Hill: No January sales for Dale
●●Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, left, and Joe Bunney, centre, are among the Dale stars rumoured to be on the radar of rival clubs
KEITH Hill has issued a hands off warning to clubs looking to cherry pick the abundant talent in his over-achieving Rochdale squad.
Looking back on 2016 ahead of last night’s game against Shrewsbury Town at the Crown Oil Arena, Hill expressed his delight with the progress made at the club during the last 12 months.
And with the January transfer window about to open, Hill said he wants to keep the group of players together to see how far they can push in their pursuit of a play-off finish. Camps and Northern with youngsters all the we can take this team. have not gone their way. Irelan international Matt time, trying to teach them “If we fade away, we “We play Walsall on Lund has not gone the nature of the game fade away and we’ll Monday and we won’t unnoticed. and the way in which I rebuild again in the summer. change our tactics,” he
But with the club’s feel things should be But we’re well on our said. “The results away finances in good shape, done. way with 39 points, I’m from home have been a Hill insists there is no “We are seeing product really pleased.” little bit down to naivity pressure on Dale to sell from those players now, Speaking ahead of the and the scorelines have this time around. there is maturity, so I am final game of the year reflected us chasing
“I think it’s been a pleased – but I just said to against Shrewsbury on games. successiful calandar year, the chairman ‘we can Friday evening, Hill said “We have been very especially when you consider never take anything for he was looking to close a close to getting more that everyone granted’ and I am successful year on a high victories like the one at goes on about ‘little old stressing this now because – and start the new one in Northampton last time Rochdale,’” he said. I listen to all the rumours similar vein when he takes out, so the way we play is
“They are not playing that we’re a selling club his side to Walsall on good and we’re going to In the past, Dale have the football club, they are and we’re not, we’re Monday. continue doing that. sold influential players at playing the team. Now, keeping this squad of And while replicating “It would be good to this time of year. Nathaniel the team is three and a players together throughout their excellent home form finish the year on a high. Mendez-Laing and Joe half years in the making January. on the road has been With respect to position Bunney are the latest and at this moment in “In our first full season difficult, the Dale chief and current points that we players rumoured to be on time it feels good. in League One we got rid insisted there would be no have we’re very pleased, the radar of Championship “But it’s not just this of Matty Done and Scott change in style and that so we will celebrate the and top-budget moment in time – we are Hogan, for good reasons. his players have not been new year regardless of the League One clubs, while building and we are But we are building now far off the mark on their results against Shrewsbury the form of youngster Callum having an arm wrestle and I want to see how far travels even when results and Walsall.”
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