By Pete Oliver

Hill is worried that expectations are too high

After all, the Lancashire club - which is celebrating its centenary - has only ever been promoted once before in its history.

Repeating that experience of almost 40 years ago is a possibility thanks to an impressive run of just two defeats since August which has lifted Dale to the end of the play-off places.

But for boss Keith Hill, this relative burst of success is something of a double-edged sword less than 12 months into his managerial reign at Spotland.

"The progress has been quite quick to be honest. The expectation is becoming too much, considering what we are trying to do," Hill told BBC Sport.

"We are putting building blocks in place and we are doing that by introducing a lot of young players to League football.

"They are coping nicely and while we are doing that we are not losing games.

"I am really pleased and we are all enjoying what we are doing. But for me, the expectation is too high."

The development of the club is going in the right direction Keith Hill

Hill wants the club's supporters to maintain their current level of backing but is keen to temper aspirations.

When he stepped up from his position as youth team coach last December, Dale were 22nd in the table. By the end of the season they finished ninth, missing out on the play-offs by just five points.

The former Rochdale defender, who also played for Blackburn and Plymouth, had been an instant hit.

But it had been a longer term plan the 38-year-old and assistant David Flitcroft, a former playing favourite at Spotland, had presented as part of the job application.

"We went to the board with a plan and they backed that for the development of the whole club. We are trying to restructure the whole ethos of the club," Hill said.

"It's a long-term plan to provide the Rochdale first-team with our own players from the centre of excellence, the youth team and the reserves.

"You have to be given time, which I think is the right way to go and the right philosophy for Rochdale, because we haven't got a sugar daddy chairman who will foot the bill for a big players' budget."

Hill has not been frightened to blood young players, although most of those to make an impact this season have come in from outside, either on loan or snapped up last summer like former Oldham teenager Kallum Higginbotham.

A bit of stability and a structure will ultimately get us some success Keith Hill

The 18-year-old has made a big impression on the right-hand side of Dale's attack and while Hill preaches cautions, he has recognised the Higginbotham's talent with a new long-term contract.

It is not all about youth, however, with Hill rapidly building a well balanced squad which has overcome an injury-hit start to the season.

The 18-year-old has made a big impression on the right-hand side of Dale's attack and while Hill preaches cautions, he has recognised the Higginbotham's talent with a new long-term contract.

He added: "We have got to be patient and very careful with young players we want to develop and we can't expect too much too soon.

"We have to do it by developing players and given them not lucrative contracts but performance based on what they do.

We are putting building blocks in place Keith Hill

"If you give players too much too young, they can lose a bit of drive."

It is not all about youth, however, with Hill rapidly building a well balanced squad which has overcome an injury-hit start to the season.

In midfield, a combination of Gary Jones, John Doolan and Lee Crooks offer vast experience to the younger heads around them, while up front Glenn Murray and Adam Le Fondre have at least had a goals-scoring grounding in the League. And Hill is not na�ve enough to think that results in the short term are not important.

"Football is success driven and success is winning football matches to give you the chance to see things through," he said.

During the current calendar year Rochdale have lost just seven league games. A continuation of that form would give them a real chance of finishing in the top seven.

The expectation is too high Keith Hill

In Hill's eyes that might be over-achieving, but he will gladly seize the prize if it comes along.

He added: "A bit of stability and a structure will ultimately get us some success on the pitch. The main success for this club over its 100 years has been maintaining its League status.

"That's an achievement when you consider some of the bigger budgets clubs have in our league.

"But our ambition is to be as successful as we can and that probably means going for the play-offs and promotion.

"Ultimately we do want promotion and to improve ourselves as a club and as individuals, both as players and coaches.

"If it's there and if we achieve it this season, brilliant. If we don't, the development of the club is still going in the right direction."