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Anyone who didn’t get excited by the Swindon game must have erectile dysfunction. Even as a non-smoker I had to turn over and have a cigarette at the end due to the intensity and immense satisfaction I experienced.
We’ve always been a work in progress project and I wouldn’t define us at any stage as a good or bad team; I’d define it as good days and bad days.
I’m also not into this knee-jerk reaction of writing players off, or managers for that matter, so easily.
Always disappointing when we lose, but it’s a tough league and even the “best” teams have had sticky patches. However hard it is, have your moans, which I always encourage, then move on; dwelling ain’t healthy.
Hope springs eternal with each new game, at least it does with me otherwise I wouldn’t bother.
Let’s hope Mansfield are over-confident on Friday and we turn them over to kick-start our own Renaissance.

It only takes one team to work out how to play against you and every other manager copies. I think we have been found out

Quote:

the kav
It only takes one team to work out how to play against you and every other manager copies. I think we have been found out

+1

Onwards and Upwards!

We need a major shake up at the end of the season. Clarke Is to old he has had a good career. It is sad we were in a good position at Christmas. Then the wheels fell off.

On the bright side. The plan is to get to Wembley and the automatics don’t meet that ambition.

7 wins on the bounce flattered us, and we probably deserved something more from our last 5/6 games - still confident we will get to the play offs if the crowd don't lose their minds

Quote:

Pete SF
We need a major shake up at the end of the season. Clarke Is to old he has had a good career. It is sad we were in a good position at Christmas. Then the wheels fell off.

Another shake up, why not try exactly what has caused our problems in recent seasons yet again. Clarke should be judged on what he does not what his age is, by 40 you have had people declaring you finished for at least 5 years. The fact is he makes the odd howler, none of which appear down to a physical weakness, Davies loses his man at least once a game and K-P gave two goals away after being out muscled on Saturday, whilst on his limited appearances he seems a poorer marker than Davies. Clarke with a limp is better than these two.
Starting next season with brand new centre halves is far from ideal but almost inevitable, Clarke will call his own time they tend to, then we will be giving a head start to those with bedded in squads.
No doubt another defeat or two and some genius will want everyone sacking including the stewards.
Reading between the lines, the money that was running out before our escape from non-league will be a repeated situation next season if we don't go up. So one more throw of the dice?
IMO our best chance is to build next year on what we have which isn't that much but more than recent summers, throwing the baby out may well bring the Conference back onto the horizon not league one.

Quote:

bedfordave

Quote:

Pete SF
We need a major shake up at the end of the season. Clarke Is to old he has had a good career. It is sad we were in a good position at Christmas. Then the wheels fell off.

Another shake up, why not try exactly what has caused our problems in recent seasons yet again. Clarke should be judged on what he does not what his age is, by 40 you have had people declaring you finished for at least 5 years. The fact is he makes the odd howler, none of which appear down to a physical weakness, Davies loses his man at least once a game and K-P gave two goals away after being out muscled on
Saturday, whilst on his limited appearances he seems a poorer marker than Davies. Clarke with a limp is better than these two.
Starting next season with brand new centre halves is far from ideal but almost inevitable, Clarke will call his own time they tend to, then we will be giving a head start to those with bedded in squads.
No doubt another defeat or two and some genius will want everyone sacking including the stewards.
Reading between the lines, the money that was running out before our escape from non-league will be a repeated situation next season if we don't go up. So one more throw of the dice?
IMO our best chance is to build next year on what we have which isn't that much but more than recent summers, throwing the baby out may well bring the Conference back onto the horizon not league one.

To be fair to your son, he makes more than the odd mistake, in 2 games he scored once and had one assist for the other side, even on Saturday he had two air kicks in the first half! Judging him on what he does and not his age, well I'm sorry Mrs Clark your lads an aged past it centre half, who needs to go out gracefully.

But otherwise I agree we don't need another rebuild



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2022 19:56 by Bored rover.

If we don’t get promotion it suggests that the squad assembled isn’t good enough. If the squad assembled isn’t good enough it needs a rethink and probably a rebuild. It’s not clear who or what this team is built around, instead it’s been glued together based upon what’s available not what’s needed. There may be elements of the squad that you would retain. Hemmings and Hawkes, for example. There are some who may not decide to stay, such as Morris, and there are some who have only ever been marginal.

Stability is often absent in teams at this level, but that’s no excuse for having a clear structure and system around which you build your team.

Quote:

Zint
There are some who may not decide to stay, such as Morris, and there are some who have only ever been marginal.

To be honest all teams have them, because reality is your first team isn't allowed 25 players in it .

I wonder if that was allowed wether Micky Mellon would go 8-8-8, 9-7-8, or pack the midfield and go 8-10-7 .

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Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.

