League one forever

It is his job to pick the manager. .

Oh and I never want to Garner and Norwood as a partnership again.

It needs work yes, but there’s to many times under Mellon where they’re all awful, not poor, absolutely awful. When the entire team is repeatedly shit, and many of them have played higher it goes beyond the players. Mellon is taking us backwards.

That’s me done till next season. I can not watch another game where we start like it’s a knockabout in the park. That first half hour was fucking disgusting. How do you beat Oldham? Just press them. That’s it. We folded like a deck of cards, no leaders, no fight, not working anywhere near hard enough. Awful in possession- hack it anywhere or pass to them. No pattern of play, no intensity to our attacking play. Plays two midgets up front and lobs high balls up-to them. I’m fucking sick of it. They went 3 up and sat off and we started playing. . . ANYONE CAN PLAY AT 3-O NIL DOWN LADS WHEN THE OPPOSITION AREN’T TRYING ANYMORE. I know the squad needs work, but them players are miles better than that- but they keep churning out the same shite, and sooner or later you have to look at the Manager. Teams are always a reflection of the manager. . Things we continually do. Start poorly. Hoof it- when Mellon explicitly says this isn’t what he’s asking them to do. Panic in Possession. Have no tempo. Don’t work hard enough. Have no pattern to our attacking play. Serious questions about the manager now. . I know the board won’t sack him before the end of the season- but if it’s like this again in the first 5 games next season he needs to go.

Yeah, Mellon has said it a few times recently as well- funnily enough when our results started dropping off. . . I’ve admired their honesty at times, but this is just bollocks and a little desperate.

So grateful the Rothwells are here, but when you look at that- who would be a football owner. . Imagine having to pay so many players who are nowhere near the side or been frozen out. It must be galling.

Im with you. Played centre half, left back, right wing back- good pro and always puts a shift in. We aren’t getting promoted, and he’s good enough for this division. So no issue with one more year.

It’s never that simple. People have their own circumstances, and if they can only make a few games they have as much right to comment as someone who goes every week. I mostly agree with this- especially the size of the fanbase/club, the vibe, selling to sponsors. Where I’d disagree is associated expenditure- I think season ticket holders are just as likely to miss as POTD as their game cost is very cheap, loads of times this season the announced attendance is nowhere near the actual attendance- and that can only be season tickets giving it a miss- but still included in the gate.

They are mate. The conversation started with somebody saying- I hope those not buying a season ticket don’t moan about the playing budget. Agreed. But the key word there is aspect. They’re an aspect to the overall budget/incomings but nowhere near the whole thing.

You seem very angry again. You ok?

Season ticket sales provide income to the club over the Summer. Why was the closing date set for just after the last game of season? How can they set a budget when they don’t know which contracted players they can move on? But much more that- The season ticket sales last season generated circa 1.1 million. That’s 21.5k a week. We know Nors and Nutall are on very good money- let’s 8-10k a week. How are we paying the other 28 members of the squad if the season ticket sales were paramount to setting a budget?

Oh dear. Personal - again. Tut tut.

Ahhh. Riiiiiight. Well their ‘gauge’ of last season was an absolute country mile off what they’ve actually spent. So hopefully they’ll rethink and budget for a whole instead of a ‘gauge’.

Except you. .

Of course- it’s a big part of the budget. My point is- season tickets aren’t the whole budget. . as this season obviously shows. There is no way last seasons ticket money alone is paying for the current squad.

I know. But that’s a myth. We sold circa 4000 season tickets last season at £280 a pop. That’s 1.1 million. There’s no way we set our budget off that last season. Norwood Nuttall Reid Kurt Fondop Them five alone would be the best part of a million in wages. So what pays the other 20 odd players in the squad?? In the article on the official website it says our average home attendance is 6800- that is what the playing budget will be decided on. 1.1 million in season ticket sales divided by 52 - £21.5k a week. Circa 3000 POTD paying £25 for 23 games- gives you 1.725 million. 1.725 million divided by 52- 33k a week. Our playing budget is therefore anything up to 54.5k a week. Which is far more realistic with a squad of 30 players.

Your season ticket buys you a season ticket not a superior right- Season ticket is important money over the summer, but it doesn’t fund everything over the course of the season. That’s where match day and POTD revenue comes in. I’ve spent more this season by POTD, than people paid for their season tickets. So by your rationale- I deserve a bigger say than you because I’ve financially made a bigger contribution. . . Or maybe we should realise it’s each to their own, no fan is better than the other and each individual does what works for them.

How do you correlate the two?

Here’s what will happen. We’ll get enough points from, Flyde Alty, and Rochdale to still have a sniff. We’ll lose at Oxford, who are worse than awful- then win at Halifax- somehow we’ll still be able to sneak in but need to be beat Wealdstone on the last day and hope other results go for us. The results will go for us and we’ll draw - snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Flyde- D Alty- W Dale - W Oxford - L Halifax - W Wealdstone - D Finishing 8th.

True, but it is beyond the realm of possibility that we’ll win at least 4 of the last 6 in my view.

Yeah, the apathy has kicked in again. I only going on Friday because I promised my daughter, I’ve tried suggesting other things but she won’t budge. The excitement in our house is palpable. . .

If he had played every game, I’d say that was a bit underwhelming. But he hasn’t. He’s scored 1 in 2 for a side that creates very little. That’s decent- and to answer your question, yes he meets expectation at 1 in 2. Some strikers are scorers of great goals and some are great goal scorers. He is the latter. I can’t remember one worldie, but I can remember his movement, his calmness and his poise in front of goal. All of which are levels above anyone else at the club. Plenty. This does need to improve.

Things that need sorting. A right back. Competition for Kitch. Signing some wingers. Having a consistent style of play. Playing to a tempo for 90 minutes. Passing to a team mate 10 yards away. Things that don’t need sorting. Identifying our top goal scorer as a major issue.

Spitting abuse doesn’t help, and a line needs to be drawn. But booing at the end is an acceptable way to demonstrate your frustration. The idea everyone just quietly walks away and suppresses their frustration to protect the players is never going to happen- and nor should it. They love coming over after a win, they need to be big enough to cop a bit when we are abject.

I have such mixed feelings about us. On the one hand, I see the bigger picture and the health of the club is very positive. On the other hand, we should be doing better this season given the calibre of manager and the pedigree of players. I suppose I’m just struggling with a few places higher being seen as enough progress. Feels like clutching a little bit. Even Mickey said the target was playoffs. . .