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Dale defying the odds

17/ 5/2008

THEY are fighting above their weight in financial terms, but Keith Hill’s Rochdale pack a mean punch and today’s League Two play-off semi-final second leg could be a test of whether or not Darlington can withstand the barrage of attacks from the hosts.

It’s a measure of the job Hill and Dave Flitcroft have done in bringing together one of the best squads in the division despite trailing so many of their counterparts in terms of wage and transfer budgets, training facilities and squad size.

Take today’s opponents. Streets ahead on paper with a squad boasting plenty of experience and players who have proved themselves at a higher level.

Yet for all their inexperience and the shoestring budget on which they were lured to the club, Dale are likely to be the team asking all the questions come 12noon today.

"We can’t afford the players Darlington have with respect to experience, age and knowledge," said Hill. They are a top-three budget team.

"There is a lot of know-how in their ranks. If you look at Stephen Foster, their skipper, he had an offer to stay with a Championship side last season and turned it down to go to Darlington, which speaks volumes in itself of their budget, and he is a very good footballer.

"If you look at MK Dons and Peterborough, two teams who failed in the play-offs last year, I think it shows we’ve got to build for next season, regardless of what happens this year. We have the nucleus of a squad already.

"Personally, I would like to keep the nucleus of the squad together for as long as we possibly can, but that might prove difficult to do."

Hill’s young players have been attracting attention from bigger clubs for several months, the play-offs merely swelling their reputations.

"It’s a Catch-22 situation for clubs such as ours," said Hill. "I can’t keep going on about lack of resources, I can’t keep going on about the fan-base or the lack of budgetary funds because we want to be able to build a squad, and that’s what we are doing.

"We’re very fortunate to have been able to build this side. It’s no coincidence – the team has been put together through hard work and endeavour, so it would be a really hard pill to digest if we had to sell players and break this squad up.

"Our lads are not earning king’s ransoms, and that’s true of our respective league. They work very hard for the money they get. They are not handsomely rewarded, they are rewarded well, but they are not handsomely rewarded, which could be said of players at other clubs in our league.

"We are very much on the nurture side but once these players do make a name for themselves, money does talk.

"We know what football’s like and you’ve got to keep turning the wheel. That’s what we’ve done over a period of time. As long as I’m manager of this club there will be no big turnaround in players, it’s done constructively throughout the course of a season. There won’t be too many players being released here, there and everywhere – we do it methodically over the course of the season and close season. We do want continuity."

Continuity has been the name of the game this season with youngsters given prolonged chances to prove themselves. It has worked wonders.

"There have been times when they could have gone under but they haven’t and for such a young squad, in their first season together, to get to the play-offs and have the possibility of a trip to Wembley is a massive achievement," said Hill.

"When you look at the likes of Kallum Higginbotham, Marcus Holness and Joe Thompson, they have achieved already.

"Nobody should be negative towards the players, the coaching staff or anyone at the club because it’s been one hell of an achievement when you consider now that football is all about budgets, it’s not all about players, it’s about how good your finances are, how deep your resources are.

"That’s really the surefire way to get success and it has epitomised our league to an extent when you consider MK Dons and Peterborough finished one and two, and they both have very big budgets.

"There are no failings in my lads and the squad and I hope ultimately everyone realises there has to be a sense of achievement this year. It is a work in progress and that continues regardless of whether we get promoted or not. Team selection will always be open to debate, but ultimately myself, Dave and the players make those decisions. They pick themselves with the way they perform during matches and in the week in training.

"The weight of expectation shouldn’t be there, the supporters should be going along supporting the lads and encouraging them. I know 39 years is a long time to wait and I can understand people’s apprehension and people

saying the typical stereotype phrases which come out with respect to Rochdale falling at the final hurdle again. We’ve had those scenarios all the way through the season and we’ve always proved them wrong as a team.

"The belief is there among the players, and that belief will still be there regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s game."

This week’s preparation has gone well and the players were due to spend Friday night at an out-of-town hotel so that they could travel in as a team this morning.

"The lads have had plenty of rest – it’s been a long, hard season," said Hill. "We know what to expect from Darlington and there will be no surprises. They’ve obviously got a few injury concerns so we won’t know until the day whether those players are available. They are going to try to protect their lead and frustrate us, which many teams have tried here at Spotland.

"Once again it boils down to what we do. We want to score the goal and it’s a tightrope situation for both sides, especially for Darlington in my opinion.

"We’re always confident but it’s going to be a different environment, a different atmosphere and different questions are going to be asked because of the enormity of the game.

"The lads are confident, we have a lot of self-belief – we know what we are doing. It’s all about doing your job. This is a big game and these are the games that bring the biggest prize."

And the gist of Hill’s pre-match team talk?

"I’ll be telling the players to ensure they don’t leave any stone unturned and to give everything they’ve got – which they have done throughout the season.

"We must make sure there are no question marks after the game with respect to our endeavour and how we’ve played. These are big games and while we have a no fear approach there is no shame in losing – so long as you try to win. These players are already winners in my eyes, the collective effort has been enormous this season, we have a truly great team spirit and we are all blessed to be in that environment. I feel privileged to have been able to bring these lads together with the help of David Flitcroft and Rochdale Football Club."

The first half of last Saturday’s game saw some nervy displays, but Hill is confident there will be no repeat of that today.

"I think the experience of playing in the first leg will stand the players in good stead.

"There was probably a little bit of fear in the first half up there, but I don’t think there will be any fear on this occasion. We fully know what we are capable of doing at home, know what we have to do and know we’re capable of doing it. The players may be young men, but they are men and everybody is accountable, including myself, for what occurs. But what shouldn’t be forgotten is what we have achieved already this season, because it has been tremendous."