Brian Barry-Murphy says it is noticeable how much the supporters have behind his side in the opening three matches of the season.
The Dale boss has spoken about the connection between the players and fans, and how that is helping his side express themselves.
“I don’t speak about the support for the sake of it – I’m not trying appease anybody – I just think it’s been very noticeable how much they have been behind us,” said Barry-Murphy.
“One of the most pleasing things for me on Tuesday night was that when we went behind, there was a patience from everybody. Myself, the players and the supporters were all on the same page.
“It would have been very easy for us, after conceding a late goal against Doncaster, to all of a sudden start thinking it’s a difficult moment and to just do the easy thing in terms of playing quickly and just getting the ball forward.
“We remained patient in our approach and there was a great understanding from our supporters of what we were trying to do.
“I think that connection, which is a term I’ve used quite a lot, is important to try and maintain to give the players the platform to express themselves at home, and away, in a manner that befits that really.
“They should be allowed to find solutions on the pitch themselves that are appropriate for every given game, whether that be a certain style of play that involves patient build-up, or being more aggressive and moving the ball forward quickly.
“I think the players are very good at finding solutions for any given Saturday, depending on the opposition, and that patience from the supporters is greatly appreciated by the players.
“It makes a huge difference to the guys when there is a very positive atmosphere in the stadium, especially when we’re losing games. We can all talk about how positive we’re going to be when we go behind, but the actual action of doing that on the pitch takes a lot of courage and bravery from the players.
“The way they played when they were behind, against a young Bolton team which provides its own pressure, was exemplary and provided me with great pride.”
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