Mellon After Point In Kent
The manager spoke to Latics Player after a goalless draw at Stonebridge Road.
This interview is available to watch for free.
Oldham Athletic assesses current squad amid Norwood injury
Micky Mellon says Oldham Athletic will be ever-evolving under his watch, but he is satisfied with his January transfer business.
The Latics boss made six new signings, with Ethan Walker, Sai Sachdev and Andrew Dallas all arriving on loan while there have been permanent deals for Ollie Hammond, Tom Conlon, Joe Garner, with Joe Nuttall, Kurt Willoughby and Brennan Dickenson all departing on loan.
And although Mellon insists there is still work to do as he moulds his squad, he is encouraged by the progress being made with personnel, although the recent injury to James Norwood could dictate whether he delves back into the transfer market sooner rather than later.
The striker limped off in the second half of Saturday’s goalless draw at Ebbsfleet with a hamstring injury, with early indications suggesting a six to eight-week lay-off.
“It’s moving towards what I want, to try to stamp my own mark on it now with the players we bring in,” said the Scot.
“But I think it will ever be evolving, when the opportunity comes where we think there’s a player that can give us a better chance of winning games of football and we have the room to try and do that then we would try to do that. But at the minute we’re happy with the group that we’re working with.
“Of course we don’t want the players to be complacent. We’ll keep looking, we have a good scouting department and recruitment is always ongoing, it never stops.
“You are always looking to improve it and other managers will be looking at your group as well, so it’s ever evolving. But at the minute I know that this group should be finding a level of consistency that should be continuing to try and win games in the National League. It’s got enough in it.
“It’s about now me being tough on standards, working with them and their mentality and them also having an ambition that they want to be successful, because if we don’t have that then we’ve got no chance. But if we turn up with their qualities as well then we give ourselves a good chance of winning games, and I say good chance because that’s all it is. Nobody’s guaranteed. “Football’s tough in so many variables but the more good players that you have and the more the mentality is good then the better chance you have of getting the results.”
Asked whether supporters could expect any more transfer activity, Mellon said: “Not recklessly, although I don’t think we’ve been reckless. I think we’ve been quite strategic in bringing players into areas that we think need support for the group that we have here. We’ll continue to do that.
“All the decisions are around does this make this team more consistent or better, and that’s ongoing now.
“Sitting here today I’m pleased with the group and how it’s evolving but I don’t think we can ever rest and say ‘that’s it’ now because different opportunities might come our way that we might want to take, but at the minute we’re happy.”
