Wardie

Thing is, who do we believe...the site's "Reliable sources" or yours? It would beggar belief for Sutton to be on that and be on the same pitch as Nuttall, for example and if players see this and believe it, then I can fully understand how issues [grudges] would arise and affect performances. Too much info is a dangerous thing, especially if it is unreliable.

Depends how you define "made up" Their blurb...

There will be some fun had with this revelation. Sutton being asked to a job on £330 pw. The mental gymnastics going on inside players' heads when somebody on the pitch is on double or triple your own wages and your perception is that they ain't doing enough or as much.

Could have been given the option to stay or return with the possibility of a first team squad inclusion. Pure speculation, of course and the natural assumption is the club decides.

"Sharp and lively, with an eye for goal, Moore has been recalled by Oldham although Reds would have liked to keep him until the agreed date of early January. Moore has decided to return to the National Conference League side in the hope of getting an opportunity in the first team, boosted by some good displays while on loan with the Cumbrians." It could be Mellon wants to take a look at him in a matchday scenario.

Yes, I missed him!

Reid and Norwood up front, Hobson, Hogan, McGahey and Freeman. Hope, Lundstram and Gardner. Hudson GK. Raglan on bench.

Norman is injured, isn't he? Sheron will be a big miss, considering he has been an ever-present and his recent goals.

The ITK mob. Hope they are correct for once.

Think you should have read that before posting, they are nine points behind Latics, albeit bottom of the league, whilst Latics are 21 points off top spot. Not really dropping his level but may help them score the goals they need.

I'm not 100% convinced either Colclough or Berry would have made any difference, they obviously fit right in to the playing style at Chesterfield, maybe not at Latics.

I understand your reasoning behind that, BP and I agree that he should be given access to all the clubs players at that level to assess for himself. Will he be having the loanees watched and assessed on their progress before making any decisions on recalls?

I cannot understand how we can attempt to judge a manager after four games and just under a month in charge. His inherited squad has to be fully assessed for their strengths and weaknesses and a strategy for playing and recruitment put in place. It's going to take a long time. As I said previously, I am resigned to the club being in this league for next season at least, with the hope Mellon can achieve results as he has in the past, albeit with a few out and a few in. It's understandable to a certain extent why Latics fans knee-jerk to what is fast becoming a default attitude, given the lack of perceived success the club has endured under the previous incompetent and chaotic regimes. We have had some bad times and bad press. We are like many other clubs and fans and I don't see a reason why we have the right to be any different just because the club graced the Premier League in the distant footballing past. The Rothwell's have dug deep to save and attempt to fix a broken football club and to put it back into the heart of the community. Grateful? Yes I am. Expecting miracles? Definitely not.

It seems like the whole team is part of the problem or rather, they are not currently the team to take the club back into the football league. When that team will be assembled, who knows? I myself have resigned to probably more seasons in this division, both the team and the club don't appear to be ready or capable just yet.

Two cracking goals from Norwood and Sheron. Pen looked dubious to me. What was the attendance, anybody know?

It's better than losing to Alty, isn't it? We came from behind twice which, to me, shows some character. The varying opinions here is nothing unusual, I didn't see or hear the game but the after reading the official report, I saw glimmers of hope. It's obvious that Mellon is going to run his eye over all the players in a match situation, he's going to bring some in as well as offload, if possible. From his initial interview, I thought Mellon viewed wingers as old school and not essential. Maybe just my take. Will he go down that route, I'm not so sure.

He now needs to starting thinking "What the the fuck do I have to do to make it better?" I'm confident Mellon will work with him, and the team, to make improvements.

I feel if Mellon gives the captaincy to Norwood on Saturday [which I believe he should] then Hogan may not get it back. Let him bollock the players if they start to shirk.

We live in the hope that Mellon can do just that and for what it's worth, I would have no problem with a team built around Norwood.

Thanks for that. Could be that Norwood's seeming frustration is part of the pressure he may be feeling to perform and score as the fans expect him to. I'd rather he be animated about it than blasé.

I hope you stuff them!

And it's surely about the quirks of football as well.

Do we actually know Latics offered more money? As a striker of his age maybe he thought a drop down would benefit his game to goals ratio and be less punishing on his body. A good way to play out a career.

*sorry - double post, somehow!

I have avoided reading the thread as I think the opinions of others can sway my own. My take on Norwood is that we have been given an option up front which many other teams would bite our hand off for. We also have at least two other strikers who I feel would walk into any team in this league. With age and experience comes expectation from both the player and the fans. He obviously wants to score as many goals as he can and for that, he needs to be greedy, needs the service and a good, consistent strike partner. As I see it, he isn't getting either on a regular basis. You may have seen his tweet when Mellon joined, a manager who he worked with previously and whose style of play Norwood probably feels will benefit him. We have to give that time because it isn't going to happen overnight and Norwood has to re-establish his relationship and understanding with the manager. It's Mellon's job to get the players to provide the service he and his strike partner will need. To me, Norwood is a big, big fish for this league and Latics have to utilise his skills and experience otherwise we have a very expensive [I assume] 'white elephant' in the room. Fondop is a brute of a striker, however, he is a liability when starting games and I would much rather he came on from the bench to attack tiring defences. I'd rather Norwood be with Latics than one of our rivals in this league.