Rovers and the next 3 games

[Am on mobile]

All winnable but should we lose them then I really think we could have a new manager god let's hope they can score some goals

 

[MancunianWhite]

All winnable but should we lose them then I really think we could have a new manager god let's hope they can score some goals

Mickey will be replaced in the summer

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Mickey will be replaced in the summer

The fact that his contract is running down and has not been extended is making this increasingly likely. Unless things deteriorate badly, the fans lose patience and season ticket sales plummet, I can’t see him not being offered another deal. However, I don’t expect him to be sacked. The question is whether he can be persuaded to stay next season given the inevitable loss of key players. I would expect him to be on the radar of quite a few other clubs.

 

[Boz]

The problem we’ve got is that we don’t have the funds to get the kind of squad Micky feels happy with in the absence of further investment. Given that we are continuing on the development route, it seems likely he’ll move on. How big the demand for MM will be from other clubs I’m unsure but have no doubt he’ll end up with another decent job.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

An even bigger problem might be finding a manager who buys in to the 'development model', but can also achieve consistent results and challenge for honours with a squad that is inexperienced in many areas, and lacking quality in others.

Probably why I am happy to stick with Mellon......

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

With only a college, development squad behind the first team!

 

[Sparky]

I think micky would prefer to stay, even if he feels he’s not being utilised in the best way by having the development policy which goes against everything he’s had success with in the past. He moved to the Wirral and like us all will have bills to pay.

I could imagine a team like Walsall interested in him. Similar sized club to us and not too far away. Flynn is under big pressure there as ironically, a bit like us, they’ve been toothless of late (haven’t scored a goal at home for 418 minutes and are winless in their last 12 league games).

it all boils down to whether Palios can be persuaded to ditch the development model. If not, and we can’t afford anything else, then micky may not be the best choice For that route, especially if season tickets are impacted. Whereas if we go back to what micky is good at, which I’d prefer, then I’d 100% keep him. His track record shows he knows what is required at this level.

 

[Ian]

Your wonder how many of the current squad Micky actually rates? You could probably count them on one hand.

 

[ONIGP]

An even bigger problem might be finding a manager who buys in to the 'development model', but can also achieve consistent results and challenge for honours with a squad that is inexperienced in many areas, and lacking quality in other areas.

Probably why I am happy to stick with Mellon......

I tend to agree with this. From the experiences of the last decade we somehow need to put some space (a division) between us and the NL. We are all aware of the catastrophic consequences of disastrous recruitment, internal implosion etc. Just one big mistake! We know it's not as simple as a case of dropping out of L2 and regrouping. Very cautious, I know, but so very much is at stake.

 

[drwhoman]

i may be completely wrong that it maybe that financially the owners are not in a position to do things any other way. As regards a sale of the Club who would be interested other than a Vaughan (?) type figure wanting to get their hands on the Prenton Park land? i suspect that the historic association had a lot to do with Mark and Nicola’s association in the first place. It may be agist conservatism (!) but I would rather be in L2 than taking a punt on a new Manager who might end us back in the NL or worse! MM is a known quantity and does his best with what he has, frustrating although it probably is at times for him. Our biggest worry should be that he goes rather than is sacked!

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Your wonder how many of the current squad Micky actually rates? You could probably count them on one hand.

Interesting.
Did he think Doohan and now Hewelt were better than Joe? Or did he accept they needed to be in the shop window?
I doubt he was enamoured by the defensive errors of Bristow, whose threat of pace even in this side leaves his upside now overshadowing his faults, so another Doohan type deal is possible.
Hawkes is just another in a long line of promising wide men who isn't consistent. Merrie impresses me more than the ones I've mentioned, but I suspect Micky thinks he could have got similar immediately out of a known quantity. Merrie wasted a year after his arrival, currently there are another three Merrie's from last summer.
The return of Jolley will just add another to the stock of nothing substantial forwards.
King liked youngsters he saw the future was with them and through some of their sales. But I think Mellon has too many and not enough hardened pros who can be relied upon.
Not sure this is of his making and the fans are in places unforgiving but probably off in their target of anger.
Tranmere could get promoted next year, could, but the downside given a few bad decisions might be unlimited.
Mellon and certainly Hemmings are not the weak links, last year the same minority were attacking Spearing and Clarke- does make you wonder!

 

[Boz]

I don't know how we square the circle of keeping Micky and his preference for an experienced squad with the development policy, which, in the absence of significant investment, is destined to continue?

I'll have a stab at Ian's question about who Micky rates in the current squad and agree the numbers are limited. My guess would be Tom Davies, Jordan Turnbull, Josh Dacres-Cogley and Kieron Morris. Unsure about Murphy, as MM persisted with Doohan for a long spell after Murphy had returned from injury, while as keeper coach Joe was reputedly the one who pushed for Doohan's return, when Micky would have preferred more a experienced option. MMs view on Hemmings is hard to gauge, as don't recall much said during match interviews.

DB makes some interesting points, but I wouldn't agree about Spearing and Clarke. Jay was injured about half=way through the season and after taking a long time to recover, which may have been a pre-cursor to the illness now diagnosed. After he regained witness, didn't immediately get returned to first team action, although we were short of experience in central midfield, so suspect not 100%. Clarke was required to do too much, when at times he was starting to show his age and we lacked the defensive options to give him recovery time. Think it was amazing he went on so long, but what's happened to him this season ultimately dropping down to NL indicates his playing career is winding down.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Mellon clearly also rates younger squad members such as Bristow, Hawkes and O'Connor. It is mendacious to suggest otherwise.

I don't think Mellon specifically wants an 'experienced squad' as opposed to a 'development squad'. He wants players good enough to compete consistently, including centre forwards, irrespective of age profile, and unfortunately we don't have that at the moment.

The idea that a Rob Edwards or Mike Jackson type will get better results from this or a similar group of players is an absolute nonsense in my view.

 

[Ian]

I think Micky did rate certain players such as Hemmings but he's been poor and hasn't lived up to expectations. You expect more from your experienced players. Sadly, some of them where already cooked such as Nolan. If Micky gets offers for next season I don't think there is much keeping him here.

 

[keep the faith]

i wish I had a pound for every comment on here that said the next so many games are winnable or we have a good run of fixtures to go on a good run only to see us fall flat on our face, I don,t know whether the problem lies with the owners/manager/squad or a collection of all 3 but to me we just appear to be going through the motions at the moment.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

I don't know how we square the circle of keeping Micky and his preference for an experienced squad with the development policy, which, in the absence of significant investment, is destined to continue?

Taking a step back and looking at it cold, any aspiring L2/VNL club with a mid table budget and a focus on youth development would be unlikely to appoint MM as manager. There’d likely be a few better candidates. Trouble is, there’d also be many worse candidates!

On the other hand, any aspiring L2/VNL club with a generous (not extravagant, just generous) budget with the manager at the heart of the recruitment process would have a good chance of success under MM. He‘s proved it time and again. Which is why I, like others, wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he may decide to move on himself in the summer.

Either way, unless MP and MM share the view that this season has merely been one of transition towards embedding and building on a development model that will start producing dividends from year 2 onwards, we might be in for an interesting summer.