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According to Oldham Athletic an A-Z our youngest player was Eddie Hopkinson who was 16 years 75 days old when he made his debut v Crewe (h 1-3) on 12/1/52.

 

Would think that would be hard to beat as most would have to still be in school.

Absolutely correct - I was there! School leaving age was 15 then. Only a week or two after that, he was in goal when we beat Chester 11-2.

Having seen the 11-2 defeat of Chester when I was eight, I never thought anything like that could happen again, so I'm one of the lucky ones to have seen Latics score 22 goals in two games, even if they were 10 years apart.

 

That’s two of us who saw both matches, then. And both played on rolled-out snow, I am pretty certain.

As a southern fan, have not seen many matches this season. Felt that Crusoe’s round-up at the beginning of this thread was excellent and not much I would want to add. Simpson, Derbyshire and Croft were outstanding for me. Tarky has come on since I last saw him, very pleased with his show.

 

Disappointed in Baxter - first time I have seen him and although he obviously has skill, he simply vanished for too much of the match; I expected such a talented player to be more influential. Bouzanis made some fine saves but his overall display was a bit shaky, I thought; poor kicking, and too much punching, maybe as a result of not getting himself into position in time. Mvoto’s sending-off was just stupid - if you behave like that, that’s what you’ll get. Especially with a poor ref like this one. Agree with Crusoe about the Crawley facilities - that ticket cabin is going to be a disaster when they play clubs with big support.

 

Overall, a good hard-working performance. But I constantly wonder about Dickov. Individually, this is as talented a bunch of players as I have seen at Oldham for a long time. So why can he not mould them into a team that plays good football? For about 10 minutes in the second half, we looked terrific. The rest of the time, we played with skill but struggled to make chances. And the apparently tactical decision to keep virtually everybody in our own half in the last 10 minutes constantly gave them possession and could easily have cost us the match.

A bit lucky to get anything out of this. Charlton were the better side, should have sewn it up but seemed to take their foot off the pedal once they were ahead. But we scrapped for everything - big credit to Wesolowski, Furman, Clarke, Diamond, Cisak in particular. Goal was well worked and we could easily have had another. Given the upheavals in the back four and the loss of much-missed Simpson, it was a good, fighting performance.

As a southern supporter, my first match of the season so I spent some time working out who was who. Well deserved win in the end but we really need to tighten up defensively – Orient going forward were not too bad and could well have been two up by half-time. Kuqi’s skills the highlight with a hand in all three goals. Impressed by Wesolowski, Reid and Mellor in the short time he was on. Defensively, we looked vulnerable. Lee had an excellent game, Mvoto made some good tackles but Clarke did not impress me, too many poor passes and was involved in the mix-up for their goal.

Looking forward to the next two games now....favourable results and we could be sitting pretty, then if some of our lapsed fans see we're serious contenders they might be tempted back

Living down south, as I mentioned earlier, I would love to be able to get to more matches. I am baffled that a team with so many talented players is not pulling in better gates at home. Maybe people just prefer to have a moan – this thread for example is very short considering we got another important win. I’l bet it would have been twice as long if we had lost.

good to see white settling in well.

 

how did jones do in the centre? it is good to see the official site reporting that evina and white were swapped over? good win today, lets carry on the form against exeter.

 

Jones did not have the best of matches but I would not criticise anyone today, they all worked their socks off. The switch of wings was only for about the last 10 minutes of the first half. White played all the second half on the right.

As a southern supporter, I wish all grounds were as easy to drive to and park at as Dagenham. I realise it was tougher travelling from Oldham, but there was a terrific turn-out and the singing and encouragement was non-stop.

 

A bit of a scruffy win, and the sort of match which, a year ago, we would have drawn at best, but we never really looked like losing. Dagenham had more play but our defence held up well. Apart from an early chance following a mistake by Stephens which Brill blocked superbly, Daggers never looked like scoring. Outstanding match from Hazell in particular, but the whole team worked hard and were well worth the result.

 

Obviously we missed Furman in midfield and the makeshift right side was our weakest point. Winchester looked good but clearly has work to do while White, not surprisingly, looked rusty until the goal which he took well – after that, he showed some good flashes of his skills. Another talented signing – Dickov certainly seems to find them.

