I think Mellor had one game where he threw himself about and tackled back and looked lively, but besides that, I am not seeing whatever Man United saw. It's very difficult with such limited game time though, and that is a massive caveat which means I would also not be shocked if he finally got a chance and shined, whether with us or further down the pyramid like AAH.
I don't really pay too much attention to players formerly at big clubs, as so many of them wash out of academies/reserve sides. Remember Tafari Moore? With Arsenal at the time, almost scored a wonder goal for us on loan, ended up at Plymouth in L2, now with St Albans in National League South. Nothing wrong with that (and I have a massive soft spot for the Saints, being born in St Albans and growing up nearby), but the fact Arsenal saw something in him at one time did not amount to him being a long term EFL player. Now I know Mellor did play in the Europa once, so must have been in and around the seniors, but I don't think it is really any kind of trump card.
Important to remember that development isn't perfectly linear and you'll get Mehmetis but also probably more 'reverse Mehmetis', who show great promise early on then dramatically level off. But all sorts of environmental factors go into it too - probably not as many as before as scouting has come on leaps and bounds, but there will still be potential EFL players who slip through the net entirely because things never quite align for them during their development phase. Fate and all that.
Will you forgive me @ReturnToSenda if I indulge my compulsion to point out that people come on IN leaps and bounds. You’re by no means alone in omitting the ‘in’ but it doesn’t really make sense without it.
Well Gareth has said Tjay could be back as soon as this weekend earlier this week as his collapse wasn't as serious as first thought. We'll see if he plays more now, given that AAH leaving has created a vacancy in the match day squad.
When De Barr joimed, he looked like the perfect replacement for Kashket, small, quick & agile and someone who could fimd some gaps in the defence. However he's never had any luck, had a big injury last season that took away some opportunities and then his collapse at Plymouth.....
I hope he isn't rushed back quicker than what the medical teams advise but I'd say his Wycombe time is running out for him to be considered for a contract next season....
No way will he be rushed back quicker than the medical teams advise. Listen to GAs interview with Phil. If they say no, then GA accepts that and "finds another way".
I wonder if De Barr's main strength could actually turn out to be his biggest weakness.
His big commitment and putting his body on the line, almost Andy Baird style for older gasroomers.
It just means that he's constantly taking a battering that may be too much long term.
He luckily doesn't tend to nick if past a defender at full pace and get wiped out like Baird regularly used to. I expect we still all wince at the name Sean Gregan.
Alternatively what happened at Plymouth may just have been a bit a bit of a freak occurrence. Might be a bit too early to jump to any conclusions or parallels with Andy Baird.
He’s only 22 and has already got 30 international caps to his name which would suggest he’s generally been fit over the last few years.
Perhaps with a bit more experience he’ll find the right balance between putting himself about a bit - which is a good attribute for a forward and going round crashing into everyone and giving away too many free-kicks - which isn’t
Possibly relevant that many of the comments about AAH and his potential were said by Swansea fans when he came to us. All players need a good run of games in a team setup that suits them in order to progress to the best of their abilities but few will get it as you don't build teams around unproven Kids. The ability to keep your head up and play Pizza cup games and training sessions like they are cup finals and a bit of luck when you do get opportunities is probably just as important as being talented. Then it's a case of ability to follow instructions, adapt and improve.
I do think that with our current substitution embargo / strategy TJ is the perfect 70 minute sub. An absolute pain when closing down tiring defenders, happy to take players on, aggressive, willing to have a shot. On a wet day I would be more than happy for him to come on whether we are defending a lead or chasing the game, he seemed Wycombe'ised from day 1.
A quality of any good player is their ability to be coached. Even at the end of their career. I’m pretty sure we’ve had some players come from academies who won’t be coached by lowly Wycombe as they were a Chelsea / Arsenal etc player.
Have to say that I have always had a positive feeling towards TJ. I was undecided over AAH and haven’t seen too much about Mellor so far that excites me.
In my opinion there is just something about TJ, I don’t know what, just something
I've been told that's probably rarer than you think but it must be a bit of a comedown for some, especially when they realise they aren't actually better than their lowly new colleagues, or any more guaranteed to start games...and they get kicked a lot and the facilities are crap.
To describe facilities (for playing staff) at Adams Park and the training ground as crap is slightly below the belt and, in terms for example, of gym facilities per individual player, as good as most.
I was perhaps unfairly generalising there old boy, I'm sure the training ground is fine but maybe wouldn't look that way in comparison to some of the shiny Prem facilities
Comments
Young. There’s another one I had forgotten about. 3 year deal and nowhere to be seen. Very young to move south so maybe that did for him.
I think Mellor had one game where he threw himself about and tackled back and looked lively, but besides that, I am not seeing whatever Man United saw. It's very difficult with such limited game time though, and that is a massive caveat which means I would also not be shocked if he finally got a chance and shined, whether with us or further down the pyramid like AAH.
I don't really pay too much attention to players formerly at big clubs, as so many of them wash out of academies/reserve sides. Remember Tafari Moore? With Arsenal at the time, almost scored a wonder goal for us on loan, ended up at Plymouth in L2, now with St Albans in National League South. Nothing wrong with that (and I have a massive soft spot for the Saints, being born in St Albans and growing up nearby), but the fact Arsenal saw something in him at one time did not amount to him being a long term EFL player. Now I know Mellor did play in the Europa once, so must have been in and around the seniors, but I don't think it is really any kind of trump card.
