LaticNik

One thing getting in, it's another thing finishing in the top 6. And he defo hasn't done that for 3 years running! E4e JSOUT

Shez isn't the target of my frustration anymore. Let's be honest, the signs have been there for the majority of the season. I take no pride in flogging a dead horse. My absolute anger and frustration is towards TTA. Why have they let it get to this? This season was our biggest and best chance of promotion for a long, long time. We've had arguably our best striker (may I add, on form!) for a few years and a very strong backbone of a team, not to mention financial backing at every opportunity which has gone unappreciated and talked-down publicly. And we're playing in a division which, I believe, is the weakest it's been for a long time with only one stand-out team. They first made their anger known around the time of the Yeovil home defeat. Can probably count on one hand the number of exciting home games since and I'd still be able to pick my nose. Xmas was coming, we were still uninspiring. A perfect chance to bring a new guy in and allow him the transfer window. The transfer window passes, journeymen strikers come and go. And still come and go... Pi$$ poor performances more often than not, behind the scenes bust ups and scandal, dirty laundry aired in public, and days off between what were massive home games yet became a pathetic and draining waste of a few hours of our life. The last straw for me was months ago and I firmy believe, deep down, TTA shared the same view long before the masses jumped on post Col U and doggygate. Even then, get rid of him and give a new manager free reign for 10 games and hope his honeymoon period will get us through the play-offs. Realistically our only hope. But nothing. Now a masive top of the table clash has been and gone with a 6-2 hammering and we find ourselves out of the play-offs (to be fair I can't believe we've hung on so long). The way things have been recently, now we're chasing, do we honestly believe we've the bottle to claw a play-off place back? I believe Shez will be gone in the summer. Along with our best striker and chance of promotion for a long time. Yet the latter could've and I believe would've been avoided had the former been done a long long time ago. TTA, you've a duck egg in charge who will now cop for a hell of a lot of abuse (with some personal). You guys could've avoided this when you first saw the cracks. I think we all realise that you'll never get a return on your investment but if you wanted to get sommat back then your blinkered 'loyalty' and lack of bottle has put a stop to that. The dwindling attendances, abysmal performances and negative aura around the club has sucked the life out of it and us. Not one person is big and important enough to be able to do that alone. A pathetic, uninspiring and embarrassing excuse for a football club. E4e JSOUT

I think we all realise the problem, it's the guy giving them. E4e JSOUT

At least you're not alone Bob, only the minority (oh go on then, smug me was one of em) predicted a hiding. The majority have clearly been watching a different Latics to me lately. Bob, his time was long ago yet for some sick reason I don't think us conceding 10 would make a difference...we will not get rid of this clown in charge. Get in! There's the 6th. Shez...do the decent thing, hands up then get the ---- out! E4e JSOUT

Extra training tomorrow followed by, before we know it, a couple of days off. Not forgetting another dead-end journeyman striker in on loan because, after all, that's clearly where the problem lies. E4e JSOUT

I've shouted for it long enough and now it looks like it's gonna come true. But it is a sad end to his reign. The signs that he's out of his depth have been there long enough and action should've been taken sooner. Now it's almost front page news and it seems he's gonna be the fall guy for it. He does take the majority of the blame but he (and us) should've been put out of his misery a lot sooner. With significant investment have we really moved on since the Blackpool play offs? Anyway to answer the question...jeez it's a tough one...Steve Cotterill? E4e JSOUT

Wow, Gas are getting a new stadium? How tall are their floodlights? I bet they're MASSIVE. Next you'll be reminding me about Hereford doing Newcastle in '72. E4e JSOUT

Fancy a wager against them getting more than the pathetic and sole point we got against these two? Thought not. E4e JSOUT

Spot on Coco. Ok, let's say Shez didn't have a say in whether or not the club go to the dogs, as manager he would definitely have the final say in whether they drunk or not! 1. He allowed it. Shez out. 2. He didn't allow it. They didn't listen. Shez out. Imagine Dowie accepting players not turning up to his 6am swims? He said they had to be there. They went. E4e JSOUT

"We cannot discount sacking in this respect" Gotta be Shez. Who allows a night out on the pop at this stage of the season and days before a game? I've said it before and I'll say it again, Fergie has banned Xmas parties...the one night a year you'd think players could really enjoy themselves. Our 'leader' (but don't call him Gaffer!) allows one in the middle of two home games in 5 days!!! When we're chasing promotion. Then to top it all it results in one of the most spineless performances in living memory. Team building is one thing. A night at the dogs is another. Relieve him of his duties. He's way out of his depth. IF others are punished and Shez isn't then that's me for the season. E4e JSOUT

