Jon Mellish Signs - Central Defender

Why isn't he Scottish?

Sounds like another good un!!!

Sounds good
One year deal eh?
Presumably this is one of those scenarios where the likelihood of playing regularly and not being tied in to a longer deal is more appealing than more money and less game time.

Hopefully he’s better than the last promising young player we signed from Gateshead.

Given his age, I wonder if we’ll have to pay some compo to Gateshead.

With Gateshead having all kind of problems its no surprise the lad took a chance elsewhere.
Shouldnt be too much of a step up for him if he has played at the C level internationally..Could well be a solid signing.

At least we are signing players early which is a nice change to see. (Keeps me from twining)

Yeah it's really good to see us getting our business done early.

Remember the Hartlepool fans saying they hoped they were in for him. Sounds a good signing. Assuming the out of contracts sign we have

GK Grey Collin
LB Iredale Gillesphey
CB Parkes, Mellish Gillesphey
RB Elliott
WB/LM Hope Iredale
CM Etuhu, Jones, Devitt, Scougall
WB/RM Scougall, McCarron Elliott
AM Devitt
ST Hope

I wonder if he'll play the 2 Scottish boys as wing backs, and we'll have 3 central defenders? Could see another CB coming in yet

My biggest concern is that last season we struggled for leaders and players that could motivate the rest of the team.

They would look around at each other forlorn holding their hands up at times after conceding a goal.

All very good signing young lads and I know that we don't know their temperament as yet but I fear that losing Gerrard, Liddle and Grainger then where is the solid old pro with leadership skills as we only really have Collin and Parkes now.

Problem is that these sort of players are at the end of their careers and are older and slow (Hill, Gerrard) and because they have the pedigree then they cost lots more in wages.

You can't penny pinch to the point of filling the team with kids and the likes or we will get humped every week and if that is the case then Pressley should just bugger off and find himself an under 21 academy job at some club if he sees his future in only developing young talent.

Are other L1 clubs only offering one year deals like us?

Mush wrote: Are other L1 clubs only offering one year deals like us?

I love the way that Pressley and Holdsworth phrase things like we are looking for 'hungry' players wanting an opportunity - more like their clubs are on their arses so they are quite literally starving because they might not have been getting paid, the word 'desperate' is more applicable so these poor sods will probably have been happy with a three month deal.

Hardly like we have just signed Nicky Maynard.

munchymagic wrote:

Mush wrote: Are other L1 clubs only offering one year deals like us?

I love the way that Pressley and Holdsworth phrase things like we are looking for 'hungry' players wanting an opportunity - more like their clubs are on their arses so they are quite literally starving because they might not have been getting paid, the word 'desperate' is more applicable so these poor sods will probably have been happy with a three month deal.

Hardly like we have just signed Nicky Maynard.

Oh give over Munchy, any player is a gamble no matter what.
If we did sign Maynard on a three year deal then in pre season he had an injury similar to JKs then we would be left having to pay him whopping wages.
Lets just see what happens eh, at least give the poor bloke a chance.

bluebry wrote:

munchymagic wrote:

Mush wrote: Are other L1 clubs only offering one year deals like us?

I love the way that Pressley and Holdsworth phrase things like we are looking for 'hungry' players wanting an opportunity - more like their clubs are on their arses so they are quite literally starving because they might not have been getting paid, the word 'desperate' is more applicable so these poor sods will probably have been happy with a three month deal.

Hardly like we have just signed Nicky Maynard.

Oh give over Munchy, any player is a gamble no matter what.
If we did sign Maynard on a three year deal then in pre season he had an injury similar to JKs then we would be left having to pay him whopping wages.
Lets just see what happens eh, at least give the poor bloke a chance.

I give all players a chance Bry.

Don't mind signing squad players all day long but we need some marque signing with a bit of quality too.

We’re in league 2. There’s no marquee signings.

We won’t be signing Griezmann unfortunately.

munchymagic wrote:

bluebry wrote:

munchymagic wrote:

Mush wrote: Are other L1 clubs only offering one year deals like us?

I love the way that Pressley and Holdsworth phrase things like we are looking for 'hungry' players wanting an opportunity - more like their clubs are on their arses so they are quite literally starving because they might not have been getting paid, the word 'desperate' is more applicable so these poor sods will probably have been happy with a three month deal.

Hardly like we have just signed Nicky Maynard.

Oh give over Munchy, any player is a gamble no matter what.
If we did sign Maynard on a three year deal then in pre season he had an injury similar to JKs then we would be left having to pay him whopping wages.
Lets just see what happens eh, at least give the poor bloke a chance.

I give all players a chance Bry.

Don't mind signing squad players all day long but we need some marque signing with a bit of quality too.

Well its still early doors yet! we're only in the middle of May, so those 'Marquee signings' as you call them might happen yet, we'll start with Devitt, Nadessan and Yates please.

