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In Defence Of Steve Eyre

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The ranting has started. Just before the Leyton Orient game I got a post on the Vital Rochdale page. It read as follows:

“Ayre must go….Bayliss in! Fed off of Ayre ‘i love City’ + his crap tatics! F*ck off back to City + get out of Rochdale!”

I`m not anybody who spells the manager`s name as ‘Ayre` can be taken as a serious critic of his performance, but that withstanding does he have a point? He certainly feels he does, and even presented a solution:

“i just dont want a lifetime of waitin for promotion lost becoz a weak chairman opts for the cheap rookie and shud have got another man with rochdale in hios heart, bayliss. we cannot afford the big name but we can get another rochdale legend to take us to the next stage but we must stay up, ayre is clueless! bayliss has learned his trade, ayre is a coach who cant make the step up!”

Legend and Dave Bayliss are a name and description that don`t make natural bedfellows. Like Luis Suarez and honest, but it`s true he played for Rochdale more than any other club, mainly because he didn`t catch at any other clubs. He made 37 appearances at Luton over 4 years.

But this isn`t supposed to be a Dave Bayliss critique; I`m sure he`s a nice man, and is doing well as joint manager of Barrow. They`re half way up the Conference with not much in the way of a budget. Good work, and with time he may well carve out a successful career as a manager, but he`d hardly come with a cast iron guarantee of glory.

The main point from above is the first sentence. “i just dont want a lifetime of waitin for promotion.” The suggestion might be ‘don`t support Rochdale then.` The question that must be asked is what do we want as Rochdale fans? 2,322 fans turned up to watch the team against Leyton Orient. Man City take more than that to away games in Europe. Charlton, Huddersfield and the two Sheffield clubs all average over 15,000 this season. Is it realistic to expect us to compete at their end of the table?

After a change of manager and the loss of key players and backroom staff, staying in League One must be the aim, with anything more a bonus.

Steve Eyre has a record of producing quality talent at one of the most prolific academies in Europe. The only way our club can survive is by producing local talent and selling it on. The two go together like Suarez and diving.

Yes Eyre`s a rookie, and yes he needs to sharpen up on his league one tactics, but a young manager, like a young player, can only fulfil his potential by being given time.

Jason Kennedy back in the side was a step in the right direction and shows he`s learning. Now he just needs to realise his little and little strike force preference are too easily bullied in matches.

It`s only November, we`re not adrift and we have a manager with a contacts book fatter than the yellow pages, so let`s give him a chance and get behind the team.

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6 comments

  • deaduncleted says:

    Good defence – much too early to start moaning. Bayliss a legend? Not too sure about that

  • pob says:

    Sometimes dangerous ground to also have a ‘legend’ as a manager, can ruin his reputation in minutes. Hill was always going to be a tough act to follow, though patience is key

  • supergaryjones says:

    Well said – It’s like being the next manager of Utd after Fergie – everything will look like a fail.

  • The Fear says:

    major rant in the article by that one user!

  • supergaryjones says:

    Here’s hoping Eyres can produce us another Craig Dawson

  • supergaryjones says:

    Good to see some other commenters as well – welcome on board

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