Assistant Manager Chris Beech is looking forward to Tuesday night’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Area Quarter Final against Morecambe.
Dale host the League Two side, who were victorious over Bury in the last round.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Beech reiterated that it's a competition the side want to do well in.
He told Dale PlayerHD: “I think Keith [Hill] stated in pre-season that winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy is something that he’d like to achieve as a Manager.
“It’s a competition that gathers pace, and as you progress through the rounds it becomes quite exciting.
“It’s an exciting time tomorrow night because we’re playing against a really good team. Morecambe score goals and I know they’ve been conceding goals but they’re an exciting team to watch.
“I know they’re well managed, I know their team spirit is excellent and I know that they’ll come here wanting to win the game. We’ll really need to be on point to make sure that we can get through the round.”
Under the rules, Dale can make up to five changes for the game and Beech says there may well be a few changes.
“We’ve got a lot of players being patient at the moment. For me, Ashley Eastham needs commending for the patience he has shown because he is probably not getting what he wants. He’s very supportive of the squad on every matchday and then he has ended up getting in the team and playing very well on Saturday, so that might help two or three other lads on Tuesday night.”
And Beech is also pleased with the character shown by other players who have had to be patient.
“We encourage a fully inclusive environment. Training is good and we really want the players to enjoy and express themselves within that environment, while being challenged and pushed.
“When players don’t get comfortable, it makes them better. It makes us more competitive as a team, as individuals and as a product, which is important because we want to win football matches.”
The full interview is on Dale PlayerHD.