[Mr Mercury]

 Waller is my hero, on 18 March 2025 - 10:14 AM, said:

Maybe these rumors in this article are true & Oldaker has already agreed a pre-contract to move elsewhere & Cook doesn't want non-committed players in the squad right now??

https://the72.co.uk/...ed-other-clubs/

Might sound a bit churlish and premature, and I would certainly wish him well as one of the squad who played his part in getting us back to the EFL, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep if he wasnt here next year however that panned out.

[JonB]

 Waller is my hero, on 18 March 2025 - 10:14 AM, said:

Maybe these rumors in this article are true & Oldaker has already agreed a pre-contract to move elsewhere & Cook doesn't want non-committed players in the squad right now??

https://the72.co.uk/...ed-other-clubs/

He could only officially agree a move to a club outside the English FA ahead of the end of the season, out of contract players can deal with clubs in other countries from 1st Jan but he cant agree a deal with another English club. The only thing there is if he has told the club he has no interest in staying and wont sign a new deal which based on previous things he's said would be a bit of a turnaround on his part as he's often said how much he likes it here, how much he likes working with Cook and didnt someone say his partner now has ties to Chesterfield.

[Osborne again]

 JonB, on 18 March 2025 - 10:55 AM, said:

He could only officially agree a move to a club outside the English FA ahead of the end of the season, out of contract players can deal with clubs in other countries from 1st Jan but he cant agree a deal with another English club. The only thing there is if he has told the club he has no interest in staying and wont sign a new deal which based on previous things he's said would be a bit of a turnaround on his part as he's often said how much he likes it here, how much he likes working with Cook and didnt someone say his partner now has ties to Chesterfield.

It'll be DJ's decision to leave, because I think Paul Cook rates him rather highly. I'm not saying he won't go, but it'll be his call. He needs to add the skill of moving the ball at pace to his game and then we have a real player on our hands. He's a very skillful midfielder and would probably be the first name on the team sheet if he moved the ball forward and faster.

[rodney]

 Osborne again, on 18 March 2025 - 11:28 AM, said:

It'll be DJ's decision to leave, because I think Paul Cook rates him rather highly. I'm not saying he won't go, but it'll be his call. He needs to add the skill of moving the ball at pace to his game and then we have a real player on our hands. He's a very skillful midfielder and would probably be the first name on the team sheet if he moved the ball forward and faster.

DJ is a real conundrum. At times great touch and keeps the ball. But at other times is slow, backwards, doesn’t tackle, no drive! For me, he wasn’t first choice in the 2 in national league and we need better to progress in L2/L1.

[Osborne again]

 rodney, on 18 March 2025 - 12:00 PM, said:

DJ is a real conundrum. At times great touch and keeps the ball. But at other times is slow, backwards, doesn’t tackle, no drive! For me, he wasn’t first choice in the 2 in national league and we need better to progress in L2/L1.

But he's young enough and talented enough to intelligently take in what he needs to do. There's several, very experienced midfielders at the club, who he can learn from. Mike Jones, Tom Naylor, John Fleck and Ollie Banks are all there to help him develop his game. Probably it's a mental block he has, and he likes to go backwards.
I like DJ, but he needs to develop that confidence to move the ball forward quickly.

[danblue]

 Osborne again, on 18 March 2025 - 12:23 PM, said:

But he's young enough and talented enough to intelligently take in what he needs to do. There's several, very experienced midfielders at the club, who he can learn from. Mike Jones, Tom Naylor, John Fleck and Ollie Banks are all there to help him develop his game. Probably it's a mental block he has, and he likes to go backwards.
I like DJ, but he needs to develop that confidence to move the ball forward quickly.

Is it as simple as receiving the ball, looking up for the run and play it into the channel?
It just seems to be (not that I'm a mind reader) he gets the ball and his initial thought is 'what next?' By that time, his choices of pass have dwindled to backwards or sideways.
I talked to a football coach a while ago (it may have changed by now!) and their take on being a top player is quickness of thought - not necessarily the skill factor, I mean that helps obviously, but how quick your mind and feet as such link up. The quickness and reaction time of what that player is doing.

[Westbars Spireite]

 frearsghost, on 18 March 2025 - 09:00 AM, said:

Didn't Morsey himself say that one day he would be back?

He did. And I believe him. Or want to anyway!

[Osborne again]

 danblue, on 18 March 2025 - 12:40 PM, said:

Is it as simple as receiving the ball, looking up for the run and play it into the channel?
It just seems to be (not that I'm a mind reader) he gets the ball and his initial thought is 'what next?' By that time, his choices of pass have dwindled to backwards or sideways.
I talked to a football coach a while ago (it may have changed by now!) and their take on being a top player is quickness of thought - not necessarily the skill factor, I mean that helps obviously, but how quick your mind and feet as such link up. The quickness and reaction time of what that player is doing.

When I used to play the game, and it's a long time ago, I learnt to use both feet, move to meet the ball, pass on the first touch if need be, and look for runs. I do get annoyed when I see our attacking players, in space or making a run, and get totally ignored in place of a dodgy back pass to our defence. Nothing wrong going back to move forward, but it has to be done without danger or slowing the game down too much.

[plannerj]

 Osborne again, on 18 March 2025 - 01:22 PM, said:

When I used to play the game, and it's a long time ago, I learnt to use both feet, move to meet the ball, pass on the first touch if need be, and look for runs. I do get annoyed when I see our attacking players, in space or making a run, and get totally ignored in place of a dodgy back pass to our defence. Nothing wrong going back to move forward, but it has to be done without danger or slowing the game down too much.

Blimey, how long was your career as a pro footballer?

[clarevoyant.]

clarevoyant., on 18 March 2025 - 10:02 AM, said:

Would the ex blade you refer be the delightful Michael Tongue ?

Correction

The even more delightful Michael Brown.