• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

The Squad for 2017/18

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
Sorry to spoil your day Boz but Evan Gumbs joins Paul Carden's Warrington Town on loan.

On the one hand, with Tollits return and other players coming suggesting we'll be playing a back 4 for a while, it makes sense for Evan to get some game time.

On the other, McEveley hasn't impressed overall and has already missed games since he joined us through injury (no surprise given his history) and suspension. Can only guess Evan is effectively 4th choice centre half behind Big Mac, Sutton & McEveley - and can be recalled at short notice if required.

Disappointing for the lad who has impressed whenever I've seen him.
 

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
I would add that whilst Mickys popularity has fallen since Wembley due in part to results but also his use of Cook and lack of width etc, moving Evan on albeit temporarily won't help and if either or both of 1. Cook leaving to a NL club or 2. Baxter coming in happens, some fans will really start scratching their heads.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
Bad decision regarding gumbs. He looks a better prospect than duggan to me and should be playing games. Not sure what mceveley has done to deserve such loyalty from the manager.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
That is an absolutely disgraceful decision from Mellon. It could be mitigated if one of the players coming in is a fast central defender, but to leave the current trio as shoe-ins sends out the wrong message entirely.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
Totally agree about Gumbs but possibly a financial decision in part. In fairness, I think McEveley's form will improve once he gets a run of games and gets used to the division.
 

Sparky

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I think the jury is still out on McEveley BBTC. He came with an injury record and whilst at times has done ok, in other games he looks risky and got sent off stupidly. We haven't got time for him to improve really

I'd much rather keep a home grown youngster who hasn't looked out of place and who we should be giving opportunities to.
 

Ian

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Aldo
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McEveley has been disappointing this season but then so have a lot of others. I certainly do not think he’s improved the squad in any way. Agreed it would have been nice to see one of our youngsters given an opportunity.

Hindsight’s a great thing though. I think a lot of people thought McEverley was going to be better than what he’s shown us so far.
 

drwhoman

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Agree Ian. McE is a senior pro and no doubt MM is looking to his experience to grind out results. Listening to the post Bromley interview it was clear that MP has told Mickey that we have to win games whatever it takes. So we can forget any fancy stuff at least in the short term! Whether McE will justify the confidence is a moot point and no doubt EG going will finance a loanee. For every oncoming there needs to be an outgoing and EG is, rightly or wrongly, fourth choice centre back. It is potent attackers we really need at present to stop the 1-0 defeats and to turn them into 1-0 victories.
 
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Gumbs should not have been shipped out ahead of people like Mangan, Rokka and McEveley who have either contributed next to nothing or, in the latter's case, set a poor example with his behaviour. I would guess it is easier to move Gumbs out because he is on lower wages than the players I mention, but that does not make the decision right.

Perhaps if he gets a stupid red card in his first game and refuses to play in the next one, he will be first choice when he returns......
 
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drwhoman

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MM said that others may well come in so we may well see others out. Gumbs was probably an easy one as Carden will be well aware of his abilities. Others might be harder. As regards the decision, I do not disagree RLC, but needs must I suppose.
 

drwhoman

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This is what Rovers have come to. You cannot just blame it on Mellon or even Brabin and certainly not the Palioli. They saved the club. While Peter Johnson eventually wrote off his debt (in reality it was worth zip anyway unless the club was wound up), there was a lack of serious investment in the squad linked to several poor management choices over a number of years that had a big influence in landing us where we are. A downward spiral was not arrested. While it might be argued that we were historically over-promoted in playing in the Championship we should have been capable of surviving in Div One or even Div Two. We bounced between those Divisions for years of course. Anyway, all history now. Let us hope for onward and upwards in the coming weeks!
 

bigmart

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Ian Muir
apparently the reason behind the Gums loan deal will become clear in the coming days when new signings are brought in, not sure if that means another centre half or a right wing back but yet another example of the poor treatment of one of our youngsters. If McEverley gets a game I will be very disappointed
 
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Mungy's Hairdresser
According to a close associate of mine involved with club sponsorship Peter Johnson bailed us out of the Wirral Live weekend to the tune of the debt which was huge! If true, kudos to PJ although I've not received this obviously from the horse's mouth but I guess explains our extreme lack of financial resource now.
 

drwhoman

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It is interesting to reflect that much of our success years ago was very much driven by locally developed players although the likes of Aldridge and Nevin gave them classy examples to follow. I suppose the club might argue that we do not have the luxury of giving young players time. We have to get out of this godforsaken league and hence the emphasis on experienced players. However, as has been said by others, we have found on several occasions in the last few years that some of them were either not up to it, due to past injury issues, or have just looking for a few final paydays before retiring.
 

Boz

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According to a close associate of mine involved with club sponsorship Peter Johnson bailed us out of the Wirral Live weekend to the tune of the debt which was huge! If true, kudos to PJ although I've not received this obviously from the horse's mouth but I guess explains our extreme lack of financial resource now.
That is worrying if we made a loss of that extent, although credit to PJ for the rescue. It’s very hard to understand how the Palioi with their accountancy background allowed things with such a risk factor to go through and there must have been a major miscalculation given the events
were fairly well attended.
 

Boz

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Rovers will not get out of this league in the right direction by just using players at the end of their career in search of a final payout. There can be a place for that kind of player, if they’re committed enough. I don’t advocate a team full of youngsters, but find it really frustrating that Gumbs, who by all accounts played well at Maidenhead is then shipped out without getting a further look-in. What is the point wasting scarce resources on an academy structure if we’re never going to use our own products?
 

Boz

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Another unfathomable signing. We already have 5 strikers on the books and Jennings, Dunn and Tollitt who can play up front. If Waring rather than Gumbs had gone out on a months loan, we still wouldn’t have needed another striker in. As last night showed, with decent service and Cook playing we can score.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
A further striker in from Forest.
"Different" to other strikers we have according to MM.
Three legs maybe?
Hope that doesn't mean Cook is on his way out. Now there isn't even room for all our strikers on the bench, never mind the team.
 

drwhoman

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19 year old Gerry McDonagh so you assume Mangan or Waring might be on his way. Only a short term loan so you wonder why. In his interview, MM talked about the squad being stale and there being a need for fresh blood which might have something to do with it. Time will tell!
 
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