Baah a class apart at Dale
ROCHDALE’S teenage prodigy Kwadwo Baah is unlike any other star to have shone at the club, according to manager Brian Barry-Murphy.
The 17-year-old produed another dazzlng display as he scored twice and set up another goal for Matt Lund in the 4-4 draw against Charlton at the Valley on Tuesday.
And while BBM admitted Baah still needs to work on his fitness levels, the gaffer was full of praise of the prodigious talent.
“Kwadwo’s individual skill in the final attacking third of the pitch is probably something we have never had at the club – individual brilliance and the ability to ‘wow’ people,” said BBM.
“Our squad has obviously taken him to their hearts and I suppose it’s just about being conscious of how young he is bursts more often and never lost our attacking “People didn’t think we and the fact he has come for a more prolonged intent. There are obviously would score any goals this off a slightly unorthodox period. He’s progressing things we can do season but we look like route, not an Academy at a rate of knots but there better, but the overall one of the most dangerous route, so we have to be is still work to do, which application and personality attacking teams I’ve careful how much we he is willing to do.” of the squad was amazing. seen in the league,” he expose him to. But he’s Dale will look to continue said. “The lads have been very robust and his physique the recent goal glut “We have, in terms of working incessantly on is improving a lot. which has delivered seven our squad, key defensive that and, for us, it’s about He probably couldn’t sustain goals in the last two games players missing. Eoghan finding that consistency the efforts he produced today when they welcome O’Connell and Jimmy and replicating these performance in the first half for a Wigan to the Crown Oil Ryan as part of that, and at home. long period because they Arena. Paul McShane hurt his “Matt Lund looks a were so explosive - not On the flip side of that, calf in the warm-up, so he major threat in terms of many players are capable they have also conceded wasn’t available either, his movement and his of that. seven in the last two, highlighting despite being on the ability to create space for
“He received a heavy their current struggle bench, so Jim McNulty is himself in the box. tackle and we brought for defensive options. asked to come in cold. “It was obviously a good him off in the second half “We have no back up in “I’m immensely proud assist from Kwadwo and just because we are aware terms of what we can do of the way the lads played we’re trying to be creative his ability to last for the 90 defensively and we need and applied themselves. in getting him on the minutes in this league is players in to add to that To come here and score pitch, as well as Jake Beesley not there yet, so we have area of the pitch,” said four goals, take Charlton and Stephen Humphrys to be mindful of that and BBM. on and be on the front foot and Matty, so to understanding but also “We’re very stretched in for the whole game was come here with so many push him quite hard that area of the pitch with testament to the players’ attacking players, we just because he has to improve a very small squad, so we personalities and the way felt this group was the best those fitness levels. felt the best form of we want to play.” way for us to play.
“He is definitely working defence was to attack and And for all the defensive “The fact we’ve scored harder and the challenge we did that from the first problems he’s currently seven and conceded now is for him to get minute to the last. We wading through, BBM seven in the last two that level of fitness as high know that at times during said his side had proven a games, shows we have as he can so that he can the second half Charlton few people wrong with those attacking players produce those devastating had us penned in, but we their goalscoring habits. that can score goals.”
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