Tuesday, 23rd December, 2014

www.dailygazette.co.uk

DAILY GAZETTE

ROVERS
SACK
ELIOT
John Lucas
Vernon Eliot has been sacked by Melchester
Rovers with immediate effect.
Executive chairman David Roth arrived at
Mel Park at 8am on Tuesday morning to tell
the former Rovers winger face-to-face.
Derek Mostin will take temporary charge
for the rest of the month as interim manager,
while Steve Daley has been reassigned as
player-coach to the club's backroom staff.
Eliot had already been informed of his fate
and thanked club staff at the training complex
in anticipation of his departure. The players
were not present at the time, with the former
boss leaving the training base at 12.55pm.
A tweet on the club's official Twitter
account read: 'BREAKING: Melchester
Rovers announces that Vernon Eliot has left
the club. The club would like to place on
record its thanks for the hard work, honesty
and integrity he brought to the role.'
Eliot's loyal coaches Gerry Holloway and
recently retired Danny Jones have been
relieved of their duties.
It emerged on Monday that Rovers' partowners, the Basran royal family, had lost
patience with Eliot after a dismal season that
has seen the biggest club in England slump to
the bottom of the table.
The final straw was Sunday's 2-0 defeat
against Tynecaster United, their 11th in the
Premier League this season, and a result that
left the mighty Rovers firmly placed in the
bottom three, with

just three league wins.

Rovers are confident of landing
Holland coach Johan Seegrun as his
replacement once they have tied up
details of the manager's severance
package.
The Mel Park hierarchy have
already made contact with the
Dutchman and he wants to join
Rovers as soon as possible, while
Real Zaragosas legendary manager
Carlos Villar has ruled himself out of
any potential move to Melchester.
Eliot has been sacked having
completed just five months of the
new three-year contract he signed in
the summer and will receive a hefty
compensation package.
Eliot, on a day off on Monday, is
understood to have been hurt and
angry after learning of his fate on
newspaper websites.
Despite the expensive signing of
Lucas Cleary in the summer and
Declan McKaffrees re-signing in
January, Rovers have failed to keep
pace with their rivals and mount any
kind of title challenge.
Eliot, who moved from assistant
manager at Kelburn in the sumer of
2013 to replace Steve Wootten, has
also overseen failure in the cup
competitions.
Rovers were eliminated by Molton
United in the third round of the FA
Cup last season, by Rotherton in the
second round of the League Cup and
by Eastgate in the fourth round this
season.
Taking all competitions into
account, Rovers won 25 of 57
matches during the Eliot era, drawing

embattled manager following a lacklustre

showing versus Tynecaster, in which
former Rovers star Michael De Mol and
Yannick Granon scored the goals.
Eliot bizarrely claimed that his team
had played well after they lost 2-0 at Mel
Park despite one of the most lame
performances of his reign.
Many Rovers fans saw the
performance as a tipping point and the
increasing number who were calling for
him to go have got their wish.
Afterwards, Eliot claimed he was happy
with the display.
He said: We played well in the first
half but conceded two on the counterattack. We didnt deserve to be 2-0 down.
We had good control of the game and
possession of the ball. We didnt defend
well for the goals, though.
Eliots verdict raised eyebrows in the
Sports Scene studio. Thats the worst
Ive seen from them over 90 minutes,
said
pundit
and Gazette columnist
Chippy Croker.
Nobody seems to know whats going
on, on the pitch or in the dugout. You
cant see what the plan is. When I played
it was total dominance from Melchester
Rovers. Im looking at this team and
wondering why they didnt play like that
when I was playing.
While bookies make Seegrun odds on
favourite for the job. A significant
portion of Rovers fans are already calling
for the return of the Roy Race. Race has
recently been working in America, where
he and his son, Rocky, led Baltimore
Bullets to the MLS title. A Rovers return,
however seems highly unlikely. Seegrun
would bring his unique brand of total
football to Mel Park

five and losing 27. Statistically

making Eliot the worst ever
Melchester
Rovers
manager,
surpassing Ralph Gordons dismal
record during his brief stint in
1992/93.
Pressure mounted further on the

Continued on page 4

Roy of the Rovers Return to Glory?

Week 2

Yannick Granon and Michael De Mol scored second-half goals to give

Tynecaster a deserved victory over out-of-form Melchester at Mel Park.
Melchester, on the back of just one win in six, edged the first half as Mike Burgess hit the bar
and had a header cleared off the line. However, United dominated after the break and went
ahead when Granon headed home De Mol's free-kick.
Victory was sealed when former Rover De Mol curled in a shot from Valery Akale's pass.
And while it may still take supporters some time to forget last weekend's defeat against rivals
Oldfield, this result gives more promise of steady progression following the draw against
Danefield and victory at North Vale which preceded that derby day dejection. Their victory
over Melchester, who started the day eighteenth in the Premier League, was built on a
disciplined defensive display and a powerful second-half performance which overwhelmed
their below-par visitors.
Melchester playmakers Jake Cheetham, Drew Powell and Declan McKaffree were not given
room to dictate play, meaning Richie Lyons was starved of the service which helped him
earn such praise in Rovers five-nil victory over North Vale two weeks ago.

