justifiable reason to remove McNulty is if we fail to secure promotion within three years. And then, only if we’re making a real go of it. If at any point we look way off track, I’d expect action to be taken sooner.
That’s my stance. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 07:26 26 Mar 2025
And even if it does, that wouldn’t make him the worst manager we’ve had, in my opinion. It would certainly make his role questionable but it wouldn’t put him in that category. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 06:41 26 Mar 2025
Like many others, you make fair assessments based on what you've seen, and I can only do the same. However, the real question doesn’t matter. Whether or not I think McNulty will get us back into the EFL is irrelevant. What truly matters is whether he does or doesn’t. The Ogdens have given him a three-year plan to achieve this, and, as I mentioned in another post, none of us know what the specific markers for success are within that, other than that promotion to the EFL is the primary objective during this timeframe.
All I can say is that my opinion will be based on how close we look to achieving that goal. If we start plummeting down the table, that would suggest we're not a promotion-chasing team, and my opinion would be that change is needed. We're not there yet.
With less than 10 games left, though, changing the manager now would probably do more harm than good. If, in the summer, the Ogdens decide that year one of their three-year plan hasn’t been met, then I’m sure things will happen. However, I think it would be helpful if they could outline what that plan entails. That way, supporters would have a clearer understanding on which to base their arguments. We were all pretty accepting of the three-year plan for promotion when it was announced – me, primarily, because we still had a club that could even talk about promotion!
After a performance like last night's, it's easy to focus on the negatives of McNulty’s tenure and let them overshadow the positives we’ve seen. The fact remains, though, that we're seventh. We wouldn't be in that position if what we saw last night were the norm.
Your points about the midfield are valid, and the signing of Weston certainly raises questions. However, when Bird was on the pitch, he was able to collect the ball from deep and drive it forward. For me, it's more about this system requiring certain types of players rather than the system itself being fundamentally flawed. That said, the absence of certain players who could do a job, along with a tendency to stick rigidly to structure until it’s too late in games, are significant weaknesses in McNulty's approach.
I still remember the Division Three run-in of 2000/2001. We looked well set for the play-offs, but then the wheels came off around this time of year, culminating in a loss of form and a 7-1 home defeat. Fans were furious and calling for Parkin’s dismissal. But we were still in the hunt for a play-off spot, and the board stuck by him. The following season, he got us into a very strong position for promotion before being poached by another club.
In the years that followed (including his return), we never had it that good again until Keith Hill arrived. And don’t even talk to me about the years before Parkin in terms of the quality of football on the pitch!
Those calling McNulty the "worst ever manager" must not have seen much of our past football. I find it disrespectful. He may ultimately prove not to be up to the task set, but he certainly won’t go down as the worst manager we've ever had – not by a long shot.
So, with less than 10 games to go, I think McNulty actually needs to be given a bit of help to bring in players that will see us over the line – a no.9, a no.10, and, quite possibly now, a no.1! I realise we have until the end of the week to get such players, and the availability of what we need will be as hard to find as a blade of grass in a green room.
Without these players, I do fear that we may miss out on Wembley and the play-offs. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 22:59 25 Mar 2025
Right but that’s where I have an issue, as reaching Wembley and getting into the play-offs, for me personally, would mark success and would be the result of winning games. Something we all want Dale to do?
Again, that’s my personal opinion, and others clearly disagree, but for McNulty to be sacked after achieving that would be unfair.
I’ve just read 442’s post above and he’s right. Us supporters have sat through some right dross historically and I shudder when I recall some of it. None of it came with play-offs or Wembley either. Perhaps general expectations of product have increased well beyond my own, but I just want to see a winning team and I’m not particularly fussed how it’s done.
Where we can all be in unanimous agreement is that tonight was nowhere near good enough and I don’t want to see that again. Barnet was supposed to be an outlier, let’s hope it wasn’t the start of a pattern.
There needs to be a relaxation of rigidity of formation for a start and a target man and no.9 brought in before the end of the week! I know. More chance of a rocking horse taking a shit. But that’s what we need. |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v York City
at 22:25 25 Mar 2025
It doesn't even need to be framed in such harsh terms. Jim McNulty, like any manager or head coach, should ultimately be judged on results. If those results, over the course of the season, fail to deliver success (or meet the board's objectives), then parting ways becomes inevitable — and McNulty himself would accept that.
Tonight wasn’t about boring football or a lack of entertainment (York fans, and perhaps a few sadists, certainly got their share of excitement). It was about a completely inept and timid performance. If we keep seeing results like this, we won’t meet any of our objectives, and any boardroom talk will shift from entertainment to inevitable change. |
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Reply | Paul Tait...
at 17:40 25 Mar 2025
That Blackpool game was one of the best away performances seen in a long while too (injury to Clarke notwithstanding). |
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Reply | Refwatch - Maidenhead United v Rochdale
at 12:57 24 Mar 2025
And I have answered by saying it will be largely irrelevant what we want in that regard as Jim will be going nowhere if he brings success on the pitch, other than leaving under his own volition. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Maidenhead United v Rochdale
at 18:03 23 Mar 2025
I think we are going round in circles now. The criticism of McNulty game by game is mostly warranted. He isn’t perfect and he’s made mistakes. However, holistically, we are currently seventh in the league and approaching a semi-final. That’s us on track at this moment in time and it will do for me given what we’ve been through the past few seasons. Others are free to disagree. If we don’t make the play-offs or bottle the semi-final, then that won’t be good enough and I’ll say so. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Maidenhead United v Rochdale
at 17:41 23 Mar 2025
I think TVOS pointed this out earlier TS - nobody is saying we should be settling for second best. If we make the play-offs, we will try to win them or what’s the point?
If we don’t, which is likelier if we enter in the positions with the extra rounds, the three-year plan legislates we enter the play-offs at a higher stage next season and, in year three, the highest position of the title.
Or does it? Without it spelled out we are all kind of guessing.
My take is that the plan is promotion within three years, not in year three and year three only. |
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