Perfect time for Dale break: BBM
BRIAN Barry-Murphy felt his Rochdale squad was ‘running on empty’ in Tuesday’s EFL Trophy defeat to Salford and said this weekend’s break in action has come at a good time for his players.
Dale were beaten 2-1 by the Ammies, who recovered from Jake Beesley’s opener – his first goal for the club – to secure progress to the knockout phase of the competition.
The result meant a second cup exit for Dale in the space of four days, the defeat coming on the back of the FA Cup first round loss against Stockport.
Today’s scheduled trip to Charlton Athletic has been postponed due to international call-ups and BBM is glad of the opportunity to rest his squad.
“It was a very difficult night for us in terms of in our next league overall performance but I game. The plan was always wouldn’t sensationalise it, for us to rest and recover I’d just say we didn’t play after the Salford game so particularly well, didn’t that won’t change, we’re perform overall as we pretty consistent in the would want and deservedly way that we plan things lost the game,” he said. and if I’m honest the break
“Our attitude and our is probably coming at a energy levels were fine, I good time for us. just thought in terms of “The lads have been our quality and understanding amazing in their application of the game that over a long period of we just didn’t match Salford. time since we came back For whatever reason, and they were probably whether it was physical or running on empty. mental, we just couldn’t “It was significant that reach the heights that they we could rest Matty Lund could, and, as such, we because he has had an have no excuses. issue with his hamstring
“It’s a competition we while Alex Newby had treasure and we look forward tightness in his groin – all to it every year and the those guys are getting disappointment is that we accumulative fatigue injuries don’t get to give the younger where they are feeling guys another game in it. the effects of the schedule.
“We don’t play at the “We’ll be looking to rest weekend so the rest probably and recover those guys for gives us the chance to next week and hopefully recharge the batteries, we can be refreshed and hopefully get some players ready to go for the next fit and refocus on Wimbledon home game.
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