mick26

1 hour ago, JoeP said:

 

We could do a lot worse...

True but the Hendon goal was the straw that broke the camel's back for him with me.

26 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Wigan want Hudson and we want Stones...

Good swap but hopefully doesn't bring Norman back in!

10 hours ago, Lee Sinnott said:

We're in for a couple of Chesterfield players...

Not really worked signing ex Stockport winners Hogan, Kitchen and Rooney!

Not forgetting Reid of course.

1 hour ago, yarddog73 said:

Shitpeas at it again.

 

Tweets last night that the Rothwells now want out as it's costing them too much money. 

He wouldn't be the first or last to do that but he'd certainly leave us in a far better place. (Still think they're not going anywhere though).

43 minutes ago, Lukers1 said:

Form is temporary class is long term.

As is recovery from serious injury! Hope you and the Vale fans are right though because at his best he sounds just what we need both as a player and captain.

1 hour ago, Lukers1 said:

AFC Fylde have apparently increased the interest in Reid.

 

Conlon is going to take over the captaincy.

 

We are looking at the Fleetwood winger who was on loan at Rochdale.

Conlon he'd better be a million times better than last season then!

Rochdale's retained list is much clearer than ours:

https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2024/april/retainedreleasedlist2024/

3 hours ago, Handsy said:

Total over the top pissboil on here and X .  What do we have 19 contracted players  atm  not a big enough squad for a full season I think we can all agree on that. So we need another 5 or 6 players for a 25/26 man squad maybe these 5 or 6 players are the specialist player Mellon  mentions us  needing. He has probably already identified them and may be in negotiations .  I can see Nuttall Reid Willoughby and Shelton definitely moving on   That would give him the  room and funds to add the likes of green fondop Gardner and mcgahey  as squad players . Chill out folkes and enjoy the  summer. Plenty of time to moan and rant about Latics next august 

Hope you're right - that sounds a lot more positive. Just hope we're not running out to the Dad's Army theme if the Worrall and more experience rumours are correct.

2 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

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 

I think it was more his preseason injury that made him struggle. Saw him at the Hyde game (I know!) and he looked just the type we needed when he came on.Bearing in mind that Hyde were much better than us on the day with Harry Bunn, Lewis Alessandra and Jack Redshaw .

2 hours ago, BradKnowles1 said:

Few rumours of David worrall coming back. His lad goes swimming with my lad. Was speaking to him a few weeks back said we tried signing in December. Wild blocked it. He knows Brabin and good mates with Conlon

I liked him but if I remember correctly he got dog's abuse here 10 years ago when he was 23/24. God help him at 34!

23 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

Could they refuse though if someone else is sniffing? Not really sure how options work. 
 

Maybe statsbomb has a suggested contract length feature and we should just go with whatever that says?!

If the club has an option then I'm sure they can activate it - only means another year though so a player who wants out can just see that out unless a new longer deal is agreed.

Thanks to @oafcmetty for running (and others if applicable).

I would have done better but things have gone on that I've never spoken about - it's not been tough it's been close to impossible trying to predict what these useless tossers were going to do from one game to the next!

Same again next season?

33 minutes ago, Boyyou said:

Doubt we would get fees for either.

Think they are decent players but in the wrong team at the wrong time.

Scamp04 in the above post makes some great observations.

Chesterfield had already recruited the basis of a good, balanced squad and narrowly missed out in the play-offs. They added Grigg and Naylor and Berry  as the final pieces of the jigsaw.

For Grigg and Naylor read Norwood and Conlon. Added to an already established squad they would be viewed differently.

Chesterfield didn't recruit 5 cente backs and no full backs, they already had a midfield with goal potential which could pass to each other and had one good goalscoring winger (Colclough)  so added a second in Berry, giving them pace and width. We signed willing runners.

We simply didn't address the basics before putting cherries on the top.

Think Norwood would be the cherry on the top but we've got a lemon with Conlon. (Which tbf is a fitness/injury problem).

1 hour ago, LightDN123 said:

I am struggling to get my head around the notion that we will have to many players. 
 

We have 18 contracted players. Worse case scenario we can only shift on 2 players under contract (will be more) so that’s 16 players. 
 

Squad of 24, so we have room for 8 more players surely ? 
 

8 signings changes this side completely. 

8 good signings! (4 or 5 would do).

40 minutes ago, LaticMark said:

 

 

As they are both in-contract, would be get (at least half decent) transfer fees?

I think we'll be glad just to offload their wages but they should get a nominal fee for Norwood. We might need to pay someone to take Conlon off us though .

22 minutes ago, JoeP said:

Surely it should be Bromley that get the bye, given they finished the highest? And Solihull and Alty have to play each other...

Bromley are already home in the "semi final". Can't have a bye straight to the final. Could understand Alty being a bit miffed.

1 hour ago, BradKnowles1 said:

Heard it’s being released early next  week. Fondop might be the only one being kept 

Fair enough but think we need better. Budget probably dictates he's the best we can get (hopefully for the bench).

1 minute ago, jsslatic said:

Gateshead kicked out the playoffs.

Solihull get a bye.

5 minutes ago, scamp04 said:

Chesterfield fan in peace

Having done a 6 year stretch at this level it took us so long to get the formula right.

 

You remind me a lot of us in those first couple of seasons down here, we had Martin Allen in the first year and we just kept drawing games (I think 8 or 9 in a row at one point)

 

It's so difficult for a relegated side to get the  momentum back and one thing you definitely need is a positive manager. All of our players say how enthusiastic and positive Cook is and he's really lifted the fans since he came back.

