LightDN123

32 minutes ago, Wardie said:

I think the point is being missed. If I told a customer to "Shut the fuck up" or "Fuck off" I would be sacked immediately. These people are no different than we are, bar the fucking comparatively huge salaries and public profile as representatives of our club. You would think that fact would not go unnoticed by the manager and players and they would have the decency to actually do some work to earn their bloated pay packages.

If they are feeling the heat from the fans then either put in a fucking convincing performance on the pitch [which is actually their job] or just fuck off altogether. The fact that most of the imposters are going to be here next season, along with a really depressing manager, is just making we want to give it a miss. Unfortunately for me, Oldham Athletic is my one and only team and to turn my back on it is nigh on impossible.

But if I went into work and customers were calling me shit and shouting abuse I wouldn’t just stand and let them do it. 
 

I get what you are saying but it’s flawed. 

8 minutes ago, Boyyou said:

Suspect that signing to a plan is precisely what he will hope to do. 4-3-3 was my suggestion but he has played several permutations over the years. Being flexible is handy but, as you say, deciding on the regular formation and recruiting accordingly is crucial.

Well I assumed they would do that last year and they didn’t. Can’t get much worse this year. 

If his favoured formation is 433, I don’t understand why he would need 4 strikers in his club of 4 he bangs on about.

With only 5 subs, it just overloads the team. 
 

Please build a team to a pissing plan. Last year Unsworth played wing backs and never signed a right wing back, it’s mental. 
 

Have a way of playing and sign accordingly. Not rocket science. 

1 hour ago, TheBigDog said:

It’s a collective ‘mental breakdown’ in footballing terms.

It seems that once it started, there was no way to stop it - it was painfully evident that most of the players had simply stopped playing how they could, and were hamstrung and shackled by the tactical approach and positional choices adopted by the management team.

Once it started, it spread throughout the squad and the season was lost.

The fans could quite clearly see this but are powerless to affect any change - this results in a breakdown in the relationship between fans and players and ultimately the manager.

 

The close-season is the time to reset and excise these demons but given the number who will still be here in August, it does not fill me with any hope that next season will be any better

Even when we were in the playoffs, it never really felt like anyone was particularly bothered tbh.. 

7 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Style of football...

He might have done well at Vale but Conlon grinds my gears. 
 

Whether it be the fact his right foot is redundant or he over exaggerates his movements. He also seems to stand clapping sarcastically at the end of games. 
 

Something about him which is odd. 

37 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

It is funny what some people define as "good", isn't it?

 

Rubbish = someone who's a nuisance, scores from range and close-up with his head and feet, defends (FFS!), runs at players and holds the ball up.

 

Good = someone who sulks and "will score 20 a season" but only if the ball is played in a very very very very VERY specific way to him.  And he takes all the penalties.

Oh come off it. Both are in their 30s, go compare their careers and come back with a valid argument. 
 

Compare Fondop to Nuttall, Kurt and Reid if you want. 

8 minutes ago, GKing521 said:

Nuttall 3,000 a week and has a yearly increase bolted in.

 

Other duds have increases bolted into their deals as well. It’s one of the main reasons MM has been so down. 

 

Not doubting you, but what’s your source ? 

Release them all. Half a case for Fondop, but he’s rubbish. 

2 minutes ago, BradKnowles1 said:

I totally understand the players reaction. If you are getting booed every week I wouldn’t celebrate with us. 
 

Hudson was a bit strange I just said let’s play with intensity and on the front foot. Halifax were 2 down. He told me to shut the fuck ip. Does not bother me. 
 

I think there needs to be a mentality change both fans and players 

Yeah just think there is a huge fans and player divide. 
 

Your isolated incident didn’t warrant that response. But the relationship with the players is already broken at that point. 
 

Like you say, something needs to change throughout. 

7 minutes ago, Wardie said:

What, along with Hudson telling someone to "Shut the fuck up"?

Seems to me there is a slightly acrimonious attitude in the dressing room and no professionalism. Fans pay to watch football and expect their highly paid professional team [manager included] to at least put on a show. Even if the guy had swore at him, Mellon should be the bigger man and keep composed. 

Fan criticism is part of the game, accept it, they get paid enough.

They get booed and abused every game, only so much a person can take at the end of the day. 
 

Hudson told Brad to shut the fuck up. Brad posts on here, so will probably agree, he gives out his opinion to the players when he’s not satisfied. 

56 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Yes indeed they do, but, like all football clubs, there is and always will be, a knob element within the fanbase. 
For whatever reason, the unexpected absolute shit show on the field since the Rothwell’s takeover has unfortunately fuelled the ill feeling on the terraces.

The fact that the takeover promised so much, yet where it matters most, on the field, has delivered so little has been very hard to take for some.

 

 

I think this has gone beyond a section of knobheads. 
 

Oxford (A), George and all that group spent most the game on the back of the players. 

2 hours ago, PeteG said:

Problem is, out of the 18 players contracted, i'm guessing it includes all of the big earners. However, if you offload Norwood that should in theory free up budget to bring in 2/3 decent players. Should be able to offload a couple of more so we should be looking at bringing at least 5/6 players getting only 3 out. You could then look to make up the squad with some youths and loans. However, it doesn't really scream we are going for promotion in a big way does it?

No no, I think you are missing the point. 
 

