Mellis

If that is true, then it shows that he has learned nothing from his Chelsea experience and deserves nothing back from the game.

Mellis is one of the true enigmas. His admirers remember his few truly influential games in red. His detractors are more likely to weigh more heavily the games that he did not work hard enough and did not affect the game positively. To my mind, this type of performance far outweighs the influential ones. Nevertheless, he inspires great loyalty from his supporters who claim his best position in centre midfield. I can assure all of those supporters that the absence of a good engine disqualifies him automatically from consideration.

 

Stamina he just doesn't have, I cant ever imagine him grabbing hold of the game by the scruff of the neck with driving runs in the last 10 minutes could you.
You are knowledgeable of the game, I used to read your academy reports and thoroughly enjoyed them. But your observation of his lack of a "good engine" is spot on.

 

The game finally then has come to accept the "ability" to run all day over actual footballing ability.

Time's up.

 

Fair point. But surely for 5-7k a week, we can expect both from the lad?

 

I don't agree with the statement that he can't play on the wing. Most games, towards the end of the season, especially after Stones went and Golbourne got injured we played a 4-4-2 with Mellis on the wing. I don't think we fared too badly and Mellis was one of our most influential players, even from out there.

 

We haven't had a goal scoring midfielder that can get double figures in a season for ages.

 

I would prefer to fill the team with footballers who can both run and have ability. That is why I class Neil Redfern above both Glavin and Hignett. But lets face it, when talking about Mellis, we are not facing that same sort of choice. Mellis does not have the engine of Glavin, never mind the engine of Redfern and as regards skill, he is not in the same league as any of the three mentioned. Those who support Mellis fall into the trap of overrating the level of his contribution, and I would argue the same about McCourt. Those two only rate consideration for first team places because of the general poor quality of the alternatives.

 

I love watching the more skilful players, the ones that create with flair & imagination. The things that aren't found in coaching manuals. Too many coaches and their acolytes prefer the athlete to the footballer. For me, five minutes of McCourt or Mellis is worth five matches of these less talented athletes, who cover every blade of grass on the pitch but create bugger all & score even less. If these players actually created the chances, displayed the skills, excited the fans & scored the goals of the more gifted and talented, then McCourt & Mellis have to do the same. They never do.
It's no wonder the national team has such a poor record when it comes to international tournaments, or the fact that a Premier League team has won the Champions League once during normal game time. Give me Andros Townsend before James Milner, Jack Wilshire before Scott Parker and, in years gone past, Matt Le Tissier before Carlton Palmer. This will not change whilst ever we value fitness & energy over skill & flair.

 

The club only offered Butterfield 3k a week on a 12 month deal to stay, so I can't for the life of me see them then giving Mellis a two year deal on that kind of money you've stated. Although there are one or two at the club pulling in the lower end of your estimate. Allegedly.

 

Amen to that.

Be interesting to see a midfield four of:


Cywka.........Mellis.......McCourt.......RNL


But that would mean we'd concede a lot of goals and not win very often, and we wouldn't want that, would we?

 

Thing is with Jacob at the moment is he isn't doing the creative side.
If he was no-one would question his work rate. Whether that is the fault of player, manager, system etc is a different argument. But it is telling no-one criticised McCourt on Saturday for a lack of effort, and that's because he nearly made 2 goals.

I think Jacob's biggest problem at the moment is confidence. He had so little conviction on Saturday and really went missing after half time. He is more effective in the middle, but brought a lot to the side down the left last season. At the moment he isn't effective and at that point the lack of work rate and cover becomes an issue, although I think some massively overstate Jacob's lack of commitment.

 

Certainly not. Far better to play a midfield including Dawson, Perkins & Etuhu.

 

I think Jacob is out of form and can see him being dropped for the Ipswich game. But I'm damned certain we're more likely to create something in a match with him in the side, than we are when he's replaced by one of our honest, workaholics who neither create anything for a team mate, nor actually score a goal. I appreciate and accept my footballing opinions make me a dinosaur with some, but I simply prefer flair & skill over running and endeavour.

 

Don't get me wrong Kev, I'm not advocating replacing him with Perkins (as per Saturday) but with another creative player who will hopefully offer something. Or Jacob maybe accepts he is going to be on the left and turns in the performance he is capable of. Either way our current system needs to create from both flanks because it isn't going to create anything down the middle!

 

If Mellis were to be dropped, I'd give either RNL or Cywka an extended run in the team.

 

Me too. And more men in the box to capitalise

 

Hopefully, it'd mean O'Grady would be able to stay in positions far more likely to cause problems for the opposition.

 

IF we pass it forward rather than boot it then he could get in the middle

 

Exactly.

 

No but he is the only one capable of doing so when played in the correct position as he did last season when he out scored all our other midfield players when played correctly. O Grady wouldn't score many if playing at left back.