"IT'S not the best preparation for playing against your old team."

That was the verdict of Rochdale's former York City Knights favourite Jim Elston on hearing the Hornets had sacked head coach Bobbie Goulding.

The Lancastrians parted company with the former Great Britain half-back yesterday, four days before the Knights visit Spotland for a National League Two clash.

Elston, who was made Rochdale captain immediately after being taken to the club by Goulding, was quick to defend his former boss, saying it was the players who were to blame for their slump into the bottom three.

And Elston admitted the timing of the dismissal could have a negative affect on his team ahead of Sunday's encounter.

"Everyone's pretty gutted. I was more bothered about him to be honest, rather than this weekend," said a shocked Elston.

"We'll have to see what happens. All being well, we will have to try to prepare as normal and do the best we can.

"It will be a bit strange but you've got to get on with it."

"It's the players who are to blame. The standard of coaching has been very good. We feel we've let him down.

"We've underperformed. We've gone from a team who were winning games to a team that has got the coach sacked."

Rochdale have lost some players to injury, including another former Knight, Chris Spurr, who is out with a wrist problem.

Said Elston: "We're missing a few players. We've been a bit short up front and have had to bring people in on loan who haven't really gelled. But there's enough about us to win games."

The 28-year-old hooker, who left the Knights in the winter after four seasons at Huntington Stadium, said Goulding had been a key reason why he had signed for Rochdale.

"There are a lot of players who have come to the club because of Bobbie," he said.

"At this stage I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what the club are going to do or what they've got lined up. It's up to the club to let us know.

"I spoke to Bobbie personally and it was his vision and the way he wanted to play that convinced me we could enjoy it here and be successful. I still think we can be. It's a blip in form rather than a major problem."

Elston, a development officer for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, had otherwise been looking forward to taking on a Knights team with whom he remains close. He is friends with several former team-mates such as Dave Buckley and Scott Rhodes and knows the ex-Wakefield contingent, including player-boss Paul March.

"I know a lot of them pretty well - I probably know more of them than my own team," he joked.

"I see Paul Hughes fairly regularly as he doesn't live far from me, and I've been waiting for this match so we can give each other a bit of stick. We will have to refocus for the game and get into Marchy.

"It's going to be good to see a few people and take them on. They looked like they'd turned the corner but had a disappointing result against London Skolars and so will be looking to bounce back as well. It's a battle of the underperformers in some respects."

Rochdale have won just two of their seven league games, with Goulding's dismissal coming after six straight league and cup losses culminating in a 52-8 thrashing at home by Gateshead on Tuesday night.

This followed a promising Northern Rail Cup campaign in which they reached the quarter-finals, losing 42-30 to big-spending Doncaster last Friday.

Elston reckoned they could yet turn it round at Spotland. He added: "There's a long way to go in the season and if we were to kick on we would still be in a very strong position, and if we get into the play-offs I would back us to beat anybody.

"We've beaten Oldham and (NL1 club) Dewsbury this season so we know we've got the talent to do it. It's just a matter of applying ourselves."