A tribute to Rochdale's 'Mr Fix-It' - is he currently Watson's most valuable asset?

For having not had Laurence Maguire available all season and with Sam Sherring having picked up a knock that ruled him out of the game, his last centre-half of experience was now walking gingerly towards the touchline.

Having lost his first three league games in charge, it is the last thing Rochdale’s new manager will have wanted to see – but he had a saviour.

That saviour came in the form of a man whose willingness to put his hand up to play pretty much anywhere has seen him dig his team out of some scrapes and has endeared him to the fans.

I am talking, of course, about Dan Moss - a man who is firming up his reputation as Dale’s “Mr Fix-It.”

For most of last season, he was used at left wing-back and while he always felt like a square peg in a round hole, he turned himself into arguably the best option Jim McNulty had in that position after he had gone through several alternatives.

Against Crawley last week, he started at right wing-back and against Colchester and Shrewsbury, he was named at right-back until Ebanks-Landell’s injury saw him move in-field to centre-back.

And while it may have been Watson’s only real option, it turned out to be a masterstroke as alongside Chelsea loanee Kaiden Wilson, Moss put in an excellent display.

Centre-back – particularly on the right-hand side – has always felt like Moss’s natural position, but Kyron Gordon’s presence barred the way to that spot last season while the change in formation Watson has been keen to bring about meant his future looked to be in the full-back areas.

But already, he has shown his new manager while he should be seen as an immensely valuable player within his squad.

In a few ways, it can be argued that Moss is THE most valuable player in Rochdale’s squad currently.

Versatility is such a key trait and when you have a player like Moss who is comfortable in any defensive role, it can be a Godsend for a manager especially one beset by an injury crisis as Watson currently is.

Maguire, Sam Beckwith and Bryant Bilongo are still missing from the back line and we don’t yet know how serious Ebanks-Landell and Sherring’s injuries are but regardless, Moss and Wilson have surely earned the right to partner up again when Gillingham come calling on Saturday.

Both demonstrated exactly what Watson would appear to want from his centre-backs as well as the all-important defensive capabilities – a willingness to be brave on the ball by stepping into midfield, thereby drawing players off those further upfield and creating space.

Having been a key member of the supporting cast for most of his time at Rochdale, could this be the start of Moss stepping up to be a main star?