As Rochdale gear up for the 2025/26 National League
season, head coach Jim McNulty has been quietly but deliberately reshaping the
club − not just the squad, but the whole approach to recruitment, performance
and success. After a first season of transition following relegation from the
EFL, and then one of last-ditch heartbreak, McNulty is setting firmer standards
and sharper expectations, with one clear aim: a team capable of promotion.
During an in-depth conversation in the course of
pre-season preparations, McNulty made it clear that he’s moving away from the
kind of small, overstretched squads that defined previous campaigns towards
something with more durability. “Having a small group of versatile players is
great in theory,” he says, “but if you’re constantly asking players to operate
outside their natural roles, performance levels inevitably dip, and fatigue
sets in.” Instead, he’s building depth in every area − players ready to push
the starting XI and, crucially, step in without a drop in standard or cohesion.
Ten signings have already arrived this summer and, significantly,
the vast majority are permanent, proven additions − a clear break from previous
seasons where more inexperienced loans often papered over cracks. With proven
players in key positions and a deliberate shift toward building long-term
cohesion, McNulty’s rebuild has moved beyond firefighting. It’s now a project
with shape, identity and staying power.
It is a shift rooted in realism and ambition for a
coach still honing the art in his first management job. While on holiday at the
end of last season’s campaign, McNulty spoke with another manager who shared a
simple principle: each summer, aim to sign at least three players who can
improve three positions in your best XI. Not just bolster the squad but raise
the bar. “It stuck with me,” McNulty admits. “That kind of thinking forces you
to be honest about your team. It challenges everyone − those who come in, and
those who are already here. It really solidified my belief in the strategy I
had set out for this summer.”
The foundation for this summer’s approach came from
extensive soul-searching. “It started with outlining the strategy, which came
from deep reflection − not just on the final moments of last season, but all
the moments throughout the whole campaign, and even the one before that,”
McNulty explains. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to grow a team −
not just to the end stages, but getting it beyond the middle stages, into a
real position of strength.”
That reflection crystallised his vision for evolution.
“It was always clear in my mind how I wanted to evolve the team − how the
threat level and the resilience of the team could and needed to grow. And I
knew that would take time.” The underlying numbers, he notes, suggested
Rochdale had “one of the strongest campaigns in the National League” last
season, but he recognises the need for qualitative improvement alongside
quantitative depth.
“We’ll benefit from a rise in quality, not just
quantity,” he says. “And from more variance − in how we threaten teams, and in
how resilient we are.” The recruitment strategy that followed was deliberately
targeted: “We’ve tried to be forensic. We’ve gone after very specific profiles −
guys we’d identified as players who could really help this team.”
Although prolific, recruitment this summer has come
with its share of challenges. As McNulty sets his sights on higher-calibre
players, competition naturally intensifies. While the club narrowly missed out
on targets such as Jay Bird − a forward whose short loan spell last season
earned near-talismanic status − others, such as Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, have been
successfully brought in, the forward having attracted widespread interest by
scoring goals in a lukewarm Hartlepool side.
“Yes, our targets have had clubs from higher up the
leagues after them,” McNulty acknowledges. “It makes sense. They are good
players and good players always have options. But what we offer is clarity.
They know how we play, where they fit, and that they’re coming here to make an
impact − not to make up the numbers somewhere else.”
It’s not just the recruitment that has been bold.
McNulty has been equally efficient in deciding who goes the other way too. Take
Kairo Mitchell, for example. From the outside, releasing a striker who
has scored 33 goals in 89 games may seem like lunacy but, for we fans who have
seen every game in that timeframe, and witnessed a striker that has performed
in fits and starts, it is a decision that, while brave, makes perfect sense.
“Evolution isn’t just growth,” McNulty says. “It’s also
about making tough decisions to enable that growth.”
The head coach has also been working to address
remaining gaps in his squad, with recruitment still ongoing. “I’ve been wanting
a second goalkeeper,” he reveals. “Progress has now been made there, and one will
hopefully be announced soon.”
