In the first of a new weekly feature, we get the views of our opposing fans, this time its Rochdales turn.
**Please note this interview was taken before Grant Holt was sold! That is such a shame for County!!
How’s your current league form?
Our current league form is atrocious to be honest and we haven’t won a game since we beat Shrewsbury 4-3 at home back in late November. We lost every single game in December and looked shambolic defensively. We managed to get a point against Northampton though earlier this month so hopefully we can push for a win against you lot now.
So what are your hopes for this season? Playoffs?
What I hope for and what I expect differ slightly. I always want promotion but whether we get it is a different matter. At the beginning of the season I just wanted progression from last season where we finished 9th. Anything better than 9th would be pleasing but when you consider we’ve been in and around the top 7 for most of the season, peoples expectations have gone up and people are expecting promotion. A playoff finish would be a fantastic achievement in my book.
You, a couple of years ago, signed our big, at the time midfielder, Rickie Lambert. With all due respect he looked abit lazy at County, but that hasn’t been the case at Rochdale has it?
Actually, it has been the case a bit at Rochdale, at least according to the majority of fans who have called him lazy at times and he was even dropped by Steve Parkin for it. That said, he still keeps chipping in with the goals and I don’t have many complaints with him scoring 12 goals thus far this season. With the ball at his feet, he’s awesome and he’s scored some awesome free kicks. There surely isn’t a better free kick taker in the league. I’m delighted we signed him and at £25k ish, he’s an absolute bargain.
Grant Holt has also been banging them in this season. Is he likely to move in the transfer window or stay put?
Goodness knows what?s happening, we’ve got a thread on our message board listing all the teams linked with Holt since he started banging in goals and up to now there have been 29 possible moves for him according to that. The latest rumours this month have included Hull and Swansea mainly and it was rumoured on New Years Eve that he was definitely signing for Hull but he hasn’t yet and is still here. He won’t be here for next season, that I’m sure, but I’m not sure whether he’ll go this month. It would seem that the club are making every effort to cash in on him though.
Any key players we should look out for on Saturday?
You’ve mentioned two of them, Holt and Lambert will be the players to look out for without a doubt. Also, we’ve got a fantastic left sided player by the name of Alan Goodall who we picked up in the summer of 2004 from Bangor City. He’s class whether it be left back or left wing and will cause problems. He’s being tipped to be our next big money transfer after Holt. You might also want to look out for Ernie Cooksey and Blair Sturrock. Ernie who we signed from Oldham last season has been excellent for us and is a real handful in the middle. Sturrock isn’t brilliant but has been chipping in with goals recently and proved he’s a good player. Tony Gallimore at the back is immense and will hopefully stop you scoring on Saturday, shame the rest of the defence will probably let him down.
Are there any star players injured that may benefit us!?
We’ve got an important player in Gareth Griffiths injured with his usual back problem. We look a much better unit at the back with him than without. Also, there are a few doubts over our captain Gary Jones for the weekend after he got injured in a behind closed doors match with Derby County this week.
You beat us in the LDV Vans Trophy 3-1 earlier this year with bizarrely 3 own goals (2 for you, 1 for us). What are your hopes for Saturday?
Another score line like that would be nice. Don’t care how the goals go in but we need a win and when you are at home against the team currently propping up the division, you’ve got to expect a victory. Now that I’ve said that, you’ll probably get something out of the game.
