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Greyfriars Bobby · 01-04-2015, 12:10 PM

10 March 2015

Morale was a funny thing. The mood in the Rochdale changing room was as gloomy as it had been back in October, and when Paul Sanderson asked the captain, Alan Foster, about it, he told the manager that the lads needed a run of good results to boost their spirits.

True, the Dale had lost to Nuneaton Town, shipping four goals--the most they'd allowed in a competitive match all season--and followed it up with a drab 1-1 draw against Aldershot Town. Still, the team had gone five matches without a defeat immediately before, so why was their morale so fragile?

Looking back, it seemed that Aldershot's goal, as well as at least two of Nuneaton's, had been the result of a lack of defensive support by the central midfielders. "We were missing Jack McGrath, who hurt his elbow in training two weeks ago," Sanderson pointed out. "Jack is excellent in a holding role, and without him, I think we lacked some defensive continuity." McGrath, who'd been brought on as much for his coaching skills as his talents on the pitch, had been a success at Spotland. He'd already appeared in enough matches to trigger an automatic renewal of his contract, which Sanderson would have wanted to do anyway.

Hopefully Jack would be fit enough to play on Saturday, when Rochdale traveled away to Burton Albion. The Brewers sat third in the table, and their roster was every bit as talented as Rochdale's, if not more so. The lads would need to be at their best to secure a result that might lift their mood a bit.

This week, a fresh group of youth candidates arrived at Spotland. Sanderson and his staff were very impressed with several of them. Sean Wynn, age 15, was as fast as anyone on the squad with the exception of Sam Dawson, who might be the fastest player in England. Wynn was a center back with considerable promise. Matt Tinker, also 15, a right wing, was almost as athletic as Wynn, and looked very comfortable with the ball in training. Both Wynn and Tinker were drawing raves from the older players for their professionalism. Goalkeeper Jason Robinson, attacking midfielder Simon Aspinwall, and right back Matthew McGregor had also opened some eyes in their first training sessions.

"Matter of fact, all the kids look like they could make footballers," youth development head Ben Ferguson said.

01-04-2015, 12:10 PM	#45
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	10 March 2015 Morale was a funny thing. The mood in the Rochdale changing room was as gloomy as it had been back in October, and when Paul Sanderson asked the captain, Alan Foster, about it, he told the manager that the lads needed a run of good results to boost their spirits. True, the Dale had lost to Nuneaton Town, shipping four goals--the most they'd allowed in a competitive match all season--and followed it up with a drab 1-1 draw against Aldershot Town. Still, the team had gone five matches without a defeat immediately before, so why was their morale so fragile? Looking back, it seemed that Aldershot's goal, as well as at least two of Nuneaton's, had been the result of a lack of defensive support by the central midfielders. "We were missing Jack McGrath, who hurt his elbow in training two weeks ago," Sanderson pointed out. "Jack is excellent in a holding role, and without him, I think we lacked some defensive continuity." McGrath, who'd been brought on as much for his coaching skills as his talents on the pitch, had been a success at Spotland. He'd already appeared in enough matches to trigger an automatic renewal of his contract, which Sanderson would have wanted to do anyway. Hopefully Jack would be fit enough to play on Saturday, when Rochdale traveled away to Burton Albion. The Brewers sat third in the table, and their roster was every bit as talented as Rochdale's, if not more so. The lads would need to be at their best to secure a result that might lift their mood a bit. This week, a fresh group of youth candidates arrived at Spotland. Sanderson and his staff were very impressed with several of them. Sean Wynn, age 15, was as fast as anyone on the squad with the exception of Sam Dawson, who might be the fastest player in England. Wynn was a center back with considerable promise. Matt Tinker, also 15, a right wing, was almost as athletic as Wynn, and looked very comfortable with the ball in training. Both Wynn and Tinker were drawing raves from the older players for their professionalism. Goalkeeper Jason Robinson, attacking midfielder Simon Aspinwall, and right back Matthew McGregor had also opened some eyes in their first training sessions. "Matter of fact, all the kids look like they could make footballers," youth development head Ben Ferguson said.