Manager Keith Hill looks ahead to Rochdale’s derby day fixture v Bury at the Crown Oil Arena…
“It’s a great game,” he told iFollow.
“If I take the emotion out of the game, and I’m the only one who should do that, I’m not talking about the players or the supporters, then it’s a good game for us.
“It’s a League One game and it’s one that we’re preparing to do our best in.”
Dale head into the match on the back of Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup second round tie against Stoke City, and with just three days between the two fixtures, Hill says there’s been a balance between rest and work on the training ground.
“We’ve got to look at rest, recovery and the right preparation that we need. A lot of it can be analysis work and making sure that we’re preparing ourselves for what we do best, while trying to eradicate some of the mistakes that we’re making as we prepare for the opposition. It’s also really important that we give the players an insight into the way the opposition are doing things.”
Dale are down to the “barebones” for the game but Hill remains in an upbeat mood.
“We’ve probably got between six and eight players unavailable for the fixture but that doesn’t leave me any less ambitious or any less enthusiastic about our prospects against Bury.
“I trust the players that I’ve got available, and if they reflect me and my characteristics, then they’ll get my full support.”
Watch the full 18-minute interview on iFollow.