nzlatic

Yep. Some mistakes last summer definitely. But Thompson and the coaching team from then are gone. It's a big summer ahead of us.

Did we have a settled side? Sheron and Lundstram as a pair in the middle got a lot of stick and I don't remember many saying we've got a good team we don't need to make changes at any point this season! A poor start to next season is a different story, I fully agree with you there. Mellon's track record gives me cause for optimisim though.

He had a long period of good results. He's now had a period of bad results. He's not absolved of blame or of having any pressure on him when we have bad results of course but some of the reactions have been nuclear. The squad still has mostly the same issues it did last summer. I don't think one winter of transfer activity is enough for him to properly fix those issues. There are no obvious solutions in our current squad that he's leaving out so is it fair to heap as much pressure as this on him at this point? I don't think it is.

There's a difference between asking questions, which you have done and have received answers, and making your mind up - that it's predominantly Mellon's fault. Which a lot of people have done. You've kind of summed things up a bit by saying you "see things as they are". Fans can only see the surface. We have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. Footballing decisions are never as simple as what fans make them out to be.

He's not out of contract - he played enough to get a new one. At his age he can't have complaints if a side going for promotion wants to have him as back up rather than start every week. And if that's not good enough for him then I'm sure we'd let him leave if he wanted regular first team football.

We need a squad. We can't just have starters and youths. What is better - having a back up that is experienced, versatile and knows the club and the squad or getting rid of them and signing someone new as a back up? Or, a 3rd option, signing someone who is a starter then you have potentially 3 CBS fighting over 2 spaces (or 3 starters in a back 3 with little or no back up) so you're paying starter wages for someone who won't be playing regularly?

It could go either way with him. I think he's shown glimpses but nothing consistent. He's young though, so what we see now will probably not be reflective of his whole career.

I wouldn't start him next season either. But he's an experienced pro who can at a push play anywhere across the back 4. He's an ideal back up/sub.

What rumours are these?

I think a midfield 3 with Conlon playing further forward, Hammond doing a lot of the running and a new addition to pick the ball up from defence could work really well next season. Edit - granted I'm basing that purely on what he did for Port Vale, he hasn't shown much at all for us.

I don’t know the answer to this question as I don’t follow other clubs carefully enough, but did we miss out on anyone mid-season? Were there players that moved clubs that we should have gone for? I’d be surprised if there were many. There’s a world of difference in availability between summer and mid-season as you point out.

I don’t think you can say that in absolute terms for certain. He’s made 3 permanent signings I think - Garner looked decent initially and Conlon and Hammond could for different reasons be a lot better next season, after more games and a full summer. Loans haven’t gone well but options are more limited mid-season. If I remember rightly we were told that Brabin has a great eye for a player. So with a bigger pool to choose from and more room in the budget I would expect summer recruitment to be better.

it takes a lot of effort!! I’m trying to rationalise the situation we’re in. We have a manager with a proven track record and owners and a board who will give him full support and infrastructure. I don’t think a massive overhaul is needed with the playing squad, over a full summer we should fill the obvious gaps and add pace and quality. And I think we’ll find homes for most if not all the players we don’t want (including those under contract). Whether it will all gel or not who knows. But I think we’ll feel optimistic going into the first game of next season.

An important point made about the new board. Yes, they’re tons better then the Lemsagams and their senior club advisor, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes or learn how to do things better. Despite the end to this season being a real let down, I feel strangely optimistic about next season.

I think if you asked all fans what formation we should play or who should definitely play in midfield/wide areas you’d get just about every possible combination offered. Which would suggest to me where our main problem lies.

It probably will. It just won’t happen!

He made a joke about not knowing what his players will do. Jumped on by twitter folk taking it as gospel.

100%. The fans need a break from watching these players. The players who are staying probably need a break from the fans. It’ll do everyone the world of good. Improve the squad over the summer and let’s all come back on a sunny August day full of optimism.

In what sense?

Mellon won’t be sacked. The solution is to get the recruitment working better. So thats the summer’s main job for the coaches/scouts. Darren Royle’s main summer job should be to be petitioning like mad for it to change to 3 up 3 down.

Watching that game and my main feeling is frustration at the amount of playbreakers we have in our team. When we do play reasonably well we can’t capitalise. When we’re under pressure we buckle. I have no issue giving Mellon the summer to recruit players to improve us in these areas. I’m 99.9% certain that’s what the board will do as well.

God that McGahey chance. Just had to pass it into the half of the goal that was empty. Instead he just blasts it across goal into a crowd of players.

Lacking any sort of creativity - under or overhit key passes, poor set pieces, crosses either too close to keeper or just behind strikers, decent passing moves breaking or slowing down when it goes to certain players. Add that to buckling under pressure and hoofing randomly like we saw against Fylde and that’s basically our squad deficiencies laid bare for all to see.

FFS. Should have scored.

Hope off. Amazingly the commentator gets his name right.