Hill demanding more from Dale
KEITH Hill’s Rochdale side may have seen off Championship opposition at the weekend – but the Dale chief was not wholly impressed by what he saw.
A 2-0 win against Middlesbrough – relegated from the Premier League just three months ago – looks a strong result on paper.
But Hill felt his side’s defensive errors could and should have been punished.
“I’m seeing traits of what I want, but I’m also seeing traits of lateness in arrival in positions,” he said. “The timing of the game is very important for me, in and out of possession, and that’s where the players have got to improve.
“I thought we were a bit slow and I thought Middlesbrough should have taken advantage of that. But it’s a learning curve and it’s about making sure that we do it right. And if we do it correctly then I think we’ll be a capable outfit in League One.
“I was critical to the players after the game because we made errors, we just didn’t get punished. That’s where we have to improve. It’s not a case of players doing what they want to do, it’s a question of them doing what they are supposed to do, what they have to do to keep a clean sheet. So it’s a case of the less mistakes, the better.
“There were obvious mistakes in the first and second half.”
The outcome of the game was irrelevant as far as Hill was concerned, though he was pleased with the competitive nature of the contest.
“I’m not bothered about the result to be honest, you want a competitive fixture and it was very competitive from both sets of players,” he said.
“I saw intent, we wanted to press, I played a pressing side, so I’m relatively pleased. I think in the first half we could have been better with the ball.
“The defensive shape was good but in the second half I thought our defence were tired and stepped off a little bit, making it very difficult for our midfielders. Going into the embers of the game we got the second goal and I think from a results point of view it will give the players confidence.
“They were competitive and what we want. very that’s
“We want pre-season games to be played in the right manner as if it’s a league fixture, and that’s what we tried to do.
“It was a stern test for us because I believe Middlesbrough will get an automatic return to the Premier League.”