WHO ARE ROCHDALE?

WHO IS KEITH HILL?

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?

Now, a lot of you are probably curious about two things. One, why am I actually writing a profile for the team I predict will win the League, it's something I have only done once in the 5 years of this site being open? Secondly, why have I predicted Rochdale to be Champions? Now, despite the beliefs of a lot of Rochdale fans, I do actually like their club. It is one of the few away games that I genuinely look forward to during the season and for a little club (I don't mean that offensively), they don't try and convince you that they're bigger than they are...unlike their near neighbours from Gigg Lane.

Let me just say that one of the reasons, although certainly not the main one, is that Rochdale fans deserve a bit of success. I respect them more than any other set of fans in this division because they could have easily gone and watched Man Utd, City, Blackburn and any other number of successful sides around that area, but they've decided to go watch a team who would look out of place in a division other than "The Rochdale League".

Anyway, I think Rochdale's main reason for optimism is going to be Keith Hill. He is the only manager at a League Two club who has won near on 50% of his games (the other managers have all had time in the Conference to build up their win records). Rochdale are a far better side under Hill than a lot of people give them credit for. Although we did the double over them last season, Rochdale were one of the few sies who actually impressed me.

Whilst the game at Spotland was fairly even, Rochdale were easily the better side at Sincil Bank and were unlucky to lose if I'm being perfectly honest. Obviously I only got to see Rochdale five times last season, two in person and thrice on TV, but that was enough to convince me that they were good enough to maintain a promotion challenge of the next 10 months.

Rochdale may not have the best squad in the world, they might not have many sides that would make it into many fan's "League Two XI" but they appear to work really well as a team and if they can keep Dagnall and Le Fondre then they have potentially forty goals right there and then.

If Rochdale don't challenge for automatic promotion then I will be highly surprised, but I think there are certainly good times ahead and it may well be time for Rochdale to leave "their division".

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