Hill applauds players and looks ahead to Brentford tomorrow

Dale manager Keith Hill congratulates Marcus Holness after a game

Dale boss Keith Hill has spoken about his team’s chances against Brentford tomorrow, and has praised his players for their great season so far.

As a result of the mid-week win against Southampton, Rochdale moved up into a playoff position - a great achievement for a newly promoted team.

Hill said: “The players have been tremendous all season.”

“We have done absolutely incredibly. It’s getting better and better and better,” he added. “The team just keeps getting better and better.”

However, Hill does not think the game at Spotland tomorrow will be easy.

He said: “We are going into a difficult game.

“They have had some great results. It’s going to be a difficult prospect.”

The boss thinks his opposition counterpart, Brentford manager Nicky Forster, has had a tough job since he took over the position in February.

“It’s not a great situation as a manager,” he said. “I think he’s stepped into the manager role very well.”

Rochdale’s new playoff position will change the way their upcoming opponents see them.

Hill commented: “It’s a great opportunity. We were the chasers and now we’re being chased.”

“We have just got into a playoff place, the next phase is to retain our position,” he added.

Hill is modest about his role in the team’s success this season.

He said: “I don’t expect a pat on the back, the players have been magnificent.”

The manager also expressed his appreciation of players that have changed their style of play to accommodate his and assistant manager Dave Flitcroft’s approach to managing the team.

The club’s remarkable season has attracted added media attention.

Hill explained: “People want to do interviews on a regular basis, with the players, with myself and Flicker (Dave Flitcroft). The TV companies want to come down, watch what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, because our form is superb.”

He also wanted to stress that the club should remember everything they have already achieved this season.

He said: “It’s important that we remain realistic and that we remain really happy with what we’ve done this season because it’s been a tremendous season.

“We could quite easily have been in a position that Dagenham & Redbridge are now, or Notts County, fighting potential relegation.”

Concluding, Hill said: “Everything beyond that scenario has been a massive massive success.”

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Simply purchase tickets for the games against Brentford (Sat 16 April) and Carlisle United (Sat 23 April) and get a ticket for the final home game of the season against Peterborough United (Sat 30 April) for free! The offer is available for all home stands to all classes of supporters and gives fantastic value for money saving fans up to £20.