Littlemoor Lad

9 hours ago, Dickie Down said:

Slow, overweight, one footed, can't tackle or head the ball.... but the best footballer in the division.

 

A modern John Robertson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Robertson was one of my favourite players of that time

Dragged that ball along the touchline, beat his man and whipped in such inviting crosses for striker's to finish off.

Brilliant 

Always thought we might be left open to this after two season's of wastefulness, with nothing to show for it,

Another one, might prove to be the last

Madden would be the perfect replacement for Norwood, 

I think we should go all in for Conn-Clarke if Alty fail in the play offs.

1 hour ago, oafcmb said:

The only rumour ive seen is David Worrall. 

Pete Wild throwing us another veteran to add more pace to our squad 

Like Garner, this league should be meat & drink to him, given the amount of experience he has.

Might score a few more goals as well 

9 hours ago, Wardie said:

So, just the one actual striker, then.  

Garner?

20 hours ago, Boyyou said:

Pete Wild's Barrow in danger of doing  a Latics.

One win, one draw in last 7 games to slip out of play-off places

Done bloody wonders to even get them challenging 

Even just missing out will be seen as a very successful season there.

2 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

 

Fondop might have had enough of this anyway

Yeah, having to put himself around alot more because other's weren't doing it

If he is to leave, might help his card count somewhere else,

that was no doubt borne out of frustration here.

3 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

The manager and his assistant included?

Now now 

1 minute ago, LightDN123 said:

I assume they are gone, the statement provides a sentence giving thanks for those leaving. 
 

So those still under contract, I’d imagine the following could leave: 

- Moore (loan)

- Norwood

- Nuttall

- Reid

- Shelton

- Sheron

- Ward 

- Kurt 

Decent clear out if we can get 5 of the above shifted. 

We might as well be done with it and start again from the ground up

36 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Hardly firing for God’s sake!!..…he’s fumbled in 2 goals in 15 games.

I still maintain he was never happy here, wasn’t arsed about playing for Latics and came solely for the money.

If he engineers a permanent move then happy days……

We can do without the likes of Joe Nuttall thank you very much!

saveawage.com

1 minute ago, BP1960 said:

Why doesn't it say if any of those out of contract have been offer new ones?

Looks like they're gone and some of those still in contract might be in for a rude awakening aswell

Nothing's off the table after what's passed

20 hours ago, latics22 said:

Chesterfield have the average highest home attendance, so I guess they are the biggest ? We’re second.

Chesterfield have never been a bigger club than Oldham

Not in a month of sundays 

5 hours ago, sempreazzurro said:

I've been following latics man and boy for over 35 years now, and this forum for a good long while - voyeuristically... but need to get this off my chest.

I feel deep despair at present. Following 30 years of decline, and with the club having teetered on the brink, I feel - as do we all - profound gratitude that Frank has stepped in, and gifted us a platform on which we can build. For the first time in ages I have been looking up the league hierarchy in real hope, if not expectation. I even bought myself a new replica top for match days, and was looking forward to this season with real optimism, especially given how strongly we finished the previous term.

Realistically, I know we need to accept that the journey (back to where we need to be as a club) will be long and not without it's bumps... but I can't help but feel that the initial goodwill of the fans now has been utterly exhausted. It's been a poor, poor season.

From where I stand, we have regressed. It's obvious that the recruitment has been less than perfect, but, on paper at least, we have a group of professionals who should have had more than enough to get us out of this poor league.

Something, though, is rotten - in the mindset of the whole group (including the manager), and in the relationship between the playing staff and the fans. Whatever cancer this is needs cutting out, quickly, because it translates into performances and results which are beyond piss poor.

I don't need sexy football at this point. Before the pinch-me years, there was some pretty uninspiring fare served up at BP, and I still turned up, and since, obviously, but what I have seen this year has been beyond bad.

