Manager Robbie Stockdale has praised his players following Dale’s 2-0 Carabao Cup Round One win over Burton Albion. He also thanked fans for their support.
Goals from James Ball and Devante Rodney secured the well deserved victory over the League One side, at the Crown Oil Arena.
“I’m very pleased,” said the gaffer.
“I thought we thoroughly deserved the win - I thought we were the better team throughout.
“We probably could have scored more. Devante had another one, and, in my opinion, he scores the harder one, because he’s under a bit of pressure. Tyrese has had a couple as well.
“From where we were on Saturday and the feeling that we had, it’s chalk and cheese. There was a really good atmosphere in the ground. The fans bought into the players and their energy and their attitude.
“We were poor on Saturday and rightly got some criticism, although probably a bit too much at the end of the game, I’ve got to say, I didn’t really think the players deserved that. But tonight we deserved to get clapped off and it was great night for us as a club. The supporters were superb and the players were as well.
“We got a reaction tonight. We’re all in it together.
“It’s a weird thing - we were seven days into a new season with a new team and, again, I’m not here to say we deserve praise when we don’t, I’m pretty honest about that - when we deserve criticism that’s fine, but when we deserve praise we should get it and I’m going to praise the players tonight because to a man, I thought they were fantastic. Even the substitutes came on and managed the game ever so well, and, like I said, probably on another night we could have scored more.”
He added: “It was always going to be one of those nights. Both teams had started the season not very well but we tried to dictate the game with our play and I thought we did that. But it wasn’t just the tempo, I thought it was quality throughout the team.
“We’re trying to produce a slightly different style of play in terms of formation compared to what we played last season, encouraging the outside centre-backs to go and join in as another attacker. And goodness me, I couldn’t get anymore pace in the team - both wingbacks, Femi and Ibbi [Abraham Odoh], were fantastic. And they are forward thinking players, it’s not like we’re playing two defenders.
“Overall, it’s a really good night, but even though how angry I was and how disappointed I was on Saturday, I knew that was in us. The challenge to the players now is to, of course, enjoy it - it’s a really nice night for us - but we’ve got to do it again. There’s no point in just doing it as a one off, we’ve got to do it again and that’s the level that we’ve set.
“Like I said, it was a good night, we played well, we’re into the next round of the cup but it’s pointless if you don’t do it again against Grimsby at the weekend, because the supporters will go away expecting that again and our job is to do it.”
Watch the full 13 minute interview on the club’s YouTube channel.