League one forever

10 minutes ago, Wardie said:

Mellon's comments.

"The way it is now, everybody that's here has got another year's contract so it's difficult because everything's pretty much tied up, everything's already been spent on the group that's here and the frustrating part is the group needs a lot of help and we won't have the ability to do anything about that, even with the outgoings"

I take it he means the contracted players who remain and there is no budget left, even if he gets rid of some?

That’s exactly what he means, and the point I am making. 
 

He isn’t talking about the Reid Nuttall etc etc. 

He’s talking about players in the team who he can’t get rid of because he has other outgoings to sort first. 
 

First class motivation for the reaming players. .

22 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

Yeah I've read that prediction elsewhere. I've no desire to bookmark anything. I'm sure if that happens you'll be the first to point to it!

 

But to go back to my response, I don't understand the point you're making then. You said "Even if half the squad can be changed he’s still got a half squad he’s said numerous times isn’t good enough". I took that to mean you saying he's called all the players not good enough. If that's not what you meant then I don't know what you did mean.

 

You can call a collective thing shit, but not mean that each individual is shit. Hawaiian pizzas are shit, but I don't mean every ingredient is shit in itself.

A good example is Kitching. 
 

Not the same player since Christmas- I wonder why. 
 

He’s in contract. 
 

But while Mellon may not his attitude he has 5/6 other priorities to shift out first. 
 

So he needs him for next season, is Kitching going to go back to the pre Christmas player because he has a new left winger in front him. . . Not for me. 

7 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

But to go back to my response, I don't understand the point you're making then. You said "Even if half the squad can be changed he’s still got a half squad he’s said numerous times isn’t good enough". I took that to mean you saying he's called all the players not good enough. If that's not what you meant then I don't know what you did mean.

Next season- he will have in contract players that have played for him this season who he doesn’t rate. 
 

Kurt

Nuttall

Reid 

Shelton 

Ward

They are all low hanging fruit and the first to be shifted. Forget those, they haven’t played for us months and will never play for us again. He isn’t talking about them. 

He is talking about players in the actual team that he doesn’t rate, but can’t get rid of. He will need some of them next season. . . would you put it in for a manager who clearly doesn’t rate you and the only reason your here is because he had to get rid of a handful of other players who he really really didn’t rate. Will the players from this season who he doesn’t rate start talking to the new players when they’re not in the side. . . 
 

He has shot himself in the foot in my view, and it’s going to bite him on the arse. 
 

2 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

He’s never once said that every player in the squad is shit. 

Eh? I never said that.
 

You’ve literally made that one up. 
 

I said - ‘why would players (plural but not individual or everybody) he’s effectively (as in might as well have) called shit start to play for him
 

If I could be arsed I’d give you the direct quotes where he said numerous times that many of the squad aren’t good enough, but there’s no point because you’ll ask me for more evidence or he might not mean what he says in the media. 
 

I saw your other reply, where you found the pissboil funny. I think you’re anti pissboil- nothing is much of a concern because it’s all part of an abstract bigger picture that no one really knows about because the club don’t communicate. 
 

This is what will happen, and if I’m wrong I will hold my hand up. 
 

We’ll get rid of a few in contract and Mellon will sign 6-8. (If not more)  The majority will be older players. Next season the football won’t change. We’ll grind, results will be indifferent. Teams will out run us and look fitter, and we’ll still be struggling for pace in the side. Fans will get his on his back because results aren’t great and the football is poor and Mellon (with half a squad of his own signings) will be blaming everything but himself. 
 

Bookmark me on it. 

3 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

If he has a squad largely made up of players he'd worked with before, and largely ones he's said aren't good enough, we're in big trouble.

Spot on. 
 

Even if half the squad can be changed he’s still got a half squad he’s said numerous times isn’t good enough. Why would players who haven’t performed him or effectively been called shit - suddenly start doing it for him. It doesn’t make any sense. 

1 hour ago, deyres42 said:

 

5 hours ago, League one forever said:

Double post. 

1 hour ago, deyres42 said:

"We would like to thank the players who depart this summer and we wish them well in their future careers"

 

Can only assume some of you lot can't read cos there's nothing vague about that...

Another big call you’ve got wrong. 

5 hours ago, League one forever said:

I wonder if they’ve said to a few- if no one moves, we can’t offer you anything. If players leave, we might come back to you with something? 

Meanwhile - I’m spot on.

