Fulfil potential on home turf in double-header
ROBBIE Stockdale was urging his Rochdale squad to fulfil their potential in front of their own supporters as they geared up for a home doubleheader.
Dale were due to entertain Stevenage on Tuesday evening as the Observer went to press, before taking on Exeter City at the Crown Oil Arena on Saturday.
Following the weekend’s goalless draw at Walsall, Dale chief Stockdale said: “We know we’ve probably not played to our potential at home, we’re fully aware of that.
“We know as well that we need to give the supporters something to cheer at home, we’re not just expecting the blind of faith of everybody backing us.
“We’ve got a really good opportunity to maybe kick on and the two home games are crucial to us doing that. We need to make sure that we start the games on the front foot, we start with a really exciting style of play if we can.
“We’re not going to have it all our own way, in either game, and there might be some hard moments in those games. Together, we’ll have a really good chance of picking up some points.”
Stockdale’s men headed into the midweek clash in 13th place in League One, with Stevenage five points behind in 21st spot.
Stockdale felt Saturday’s game at Walsall was an opportunity lost. After a forgettable first half, Dale had the better of the secondhalf chances and the gaffer said he felt his side were the better and could have left the Midlands with three points.
“I thought the firsthalf was a scrappy game and not an awful lot of quality, from our side, in it, but we defended our goal well,” said Stockdale.
“I asked for a little bit more at half-time and got it. I thought we looked like a good team in the second-half. We could have won it.
“I think if we can get that consistency now and play for the majority of the game like we did in that second-half, I think we can win more than we lose.
“You can never be too disappointed with an away point, but I am – I think it’s a bit of an opportunity missed, truth be told, with the chances that we created, and in my opinion, we certainly deserved to win the game.
“I just felt we are a better team than what we showed in the first-half. I asked us to move the ball a little bit quicker, be a little more aggressive in the one-v-one duels, make it really personal between the person you’re playing against.
“I thought we did that in the second-half and I don’t know the stats, but to my eye we were the better team and created several really good opportunities.”