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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 08:32 22 Dec 2025
Thats the correct attitude and it's one that everybody needs to adopt. We're nearly halfway through the season, it can no longer be termed a good start, it's Xmas and we're top of the league on merit. Thoroughly deserved. We will probably win, lose and draw during that February run of fixtures but so will the other clubs. We have a very good squad of players and a managerial team that has instilled clarity into what the players need to do to win games. It's repetitive drills on the training ground that have now become ingrained into the squad and we are now seeing it replicated on the pitch. There is no luck or good fortune involved, only hard work and technical skill. I can only see us improving as the season progresses but there will be set backs along the journey, that's football. Let the opposition worry about us, we're a different animsl to last season with a different mindset. [Post edited 22 Dec 8:33]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 20:38 21 Dec 2025
They're near the top of EFL2, it sounds feasable to me. With Peterborough's owner anything could happen. I thought CCC would have signed for Carlisle to be honest. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 19:34 21 Dec 2025
I also have it on good authority that CCC is signing for Swindon in January. This in turn has unsettled his mate Linney and there have been massive fall outs in the changing room due to the tactics employed by the manager and coaching team. It's a very unhappy ship. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 16:27 21 Dec 2025
Can't disagree and the make up of our forward players has been something i've highlighted over the last five or six weeks. It's a bit of a mish mash and we shouldn't really be relying on Henderson to start games at his age. How many league games has he started in the last eighteen month? It could be envisaged that Mani would pick up a injury which would possibly coincide with Rodney not being available. Smith has been injured and Amantchi hasn't impressed. Then we have Hendo who is 41yrs old and McNulty has been very reluctant to play him for a long time. Even appearances from the subs bench haven't been frequent. I'm sure McNulty will be on top of this and will look to recruit if possible. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 10:51 21 Dec 2025
As somebody on here pointed out to me last year, his priority will be his family and his career and that should be respected. He shouldn't be criticised for speaking to other clubs. I think Burton were sniffing around at the time. He's a improving young manager and if he carries on as he is then it stands to reason other clubs will be sniffing around. I'm assuming the Ogdens and those at the club will be fully aware of that because in football it's normal. He's got something special going on with these players, hopefully they can all achieve and celebrate together at the end of this seaaon. |
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Reply | Th'Ashes Down Under
at 10:10 21 Dec 2025
I had big hopes for Brook but he's got the brains of a pot dog. He sums up the arrogance and carefree attitude of this England team. Accountable to nobody and don't have the stomach for hard work, never mind a battle. [Post edited 21 Dec 10:10]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 09:42 21 Dec 2025
I'm more sceptical than you when it comes to footballers and managers. If a Barnsley comes knocking we've seen what happens. It's all part of the game and not worth worrying about. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 09:15 21 Dec 2025
Jay Bird seems to miss more games than he plays, a bit fragile. We have the same scenario with Devante Rodney, both very good players but a injury or illness or a reason to protect them is always around the corner. Somebody who is robust and we can keep on the pitch would be good. [Post edited 21 Dec 9:38]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 06:37 21 Dec 2025
When you're top of the league your players are always being watched, so is your manager. You would hope everybody buys into the end goal but when opportunity and money presents itself in football we know what happens. We are only half way through the three year plan to return to the EFL and three years is a lifetime at a football club when it comes to the longevity of players and managers. As a non league club we are vulnerable when it comes to clubs higher up the chain cherry picking our assets, that's normal when you're going well.
