Londonboy

I actually think he is done ok and could do a job for us next season. Regular 7/10 week in week out for me. 

Let's be honest our probability of going up this season is below 10%.

He rarely let's us down and I've not seen him down tools like many others seem to have done at various stages this season.

He will be an invaluable squad player and leader next season....and we haven't got those in abundance so good decision in my book.

1 hour ago, deyres42 said:

Fair enough I guess. But the style isn't going to radically change so is it worth looking at a different type of forward and using the wages to strengthen elsewhere?

No it isn't.

Norwood is not the problem. 

He has scored nearly a third of all our goals this season, which I suggest is as good a strike rate for a player, as in any team in the top 5 divisions.

As a team we simply don't create enough chances and so we dont score enough goals.

Only Halifax have scored fewer goals than us in the top 14 which is criminal with our so called "fab 4" strikers, plus Reid who can't get a game.

Without Norwood we really would be fucked.

For me it's simple....more width and pace is what we need. 

Agree midfield seems weak but when we have had some width/pace in the side we have actually looked OK, and I'm sure that they would be much more effective with more options out wide to pass too. When Green and Stones played for example these were arguably some of our better performances.

Midfield looks shit because of our lack of any real outlet apart from the long ball down the middle. Conlon, Lundy and even Sheron are capable I think in this league given options.

A right back yes defo, and I'd actually look for a decent left wing back also as Kitch seems lost at the moment.

I don't have FMS's knowledge of other teams players but what he seems to be saying with the type of player we need I 100% agree with. 

Considering our striking options in MM words our "fab four," it's a bit piss poor that only Halifax out of the top half of the table have scored fewer goals than us.

Our lack of goals may be our undoing come the end of the season.

12 minutes ago, meat pie sausage roll said:

We will have to play our scrapers in our rearranged mud bath at Halifax. That’s Fondop and Garner up front and Mcgahey and Sheron in the middle. We need to keep the ball away from Golden who is quality and hopefully Green will be back to give us options on the other side. 
Chesterfield rested Palmer tonight and Grimes is nothing without him. Don’t know anything about the guy who replaced him. 
Halifax will Find it very different when they play us. I trust MM to get it right.
 

They have won 7/8 so they have the momentum. 

Ita Alty/Gateshead and Solihull/Shots on Saturday so 3 points would make up ground on a couple at least.

How.many were there today from Chesterfield?

Results could have been a lot worse for us today...

Gateshead and Aldershot losing kept us well in the mix and it sounds like we played well today.

Daggers away next week really is a must win though.

Can't afford to let a gap open above us....

KEEP THE FAITH!!

41 minutes ago, hillside blue said:

Striker makes surprise transfer move after Hull City agree contract decision - Hull Live (hulldailymail.co.uk)

Have a read, I wonder what the reason was?

41 minutes ago, hillside blue said:

Striker makes surprise transfer move after Hull City agree contract decision - Hull Live (hulldailymail.co.uk)

Have a read, I wonder what the reason was?

BP rated him I think and wanted him in the first team squad...

5 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

He gets doubled up every game and hardly anyone to pass to. 

It's his job to find people to pass too! I can't remember the last time he put in a meaningful cross, and he has had plenty of opportunities.

Plus his defending has been pants. 

He's been shit for weeks end of.

17 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Kitch has been asked to carry us all season, I’ll let him off. 

Absolutely not. He's been just as guilty as anyone else since Christmas for poor inept performances. If we had another half decent left back he'd have been dropped weeks ago.

I witnessed yesterday's shit show first hand and it was as bad as it gets. Bar the scramble at the end of the 1H where we may have hit the post, I don't recall a shot.... it was pathetic. 

What I struggle with is why every fucking team we play seems to have more width, energy and pace than us.

Yesterday for example their 26 who scored from a completely free header....offside or not, was roasting us all the first half down our right hand side.

With our budget and what we are paying the likes of Dallas and the rest who are not in Mellons thoughts, surely we could sign more players like this for not much money. Let's be honest our budget is probably 2/3 x bigger than most, so I'm baffled why we have not addressed the pace and width issue all season?? We played Hobson and Hogan as full backs for fucks sake.

Mellon needs to sort this shit out and play a system with some width, and do it quickly, as by this time next week we could be in 9th, 3 points outside the playoffs having played a game more than the teams around us...

You can pay on the day, for an extra £2.

I've no doubt there will be 500+ there....I'm taking my son and a couple of his mates.

Since getting battered at Bromley on September 16th we have lost once away in the league in nearly 6 months, and that was the nightmare at Fylde!

We have Won 9 Drawn 3 and lost 1 since then, which is as good I guess as anyone. Yes we have muddled our way through a few but have usually found a way.

