Manager Keith Hill reflects on last weekend’s draw with Bristol Rovers and looks ahead to Saturday’s League 1 fixture v Fleetwood Town, in his latest interview…
Dale secured a well-earned point from the trip to the Mem and Hill, on reflection, is pleased to have come away with a point after going down to ten men.
“We went down to ten men and during the last 20 minutes of the game we looked reasonably uncomfortable, but within that, we still saw great energy levels from our players as they tried to secure a win, not just a draw,” he told Dale PlayerHD.
“I’m pleased with the overall enthusiasm of the players and their determination to try and win a game when we were down to ten men.
"It left us a little bit vulnerable and I would have preferred for us to have locked out a two-each more comfortably, but I think the players are just desperate to get that three point feeling. And if I’m being honest with you, we should have managed the advantage that we had in the game better.
“We have played reasonably well this season but it’s not the opposition that have unlocked us, it’s ourselves. Key individual mistakes from the first game have run all the way through from game to game to game, which has given an opportunity to the opposition. When we’ve come off the pitch, whether that be at half-time of full-time, we’re analysing and it’s what we’ve done to ourselves because of individual mistakes. It’s just about making sure concentrations levels and individual responsibilities get up to the 100-percent mark, because that’s what’s really let us down this season so far.”
Dale welcome Fleetwood Town to the Crown Oil Arena this Saturday, a game Hill is looking forward to. The Cod Army have only lost one game so far this season and Hill believes Rosler, who was appointed Manager at the end of July, was a good appointment for the side.
“We’ve had a good week on the training pitch, both individually and collectively, and we’re looking forward to the fixture at the weekend.
“I think Uwe Rosler [Fleetwood Town boss] is a very good appointment to the squad of players that they’ve got because he’ll fit in nicely with the way that they want to play.
“I think they found last season difficult, so with respect to that, they invested in recruitment. They didn’t invest as much last season and they ended up fighting relegation so they’ve gone back to investing. That works as long as you have good people in recruitment and a good manager/ coach to come up with a plan for success for the players that you’ve recruited, and I expect them to be very, very successful.”
The full interview is on Dale PlayerHD.