The three year plan couldn't really be going any better on the pitch but if i was to be critical i think we need to be more ruthless in front of goal. Everybody is wary of York because of their goalscoring prowess and they have players who can win games on their own. forwards who run at the opposition and bully them. We don't have that at the moment. If there is a plan to strengthen the forward line i hope it's to improve on what we already have and not to just add to the numbers. That should be the first question now, is this player going to make us even better? If we aren't constantly improving we are going backwards.There will be decent EFL strikers warming the bench or out of favour with something to prove, i'd rather see us bring somebody like that in than a young kid with no pedigree at this level who we hope to improve...we don't have the time for that. [Post edited 21 Dec 6:53]
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Reply | Th'Ashes Down Under
at 06:11 21 Dec 2025
The whole coaching set up and management needs looking at. Somebody will be enployed as the batting coach, our batsman can't help themselves and don't learn from their mistakes. Drop them, take their contracts away and send them back on to the county circuit. They might start focusing on shot selection then and valueing their wicket when it hits them in the pocket. [Post edited 21 Dec 10:05]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 21:45 20 Dec 2025
If a high end L1 club comes knocking would the player want to turn down the opportunity in preference to playing in the non league? The Club would be left with a disgruntled player. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 21:41 20 Dec 2025
I feel strangely relaxed about how this season is going to pan out. We're nailed on for a play off spot so that's a credible achievement in itself. In comparison to last season we have a stronger coaching team and a superior squad of players. We know we can beat Carlisle, FGR, BW because we've already done that. So we would enter the Play Offs far stronger than last season. I also think sometimes it's written in the stars and a promotion season when our pitch imploded and we had to play elsewhere would be the perfect ending to a unbelievable story. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 21:12 20 Dec 2025
I also have a feeling that we are going to get stronger as the season progresses, if we do that then even York will struggle to stop us. The competition amongst the squad to claim a first team shirt has now kicked in and what was perceived by many as our strongest starting eleven is now up for debate, the injury situation could prove to be a positive in the long run as unsung heroes now step forward from the squad.
The pitch situation and playing at Accrington will also galvanise the players, it's another obstacle but that focuses the mind and the pitch will be ideal for our style of football. There is also a real possibility that York could lose their leading goalsorer during the January transfer window and EFL clubs are allegedly already sniffing around Linney and CCC at Carlisle.. So it's feasable that some of our rivals could be weakened by the end of next month.
I suspect that all the top four or five clubs will probably share the points around when they play each other. The deciding factor will probably be which team harvests the most points against those clubs outside the play off places. We are doing great and even if York did finish top of the pile i would fancy us this time to win the Play offs. It feels like it could be our year i think, adversity is present in respect of the pitch and injuries but the players mental resolve and determination hasn't wavered, we saw that at Altrincham last night. [Post edited 20 Dec 21:16]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 16:40 20 Dec 2025
No, Amantchi hasn't done enough unfortunately. Like you, i think we'll see one or two forwards come in over the next two or three weeks. Mani will take some replacing, his position is key to how we play and he occupies more than one defender. Hopefully he's back before the February fixtures. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 15:39 20 Dec 2025
Just looking at how infrequent his appearances have been this season in preference to others on the bench, even in the National and FA Trophy competitions. Most fans were surprised to see him in the starting eleven last night. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 13:55 20 Dec 2025
Hendo has hardly played this season and i think he looks overweight, he's certainly not as fit as ever. Understandable that he's not match fit though, he's also 41 years old. He's a Dale legend and up there with Gary Jones as a club icon but i think you've over egged the pudding a bit there. You can tell by watching Hendo in the highlights he's carrying some timber. I'll be surprised if he starts at Morecambe. He's the fifth choice forward behind Mani, Rodney, Smith, Amantchi. When you look at team selection and appearances and starts that's how McNulty also views him. He's been fantastic for us but we now have better options. [Post edited 20 Dec 14:44]
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 10:41 20 Dec 2025
February is tough but i think playing tough games one after another will make us battle hardened and could work in our favour. It's tough for all our rival opponents also and they all have to play each other. Some of their fixtures will be at the end of March and April, when the pressure to win games is at it's highest. |
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Reply | Refwatch - Altrincham v Rochdale
at 10:34 20 Dec 2025
We are also well versed in the dark arts now so can't complain when other clubs use them. Players going down to stop the game and the opponents momentum. Players running over to the dugout to receive instruction and break up the flow of the game. Goalkeepers suddenly sitting down and the physio being called on. All things that we didnt do very well last season but use to our advantage now. I think the recruitment of Done and Taylor has really benefitted McNulty this season, it must have taken a lot of pressure and work off him. |
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