Similar to last season, when we had a solid spine we done well. Losing Vaughan & his goals last season I believe killed our chances of automatics, I believe the same can be said of losing Spearing. Although this time it is losing the protection he offers, leadership and ability to control games.
A month ago, we had the best defence in the league , now that is crumbling which has coincided with Jays absence.

On the whole, our performances & results against the sides in the top 10 have been poor, we simply don’t deserve to be in the top 3 and will struggle for play offs.
We’ve had a few decent away draws (FG, Swindon, BR, PV) but we’re certainly not the better side. The only 2 decent displays were against Exeter - solid away performance were we had to dig in and at home Vs Swindon, although if you look at their line up that night they had half a team missing including key players that had got them into autos - I also credit that victory to Nate, it was a special night.

We have been well beaten by FG, both Newport & Northampton have convincingly beat us/both taken 6 points and Mansfield also taught us a lesson.

I predict FG, Northampton, Newport, Mansfield will all finish above us and they deserve it, they are better teams. Exeter, given their games in hand will likely finish above us. The best I am hoping for is to finish 6th/7th.

I can’t see it but if we are to have any chance of the autos I would say we need to win a min of 7 games out the remaining 11 and absolutely need to beat the teams in/ around us - Mansfield, Sutton, BR, Exeter.

Our current situation reminds me of the 1977-78 season. On the 3rd February (1978), even after a defeat to Cambridge that day, we were top of Division 3 after 31 games. After that, we only managed to win 2 more games and finished 11th!!

I hope history doesn't repeat itself and we end up mid-table.

The next year we went down, sacked Kingy on arrival in Div 4 and stayed down for ten years.
That equates to sacking Mellon at some point and staying in the conference for ten years; people should be careful what they wish for.
1977 was an exceptional period though, a very thin squad that had an unchanged team for 28 matches?

Quote:

stek26
Similar to last season, when we had a solid spine we done well. Losing Vaughan & his goals last season I believe killed our chances of automatics, I believe the same can be said of losing Spearing. Although this time it is losing the protection he offers, leadership and ability to control games.
A month ago, we had the best defence in the league , now that is crumbling which has coincided with Jays absence.

On the whole, our performances & results against the sides in the top 10 have been poor, we simply don’t deserve to be in the top 3 and will struggle for play offs.
We’ve had a few decent away draws (FG, Swindon, BR, PV) but we’re certainly not the better side. The only 2 decent displays were against Exeter - solid away performance were we had to dig in and at home Vs Swindon, although if you look at their line up that night they had half a team missing including key players that had got them into autos - I also credit that victory to Nate, it was a special night.

We have been well beaten by FG, both Newport & Northampton have convincingly beat us/both taken 6 points and Mansfield also taught us a lesson.

I predict FG, Northampton, Newport, Mansfield will all finish above us and they deserve it, they are better teams. Exeter, given their games in hand will likely finish above us. The best I am hoping for is to finish 6th/7th.

I can’t see it but if we are to have any chance of the autos I would say we need to win a min of 7 games out the remaining 11 and absolutely need to beat the teams in/ around us - Mansfield, Sutton, BR, Exeter.

An unbiased and rational analysis. You're probably on the wrong forum.

There is no need to throw out the baby with the bathwater. What is needed is stability. If Tranmere can keep most of the players whilst disposing of those who don’t fit Micky’s way of playing. And replacing with his type of player then I think next season will be better. I am not convinced promotion would be a good thing until we have a team that is dominant in this league. FGR have taken a few seasons. It’s not the end of the world if Tranmere do not get promoted this season. It is definitely a work in progress situation. I just hope Micky can find a way of getting the team to score a few goals regularly…

After relegation in May 79 I think Johnny King was in place for all of 79/80 and part of 80/81 ….he wasn’t quite sacked on arrival in Div 4
As regards changing managers I don’t know if anyone heard Mark Palios on Radio Merseyside about 6.30 tonight ….he did of course express disappointment at recent results but seemed to have full confidence in Micky

Quote:

pc1968
After relegation in May 79 I think Johnny King was in place for all of 79/80 and part of 80/81 ….he wasn’t quite sacked on arrival in Div 4
As regards changing managers I don’t know if anyone heard Mark Palios on Radio Merseyside about 6.30 tonight ….he did of course express disappointment at recent results but seemed to have full confidence in Micky

Is there a link please

Just go to the radio Merseyside website
Then highlights
james Mountford show 8 March. 6 to 7pm
interview with Mark starts at 38 minutes ….ie 6.38pm
Hope that helps

Johnny King got a bit of help off Shankley after Shanks retired from the Liverpool job. He even tried to persuade King to leave Tranmere and go after a vacant position at Sheffield Wednesday, as they were a bigger club and Shankley thought King had enough ability to make the step up.

King never tried to hussle for the job and when Shankley wanted to know why; King didn't made out that he believed of himself that he did not have enough of the right stuff to be successful there.

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Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.