Positive vibes in preparation
TWELVE months ago Keith Hill’s overriding emotion during pre-season training was one of frustration – a year on and things couldn’t be more different for the Rochdale chief.
Hill’s side are seven days away from the start of the new League One season and the manager has thoroughly enjoyed the preparation process this summer, in stark contrast to last year.
“I am working with a group of players who send me home feeling pretty satisfied every day instead of frustrated,” he said. “So it is going to be an easier twelve months for my wife and family!
“If I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy the company of the squad last season. It was difficult because I have always had a squad of players who reflected what I want and last season was almost unrecognisable from what I wanted to work with.
“It was frustrating, mistakes were made. We came together as a group that season, we didn’t start as a group, but we came together.
“I think the introduction of Ryan Delaney in January really gave us that opportunity to avoid relegation. His character and the way that he works on the training pitch gave everyone a stark reminder of what can be achieved and what players should be doing to achieve and play at the highest standard you possibly can, which should be the goal of most players.
“What I’ve got with this year’s recruitment is Aaron Wilbraham, David Perkins – players who have a drive and determination to be successful. They have not come here to retire. It’s great working with those players and I am very guided by what happened to me as a player and it’s very difficult to find players who don’t want to train.
“Last season we were going into pre-season training in Tenerife and I think we did four sessions on the spin bikes. This year we didn’t do any, the spin bikes were not even a consideration because the players wanted to get the ball moving and they were brilliant on the training pitch.
“There were too many short cuts being made by the players last year and if they are making short cuts then invariably there will be short cuts on a matchday.
“Last year they just didn’t want to work. Don’t get me wrong, I am talking about good people here, but the group didn’t work. We gathered data, we analysed – but last season we had Ian Henderson up at the top of the data readings and whoever else right down there. They were poles apart, where this year everybody is within touching distance of each other. “It’s far better. “The players are listening to the way that I want to work, they are putting it into practice and it has been reflected in our video analysis. We are all swimming in the right direction and protecting each other. It doesn’t mean it is going to be brilliant this season, it just means that we are on the same page and working in unison.
“I’m not going home thinking ‘they’ve not done what I wanted them to do, they’ve not done what I wanted them to do.’”
Dale play Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park before Tuesday’s final pre-season friendly at FC United of Manchester.