So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Tranmere Cresr
By David Sindall
May 7 2025
We now know who will not be pulling on a Rovers shirt for us next season. Those former legends have left the building, doubtless with the Sound of Music song playing on their headphones. It is always a mixed bag where there are players that some wish had stayed and those retained that some think could have been shown the door.
7 players have so far gone. Some of those released are not a surprise. Nobody can be too shocked that Declan Drysdale has been released. He has been injury prone for a number of seasons and keeping him on would have been a gamble. The same is also true of Luke Norris. On his day Nozza could be lethal, but injuries and indifferent form suggest that his day was yesterday.
There are two contrasts between Kieron Morris and Chris Merrie. From my perspective Morris has been on a downward spiral for a couple of seasons. He was, at times either excellent or very good. Away at Newport, on the final day, he showed flashes of his former self. Decline just seemed to be the general direction of travel. On the other hand Chris Merrie was improving, showing signs that he could make a difference and putting in effective, albeit unspectacular performances. I suspect he will be harder to replace than we realise.
Tom Davies leaves having been highly regarded by many Rovers supporters but he was not in favour with Andy Crosby and spent most of the last few months watching from the sidelines. Connor Wood seemed to be a player that Crosby favoured, but for injury or suspension he was a constant presence in the team. He is young enough, like Merrie, to secure a contract elsewhere. I never saw Reuben Egan play, but know he is young and that keepers have long careers, just ask Joe Murphy.
I suspect the recently departed will be joined by a few others who we won’t agree terms with. My money is on Luke McGee, Reagan Hendry, Lee O’Connor and Jordan Turnbull staying. The remainder are likely to leave.
We often think of footballers as being spectacularly wealthy, living in the lap of luxury and being spoilt rotten. That may be true at the Premier League level but to me most of those departing are simply professional players trying their best to make a living. They have short careers. Not all of them can end up as pundits or journalists. They have bills to pay, families to look after and futures to secure. On that basis we should wish them all well, they fulfilled a dream many of us would have wanted for ourselves, the difference is that they were much better footballers with much greater ability compared to us muggles.
Thanks lads. Good luck for the future.
All views expressed are personal
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Total Tranmere (IP Logged)
Date: 07/05/2025 09:54
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Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Nidgey (IP Logged)
Date: 07/05/2025 12:40
Would of liked merrie to stay happy omari is staying what I don't understand is how can we release players without having a full time manager in place
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 07/05/2025 14:12
Merrie tried hard but he was small and Feeble, not cut out for this level with that physique.
Morris , don't forget he had a nasty knee injury that used to be career ending where as its mow career limiting
Norris was a huge disappointment looked really good early on under Dawes but never put more than a few games together stupid signing in the first place
Morris , don't forget he had a nasty knee injury that used to be career ending where as its mow career limiting
Norris was a huge disappointment looked really good early on under Dawes but never put more than a few games together stupid signing in the first place
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: DevonExile (IP Logged)
Date: 07/05/2025 16:28
I still think that retaining Walker is a surprise. Crosby knows him from Vale days but for me there is too high a risk that he will be side lined too often. With Dennis ,Saunders Jennings, Davison and Solomon retained, it does not leave much scope for bringing in additional strike power.
I thought that Merrie was ok, but as Crosby said, finishing near the bottom is not a benchmark and some have to be shifted out if you are to add value. It is on that basis that Hawkes could also have been released. His impact in the last two years has been ok at best
I thought that Merrie was ok, but as Crosby said, finishing near the bottom is not a benchmark and some have to be shifted out if you are to add value. It is on that basis that Hawkes could also have been released. His impact in the last two years has been ok at best
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: madscot (IP Logged)
Date: 07/05/2025 23:52
I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 04:59
Quote:madscot
I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash
Agreed, can only hope he's a backup
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Phil65 (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 06:56
Quote:madscot
I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash
…and yet he was a mainstay in our defence with the renaissance under Crosby. I know some people don’t like him, and never will, but “an absolute car crash” is melodramatic.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 07:29
Quote:Phil65Quote:madscot
I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash
…and yet he was a mainstay in our defence with the renaissance under Crosby. I know some people don’t like him, and never will, but “an absolute car crash” is melodramatic.
