yarddog73

BP not been online since this was posted, I hope he is okay.

Correct I heard some we being offered less than a third to sign elsewhere, it ain't going to happen so I reckon we will be stuck with them all. What's actually happened to Shelton?, is he just being paid to stay at home?, now I know he went through a bad run of form and probably needed a break but I've literally not seen or heard of him in weeks, similarly what's going on with Reid?, all these banishments can't help the mood. Now I appreciate Mellon might not fancy them but it's hardly a healthy situation. Ward is another one.

Personally I'd like to see Norwood in a team that sets up to have a go like we did against Chesterfield, I certainly don't see him as the problem despite not quite understanding him at times. I get a feeling he wants out in the summer though and he may fancy another season in the EFL.

As things stand these will be the contacted players going in to next season, do we have the nucleus of a promotion chasing squad?. I suspect Mellon would be happy if half a dozen of them found themselves a new club but I can't see that happening. 17 players there already which is some wage bill.

What compounds it for me is the fact we were in there, when we hosted Kidderminster I was looking at us finishing 2nd or 3rd but we imploded that day, corrected it maybe fortuatsly at Eastleigh the week after but since then there has been nothing. I think losing Green against Southend was a blow as we've looked toothless out wide since and that was also the game Norwood was reintroduced, coincidentally we are seven without a win with Norwood in the team, he scored 12 in 15 when Mellon was appointed but he's only bagged once in the last seven which is a worry, we obviously aren't playing to his strengths and the mellonball we played whilst he was sidelined with Garner and Fondop up top just isn't his game.

Nah he'll probably start the pub players.

I like him because he gives it everything, he does struggle at times but he has heart and that will stand him in good stead once he gets up to speed playing mens football week in week out.

It's interesting you use that example. One I like to use is this, given the successful business Frank has built and as an example, he may well have the best sales person in the game but a real shortage of drivers to deliver his cabins, do you think as a business they'd bring someone else in on the sales team, he's a great lad and a top seller he just wants a move nearer to his roots in the North West, he's expensive as well and will eat in to that transport budget leaving little to fill the positions needed. It's never going to happen is it in any other walk of life, money just isn't going to be squandered like that yet we seem to be hemorrhaging it at an alarming rate of knots, now that doesn't affect me directly but it makes no sense at all on any level. Chesterfield as the example have a very balanced squad players like Colclough and Berry were brought in to compliment players they already had and they recruited in key areas - not because someone was too good to turn down, we've got to be smarter because as a business we are behaving dumb and that unfortunately is half the problem.

Double post

Honestly I can't pick more than half a dozen games that Mellon had us playing well, I think it's fair to compare Unsworth back end of last season to this because we are in the same division, Unsworth certainly had a better home record after Christmas that's for sure and it could be argued we've been lucky under Mellon also, I can remember wins we've picked up where I thought we were fortunate. Now whether there are constants in both seasons is up for debate but I honestly feel it needs ripping up and starting again we are that far off, Chesterfield are likely to finish 40 points plus in front of us and that's criminal.

We need a keeper, rightback, left footed centre back, new midfield, a couple of decent wide men. Not going to happen though as we have a number of dead legs contracted through next season and anyone decent is likely to be off as they don't want to embarrass themselves playing in a 7-1-2 any longer to compensate for our poor keeper and defence and none existent midfield.

This is just not true though, only the week before we lost a 2-0 lead, got a point but could of ended up with none yet the team were applauded off like heroes, not because they'd won a point but because they'd left it all out on the pitch, performance wise you'd say they all played their part. Fast forward to the following Saturday and you couldn't single one player out who did the same, not one. Now to me there is something fundamentally wrong with a group of players that weak. I really am getting fucked off with every man and his dog blaming the fans, it's weak and divisive for a start. What happened at home to Kidderminster then when I didn't hear a boo or grown all game despite feeling embarrassed for Mr Rothwell?. Yet we didn't even get going, have a go or show an ounce of Oldham pride?. This group of players and the manager now are becoming an embarrassment, they are weak and he is weaker for allowing it, he's reaffirmed this behaviour by unconditionally selecting players who continuously let him down, I don't give a fuck if he plays a kid on the wing who fights and gives his all instead of some player who swans about going through the motion. He keeps telling us he's got a group he trusts and one that represents the people of Oldham, well that's a load of shite as well. We've had players fall off the face of the earth still being paid wages - but apparantly we are all in this together. Back end of last season Unsworth somehow got a tune out of a far inferior squad and Mellon is doing the opposite when it counts, our home record under him is a huge worry going forward and he's been unable to find any answers so far despite being able to bring six players in to the fold, only two of them started Saturday and they were arguably our worst players in Walker and Conlon. Nothing that was wrong within the squad has been addressed and we are spluttering our way through to the end of the season with a lot of these weak players already signed up for next season. It's a mess that needs sorting out, recruitment has been abysmal and I put that at Darren Royles door, there doesn't seem to be any conceivable plan other than someone at the club being pally with a number of agents which is no way to do business, whose identifying what we need because we finished with four strikers on the pitch Saturday and a midfield that couldn't pass piss, not a wide player at the club, four strikers who I'd beat over 50 yards with little pace and our standard bunch of right footed centrehalfs. It's criminal really the mess that squads in. Anyway good luck with the season ticket sales which are likely to dictate the budget but I guess that will be the fans fault again.

