JohnnyPimp

I'm sure that the club will keep supporters informed of the season ticket sales figures on a regular basis. One of the biggest pushes this deal can be given is for the fans who expect to purchase a ST and have the funds available, buy nice and early to get the season ticketometer off to a good start. They can have my money as soon as Joe signs on the dotted line.

He wanted Championship football and didn't sign the very lucrative contract we offered him. Hardly letting him go I think you'll agree.

Are you on a commission by any chance? Seriously though, why do you reckon the numerous local professional clubs aren't picking these guys up?

It isn't mandatory to leave at the end of a 1 year contract. Just as your not guaranteed to stay for 3 years if you sign a 3 year contract (just ask Brian Talbot, Ronnie Moore and Shez).

I can't see him starting but it would be nice to give him half an hour or so.

Thinking about it logically, if an Arab consortium bought us as a feeder club for City, do you really think they'd be interested in the catchment areas of our youth systems?

It worked for Ian Marshall but then again, he was desperate to play up front.

You're right, you can fit his name on a postage stamp but you have to turn it on its side to do it, otherwise you lose the 'od'.

Hang on a minute, Shez signed these players because he thought they would improve the overall quality of the squad. If I remember correctly, 'better quality' was his general overview of the Maher's, Whittaker's and O'Grady's he brought in. We all bought in to this as part of the usual pre-season excitement. The fact that much of our transfer business was concluded early on gave us the impression that Shez had been decisive in the transfer market, in stark contrast to the previous year. Let's face it, we believed the hype and 6 games in it seemed for once that we may have been right to do so. Looking back on a season of disappointment it turns out that the players brought in were, for one reason or another, not as good or effective as Shez and the fans thought they would be. Past exploits and reputations count for nothing after your umpteenth below-par performance in the blue shirt. It's as simple as that. As far as I'm concerned there isn't anything hidden in the shadows, regardless of how closely you may look. At most there was an overstatement of our chances by the manager and owners but heck, what's wrong with that, especially when you're trying to flog season tickets to a division-weary faithful?

Norwich have been firing blanks all season.

You make a good point, particularly regarding our striker folly. Like most Latics fans I couldn't wait for this season to finish and frankly, wasn't looking forward to next season and it's reduced budget. Talk of John Wardle getting involved raised my spirits briefly until the talk turned to nothing. However, my Latics dynamo is building up inside me again as I consider that Big Joe might be staying past the end of the season. I'm firmly of the opinion that Joe's the best manager for Oldham at the moment and although results haven't picked up since his return, I'm confident the slide has been arrested. I'm well aware that TTA have been vocal about reducing next year's budget but that was pre-Royle. Few people know what budget has been offered to Joe but I suspect he wouldn't want to be expected to turn water into wine. That in itself gives me grounds for optimism. Give him a top half of the table budget (something he's never had at Oldham) and I think he'll do well. Very well in fact. Anyone who doubts his man-management skills should read Paul Rideout's views in this BBC article. He may be older but that only makes you wiser, right?

Let's face facts. We're a third division club, who play in a run-down 3-sided stadium, in a northern town less interested in watching live professional sport than it has been for many years. I'm not going to blame the Oldham public for this. Mistakes were made years ago by the previous incumbents at the club in terms of ambition and investment and TTA are now feeling the weight of this. Let's hope they keep the faith better than most on this board. Remove Joe's past assocation with the club from the equation and we're clearly punching above our weight in terms of the standard of manager we currently have at the helm. He's here because of goodwill and a desire to be a success again in the game that has inexplicably turned it's back on him for the last 3 years. 1989 or 2009, I cannot think of anybody more qualified to put the smile back on the faces of the dwindling few and reverse our fortunes.

Are you a gambling man by any chance, JoeLatics?

Pro deals ahoy!

Why does anyone buy a football club? Love of the game? Egotism? Investment? Ok the last one's probably not relevant but the first 2 are.

Conversely, what would we have gained by making it public?

You've just described my Wednesday evenings.

I was 18 when I bought my match-worn, Neil Adams Bovis shirt so fortunately I've, ahem, grown into it over the years.

I've had a few Latics dreams where I've been playing. Everyone's aware that I'm not a pro / signed to the club but despite these minor quibbles I usually battle my way to a scrambled goal. For some reason though, the matches always start off at Boundary Park before changing into either waste ground, school playing fields or, wait for it...Royton precinct! Freud would've had a field day.

That's called a nightmare, Tommy!

He's out of contract in the summer and Ipswich want him to get some first team games under his belt before then. They've signed a No2 to Richard Wright.

I shed a tear when I heard that Shez had gone but the floodgates opened when I heard Big Joe was back! If there isn't a full house on Saturday then the Oldham public can damn well go to hell. Now you'll have to excuse me, I've got a Bovis shirt to squeeze into.

It's with a heavy heart that I agree with the decision to let Shez go. I was desperate for him to be the one who got us out of this godawful division but it just wasn't to be. Many more good times than bad (some of the best since the pinch me years) and I'm sure he'll go far in the game. All the best for the future mate, you'll always be welcome back at BP as far as I'm concerned.

I'd like to see this turned into a screenplay. It's dynamite!