Important to remember that development isn't perfectly linear and you'll get Mehmetis but also probably more 'reverse Mehmetis', who show great promise early on then dramatically level off. But all sorts of environmental factors go into it too - probably not as many as before as scouting has come on leaps and bounds, but there will still be potential EFL players who slip through the net entirely because things never quite align for them during their development phase. Fate and all that.
Will you forgive me @ReturnToSenda if I indulge my compulsion to point out that people come on IN leaps and bounds. You’re by no means alone in omitting the ‘in’ but it doesn’t really make sense without it.
Thank you.
I look forward to quoting you all and acting all ‘told you so’ over TJ De Barr. He’s the next one for me.
Hang on, who's dismissed him? I'll admit he's started to win me over, though I'm still not convinced he'll be a regular at this level.
I might be wrong but I think @frequentstander is saying De Barr will be the next one to leave.
Well Gareth has said Tjay could be back as soon as this weekend earlier this week as his collapse wasn't as serious as first thought. We'll see if he plays more now, given that AAH leaving has created a vacancy in the match day squad.
When De Barr joimed, he looked like the perfect replacement for Kashket, small, quick & agile and someone who could fimd some gaps in the defence. However he's never had any luck, had a big injury last season that took away some opportunities and then his collapse at Plymouth.....
I hope he isn't rushed back quicker than what the medical teams advise but I'd say his Wycombe time is running out for him to be considered for a contract next season....
No way will he be rushed back quicker than the medical teams advise. Listen to GAs interview with Phil. If they say no, then GA accepts that and "finds another way".
To his credit, GA is one of the top managers when it comes to player welfare and he showed that by going to Hospital with him.
I worry that if De Barr does leave, with other medical teams follow the same advice or get 2nd opinions?
I wonder if De Barr's main strength could actually turn out to be his biggest weakness.
His big commitment and putting his body on the line, almost Andy Baird style for older gasroomers.
It just means that he's constantly taking a battering that may be too much long term.
He luckily doesn't tend to nick if past a defender at full pace and get wiped out like Baird regularly used to. I expect we still all wince at the name Sean Gregan.
Alternatively what happened at Plymouth may just have been a bit a bit of a freak occurrence. Might be a bit too early to jump to any conclusions or parallels with Andy Baird.
He’s only 22 and has already got 30 international caps to his name which would suggest he’s generally been fit over the last few years.
Perhaps with a bit more experience he’ll find the right balance between putting himself about a bit - which is a good attribute for a forward and going round crashing into everyone and giving away too many free-kicks - which isn’t
Possibly relevant that many of the comments about AAH and his potential were said by Swansea fans when he came to us. All players need a good run of games in a team setup that suits them in order to progress to the best of their abilities but few will get it as you don't build teams around unproven Kids. The ability to keep your head up and play Pizza cup games and training sessions like they are cup finals and a bit of luck when you do get opportunities is probably just as important as being talented. Then it's a case of ability to follow instructions, adapt and improve.
I do think that with our current substitution embargo / strategy TJ is the perfect 70 minute sub. An absolute pain when closing down tiring defenders, happy to take players on, aggressive, willing to have a shot. On a wet day I would be more than happy for him to come on whether we are defending a lead or chasing the game, he seemed Wycombe'ised from day 1.
And he seems like a really nice chap
I have very high hopes for TJ. He seems a cut above the rest, even if my sample size is only a few 10-15 min cameos and one cup game where he scored.
All of that makes complete sense. I’d just (pickily) say ‘willingness’ rather than ‘ability’ in the last sentence.
Both maybe? Rather involves the manager tailoring requests to the players skillset which again can get missed alongside the teams goals.
A quality of any good player is their ability to be coached. Even at the end of their career. I’m pretty sure we’ve had some players come from academies who won’t be coached by lowly Wycombe as they were a Chelsea / Arsenal etc player.
Have to say that I have always had a positive feeling towards TJ. I was undecided over AAH and haven’t seen too much about Mellor so far that excites me.
In my opinion there is just something about TJ, I don’t know what, just something
I've been told that's probably rarer than you think but it must be a bit of a comedown for some, especially when they realise they aren't actually better than their lowly new colleagues, or any more guaranteed to start games...and they get kicked a lot and the facilities are crap.
To describe facilities (for playing staff) at Adams Park and the training ground as crap is slightly below the belt and, in terms for example, of gym facilities per individual player, as good as most.
The playing side is probably ok, but AP is pretty crap for the rest of us!
Pout of order @Malone, you don’t have to be that old to remember Andy Baird.
I was perhaps unfairly generalising there old boy, I'm sure the training ground is fine but maybe wouldn't look that way in comparison to some of the shiny Prem facilities
No worries (as I think the expression goes). I’m just hypersensitive to anything WWFC being described as crap!
Love @railwaysteve’s suggestion on the matchday thread of chanting “this ground’s too small for us”. Simple and scans perfectly.
Seems to be better than Chelsea looking at the state of their squad right now
I really doubt that, Southamptons training centre (possibly youth training centre) seemed palatial. Injuries happen.
Came off the bench on 67 minutes to make his debut, a nil nil draw with Bradford.
I was forgetting where I was. On the fb group, fair does, but on the gasroom I should have put some of the YOUNGER members would remember him.