He's ranked 177th out of 218 league 2 defenders with
1.42 goals conceded per 90 minutes 19th percentile
23% clean sheets 23rd percentile
0.21 cards per 90 minutes 53rd percentile
Statistically he has got worse each season with us from a high of 12th of 238 league 2 defenders when with Salford
Davies and Wood statistically are out best defenders
For me Turnbull's problem is he isn't very coordinated , he's not a natural footballer anyway and he has those moments when his body completely disconnects from his brain or his brain vacates for a second both usually lead to either goals from nothing or fouls and cards which lead to goals
I guess if Crosby can get on top of those 2 elements but for me we should be resigning the 177th worst defender.
However all that said a good team is the sum of its pieces not the individuals and he does always give 110% and has shown he can do the business in the past.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Brendanlouis123 (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 12:15
It is very harsh on Tom Davies, going to be hard to replace.He is avery strong and capable defender. Tom stood up and was captain at a very difficult time.
Offfering Turnbull a new contract is joke, we are going to struggle at the back
Offfering Turnbull a new contract is joke, we are going to struggle at the back
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Jack of all Trades (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 13:07
Whatever your personal opinion of JT, our revival was based around him defensively not Tom D, a decision taken by AC and JT played, if I am correct, all 13 games.
P13 W6 D5 L2
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:05:08:13:08:46 by Jack of all Trades.
P13 W6 D5 L2
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:05:08:13:08:46 by Jack of all Trades.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: rossb07 (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 19:53
Funny how someone who is against stats and number in training and players on the pitch uses it as a reason not to like a player.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Matt34 (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 20:30
Quote:Bored rover
Norris was a huge disappointment looked really good early on under Dawes but never put more than a few games together stupid signing in the first place
No signing is a stupid signing. Some signings turn out to not have enough 7+/10 games in them, but they generally don't get signed for stupid reasons. Managers will have some semblence of sound reasoning to sign a player, whether the player proves to be good, poor or indifferent.
That however has never stopped people using hindsight to criticise a managers foresight on signings.
Admittedly in the case of someone like Kithson Bain, John Barnes saying when he was manager of Jamaica, he saw him playing for Grenada, the same team as Jason Roberts was a little odd, as if Jason Roberts was somehow a barometer of Bain's quality, if he was Bain would have played in the Premier league, not on loan in the national league.
However I cannot question what Barnes saw in one or more international's Bain played in, but the evidence by the end, proved Bain was not adequate for league 1 and possibly league 2 as well.
The Jason Roberts name check was a bit weird, but beyond that Barnes would have had a kernal of justification for the signing, even if loads of Tranemre suporters didn't know what that kernal was after 6 months of Bain being at the club
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: ALOTBSOL (IP Logged)
Date: 08/05/2025 22:40
Statistically you got forecasts of scores under Andy wrong consistently. Does that mean you are not an expert in football analysis.? Or does it mean you react based on emotions not logic?
One player does not concede goals, the whole team is responsible. So the stats are a load of old baloney.
quote Bored rover][quote Phil65][quote madscot]I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash[/quote]
…and yet he was a mainstay in our defence with the renaissance under Crosby. I know some people don’t like him, and never will, but “an absolute car crash” is melodramatic.[/quote]
He's ranked 177th out of 218 league 2 defenders with
1.42 goals conceded per 90 minutes 19th percentile
23% clean sheets 23rd percentile
0.21 cards per 90 minutes 53rd percentile
Statistically he has got worse each season with us from a high of 12th of 238 league 2 defenders when with Salford
Davies and Wood statistically are out best defenders
For me Turnbull's problem is he isn't very coordinated , he's not a natural footballer anyway and he has those moments when his body completely disconnects from his brain or his brain vacates for a second both usually lead to either goals from nothing or fouls and cards which lead to goals
I guess if Crosby can get on top of those 2 elements but for me we should be resigning the 177th worst defender.
