Ex_pat

Well, another season over.

Big thanks to @oafcmetty for putting in all the hard work to keep this running.

I have really enjoyed the prediction league over the years (Well, I would say that wouldn't I)

Keep up the good work.

I am already looking forward to next year when the prediction will always be a win, the hardest task will be the crowd and number of Latics goals.

Congratulations to @PeteWeb and @JohnG123 for winning their leagues.

Commiserations to @tGWB for being the bridesmaid on 2 consecutive occasions. You put up a great fight for the title.

Sad to see another ( @lookersstandandy ) ex-champ finding themselves in the relegation zone. But it just goes to show how the competition has improved over the years.

I hope you all enjoy your (Northern) summer, and come back for another prediction league adventure in August.

Cheers

1 hour ago, Summerdeep said:

 

I'll try to get through it with the assistance of a bottle of 'Nice Drop Shiraz' (£4.25 from ASDA) while keeping an eye on the laptop screen. There doesn't seem to be any BBC radio commentary for today's match, so I'll be relying on counting the 'Get In!' versus the 'FFS!' exclamations in order to keep track of the score.

I think you can listen to Radio Alty, see link below

https://www.radioalty.co.uk/listen.html

6 hours ago, BP1960 said:

We know Latics are going to win this 1-0, just like the FA Cup tie.

 

I hope you are right.

What worries me is that Altrincham have won 6-1 at home 3 times this season. I think the score might be closer to that than 0-1 to Latics.

I want to be proved wrong.

5 minutes ago, Sloshed Joe said:

Who’s willing to sit on a contract & not play? There’s probably only Shelton that’s not been catching the squads at all recently who’s still at the club. 

I have no insider knowledge of any offers to OAFC to OAFC players that have been made, or what offers have been turned down in the past by player or club.

However, my impression is that Tolitt is considered surplus to requirements by Mellon.

Seeing this is Toliitt's second loan, he seems to be willing to go out to clubs regardless of their level to try and get a game. His contract runs out in the summer, so he could have just whiled away his time until then.

2 hours ago, hollandspies said:

Fair play, another correct call. 

I'll give Toilitt credit, at least he is willing to go out to clubs to play games, rather than while away his time until his contract runs out.

Respect. Good luck to the lad.

9 minutes ago, longtimeblue said:

 

As much as I'd take a play-off spot, we'd be so underprepared for league football. 

Agreed from a players/squad point of view, but the rest of the organisation looks geared for EFL.

I guess many championship clubs that get promoted to the EPL feel underprepared when the cool reality of playing "big" clubs  with a perceived better team (yes I am looking at you Man U) kick in.

I'd take promotion and worry about the team/squad for next season later.

37 minutes ago, L1onheartNew said:

Awesomely long day of sport for me

 

Just watched the mighty Dolphins roll over the Jets with one of the greatest TDs i have ever witnessed from Holland.

 

Tonight it's preliminary AFLW final where the mighty Lions play the upstarts from Geelong at 7:30pm, then back in time for Citeh V Scousers at 10:30pm.

 

Then, the big one at BP at 1am.

 

No sleep till 3am, then up at 5:30 to feed the dog!

 

Phew. Can't wait for 1am!

Go Cats!

1 hour ago, mcfluff1985 said:

https://merch.athletic-store.co.uk/

 

I genuinely don't know who signed some of these off. 

Fans should be happy. Norwood is smiling on the merch.

6 hours ago, oafc1955 said:

I’ve no doubt we’ll be in the playoffs

4 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

play offs. minimum.

I bet you were not thinking like that after the Bromley game.

What a difference 2 weeks in football makes.

My own opinion is that I would like to see us in the playoffs, but our ball retention and passing ability has to improve for that to happen.

8 hours ago, L1onheartNew said:

Little matter of the AFL Grand Final before tonight's game. Just got off the plane and Melbourne is buzzing. 

Lions fans everywhere.

Collingwood will not have the support their own way...

It sits me that in a stadium that holds 100k, the official club allocation was 17k each. The rest go to corporate and sponsors which is ridiculous.

 

Contemplated staying in Melbourne, but zero accomodation. People where advertising their spare rooms for $800 per night!!

Anyhoo taxi to town!

 

Go Lions

Go Latics*

 

Commiserations (about the Lions that is)

3 hours ago, Inspectormorose. said:

Me and the nephew, new puncture repair kit bought.

Are you going on a tandem bicycle?

10GBP sent by PayPal

22 hours ago, rudemedic said:

Doesn't look like it has ever happened. The likes of Forest Green and Tranmere have been promoted after losing the play-off final the year before but that was by winning the play-offs not the league.

You are correct.  A losing finalist has never won the league the following season.

As you say there have been a few losing finalist (4) who have got promoted.

These are the clubs are:

Exeter in 2007/8

Grimsby in 2015/6

FGR in 2016/7

Tranmere in 2017/8

As a side note:

Wrexham were losing finalists in 2012/13 and won the league in 2022/23 (11 years).

Luton were losing finalists in 2010/11 2011/12 and won the league in 2013/14 (2/3 years).