I'm confident we will find a way on Saturday. 

2-1 win for me.

On 3/4/2024 at 10:12 AM, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

We just don't have any, or at least any we can unify ourselves by hating. 

 

It's probably a good thing in that losing to hated rivals hits harder. We don't have any defeats laced with that extra bitterness. It's bad enough being an Oldham fan without being punched down on by bitter rivals as well.

 

Closest I felt to a genuine rivalry emerging was those years of playing Wigan between 1997 and 2003. Some of those matches were seething and the tear ups around them were legendary. I think you need to be in the same division with someone geographical close to build one. Even though we were in L1 for two decades, teams like Bolton, Wigan, Blackburn and Preston just dipped in and out. Tranmere was never likely to be a proper rivalry, they're too far away. Wrexham felt a bit more tetchy. I used to hate Citeh back in the 80's and 90's but that faded when we stopped playing them. Burnley have always grated with me because I spent some of my formative years there. 

 

As for Dale, we'd need another twenty years of playing regularly in the same division. Takes a generation to go by for it to 'stick'.

We were in the same division as Bastard Rovers for 10 years from 1980-90 when we went up, which was a great rivalry on and off the pitch during that time.

3 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

We won at Solihull.

So you think we would rather have an away tie??

And slightly off topic, assuming we make the playoffs would we want a home or away tie, assuming we finish 4th-7th??

Although our away form is better I think I'd still prefer a big crowd at BP behind us, rather than a tin pot allocation at the likes of Solihull or Aldershot... 

Be interesting to see what tonight's attendance is. 5.5/5.6k??

Was disappointed with the attendance yesterday.

Our 2nd lowest home attendance I think after Dorking in early September, and Southend brought more than most.

I know our home form has been ropey but I reckon we've lost about 500 floating home supporters since the start of the season which is not great bearing in mind we are in the top 7.

Obviously we lost a great opportunity v Kidderminster to pick up a few.....

33 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

And if we hadn’t started the season with Unsworth we’d probably be 10 points better off!

9 out of the starting 11 were Unsworths boys! 

Wonder if he was still here if we'd be in the same position as today....??

Didn't go today but saw the game at Roots Hall and they were a million miles better than us.

2 minutes ago, IanMarshall's Mullet said:

Green off injured. 

Who's come on?

9 minutes ago, Lags said:

Blackburn and Bolton for me.  Goes back to my early days following Latics.

Yes agree Lags. Blackburn was our main rival for many seasons in the old 2nd division. Used to be a big home Boxing day fixture with 15-20k there.

Clue is in the no, neh, never chant, BASTARD ROVERS!! 

Probably the most trouble however was when we played Bolton. They used to bring a fair mob and ran us a few times in the Chaddy!!

Yep we were absolute dog at their place.

They seem to have their mojo back and will still believe they can get into the playoffs.

A draw will be no good really for them so I think they will go for it, and we may see a bit of a basketball game, which could mean we can play more like the away side which probably suits us atm.

Green and Hammond must start for me to give us some pace on the counter attack.

An entertaining 2-1 for me but not sure which way...

6 hours ago, BP1960 said:

 

Too late, the one I recommended who was available at the time from Manchester City Alex Robertson is now at Portsmouth.

From a Portsmouth fan.

"Robertson is the best player in the league and we are incredibly lucky to have him".

With respect..... we cannot compete with Pompey!!

I don't see many home games, but I've seen a good few away this season and in arguably our best 3 performances at Barnet, Woking and Maidenhead Green started and gave us some real impetus going forward. 

Yes he has his limitations defensively but he's the only one, with maybe Hammond who has any pace out wide.

Stones also gave us this in his brief cameo and we had great results.

We are so narrow and one dimensional without him, that until Mellon starts him and plays to a system where he gets the ball from midfielders, and ruins at players our style simply will not change.

1 hour ago, BradKnowles1 said:

Best we have played under Mellon. Commentators said we were the best team he’s seen this season.

 

Vital we got the three points with all the teams around us winning. 
 

 

Not quite the best imo. We were marginally better at Woking I thought. However a really confident and dominant performances with many positives to take to York.....which we need to win btw. 

Bar the first ten mins of the 1H which were pretty none descript, and the first 15 of the 2H where we were under a bit of pressure, we were in full control.

Great support also from the travelling army

This will have ZERO effect on our attendances.

As some have already said, rarely now do we play at the same time or day as City and they sell out anyway for most games well in advance.

If it helps get fans who go to the games there more easily, and its cheaper and more environmentally friendly it's fine with me.

We play better football =we get more floating fans. Simple.

This is what we should be focusing on, not moaning about fucking buses to City.