Keith Hill has stuck the boot into his misfiring Rochdale attackers after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southend United.
Dale went in at the break 2-0 down after David Mooney and Ryan Leonard struck for the hosts before Joe Bunney and Michael Rose rescued a point.
Hill made three substitutions at half-time and pulled no punches in his explanation of why the changes were made.
“We’re seriously being let down now as a squad,” he said.
“Certain players have been given too many chances to repeat what they did last season.
“The fact of the matter is that they’re not doing what they’re good at and they’re not doing what they’re asked to do on a regular basis – that’s why I made the changes.
“Everybody should be attack minded when we’ve got the ball, but everybody should be a defence minded player when the opposition has got the ball and we’re not on point at this moment in time.”
Despite salvaging a point, Hill was more concerned about the lacklustre first-half display.
“I’m not best pleased,” he said.
“As a manager sometimes you have to sit back and suck it in and I was really disappointed.
“We shot ourselves in the foot at times during the first half and I thought we were awful at times.
“We started quite brightly but I wasn’t getting what we had seen all week, or what we had prepared and planned to do from the players.
“A game that had everything? I’d say it had 45 minutes in the second half that represented us and the supporters who travelled down from Greater Manchester, but that’s about it.”
After four straight draws Dale take a break from league action next Saturday when they entertain Swindon Town in the FA Cup First Round.
Image courtesy of Rochdale AFC, via Youtube, with thanks