Stevenage were losing finalists in 2004/5 and won the league in 2009/10 (5 years).

Aldershot were losing finalists in 2003/4 and won the league in 2007/8 (4 years).

Dagenham & Redbridge were losing finalists in 2002/3 and won the league in 2006/7 (4 years).

History is not on Chesterfield's side to win the league.

12 hours ago, Steve_R said:

More importantly, has the team who finished 12th gone on to win the league next season?

None!

However Accrington, Dagenham & Redbridge, and Barrow all won the league after finishing 10th the previous season.

Macclesfield did it after finishing 11th. Lincoln did it after finishing 13th and Sutton did it after finishing 15th

Hartlepool got promoted from finishing 12th the previous year.

Cambridge got promoted from finishing 14th, and Newport  got promoted from finishing 19th the previous year.

There is always hope

What a great test match that was.

It ebbed and flowed each day. Great entertainment.

I can understand the declaration. Try and get a wicket in the short batting spell the Aussies had, but It did not work.

It's hard to judge how many more runs England would have got in the 1st innings if they had continued. It could possibly ended in a draw, seeing the weather on the last day. I don't think it was a turning point.

I think it was a gamble by England to select Ali, as he was a little wayward. Did he have the finger injury before the game?

I am not impressed with Bairstow's keeping. That could have had more of an affect on the result than the declaration.

I think some of the comments above come from disappointment England fans are feeling. Most of the 5th day England held the advantage, but it slipped away at the end.

I can imagine the England fans groans as the winning runs were scored, just as I jumped out of my seat with arms in the air at the same time.

If the whole series is going to be like that we are in for some great entertainment. Whoever wins the Ashes.

14 hours ago, lookersstandandy said:

Any danger we could update the honours board in here @Stevie_J? I’m sure @24hoursfromtulsehill would like to see who has chalked up the most trophies now? @Ex_pat I’m coming for your Premier League record.

 

Thanks to @oafcmetty - always the bridesmaid, never the bride - for excellent organisation. Can you fathom a way of bribing the cup back next year?

Keep on dreaming @lookersstandandy

We need to win this FA Trophy, so that the current quote:

"The first former premier league club to play in the national league" that I am forever hearing on many match day broadcasts, will eventually change to:

"The first former FA Trophy winner to play in the English Premier League" sometime in the future.

NB. Wycombe Wanders are the highest place club that have won the Trophy.

15 hours ago, Shrek said:

 

I agree a modern thinking young hungry appointment would be my choice. Be that a former player like LJ or someone who has made a career coaching and looking to move up, a Wild type 1st time round. It won't be Wild.

Paul Murray?

Or not young enough?

12 hours ago, St92 said:

I spent the 12 months before the takeover telling everyone I couldn't wait to get a season ticket as soon as we had new ownership, regardless of what league we were in when the time came. 

 

Bought one the day they were put back on sale after the takeover.

 

I'll call it now, if DU is the manager, I'm not renewing. Can't justify £300 for the product he's providing.

 

If more fans take your attitude then we could have a new manager next year.

Ronnie Moore took us from 19th to 10th in league one, but he did not have the fans on board and season tickets sale were slow for the following season. Corney got rid in the summer for financial reasons.

Could that happen again?

The report from the BBC at the time is below.

Managing director Simon Corney explained in a statement that Moore's exit was "for financial reasons".

He said: "Clearly, a lot of fans had not taken to him (Moore), and season ticket sales have been very slow.

"People seem to think we have vast sums of money, but unfortunately that is not the case.

"We have to work within certain constraints, and at the end of the day it was a financial decision.

"It wasn't a pleasant job telling Ronnie, and he was shocked.

I have been in the “stick” camp with Unsworth longer than most, but leading into to Christmas I was on the fence. I did not expect to win at Notts County, but I thought things were improving, but the 4-1 defeat made me I fall off the fence into the “twist” camp. After the 2-2 draw I wondered if I had been hasty and maybe most new mangers find it hard to get a team on track. Therefore I made a list of all the new managers engaged after Unsworth’s appointment (up to the end of 2022) in the top 5 divisions, to compare performance to Unsworth. There are 26 managers altogether.

The question now is how you rank/compare the managers? Win percentage, league position change etc. Below are some of the top and bottom 10 of each ranking. Only league games were considered.

Win %

1. 82% Carlos Corberan (WBA) 17 games

2. 73% Michael Carrick (Middlesbro) 17 games.

3. 67% Unai Emery (Villa) 6 games.

4. 60% Dean Holden (Charlton) 6 games.

5. 53% Slaven Bilic (Watford) 17 games.

6/7/8/9. 50% Paul Warne (Derby) 16 games. Julen Lopetegul (Wolves) 4 games. Rob Edwards (Luton) 4 games. David Webb (York) 4 games.

10. 45% Danny Schofield (Doncaster) 11 games.

26/25. 0% Ross McNally (Aldershot) 4 games. Kolo Toure (Wigan) 6 games.

24. 17% Neil Critchley (QPR) 6 games.

23/22/21/20. 20% Michael Nelson (Scunthorpe) 5 games. Matthew Etherington (Crawley) 5 games. Nathan Jones (Southampton) 5 games. David Unsworth 15 games.

