The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

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Magennis - Starts?
Magennis - Starts?

Grimsby v Rochdale Preview

By: Alex Green
Date: 16/10/2009

WOO hoo Saturday is nearly here! Town get to greet Rochdale for a match to end all matches. Who needs Super Sunday?

Home > 2009-2010 Season > Previews > Rochdale (a)


Well Burton wasn't that good was it? And with no midweek match this week the team's performance and ineptitude has been allowed to fester with no chance of redemption. Newell after last Saturday’s defeat stated new players will be coming in and so far one has joined us from Cardiff with a few others reportedly on the way. Anyway there are only so many ways I can write We're rubbish. So lets talk about our opponents for Saturday Rochdale who are the in form team in the league having won 5 of their last 6 matches their 1 defeat coming against last week's victors Burton.

Overview

Their History

Well Rochdale were formed in 1907 in the council offices. So already Rochdale council has achieved one thing more useful than North East Lincolnshire Council. Anyway it wasn't until 1921 that Rochdale were allowed to join the bourgeois in the Football League even though they apparently invented the whole notion of the 3rd Division and there seemed to be some sort of FA conspiracy holding back the mighty Dale. Not that they are sore about any of that and in no way does their official web site imply the FA are evil vindictive gravy train riders out to get their beautiful little club. They may have a point about the former part at least. That’s Rochdale they've been down here forever, so long in fact they get the comfy chair and the remote and no one else is allowed to use it even when they're out of the room just like your dad but less loveable.

Last Season Was

For the second successive season Rochdale failed to finally clamber out of here in the play-offs and though Keith Hill has fashioned a young talented side frustration that they are yet to reach their potential warranted changes in the summer. It had all started so well before that defeat to Gillingham in the Play or semi final a blip in September saw Rochdale 15th but were able to haul themselves up to 2nd at the end of March which was unsurprisingly a 2-0 home win over ourselves. But the season has to be written off as a failure at the very last hurdle with just 180 minutes separating Rochdale from success and finally ridding themselves of that unwanted record.

This Season Is

With the failure of promotion Hill’s main concern was to try and keep hold of that effective nucleus to improve on and though Hill was successful in holding on to the ever present William Buckley, Adam Le Fondre couldn't be tempted to stay opting to move to Rotherham who are able yet again to spend big money even though they are homeless and well just an immoral cesspit of administration loving Yorkshire folk unable to balance on a bike never mind a chequebook. Also former Mariner Simon Ramsden left for Bradford, Lee Thorpe for struggling Darlo and Mark Jones went back home to Wrexham. So far Rochdale couldn't be doing better they're exceeding expectation are the inform team and are just 2 points of top place Bournemouth. Lovely jubbly

Most Famous Player to Wear the Shirt...

Jamie Clarke, Tony Gallimore and Mickael Antoine-Curier of course! If that small list of footballing wizardry isn't enough to quench your footballing thirst have a swig of Wolves and USA international Soccergoaltender Marcus Hahnemann who played 5 games on loan at the club. But surely one of the pioneers of Total Football and former Ajax, Holland and Sweden manager has to satisfy you the gentleman is a legend across the sea and inspired some of the best football in Holland oh and he played for Grimsby Town, which truly puts him on one of the world’s tallest football pedestals.

Key Player...William Buckley

No not William Buckley the superb interviewer and presenter from across the pond but the William Buckley of England! Rated 49th out of 50 rising stars in The Times last season Buckley born in Oldham has been accredited as one of the finds of last season has stayed on at Spotland hoping to finish off what he started last season. The 21-year-old midfielder joined as a trainee and managed 13 goals in 40 appearances for the Dale while also been able to avoid picking up not one card! Hear that Conlon, Proudlock and Boshell. Not one! His loyalty to Rochdale is admirable but another season like last year may well be his last in League Two.

Recent Form

TownRochdale
LBurton(h)1-2
WHartlepool (JPT)(a)2-0
LBarnet(a)0-3
LChesterfield(a)2-3
DDarlington(h)1-1
Currently 22nd in League Two.
WBarnet(h)2-1
LBurton(a)0-1
WDarlington(a)2-0
WHereford(h)4-1
WNorthampton(a)2-1
Currently 4th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownRochdale
Sweeney4
Conlon3
Dagnall7

Team News

TownRochdale

  • Town have two new loan signings. Midfielder Arnaud Mendy from Derby, and striker Josh Magennis from Cardiff. A third loan signing may yet be made in time.

  • Defenders Rob Atkinson and Joe Widdowson are both expected to miss out through injury.

  • Midfielder Danny Boshell is suspended, as is Barry Conlon.
  • Striker James Brown and defender Peter Hartley are both injured.
  • Rochdale have no injury worries and expect to be unchanged.

    TownRochdale
    1GKNick Colgan
    2DFRobbie Stockdale
    3DFJoe Widdowson
    4DFRyan Bennett (captain)
    5DFMatthew Heywood
    6MFPeter Sweeney
    7MFAdrian Forbes
    8FWNathan Jar man
    9FWAdam Proudlock
    10FWBarry Conlon
    11MFDanny Boshell
    12DFJamie Clarke
    13MFNick Hegarty
    14MFPeter Bore
    15DFMatthew Bird
    16DFPaul Linwood
    17MFGrant Normington
    18FWChris Jones
    19MFMichael Leary
    25DFRobert Atkinson
    26FWJean-Louis Akpa Akpro
    27FWDanny North
    35GKLeigh Overton
    TBAMFArnaud Mendy
    TBAFWJosh Magennis
    1 GKKenny Arthur
    2 DFScott Wiseman
    3 DFTom Kennedy
    4 DFNathan Stanton
    5 MFClark Keltie
    6 MFCiarán Toner
    7 MFJason Kennedy
    8 MFGary Jones (captain)
    9 FWChris Dagnall
    10 FWScott Spencer
    11 MFAdam Rundle
    12 MFDale Stephens (on loan from Oldham Athletic)
    14 MFSimon Whaley (on loan from Norwich City)
    15 MFJoe Thompson
    18 MFKallum Higginbotham
    19 FWChris O'Grady (on loan from Oldham Athletic)
    20 FWDennis Sheriff
    21 GKMatty Edwards
    22 MFDavid Flitcroft (Assistant Manager)
    23 DFRory McArdle
    24 DFChris Brown
    25 MFCallum Byrne
    26 DFCraig Dawson
    27 DFJosh Brizell
    28 DFMatthew Flynn
    30 FWWill Buckley
    31 DFMarcus Holness
    TBA FWMarc Manga

    Head to Head

    Town comfortably lead overall but they have lost all but one game this millennium, by an aggregate score of 8-18.

    P45 W21D8 L16F75A63

    Head-to-Head (22nd on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    Rochdale 2 Grimsby 0 (Tue 28th Feb 2009)

    Town put in a better performance but Dale were too strong for them .

    Report

    Prediction

    The Fishy Prediction

    Hopefully these new additions will improve us if not and they fail to make an almost instant connection with the "team" it could be humiliating... Again.

    Grimsby 1-3 Rochdale

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