Football Season Guide

Robbie Stockdale still has plenty to prove after a very challenging first season as manager of Rochdale. He took over a club heading in the wrong direction and an immediate return to League One following relegation in 2021 never looked likely. It soon became clear it wasn’t going to happen with Stockdale not helped by the board of directors’ decision in January to sell his two best players in midfielder Aaron Morley and striker Jake Beesley to Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool respectively. It left the side treading water for the remainder of a largely forgettable campaign and the summer has seen more of his best players move on to pastures new. Centre-back and player of the season Eoghan O’Connell has joined Charlton Athletic, wing-back Corey O’Keeffe has signed for Forest Green Rovers, midfielders Conor Grant and Stephen Dooley have departed, the latter to Harrogate Town, whilst winger Alex Newby has switched to Colchester United. Stockdale has been left to rebuild his squad again for a second successive summer and has been scraping around in the bargain bucket. The return of popular striker Ian Henderson feels like a move to placate the fans given the 37-year-old missed most of the last campaign with a long-term back injury. Cameron John suffered a similar long-term injury whilst at Doncaster Rovers last season. Goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell and striker Devante Rodney were neither first choices at Bradford City or Walsall but the return of centre-back Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who enjoyed a productive loan spell at Spotland back in 2019; and midfielder Toumani Diagouraga, are more encouraging signings.