I'm no DU apologist. He never had a rapport with the fans, and, after the start we had this year, his position was untenable: however I personally think he was getting a better tune out of the squad than MM. I went to watch us at Borehamwood, and what I saw was structured and disciplined. Either team could have won it, but I think we defended well and looked promising in the final third. There was some width. Basically, I came away not feeling too negative. In the final analysis, in his 9 league fixtures, his return was 7 points, and SEVEN of those games were against opponents who were amongst the stronger teams in the division (in that they all finished above us). Tricky fixtures, in hindsight.

In the final leg of this season, when it really counted, MM has managed to return 5 points from the final 9 games, against mostly poor opposition. This from a guy with 'experience' and a 'track record', and a squad which should have been super-motivated.

I have never liked this guy. I find him dour and uninspiring. The team has developed a distinct imbalance, we hoof it, we don't seem to play with any discernible tactics (the recent draw vs.Chesterfield being a rare exception), and without the required energy or fitness levels. Even during our purple patch, we were being found out. I know we ended up winning 3-2, and the second half was exciting (thanks in no small part to the width an energy of Wigan's Stones), but the first half at Solihull Moors is without doubt the worst football I have ever seen from an Oldham team. It was dire.

I thought we couldn't get any worse than we were when I saw us at Meadow Lane last season - but this was just another level of shit.

I have experienced some bad performances and results over the years (e.g. losing 7-0 at MK, but that was almost funny; just a really bad day at the office)... but the sheer consistency of the terrible football we have trotted out this season has been difficult to take.

My last game this season was vs. Halifax last week, and it was just the final nail in the coffin for me. We played OK in spells, but we had no left-side, defended poorly, played without pace or passion (especially given what was theoretically at stake), and should have lost against an opponent who were more pacy, direct and organised.

I don't know where to go now with this lot, but want to keep the faith - if only to repay Frank.

It's bleak. Academy mothballed, parachute payments ended. The modern infrastructure DU was trying to put in place abandoned, the same core squad contracted into next season.

The are boils which need lancing. The Reid situation needs concluding. For me, the manager needs to go, and I believe we need to get some young managerial blood in, and hopefully a young player or two who can inject some pace and directness. A manager who is able to fashion a system which brings the best out of the players we have, because, as I say, they are mostly capable of more than this, in my opinion. It couldn't turn out worse than this, could it?

The Sachdev situation mystified me. MM calls him a wing-back (is this not what we needed - a bit of width and attacking intent??) - a young, England U19 international, who had put in MOM performances... but clearly not to MMs taste. Weird in terms of both recruitment and subsequent team selection (or lack thereof). I wish Sai well, and hope we haven't damaged him too much.

For me, the straw which broke the camel's back for me was MM's pre-match presser for the Rochdale game. He had all the excuses already to hand (players not of the calibre, not able to field a team with width etc...). For such an important game (and a derby at that) he was downbeat and negative, whilst repeatedly stating that he knows what we need, and he has all the experience, blah, blah. Also seemed to say that he didn't really care about the fans' reactions on the terraces. God's gift to motivational speeches he is not. We should have been buzzing for that. What pissed me off the most though is the way he spoke of Oldham in the third person ('they', 'the club'). He has done that right from the start... like he's some external fucking consultant come in to write a big report on how shit our squad is. Where's the "We" Micky? To be fair, he has jointly shouldered it post-match after some of the horrorshows, but I think that's more because he was obliged to.

No manager will be perfect, but we've had some promising talent pass through our club through the years. Guys who seemed more invested. Even in recent times, I would take e.g. Wellens, Kewell, Wild, and, dare I say it, Unsworth over this guy.

Hopes for next season? Scraping a playoff place, and building an on-field identity. More than that?? You're having a laugh. Last season I watched Notts County a lot. At Wembley, it was clear that Chesterfield were a formidable and organised team. Unlucky as they were, it was clear to me on that day that they would piss it this season. Latics are nowhere near the level that either of those teams turned out. Nowhere.

Anyway, I've been rambling enough now. Doubtless many will disagree with much of what I say, but I do feel better for getting that off my chest
 

Thanks for that,

I was hanging on your every word there and I pray this post is seen and discussed at board level, because that's where any changes required begin.

10 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

You aren't getting game changers on one year contracts so let's put that red herring back in the sea.