Pre-season progress and building belief
Pre-season has, so far, brought encouraging signs both
in terms of results and individual performances. Rochdale boast an almost
perfect winning record across their friendly fixtures to date, with only the
outing at Barrow ending in defeat. The new arrivals have impressed early,
particularly Dieseruvwe, who has wasted no time settling in, scoring four goals
in five games. Behind him, summer signing Joe Pritchard has stood out at left
wing-back, adding energy and creativity down the flank.
But results and performances don’t tell the whole
story. With several players still returning to full fitness following injuries
or off-season rehabilitation, McNulty has had to be pragmatic − making use of
trialists to maintain balance in both training and matches. It’s a careful
juggling act, but one the head coach is handling with intent. He’s hopeful
that, come the opening day, the full squad will be back on the grass and match
ready.
“I haven't yet had a single session where my full group was available,” McNulty says. “That can be frustrating, but
it also gives us a chance to assess trialists properly. The main thing is that
we’re not rushing anyone − we want everyone to be fully fit and flying by the
time the season starts, not playing catch-up in the opening weeks.”
For McNulty, the value of pre-season extends far
beyond mere preparation or even results. “I don’t care too much about the
results in friendlies,” he admits. “They’re nice. They provide platforms for
solidifying belief, particularly in the new players, but it is performance that
interests me most.” The established core, he feels, are already deeply
invested: “The old players are deeply connected to what we do now, deeply
connected to me. And I think we’re stronger for that connection, stronger for
that alignment and unity.”
Having retained his core squad under contract has
streamlined this summer’s preparations. “Having all the guys under contract has
been great, it means we can get straight back into work and straight back into
adding to our previous work,” McNulty says.
The integration of new signings has been particularly
revealing, offering McNulty fresh perspective on how the club is perceived
externally. “Because we’re so close to our approach, the way we do things, I don’t think we actually
realise how good some people outside of it perceive us to be,” he reflects. “Speaking
to fresh players this summer has been quite refreshing, to hear their take on
it. And not just the guys that we signed − plenty of the guys that wanted to
sign that we didn’t sign, people reaching out to us, said the same, too.”
It’s a view that has surprised even McNulty. “We get
so close to it here on the inside, we get so used to it, and it’s nice to get
the perspective from outside on what other people think we’re doing.” The
recognition, he notes, extends beyond individual interest: “The last two years
of work, it’s very prominent in other people’s minds now within the Football
League − the way we do it, the players that we’re doing it with, their
abilities, and the output we’ve had doing it. It seems to be on the football
radar.”
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| Emmanuel Dieseruvwe has had an impressive pre-season. |
Learning from heartbreak
But perhaps most intriguing is McNulty’s focus on
objectives − not just results. “Of course we’re aiming to win every game we play,”
he says, “but I want us to stay focused on the right objectives, on which we have an internal belief will lead us to those results.” He points to
last season’s play-offs as a case study in preparation and timing. “All teams arrived in different form going into the play-offs but only one will ultimately achieve the prize by saving their best for when it matters,” McNulty reflects. “We
want to learn from that − it’s not just about getting there, it’s about being
ready to deliver when you arrive.”
Rochdale’s own experience last season serves as a
sobering reminder of that exact point. Finishing fourth after a strong
campaign, the team looked well-positioned going into the play-offs. And, when
they surged to a 3-1 lead against Southend in the first eliminator, belief
surged through the stands too. But what followed was a collapse that still
lingers in the minds of fans − Southend clawed back to win 4-3, and, just like
York City, who had amassed 92 league points, Rochdale found themselves on the
wrong side of a season that had promised much but delivered zero when it
mattered most.
The play-off heartbreak wasn’t an isolated incident
either. Just weeks earlier, Rochdale had another golden opportunity to make
history − this time in the FA Trophy. With a place at Wembley and the chance to
claim the club’s first-ever national cup within reach, McNulty’s side were
leading part-time Spennymoor in the semi-final, only to concede a gut-wrenching
injury-time equaliser before losing on penalties. It was a collapse that
pointed to deeper questions about mentality and game management under pressure
− questions McNulty knows must be answered if Rochdale are to take that next
step from nearly-men to promotion winners.
