Kelvin Mellor signs

right-back, last played for Crewe

Never heard of him but surely better than Berry, a good age too, welcome to the madhouse  

I think Asti has said all there is to say except that 6' 2" is tall for a RB.

Another player who has tasted promotion from League Two, who has played the majority of his career at League One.

With Mellor, Nelson, Hartley, McHugh, our defence has gone from the weakest part of the team to perhaps the strongest.

Mind you Blizzard was a player who has tasted promotion and played at League One level, so I won't get too excited with ideas like 'nailed on promotion'.

At 6' 2", could he be a clone of Nelson and cover both RB, RWB and CB? But as opposed to Nelse preferring CB, preferring RB?

Versatile, big, strong, young enough to still develop but experienced enough to know his way round a football pitch.

Another seemingly good acquisition. Coming together nicely.

Sounds a decent signing and a good age too. Saw this on a Crewe forum-

Former Crewe Alexandra defender Kelvin Mellor has put pen-to-paper on a contract with League Two side Plymouth Argyle after leaving the Alexandra Stadium after the 2013/14 campaign.

Mellor was out of contract with the Alex and boss Steve Davis opted not to offer the 23-year-old fresh terms.

The Alex Academy graduate made 92 appearances for the Crewe first team from 2009, scoring two goals, and rejected an approach from Derby County in 2012 to remain in the Railwaymen’s set-up after an impressive spell.

Everyone at the club would like to thank Kelvin for his effort and commitment and would like to wish him the best with his career.

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X Isle wrote:

Versatile, big, strong, young enough to still develop but experienced enough to know his way round a football pitch.

Another seemingly good acquisition. Coming together nicely.

Lets be honest you would luv him if he was eighty six with a wooden leg! how is selling your captain and one of the best players a sign that things are coming together nicely?

You can twist 'hobson's choice' into a negative if you wish, as a pragmatist I see it as nothing more or less. Presumably you'd rather have forced a wantaway player to honour his remaining year?

Hmmm, a demotivated and bitter player for one season then nothing *OR* cash in the hand now and in the future with add-on's?

Toughy that one innit ;-)

The squad *IS* coming along nicely. Conor's situation has to be taken in isolation, it is not indicative of anything other than a club that's being sensible...... however hard you try and twist a negative out of it.

And no, I wouldn't be happy with any and every signing. I cite Kenny Cooper, Andre Blackman, 'Rhys the Hose' and Alan Gow to name but four off the top o' my head. They're the higher profile angry objection one's but there are countless 'meh' reaction examples. Please don't judge me on the reverse of your standards, as by the way you come over I doubt you've ever been happy about a single thing in yer life.

I am always happy thank you. How does selling your captain to a league one club, mean anything other than a total lack of ambition by a discredited owner, who has failed to deliver anything on and off the field in three years of miserable failure?

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

X Isle wrote:

Versatile, big, strong, young enough to still develop but experienced enough to know his way round a football pitch.

Another seemingly good acquisition. Coming together nicely.

Lets be honest you would luv him if he was eighty six with a wooden leg! how is selling your captain and one of the best players a sign that things are coming together nicely?

Let's see who the replacements are before we slit wrists.

At least two have to come in, with the wages of Hourihane, Young and £80k in the kitty.

A slight concern about Mellor is he has never played a 40 + game season. Why is that? Injuries, or sporadic form?

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

I am always happy thank you. How does selling your captain to a league one club, mean anything other than a total lack of ambition by a discredited owner, who has failed to deliver anything on and off the field in three years of miserable failure?

You're not really open to the concept of discussion, are you. You implied it signaled a lack of ambition, I explained why it wasn't, you just make the same accusation.

So what have we learnt......in your universe you'd pay Hourihane's wages for a year while his performance inevitability dipped as you'd effectively handcuffed him to a club he didn't want to be at. You'd then wave him a cheery goodbye next summer and get nothing, the only 'add-on' being Conor's extended middle finger as he walked away. Well ain't that just the dictionary definition of ambition

Thank heavens you're not running Argyle.

I was really annoyed about Hourihane's departure at first but I've come to accept that it was probably Hobson's choice for the reasons that X and ejh have detailed. Shit happens, it's the law of the jungle. Players have short careers and League One looking to get into the champ is gonna be more attractive than League Two looking to get into League One.

I think Mellor's another signing that ticks more boxes than not. Young enough to improve, old enough to have experience, has got out of this league, a lot of experience at the level above and generally positive reviews from his former club's fans. Not bad stuff.

Hourihane had his head turned by Barnsley. I can't really believe that, and at the time didn't envisage Barnsley's interest would make him so weak at the knees.

Once a player is that set on going,  with 12 months left, it's best to go. We are not Man City,  and he is not Tevez - we can't afford for CH to he playing with no desire, to let his contract run out and miss out on £160k to demonstrate our ambition. It would just have been stupid.

Show ambition with the replacement - that's the key. A fired up, fit, happy and hungry new number 8.

Zackly.

Looking at the present squad list I think the defence is sorted with Mellor, especially with the stated aim of 'smaller, better, versatile'. We have six, with each playing position having two options. Looking at the same list the midfield has the same number, but not the same cover.

Was at HP today, pitch around 99% green, brown patches along the inside of the touch and goal lines, spoils the rest of the pitch.

Seen these four Wotton, Marvin Morgan, Curtis Nelson and Ryan Lane resting after their afternoon workout.

if any employee wants to go then you get rid.

this could be a very good signing.

hourihane offered a higher level of football so hes really got to take it.

Tgwu wrote:

Was at HP today, pitch around 99% green, brown patches along the inside of the touch and goal lines, spoils the rest of the pitch.