 

 

Bobby Johnstone - we won 5-2 AND pulled in a gate of 17,000 when we were at the bottom of the fourth division

Very good performance, easily the better of the two sides. As a southern-based fan, it is a pleasure to see us passing the ball and using the wings once again.

 

I love the way Dickov has gone for players with genuine skills rather than the plodders we signed last season and has given a new lease of life to players such as Furman, Lee and Alessandra. Moving Taylor into the middle is a sign of this and we are getting the rewards from his ability once again. Tounkare impresses me more each time I see him, using his strength and good control to keep the ball under pressure and with an eye for a decent pass.

 

If we let softish goals in, it is probably because of the collective inexperience of the back four, Jarrett excepted, but Lee was excellent again today and Mvoto has settled down as a really good defender – hardly put a foot wrong. But Taylor has to be my MOM

 

 

 

Second match I have seen this season. Amazed at some of the moaning on this site. Brighton were excellent going forward and you could see why they are top. But we moved well too. Two separate Brighton supporters who spoke to me – one leaving the ground, the other in the bus queue – both said we were the best side they had seen there this season.

 

Not sure why Brill is being knocked yet again. Without his two excellent saves, we would have been out of it inside the first 10 minutes. Their first goal was because the guy was unmarked from a corner, the second a goalmouth scramble at the far end.

 

Some nice play from the Latics and it is good to see good football after last season. Just because we are not winning every match should not let people lose sight of what the current management are trying to do. Players like Lee, Black and Alessandra are showing what they can do with the right encouragement.

 

Taylor showed some good flashes of his real ability, Tounkare did lots of good work. But we could really do with a return to form by Stephens, the player of only a few weeks ago could well have won us the match. What we are lacking most onfield against a good team like Brighton is the leadership that Gregan brought last season. With that, we would easily have had a point yesterday.

First game for me today, so nothing to compare it with. I refuse to compare anything with last season!

 

Cracking all round performance and we went there to win, make no mistake. Charlton aren't as good as they think they are and we bossed them for long periods with good passing football. We're nobody's pushover, I tell ya. As Diego said after the match, the "Yard Dog" days are back. According to the stats, we commited 22 fouls to their 14, but I don't believe there were 36 fouls in the game, just a very fussy and over officious referee, who seemed to want to make a name for himself. Actually, he did, but if I put that name on here, I'll get banned.

 

Brill - 7 - Only had one powder puff shot to deal with, had no chance with the goal, commanded his area very well. Gees up players and fans.

Lee - 8 - Had a skillful winger to deal with, but stuck to it well. Turned up in the oppo box a fair few times as well and could have scored.

Hazell - 8 - A rock. This his best form, IMO, since he arrived. He seems to have so much confidence and had Pav in his pocket most of the game.

Jarrett - 7 - Very solid and real skill. So confident on the ball. Very unlucky to be sent off IMO, because I don't think there was even a foul. Looked like their player fell over his own feet to me. Could be wrong though. He'd have had an 8 but for belting the ball at the Charlton bench. It was funny, though, but we'll miss him next week.

Black - 8 - Still looks a bit raw at times, but this boy has skill, tackles well and gets stuck in. He can only get better.

Jones - 7 - Not really a right winger, but works very hard and tackles back well. Can put a decent cross in, too.

Stephens - 8 - Very mature for a youngster. Always seems to have time on the ball to pick a pass.

Furman - 9 - MOM for me. He must be knackered tonight because he covered every blade of grass. Fought for every ball, tackled, passed, chased, harried, got in their faces and hit an absolute screamer for the equaliser. He'd have scored a 10 if he hadn't misplaced a pass. What the hell was Penney doing stifling the lad's ability?

Taylor - 6 - The only slight disappointment. He doesn't look entirely fit yet and would probably have only had 15 mins or so if Alice had been on. Showed odd flashes of what he can do, so not going to write him off.

Bembo-Leta - 7 - Worked very hard, more dificcult to knock off the ball than you would imagine for someone who's only 3'4". Laid off some good, telling passes, but obviously couldn't compete in he air against a CB who was 3' taller.

Tounkare - 9 - What a handful he is. Great close control, fights to get back every ball he looks like losing and hits a good shot too. Very unlucky not to have at least two today when denied by the woodwork.

Smalley - 6 - Came on when Taylor looked knackered. He's not a left winger and obviously not fully match fit. Didn't really get into it, but give it time.