His reflections on Rochdale’s most high-pressure moments are
frank − not defensive, not downbeat, just honest.
“Quite simply, most of our players had never been in those
kinds of situations before,” he says. “They’ve got a huge passion for playing
for Rochdale, and an unbelievable will to please the fans, but the
expectations, the occasion − that was a first for a lot of them.”
The pressure, he says, didn’t always look the same. “I
sensed tension in the trophy semi-final − not so much in the play-off game.
That was more about momentum. Southend are a top side, and once they got a grip
on the game, it was hard to turn that around. The stadium shifted. That’s one I
need to learn from.”
McNulty isn’t one to sugar-coat things, but neither does he
dwell on disappointment. What he saw wasn’t failure − it was learning.
“We’ll be better for those experiences. That season was a
crucial step in the team’s development. You don’t just arrive in those moments
fully formed − you grow into them.”
There’s a clarity to how he describes it. “I looked around
at both teams we put out on those days, and the squad as a whole − most of
those lads hadn’t played under that kind of pressure before. They just hadn’t
lived it yet.”
He’s studied the effects of pressure and expectation
closely. What he saw in his players − the tension, the tightness − didn’t
surprise him. “Those big occasions, they were in their infancy. I know it
because I’ve looked at it in depth. That kind of stress, it’s part of the
process. We shouldn’t run from it. We should embrace it.”
McNulty’s backing of his players is clear and unwavering.
“People can label it how they want, but my lads were the ones in the arena.
They were the ones feeling that pressure − and for most of them, it was the
first time they’d ever been there.”
And that, he insists, is where the value lies.
“The growth we can take from those games is huge. And you
can’t overlook the fact that, in year one of a three-year evolution plan, the
fact we even got to those games, that counts for something. That shows we’re on
the right path.”
This perspective is informed by conversations with
other managers who’ve navigated similar challenges. “I’ve spoken to other
managers about these sorts of ‘gone close’ things in recent years, and, if you
look at teams that went close in the trophy, went close in the play-offs, and who
then maintain continuity in and around those squads − if those players or
managers continue in those positions − it’s led to success in the upcoming
years.”
Addressing those pressure-point failures has been
central to McNulty’s project from the start. When he took charge in 2023, he
inherited a relegated team bereft of togetherness and disconnected from its
supporters. His response has been to instil a clear identity and performance
framework − one that extends beyond the players to embrace the fanbase too.
Those recent heartbreaks have only strengthened his belief that this
foundational work is non-negotiable.
“I’ve been part of clubs where, if we won, the manager
was happy and if we lost, they weren’t. But there was nothing to judge a
performance by,” McNulty reflected. “My ultimate aim has always been to have
the players operate with a unified belief that, no matter the result, what they
are doing is the right thing.”
That shift has helped forge a squad the fans can now
identify with − a team with a sense of purpose, clarity and collective
direction.
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| McNulty's reflections on Rochdale’s most high-pressure moments are frank. |
Tactical philosophy and flexibility
But those late collapses, and key points dropped along
the way, raise questions not just about mindset, but about tactics too. Over
the past season, Rochdale have largely stuck to a 3-4-2-1 shape, with little
deviation − even in moments when the game appeared to be slipping away. For
some supporters, this perceived tactical rigidity raised eyebrows. Has it been
a case of unwavering belief in the system, or a reluctance to adapt when
circumstances demand it? It’s a question worth putting directly to McNulty: is
there room for more flexibility in how Rochdale set up, or is clarity and
consistency of structure the foundation upon which everything else must be
built?
McNulty’s response reveals the depth of thought behind
his approach. “For the record, it’s not been a season of frustration for me. It’s
been a season of obsession and a season of enjoyment taken from watching us. It’s
a season where I feel we found a system that benefits our players, and some of
our players were players that had never played within this system or
within the positions that they now play. These will be some of the names that
our fans will sing and who will be devastated when they leave the club one day.
Kyron Gordon or Sam Beckwith, for example − players who have only ever played
left-back or right-back for teams in back fours to this point in their career.
I believe it’s about connecting a group of players to a system. It’s about
selecting a system, whatever that’s going to be, to suit your players, to give
them a chance.”