However all that said a good team is the sum of its pieces not the individuals and he does always give 110% and has shown he can do the business in the past.[/quote]
One player does not concede goals, the whole team is responsible. So the stats are a load of old baloney.
quote Bored rover][quote Phil65][quote madscot]I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash[/quote]
…and yet he was a mainstay in our defence with the renaissance under Crosby. I know some people don’t like him, and never will, but “an absolute car crash” is melodramatic.[/quote]
He's ranked 177th out of 218 league 2 defenders with
1.42 goals conceded per 90 minutes 19th percentile
23% clean sheets 23rd percentile
0.21 cards per 90 minutes 53rd percentile
Statistically he has got worse each season with us from a high of 12th of 238 league 2 defenders when with Salford
Davies and Wood statistically are out best defenders
For me Turnbull's problem is he isn't very coordinated , he's not a natural footballer anyway and he has those moments when his body completely disconnects from his brain or his brain vacates for a second both usually lead to either goals from nothing or fouls and cards which lead to goals
I guess if Crosby can get on top of those 2 elements but for me we should be resigning the 177th worst defender.
However all that said a good team is the sum of its pieces not the individuals and he does always give 110% and has shown he can do the business in the past.[/quote]
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 09/05/2025 05:07
[quote ALOTBSOL ]Statistically you got forecasts of scores under Andy wrong consistently. Does that mean you are not an expert in football analysis.? Or does it mean you react based on emotions not logic?
One player does not concede goals, the whole team is responsible. So the stats are a load of old baloney.
quote Bored rover][quote Phil65][quote madscot]I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash[/quote]
…and yet he was a mainstay in our defence with the renaissance under Crosby. I know some people don’t like him, and never will, but “an absolute car crash” is melodramatic.[/quote]
He's ranked 177th out of 218 league 2 defenders with
1.42 goals conceded per 90 minutes 19th percentile
23% clean sheets 23rd percentile
0.21 cards per 90 minutes 53rd percentile
Statistically he has got worse each season with us from a high of 12th of 238 league 2 defenders when with Salford
Davies and Wood statistically are out best defenders
For me Turnbull's problem is he isn't very coordinated , he's not a natural footballer anyway and he has those moments when his body completely disconnects from his brain or his brain vacates for a second both usually lead to either goals from nothing or fouls and cards which lead to goals
I guess if Crosby can get on top of those 2 elements but for me we should be resigning the 177th worst defender.
However all that said a good team is the sum of its pieces not the individuals and he does always give 110% and has shown he can do the business in the past.[/quote][/quote]
Actually I was deliberately guessing them wrong out of superstition as I got the first one wrong and didn't want to jinx us. As for Turnbull , like I say not for me , thats my opinion , I'd start a fresh at CB if we are genuine about improving. Turnbull's like a dodgy HD lead on the telly , works most of the time but for no reason without interference knackers the picture.
One player does not concede goals, the whole team is responsible. So the stats are a load of old baloney.
quote Bored rover][quote Phil65][quote madscot]I want Turnbull gone, he’s an absolute car crash[/quote]
…and yet he was a mainstay in our defence with the renaissance under Crosby. I know some people don’t like him, and never will, but “an absolute car crash” is melodramatic.[/quote]
He's ranked 177th out of 218 league 2 defenders with
1.42 goals conceded per 90 minutes 19th percentile
23% clean sheets 23rd percentile
0.21 cards per 90 minutes 53rd percentile
Statistically he has got worse each season with us from a high of 12th of 238 league 2 defenders when with Salford
Davies and Wood statistically are out best defenders
For me Turnbull's problem is he isn't very coordinated , he's not a natural footballer anyway and he has those moments when his body completely disconnects from his brain or his brain vacates for a second both usually lead to either goals from nothing or fouls and cards which lead to goals
I guess if Crosby can get on top of those 2 elements but for me we should be resigning the 177th worst defender.
However all that said a good team is the sum of its pieces not the individuals and he does always give 110% and has shown he can do the business in the past.[/quote][/quote]
Actually I was deliberately guessing them wrong out of superstition as I got the first one wrong and didn't want to jinx us. As for Turnbull , like I say not for me , thats my opinion , I'd start a fresh at CB if we are genuine about improving. Turnbull's like a dodgy HD lead on the telly , works most of the time but for no reason without interference knackers the picture.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 09/05/2025 05:11
Quote:rossb07
Funny how someone who is against stats and number in training and players on the pitch uses it as a reason not to like a player.
