Walsall 0 Dale 0 - one step at a time...

Expectations around the fanbase were not exactly high so if offered a point before kick-off, the vast majority would have taken it.

And that is what Ian Watson’s side delivered in a recovery of sorts from last weekend’s shambolic home defeat to Gillingham.

An undoubted step forward in some areas, but did it also reveal Dale’s shortcomings in others?

Here’s what we took away from the 0-0 draw…

Ask any Rochdale fan about what they were expecting from the trip to the Bescot Stadium and the most universal answer would have been “a bit of fight.”

The way in which the team subsided against Gillingham following a first half in which they could have felt hard done by to fall behind was hugely alarming, so a demonstration of togetherness and a bit more of a plan would have been a start.

Nobody can argue that they got that at Walsall – it may have looked a little frantic at times as they were pushed back after the break but they can certainly feel proud of the way in which they defended their goal.

Coming off such a heavy defeat and given the catastrophic way in which they have conceded many of their goals against this season, getting the foundations right simply had to be the priority before they started rebuilding the rest of the house.

On that front, there was progress but now, it simply must be built upon as the steps forward taken in the win over Shrewsbury Town were squandered way too easily.

Experience, leadership and a bit of old-school defending.

All of which Rochdale have painfully lacked this season so far, causing people to have kittens whenever the ball came anywhere near their penalty area.

However, they are all provided in abundance by new signing Aden Flint and in making his debut against the club he left in the summer, he made an immediate difference.

You get the sense that even if a nuclear warhead was hurled towards his team’s box, he would have no hesitation in heading it away.

On paper at least, his partnership with Chelsea loanee Kaiden Wilson should work – Wilson has the pace to cover anything in behind, given Flint license to attack the ball and win first contacts.

Of course, it’s still way too early to be forming definitive judgements but with a clean sheet and a much-improved defensive showing in his first appearance, it is certainly a positive start.

With Watson having dipped into the free agent market to bolster his defence with the arrival of Flint, one wonders if he is now thinking of a similar approach at the top end of the pitch.

How viable that is – both in terms of finance and suitable options – is unclear, but concerns that the squad may be short up front are not going away.

They have only scored five times all season and not at all on the road, albeit they were unfortunate not to open that particular account at Walsall – Baba Adeeko hit the crossbar while Dajaune Brown was denied a first Dale goal by a superb save from Saddlers stopper Jed Ward during a first half in which Watson’s side matched their hosts for attacking intent.

Concerningly, though, both Derby loanee Brown and last season’s 27-goal top scorer Mani Dieseruvwe are yet to open their account – and have rarely looked like doing in the opening weeks.

Between them, the two have only six EFL goals – that could change of course but questions about whether or not there is enough goals in this team to get themselves up the table will remain until it does.

Devante Rodney is currently injured, Ian Henderson is available but is being used sparingly – perhaps understandable at the age of 41, but is it worth giving him more of a go?