Assistant Manager Chris Beech spoke to Dale PlayerHD after Rochdale’s 3-1 FA Cup win over Swindon Town...
“We’ve got a big week this week and we’ve started the week off great. We’ve played against a newly managed team in today’s opponents.
“We were doing exactly what we wanted, even although in the first 15 or 20 minutes they probably had possession. It was centre-half to centre-half without any entries into our box, though, and on the turnover we did, so we were quite happy with that.
“I don’t think the fans quite got what we were trying to achieve, which was to ultimately win the game. The fans have been used to this fast flowing, free-flowing, high energy game – the lads did do that but it has to start from a start point and if you go gung-ho you can get too wide and get spread out. Swindon are good enough to pass straight through you so we had to be careful of that.
“Overall, we’re really pleased that we got through the tie.”
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing netted a hat-trick in the win and Beech is pleased for him.
“He’s training harder and he has been committed to the programme that we gave him when we met him.
“I’m really pleased for him because he deserved it. He played really well – he’s a threat and a running threat, and what has been good about him in the last couple of weeks is that he is prepared to get back and help out as well.
“He’s got a good mixture in his game at the moment and he’s backed it up with goals. Overall, he deserves his Man of the Match.”
The match was overshadowed when Callum Camps was stretchered off with a leg injury late in the second half. Beech has given an initial update on the injury.
“Callum is on crutches as a precaution and he is going to go to hospital to get it x-rayed.
“We don't think anything is broken but, of course, ligaments can be worse than a broken leg.
“We’ll know more in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
The full interview is on Dale PlayerHD.