If we have recruited a squad of 30 plus players and 18 of those alone who are here next season take us over the budget for the next season, someone needs the sack from the board room. 
 

I doubt it’s true, but I’d have serious concerns about the owners competence if it is. 

2 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...

That would make to much sense. 

Just now, Boyyou said:

Trouble is the budget will probably be reduced. EFL funding now ended and MM hinting that those under contract already make up the entirety of the budget. 

Still think we will have to sell/swop/move on a fair few - particularly higher earners - to create some wriggle room.

So the 18 players we have take us over budget ? Bull shit. 
 

If that is true, which it won’t be, even Frank and his family need to look at themselves because that’s not a football issue, that’s a basic business issue. 

4 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Of course they’re not- they’re just not playing for him, and he won’t accept it, so is blaming everything else.
 

The interview is complete and utter disgrace, and had sack me written all over it. 
 

- He paints a picture of utter doom and gloom while the club are trying to shift season tickets. That alone is a pisstake, you can honest but inspiring. Instead of selectively honest and bitching. 
 

- Claims after the Flyde game he thought we might go down. Fuck. Off. Over two spells this season covering 22 games we’ve won 2 in 22. . and finished 10th. Stop talking complete shite. 
 

- repeatedly says he’s not above criticism, then gets very defensive and blames everyone else. 
 

- Says it’s been the impossible Job at times, then says to Alan it’s lazy journalism to say the season has fallen apart because we played a lot of ‘top sides’ and not been beaten. Also completely omits that it wasn’t impossible 8 weeks ago when we sat 5th- despite woeful home form. 
 

- Has the audacity to say we might be over budget, like it’s a surprise. He fucking knew what had been spent when he took the Job because he said numerous times, we have to respect what the family have spent. Was then given 6 signings, and none have improved us. 
 

I could go on and on. 
 

He is the leader and is coming like a spoilt arrogant child. I would be livid if I was on the board. 

I do like Mellon, but it’s hard to disagree. 
 

Just the fact he’s pretty much said next season will be the same.. 

Don’t really know what to say or think at this point. I think something bigger is going on and he’s just wanting to be sacked. 

13 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Indeed, there's no way Barnet/Bromley have more quality overall.

 

Cue the "They've had their manager for longer" disciples.

I don’t think many teams have better quality than us, but they do have a better team. 
 

We have no balance and no playing style. We just lump it. 

7 minutes ago, LaticMark said:

Last season's (official) Retained and Released list was published on 1st May.

 

Latics had 18 players under contract, 9 players were released, 4 loanees returned to their parent club, and negotiations had started with 4 players.

 

This season we've got 18 first team players under contract, 10 players out of contract, and 3 loanees returning to their parent club.

 

The wage bill might be different, but the numerical situation is not dissimilar. 

 

Maybe the club should issue a 'transfer listed payers' list at the same time?

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. 

1 hour ago, Guy Branston Pickle said:

It's happened numerous times this season. I remember a group of our supporters at a couple of away games under DU earlier in the season waving a San Marino flag about and chanting about how shit the football was pre-kickoff. Basically hoping we lost.

 

Best supporters in the league though, remember

Yep, our fans also need to look at themselves. The feel around the club is all wrong. 

These players can’t be as bad as he makes out, can they? 
 

Surely we are just 4/5 players away from a decent side at this level? 
 

We are clearly lacking in some areas, but we have decent enough players to be competitive in this league. 
 

Something bigger is going on and I think bigger players such as Norwood and Conlon have had their heads turned and Mellon is giving up. 

This league

We are in a far worse mess than I initially thought. Mellon is correct in what he says, but also had made mistakes. 
 

The board needs to be looked at, because they have got big decisions wrong on the football side of things. 

10 hours ago, sjk2008 said:

If people want to put most of the blame on Mellon then that’s their choice. Whilst I disagree completely, I can’t say they’re wrong. It’s an opinion at the end of the day.

 

But what I’m really struggling to understand is, how can so many of our players - most who start games regularly - not have enough bollcoks, self respect, ambition, pride or whatever you want to call it, to not want to go on that pitch and give 100% - especially when not so long ago we were sat in 5th. 
 

That Gardner penalty last night really hits deep. The lack of excitement across the players when he scored was extraordinary. That’s a group of players (bar one or two) who absolutely could not give a fuck about this club or its fans.

That last bit is so so true. They didn’t even celebrate when we still had a chance of playoffs. This group of players all gave up other than Gardner and Raglan. 

Back Mellon, break the cycle that has got us here over the last 30 years. The man is proven, he is not the issue. 

4 hours ago, BradKnowles1 said:

Thought it was two poor teams. Other than the goals we scored we did not create or test the keeper. Golden the type of right back which we have been missing for two years. Number 22 for them was shite but had Suttons pants down time and time again. 
 

I was shocked in the last 5 minutes we did not throw the kitchen sink at it. Free kick last kick of the game we still had Mcgahey and Hudson back.

 

I’m not going to blame fans for the shit show and they have the right to do it but I don’t understand booing them on, booing Norwood on, booing at the end.

 

People saying why aren’t the players celebrating when Gardner scored it’s probably because they are booed every week 

Yes, you can’t continue to boo players for no reason and expect them to care. Fans need to look at themselves as much as the players and manager. 

Recruitment is the most important part of football. We failed at it.