Feeney - 8 - Only a cameo role, but showed what quality he has. Hold up play, passing and strength on the ball shows he's a hgreat signing. Got to keep him fit and we'll certainly miss him as an option when he's with the NI squad.

M'Voto - 7 - Only on for the 5 minutes stoppage time, but defended well when tried to have a go, won headers got a couple of decent clearances in.

 

The workrate is excellent, they all fight for each other. If one loses the ball, there's another trying to get it back. We did what PD wants - defend from the front, close them down and get the ball back. We played some lovely, passing football, the best I've seen from a Latics team in years. There'll be a few teams won't enjoy us turning up in their back yard

 

The Yard Dogs are back!! Well done lads. A well deserved point, could so easily have been three if their MOM hadn't been the keeper, with the woodwork a close second.

 

My first match of the season too and I was well impressed. How good to see a young team working hard and knocking the ball about. If people don’t turn up at BP to watch this team, then nothing will bring them in. Furman definitely MOM (my own comment during the match was to wonder why Penney, having signed him, could not bring out his quality) but I thought Jarrett was outstanding too. Taylor and Smalley both looked a bit rusty and I will suspend judgment on Jones until I see more of him. But I agree totally about Feeney – awesome to see someone of his class coming on in that situation. Signings like him and the excellent Tounkare show that Dickov’s approach is on a totally different level to that of Penney and his relentless signing of lower-division journeymen. Early days but this could be a really exciting season. I can’t wait for the next southern match – and it’s a while since I felt like that.

 

Colbeck should have looked good - Brighton had a kid at left-back who was playing out of position. So Colbeck was given lots of time and space. And what did he do with it? Nothing. He put in a string of crosses, not one of which was any good. And even on a day like that, his lack of pace was noticeable. The sooner Smalley gets fit, the better.

Are you all sodding mental?

 

Do you have the memories of a goldfish and even smaller brains?

 

Do you remember nothing? Bristol Rovers? Hereford? MK? Players getting others in headlocks? Terrible loanee upon terrible loanee? Blowing the biggest budget we have had for many a season by constant mismanagement? Eternal unfulfilled promises?

 

Why we are all so pissed off at the moment is because of Shez. If it wasnt for him, we would have gone up. Penney is picking up the shattered pieces.

 

Its sodding 6 games into the season you bunch of frigging plebs. Saying that pissed up moron should return is just beyond belief. Have a sodding whinge, but realise that we have about half our squad injured and have barely started the season...

 

You should all be ing ashamed. I hope it was the drink talking but you all need labotomising.

 

Right, away for the weekend, and very glad, otherwise i'd be tempted to continually respond to all this crap on this board. At least I didnt swear. Sort of.

I was so despondent last night that I could not bring myself to read this board even. When I did this morning, I was dismayed by reading so much rubbish until I came across this. At last, some common sense.

 

These have been terrible results this week, but get over the injuries to some key players, left the team find its shape and I think we should be OK. At least as far as the players are concerned. I am more worried about the so-called supporters who seem to set out to undermine our goalkeeper and manager. They could do far more long lasting damage by unsettling the team as a whole whenever they play at home. Just what the situation needs.

It's all a bit harsh this on Penney We currently have around 14 players unavailable at the moment and that's without the players we've sent out on loan

 

1'st Players out at the moment and at least 4 or even 5 would start

Taylor

Smalley

Purdie

Jacobson

Worthington

Colbeck

Parker

 

Reserve players out at the minute and the 5 that got called up to the Hungarian squads 3 of them play for the Hungry national team at under 19 level

Steer

Lomax

 

Kalnoki-Kis

Tischler

Csiki

Fordor

Csorba

 

It's not going to be easy when you have that many players out we even had to call the reserve game off for tomorrow as we haven't got enough players to play so lets at least get our 1st team 11 out before we call for the managers head eh.

The criticism of Penney is ridiculous, and this list of unavailable players underlines it. Living in the south, I have not yet been to BP this season but have seen all three London matches. In every one, we have been worth a draw at least and all three could easily have been won. Not that we are playing great football but Penney has them fighting for every ball in the matches I have seen. If I were watching at BP, I would be brassed off that we cannot win at home but it seems to me we have some decent players there and the potential for a sound side. I agree about the need for another CB and I suspect Abbott is a much more limited player than people seem to give him credit for. But so far, I have seen nothing to suggest Penney is anything but a good manager. Lets see what happens when Colbeck fits in, Smalley, Taylor, Jacobson and Worthington are fit.