The head coach’s tactical philosophy is driven by a
desire for control and dominance. “People would think that I’m obsessed with
controlling a game and they’d be right. I want to take control of a game and
dominate − that’s ultimately what I want. And the opponent does play a big part
in how we could potentially dominate a game. I used terms like ‘total options’
early on in my tenure − I don’t know, because I’m not in the social media
circle as much as some, if those words are still banded around, but, ultimately,
I want to find a system that gives us a blend and a variance to our attack that
allows us to win a game, and allows our fans an opportunity to be excited and
proud of the team that represents them.”
But McNulty is quick to challenge any suggestion of tactical
rigidity. “The system I used last season − or rather, the couple of systems we
moved between − wasn’t fixed,” he says. “To the trained eye, those shifts are
clear. To others, maybe not, but that doesn’t concern me. There are nuances in
how we play that change depending on the opponent and their style.”
His approach, he explains, has always been shaped by the
players at his disposal. “We only adjusted our system because we had a
different group from the year before. As the quality of the squad improves, so
does our ability to evolve the system. Better players give you more flexibility
− and that’s where we’re heading.”
For McNulty, the connection between players and system is
everything. “I think the system you use does matter − but what matters more,
and I really mean this, is the players’ connection to it. If they’re not fully
on board, it won’t work. You must believe in it completely. When you walk into
a room and try to sell that idea to 30 lads, you’d better be certain − because
they’ll each have their own questions, and they’ll know if you’re bluffing. If
a manager doesn’t believe in his own system, the players won’t either. And if
you don’t have that trust, how can you expect to win anything?”
He’s proud of what that connection between players and
system produced last season. “Within that relationship, I think the team found
a way,” he says. “I don’t have the stats in front of me − and I’m not going to
start quoting them, that’s for others to talk about − but we kept a lot of
clean sheets, scored goals, won games at home, had strong records, and went
deep into competitions. That’s something to be proud of but still something
that can be built upon.”
For all the tactical detail, McNulty is clear about what
really matters. “No system frustrates me − they all interest me. I’m obsessive
about the game. But I never forget the basics − the passion and fight that got
me through my own career. That’s how I became a footballer, and it’s something
I don’t let the players forget.”
Regardless of tactics or talent, certain standards remain
non-negotiable. “None of it matters − the system, the quality of the players −
if there’s no fight, no hunger, no connection to what you’re playing for.
That’s always front and centre for me. And the players know exactly where I
stand when it comes to effort, commitment, or doing right by their teammates −
whether they’re in the team or not.”
When it comes to dealing with opposition tactics,
particularly the low blocks that have become increasingly common against
Rochdale, McNulty shows both understanding and pragmatism. He acknowledges the
tactical challenges these approaches present while putting them in context. “What
I would say is that the opponent is allowed to play well, and the
opponent is allowed to try hard to try to stop us scoring, and the
opponent is allowed to try to score as well. And they are trying to do
that every single week, and they are quite turned on by playing at the Crown
Oil Arena because we’re a good club in this league. And we face all different
strategies − the low block is one of them. That’s become more prominent, and
that’s because we’ve got better and better and better.”
Rather than seeing these defensive approaches as a
problem, McNulty views them as a sign of progress. “If our fans can find a
positive in it, it’s that we’ve become a better team that people are more
fearful of, and they try to take the ball off us even less now because they’re
more inclined to try to protect what they’ve got from the off and nick what
they can.”
The solution, he believes, lies in continued
evolution. “I think we've had to become an evolving team. As we grow and
improve, other teams take notice and often adjust how they play against us. In
response, we also adapt − particularly in how we recruit and
build our squad. The key is to maintain the strengths that have made us
successful and continue to instil that same fear in the opposition. If teams
keep approaching us the same way, we can keep refining our recruitment
strategy. We've already started doing that this year. There were certain types
of goals I felt we lacked, and I believe we've now addressed that.”
It’s an analytical approach that recognises both the
challenges and opportunities ahead. “We now consistently face teams that
defend. We now have an opportunity to react to what we think could help in that
regard and I’m looking forward to those challenges again this season.”
