• 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.

Rovers old boys

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Alan King, Barry Dyson
Spare a thought for Max Power. His side Sunderland lose on penalties in the Checkatrade final to Portsmouth, despite him finding the target. But what a game before a crowd of over 85,000. A great advertisement for the lower leagues. A long-awaited day out for the supporters of two once great clubs. Say what you like about the controversy of U21s, the weakened teams and deserted stadiums of the early rounds, at least this final has gone some of the way to redeem this year's competition.
 
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The 'success' of this final means the under 21 teams will be imposed again next season. Not for me thanks.
 
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Sparky

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Some may know this but Andy Mangan who strangely signed for league 1 Accrington at the start of the season, joined Joey Barton at Fleetwood a month or so ago as a coach and also u16s coach.

So as well as Ryan Taylor on the books the cod army have Mangs plus the injured James Wallace. No doubt they’ll go after Jose Baxter soon.
 

Boz

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Some suggestion Fleetwood have been linked with Nors too, although would hope he'd pick a better club than them when moving on.
 

Sparky

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Cookies Walsall relegated. What next for the big man you wonder. Expect unless they have financial problems they’ll want him to spearhead a promotion charge next season but league 1 clubs may be sniffing. If we go up then worth trying to get him back...
 

bigmart

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Cookies Walsall relegated. What next for the big man you wonder. Expect unless they have financial problems they’ll want him to spearhead a promotion charge next season but league 1 clubs may be sniffing. If we go up then worth trying to get him back...

I would expect a number of league 1 teams will be in for him
 

ONIGP

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Jake Cassidy released by Hartlepool and gone to Maidenhead! Not many of the SWA would have foreseen that one a few years ago. Still only 26.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
The curse of Micky Mellon

While it has been a bit quiet recently, my thoughts wandered to Rovers old boys and how they fared after leaving us. In particular, the ones who left after their contract ended having turned down an extension. I've picked out the seven who left since Micky Mellon joined us. The first six have not had much luck and most may have done better to stay with us.

Michael Ihiekwe went to Rotherham, had a good first season but finished last year on loan to Accrington. Although I think he's still on their books, Rotherham were relegated to the same league as us. So at the age of 26, he will be playing at the same level as us next season.
After an up-down career at Prenton Park, Cole Stockton was on fire at the end of 2016/17 when he left to join Hearts. A miserable year followed and even returning to PP did nothing for his form.
Eddie Clarke was becoming a regular in 2017/18, but chose to move to Fleetwood and has only played twice since in the league. Next season we will be playing his club, but he may not even make their team.
James Wallace has now left us twice, the last time to go to Fleetwood also, but has not played much because of injury.
Lois Maynard decided to move down a league to join Salford. While he has featured regularly for them, he will still be playing in the league below.
Andy Cook was Walsall's leading scorer last season but his team swapped leagues with us. Although he has now moved to Mansfield, he will still be playing in the division below us next season.

So, all six have had problems since leaving us. While some may have made a bit more money, as of now none have made much (if any) progress in their careers. It's almost as if they have been cursed for turning their back on Micky and the SWA. I am sure it is co-incidental. At least I hope so, as the seventh player is James Norwood. I am sure we would all wish him better fortune than the other six.
 

Boz

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You could add Oliver Norburn to that list, allegedly absenting himself from training to force through a move to Shrewsbury. While we did get a fee for him, the timing of his departure was bad for us, yet we’ll be playing the Shrews next season too.

Stockton and Clarke are the pair I’d say made the biggest mistakes in moving. Cole had got a manager who believed in him and had brought out the best in him, seems mentally bruised by his travels and is the only one I wouldn’t take back. Eddie, as BBTC highlights, has had little opportunity at Fleetwood and at this point in his career, the playing time is as important as any extra money. If he’d stuck around at Rovers, would probably be first choice left-back and earned himself a shot at a better move.
 
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So, all six have had problems since leaving us. While some may have made a bit more money, as of now none have made much (if any) progress in their careers.
I can't agree with this to be honest. Several of the players you mention have made substantial progress.

Cook jumped two levels to League One and was an instant success, and could easily have stayed there this season if he had not opted for a hefty salary at Mansfield.

Maynard was never going to be good enough to complete the journey to League One with us, but has established himself at Salford and will be playing in the Football League for the first time next season (again, on good money).

Ihiekwe has played a couple of seasons at Championship / League One level, two divisions higher than when he left us. He was not a regular with Rotherham last season, but they are a good club and were playing in the second tier, so his career has progressed a hell of a lot since Rob Edwards brought him to Rovers.

Norburn has just secured a three year contract at an established League One club.

We did not want to keep Stockton and Wallace anyway, although Cole could yet have a decent season at Morecambe, a higher level than most of us think he is capable of playing at.

So, of the players we actually wanted to keep, only Eddie Clarke has really failed to progress. The others are having good careers.
 
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RLC, I think you are rather twisting my words. I am not saying they haven't made any money by the move. But none of them are now any higher up the league than we are. TRFC have progressed more than most of them. The point I was making is that career-wise none of them (with the possible exception of Maynard) have done as well as they might have hoped - either through a dip in form or because their club has been relegated. Your extract from my quote is not contradicted by your comments below.
 
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TRFC have progressed more than most of them.
No they have not. Norburn has already played a full season in the division we have only just been promoted to, at a club better established at this level than us; Ihiekwe has played Championship football; Cook was top scorer at a League One club last season. All of them have progressed their playing careers, as well as making some money. They have already played many games at the level we have only just reached, with the obvious benefits that brings in enhancing their reputations and increasing their ability to find clubs. If they had stayed at Rovers, playing Conference / League Two football, they would not have progressed in the same way.

We have had back to back promotions, which is highly unusual, but all of those players are better established at this level than we are.

Ask yourself this question. Which of Norburn, Cook and Iheikwe could we have signed this summer ?

Answer: none. All of them would have been out of our price range, even if they were out of contract, which hardly suggests their careers have not progressed since leaving Prenton Park.
 

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You just have to laugh.... Norwood scores a hat trick for Ipswich against Colchester tonight!!!!
 

Ian

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Ha, do they count in friendlies?
 
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Ha, do they count in friendlies?
If you are a striker, they all count. For any new player, they need a good start to gel with the fans. This will help, particularly as it's against local rivals. Colchester are a decent side.

I remember Ian St John's debut for Liverpool against Everton. He score a hat-trick too and even though it was virtually a friendly, it made him an instant hero.
 

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Only brief highlights on line but they looked good and very incisive... - Nors v Manny will be an interesting one that's for sure!
 

drwhoman

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BBTC - yes I remember the Ian St John start. Liverpool Senior Cup I think. Everton won 4-3? 1961?
 
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