 

Good performance considering our patched-up midfield. Not great football, too much in the air, but well worth a point. Their penalty looked dodgy to us, ref was booed off. Blackman’s goal was worth the cost of the trip in itself - terrific first touch to control it, then brilliant shot. Could easily have won: Abbott missed a total sitter - unmarked far post header from well inside the six-yard box, god knows how he missed. But a draw was a fair result in the end.

In the report...starts off with "Two goal hero from saturday suddenly cast as the villain..." then goes on to say "Abbotts penalty brilliantly saved"

 

Talk about contradictions.

There was no name on the report, at least online, which makes me wonder if the Chronicle’s money-saving moves like making the excellent Mike Yarwood redundant have now extended to not sending a staff writer on a long midweek trip.

The Millwall fans on another forum say it was our defenders inability to clear that cost us the first goal, and the second was just a good break away goal.

They are right. People writing off Brill appear not to have seen the match and are doing so purely on a bad call from the writer of the official report who I had a go at in another thread for vastly over-exaggerating some incidents. In the matches I have seen, he has been fine. Give the guy a chance. And make your own minds up when you see him play, don’t rely on reports from people who may not have the depth of experience or judgment to write an accurate report.

From what i've heard and seen ...

 

- Furman hasnt stopped runnign for the 4 games he's player

- Worthington has been solid, not letting much past him

- Taylor been quiet since he picked up his injury but was very damging in pre season

- Holdsworth been playing well in midfield, creating lots of chances & earning 2 penalties.

 

Sorry if people disagree but this is what i've heard from various people on the board.

In the two matches I have seen, Taylor has been well marked most of the time but I agree he has been a bit under par. Furman not as creative as I had expected but what a worker. Totally agree about Worthington and Holdsworth.

How was Brill? Fishal report sounds like he didn't know if he was coming or going at times?!

Brill was no problem, as Stevie says above. And as I said before, the one person who regularly got it wrong on the night was the writer of the official report.

Too late at night for a detailed analysis, but we certainly deserved a draw. Worked hard, ran the second half completely. Lively match, I enjoyed it and the longer things went on, the more I felt that we would score. But, as at Orient, we found it hard to create clear cut chances. Scoreline does not reflect things - second goal was a well-taken breakaway as Latics pressed at the other end. We have some decent players there, and Smalley’s pace on the wing could well give us the extra edge we need. Nothing to despair about yet, much as people enjoy doing so. Talking of which, who writes the drivel on the official site? Come back Stu Vose. I have just read the report on there which gives far too much weight to a few incidents and makes it sound as if Millwall should have had half a dozen. Rubbish. A 1-1 draw would have been fine IMO.

Because he probably didn't think he did.

And a few people on here would have you think he never makes a mistake.

OK, it was his mistake for the goal. But overall he was outstanding cutting out ball after ball in the box. Full credit to the rest of the team - moving Holdsworth into the middle in the second half snuffed out the Orient midfield. And it is years since I saw a Latics team scrap for every ball like this. We will not be the prettiest footballing team in the division under Penney but I like his attitude. Nice touch at the end too when he drop-kicked the match ball into the Latics stand. Good to know the support - superb yesterday by the way - is appreciated.

Greatest of all last-minute goals: Andy Ritchie’s 94th-minute equaliser in the Littllewoods Cup quarter final at Southampton in 1990. What a night!

 

Half-decent? Gregan was the best footballing centre-half at this level, just too slow and not quite tall enough to boss it. As for Allott; not the greatest in the world but I'd have no qualms about seeing him start the season as one of our first-choice midfield. Tremendous last year don't forget.

I entirely agree. An awful lot of experience and ability is going here. Like many fans, I am not too worried about the other players released but I think Penney could have done a lot worse than get another season out of these two. They were in many ways the core of the team and will not be so easy to replace.

A bit of crap journalism me thinks too

 

Story out of nothing

Precisely. Experienced reporter gets a quote out of a 17-year-old kid, blows it up and people will remember it and use it as mud to throw at the lad whenever they are unhappy with his performance. Who is he supposed to have chosen as a role model? Steve Kabba?