We should have had bigger escape holes in the nets, the last time we went trawling

3 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

It looks like that from our perspective but in the 30 years we've been sliding down the leagues there have been plenty heading in the opposite direction

Just how many club's below the premier league are living beyond their means?

Most would be my guess.

44 minutes ago, The Greek said:

Your thread should be titled “Statement?”. You raised my hopes because I thought he’d gone!

It was my first thought aswell

I think he'll stick it out and try to salvage whatever's left of his past reputation 

14 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

Utter nonsense.

But is it?

They seem to be making it harder and harder for the smaller sides to progress/survive in any way, shape or form

They won't be satisfied until there's only elite football and every single penny stays within it.

12 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

Yep, let’s support one foreign-owned, ridiculously wealthy, overpaid bunch of players over another. 
In reality, who gives a toss?

It might sit better with Coventry if that happens but like you say, all over paid but aren't they all?

3 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

But if you say it's a yard then there would be an argument about it being 37 inches.  Let's face it - if the handball rule hadn't descended into complete farce there wouldn't have been extra time at all

2 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

It was the correct decision even though I loath VAR. Wish we could go back to on field officials making such decisions, and accept they are human and can make mistakes.

And not even VAR could ruin what was an outstanding match. Coventry’s comeback has to be the greatest ever seen at Wembley, and will always be talked about.

VAR is only used in the Premier league and shouldn't apply to anything outside of it, that's unless they want to roll it out universally to every game being played and I'm sorry that I'd never accept that yesterday as being offside because it's just wrong.

VAR did ruin the game and all Coventry will be left feeling is cheated for the rest of their day's 

I just hope City absolutely smash that bunch of cowardly united misfits to pieces in the final

37 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

 

|Why?  It's exactly what VAR was for and it worked perfectly (albeit disappointingly)

Goalkeeper's have always been overly protected and now it's the turn of the defender's 

What there's such stupidly fine margins, the attacking player should get the benefit of the doubt or it's time to pack it all in.

Had it been the other way around, I'd put my house on it not even being checked

Big club rules!

50 minutes ago, Bobledgersheart said:

Offside is offside though. 

Offside should be a yard not a nose hair

It's bollocks

That yesterday was disgraceful 

Time some of the offside rules were updated

33 minutes ago, Lukers1 said:

I believe the players find out tomorrow.

Should of saved them the wait and cleared out their lockers straight after the game.

Just now, GlossopLatic said:

 

So you'd actually prefer the main stand moaners than actual professional manager running the club?

Like the last one, he hasn't covered himself in much glory and it's definitely open to debate 

11 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Of course they’re not- they’re just not playing for him, and he won’t accept it, so is blaming everything else.
 

The interview is complete and utter disgrace, and had sack me written all over it. 
 

- He paints a picture of utter doom and gloom while the club are trying to shift season tickets. That alone is a pisstake, you can honest but inspiring. Instead of selectively honest and bitching. 
 

- Claims after the Flyde game he thought we might go down. Fuck. Off. Over two spells this season covering 22 games we’ve won 2 in 22. . and finished 10th. Stop talking complete shite. 
 

- repeatedly says he’s not above criticism, then gets very defensive and blames everyone else. 
 

- Says it’s been the impossible Job at times, then says to Alan it’s lazy journalism to say the season has fallen apart because we played a lot of ‘top sides’ and not been beaten. Also completely omits that it wasn’t impossible 8 weeks ago when we sat 5th- despite woeful home form. 
 

- Has the audacity to say we might be over budget, like it’s a surprise. He fucking knew what had been spent when he took the Job because he said numerous times, we have to respect what the family have spent. Was then given 6 signings, and none have improved us. 
 

I could go on and on. 
 

He is the leader and is coming like a spoilt arrogant child. I would be livid if I was on the board. 

Spot on 

He needs to ask himself if he's up for the task or not.

It's been a real eye opener to see him easily being out thought by opposition manager's who have far less at their disposal, yet seem to be able to cut their cloth and find a way.

Hard work helps ofcourse