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Keith Hill’s man-management skills could be crucial to getting the best out of his players again while Nyal Bell (inset) may be one to watch

Hill was powerless to prevent Stephen Dawson leaving for a better offer at Scunthorpe but he is well aware the club’s budget dictates that, generally speaking, he has to work with what he’s got, and that won’t change this term.

“We’re looking for improvement within the squad,” he added the.

“We’re trying to make Peter Vincenti, Michael Rose, Ian Henderson and all the other players better. I’m trying to give them an opportunity to play and improve, to get three points more often and to establish Rochdale as a League One club.”

But if Hill’s man-management skills continue to work so well, Dale could be challenging for promotion, never mind consolidation.

After Dale sold Scott Hogan last summer and then Matty Done in January, Ian LOG on today to read match previews for our local sides ahead of tomorrow’s big kick-off Henderson took on the goal-scoring burden and Dale will rely on him again to get the goals this season.

Hill and Chris Beech, his assistant and former Academy boss, have brought through a wealth of home-grown talent at Spotland in recent years and 18-year-old forward Nyal Bell could be the next to make his first-team breakthrough this season.

Rochdale benefitted from being an unknown quantity last term having just come up from League Two and although their league rivals will now know what to expect from Dale, they should be capable of another top-half finish, perhaps even a play-off push.