 

Cook said when he came back constantly referred to our squad being too big, having 35 players at that point this season we've pretty much got through with a 23 man squad. I think I recognise that a little bit with you guys having a big squad this season. Trimming off the fat and getting quality in each area was key. We had a competitive budget this season but it was only the 3rd biggest in the league. (We only had two forwards all season don't forget )

 

This season I've also noticed is there doesn't seem to be any big egos anymore in the side. Cook has said this is the best set of personalities he's ever managed. When we first dropped to this level I can remember us signing players who were looking for one last pay day and thats never good. You need a mix of experience but still with the desire to do well (Grigg/Naylor/Jones) and the young upcoming (Dobra/Berry/Hobson)

 

The other thing you've got to do is get yourself out of the mindset that we should be beating (Altrincham/Bromley/Solihull) because of your clubs former football league history. We had a period of time where we showed a lack of respect for these sort of sides as players as well as fans. We regularly got frustrated to the point, that the players froze in home games and we relied on our away form to not drop out the league into the Conference North. Cook and Danny Webb prepare for every game as a tough one and that no one will be a push over.

 

The leagues also improved massively in terms of the brand of football whilst we've been down here and nowadays teams are more likely to get out of here playing good football. The other thing is that you'll get out this league by attacking we have conceded more than Kidderminster but have already scored 100 goals.

 

Prior to Cook coming in we were top of the league under James Rowe but the entire team was built around the goals of one player Kabongo Tshimanga who scored over 50 percent of the teams goals but, he then broke his leg and we had a terrible second half of the season. Cooks re-dressed that balance and most of the midfield have got 15-20 goal contributions (goals and assists) each this season. You've signed Norwood but, the balance seems to be wrong elsewhere.

 

You need pace as well, as some teams will be difficult to break down. Last season we kept the ball well but struggled to break teams down. We signed Colclough last season and Berry this season who are quick and we've used this to our advantage by rotating the front four to bring on quick players to run at tired legs late on.

 

The good news is that once you get it right, getting out of this league is completely rejuvenating for your club. It's an amazing feeling to finally get out of the most difficult league in the country!
 

Good post - doesn't make us feel any better at the moment though! (Can't see Mellon becoming positive any time soon).

30 minutes ago, spanishfly said:

Having listened to MM's post match there are only 2 possible conclusions I think

 

1) The board back him and sanction a clearout a) all those out of contract gone and b) some bad apples who are contracted paid off and gone too. Then, in the summer, recruit some specialists as MM calls them for the required positions. This option is expensive

 

2) There is a mutually agreed parting of the ways. This option is cheaper, certainly short term.

 

I say the above because he's clearly stated that the group of players is not good enough. Once you've said that, you can't keep operating with that same group next season because they simply won't play for you when the going gets tough. 

 

I agree with his "I don't understand why people don't understand" comment. Since I started watching us again against Woking at home, all I have seen is an average non-league team. I couldn't believe some of the rumoured wages we were paying. The club has been shafted good and proper on that score and that would indicate considerable naivety at board level surely?

 

It could be argued good management could have got more out of the group. He probably has squeezed them for all they had, though, because weren't we absolutely shocking under DU? Therefore, we have done better under MM, only not what we expected for what we had spent.

 

It looks like we threw a huge wad of cash at the DU experiment and it's failed. MM shouldn't carry the can for that. One player I have seen who definitely exhibits the required attitude, fight and passion is Fondop (and I said it almost from day one of watching us again). If anyone had watched Norwood, for example, just since end of January (as I have) you'd be  hard pressed to identify him as a star striker. I don't think he wants to be here at all personally.

 

It's a mess ok and MM mentions "other stuff going on" or words to that effect. Trust him to do his job in the summer, for me. 

 

 

I was told option 1 today but I suppose things can change very quickly after yet another disaster at BP.

47 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

Murray wasn't even in a football role until he came here, he was administrative. There's no indication whatsoever that he's remotely interested in becoming a manager.

He got the Carlisle job about 10 years ago and was sacked after 7 games! Not sure that's a true reflection of his managerial credentials though.

4 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Has he gone yet?

Hoping for "by mutual consent" or he's resigned. Can't afford to pay off 2 years but with the bulk of the squad under contract and probably staying his position must be untenable.

1 minute ago, BP1960 said:

They played in Brazils colours and we looked in awe if their slick excellent passing.

Their number 2 played like Socrates with his calmness and immaculate distribution. 

Our players can't even pass a ball 5 yards to a colleague. 

Add a lack of desire to that and its a downhill slope.

 

 

Was no 2 Jack Cook who's grandad played for Latics apparently?

24 minutes ago, League one forever said:

I’m not saying this is right or wrong, but I’m absolutely convinced now that Mellon is going- either by resigning, mutual consent or sacked. 
 

He and the players telling fans to fuck off only ends one way. 

If we can't get Pete Wild then how about his former assistant Chris Millington at Halifax?

11 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Looks like the Sale of Rochdale to the Ogden family is set to be completed.

 

From the media…….

 

Amongst their other plans they are to establish "a new sports facility", to be used by the first team and academy, while they also pledged to mount a first-team budget befitting a promotion challenge for next season.

***********************************

This season would have been a perfect opportunity for us to go up. The prospect of Southend and now Rochdale being in the mix makes it so much harder next season.

 

I fear we could be down here for a while!

The statement I read didn't sound like they were throwing too much money at it. "A budget to give us a fighting chance of making the playoffs" was the main bit relating to football and doesn't scream the new Wrexham or Stockport (hopefully).