Tynecaster kept their shape well, limiting Melchester to just two chances in a fairly subdued
first half - both of them from set-pieces. First Mike Burgess nipped in front of Will Michaelsen
to head Powell's corner against the bar before Dino Semioli stooped to head the big Irish
centre-half's goal-bound header off the line.
Melchester might have been dominating possession and pressing Tynecaster back when
they did lose the ball, but they lacked the penetration to break down their resolute
opponents. It also served to offer Tynecaster encouragement, and the home side gradually
seized control after the break - Melchester keeper Nathan Daniels having to be alert to deny
Mamadou Sibaya and Granon.
The pressure finally told in the 68th minute when Granon nipped in front of Miguel Piedra to
head home Michael De Mol's free-kick. It appeared Frank Dymond had instructed De Mol to
put the free-kick where he did, and the Tynecaster manager was certainly getting the better
of Vernon Eliot in this particular tactical battle.
Kelvin Dickson, Joshua Jordan and Jamie Marshall were all introduced from the bench by
the Melchester boss, and Dickson appealed for a penalty when his shot was deflected wide
via Federico Caminero's hand. Jordan also had a shot saved while Jacobs' follow-up was
blocked by Akale.
The game looked up for Melchester when McKaffree dragged a shot wide from 12 yards out
and so it proved as De Mol scored his fourth goal of the season via the inside of the post.
It sealed a superb performance by the northeast side, who move up to second in the Premier
League, while Eliot, who is facing mounting pressure, saw his side stay third from bottom.

***

Roy Race had never dealt with failures well, mainly because he had always found a way to
turn poor form around. Now, as he read through the match report on Melchester Rovers
latest defeat, he pondered whether to call his old friend and until that morning colleague,
Vernon Eliot. But decided against it, Vernon would still be fuming at the manner of his
dismissal. He needed time a luxury that managers in the modern era just were not afforded.
Roy had spoken with the former manager, just a few days earlier, soon after he had arrived
home from the States. Vernon was really struggling, showing his usual calm exterior, but his
mind had been working overtime, trying desperately to find a solution to the many
problems Melchester Rovers faced. He had asked Roys advice, but even the great man
could not understand the current slump suffered by Rovers. The squad was strong, on
paper, the missing link not obvious.
Racey examined the report and visualised the key moments from the Tynecaster match. He
had watched the game on television and as always he was able to analyse every second of
play. Eliot had Rovers in his favoured 4-3-3, with Lyons in the false number nine role,
McKaffree and Jacobs wide forwards, with Powell and Cheetham playmaking in midfield.
Batty held a defensive position in front of the back four. Two young centre-backs, Burgess
and Carruthers, were both mobile and the full-backs, new man Cleary (singed from
Kingsbay) and Piedra were solid defenders and very good going forward. Nathan Daniels in
goal, was one of the best in the business.
Like a television replay, Roy pictured an early Rovers attack, Declan McKaffree has received
possession wide on the right and attacked the left-back Semioli. Declan had great balance
and dribbled at pace, with super control, he skipped inside and fed a neat ball between the
two centre-backs. But Richie Lyons was off the pace, hanging back off the deeper defender.
Thats it! Roy shouted, I cant believe how obvious it is! Roy took out a notepad and
scribbled simple diagrams, his brain flicking back to many of Lyons goals from the 2013/14
season. The pattern was clear, Lyons was dependent on Fabrice NDiaye, the French winger
and player of the year, who Rovers had sold to bitter rivals Melboro that summer. The
thirty-four million pound transfer fee now seemed paltry, as Vernon sat unemployed at
home, booking flights for a holiday in Jamaica. Rovers were going down unless they adapted
and the system changed. Roy had to tell Derek Mostin, the caretaker manager, but that
would be interfering, Mozzie needs to find his own way in the job, he thought, perhaps he
had noticed already. Roy decided to keep quiet, if asked he would share, but until then, the
secret to Rovers recovery would stay in the Race mansion.
The notepad was filling up with formation diagrams with names written and crossed out and
written in again. What was becoming ultra clear to Roy, was that his formation, the Rovers
way, was not going to save the club. Without NDiaye 4-3-3 could not work, for Roy the
choice was clear and he did not like it one bit; Rovers had to go back to basics, 4-4-2, long
direct balls, sit back, defend, counter-attack, play for set-pieces. The philosophies Roy had
spent a generation opposing were the only way Melchester Rovers would avoid the drop.
Roy Race picked up the telephone, David, yes its Roy. Id like to apply for the position of
manager of Melchester Rovers.
Storky Knight
Next: A Rovers Return for Racey?