Mini-season in one afternoon
ROCHDALE will play a mini-season all in one afternoon today when they take on Oldham at Boundary Park.
If the outcome of today’s game does not exactly make or break the season – Keith Hill might argue that can only be done over 46 games – then the clash will certainly determine whether or not Dale have anything other than pride to play for in their final home game against Bradford City next weekend.
Anything other than victory would, realistically, leave Dale out of contention for the final play-off berth. But they face an Oldham side on a fine run of form, under the guidance once again of John Sheridan.
“Every game is a mini season in itself at this stage of the season, whether you are fighting relegation or trying to achieve targets that you have set,” said Hill.
“From that respect, we have the points on the board, 67 points with two games left and we are looking forward to them. We’re just planning for those mini successes, for they are mini seasons within themselves.
“Your season can be decided in the next game and we’d still have one game left.
“Equally, we could take it to the last game of the season and that’s what we are intending to do.
“But we can only do that by playing Oldham and being prepared. While we are being prepared we have to make sure we are reponsive to situations that develop during the course of the game – and obviously everybody needs a bit of luck!”
Hill has stated he wants to pass the 70-point mark and victory today would see Dale hit the mark – but the manager said that was merely a marker for the club. The real prize is the possibility of gatecrashing those play-offs.
“Getting to 70 points would be a nice mini marker for the club, myself and the staff,” said Hill.
“We are just trying to achieve a little pat on the back for the players – but there might be more at stake than that little pat on the back. The players are working really hard.
“The one disappointment I had in the last two or three months – even though we’ve had all the injuries and results haven’t always gone our way – was the Shrewsbury game because that was the real opportunity where I thought we could put some external pressure on the two teams above us.
“That left me a little bit like ‘what’s the point of doing all this?’ But there is a real point to it and the players responded really well to me being an illtempered old goat at times and I am glad they do respond in the right manner.”
While the glut of injuries suffered between January and March will leave some pondering ‘what if’ should Dale fall short of the top six this season, the fact Hill’s men have taken the race down to the wire is testament to the great work being undertake at the Crown Oil Arena.
And Hill’s men have done it once again employing a brand of football which is the envy of many clubs.
“I don’t know whether entertainment is a value unless you get three points,” said the Dale boss after Easter Monday’s 2-0 win against Coventry.
“In my opinion it is, the way that you play is important to establish a winning environment and trying to produce players. But if we had lost on Monday and played quite well, I’d have been entertained and disappointed.
“There’s still fire in their belly and a massive appetite for success.
“We were talking about professionalism before the game and the players delivered. It was a big game and you have to deliver in these games. The players know that every game we play represents an opportunity to maybe get into the playoffs but only if we do the business. It’s no good looking at the opposition to try to support your plan.
“We want to experience taking this club to different levels that they haven’t experienced before and for us to do that we have to be better.
“It’s small detail. I don’t like any person who just agrees the only way to get success or a better product is by throwing money at it.
“I think the harder you work individually and collectively, the more success you will get. It is born out of hard work, not money, and that’s what we do at Rochdale.
“It’s not just me, it’s not just the players, it should be the cleaner, the groundsman, the stewards, the office staff - that is what I am trying to drive as manager, you can be successful without throwing money at things.
“It’s enjoyable when you get people around you who want to work equally as hard because you can bounce off each other.
“When you see the likes of Jamie Allen last Thursday coming off the pitch having gone all in, with no energy left – the same with Calvin Andrew on Monday – that is a product of the hard work and the success they get from the hard work.”
‘We could take it to the last game and that’s what we are intending to do’