Seen these four Wotton, Marvin Morgan, Curtis Nelson and Ryan Lane resting after their afternoon workout.

too early for pre season training surely !

According to big Marvin this was their 4th day of pre pre season training, Marvin look very fit.

Chemical Ali wrote:

Sounds a decent signing and a good age too. Saw this on a Crewe forum-

Former Crewe Alexandra defender Kelvin Mellor has put pen-to-paper on a contract with League Two side Plymouth Argyle after leaving the Alexandra Stadium after the 2013/14 campaign.

Mellor was out of contract with the Alex and boss Steve Davis opted not to offer the 23-year-old fresh terms.

The Alex Academy graduate made 92 appearances for the Crewe first team from 2009, scoring two goals, and rejected an approach from Derby County in 2012 to remain in the Railwaymen’s set-up after an impressive spell.

Everyone at the club would like to thank Kelvin for his effort and commitment and would like to wish him the best with his career.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Something in there starts some alarm bells ringing - what has gone wrong from rejecting an approach from a Championship side with Premier League ambitions in 2012 to being released on a free 2 years later and dropping down a division?

X Isle wrote:

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

I am always happy thank you. How does selling your captain to a league one club, mean anything other than a total lack of ambition by a discredited owner, who has failed to deliver anything on and off the field in three years of miserable failure?

You're not really open to the concept of discussion, are you. You implied it signaled a lack of ambition, I explained why it wasn't, you just make the same accusation.

So what have we learnt......in your universe you'd pay Hourihane's wages for a year while his performance inevitability dipped as you'd effectively handcuffed him to a club he didn't want to be at. You'd then wave him a cheery goodbye next summer and get nothing, the only 'add-on' being Conor's extended middle finger as he walked away. Well ain't that just the dictionary definition of ambition

Thank heavens you're not running Argyle.

Clubs that have ambitions keep their best players, clubs with ambition add good players to their squads to show their fans they have ambition. in the past mr x has backed stapledon todd  and now Brent, they all sold Argyles best players, Argyle have been shite for years, is there a connection? Thank heavens most people take no notice of the sussex sage.

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

X Isle wrote:

Versatile, big, strong, young enough to still develop but experienced enough to know his way round a football pitch.

Another seemingly good acquisition. Coming together nicely.

Lets be honest you would luv him if he was eighty six with a wooden leg! how is selling your captain and one of the best players a sign that things are coming together nicely?

I'm always amused by the polar opposites that appear when we sign a new player. I've never heard of him so he must be crap. X bloke hasn't heard of him but he could be good. Nobody knows, I guess we'll see when the season, or those who still go to HP will.

As for ambition, suffered is right, there is no ambition in this football club, but then there never really has been. We have always been a selling club, always will be, unless we get to the Premier League, when we'll be complaining that our best players are being taken by the 'big' clubs. Better that than our captain choosing Barnsley over us.

But that's where we are, thanks to mis-management in the past, and where we are likely to stay whilst we have an owner who isn't a football fan, and also, it seems, isn't a very good property developer.

Anyhoo, point me towards the golf course.   

By the way, is there a golfing icon?   

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

X Isle wrote:

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

I am always happy thank you. How does selling your captain to a league one club, mean anything other than a total lack of ambition by a discredited owner, who has failed to deliver anything on and off the field in three years of miserable failure?

You're not really open to the concept of discussion, are you. You implied it signaled a lack of ambition, I explained why it wasn't, you just make the same accusation.

So what have we learnt......in your universe you'd pay Hourihane's wages for a year while his performance inevitability dipped as you'd effectively handcuffed him to a club he didn't want to be at. You'd then wave him a cheery goodbye next summer and get nothing, the only 'add-on' being Conor's extended middle finger as he walked away. Well ain't that just the dictionary definition of ambition

Thank heavens you're not running Argyle.

Clubs that have ambitions keep their best players, clubs with ambition add good players to their squads to show their fans they have ambition. in the past mr x has backed stapledon todd  and now Brent, they all sold Argyles best players, Argyle have been shite for years, is there a connection? Thank heavens most people take no notice of the sussex sage.

I agree with that completely and there's no defense for opposing it while we are in the lower leagues/division where we can and should be able to offer a player more (in one form or another) than other clubs in the lower leagues. It can easily be offset by the higher attendances at Home Park.

PlymptonPilgrim wrote:

sufferedsince 68 wrote:

X Isle wrote:

Versatile, big, strong, young enough to still develop but experienced enough to know his way round a football pitch.

Another seemingly good acquisition. Coming together nicely.

Lets be honest you would luv him if he was eighty six with a wooden leg! how is selling your captain and one of the best players a sign that things are coming together nicely?

I'm always amused by the polar opposites that appear when we sign a new player. I've never heard of him so he must be crap. X bloke hasn't heard of him but he could be good. Nobody knows, I guess we'll see when the season, or those who still go to HP will.

As for ambition, suffered is right, there is no ambition in this football club, but then there never really has been. We have always been a selling club, always will be, unless we get to the Premier League, when we'll be complaining that our best players are being taken by the 'big' clubs. Better that than our captain choosing Barnsley over us.

But that's where we are, thanks to mis-management in the past, and where we are likely to stay whilst we have an owner who isn't a football fan, and also, it seems, isn't a very good property developer.

Anyhoo, point me towards the golf course.    

By the way, is there a golfing icon?  

I think i heard myself being described in those terms once Garry,but then again it may have been wishful thinking.  

All set for July 11th?

Ha, you wish   

Looking forward to it young man. Bring your A game.