Sanchez is available

We are very obviously in need of a couple of big signings in the striking/attacking department.
I don't think any of us are daft enough to expect a world beater.
We seem to have a freed up enough of the wage bill to allow us to do this
The vast majority of Curle's team has gone now and I doubt some of the loanees we had last year were cheap
Promising signs with transfers so far, but much more to come I would think

bluebry wrote:

munchymagic wrote:

bluebry wrote:

munchymagic wrote:

Mush wrote: Are other L1 clubs only offering one year deals like us?

I love the way that Pressley and Holdsworth phrase things like we are looking for 'hungry' players wanting an opportunity - more like their clubs are on their arses so they are quite literally starving because they might not have been getting paid, the word 'desperate' is more applicable so these poor sods will probably have been happy with a three month deal.

Hardly like we have just signed Nicky Maynard.

Oh give over Munchy, any player is a gamble no matter what.
If we did sign Maynard on a three year deal then in pre season he had an injury similar to JKs then we would be left having to pay him whopping wages.
Lets just see what happens eh, at least give the poor bloke a chance.

I give all players a chance Bry.

Don't mind signing squad players all day long but we need some marque signing with a bit of quality too.

Well its still early doors yet! we're only in the middle of May, so those 'Marquee signings' as you call them might happen yet, we'll start with Devitt, Nadessan and Yates please.

I would settle for that all day long.

I heard we are intent on a marquee signing.

I don’t think any will pitch up here.

Pressley has been canvassing Holdsworth & Clibbens for the funds.

Maybe no square pegs in round holes.

Made an offer for a forward but were poles apart.

Guidelines not followed.

Pressley ‘s comments about how difficult it is to find a left-footed centre back. ??

All of our centre backs are left-footed now; Gillesphey, Parkes, Mellish

He talks sh1te most of the time

Asked if he was after a marquee signing Pressley said "we cannae pay"

Maybe 1yr contracts = if you are not good enough to get us out of this division then feck off.
If you are good enough then reap the rewards.

cufcmike wrote: It seems Holdsworth is sticking to his mantra of not offering players two years or more. All our new signings, and extended current players are one year deals. If Devitt is not an exception to this rule, then it's very poor form from the club. Wouldn't blame him for going elsewhere.

The word is that CUFC have indeed offered Devitt a one year contract.

Piss poor in my opinion. A player like him who has proved his worth should get a bit more security offered his way.

He’ll be away and I don’t blame him one bit.

If you do not value your performing employees then there will be a long list of others that will reap the rewards.

If true and it was a one year deal on the table then I would personally see it as an insult and I would be off in a shot to a club that would value and appreciate me.

And more importantly offer me a bit of job security.

They did the same with Adams and probably others

These are effectively 2 year contracts though unless they are shite then they get binned after 1 year...

I've only seen him play once, but already I am starting to feel sorry for the lad.
Voted one of the best players in the Conference last season at centre half, and comes here and gets fired into left-back/left-wing.
Fans already starting to have digs at him on here and Twitter, and by all accounts struggled out left again today.
I hope our manager's 'tactics' of playing him on the left doesn't ruin the lad before he even gets a go at his best position.
He could be a great prospect for us as long as we don't shatter his confidence.

I've seen him play in friendlies and last week and seen enough off him too suggest that he's going to be no good at all at this level. He played cb against hibs and wasn't up to much playing there. He certainly isn't going to oust np or Webster that's for sure in the cb position. Personally I don't even think he's good enough to be a squad player. Looks like a fish out of water in every aspect of his game. Branthwaite is a far better player and far better prospect.

I think the guy has got a lot of potential but really lacking in confidence.Last week, despite the win, I didn’t think our defensive midfield play looked good at all, overrun at times and left both the fullbacks isolated.Not his fault.He was much better second half when the game moved further up the pitch.

Despite Piglet’s upbeat mood on today’s performance, the stats say we were outplayed and could have shipped a lot more.

I see a lot of chopping and changing ahead this season

I wouldn't write Mellish off just yet, it's a big step up in standard from the Conference to Division Four and he's just a young lad.

Yes he had a mare today, but it's a learning curve really and it will probably take him a few months to properly settle in and find his form.

It's unrealistic to expect a player with no experience as high as this level to hit the ground and be exceptional from day one playing at a higher standard, in a new team.

I'd give Iredale a pop after today at left-back and give Mellish a chance to feel his way back into the side from the bench.

Writing players off after a couple of games and playing out of position in a completely new back Four,give the lad a chance he's a central player filling a gap till Iredale is fully fit

Folk were saying the same last season about a full back who turned out ok

I think he'll turn out to be a decent centre half but it's frightening watching him play in his present position.

You wouldn't have played Jackie Ashurst or Kevin Gray at full back.

Yes he should be managed better or his confidence could dip. His body language v Crawley showed a player not happy in a wing back role, he made mistakes yes but quite a few good vital tackles in that match. Iredale is the LB, get him in for a few games and let's see what he can do.