"We were put out of the division by a calculator, that was the disappointing thing," says Mellon
Thursday 18 June 2020 13:41, UK
Micky Mellon says the EFL's handling of the decision to end the League One season was "unprofessional" after his Tranmere side were consigned to relegation via the points-per-game method.
League One clubs voted earlier this month to end the season, consigning the Prenton Park outfit to an immediate return to the fourth tier.
While Mellon refuses to blame other clubs, even adding he would have acted in the same way if the shoe was on the other foot, he is scathing in his assessment of how the EFL handled the crisis.
"I can't say that I blame any other team," Mellon said. "What was decided, was decided. I don't think there is a football person who would say that what has happened to Tranmere is fair. It is absolutely not fair.
"We are disappointed with the whole way that the EFL handled it. I think it was unprofessional, I think it was unorganised, I think there was a complete lack of communication between them, all the managers, all the clubs and all the players.
"There's so much that needs to be improved. In any leadership role, you are asked to speak about the 'what ifs'. Anybody on that committee must have spoken about 'what if' the league season cannot get finished. If that's what they are there to do and they didn't do it, they never did their jobs properly.
"They put it in the hands of the football clubs and of course, turkeys won't vote for Christmas. If I was in the same position as the clubs above me and I was given the same opportunity to stay in the league, then trust me I would have voted the same. But I just think the leadership from the top was poor."
The immediate implications extend far beyond Tranmere having to come to terms with a relegation they feel was imposed upon them by the powers-that-be.
Mellon says the combined financial cost of the coronavirus pandemic and demotion to League Two is already being felt, although he concedes that many will take the view that there are more important things in the world currently than football.
Among those who have departed include some of Mellon's backroom team but he vows his side will adjust to the decision.
However, he reiterates that Tranmere had a very good chance of securing their League One status had the season been allowed to conclude.
"We have had 22 redundancies because of relegation and the pandemic, so it has affected us," Mellon said.
"I have lost three of my immediate staff members. I have lost my analyst, I have lost Shaun Garnett my first-team coach, and I have lost my goalkeeping coach.
"So we will have to re-adjust because we have been relegated. We were put out of the division by a calculator, that was the disappointing thing.
"We know that we had an unbelievable chance of making sure that we were still a League One team for next season because the performances, the evidence was there to see.
"Everybody keeps talking about these times that we are in because of this virus and I understand that. But to be the team that has been punished for it is obviously going to affect and hurt us."
