Quiet deadline day was ideal for BBM
TRANSFER deadline day passed by quietly at Rochdale – which is exactly what boss Brian Barry-Murphy wanted.
Defender Ryan Delaney, who had been struggling to make an impact on the first-team mathday squad, moved to AFC Wimbledon on loan until January, but other than that there was was no business for BBM.
And, given the fact former Dale chief Keith Hill was installed as Bolton manager over the weekend – sparking concerns among some supporters that he may try to take one or two members of BBM’s squad – the lack of activity was pleasing.
“I was hoping for a quiet day because our work had already been done and our main concern was to prioritise the players that we have in the building,” said BBM.
“Players have shown great commitment to us, and that, coupled by the great backing of the Board in supporting us in our plan, we have managed to
retain all of our players with the exception of Ryan Delaney, of course, who has gone out on loan to aid his development. I was hoping for a quiet day and it has materialised that way, which is exactly what I wanted.
“We plan for all eventualities and we had plans in place in case anything unexpected happened to our own squad. We are working with a squad that we’re very happy with and that’s what I wanted to focus on. We’re very much of the belief that we have been working with this group of players over a period of time and these are the players that we very much want in our dressing room.
“If we were to have brought someone else in, we would have been adding to the squad for the sake of it. We have a squad of players that we believe is very dedicated and is growing stronger together.
“We had in place specific targets over the summer and we managed to acquire those. The only way things would have changed towards the end of the window would have been if we had lost any players. Like I said, we were always monitoring the situation in case that happened, but that hasn’t materialised.
“This season has very much been about quality over quantity in terms of our playing squad, and that has been our plan. We’re happy with the business that we’ve done and we are very excited to work with this group of players. The next stop off is January, and we’re keen to progress as a group until then.”
Defender Delaney, 22, has yet to feature for Dale this season. Having joined the club in January 2018 he went on to make nearly 60 appearances for the club since then and BBM is keen for his development to continue – and that means game time.
“Ryan is a very valuable member of our squad and someone who is a valuable asset to our club,” he said.
“This move has come about due to circumstances at the other club, and rather than having Ryan here waiting for an opportunity, I thought it was the right circumstances for us to allow him to go and experience games in the same division that we play in, aiding his development.
“It’s imperative that he didn’t suffer because of a lack of game time.
“From a selfish point of view, it would have been easy to keep him here and keep him waiting for his opportunity, which I’m sure he would have taken once he came into the side, but I think this is the more proactive approach for the player himself.
“The most important thing is that Ryan is going to a team that are strong in this division.
“That is going to be a positive for his development.”