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| Joe Pritchard has stood out at left wing-back. |
Building for the future
For McNulty, last season’s disappointments must be
seen within the wider context of the club’s long-term rebuild. “If we’d gone up
last season, of course it would have been brilliant,” he says. “But the project
I’ve been given, and the budget I’m working with, is built around a three-year
evolution of the squad − so that when we do go up, we’re absolutely equipped
for the EFL, front to back and top to bottom.”
That process is already bearing fruit. “This season,
if we go up, I’ll have less work to do than last to ensure that ready-made
quality is already in the squad,” he adds. “I know sometimes that’s not what
people want to hear, and they hate me talking about clout − but what I mean by
clout is a team that can build an EFL-ready squad in one season because they’ve
got the budget to do it. Our owners are brilliant in backing me, but they’re
not going to throw millions into the playing squad in one go. It’s got to be
done sustainably, in the right way, and that takes time. It’s my job to manage
that evolution and identify the right players at the right time as the squad
grows.”
McNulty’s commitment to this sustainable approach
extends beyond mere financial pragmatism − it’s about maintaining his integrity
as a manager. “Attached to this is my ego. While I’m trying to forge the
beginnings of my career as a manager − which feels well on the way now, by the
way − I’ve had opportunities where I could be, and I don’t want to use the word
‘reckless,’ but I could have far more freely deployed funds in certain
directions to maybe give myself an opportunity to enhance my standing in the
game by making decisions that I don’t feel would benefit the club long-term,
medium-term, but would benefit me in the shorter term by giving me an
opportunity to win quicker and maybe gain some reputational enhancement.”
His refusal to take shortcuts stems from a deep
connection to the club and its ownership. “I’ve never done that. I’ve never
done that because of my connection to the team and because I’ve sat in the room
with the Ogden family. I’ve sat in the room with Cameron [co-chairman] plenty
of times now, and with his advisors. Everything they share, everything they
radiate when they speak about the club, is true to me. It’s genuine. And it
comes from the right place − they are trying to do this organically. They are trying
to do this, certainly in the early stages, in line with how they grow their
other businesses.”
The learning curve for the owners has been steep but
impressive. “I think they very quickly learned − because they’re very
streetwise people in business − that they seem to assimilate the information
needed to be successful in almost anything quickly. They’ve learned about this
game, and they’ve upskilled themselves quite quickly, but they still want to do
this organically. Are they accelerating it probably more than they thought they
would? I would say yes, slightly, but I think that’s also because they’ve
learned that what we were trying to do last year just isn’t enough. It just isn’t
enough because the National League, without the same regulations as the EFL, is
a little bit like the Wild West.”
McNulty’s confidence in his team’s quality relative to
higher divisions is striking. “I believe that we are probably now better than a
portion of League Two teams. I believe we’re an operation that runs well, a
team that runs well with the system, with clarity, with a lot of guys on one
page, with a good culture. They all love playing for the team and they hurt
when they lose. On top of that, they’ve got good quality. I think that, all
added together, makes us better than several teams that languish in the bottom
half of League Two each season but benefit from the breathing space that only
two will go down.”
The cruel mathematics of the National League aren’t
lost on him. “I think that’s why these guys go up from the National League and
you don’t see them come back down again. You see them have healthy, flourishing
seasons. We’re not far behind the teams that have gone up, but there’s a
cruelty to this league that the numbers aren’t right. Last season, in any other
division in the Football League − not all of them, but most of them − we were
one place away from an automatic promotion place.”
Despite the longer timescales, McNulty remains
committed to the organic approach. “I think it’s an obligation, based on where
we were two years ago when I took the helm in the middle of our perils, that we
do try to do this organically. Everyone wants success quickly, but success
sustainably. And, you know, trackable growth − it’s there to be seen in the
last two seasons.”
His confidence in the model being implemented is
backed by measurable progress. “The two things ownership groups want from any manager
or head coach; is they want to see an implementation of a model. And the second
thing they want is evidence that, in line with that model being implemented,
you’re also growing the team’s rate of success, and that’s primarily
points-per-game type stuff.”