19. 24% Matt Taylor (Rotherham) 17 games.

18/17 25% Mark Jackson (MK Dons) 4 games. Graham Coughlan (Newport) 12 games.

Loss %

1. 11% Liam Rosenior (Hull) 9 games

2. 13% Paul Warne (Derby) 16 games

3. 17% Unai Emery (Villa) 6 games

4/5. 18% Carlos Corberan (WBA) 17 games. Michael Carrick (Middlesbro) 17 games.

6./7. 20%  Dean Holden (Charlton) 6 games. Mark Cooper (Yeovil) 16 games.

8/9/10. 25% Julen Lopetegul (Wolves) 4 games. David Webb (York) 4 games. Graham Coughlan (Newport) 12 games.

26. 100% Ross McNally (Aldershot) 4 games

25. 80% Nathan Jones (Southampton) 5 games.

24. 75% Rob Edwards (Luton) 4 games.

23. 67% Kolo Toure (Wigan) 6 games.

22/21. 60% Michael Nelson (Scunthorpe) 5 games. Matthew Etherington (Crawley) 5 games.

20/19/18. 53% Matt Taylor (Rotherham) 17 games. David Unsworth 15 games. Matt Bloomfield (Colchester) 15 games.

17. 50% Mark Jackson (MK Dons) 4 games.

Change in  league position (-ve = lower)

1/2. 17, Carlos Corberan (WBA) 17 games. Michael Carrick (Middlesbro) 17 games.

3. 7 Slaven Bilic (Watford) 17 games.

4. 6, Dean Holden (Charlton) 6 games.

5. 5, Unai Emery (Villa) 6 games.

6/7. 4, Julen Lopetegul (Wolves) 4 games. Liam Rosenior (Hull) 9 games.

8/9 3, Paul Warne (Derby) 16 games. Mark Cooper (Yeovil) 16 games.

10. 2. Matt Bloomfield (Colchester) 15 games

26/25/24. -6, Matt Taylor (Rotherham) 17 games. David Unsworth 15 games. Matthew Etherington (Crawley) 5 games

23. -5, Neil Critchley (QPR) 6 games.

22. -4, Ross McNally (Aldershot) 4 games.

21/20/19. -2, Nathan Jones (Southampton) 5 games. Kolo Toure (Wigan) 6 games. Gary Caldwell 11 games.

18/17. -1, Lee Bell (Crewe) 8 games. Michael Nelson (Scunthorpe) 5 games

Goal difference

1. 17 Paul Warne (Derby) 16 games.

2. 11 Carlos Corberan (WBA) 17 games.

3. 10 Michael Carrick (Middlesbro) 17 games.

4. 7 Slaven Bilic (Watford) 17 games.

5/6. 4 Unai Emery (Villa) 6 games. Liam Rosenior (Hull) 9 games.

7/8. 3 Dean Holden (Charlton) 6 games. Rob Edwards (Luton) 4 games.

9. 2 David Webb (York) 4 games

10/11. 1 Julen Lopetegul (Wolves) 4 games. Mark Cooper (Yeovil) 16 games.

26. -14 David Unsworth 15 games.

24. -11 Matt Taylor (Rotherham) 17 games

23. -10 Kolo Toure (Wigan) 6 games.

22. -8 Ross McNally (Aldershot) 4 games.

21. -7 Mark Fotheringham (Hudderesfield) 17 games

20/19/18. -5  Nathan Jones (Southampton) 5 games. Matthew Etherington (Crawley) 5 games. Neil Critchley (QPR) 6 games.

17/16 -5 Michael Nelson (Scunthorpe) 5 games Danny Schofield (Doncaster) 11 games.

One thing that I noticed was that Aldershot are in a bad way, and could soon be below us, but that is very little consolation.

Unworth’s comparison summary

Pros:

Not in the bottom 10 for goals for per match. Actually 11th.

8th highest draw percentage (27%).

Cons:

You can see them above.

Joint 3rd worst in goals conceded per match

I think the data above just reinforces the “twist” camp.

A pity we could not have interested Michael Carrick at the time.

(and yes I need to get out more).

Can you have 3 numbers on the back of the shirt?

Thanks very much @oafcmetty and @Bristolatic for setting this up and all the hard work that has gone into this for the members.

I like to think that it will help me to improve my predicting (but that's the kind of fantasy world I live in).

Love the banner as well.

Once honed and greased, this prediction league will be the envy of the EFL/EPL.

FGR 3 - 1 Oldham (HT 2-0) - Branger - 2659

As your Experienced and Ultimate Superior Prediction League Champion (although @24hoursfromtulsehill will never accept the obvious) I wish you all good luck in the forthcoming prediction league.

It is looking like the pessimistic amongst us may do well this year, but I hope to be proved wrong.

To @pcassist above, 68 years old is the ideal age for this prediction lark. All the experiences of elation and torture you have gone though with The Latics is a good foundation for this prediction game.

To those still sitting on the fence, take the plunge and join, there is no disgrace in coming second. Ask @lookersstandandy

Let battle commence!