Dave_Og

Bit harsh given he missed four matches because of a refereeing decision that was simply wrong

Fondop might have had enough of this anyway

Has any youth player we've released in, say, the last decade gone on to have a decent career?

I play pool on Tuesdays for the local pub (not especially well - it's more of a social thing) We were in Division Two of Three this winter, there were eight teams of which three were promoted and three were relegated. Division One is way too serious (One bloke I played from up there in a cup competition had a whole sleeve of pool based tattoos!) so we weren't really fussed about going up but we are competitive enough not to want to go down. Mission accomplished, we finished fifth. Love a comfort zone!

Yep, team game - but teams rarely win promotion when they have weak minded players in their regular starting XI

There's a real dilemma here. It's just bizarre that so many of our players appeared to be weak mentally - Many have played at a higher level, many have achieved things in their career that are what we as a club aspire to. But they're mentally weak? It makes no sense at all. Mellon seems to have preferred experience over youth during his career but here he has a team of largely experienced players who have proved they can play at this level, at least, but we're left with spineless performances against clubs with a fraction of the resources. OK, we were light at right back and in midfield but it doesn't excuse some of the stuff we've seen which has looked a lot like throwing in the towel. So, we'd prefer a good blend of young dynamic players who, pretty much by definition, will be taking a step up if the come here even if they are coming from a higher level club where they played in, say the U23s, and gnarly NL experience. If our first question of that younger cohort is can the cope with the pressure of playing for the mighty Oldham Athletic and the only way of finding out is by signing and playing them, then we really are stuffed because the chances of getting that right, say, 75% of the time seem to be pretty remote based on recent experience.

Many things that I struggle to get my head around, one would be Lundstram.Apparently he'd struggled to adjust to being at a bigger club? He's not got much of a career ahead of him if that's really the case. It's not like he's moved to Real Madrid

Agreed although it is a bit of a joke of a league - only nine teams and the only points that two of them are likely to get are when they play each other. Further tests to come when they play the only realistic challenger and hopefully next season

I may as well say it first - 7-2-1

Twas ever thus

And someone with his experience didn't know this before he took over?

It looks like that from our perspective but in the 30 years we've been sliding down the leagues there have been plenty heading in the opposite direction

How would he know? - we're the biggest club..

I think 2003 (Farnborough v Arsenal) was the last time it was allowed

If that was the case Coventry wouldn't have been given the equalising penalty

But if you say it's a yard then there would be an argument about it being 37 inches. Let's face it - if the handball rule hadn't descended into complete farce there wouldn't have been extra time at all

|Why? It's exactly what VAR was for and it worked perfectly (albeit disappointingly)

Quite. Then EFL can't complain that the PL is just engendering change for its own financial interests, and then put forward a proposal to do exactly the same.

They did

I'm estimating this lasts three minutes, which I roughly how long it takes to say 'get rid' 38 times

And now the EFL wants to allow lower ranked clubs freedom to seek a switch of venue when drawn at home to a big club. Yet another nail in the cup's coffin

Are there any budget restrictions etc. in this league?

they didn't know - were still trying to sort it out

Although the BBC did have Norman down as playing centre forward last week... Worth a go I'd have said!

Whoever finished 8th didn't earn a place in the play offs