bozman

In the Chron it says they are "hoping to announce a group of new signings today".

I'm sure I remember a rumour from several years ago that 'The Ghost of Brendan McManus' was actually Alan Hardy.

May be our new Chinese owners are bankrolling it in a repeat of celebration Sunday.

It says on the website that you can contact the club for a refund if you have already bought a ticket.

It's a great initiative. I must admit that I'm surprised the club feels they can afford to do it, given the financial constaints it is currently operating under. Even the donations made on the day are going to a charity, Mahdlo Youth Zone, so the club won't be making anything from admissions on the game.

I was told that Gerrard has already signed. May be the contract starts Saturday to save a few days wages.

At least as important as any potential new signings, Conor Ripley has tweeted that he is staying with us for the season. Apparently loads of people have been asking him if he''s going back.

The full press conference is online now on freeview. http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/freeview-john-sheridans-first-press-conference-since-returning-as-manager-3518070.aspx Just listening to it now. Some interesting snippets in there.

Full press conference now online, freeview. http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/freeview-john-sheridans-first-press-conference-since-returning-as-manager-3518070.aspx

Apparently Northampton going for Justin Edinburgh after Shez turned them down.

Can't post it from my work PC but there's a link on the BBC Manchester Sport twitter feed.

In his Radio Manchester inerviews he says that the main reason for him leaving was that most of the players he had brought in and wanted to keep were not going to be there the following season and he felt it was going to be a struggle (i.e. playing budget). But he did conceed that he got a very good financial offer to move.

Don't think we'll get one. They do them on Thursdays these days. Which is probably why the Chron went to print with Robbo's departure this morning when the club told them today's press conference was cancelled. First interview will probably be after the game on Saturday. He'll be busy enough between now and then.

The Chron reports that Robinson was nor made aware of Winchester's departure and that his own player targets were vetoed.

I see we have a new one now - @OAFCInsider

David Gloster. The guy who effectively started the Robbo out rumour with a tweet between Christmas and New Year. Him and Robbo are old friends apparently.

From Robinsons mate on twitter. " have heard the same. Announcement tomorrow apparently. SR sacked"

I'd say it's fake on the basis that the few tweets there are appear to contradict each other. E.g. club won't exist if there is no investment by the end of the season vs. Corney will not reduce the budget in league 2 and believes that will be an advantage.

Whilst I agree he's won't be shedding a tear at Winchester's departure, given how little game time he's given him, he did say in his LP interview on Monday atternoon that he had not been approached about interest in any of the players. It seems unliklely to me that the whole thing has come about since then.

Exactly. Makes no sense at all for him to resign now unless the stress has got too much for him. Corney will have to pull the trigger if he wants rid of him.

Heard a variation on this. Not that he's not speaking to him full stop, but that he's ignoring/avoiding his calls about the embargo, potential transfers etc when he's not at th club. Add this to the rumoured release of Winchester over the manager's head and the January targets seemingly being Corney targets rather than Robinson targets and it all points towards Corney trying to encourage him to resign before he has to push him. Time is running out for that though now.

I suspected something along these lines after Robinson's LP interview on Monday. When asked about potential departures he said that nobody had spoken directly to him about taking any of our players but you'd have to ask other people at the club if they are aware of any interest. Sounded like he knew something was going on above his head.

Well, just a hypotheical scenario, it might be about timing more than the game itself. Perhaps Corney has already decided that he's probably the wrong man for the job, but has been trying to avoid the cost of sacking him and paying him off by keeping him under embargo, and generally making his job as difficult as possible to do (e.g. lining up his own tansfer targets rather than leaving it to the manager), thus encouraging him to resign. Robinson has made it clear he isn't going to jump in recent interviews, so Corney has to decide if he's actually going to push him, in a situation where the club are short on the cash to fund such a move. If he leaves it beyond tonight, it doesn't give a new man much time to make his own moves in the transfer window before it closes. Conversely, a win, and a good performance might convince Corney to keep his compensation money in his pocket and stick with Robinson for the rest of the season.

Didn't learn much new there.Other than the fact that they are no longer putting a timescale on when the North Stand will be completed.

That wasn't really the way I interpreted it. From memory he phrased it something like "We've been talking to a couple of clubs about loanees potentially going back to create some room for manouvre" I doubt we'd be initiating those conversations about Ripley. I thought he was more likely refering to Erwin and/or McKay. That's not to say Middlesboro won't recall Ripley and, as I understand it, there's nothing we can do about it if they choose to do that.