Here’s my prediction. 
 

We’ll manage to get rid of a few contracted players over the summer. 
 

Magically (having told its will be nigh on impossible) Mellon will sign 6-8 players. 
 

The vast majority will be ‘experienced’ all over 28 and with their best days behind them. 
 

Having got more of the players he wants- taking his signings to half the squad, the style of football won’t change. We’ll grind and play hoof ball, and results will be indifferent. 
 

Mellon will say he knows what good looks like, but he can’t play the style he wants because he still has players he inherited, and it’s still a big job. 
 

The disconnect between Mellon and the fans will continue to intensify and we’ll start to really struggle. . 
 

1 minute ago, deyres42 said:

Plenty of teams seem to have done well with lesser budgets, if Mellon can’t work with what he's got then he should step aside for someone who will.

Exactly. 
 

I really don’t like this- we’re over budget, non of it is my fault, I haven’t got a magic wand, we’ll just have to hope we can do something. 
 

Resign then. 
 

Oh. You want your money. 
 

Right. Well stop bitching in the media, and get on with you what keep telling you already knew- it’s a big job. 

1 hour ago, PeteG said:

Agreed but it's the budget that worries me. Fondop can't have been on more than £800 a week so is it possible we can get better than him for less than that. If we have to shift out Norwood then it may help but we also lose our best player in the process. I guess the key to this summer is trying to offload the likes of Nuttall, Reid etc. without it actually costing us too much which then gives us some ammo but that's going to prove quite tough given the reported wages some of these players are on. I doubt we are able to just pay them off and if for example Nuttall is on £2k a week and only gets an offer for £1k a week we aren't going to get the best available. It may be a year of consolidation and then go again in 12 months when these players are off the wage bill. 

Mellon won’t get that long, if results are poor and nor should he. 
 

Here’s the issue- I don’t care what mistakes have been made, that squad with some additions should be nowhere near consolidation. 
 

We won 2 games in 22 over two spells this season and finished 10th. You can be absolute dogshit and finish 7th. 
 

No one will convince me that’s things are so bad we just have accept midtable next season. Not a chance. 
 

1 hour ago, GKing521 said:

It's all going a bit North Korea again at BP. 

Mmmm,

I was going to post similar. We’ve gone from very open with the fans to very quiet. 
 

No statement from the board to acknowledge mistakes and galvanise. 
 

Ambiguous retained list. 

The club are aware of socials, they can get a pulse for how fans are feeling- and it doesn’t make good reading. 
 

It all feels a bit them (DR and Mellon not the family) and us again. 
 

Just seen the retained list. . . What am I missing? 
 

It reads factual and ambiguous. How can that be?? 
 

I wonder if they’ve said to a few- if no one moves, we can’t offer you anything. If players leave, we might come back to you with something? 

8 minutes ago, sjk2008 said:

Clarke was my absolute first choice too.

 

Look what he’s done at Cheltenham. Joined them end of September when they were rooted to the bottom of league 1 having got 1 point from the first 9 games and having not scored a single goal all season and a goal difference of -15.

 

They battered Peterborough tonight (18 shots to 7) and now just 2 points from safety. 
 

Surely we’d have paid more than them, unless he simply wasn’t in the running…

 

 

Or he wanted a club two divisions  higher. . 

7 minutes ago, JoeP said:

Not one player we have is capable of consistent 90 minute performances week in, week out!

I wasn’t talking about ability, when he’s played regularly for us- he’s great for a  couple of games, then always fades by game 3 or 4 to the point where the powerful runs, and the hustle and bustle becomes less and less. 
 

7 minutes ago, JoeP said:

I think - when the camp seemed a bit happier - and we were 5th, him playing for 60mins with Garner worked well.  I concede he tires, because he does so much running so would have to be first sub off, I would guess.  We'd need someone else with his energy to finish the job, though.

I’ve no problem with their partnership, they’re both pests and valuable squad players. But one is 37 next year, and the other has a poor engine. Id play them from the bench, but no issue if/ when they cover injury. 

2 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

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. 

Norwood has had a far better career and is a much better footballer. 
 

Miley has a better MPG ratio than Norwood this season having played far fewer games. . . 
 

Norwood needs service- he’s that type of player. 
 

Mikey creates his own chances with power and physique. 
 

Both offer very different things, and in this team, at this time we need them both. 