Agreed particularly as he is neuter this board.

Blame who you want for the borefests - Mellon, Brabin, Murray are all responsible for the way we set up as they have an opportunity to work with the players day in day out to change that. Anyone who sees McGahey as the answer though doesn't fill me with confidence.

He scores that 3 weeks ago, he was dropped rightly or wrongly and he appears to have lost a bit of his sparkle, not surprising really and he probably knows his days under Mellon are numbered given he's replaced him at every given opportunity.

I think a lot of what Marc White says could be applied to our players.

Bit of a weird take that, when was the last time a team drew themselves to promotion?. Last 8 league games as us 18th in the form table, 8 points and only 7 goals scored with only Oxford worse off with 6 goals. More importantly all our rivals are filling out the top 8 other than Alty and they still have more points in that time despite losing five. It's the draws that will kill us, I'm not arsed if we lose games having a go, going unbeaten and drawing our next six isn't what we need.

Fans were behind the goal yesterday. Problem is some people spend all their money following this bunch around so they feel let down. I wouldn't go that far for free at the moment but I'm happy to pay £10 to watch it on NLTV in the comfort of my own home. I agree we need to stick together but that starts with those on the pitch giving the minimum.

This is probably what Mellon wants to say.

It's the ones doing it throughout the game I don't understand, they've gone there to support them I presume but they are giving certain players pelters from the off. At full time I'm not really arsed, I thought the players made an effort to come over yesterday and they showed more balls doing that than they did in the game but the abuse was predictable. Unfortunately this group are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and getting worse by the week.

Didn't look too much of him size wise but he had heart, popped up in both boxes and could play a bit as well and was brave on the ball. Surely a team with our budget can find a couple of players like him who keep the midfield ticking over or at least make it competitive. Our midfield other than Sheron actually look like they don't want to be here, what changed from the week before? Our squad was badly exposed yesterday, throwing on four strikers at the end if you count Hope with nobody who can find a pass behind was stupid, Walker was disappointing but he's probably seen his arse as he's been given zero opportunity until yesterday - despite previously playing well. Conlon was rightly pulled and could have been after half hour but he's the only one capable of controlling a game in there, Gardner looks like he's going through the motions for us and looks ready for the knackers yard and other than that we've little to offer. McGahey is doing his best but he's played in half a dozen positions since Christmas and looks exposed in every one. Finally and this will be controversial, these same players didn't down tools as often as this for Unsworth, it's almost every other game now under Mellon and I'm scratching my head as to why, are the players picking and choosing when they want to play or has Mellon lost parts of the dressing room? He's banished around a third of the contracted players and left himself with the ones he can 'trust' but they are making him and Brabin look like a cunt - or does the problem still exist in that group?. Honestly after yesterday I'd be happy if I didn't see 90% of that group again and you can probably start to count the manager in that now, where are we going with it?, it's turgid, tedious, uninspiring. What are they doing on the training ground? Where are the youth players coming through? That's ground to a halt in favour of 35 year old journeyman. Since Murray's been involved in training we've turned in to the most negative, boring team I've ever seen, we have a team now that would make Ronnie Moore's look like prime Brazil.

Watching Mellon post match he looks a beaten man and totally perplexed. Not surprisingly really. Looking at his transfer business it's been a disaster really and we need to get away from signing shit players who make us no better, in fact I'd go so far as to say we are worse off. Problem areas still not been addressed and Mellon has ostracized at least a dozen players many of whom we will have to pay wages to throughout next season as there will be few takers on the contracts they are on, players on a couple of grand a week are going nowhere. He's signed about half a dozen the best of those is Garner and he can't get a start. How's that even possible.

Were we not 10th when Mellon came in before Dale away?

Not necessary.

People pay their money and are entitled to react how they see fit, personally I've booed them off once this season at Southend, now I just walk out - generally early to avoid the piss boil. Worry for me is the season ticket sales for next season which is a bit ironic as I'm probably going to give it a swerve myself if they go up in price.