There are some stats to be cognisant of! Like how many goals a goalscorer scores, how many mistakes a defender makes that leads to a goal , mostly ones you can see! Like being pantsed, scoring Oggies, getting sent off, even against Crewe he was at it on another day with a different ref he could have walked for the fracas by the paddock.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Jack of all Trades (IP Logged)
Date: 09/05/2025 09:16
Luke Norris was not a stupid signing, in the previous season he had scored 14 times in 48 games for Stevenage in their promotion year and had made a total of 104 appearances scoring 31 goals, in total.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and assuming a detailed medical was undertaken, nothing to suggest the injury prone two seasons here in which, he played only19 games scoring 4 goals.
Prior to joining Stevenage, played for Gillingham, Swindon and Colchester (227 games 51 goals)
Unfortunately, just didn't work out for us.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and assuming a detailed medical was undertaken, nothing to suggest the injury prone two seasons here in which, he played only19 games scoring 4 goals.
Prior to joining Stevenage, played for Gillingham, Swindon and Colchester (227 games 51 goals)
Unfortunately, just didn't work out for us.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Loyden1 (IP Logged)
Date: 09/05/2025 10:32
Quote:i dont think anybody queried his signing at the time ,i like a lot of fans thought him a great signing ,but unfortunately he didnt recover properly from his injury ,i think somebody stamped on his ankle in salford gameJack of all Trades
Luke Norris was not a stupid signing, in the previous season he had scored 14 times in 48 games for Stevenage in their promotion year and had made a total of 104 appearances scoring 31 goals, in total.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and assuming a detailed medical was undertaken, nothing to suggest the injury prone two seasons here in which, he played only19 games scoring 4 goals.
Prior to joining Stevenage, played for Gillingham, Swindon and Colchester (227 games 51 goals)
Unfortunately, just didn't work out for us.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: rossb07 (IP Logged)
Date: 11/05/2025 02:50
Quote:Bored roverQuote:rossb07
Funny how someone who is against stats and number in training and players on the pitch uses it as a reason not to like a player.
There are some stats to be cognisant of! Like how many goals a goalscorer scores, how many mistakes a defender makes that leads to a goal , mostly ones you can see! Like being pantsed, scoring Oggies, getting sent off, even against Crewe he was at it on another day with a different ref he could have walked for the fracas by the paddock.
You keep bringing up him getting pantsed as like that's his fault he's a bad defender. If anything, it's a foul as he didn't do it to himself. Believe me, i've doubted JT but we need a base to work off and he's proven he's got it when it's mattered for us. Even the 'fracas', glad some players have some spunk in them.
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 11/05/2025 06:17
Quote:rossb07Quote:Bored roverQuote:rossb07
Funny how someone who is against stats and number in training and players on the pitch uses it as a reason not to like a player.
There are some stats to be cognisant of! Like how many goals a goalscorer scores, how many mistakes a defender makes that leads to a goal , mostly ones you can see! Like being pantsed, scoring Oggies, getting sent off, even against Crewe he was at it on another day with a different ref he could have walked for the fracas by the paddock.
You keep bringing up him getting pantsed as like that's his fault he's a bad defender. If anything, it's a foul as he didn't do it to himself. Believe me, i've doubted JT but we need a base to work off and he's proven he's got it when it's mattered for us. Even the 'fracas', glad some players have some spunk in them.
He didn't didn't to stop though and peer into the stand like he was appealing to his mum " That boy pulled my pants down". Should have played the whistle, and its one of those things could only have happened to him
Re: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.
Posted by: rossb07 (IP Logged)
Date: 12/05/2025 07:31
Maybe he was looking for you in the stand for some mental reassurance. Where were you?
Anyway, looked it back, he looked at the ref for a millisecond and tried to pull them back up.
Anyway, looked it back, he looked at the ref for a millisecond and tried to pull them back up.
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