Manager Jim Bentley reflects on Dale’s 3-3 draw with Carlisle United, his first league game in charge…
“From a personal point of view, it’s nice to be back in the dugout. This time last week I was sat on the couch with a cup of tea watching the game on the computer, which was a lot less stressful,” said Bentley.
“The voice has gone, I’m drained, but that’s why I’m in the game, I love it. It’s great to be back, and what a fantastic game that was. It had a little bit of everything. Both sets of players gave it their absolute all and chances were created by both sides.
“We’re pleased with certain elements of our play, not so with others, but we’ve only been in the building a couple of days. Thursday wasn’t really a training day - it was getting the players right after the Accrington game on Tuesday, so we touched on a few bits yesterday to try and give us a helping hand.
“I’ve said previously, in an ideal world you’d come in and have six weeks to put your thoughts and ideas in.
"We’ve brought big Quigs in [Scott Quigley], and what a fantastic debut by him - he gives us something different. Where we did certain things right, like going a little bit more into the front lads, that was pleasing, but when the game settled down we probably didn’t pass it as well as we know we can do. It was just about balancing up, and I said that at half-time.
“As I’ve said, they [the players] have been well drilled, well coached, and are a good footballing side, and then suddenly we turn it on its head a bit and go a little bit more direct. It’s just about striking that fine balance between when to go into the big fella and get round them and create chances/ cause havoc in their back line, when to regain and play forward with a purpose, and run forward and hit teams on the counter attack.
“We saw that on Tuesday and we saw that today. But when teams do bank up against us, sometimes when you bang against the door that doesn’t open for you, you’ve got to try a different way and that’s where we’ve got to get that balance right of coming back to what they have been doing, and that’s keeping the ball in the opposition half. There’s loads to be positive about - three goals away from home, your centre forward that you’ve just brought in has scored and Dev [Devante Rodney] has got another goal to his tally, and we could have scored more.
“It’s a difficult place to come, but there’s room for improvement, we know that, but, again, we’re trying to lay our thoughts and ideas down. It’s not going to happen over night. I can see evidence of it but we need to come up on other areas as well.”
Quigley arrived at the club on Thursday, on a season-long loan from Stockport County, and had a memorable debut, scoring two and getting assist.
“He looked a threat didn’t he. He’s a good player and he’s settled in no problem because he’s one of those types of characters. He took his goals well - one of them was johnny on the spot but you’ve got to be there and he bundles it over the line. He could have had more, and he’s had an assist. He ran himself into the ground. He hasn’t played much football and he was cramping up [he came off in the 73rd minute], where as an ideal world he plays the 90 minutes.
“And that’s nothing against Hendo. But Quigs is a target man and in an ideal world we’d have Hendo feeding off him, which is what Hendo is all about. As far as debuts go, he can be proud of his efforts and I’m sure that he’ll be very pleased with two goals and an assist today.
Watch the boss’ post-match interview in full on the club’s YouTube channel.”