League Two Crewe v Rovers

[bring back the cowshed!]

Anyone know when is Glatzel back ?

I heard on this site that he’d returned to Liverpool and then found out that he had been removed from the list of first-team players on the OS. I therefore assume that his loan has been cancelled, although no announcement has been made by the club, at least on the OS - not untypical of the club’s communications. I think it’s unlikely we will ever see him again in a Rovers shirt, but I hope I’m wrong - for his sake and for ours.

 

[mellow submarine]

IMHO Glatzel, his injury woes and lack of pace aside, is the only player that has gelled with Hemmings.

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

yes but the fact remains in Kanes interview After the Barrow game he said we are getting told to stay in the box more bla bla bla its only took half a season for them to figure this out poor coaching or Management either way you look at it as for Joel we have to give the Lad time he has only played a handful of games in his career and just come back so it will take him ages to get up to speed oh we don't have that sort of FKN time this is what happens when we always get injury prone players oh well This is what we do and this is TRANMERE Lol

 

[bigmart]

IMHO Glatzel, his injury woes and lack of pace aside, is the only player that has gelled with Hemmings.

The problem is that Glatzel is never fit, he's played last than 90 minutes in the last 9 months and is out for quite a while yet.

 

[White Squaddie]

I've said it for a while but I think we'd be best off cutting our losses with Glatzel, sadly hes far too injury prone!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The problem is that Glatzel is never fit, he's played last than 90 minutes in the last 9 months and is out for quite a while yet.

We might as well forget about Glatzel. I am sure the club did several months ago.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Let's make no mistake yesterday was one of those very rare fluke outcomes. Tranmere are better than Crewe and Crewe are currently struggling to field a team. You don't need clear cut chances in this league, for all those incidents in their box you'd expect a couple at least to end up in the net. Any other day Crewe would fight to keep it respectable.
There were common traits that reappeared and continue to undermine the team. Their keeper in spite of Scott plus tactics was very decent. His save from Morris was a near identical situation to the one at Barrow that Doohan got nowhere near. The goal for which Doohan was two yards off his line went straight over him, 100% gaff, it was a bad head from Merrie and the scorer normally hits the railway sidings but keeper error. Doohan came for a six yard box cross then went back causing a scramble and he still drops stuff regularly.
Got the impression Nolan was given a chance to save his Prenton career by Mellon, but a link player like Merrie isn't really cut out for that. Burton will become a part time player in the lower parts of non-league, his goals are from his bum and nose so far.
Mumbongo offers something no one else has and will improve the team, he already has. There is no point in Hemmings watching from the box they have to take the game to him. He was chasing play a bit too much yesterday, old habits etc, so he has to trust his team to create.
Nevitt could find the sub role more to his strengths, if you have been fighting for an hour his energy may not be what you need.
Tranmere are in a far better place than two weeks ago. I doubt promotion is even a possibility, but if they jettison the squad again for more fanciful signings, I don't see progress next time.

 

[Sparky]

Just reflecting on yesterday, the most frustrating part is we’re really not far away from a promotion winning team in my opinion.

Our defensive record is excellent. Morris and Hawkes are both effective at this level and OConnor and merrie are decent albeit both defensive midfielders. All were really missing is a decent frontman to partner Hemmings who is reliable in terms of fitness.

The division is so tight and even though we are 15th in the league, I think we’re only perhaps a striker and a winger or so away from being at the top end of the division.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Just reflecting on yesterday, the most frustrating part is we’re really not far away from a promotion winning team in my opinion.

Our defensive record is excellent. Morris and Hawkes are both effective at this level and OConnor and merrie are decent albeit both defensive midfielders. All were really missing is a decent frontman to partner Hemmings who is reliable in terms of fitness.

The division is so tight and even though we are 15th in the league, I think we’re only perhaps a striker and a winger or so away from being at the top end of the division.

You could argue there is also a lack of creativity in the centre of midfield. There is nobody in the current squad with the creativity of, dare I say it, Banks or the passing range of Norburn.

We possibly are only a quality striker short of competing, but we probably don't have the resources to pay another forward the money Hemmings is on. A miss is as good as a mile.

 

[Sparky]

Yes I agree about the budget and the two centre mids.
Merrie and OConnor have both done well at times but again what are the options? I’d like to have seen mclear given some game time alongside OConnor. Nolan doesn’t seem a realistic option, nor does Rhys hughes. Even yesterday I was thinking second half we could take merrie off for say hughes but Micky didn’t fancy it.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think Hughes has actually done better than MacLear to be honest. However, as you say, Micky does not seem to trust him in a midfield two at the moment.

 

[Ian]

I'm not a big fan of Merrie. I think he's a bit slow on the turn and spends a lot of time looking at the floor instead of looking for a forward pass. I liked McAlear but probably too inconsistent.

 

[ADD]

You don't seem to recognise that players - whether Merrie or Andy Cook - can improve by being left out of the side and asked to develop weak aspects of their game. There is no guarantee at all that Merrie would have been as effective if he had started in central midfield eighteen months ago. It is actually still debatable whether he gives us enough creativity from midfield, and O'Connor is clearly the better defensive player.

I am not sure the manager's post match comments re. squad strength were 'out of order' when they chime almost exactly with the chairman's New Year statement......

I recognise a lot of things - I just don't always agree with you. Merrie being "frozen out" was mentioned by many many posters who felt he must have upset MM (seems to happen very frequently) or simply was not being a fair chance when he was clearly a decent player at this level all along.

As to your second point, MP's New Year's statement said we had missed out on some strikers and we were looking at bringing in more. He made no mention of a player who is employed as a striker being dismissed firstly as not being a striker and secondly as "only young Jake". That is why it was out of order in my opinion especially when MM is being tasked this season by MP at developing young players. If he is as poor as MM seems to think he is he should have been left at Marine on loan and not recalled.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I recognise a lot of things - I just don't always agree with you. Merrie being "frozen out" was mentioned by many many posters who felt he must have upset MM (seems to happen very frequently) or simply was not being a fair chance when he was clearly a decent player at this level all along.

As to your second point, MP's New Year's statement said we had missed out on some strikers and we were looking at bringing in more. He made no mention of a player who is employed as a striker being dismissed firstly as not being a striker and secondly as "only young Jake". That is why it was out of order in my opinion especially when MM is being tasked this season by MP at developing young players. If he is as poor as MM seems to think he is he should have been left at Marine on loan and not recalled.

If Mellon had wanted to 'freeze out' Merrie, he would have sent him out on loan, sold him, or forced him to play with the kids. In reality, he has played the majority of games this season. Some 'freezing out'. Players like McAlear and Hughes are currently having to wait their turn, and they have not been 'frozen out' either.

Mellon is perfectly entitled to make a judgement on Burton as we do with countless young players, 99% of whom don't make the grade. I don't think there is anything offensive abut Mellon's comment. Burton will be perfectly aware that he is not as central to our plans as the senior strikers and has yet to establish himself.

As Palios has said numerous times, the youth policy is primarily directed at developing youngsters released from academies higher up the ladder (eg. Cogley, Bristow, O'Connor) and the home produced players are far less likely to be good enough now, due to the implications of EPP and the abandonment of the academy.