The evidence, he believes, speaks for itself. “I think
we’ve done both at a healthy rate. Everyone wants success yesterday, everyone
wants it a bit quicker − that’s football, that’s just the world we operate in.
But the reality is, I must be very happy with how we’ve managed to knit
together organic growth and actual success growth on the pitch.”
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| Matt Done knows what success at Rochdale looks like. |
New voices, familiar values
That evolution doesn’t just apply to players, but
behind the scenes too. This summer, McNulty has added trusted, battle-tested
figures who not only bring coaching acumen, but a deep-rooted understanding of
what success looks like at Rochdale. Jason Taylor, a key part of the club’s
2009/10 promotion-winning side, has joined as First Team Assistant Head Coach
following a well-regarded coaching stint at Barrow. He’s joined by Matt Done,
another modern club icon whose energy, professionalism and history of promotion
make him a natural influence around the squad. Both return to Spotland with a
shared DNA − and, crucially, an emotional investment in the club’s future. They
join Josh Lillis, already on the coaching staff, and another former player
whose career in Dale colours was defined by a demand for high standards.
Together, they form a coaching core that not only knows what winning here feels
like, but what it takes to make it happen. Meanwhile, Head of Performance
Services Kevin Gibbins moved on to a new challenge in League One with Cardiff
City – a move that reunites him with former Dale manager Brian Barry-Murphy.
The departure of Gibbins to Cardiff was bittersweet
for McNulty. “First and foremost, I’m delighted for Gibbo. His opportunity to
go and work at, what is, behind the scenes and in all but name, a Premier
League club with a Premier League fanbase. Being the biggest club in that
country’s catchment area, being gargantuan, they find themselves down at a
level that just seems surreal. But it’s an unreal opportunity for him and one
that he couldn’t turn down for numerous reasons. And he goes with my well
wishes. And I’ve got real gratitude for how he helped me in my first two years
in the job.”
McNulty had already prepared for such eventualities. “These
are things again, as a football manager, you always prepare for, particularly
when you don’t operate in the upper echelons. Staff members move on from big
clubs, sure, but it’s far more normal to lose staff members in the lower
leagues. And, like others in other positions within my technical staff, I think
about solutions and potential if these things should ever arise, and I knew
what I wanted this summer.”
The appointments of Done and Taylor were made with purpose.
“What mattered to me was their understanding – of us, of Rochdale, of what it
means to play for this club,” McNulty explains. “They know the hardship we’ve
been through, the values we expect from our players. These are things we’ve
embedded in the group – and now, the dressing room doesn’t accept anything less
from anyone who comes in. It’s not quite a ‘no dickheads’ policy exactly... but
it’s something close to that.”
Both bring fresh insight from time spent at other clubs.
“Doney and Jason have been out elsewhere, in environments with different ideas
about how football should be played,” he says. “After two years of building
here – and a season where we spent so much emotionally – I felt it was the
right time to bring that alternative perspective in. Our season, the way it was
snatched away from us at the end, took a lot out of us. And that kind of strain
does test your energy heading into the next season.”
For McNulty, the new additions offer crucial support. “I
felt the energy, the values, and the connection they brought − their
understanding of who we are as a football club − would be really important. Not
just for the players, but for me as well. Two years in, the daily demands on me
are constant. There's an expectation that we should beat anyone and everyone,
regardless of the circumstances − even in pre-season friendlies. We played
Grimsby, a team from a higher league, but that doesn’t matter to our fans. They
expect us to win. They expect me to win.”
The blend of familiarity and fresh ideas was precisely
what McNulty sought. “That influx of energy coming into the building, but also
with new ideas, new insight, new curiosities − I thought it was good for us, and I’m really pleased with them both.”
For McNulty and Rochdale, the rebuild continues. This
is a club no longer hoping to win promotion by accident. They’re aiming to earn
it, and be ready for what comes next, on their own terms.
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| Jason Taylor was a key part of the club’s 2009/10 promotion-winning side. |
Pix courtesy of The Voice of Spotland/Dan Youngs/Rochdale AFC