6 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

I'd have him starting, to be honest.  If the club do make the mistake of not offering him a new deal, they need to sign a better version of him and that could be hard to come by.  We need a hard-working unit who will press the defence and cause problems, run at defenders and work hard to get on the end of Green (or AN Other's) crosses.  I'd pick Garner over Norwood every day of the week, but they are too similar a player to work as a partnership.  We don't need another like them.

The problem Mikey has got is he isn’t capable of consistent 90 minute performances week in week out. He’s got a poor engine and that lets his touch down when he’s tired. He can be great in a one off game, or even better as first sub- someone who will run tired defenders ragged and rough them up a bit. I would definitely offer him a deal, but it would be first sub- not first team regular. 
 

It’s a massive if - but if we can offload Nuttall/Reid/Kurt. I want some pace next to Norwood, someone to do his running like stones did. 
 

Norwood & AN other as first pick. 
Garner & Mikey as replacements. 

8 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Why wouldn't that be available to all fans then?, not looking for an argument it's just a simple question as to how the club communicates to those not part of the Foundation.

It wasn’t a catch up or ‘why haven’t we achieved’. They were asking about the finances and going through the books- Andy interviewed two of the lads on the pod last week and they gave their feedback from the meeting. (In a nutshell- without Frank we’re insolvent) 
 

OASF isn’t a fan thing where we get to ask the difficult questions. They are there for safeguarding- and as everybody trusts Frank and his family with looking after the club it’s had little interest. 
 

That shouldn’t be conflated (not saying you were) with what this thread is asking, which is different to safeguarding. This about acknowledging mistakes and trying to bring some positivity after a disaster interview and poor season. 

2 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Is that actually true? Do you have to pay for the privilege and if so why.

 

Makes my decision to swerve a season ticket even more easier if that's the case, when this has been mentioned before I actually thought it a joke. Whose in the exclusive club then?.

You don’t, Eyrsey is making things up again. He talked to OASF (once) and to hear the full interview you need to be a OASF member - which is really steep at a £1 a month. . . 

18 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

After Mellon’s comments post game on Saturday, bearing in mind what he said, surely there has to be a statement of some sort from the board.

We haven’t heard a whisper from DR at all and it’s about time he put fans in the picture and outlined the club’s direction/plan going forward!

A positive spin regarding next season has to be forthcoming as Mellon’s comments will no doubt have had an extremely negative effect on future season ticket sales and renewals.

Supporters around me on Saturday were generally about 50/50 on the possibility of renewing. If that’s the general feeling then a drop of even 25% would be pretty catastrophic and hinder our chances massively!

Yep agreed, I don’t think a fans forum it’s the right thing at the moment. Too much disharmony and it would turn ugly. 
 

But a rallying statement is definitely needed. It should include an acknowledgment of the mistakes made and giving some re-commitment to putting it right, and asking the fans to keep supporting the club. 
 

I don’t doubt the board have made honest mistakes but silence is alienating and aloof, even if it’s with good intentions. 

1 hour ago, spanishfly said:

Hi Mark,  my "I heard similar..." comment was in regard to having been told a couple of weeks back that the board were going to back MM and a clearout had been sanctioned in the summer "by hook or by crook". I`ve heard nothing in particular regarding Norwood and Conlon but I think it's quite clear neither wants to be here in any event. 

Im sure someone said on here that they were sat near Conlon’s family at a game, (not long after he signed) and they were bemoaning the move and said he’d picked the wrong club. 

15 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

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. 

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. 

Word of advice everyone. 
 

Don’t watch his post match presser. . . 
 

Just grab a beer and enjoy your summer. 

6 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

Then it's a panicky January transfer window and this season repeated again. I'd promote the excellent youth team coach who'd get even this lot playing attacking football.

Good shout BP. 
 

Could be an option. 

What the fuck do we do now? 
 

Sack Mellon - justifiable after 1 win in 14. But it’s another hit to the budget and the new guy has a lot of same problems with the squad. 
 

Keep him- and he’s alienated a lot of players here for next season, they just aren’t playing for him. He signs more older heads (which is what good looks to him) and I’ve no faith we are a few players short of complete turnaround. 
 

What a mess. Honestly don’t know where we go from here. 

7 minutes ago, Lukers1 said:

I know for a fact that Dan Gardener has made his feelings known to some of the players.

Can you elaborate Lukers. 
 

About what? 
 

Effort, desire, professionalism?