Of course it is. Like you say, Shez can only do so much. E4e JSOUT

And home defeats against Bristol Rovers and Colchester is...? E4e JSOUT

Agree with prozac and ed. The signs have been there since Stocky away where our central midfield duo were overrun by younger and more spriteful players, dare I say it in the Lee and Stephens mould? Maher, Allott and Whitts all have their pro's, all have their con's, but they are far too similar. And whichever two play they seem to get overrun more often than they dominate. They rarely pick it up from our centre halves, nor are they the link between the midfield and the front two. One of our main tactics of late...and only tactic when we're chasing games at home...is Hughes and Kabba (or AN Other) wheeling off the last man and heading for the corners as Gregan/Hazell prepare to launch one forward. That's it. Our midfield need to grab games by the scruff of the neck, dominate and dictate. Why can't Shez, one of the greatest exports of this, instil this into his team? E4e JSOUT

When does it become his fault? E4e JSOUT

What I'm saying is a team in our position really fired up and gunning for promotion should and would attract bigger crowds. We're neither fired up nor gunning for promotion. More letting the season peter out...any neutral would think we're settling for mid table mediocrity on recent showings. A few seasons back when Shez got us into the play offs we played Yeovil at BP around this point. The gate? 6,000+. The Dowie play off season, I won't even bother looking. So, since that Yeovil game a few years back, has Shez moved us forward? E4e JSOUT

I was a Ritchie outer. I can't say I was particularly one way or the other re: Moore and Talbot but they were both on a hiding to nothing here, never going to get a fair crack of the whip. However one things for certain, if Moore and Talbot would've been in charge of the last few months of rubbish I'd bet a lot of money that there'd be pretty vocal chants from the terraces to get em out by now. I've heard none so far with Shez. But going back to me 'saying the very same thing about Ritchie'? Did I? This thread I've spoken about Shez getting the backing other managers would be envious of yet getting little bang for his bucks in return. Did I really use the money stick to beat Ritchie? Did I really say he had a substantial budget? Or did I merely hold the view that he wasn't up for the job? Truthful answer please. I tell you what though, I'd have Stitch back tomorrow in place of this numpty. E4e JSOUT

Agree. But an alleged promotion chasing team should be getting much more than 4,000. And would be if it wasn't for this no-hoper in charge. E4e JSOUT

Crossley, Maher, Windass, Byfield, Ormerod, Kabba...all on absolute peanuts, right? And that's just this season. Hughes? An offer on the table to make him one of the highest earners in the clubs history. Irrelative how much he's had compared to previous managers. You have to compare what he's got, at this moment in time, with other managers in this division. You know, the here and now. Add that to the absolute dross he gets from his money. It's damning. E4e JSOUT

He's said the same all season. First aired that view after Swindon away...the only thing that changed after that was the subs bench! Every other week he tells us players expect to play, how they need to grow up, that we've players on the bench who are ready to come in, and how he won't stand for it any more yadda yadda absolute yadda...of course he won't. Until the next game. E4e JSOUT

My response to the 'where are you gloaters' after the Millwall win... "Anyway, praise to all for the result today, an absolute cracker. I fully expect to do Leeds as well...it's easier to get up for the biggies. I suspect I'll be in a minority tonight with one swallow making a summer but I expect the return of the in-out-in-outers after the Col U game. You heard it here first." Well, heart ruled my head a bit as I thought we'd do Leeds. That lasted until 7:46pm Monday night when only one team was up for it. My point. We're so predictable. Go now Shez. New Gaffer (can we call him that????), 10 game honeymoon period, nicely into the playoffs. If for no other reason but to save the dwindling attendances. Balls to a promotion chasing team...the public of Oldham have seen enough this season and voted with their feet. Quite rightly. E4e JSOUT

Cuckoo E4e JSOUT

...have a look around the Championship for a striker who isn't getting a kick? E4e JSOUT

Four working days between two vital home games (that's not assuming they had a day off after Leeds) at the business end of the season; which manager worth his salt would allow the squad a night out on the tiles? Don't know about them but it takes me about two days to recover after a night on the ale. FFS Fergie has banned Xmas parties! Don't call him Gaffer. Shez will do. E4e JSOUT

He was clearly nowhere near 100% against Leeds, I put it down to the smash in the face in the first few mins, so why on earth was this not noticed by Shez? Instead choosing to bring three more dangerous players off. E4e JSOUT

Yeah we've all been out on the lash and yeah we've all got larey with it but come on, we all know this doesn't wash with footballers. It did in the Big Joe days but football and footballers were a different animal back then. But I suppose my main beef, you'll be surprised to hear, once again is with Shez and this being another example of his shortcomings. No discipline. Another trait which doesn't need coaching badges to instil. You either have it or you haven't. E4e JSOUT